Biotech Paper watch: Signaling

Signaling tools paper watch: Biotechnology Journal and sister journals Signaling methods in Current Protocols: In vivo imaging with FRET Visualizing kinase signaling Signaling book highlights: Bacterial signaling Structure and function in cell signalling Yeast: Molecular and cell biology Signal transduction pathways BioEssays highlights Biotech round the world: Indonesia: Facts and figures Biotech instituts Biotech companies Drug companies enter Indonesia     

Biotech news from South Africa (SA)

South Africa: An introduction Biotech in South Africa South Africa National Biotech Audit 2007 Biotech facts and figures in SA GMOs in South Africa The SA Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Blue Gene for Africa initiative to catalyze research activities CSIR research highlights Biopad: Biotechnology Partnership for Africa's Development Global biotech lab in Cape Town Wellcome Trust institutional research capacity strengthening in Africa Cancer on the rise in Africa South African firm wins Global Business Council Award Japan-Africa summit on African science and technology BTJ paper watch: South Africa     

Textile Biotech

Cover illustration: Textile Biotech. Biotechnology now provides new tools such as metabolic engineering, genomics/proteomics/metabolomics and bioinformatics, which allow to improve textile quality, but also to protect the environment in reducing waste output. This special issue on Textile Biotech has been edited by Prof. Cavaco Paolo (University of Minho, Portugal) and is based on selected contributions from participants to the 4th International Conference on Textile Biotechnology (South Korea, June 2006). Hot air balloons © Sue Ashe – FOTOLIA     

Biotech industry highlights

New on the market German start-ups in the spotlight Biotech crops: Double-digit growth Industrial prizes and grants     

Biotech round the world: Iceland

Facts and figures deCode genetics – An expert of the human genome Two important research supporters Biotech Companies     

Biotech teaching and funding

BBSRC tackles agricultural productivity in the developing world Biotech funding: Half a billion in donations to Karolinska     

News from industry

News on the market Network: Life Science Corridor France Biotech industry highlights Recent drug patent expirations     

Biotech paper watch

Biotech paper watch: From our sister journals Special issue on Lipidomics Most accessed in BTJ: IgCAM neuronal cell adhesion molecules BioEssays Other publications     

Biotech meetings

Faro in September – the place to be for biochemical engineers Heidelberg in September: Filming pathogens at work Meeting highlight: BIOTECH CHINA 2008 Biotech awards     

噬菌体抗体库技术筛选抗VEGF165单克隆抗体

目的:获得抗血管内皮生长因子165(VEGF165)单克隆抗体,并对其功能进行初步验证。方法:利用噬菌体抗体库展示技术筛选与VEGF165结合的噬菌体克隆并测序,以测序正确的阳性克隆质粒为模板,PCR扩增抗体的轻重链可变区基因,并克隆至哺乳动物细胞表达载体中,构建全抗体表达载体;将全抗体表达载体转染293E细胞,收取培养细胞上清,利用ProteinA亲和纯化抗体;通过结合ELISA、表面等离子共振检测抗体的亲和力,以人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVEC)为模型验证抗体功能。结果:经过噬菌体抗体库展示技术筛出1个与VEGF165特异性结合的抗体序列VG2;293E细胞表达了VG2全抗体蛋白,SDS-PAGE显示VG2抗体纯度较高;BIAcore检测结果表明该抗体具有较高亲和力(KD=0.56nmol/L),竞争抑制ELISA结果表明VG2抗体能抑制VEGF与VEGF受体(VEGFR)的结合(IC50为1.470μg/mL),进一步实验结果表明VG2能够抑制VEGF引起的HUVEC增殖。结论:制备了靶向VEGF165的全人源单克隆抗体VG2,该抗体具有较高的亲和力,能阻断VEGF165/VEGFR2的结合,并抑制HUVEC的增殖,可以作为潜在药物应用于肿瘤治疗。     

结核灭活疫苗的临床研究进展

分枝杆菌灭活疫苗(inactivated mycobacterium vaccines)是一种最原始、简单制备方法的产物,但在结核疫苗史上始终拥有一席之地。从早期的旧结核菌素和死卡介苗以及中期唯一的分枝杆菌疫苗,到如今逐个出现的新疫苗,分枝杆菌灭活疫苗仍受到研究者的重视,其用途也从结核病患者的免疫治疗,扩大到潜伏感染人群的预防和卡介苗(Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, BCG)初免后的加强免疫。现就分枝杆菌灭活疫苗的临床研究历史和现状作一综述,为新疫苗的研制提供参考。     

