The Chemical Synthesis of DNA/RNA: Our Gift to Science

It is a great privilege to contribute to the Reflections essays. In my particular case, this essay has allowed me to weave some of my major scientific contributions into a tapestry held together by what I have learned from three colleagues (Robert Letsinger, Gobind Khorana, and George Rathmann) who molded my career at every important junction. To these individuals, I remain eternally grateful, as they always led by example and showed many of us how to break new ground in both science and biotechnology. Relative to my scientific career, I have focused primarily on two related areas. The first is methodologies we developed for chemically synthesizing DNA and RNA. Synthetic DNA and RNA continue to be an essential research tool for biologists, biochemists, and molecular biologists. The second is developing new approaches for solving important biological problems using synthetic DNA, RNA, and their analogs.     

生物技术与产品网上交易平台的建设与发展

分析了通过网络技术促进生物技术产业化的意义 ,提出了电子商务应用于生物技术产业的模式 ,报道和总结了作者在建立生物技术与产品网上交易平台过程中的实践和经验 。     

Use of molecular techniques in bioremediation

In a practical sense, biotechnology is concerned with the production of commercial products generated by biological processes. More formally, biotechnology may be defined as "the application of scientific and engineering principles to the processing of material by biological agents to provide goods and services" (Cantor, 2000). From a historical perspective, biotechnology dates back to the time when yeast was first used for beer or wine fermentation, and bacteria were used to make yogurt. In 1972, the birth of recombinant DNA technology moved biotechnology to new heights and led to the establishment of a new industry. Progress in biotechnology has been truly remarkable. Within four years of the discovery of recombinant DNA technology, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were making human insulin, interferon, and human growth hormone. Now, recombinant DNA technology and its products--GMOs are widely used in environmental biotechnology (Glick and Pasternak, 1988; Cowan, 2000). Bioremediation is one of the most rapidly growing areas of environmental biotechnology. Use of bioremediation for environmental clean up is popular due to low costs and its public acceptability. Indeed, bioremediation stands to benefit greatly and advance even more rapidly with the adoption of molecular techniques developed originally for other areas of biotechnology. The 1990s was the decade of molecular microbial ecology (time of using molecular techniques in environmental biotechnology). Adoption of these molecular techniques made scientists realize that microbial populations in the natural environments are much more diverse than previously thought using traditional culture methods. Using molecular ecological methods, such as direct DNA isolation from environmental samples, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), PCR methods, nucleic acid hybridization etc., we can now study microbial consortia relevant to pollutant degradation in the environment. These techniques promise to provide a better understanding and better control of environmental biotechnology processes, thus enabling more cost effective and efficient bioremediation of our toxic waste and contaminated environments.     

Biofloc Technology: Emerging Microbial Biotechnology for the Improvement of Aquaculture Productivity

With the significant increases in the human population, global aquaculture has undergone a great increase during the last decade. The management of optimum conditions for fish production, which are entirely based on the physicochemical and biological qualities of water, plays a vital role in the prompt aquaculture growth. Therefore, focusing on research that highlights the understanding of water quality and breeding systems’ stability is very important. The biofloc technology (BFT) is a system that maximizes aquaculture productivity by using microbial biotechnology to increase the efficacy and utilization of fish feeds, where toxic materials such as nitrogen components are treated and converted to a useful product, like a protein for using as supplementary feeds to the fish and crustaceans. Thus, biofloc is an excellent technology used to develop the aquaculture system under limited or zero water exchange with high fish stocking density, strong aeration, and biota. This review is highlighted on biofloc composition and mechanism of system work, especially the optimization of water quality and treatment of ammonium wastes. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the BFT system have been explained. Finally, the importance of contemporary research on biofloc systems as a figure of microbial biotechnology has been emphasized with arguments for developing this system for better production of aquaculture with limited natural resources of water.Key words: biofloc, BFT, aquaculture, microbes, water quality, wastes     

