The ARS Culture Collection and Developments in Biotechnology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The ARS Culture Collection (NRRL) has played a prominent role in the development of biotechnology since its founding in 1940 when the Northern Regional Research Laboratory opened. Early discoveries included selection of production strains for penicillin, dextran blood extender, xanthan gum and the v...

Floating cultivation of marine cyanobacteria using coal fly ash.

PubMed

Matsumoto, M; Yoshida, E; Takeyama, H; Matsunaga, T

2000-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop improved methodologies for bulk culturing of biotechnologically useful marine cyanobacteria in the open ocean. We have investigated the viability of using coal fly ash (CFA) blocks as the support medium in a novel floating culture system for marine micro-algae. The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. NKBG 040607 was found to adhere to floating CFA blocks in liquid culture medium. Maximum density of attached cells of 2.0 x 10(8) cells/cm2 was achieved using seawater. The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. NKBG 042902 weakly adhered to floating CFA blocks in BG-11 medium. Increasing the concentration of calcium ion in the culture medium enhanced adherence to CFA blocks.

Marine Algae: a Source of Biomass for Biotechnological Applications.

PubMed

Stengel, Dagmar B; Connan, Solène

2015-01-01

Biomass derived from marine microalgae and macroalgae is globally recognized as a source of valuable chemical constituents with applications in the agri-horticultural sector (including animal feeds and health and plant stimulants), as human food and food ingredients as well as in the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Algal biomass supply of sufficient quality and quantity however remains a concern with increasing environmental pressures conflicting with the growing demand. Recent attempts in supplying consistent, safe and environmentally acceptable biomass through cultivation of (macro- and micro-) algal biomass have concentrated on characterizing natural variability in bioactives, and optimizing cultivated materials through strain selection and hybridization, as well as breeding and, more recently, genetic improvements of biomass. Biotechnological tools including metabolomics, transcriptomics, and genomics have recently been extended to algae but, in comparison to microbial or plant biomass, still remain underdeveloped. Current progress in algal biotechnology is driven by an increased demand for new sources of biomass due to several global challenges, new discoveries and technologies available as well as an increased global awareness of the many applications of algae. Algal diversity and complexity provides significant potential provided that shortages in suitable and safe biomass can be met, and consumer demands are matched by commercial investment in product development.

Current developments in marine microbiology: high-pressure biotechnology and the genetic engineering of piezophiles.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Li, Xuegong; Bartlett, Douglas H; Xiao, Xiang

2015-06-01

A key aspect of marine environments is elevated pressure; for example, ∼70% of the ocean is at a pressure of at least 38MPa. Many types of Bacteria and Archaea reside under these high pressures, which drive oceanic biogeochemical cycles and catalyze reactions among rocks, sediments and fluids. Most marine prokaryotes are classified as piezotolerant or as (obligate)-piezophiles with few cultivated relatives. The biochemistry and physiology of these organisms are largely unknown. Recently, high-pressure cultivation technology has been combined with omics and DNA recombination methodologies to examine the physiology of piezophilic marine microorganisms. We are now beginning to understand the adaptive mechanisms of these organisms, along with their ecological functions and evolutionary processes. This knowledge is leading to the further development of high-pressure-based biotechnology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From breeder reactors to butterflies: risk, culture, and biotechnology.

PubMed

Lomax, G P

2000-10-01

Social theories of risk suggest that a combination of scientific and cultural perspectives converge to influence risk perception. This article first surveys sociological perspectives suggesting that risks from modern technological development have become predominant concerns in the social consciousness. Particular attention is given to those theses describing how social elements work to create perception of risks in relation to new technologies. The themes that emerge from this survey are then related to contemporary debates concerning biotechnology. Specific attention is given to recent controversies regarding genetically modified crops, and parallels are drawn between debates over nuclear power and biotechnology. A procedural ethic for public discourse and decision making over the diffusion of genetically modified foods is offered. Ethical and social theories are linked with the hope that by recognizing the social dimensions of debates over new technologies a broader framework for conducting risk analysis may emerge.

Marine metagenomics: strategies for the discovery of novel enzymes with biotechnological applications from marine environments

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Jonathan; Marchesi, Julian R; Dobson, Alan DW

2008-01-01

Metagenomic based strategies have previously been successfully employed as powerful tools to isolate and identify enzymes with novel biocatalytic activities from the unculturable component of microbial communities from various terrestrial environmental niches. Both sequence based and function based screening approaches have been employed to identify genes encoding novel biocatalytic activities and metabolic pathways from metagenomic libraries. While much of the focus to date has centred on terrestrial based microbial ecosystems, it is clear that the marine environment has enormous microbial biodiversity that remains largely unstudied. Marine microbes are both extremely abundant and diverse; the environments they occupy likewise consist of very diverse niches. As culture-dependent methods have thus far resulted in the isolation of only a tiny percentage of the marine microbiota the application of metagenomic strategies holds great potential to study and exploit the enormous microbial biodiversity which is present within these marine environments. PMID:18717988

Rational selection of alternative, environmentally compatible surfactants for biotechnological production of pharmaceuticals--a step toward green biotechnology.

PubMed

Straub, Jürg Oliver; Shearer, Russel; Studer, Martin

2014-09-01

The biotechnological production of pharmaceutical active substances needs ancillary substances. Surfactants are used at the end of the cell culture as a protection against potential viral or bacterial contamination and to lyse the producing cells for isolation and purification of the products. To find a replacement for a surfactant that had raised environmental concern, environmentally relevant data for potential alternatives were searched for in the literature. Significant data gaps were filled with additional tests: biodegradability, algal growth inhibition, acute daphnid immobilization and chronic daphnid reproduction toxicity, acute fish toxicity, and activated sludge respiration inhibition. The results were used to model removal in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serving 3 biotechnological production sites in the Roche Group. Predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were calculated using realistic amounts of surfactants and site-specific wastewater fluxes, modeled removals for the WWTPs and dilution factors by the respective receiving waters. Predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs) were derived for WWTPs and for both fresh and marine receiving waters as the treated wastewater of 1 production site is discharged into a coastal water. This resulted in a spreadsheet showing PECs, PNECs, and PEC ÷ PNEC risk characterization ratios for the WWTPs and receiving waters for all investigated surfactants and all 3 sites. This spreadsheet now serves as a selection support for the biotechnological developers. This risk-based prioritization of surfactants is a step toward green biotechnological production. © 2014 SETAC.

Enzymatic Processes in Marine Biotechnology.

PubMed

Trincone, Antonio

2017-03-25

In previous review articles the attention of the biocatalytically oriented scientific community towards the marine environment as a source of biocatalysts focused on the habitat-related properties of marine enzymes. Updates have already appeared in the literature, including marine examples of oxidoreductases, hydrolases, transferases, isomerases, ligases, and lyases ready for food and pharmaceutical applications. Here a new approach for searching the literature and presenting a more refined analysis is adopted with respect to previous surveys, centering the attention on the enzymatic process rather than on a single novel activity. Fields of applications are easily individuated: (i) the biorefinery value-chain, where the provision of biomass is one of the most important aspects, with aquaculture as the prominent sector; (ii) the food industry, where the interest in the marine domain is similarly developed to deal with the enzymatic procedures adopted in food manipulation; (iii) the selective and easy extraction/modification of structurally complex marine molecules, where enzymatic treatments are a recognized tool to improve efficiency and selectivity; and (iv) marine biomarkers and derived applications (bioremediation) in pollution monitoring are also included in that these studies could be of high significance for the appreciation of marine bioprocesses.