BTJ future topical issues

Next issue: Biotech in Korea The May 2008 issue of BTJ is devoted to Biotech in Korea. Featuring articles on: – Recent progress in microbial genome projects of Korea – Bio-Vision 2016: the 2nd Base Plan for biotechnology promotion in Korea – Strategies for systems-level metabolic engineering – Cell engineering strategies for improved therapeutic protein production in CHO cells – Development of bioadhesives from marine mussels – Dynamical analysis of the calcium signaling pathway in cardiac myocytes – Systems biology of heart and calcium signaling networks – Non-labeled detection of waterborne pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum – Injectable and sustained delivery of human growth hormone: A new method – Exploring sequence space: Screening for ω-aminotransferases Many of these exciting articles are already available online under "Early View"! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”. http://www.biotechnology-journal.com     

CHO细胞法检测百日咳毒素毒性的影响因素

目的考察不同培养基、不同牛血清、血清灭活与否及生产过程中添加的各外源物质对百日咳毒素(pertussis toxin, PT)在中华仓鼠卵巢细胞(chinese hamster ovary cell, CHO)簇集试验中的影响。方法分别使用3种培养基F-12K、DMEM/F12和1640培养CHO细胞,并进行CHO细胞簇集试验,观察细胞生长状态及PT引起细胞簇集的敏感性;分别选取2个厂家的牛血清(对2种血清进行灭活和不灭活处理)培养CHO细胞,观察4种牛血清对细胞生长及簇集的影响;选用生产过程中添加的物质进行CHO细胞簇集试验,观察细胞生长状态及是否出现簇集,确定不影响细胞生长的最高浓度,同时使用不影响细胞生长的各添加物质最高浓度进行小鼠组胺致敏试验,观察与CHO细胞簇集试验结果是否一致。结果 3种培养基对CHO细胞生长及CHO细胞簇集存在明显差异,F-12K培养基培养的细胞形态规则、典型,其他2种培养基培养的细胞生长缓慢,且对PT的敏感性均低于F-12K培养基;4种牛血清中胎牛血清培养的细胞生长最快且形态规则,簇集试验敏感性优于其他3组血清;添加的各外源物质均会导致细胞生长缓慢或死亡,在稀释至一定浓度后可以排除添加物质对CHO细胞簇集试验的影响,同时在小鼠组胺致敏试验中不会引起动物死亡。结论 F-12K培养基最适宜实验室CHO细胞生长,不同血清对细胞生长和簇集的敏感度有一定差异,添加的外源物质残留量应进行控制以保证试验结果的稳定可靠。     

Biotech in Russia

Cover illustration: Matryoshkas (Russian wooden nesting dolls). This special issue on “Biotech in Russia” is edited by Prof. Mikhail Rabinovich. It features Reviews and Research Articles on state of the art biotech research and biopharmaceutical economy. Image © Sigrid Mehren     

Special highlight: Korean biotech

Government R&D investment in biotechnology Biotechnology in Korea – R&D policy and activities Molecular nutrition in Korea The BK21 project for Functional foods and Nutrigenomics at Yonsei University Korean Biotech facts and figures Institut Pasteur Korea Korean company profiles Korean biotech news     

Biotech meetings,market and funding

Meeting highlight: analytica 2008 Analytica Research Prize for German researchers New on the market: Bioluminescence from MG LABTECHS Pre-payment cards for oligos Geniom microarray applications NimbleGen sequence capture technology On-line company directory Drug patent expirations Biotech teaching and funding: Ireland in multi-million postgraduate research drive Management training for scientists     

Editorial: Biotech reviews on plants, lignocellulose, sequencing, genome engineering and Aspergilli

By reading this special issue on "Biotech Reviews" you will once again get an insight on the broadness of the field. Topics include plant biotechnology, lignocellulose conversion to platform chemicals, DNA sequencing, genome engineering of mammalian cells and industrial application of Aspergilli.     

Biotech in the financial crisis

Cover illustration: Biotech in the financial crisis. This special issue of Biotechnology Journal covers how the current financial turmoil creates problems but also chances for biotech. Forum articles and biotech highlights ask whether biotech can rescue economy and environment (green growth). Image © PhotoDisc, Inc.     

Biotech paper – market watch

Biotech paper watch: From our sister journals Other publications Most accessed in BTJ: Micro RNA BioEssays: Targeted gene repair by intrinsic cellular processes ES cell-derived biological pacemaker Zebrafish as a model for pancreas development and function New on the market: Wyatt Technology's protein analysis tool Agilent Technologies' HPLCchip for proteomics research