The impact of protein exclusion on the purity performance of ion exchange resins

Dynamic binding capacity (DBC) decreases with increasing conductivity in the equilibrium regime for ion exchange chromatography. An exclusion regime has been demonstrated in ion exchange resins where DBC increases with increasing conductivity and decreasing protein charge. The purpose of this work was to examine the impact of the exclusion regime on impurity removal. Resin performance was evaluated based on dynamic binding capacities and purity within the exclusion and equilibrium regimes. The results revealed that Chinese hamster ovary proteins (CHOP), a major impurity, exhibit similar exclusion trends as the MAb proteins. The results further the understanding of the exclusion regime and its impact on product purity, a critical area for IEX development and optimization.     

A new look at xylanases: an overview of purification strategies

Interest in xylanases from different sources has increased markedly in the past decade, in part because of the application of these enzymes in the pulp and paper industry. Purity and purification costs are becoming important issues in modern biotechnology as the industry matures and competitive products reach the marketplace. Thus, new paths for successful and efficient xylanase recovery have to be followed. This article reviews the isolation and purification methods used for the recovery of microbial xylanases. Origins and applications of xylanases are described, highlighting the special features of this class of enzymes, such as the carbohydrate-binding domains (CBDs) and their importance in the development of affinity methodologies to increase and facilitate xylanase purification. Implications of recombinant DNA technology for the isolation and purification of xylanases are evaluated. Several purification procedures are analyzed, taking into consideration the sequence of the methods used in each and the number of times each method is used. New directions to improve xylanase separation and purification from fermentation media are described.     

涉及基因操作的前沿生物技术风险及其法律法规应对

涉及基因操作的前沿生物技术,已成为生命科学和生物技术研究的核心和热点,并带动着生物产业迅猛发展.但对生命体的基因操作将带来生物安全和生命伦理的潜在风险,需要对相关研发活动进行监管.本文概括了涉及基因操作的前沿生物技术,综述了相关技术在生命科学、医药健康、工农业生产、生态环境保护等行业领域的发展与应用,分析了各行业领域存...     

现代科学技术中的生态研究问题

环境污染、生态问题是当今世界所面临的主要问题,研究环境的保护与改善,首先必须解决生态失调问题。生态问题已成为众多学科涉足研究的课题。生态学的基本理论和方法就客观成为各学科处理生态问题所依据的准则,     

Nanotechnology: convergence with modern biology and medicine

The worldwide emergence of nanoscale science and engineering was marked by the announcement of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in January 2000. Recent research on biosystems at the nanoscale has created one of the most dynamic science and technology domains at the confluence of physical sciences, molecular engineering, biology, biotechnology and medicine. This domain includes better understanding of living and thinking systems, revolutionary biotechnology processes, the synthesis of new drugs and their targeted delivery, regenerative medicine, neuromorphic engineering and developing a sustainable environment. Nanobiosystems research is a priority in many countries and its relevance within nanotechnology is expected to increase in the future.     

Evaluation of brazilian biotechnology patent activity from 1975 to 2010

The analysis of patent activity is one methodology used for technological monitoring. In this paper, the activity of biotechnology-related patents in Brazil were analyzed through 30 International Patent Classification (IPC) codes published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We developed a program to analyse the dynamics of the major patent applicants, countries and IPC codes extracted from the Brazilian Patent Office (INPI) database. We also identified Brazilian patent applicants who tried to expand protection abroad via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). We had access to all patents published online at the INPI from 1975 to July 2010, including 9,791 biotechnology patent applications in Brazil, and 163 PCTs published online at World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from 1997 to December 2010. To our knowledge, there are no other online reports of biotechnology patents previous to the years analyzed here. Most of the biotechnology patents filed in the INPI (10.9%) concerned measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acids. The second and third places belonged to patents involving agro-technologies (recombinant DNA technology for plant cells and new flowering plants, i.e. angiosperms, or processes for obtaining them, and reproduction of flowering plants by tissue culture techniques). The majority of patents (87.2%) were filed by nonresidents, with USA being responsible for 51.7% of all biotechnology patents deposited in Brazil. Analyzing the resident applicants per region, we found a hub in the southeast region of Brazil. Among the resident applicants for biotechnology patents filed in the INPI, 43.5% were from S?o Paulo, 18.3% were from Rio de Janeiro, and 9.7% were from Minas Gerais. Pfizer, Novartis, and Sanofi were the largest applicants in Brazil, with 339, 288, and 245 biotechnology patents filed, respectively. For residents, the largest applicant was the governmental institution FIOCRUZ (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation), which filed 69 biotechnology patents within the period analyzed. The first biotechnology patent applications via PCT were submitted by Brazilians in 1997, with 3 from UFMG (university), 2 from individuals, and 1 from EMBRAPA (research institute).     