Enzymatic Processes in Marine Biotechnology

PubMed Central

Trincone, Antonio

2017-01-01

In previous review articles the attention of the biocatalytically oriented scientific community towards the marine environment as a source of biocatalysts focused on the habitat-related properties of marine enzymes. Updates have already appeared in the literature, including marine examples of oxidoreductases, hydrolases, transferases, isomerases, ligases, and lyases ready for food and pharmaceutical applications. Here a new approach for searching the literature and presenting a more refined analysis is adopted with respect to previous surveys, centering the attention on the enzymatic process rather than on a single novel activity. Fields of applications are easily individuated: (i) the biorefinery value-chain, where the provision of biomass is one of the most important aspects, with aquaculture as the prominent sector; (ii) the food industry, where the interest in the marine domain is similarly developed to deal with the enzymatic procedures adopted in food manipulation; (iii) the selective and easy extraction/modification of structurally complex marine molecules, where enzymatic treatments are a recognized tool to improve efficiency and selectivity; and (iv) marine biomarkers and derived applications (bioremediation) in pollution monitoring are also included in that these studies could be of high significance for the appreciation of marine bioprocesses. PMID:28346336

Construction Biotechnology: a new area of biotechnological research and applications.

PubMed

Stabnikov, Viktor; Ivanov, Volodymyr; Chu, Jian

2015-09-01

A new scientific and engineering discipline, Construction Biotechnology, is developing exponentially during the last decade. The major directions of this discipline are selection of microorganisms and development of the microbially-mediated construction processes and biotechnologies for the production of construction biomaterials. The products of construction biotechnologies are low cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly microbial biocements and biogrouts for the construction ground improvement. The microbial polysaccharides are used as admixtures for cement. Microbially produced biodegradable bioplastics can be used for the temporarily constructions. The bioagents that are used in construction biotechnologies are either pure or enrichment cultures of microorganisms or activated indigenous microorganisms of soil. The applications of microorganisms in the construction processes are bioaggregation, biocementation, bioclogging, and biodesaturation of soil. The biotechnologically produced construction materials and the microbially-mediated construction technologies have a lot of advantages in comparison with the conventional construction materials and processes. Proper practical implementations of construction biotechnologies could give significant economic and environmental benefits.

Synthetic microbial ecosystems for biotechnology.

PubMed

Pandhal, Jagroop; Noirel, Josselin

2014-06-01

Most highly controlled and specific applications of microorganisms in biotechnology involve pure cultures. Maintaining single strain cultures is important for industry as contaminants can reduce productivity and lead to longer "down-times" during sterilisation. However, microbes working together provide distinct advantages over pure cultures. They can undertake more metabolically complex tasks, improve efficiency and even expand applications to open systems. By combining rapidly advancing technologies with ecological theory, the use of microbial ecosystems in biotechnology will inevitably increase. This review provides insight into the use of synthetic microbial communities in biotechnology by applying the engineering paradigm of measure, model, manipulate and manufacture, and illustrate the emerging wider potential of the synthetic ecology field. Systems to improve biofuel production using microalgae are also discussed.

Collection, Isolation and Culture of Marine Algae.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Daniel E.

1984-01-01

Methods of collecting, isolating, and culturing microscopic and macroscopic marine algae are described. Three different culture media list of chemicals needed and procedures for preparing Erdschreiber's and Provasoli's E. S. media. (BC)

Temperature effect on nitrogen removal performance and bacterial community in culture of marine anammox bacteria derived from sea-based waste disposal site.

PubMed

Kawagoshi, Yasunori; Fujisaki, Koichiro; Tomoshige, Yuki; Yamashiro, Kento; Wei, Qiaoyan; Qiao, Yanwei

2012-04-01

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria have been detected in variety of marine environment in recent years, however, there have been only a few studies on their characteristics in the culture. The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of temperature on nitrogen removal ability and bacterial community in a culture of marine anammox bacteria (MAAOB). The MAAOB were cultured from the sediment of a sea-based waste disposal site at the North Port of Osaka Bay in Japan. The maximum nitrogen removal rate (NRR) was observed at 25°C in the MAAOB culture, and it decreased both at below 20°C and over 33°C. The activation energy of the MAAOB culture was calculated to be 54.6 kJ mol(-1) in the 5°C to 30°C range. No significant change in bacterial community according with temperature (5-37°C) was confirmed in the results of polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Meanwhile, a number of bacteria related to the oxidation-reduction reaction of sulfur were confirmed and it is speculated that they involved in the activity of MAAOB and nitrogen removal ability in the culture. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent Major Advances of Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture in China

PubMed Central

Xiang, Jianhai

2015-01-01

Background: Global aquaculture production has increased continuously over the last five decades, and particularly in China. Its aquaculture has become the fastest growing and most efficient agri-sector, with production accounting for more than 70% of the world’s aquaculture output. In the new century, with serious challenges regarding population, resources and the environment, China has been working to develop high-quality, effective, healthy, and sustainable blue agriculture through the application of modern biotechnology. Sound knowledge related to the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms has laid a solid foundation and provided the innovation and technology for rapid development of the aquaculture industry. Marine biotechnology, which is enabling solutions for ocean productivity and sustainability, has been promoted since the last decades of the 20th Century in China. Objective: In this article, priority areas of research, mainly genetic breeding, omics studies, novel production systems, biosecurity, bioprocesses and biorefinery, as well as the major progress of marine biotechnology R&D in China are reviewed. Conclusion: Current innovative achievements in China are not enough and the level and frequency of academic advancements must be improved. International cooperation and assistance remain crucial for the success of marine biotechnology. PMID:28553577

Ion channels in key marine invertebrates; their diversity and potential for applications in biotechnology.

PubMed

Brown, Euan R; Piscopo, Stefania

2011-01-01

Of the intra-membrane proteins, the class that comprises voltage and ligand-gated ion channels represents the major substrate whereby signals pass between and within cells in all organisms. It has been presumed that vertebrate and particularly mammalian ion channels represent the apex of evolutionary complexity and diversity and much effort has been focused on understanding their function. However, the recent availability of cheap high throughput genome sequencing has massively broadened and deepened the quality of information across phylogeny and is radically changing this view. Here we review current knowledge on such channels in key marine invertebrates where physiological evidence is backed up by molecular sequences and expression/functional studies. As marine invertebrates represent a much greater range of phyla than terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates together, we argue that these animals represent a highly divergent, though relatively underused source of channel novelty. As ion channels are exquisitely selective sensors for voltage and ligands, their potential and actual applications in biotechnology are manifold. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tissue culture and associated biotechnological interventions for the improvement of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.): a review.

PubMed

Nguyen, Quang Thien; Bandupriya, H D Dharshani; López-Villalobos, Arturo; Sisunandar, S; Foale, Mike; Adkins, Steve W

2015-11-01

The present review discusses not only advances in coconut tissue culture and associated biotechnological interventions but also future research directions toward the resilience of this important palm crop. Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is commonly known as the 'tree of life'. Every component of the palm can be used to produce items of value and many can be converted into industrial products. Coconut cultivation faces a number of acute problems that reduce its productivity and competitiveness. These problems include various biotic and abiotic challenges as well as an unstable market for its traditional oil-based products. Around 10 million small-holder farmers cultivate coconut palms worldwide on c. 12 million hectares of land, and many more people own a few coconut palms that contribute to their livelihoods. Inefficiency in the production of seedlings for replanting remains an issue; however, tissue culture and other biotechnological interventions are expected to provide pragmatic solutions. Over the past 60 years, much research has been directed towards developing and improving protocols for (i) embryo culture; (ii) clonal propagation via somatic embryogenesis; (iii) homozygote production via anther culture; (iv) germplasm conservation via cryopreservation; and (v) genetic transformation. Recently other advances have revealed possible new ways to improve these protocols. Although effective embryo culture and cryopreservation are now possible, the limited frequency of conversion of somatic embryos to ex vitro seedlings still prevents the large-scale clonal propagation of coconut. This review illustrates how our knowledge of tissue culture and associated biotechnological interventions in coconut has so far developed. Further improvement of protocols and their application to a wider range of germplasm will continue to open up new horizons for the collection, conservation, breeding and productivity of coconut.

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Medium (TCM) is the bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures are grown. With its two syringe ports, it is much like a bag used to administer intravenous fluid, except it allows gas exchange needed for life. The TCM contains cell culture medium, and when frozen cells are flown to the ISS, they are thawed and introduced to the TCM through the syringe ports. In the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI) experiment, several mixing procedures are being assessed to determine which method achieves the most uniform mixing of growing cells and culture medium.

