2011 In Vitro Biology Meeting,June 4–8, Raleigh,North Carolina

LATE ABSTRACTS

2011 In Vitro Biology Meeting, June 4–8, Raleigh, North Carolina Late Submission Abstracts     

Systems Biology Brings Life Sciences Closer——Report on the China-UK Systems Biology Workshop 2005

The China-UK Systems held during June 20-21 Biology Workshop 2005 was in the National Science Park of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. It was organized by the Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, and was initiated by Prof. Dr. Jun Zhu （Zhejiang University） and Prof. Dr. John Findlay （University of Leeds, UK）. The workshop was part of the program called UK-China Partners in Science, a one-year campaign that was initiated by the British government to explore more collaborations between UK and China on science and technology. It was attended also by a representative of this program, Mr. Frank Yuan, senior science ＆ innovation officer. The idea of the workshop was to bring together experts with specialists in systems biology in order to promote the ＂natural partnership＂ between scientists from the two countries. The most important items of systcms biology considered at the workshop were： （1） New technologies and advances in systems biology; （2） Research developments in genomics and proteomics; （3） New methodologies and software in computational biology; （4） Research collaboration on systems biology between China and UK.     

The 2005 Annual Meeting of International Society for Interferon andCytokine Research (ISICR) 20-24 October 2005,Shanghai, China

The major of the 2005 Annual Meeting of International Society in Asia is to bring scientists from different parts of the world to present and discuss the most current advances in Interferon and Cytokine Research. Scientific Program     

What does "plasmid biology" currently mean? Summary of the Plasmid Biology 2004 Meeting

Almost 200 scientists from America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa participated in the Plasmid Biology 2004 meeting, which was organized between 15th and 21st September 2004 in Kanoni (Corfu island), Greece. Various aspects of biology of plasmids and other mobile genetic elements were discussed during the meeting, including problems of replication, transfer, stable inheritance, and evolution. Medical and veterinary aspects of plasmids were highlighted as well as other applications of these replicons. It appears that plasmids and other mobile genetic elements are still excellent models in studies of basic biological problems at the molecular level, and their role in medicine and genetic engineering can be enormous. Moreover, studies on ecology of plasmids provide extremely important data that can be used in environment protection as well as in biotechnology. Understanding the importance of studies on plasmids and other mobile genetic elements, participants of the meeting decided to establish the International Society for Plasmid Biology.     

In memory of Yakov Borisovich Fainberg (September 7, 1918–March 7, 2005)

Obituary

In memory of Yakov Borisovich Fainberg (September 7, 1918–March 7, 2005)     

Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)—Biology,Ecology, and Management

Cogongrass is considered to be one of the ten most troublesome and problematic weedy species in the world. This species is found throughout tropical and subtropical regions, generally in areas disturbed by human activities. Over 100 common names have been associated with cogongrass, including japgrass, speargrass, alang-alang, and bladygrass. Although this species has several commercial uses, the problems associated with its weediness far outweigh most positive benefits. Cogongrass is a major impediment to reforestation efforts in southeast Asia, the number one weed in agronomic and vegetable production in many parts of Africa, and is responsible for thousands of hectares of lost native habitat in the southeastern U.S. Biologically, cogongrass possesses several features that foster its spread and persistence. Management efforts for cogongrass consist of an integrated approach with several control strategies. In agronomic production, the use of cover crops is widely successful, but incorporation into the overall production scheme is challenging. Success has been achieved with continuous deep tillage or chemical applications, but long-term eradication/suppression must employ sustainable revegetation strategies.     

Pragmatism, Patronage and Politics in English Biology: The Rise and Fall of Economic Biology 1904–1920

The rise of applied biology was one of the most striking feature of the biological sciences in the early 20th century. Strongly oriented toward agriculture, this was closely associated with the growth of a number of disciplines, notably, entomology and mycology. This period also saw a market expansion of the English University system, and biology departments in the newly inaugurated civic universities took an early and leading role in the development of applied biology through their support of Economic Biology. This sought explicitly to promote the application of biological knowledge to economically important problems and especially to agriculture. The impact of Economic Biology was felt most strongly within Zoology, where it became synonymous with entomology. The transience of Economic Biology belies its significance, for example, in providing a means for the expansion of biology at the civic universities. More broadly, it opened up new research and employment opportunities within the life sciences. In late Edwardian Britain, newly available state funds for agriculturally relevant biological disciplines transformed the life sciences. This paper examines the impact of these funds - mobilized either under the 1909 Development Act, or under the auspices of colonial interests - on Economic Biology and the institutionalization of applied biology. The rise and fall of Economic Biology casts new light on the way in which institutional and political alignments profoundly shaped the development of British biology.     

The Seven Carbohydrate Bioengineering Meeting,Braunschweig, Germany,April, 22–25, 2007

Stereocontrol in bakers' yeast reduction can be achieved by introduction of a sulfur functional group into substrates. α-Methylthio-β-keto esters are reduced to give exclusively (3S)-3-hydroxy esters. α-Substituted β-keto thiol esters and dithioesters afford (2R,3S)-3-hydroxy esters with high diastereo-and enantioselectivity. Ketones possessing 1,3-dithiane, phenylsulfenyl, or phenylsulfonyl groups at the α-position are transformed also into the corresponding (S)-secondary alcohols. Optically pure (S)-(phenylsulfinyl)acetones can be obtained by kinetic resolution of racemic derivatives with the yeast. Diastereo- and enantioselective reduction of 1,2-diketones leading into (1S,2S)-1,2-diol derivatives can be also achieved by introduction of 1,3-dithiane, phenylsulfenyl or phenylsulfonyl groups into the α-position. Reductions of carbon-carbon double bond of sulfur-functionalized prenyl derivatives provide both chiral (R)- and (S)-C₅-building blocks for terpenoid synthesis. The utility of the reduction products as chiral building blocks is demonstrated in the synthesis of biologically active natural products such as pheromones, sugars, antibiotics etc. by functional group transformation and carbon-carbon bond formation reactions with the aid of sulfur functional groups.     

In Memorium: Swamy Laxminarayan [1939–2005]

Swamy Narasimha Laxminarayan, known to his many friends and colleagues as Swamy, passed away on September 29, 2005. He was one of the most prominent biomedical engineers on the international scene, and contributed immensely to the globalization of this new field.