生物技术与绿色化学

介绍了绿色化学与生物技术的研究内容与特点,分析了生物技术在绿色化学技术中的特殊地位,提出了生物技术是一项绿色科技,是实现绿色化学的有效手段,生物技术与绿色化学的交叉与融合产生的化学生物学、生物化工等新兴学科必将为社会与经济的可持续发展提供有效途径。     

Listeria monocytogenes cell wall constituents exert a charge effect on electroporation threshold

Genetically engineered cells with mutations of relevance to electroporation, cell membrane permeabilization by electric pulses, can become a promising new tool for fundamental research on this important biotechnology. Listeria monocytogenes mutants lacking DltA or MprF and assayed for sensitivity to the cathelicidin like anti-microbial cationic peptide (mCRAMP), were developed to study the effect of cell wall charge on electroporation. Working in the irreversible electroporation regime (IRE), we found that application of a sequence of 50 pulses, each 50μs duration, 12.5kV/cm field, delivered at 2Hz led to 2.67±0.29 log reduction in wild-type L. monocytogenes, log 2.60±0.19 in the MprF-minus mutant, and log 1.33±0.13 in the DltA-minus mutant. The experimental observation that the DltA-minus mutant was highly susceptible to cationic mCRAMP and resistant to IRE suggests that the charge on the bacterial cell wall affects electroporation and shows that this approach may be promising for fundamental studies on electroporation.     

A biological treasure metagenome: pave a way for big science

The trend of recent researches, in which synthetic biology and white technology through system approaches based on “Omics technology” are recognized as the ground of biotechnology, indicates the coming of the ‘metagenome era’ that accesses the genomes of all microbes aiming at the understanding and industrial application of the whole microbial resources. The remarkable advance of technologies for digging out and analyzing metagenome is enabling not only practical applications of metagenome but also system approaches on a mixed-genome level based on accumulated information. In this situation, the present review is purposed to introduce the trends and methods of research on metagenome and to examine big science led by related resources in the future.     

工业微生物解脂耶氏酵母及其应用研究*

解脂耶氏酵母是一种可利用多种底物发酵生产多种产品的非常规酵母,环境适应性强、易培养、安全性高。因此,该物种作为一种新型的生物工程菌株引起了科学界的广泛关注。近年来,工业生物技术因绿色、循环、低碳等优势成为新兴工业技术,在国内外得到了快速发展。介绍了解脂耶氏酵母的特征及其代谢生产各类化合物的方法,并通过对工业生物技术与传统化学化工技术的比较分析,阐述了工业生物技术的特点、研究现状及应用前景。     