Research on marine actinobacteria in India.

PubMed

Sivakumar, K; Sahu, Maloy Kumar; Thangaradjou, T; Kannan, L

2007-09-01

Marine actinobacteriology is one of the major emerging areas of research in tropics. Marine actinobacteria occur on the sediments and in water and also other biomass (mangrove) and substrates (animal). These organisms are gaining importance not only for their taxonomic and ecological perspectives, but also for their unique metabolites and enzymes. Many earlier studies on these organisms were confined only to the temperate regions. In tropical environment, investigations on them have gained importance only in the last two decades. So far, from the Indian peninsula, 41 species of actinobacteria belonging to 8 genera have been recorded. The genus, Streptomyces of marine origin has been more frequently recorded. Of 9 maritime states of India, only 4 have been extensively covered for the study of marine actinobacteria. Most of the studies conducted pertain to isolation, identification and maintenance of these organisms in different culture media. Further, attention has been focused on studying their antagonistic properties against different pathogens. Their biotechnological potentials are yet to be fully explored.

Biotechnological approaches to enhance salidroside, rosin and its derivatives production in selected Rhodiola spp. in vitro cultures.

PubMed

Grech-Baran, Marta; Sykłowska-Baranek, Katarzyna; Pietrosiuk, Agnieszka

Rhodiola (Crassulaceae) an arctic-alpine plant, is extensively used in traditional folk medicine in Asian and European countries. A number of investigations have demonstrated that Rhodiola preparations exhibit adaptogenic, neuroprotective, anti-tumour, cardioprotective, and anti-depressant effects. The main compounds responsible for these activities are believed to be salidroside, rosin and its derivatives which became the target of biotechnological investigations. This review summarizes the results of the diverse biotechnological approaches undertaken to enhance the production of salidroside, rosin and its derivatives in callus, cell suspension and organ in vitro cultures of selected Rhodiola species.

Avian Biotechnology.

PubMed

Nakamura, Yoshiaki

2017-01-01

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) generate new individuals through differentiation, maturation and fertilization. This means that the manipulation of PGCs is directly linked to the manipulation of individuals, making PGCs attractive target cells in the animal biotechnology field. A unique biological property of avian PGCs is that they circulate temporarily in the vasculature during early development, and this allows us to access and manipulate avian germ lines. Following the development of a technique for transplantation, PGCs have become central to avian biotechnology, in contrast to the use of embryo manipulation and subsequent transfer to foster mothers, as in mammalian biotechnology. Today, avian PGC transplantation combined with recent advanced manipulation techniques, including cell purification, cryopreservation, depletion, and long-term culture in vitro, have enabled the establishment of genetically modified poultry lines and ex-situ conservation of poultry genetic resources. This chapter introduces the principles, history, and procedures of producing avian germline chimeras by transplantation of PGCs, and the current status of avian germline modification as well as germplasm cryopreservation. Other fundamental avian reproductive technologies are described, including artificial insemination and embryo culture, and perspectives of industrial applications in agriculture and pharmacy are considered, including poultry productivity improvement, egg modification, disease resistance impairment and poultry gene "pharming" as well as gene banking.

Characterization of Fe (III)-reducing enrichment culture and isolation of Fe (III)-reducing bacterium Enterobacter sp. L6 from marine sediment.

PubMed

Liu, Hongyan; Wang, Hongyu

2016-07-01

To enrich the Fe (III)-reducing bacteria, sludge from marine sediment was inoculated into the medium using Fe (OH)3 as the sole electron acceptor. Efficiency of Fe (III) reduction and composition of Fe (III)-reducing enrichment culture were analyzed. The results indicated that the Fe (III)-reducing enrichment culture with the dominant bacteria relating to Clostridium and Enterobacter sp. had high Fe (III) reduction of (2.73 ± 0.13) mmol/L-Fe (II). A new Fe (III)-reducing bacterium was isolated from the Fe (III)-reducing enrichment culture and identified as Enterobacter sp. L6 by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The Fe (III)-reducing ability of strain L6 under different culture conditions was investigated. The results indicated that strain L6 had high Fe (III)-reducing activity using glucose and pyruvate as carbon sources. Strain L6 could reduce Fe (III) at the range of NaCl concentrations tested and had the highest Fe (III) reduction of (4.63 ± 0.27) mmol/L Fe (II) at the NaCl concentration of 4 g/L. This strain L6 could reduce Fe (III) with unique properties in adaptability to salt variation, which indicated that it can be used as a model organism to study Fe (III)-reducing activity isolated from marine environment. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial biotechnology addressing the plastic waste disaster.

PubMed

Narancic, Tanja; O'Connor, Kevin E

2017-09-01

Oceans are a major source of biodiversity, they provide livelihood, and regulate the global ecosystem by absorbing heat and CO 2 . However, they are highly polluted with plastic waste. We are discussing here microbial biotechnology advances with the view to improve the start and the end of life of biodegradable polymers, which could contribute to the sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems (UN Sustainability development goal 14). © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

In vitro co-cultures of Pinus pinaster with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus: a biotechnological approach to study pine wilt disease.

PubMed

Faria, Jorge M S; Sena, Inês; Vieira da Silva, Inês; Ribeiro, Bruno; Barbosa, Pedro; Ascensão, Lia; Bennett, Richard N; Mota, Manuel; Figueiredo, A Cristina

2015-06-01

Co-cultures of Pinus pinaster with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus were established as a biotechnological tool to evaluate the effect of nematotoxics addition in a host/parasite culture system. The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD), was detected for the first time in Europe in 1999 spreading throughout the pine forests in Portugal and recently in Spain. Plant in vitro cultures may be a useful experimental system to investigate the plant/nematode relationships in loco, thus avoiding the difficulties of field assays. In this study, Pinus pinaster in vitro cultures were established and compared to in vivo 1 year-old plantlets by analyzing shoot structure and volatiles production. In vitro co-cultures were established with the PWN and the effect of the phytoparasite on in vitro shoot structure, water content and volatiles production was evaluated. In vitro shoots showed similar structure and volatiles production to in vivo maritime pine plantlets. The first macroscopic symptoms of PWD were observed about 4 weeks after in vitro co-culture establishment. Nematode population in the culture medium increased and PWNs were detected in gaps of the callus tissue and in cavities developed from the degradation of cambial cells. In terms of volatiles main components, plantlets, P. pinaster cultures, and P. pinaster with B. xylophilus co-cultures were all β- and α-pinene rich. Co-cultures may be an easy-to-handle biotechnological approach to study this pathology, envisioning the understanding of and finding ways to restrain this highly devastating nematode.

Cultivation of Marine Sponges.

PubMed

Osinga; Tramper; Wijffels

1999-11-01

There is increasing interest in biotechnological production of marine sponge biomass owing to the discovery of many commercially important secondary metabolites in this group of animals. In this article, different approaches to producing sponge biomass are reviewed, and several factors that possibly influence culture success are evaluated. In situ sponge aquacultures, based on old methods for producing commercial bath sponges, are still the easiest and least expensive way to obtain sponge biomass in bulk. However, success of cultivation with this method strongly depends on the unpredictable and often suboptimal natural environment. Hence, a better-defined production system would be desirable. Some progress has been made with culturing sponges in semicontrolled systems, but these still use unfiltered natural seawater. Cultivation of sponges under completely controlled conditions has remained a problem. When designing an in vitro cultivation method, it is important to determine both qualitatively and quantitatively the nutritional demands of the species that is to be cultured. An adequate supply of food seems to be the key to successful sponge culture. Recently, some progress has been made with sponge cell cultures. The advantage of cell cultures is that they are completely controlled and can easily be manipulated for optimal production of the target metabolites. However, this technique is still in its infancy: a continuous cell line has yet to be established. Axenic cultures of sponge aggregates (primmorphs) may provide an alternative to cell culture. Some sponge metabolites are, in fact, produced by endosymbiotic bacteria or algae that live in the sponge tissue. Only a few of these endosymbionts have been cultivated so far. The biotechnology for the production of sponge metabolites needs further development. Research efforts should be continued to enable commercial exploitation of this valuable natural resource in the near future.

Microorganisms living on macroalgae: diversity, interactions, and biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Martin, Marjolaine; Portetelle, Daniel; Michel, Gurvan; Vandenbol, Micheline

2014-04-01

Marine microorganisms play key roles in every marine ecological process, hence the growing interest in studying their populations and functions. Microbial communities on algae remain underexplored, however, despite their huge biodiversity and the fact that they differ markedly from those living freely in seawater. The study of this microbiota and of its relationships with algal hosts should provide crucial information for ecological investigations on algae and aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, because these microorganisms interact with algae in multiple, complex ways, they constitute an interesting source of novel bioactive compounds with biotechnological potential, such as dehalogenases, antimicrobials, and alga-specific polysaccharidases (e.g., agarases, carrageenases, and alginate lyases). Here, to demonstrate the huge potential of alga-associated organisms and their metabolites in developing future biotechnological applications, we first describe the immense diversity and density of these microbial biofilms. We further describe their complex interactions with algae, leading to the production of specific bioactive compounds and hydrolytic enzymes of biotechnological interest. We end with a glance at their potential use in medical and industrial applications.

[Evaluation on self-pollution of marine culture in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea].

PubMed

Cui, Yi; Chen, Bijuan; Chen, Jufa

2005-01-01

This paper studied the respective contribution of feeding and non-feeding marine culture on seawater and red tide occurrence. The results showed that the annual output of marine had a positive correlation with the nutrients and COD in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, of which, the correlation between DIN content and shrimp yield was significant. The output also had a positive correlation with the occurrence times of red tide recorded in the Yellow and Sea Bohai Sea. These results illustrated that the self-pollution of marine culture had a significant influence on the eutrophication and red tide occurred in the neighboring waters. It was estimated that the amounts of N, P and COD entered into seawater through the marine culture in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea accounted for 2.8%, 5.3% and 1.8% of the amounts of corresponding land-based pollutants entered to the sea, respectively. Although the discharge of the pollutants produced by marine culture was less than that produced by other human activities, some local waters, especially dense marine culture areas, would bring out some additive effects on environment. Therefore, the pollutants discharged by marine culture were very likely to be an important factor stimulating the eutrophication and red tide occurrence in coastal waters, which should be paid adequate attention.

Sustainable production of biologically active molecules of marine based origin.

PubMed

Murray, Patrick M; Moane, Siobhan; Collins, Catherine; Beletskaya, Tanya; Thomas, Olivier P; Duarte, Alysson W F; Nobre, Fernando S; Owoyemi, Ifeloju O; Pagnocca, Fernando C; Sette, L D; McHugh, Edward; Causse, Eric; Pérez-López, Paula; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Moreira, Ma T; Rubiolo, Juan; Leirós, Marta; Botana, Luis M; Pinteus, Susete; Alves, Celso; Horta, André; Pedrosa, Rui; Jeffryes, Clayton; Agathos, Spiros N; Allewaert, Celine; Verween, Annick; Vyverman, Wim; Laptev, Ivan; Sineoky, Sergei; Bisio, Angela; Manconi, Renata; Ledda, Fabio; Marchi, Mario; Pronzato, Roberto; Walsh, Daniel J

2013-09-25

The marine environment offers both economic and scientific potential which are relatively untapped from a biotechnological point of view. These environments whilst harsh are ironically fragile and dependent on a harmonious life form balance. Exploitation of natural resources by exhaustive wild harvesting has obvious negative environmental consequences. From a European industry perspective marine organisms are a largely underutilised resource. This is not due to lack of interest but due to a lack of choice the industry faces for cost competitive, sustainable and environmentally conscientious product alternatives. Knowledge of the biotechnological potential of marine organisms together with the development of sustainable systems for their cultivation, processing and utilisation are essential. In 2010, the European Commission recognised this need and funded a collaborative RTD/SME project under the Framework 7-Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) Theme 2 Programme 'Sustainable culture of marine microorganisms, algae and/or invertebrates for high value added products'. The scope of that project entitled 'Sustainable Production of Biologically Active Molecules of Marine Based Origin' (BAMMBO) is outlined. Although the Union is a global leader in many technologies, it faces increasing competition from traditional rivals and emerging economies alike and must therefore improve its innovation performance. For this reason innovation is placed at the heart of a European Horizon 2020 Strategy wherein the challenge is to connect economic performance to eco performance. This article provides a synopsis of the research activities of the BAMMBO project as they fit within the wider scope of sustainable environmentally conscientious marine resource exploitation for high-value biomolecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotechnological production of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals in plant cell and organ cultures.

PubMed

Hidalgo, Diego; Sanchez, Raul; Lalaleo, Liliana; Bonfill, Mercedes; Corchete, Purificacion; Palazon, Javier

2018-03-09

Plant biofactories are biotechnological platforms based on plant cell and organ cultures used for the production of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, although to date only a few of these systems have successfully been implemented at an industrial level. Metabolic engineering is possibly the most straightforward strategy to boost pharmaceutical production in plant biofactories, but social opposition to the use of GMOs means empirical approaches are still being used. Plant secondary metabolism involves thousands of different enzymes, some of which catalyze specific reactions, giving one product from a particular substrate, whereas others can yield multiple products from the same substrate. This trait opens plant cell biofactories to new applications, in which the natural metabolic machinery of plants can be harnessed for the bioconversion of phytochemicals or even the production of new bioactive compounds. Synthetic biological pipelines involving the bioconversion of natural substrates into products with a high market value may be established by the heterologous expression of target metabolic genes in model plants. To summarize the state of the art of plant biofactories and their applications for the pipeline production of cosme-, pharma- and biopharmaceuticals. In order to demonstrate the great potential of plant biofactories for multiple applications in the biotechnological production of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, this review broadly covers the following: plant biofactories based on cell and hairy root cultures; secondary metabolite production; biotransformation reactions; metabolic engineering tools applied in plant biofactories; and biopharmaceutical production. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Metagenomic approaches to exploit the biotechnological potential of the microbial consortia of marine sponges.

PubMed

Kennedy, Jonathan; Marchesi, Julian R; Dobson, Alan D W

2007-05-01

Natural products isolated from sponges are an important source of new biologically active compounds. However, the development of these compounds into drugs has been held back by the difficulties in achieving a sustainable supply of these often-complex molecules for pre-clinical and clinical development. Increasing evidence implicates microbial symbionts as the source of many of these biologically active compounds, but the vast majority of the sponge microbial community remain uncultured. Metagenomics offers a biotechnological solution to this supply problem. Metagenomes of sponge microbial communities have been shown to contain genes and gene clusters typical for the biosynthesis of biologically active natural products. Heterologous expression approaches have also led to the isolation of secondary metabolism gene clusters from uncultured microbial symbionts of marine invertebrates and from soil metagenomic libraries. Combining a metagenomic approach with heterologous expression holds much promise for the sustainable exploitation of the chemical diversity present in the sponge microbial community.

Marine Natural Products from New Caledonia—A Review

PubMed Central

Motuhi, Sofia-Eléna; Mehiri, Mohamed; Payri, Claude Elisabeth; La Barre, Stéphane; Bach, Stéphane

2016-01-01

Marine micro- and macroorganisms are well known to produce metabolites with high biotechnological potential. Nearly 40 years of systematic prospecting all around the New Caledonia archipelago and several successive research programs have uncovered new chemical leads from benthic and planktonic organisms. After species identification, biological and/or pharmaceutical analyses are performed on marine organisms to assess their bioactivities. A total of 3582 genera, 1107 families and 9372 species have been surveyed and more than 350 novel molecular structures have been identified. Along with their bioactivities that hold promise for therapeutic applications, most of these molecules are also potentially useful for cosmetics and food biotechnology. This review highlights the tremendous marine diversity in New Caledonia, and offers an outline of the vast possibilities for natural products, especially in the interest of pursuing collaborative fundamental research programs and developing local biotechnology programs. PMID:26999165

Marine Natural Products from New Caledonia--A Review.