Biosorbents for heavy metals removal and their future

A vast array of biological materials, especially bacteria, algae, yeasts and fungi have received increasing attention for heavy metal removal and recovery due to their good performance, low cost and large available quantities. The biosorbent, unlike mono functional ion exchange resins, contains variety of functional sites including carboxyl, imidazole, sulphydryl, amino, phosphate, sulfate, thioether, phenol, carbonyl, amide and hydroxyl moieties. Biosorbents are cheaper, more effective alternatives for the removal of metallic elements, especially heavy metals from aqueous solution. In this paper, based on the literatures and our research results, the biosorbents widely used for heavy metal removal were reviewed, mainly focusing on their cellular structure, biosorption performance, their pretreatment, modification, regeneration/reuse, modeling of biosorption (isotherm and kinetic models), the development of novel biosorbents, their evaluation, potential application and future. The pretreatment and modification of biosorbents aiming to improve their sorption capacity was introduced and evaluated. Molecular biotechnology is a potent tool to elucidate the mechanisms at molecular level, and to construct engineered organisms with higher biosorption capacity and selectivity for the objective metal ions. The potential application of biosorption and biosorbents was discussed. Although the biosorption application is facing the great challenge, there are two trends for the development of the biosorption process for metal removal. One trend is to use hybrid technology for pollutants removal, especially using living cells. Another trend is to develop the commercial biosorbents using immobilization technology, and to improve the biosorption process including regeneration/reuse, making the biosorbents just like a kind of ion exchange resin, as well as to exploit the market with great endeavor.     

现代生物技术与饲用微生态制剂

近年来,使用抗生素的副作用越来越多地受到关注,世界上许多国家已出台相应政策来控制抗生素的使用。但是由于养殖行业的迅猛发展,养殖密度加大,养殖动物病害发病的风险提高,急需可替代抗生素的新型绿色饲料添加剂产品。微生态制剂作为一种新型绿色饲料添加剂,在养殖行业发挥了重要作用。随着饲用微生态制剂产品研发的深入,现代生物技术在提升微生态制剂的理论和应用研究方面发挥着重要作用。PCR、核酸分子杂交、基因工程以及组学等技术已应用于微生物菌种鉴定、基因改良、作用机理等研究中。本文对饲用微生态制剂的研发现状进行了阐述,并综述了现代生物技术在饲用微生态制剂研究中的应用。     

欧盟现代农业生物技术应用热点

农业是现代生物技术最重要的应用领域之一,随着人类对农业生物技术认识的不断深入,相关国家纷纷把农业生物技术作为提高国家农业竞争力的突破口。欧盟作为科技发达国家和比较发达国家的联合体,其科技实力在世界占有显著地位。作者简要分类评述了欧盟在植物养殖、家畜繁殖、鱼类繁殖、饲料添加剂、动物保健、食品诊断等领域的相关技术应用,为我国相关研究提供参考。     

新西兰生物科技及产业现状及特点

新西兰生物产业的规模并不十分引人注目,但却是新西兰经济中不可忽视的组成部分,其生物科技方面的优势领域主要是农业生物技术和生物医学两方面,例如大型动植物、生物安全、环境保护、神经科学、心血管疾病、结核与哮喘、糖尿病和癌症等研究领域。新西兰政府十分重视生物科技和产业的发展,在其2002年颁布的《创新增长框架》计划中,将生物技术列为未来的三大经济增长支柱之一,将加大对生物科技和产业的投入作为新西兰向高技术经济转型的重要举措。     

Evaluation of Unrestrained Replica-Exchange Simulations Using Dynamic Walkers in Temperature Space for Protein Structure Refinement

A central problem of computational structural biology is the refinement of modeled protein structures taken from either comparative modeling or knowledge-based methods. Simulations are commonly used to achieve higher resolution of the structures at the all-atom level, yet methodologies that consistently yield accurate results remain elusive. In this work, we provide an assessment of an adaptive temperature-based replica exchange simulation method where the temperature clients dynamically walk in temperature space to enrich their population and exchanges near steep energetic barriers. This approach is compared to earlier work of applying the conventional method of static temperature clients to refine a dataset of conformational decoys. Our results show that, while an adaptive method has many theoretical advantages over a static distribution of client temperatures, only limited improvement was gained from this strategy in excursions of the downhill refinement regime leading to an increase in the fraction of native contacts. To illustrate the sampling differences between the two simulation methods, energy landscapes are presented along with their temperature client profiles.