PubMed

Motuhi, Sofia-Eléna; Mehiri, Mohamed; Payri, Claude Elisabeth; La Barre, Stéphane; Bach, Stéphane

2016-03-16

Marine micro- and macroorganisms are well known to produce metabolites with high biotechnological potential. Nearly 40 years of systematic prospecting all around the New Caledonia archipelago and several successive research programs have uncovered new chemical leads from benthic and planktonic organisms. After species identification, biological and/or pharmaceutical analyses are performed on marine organisms to assess their bioactivities. A total of 3582 genera, 1107 families and 9372 species have been surveyed and more than 350 novel molecular structures have been identified. Along with their bioactivities that hold promise for therapeutic applications, most of these molecules are also potentially useful for cosmetics and food biotechnology. This review highlights the tremendous marine diversity in New Caledonia, and offers an outline of the vast possibilities for natural products, especially in the interest of pursuing collaborative fundamental research programs and developing local biotechnology programs.

Biotechnological approaches for improvement and conservation of prunus species

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biotechnology has contributed to improvement and conservation of Prunus species. Biotechnological approaches involving in vitro tissue culture, genetic transformation, molecular marker development and cryopreservation were applied to various Prunus species. This report provides an overview of biotec...

Marine Diterpenes: Molecular Modeling of Thrombin Inhibitors with Potential Biotechnological Application as an Antithrombotic

PubMed Central

Pereira, Rebeca Cristina Costa; Lourenço, André Luiz; Terra, Luciana; Abreu, Paula Alvarez; Laneuville Teixeira, Valéria; Castro, Helena Carla

2017-01-01

Thrombosis related diseases are among the main causes of death and incapacity in the world. Despite the existence of antithrombotic agents available for therapy, they still present adverse effects like hemorrhagic risks which justify the search for new options. Recently, pachydictyol A, isopachydictyol A, and dichotomanol, three diterpenes isolated from Brazilian marine brown alga Dictyota menstrualis were identified as potent antithrombotic molecules through inhibition of thrombin, a key enzyme of coagulation cascade and a platelet agonist. Due to the biotechnological potential of these marine metabolites, in this work we evaluated their binding mode to thrombin in silico and identified structural features related to the activity in order to characterize their molecular mechanism. According to our theoretical studies including structure-activity relationship and molecular docking analysis, the highest dipole moment, polar surface area, and lowest electronic density of dichotomanol are probably involved in its higher inhibition percentage towards thrombin catalytic activity compared to pachydictyol A and isopachydictyol A. Interestingly, the molecular docking studies also revealed a good shape complementarity of pachydictyol A and isopachydictyol A and interactions with important residues and regions (e.g., H57, S195, W215, G216, and loop-60), which probably justify their thrombin inhibitor effects demonstrated in vitro. Finally, this study explored the structural features and binding mode of these three diterpenes in thrombin which reinforced their potential to be further explored and may help in the design of new antithrombotic agents. PMID:28335516

Marine Diterpenes: Molecular Modeling of Thrombin Inhibitors with Potential Biotechnological Application as an Antithrombotic.

PubMed

Pereira, Rebeca Cristina Costa; Lourenço, André Luiz; Terra, Luciana; Abreu, Paula Alvarez; Laneuville Teixeira, Valéria; Castro, Helena Carla

2017-03-20

Thrombosis related diseases are among the main causes of death and incapacity in the world. Despite the existence of antithrombotic agents available for therapy, they still present adverse effects like hemorrhagic risks which justify the search for new options. Recently, pachydictyol A, isopachydictyol A, and dichotomanol, three diterpenes isolated from Brazilian marine brown alga Dictyota menstrualis were identified as potent antithrombotic molecules through inhibition of thrombin, a key enzyme of coagulation cascade and a platelet agonist. Due to the biotechnological potential of these marine metabolites, in this work we evaluated their binding mode to thrombin in silico and identified structural features related to the activity in order to characterize their molecular mechanism. According to our theoretical studies including structure-activity relationship and molecular docking analysis, the highest dipole moment, polar surface area, and lowest electronic density of dichotomanol are probably involved in its higher inhibition percentage towards thrombin catalytic activity compared to pachydictyol A and isopachydictyol A. Interestingly, the molecular docking studies also revealed a good shape complementarity of pachydictyol A and isopachydictyol A and interactions with important residues and regions (e.g., H57, S195, W215, G216, and loop-60), which probably justify their thrombin inhibitor effects demonstrated in vitro. Finally, this study explored the structural features and binding mode of these three diterpenes in thrombin which reinforced their potential to be further explored and may help in the design of new antithrombotic agents.

An Overview of NASA Biotechnology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pusey, Marc L.

1997-01-01

Biotechnology research at NASA has comprised three separate areas; cell science and tissue culture, separations methods, and macromolecular crystal growth. This presentation will primarily focus on the macromolecular crystal growth.

Biotechnology touches the forest

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powledge, J.M.

1984-09-01

Both the United States and New Zealand are doing research in forest biotechnology and much of the interest is in speedy propagation from seed to mature tree. A number of propagation techniques are discussed, such as tissue culture, the culture of tissue from mature trees and somatic embryo genesis. Much of the tissue culture work has been done on radiata pine. Field testing results are considered. The aims and the advantages of forest biotechnology are discussed under the following headings. 1) Disease resistance: research is being carried out on a loblolly pine which would be resistant to fusiform rust. 2)more » Animal feed: some trees have been discovered to have lower lignin content and similar cellulose and hemicellulose to alfalfa. 3) Specialty chemicals: terpenes, in the tree resin, could be turned into hormones, drugs and other chemicals: the genetic system for the overall biosynthesis of terpenes has been studied. 4) Herbicide resistance. The resistance to glyphosate in poplars is being studied. In conclusion, further research into forest species, using molecular biology is considered essential.« less

Modeling of plant in vitro cultures: overview and estimation of biotechnological processes.

PubMed

Maschke, Rüdiger W; Geipel, Katja; Bley, Thomas

2015-01-01

Plant cell and tissue cultivations are of growing interest for the production of structurally complex and expensive plant-derived products, especially in pharmaceutical production. Problems with up-scaling, low yields, and high-priced process conditions result in an increased demand for models to provide comprehension, simulation, and optimization of production processes. In the last 25 years, many models have evolved in plant biotechnology; the majority of them are specialized models for a few selected products or nutritional conditions. In this article we review, delineate, and discuss the concepts and characteristics of the most commonly used models. Therefore, the authors focus on models for plant suspension and submerged hairy root cultures. The article includes a short overview of modeling and mathematics and integrated parameters, as well as the application scope for each model. The review is meant to help researchers better understand and utilize the numerous models published for plant cultures, and to select the most suitable model for their purposes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Current trends and future prospects of biotechnological interventions through tissue culture in apple.

PubMed

Bhatti, Shammi; Jha, Gopaljee

2010-11-01

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), which is a widely cultivated, important economic fruit crop with nutritive and medicinal importance, has emerged as a model horticultural crop in this post-genomic era. Apple cultivation is heavily dependent on climatic condition and is susceptible to several diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, etc. Extensive research work has been carried out to standardize tissue culture protocols and utilize them in apple improvement. We review the in vitro shoot multiplication, rooting, transformation and regeneration methodologies in apple and tabulate various such protocols for easy reference. The utility and limitation of transgenesis in apple improvement have also been summarized. The concepts of marker-free plants, use of non-antibiotic resistance selectable markers, and cisgenic and intragenic approaches are highlighted. Furthermore, the limitations, current trends and future prospects of tissue culture-mediated biotechnological interventions in apple improvement are discussed.

How can developing countries harness biotechnology to improve health?

PubMed Central

Daar, Abdallah S; Berndtson, Kathryn; Persad, Deepa L; Singer, Peter A

2007-01-01

Background The benefits of genomics and biotechnology are concentrated primarily in the industrialized world, while their potential to combat neglected diseases in the developing world has been largely untapped. Without building developing world biotechnology capacity to address local health needs, this disparity will only intensify. To assess the potential of genomics to address health needs in the developing world, the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, along with local partners, organized five courses on Genomics and Public Health Policy in the developing world. The overall objective of the courses was to collectively explore how to best harness genomics to improve health in each region. This article presents and analyzes the recommendations from all five courses. Discussion In this paper we analyze recommendations from 232 developing world experts from 58 countries who sought to answer how best to harness biotechnology to improve health in their regions. We divide their recommendations into four categories: science; finance; ethics, society and culture; and politics. Summary The Courses' recommendations can be summarized across the four categories listed above: Science - Collaborate through national, regional, and international networks - Survey and build capacity based on proven models through education, training, and needs assessments Finance - Develop regulatory and intellectual property frameworks for commercialization of biotechnology - Enhance funding and affordability of biotechnology - Improve the academic-industry interface and the role of small and medium enterprise Ethics, Society, Culture - Develop public engagement strategies to inform and educate the public about developments in genomics and biotechnology - Develop capacity to address ethical, social and cultural issues - Improve accessibility and equity Politics - Strengthen understanding, leadership and support at the political level for biotechnology - Develop policies outlining

How can developing countries harness biotechnology to improve health?

PubMed

Daar, Abdallah S; Berndtson, Kathryn; Persad, Deepa L; Singer, Peter A

2007-12-03

The benefits of genomics and biotechnology are concentrated primarily in the industrialized world, while their potential to combat neglected diseases in the developing world has been largely untapped. Without building developing world biotechnology capacity to address local health needs, this disparity will only intensify. To assess the potential of genomics to address health needs in the developing world, the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, along with local partners, organized five courses on Genomics and Public Health Policy in the developing world. The overall objective of the courses was to collectively explore how to best harness genomics to improve health in each region. This article presents and analyzes the recommendations from all five courses. In this paper we analyze recommendations from 232 developing world experts from 58 countries who sought to answer how best to harness biotechnology to improve health in their regions. We divide their recommendations into four categories: science; finance; ethics, society and culture; and politics. The Courses' recommendations can be summarized across the four categories listed above: SCIENCE: - Collaborate through national, regional, and international networks- Survey and build capacity based on proven models through education, training, and needs assessments FINANCE: - Develop regulatory and intellectual property frameworks for commercialization of biotechnology- Enhance funding and affordability of biotechnology- Improve the academic-industry interface and the role of small and medium enterprise ETHICS, SOCIETY, CULTURE: - Develop public engagement strategies to inform and educate the public about developments in genomics and biotechnology- Develop capacity to address ethical, social and cultural issues- Improve accessibility and equity POLITICS: - Strengthen understanding, leadership and support at the political level for biotechnology- Develop policies outlining national biotechnology strategy

Patho-biotechnology; using bad bugs to make good bugs better.

PubMed

Sleator, Roy D; Hill, Colin

2007-01-01

Given the increasing commercial and clinical relevance of probiotic cultures, improving their stress tolerance profile and ability to overcome the physiochemical defences of the host is an important biological goal. Pathogenic bacteria have evolved sophisticated strategies to overcome host defences, interact with the immune system and interfere with essential host systems. We coin the term 'patho-biotechnology' to describe the exploitation of these valuable traits in biotechnology and biomedicine. This approach shows promise for the design of more technologically robust and effective probiotic cultures with improved biotechnological and clinical applications as well as the development of novel vaccine and drug delivery platforms.

Impact of culture conditions on the chlorophyll content of microalgae for biotechnological applications.

PubMed

da Silva Ferreira, Veronica; Sant'Anna, Celso

2017-01-01

Chlorophyll is a commercially important natural green pigment responsible for the absorption of light energy and its conversion into chemical energy via photosynthesis in plants and algae. This bioactive compound is widely used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Chlorophyll has been consumed for health benefits as a nutraceutical agent with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and antimicrobial properties. Microalgae are photosynthesizing microorganisms which can be extracted for several high-value bioproducts in the biotechnology industry. These microorganisms are highly efficient at adapting to physicochemical variations in the local environment. This allows optimization of culture conditions for inducing microalgal growth and biomass production as well as for changing their biochemical composition. The modulation of microalgal culture under controlled conditions has been proposed to maximize chlorophyll accumulation. Strategies reported in the literature to promote the chlorophyll content in microalgae include variation in light intensity, culture agitation, and changes in temperature and nutrient availability. These factors affect chlorophyll concentration in a species-specific manner; therefore, optimization of culture conditions has become an essential requirement. This paper provides an overview of the current knowledge on the effects of key environmental factors on microalgal chlorophyll accumulation, focusing on small-scale laboratory experiments.

Future direction in marine bacterial agarases for industrial applications.

PubMed

Jahromi, Saeid Tamadoni; Barzkar, Noora

2018-06-16

The marine ecosystem has been known to be a rich source of novel enzymes. Agarase is a key enzyme that can hydrolyze agar in the marine environment. Marine bacterial agarase has been isolated from various sources, such as sediments, coastal water, and deep sea and from the surface of crustaceans and seaweeds. This review presents an account of the agarase production of marine bacteria. General information about agar, agarase, isolation, and purification of marine bacterial agarases; the biochemical properties of native agarase from marine bacteria; the biochemical properties of recombinant marine bacterial agarases from engineered microorganisms; and the industrial future of marine bacterial agarases is analyzed. With recent biotechnological processes, researchers need novel functional enzymes like agarase from marine resources, such as marine bacteria, that can be used for diverse applications in the biotechnological industry. Marine bacterial agarases might be of significant interest to the industry because they are safe and are a natural source. This review highlights the potential of marine bacteria as important sources of agarase for application in various industries.

Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knorr, Dietrich; Sinskey, Anthony J.

1985-09-01

The food processing industry is the oldest and largest industry using biotechnological processes. Further development of food products and processes based on biotechnology depends upon the improvement of existing processes, such as fermentation, immobilized biocatalyst technology, and production of additives and processing aids, as well as the development of new opportunities for food biotechnology. Improvements are needed in the characterization, safety, and quality control of food materials, in processing methods, in waste conversion and utilization processes, and in currently used food microorganism and tissue culture systems. Also needed are fundamental studies of the structure-function relationship of food materials and of the cell physiology and biochemistry of raw materials.

Biotechnology Education as Social and Cultural Production/Reproduction of the Biotechnology Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrée, Maria

2014-01-01

This paper is a commentary to a paper by Anne Solli, Frank Bach and Björn Åkerman on how students at a technical university learn to argue as biotechnologists. Solli and her colleagues report from an ethnographic study performed during the first semester of a 5-year program in biotechnology at a technical university in Sweden. Their study…

[Biotechnological aspects in "loco" larvae].

PubMed

Inestrosa, N C; Labarca, R; Perelman, A; Campos, E O; Araneda, R; González, M; Brandan, E; Sánchez, J P; González-Plaza, R

1990-10-01

The biology of planktotrophic larvae of Concholepas concholepas is the main bottleneck towards developing biotechnologies to rear this muricid. Data concerning planktonic larvae development, diets and environmental signals triggering larval settlement and recruitment is scarce. We have begun the study of the molecular and cell biology of embryos, larvae and recruits having as a final goal, the development of appropriate biotechnologies to rear this gastropod. First, an inverse ratio between BuChE and AChE enzyme activities was established. This ratio may be a precise developmental marker for this species. Second, for the first time a phosphoinositide related regulatory pathway is reported in a muricid, opening a new approach to the biotechnological management of larvae. Third, the relation between sulfate in sea water and larval motility was studied. Concentrations below 125 microM sulfate decreases larval motility. The sulfate is incorporated in proteoglycans which participate in different developmental phenomena. Lastly, a genomic Concholepas concholepas DNA sequence, similar to that of a human growth hormone probe was detected. This is very interesting since growth factors are key molecules during development, growth and are involved in food conversion rates in fish and also, in a variety of marine invertebrates.

Oxidation of the antibacterial agent norfloxacin during sodium hypochlorite disinfection of marine culture water.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Rong, Chuan; Song, Yanqun; Wang, Yinghui; Pei, Jiying; Tang, Xinying; Zhang, Ruijie; Yu, Kefu

2017-09-01

Chlorination disinfection and antibiotic addition are two universal processes of marine culture. The generation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) is unavoidable. Antibiotic residue not only pollutes water but also acts as a precursor to the production of new DBPs. The fate of antibiotic norfloxacin (NOR) in chlorination disinfection was investigated. It was observed that NOR could be oxidized by disinfection agent sodium hypochlorite, but the oxidation rate varied considerably with the type of disinfected water. For fresh water, marine culture water and sea water, the reaction rate constant was 0.066 min -1 , 0.466 min -1 and 1.241 min -1 , respectively. The difference was primarily attributed to the promotion role of bromide ions in seawater and marine culture water. Moreover, the bromide ions could result in the generation of brominated DBPs (Br-DBPs). The kinetics, products, reaction centers and mechanisms were investigated. The active site of NOR was found to be the N4 atom on piperazinyl in fresh water. During marine culture water and sea water disinfection, the carboxyl on NOR was oxidized and two Br-DBPs were formed. This was attributed to the lowering of the reaction's required activation energy when performed in the presence of bromide ions. The Br-DBPs were also confirmed in real shrimp pond brackish water. Quantitative structure activity relationships and the total organic halogen analysis showed that the DBPs in marine culture water possessed stronger toxicological properties than the DBPs in fresh water. The toxicity increase was attributed to the production of Br-DBPs in the disinfection process of marine culture water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology opportunities on Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Jess; Henderson, Keith; Phillips, Robert W.; Dickey, Bernistine; Grounds, Phyllis

1987-01-01

Biotechnology applications which could be implemented on the Space Station are examined. The advances possible in biotechnology due to the favorable microgravity environment are discussed. The objectives of the Space Station Life Sciences Program are: (1) the study of human diseases, (2) biopolymer processing, and (3) the development of cryoprocessing and cryopreservation methods. The use of the microgravity environment for crystal growth, cell culturing, and the separation of biological materials is considered. The proposed Space Station research could provide benefits to the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, genetics, agriculture, and industrial waste management.

Cultivation of marine sponges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Yi; Zhang, Wei; Li, Hua; Yu, Xingju; Jin, Meifang

2005-06-01

Sponges are the most primitive of multicellular animals, and are major pharmaceutical sources of marine secondary metabolites. A wide variety of new compounds have been isolated from sponges. In order to produce sufficient amounts of the compounds of the needed, it is necessary to obtain large amount of sponges. The production of sponge biomass has become a focus of marine biotechnology.

Cultural Competency Training in the United States Marine Corps: A Prescription for Success in the Long War

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-13

CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS: A PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS IN THE LONG WAR A thesis presented to the...of military units that demonstrated cultural awareness while conducting operations in a foreign land. After presenting a review of the current...Marine Corps Center for Advanced Operational Cultural Learning (CAOCL), advocates teaching Marines enough of a language to do the things they need to

The Biotechnology Facility for International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodwin, Thomas; Lundquist, Charles; Hurlbert, Katy; Tuxhorn, Jennifer

2004-01-01

The primary mission of the Cellular Biotechnology Program is to advance microgravity as a tool in basic and applied cell biology. The microgravity environment can be used to study fundamental principles of cell biology and to achieve specific applications such as tissue engineering. The Biotechnology Facility (BTF) will provide a state-of-the-art facility to perform cellular biotechnology research onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BTF will support continuous operation, which will allow performance of long-duration experiments and will significantly increase the on-orbit science throughput. With the BTF, dedicated ground support, and a community of investigators, the goals of the Cellular Biotechnology Program at Johnson Space Center are to: Support approximately 400 typical investigator experiments during the nominal design life of BTF (10 years). Support a steady increase in investigations per year, starting with stationary bioreactor experiments and adding rotating bioreactor experiments at a later date. Support at least 80% of all new cellular biotechnology investigations selected through the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) process. Modular components - to allow sequential and continuous experiment operations without cross-contamination Increased cold storage capability (+4 C, -80 C, -180 C). Storage of frozen cell culture inoculum - to allow sequential investigations. Storage of post-experiment samples - for return of high quality samples. Increased number of cell cultures per investigation, with replicates - to provide sufficient number of samples for data analysis and publication of results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Entrapment of anaerobic thermophilic and hyperthermophilic marine micro-organisms in a gellan/xanthan matrix.

PubMed

Landreau, M; Duthoit, F; Claeys-Bruno, M; Vandenabeele-Trambouze, O; Aubry, T; Godfroy, A; Le Blay, G

2016-06-01

The aims of this study were (i) to develop a protocol for the entrapment of anaerobic (hyper)thermophilic marine micro-organisms; (ii) to test the use of the chosen polymers in a range of physical and chemical conditions and (iii) to validate the method with batch cultures. The best conditions for immobilization were obtained at 80°C with gellan and xanthan gums. After 5-week incubation, beads showed a good resistance to all tested conditions except those simultaneously including high temperature (100°C), low NaCl (<0∙5 mol l(-1) ) and extreme pH (4/8). To confirm the method efficiency, batch cultures with immobilized Thermosipho sp. strain AT1272 and Thermococcus kodakarensis strain KOD1 showed an absence of detrimental effect on cell viability and a good growth within and outside the beads. This suggests that entrapment in a gellan-xanthan matrix could be employed for the culture of anaerobic (hyper)thermophilic marine micro-organisms. (Hyper)thermophilic marine micro-organisms possess a high biotechnological potential. Generally microbial cells are grown as free-cell cultures. The use of immobilized cells may offer several advantages such as protection against phage attack, high cell biomass and better production rate of desired metabolites. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Production and Isolation of Amphibactin siderophores in Iron-stressed cultures of the marine bacteria Vibrio spp.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLean, C.; Boiteau, R.; Bundy, R.; Gauglitz, J.; Repeta, D.

2016-02-01

Iron is an important micronutrient for marine microbes. Low concentrations of dissolved iron limit production in much of the ocean, putting pressure on microbial communities to develop efficient iron acquisition strategies. One such strategy is the production of siderophores, high affinity iron binding ligands, to facilitate iron uptake to meet their physiological iron quota. Recently, our lab has shown that amphibactins, siderophores with lipid side chains, are present in iron-deficient regions of the ocean. However, little is known about which organisms can utilize amphibactin bound iron. Here we describe a method to isolate amphibactins from laboratory cultures in order to identify the conditional stability constants and uptake rates of purified amphibactin compounds. We searched the National Center for Biotechnology Information database to identify microbial genomes containing homologous to the known amphibactin biosynthesis genes. Several of these strains were screened with high performance reverse-phase liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESIMS) to confirm amphibactin production. We then optimized amphibactin production for the strain Vibrio cyclitrophicus 1F53 under different shaking speeds and iron concentrations, using a chrome azurol S (CAS) assay to screen for siderophore abundance. Maximum production was found after 38 hours of shaking at 150-rpm, and with the addition of 10nM of desferrioxamine B to induce iron limitation. Amphibactins were extracted from the media by solid phase extraction and purified by reverse phase HPLC. The conditional stability constants for several amphibactins were then measured in seawater using competitive ligand exchange absorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry with salicylaldoxime as the added ligand. Future work will determine the uptake rates of these compounds by natural communities of marine bacteria, and give insight on the bioavailability of amphibactins in the marine environment.

Biotechnological production of hyperforin for pharmaceutical formulation.

PubMed

Gaid, Mariam; Biedermann, Eline; Füller, Jendrik; Haas, Paul; Behrends, Sönke; Krull, Rainer; Scholl, Stephan; Wittstock, Ute; Müller-Goymann, Christel; Beerhues, Ludger

2018-05-01

Hyperforin is a major active constituent of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort). It has amazing pharmacological activities, such as antidepressant properties, but it is labile and difficult to synthesize. Its sensitivity and lipophilicity are challenges for processing and formulation. Its chemical complexity provokes approaches of biotechnological production and modification. Dedifferentiated H. perforatum cell cultures lack appropriate storage sites and hence appreciable hyperforin levels. Shoot cultures are capable of forming hyperforin but less suitable for biomass up-scaling in bioreactors. Roots commonly lack hyperforin but a recently established adventitious root line has been demonstrated to produce hyperforin and derivatives at promising levels. The roots also contained lupulones, the typical constituents of hop (Humulus lupulus). Although shear-sensitive, these root cultures provide a potential production platform for both individual compounds and extracts with novel combinations of constituents and pharmacological activities. Besides in vitro cultivation techniques, the reconstruction of hyperforin biosynthesis in microorganisms is a promising alternative for biotechnological production. The biosynthetic pathway is under study, with omics-technologies being increasingly implemented. These biotechnological approaches may not only yield hyperforin at reasonable productivity but also allow for modifications of its chemical structure and pharmacological profile. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The biodiscovery potential of marine bacteria: an investigation of phylogeny and function

PubMed Central

Mühling, Martin; Joint, Ian; Willetts, Andrew J

2013-01-01

Summary A collection of marine bacteria isolated from a temperate coastal zone has been screened in a programme of biodiscovery. A total of 34 enzymes with biotechnological potential were screened in 374 isolates of marine bacteria. Only two enzymes were found in all isolates while the majority of enzyme activities were present in a smaller proportion of the isolates. A cluster analysis demonstrated no significant correlation between taxonomy and enzyme function. However, there was evidence of co-occurrence of some enzyme activity in the same isolate. In this study marine Proteobacteria had a higher complement of enzymes with biodiscovery potential than Actinobacteria; this contrasts with the terrestrial environment where the Actinobacteria phylum is a proven source of enzymes with important industrial applications. In addition, a number of novel enzyme functions were more abundant in this marine culture collection than would be expected on the basis of knowledge from terrestrial bacteria. There is a strong case for future investigation of marine bacteria as a source for biodiscovery. PMID:23557256

The Development of Plant Biotechnology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torrey, John G.

1985-01-01

Examines major lines of thought leading to what is meant by plant biotechnology, namely, the application of existing techniques of plant organ, tissue, and cell culture, plant molecular biology, and genetic engineering to the improvement of plants and of plant productivity for the benefit of man. (JN)

Culturable heterotrophic bacteria from the marine sponge Dendrilla nigra: isolation and phylogenetic diversity of actinobacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvin, Joseph; Gandhimathi, R.; Kiran, G. Seghal; Priya, S. Shanmugha; Ravji, T. Rajeetha; Hema, T. A.

2009-09-01

Culturable heterotrophic bacterial composition of marine sponge Dendrilla nigra was analysed using different enrichments. Five media compositions including without enrichment (control), enriched with sponge extract, with growth regulator (antibiotics), with autoinducers, and complete enrichment containing sponge extract, antibiotics, and autoinducers were developed. DNA hybridization assay was performed to explore host specific bacteria and ecotypes of culturable sponge-associated bacteria. Enrichment with selective inducers (AHLs and sponge extract) and regulators (antibiotics) considerably enhanced the cultivation potential of sponge-associated bacteria. It was found that Marinobacter (MSI032), Micromonospora (MSI033), Streptomyces (MSI051), and Pseudomonas (MSI057) were sponge-associated obligate symbionts. The present findings envisaged that “ Micromonospora-Saccharomonospora-Streptomyces” group was the major culturable actinobacteria in the marine sponge D. nigra. The DNA hybridization assay was a reliable method for the analysis of culturable bacterial community in marine sponges. Based on the culturable community structure, the sponge-associated bacteria can be grouped (ecotypes) as general symbionts, specific symbionts, habitat flora, and antagonists.

Effects of Gelling Agent and Extracellular Signaling Molecules on the Culturability of Marine Bacteria

PubMed Central

Rygaard, Anita Mac; Thøgersen, Mariane Schmidt; Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Gram, Lone

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Only 1% of marine bacteria are currently culturable using standard laboratory procedures, and this is a major obstacle for our understanding of the biology of marine microorganisms and for the discovery of novel microbial natural products. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if improved cultivation conditions, including the use of an alternative gelling agent and supplementation with signaling molecules, improve the culturability of bacteria from seawater. Replacing agar with gellan gum improved viable counts 3- to 40-fold, depending on medium composition and incubation conditions, with a maximum of 6.6% culturability relative to direct cell counts. Through V4 amplicon sequencing we found that culturable diversity was also affected by a change in gelling agent, facilitating the growth of orders not culturable on agar-based substrates. Community analyses showed that communities grown on gellan gum substrates were significantly different from communities grown on agar and that they covered a larger fraction of the seawater community. Other factors, such as incubation temperature and time, had less obvious effects on viable counts and culturable diversity. Supplementation with acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) did not have a positive effect on total viable counts or a strong effect on culturable diversity. However, low concentrations of AHLs increased the relative abundance of sphingobacteria. Hence, with alternative growth substrates, it is possible to significantly increase the number and diversity of cultured marine bacteria. IMPORTANCE Serious challenges to human health, such as the occurrence and spread of antibiotic resistance and an aging human population in need of bioactive pharmaceuticals, have revitalized the search for natural microbial products. The marine environment, representing the largest ecosystem in the biosphere, harbors an immense and virtually untapped microbial diversity producing unique bioactive compounds

Patho-biotechnology: using bad bugs to do good things.

PubMed

Sleator, Roy D; Hill, Colin

2006-04-01

Pathogenic bacteria have evolved sophisticated strategies to overcome host defences, to interact with the immune system and to interfere with essential host systems. We coin the term 'patho-biotechnology' to describe the exploitation of these valuable traits in biotechnology, medicine and food. This approach shows promise for the development of novel vaccine and drug delivery systems, as well as for the design of more technologically robust and effective probiotic cultures with improved biotechnological and clinical applications. The genetic tractability of Listeria monocytogenes, the availability of the complete genome sequence of this intracellular pathogen, its ability to cope with stress, and its ability to traverse the gastrointestinal tract and induce a strong cellular immune response make L. monocytogenes an ideal model organism for demonstrating the patho-biotechnology concept.

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Module (TCM) is the stationary bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures grow. However, for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI), color polystyrene beads are used to measure the effectiveness of various mixing procedures. The beads are similar in size and density to human lymphoid cells. Uniform mixing is a crucial component of CBOSS experiments involving the immune response of human lymphoid cell suspensions. The goal is to develop procedures that are both convenient for the flight crew and are optimal in providing uniform and reproducible mixing of all components, including cells. The average bead density in a well mixed TCM will be uniform, with no bubbles, and it will be measured using the absorption of light. In this photograph, a TCM is shown after mixing protocols, and bubbles of various sizes can be seen.

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-05

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Module (TCM) is the stationary bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures grow. However, for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI), color polystyrene beads are used to measure the effectiveness of various mixing procedures. The beads are similar in size and density to human lymphoid cells. Uniform mixing is a crucial component of CBOSS experiments involving the immune response of human lymphoid cell suspensions. The goal is to develop procedures that are both convenient for the flight crew and are optimal in providing uniform and reproducible mixing of all components, including cells. The average bead density in a well mixed TCM will be uniform, with no bubbles, and it will be measured using the absorption of light. In this photograph, beads are trapped in the injection port, with bubbles forming shortly after injection.

Editorial: Biotechnology Journal brings more than biotechnology.

PubMed

Jungbauer, Alois; Lee, Sang Yup

2015-09-01

Biotechnology Journal always brings the state-of-the-art biotechnologies to our readers. Different from other topical issues, this issue of Biotechnology Journal is complied with a series of exiting reviews and research articles from spontaneous submissions, again, addressing society's actual problems and needs. The progress is a real testimony how biotechnology contributes to achievements in healthcare, better utilization of resources, and a bio-based economy. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biotechnology Facility: An ISS Microgravity Research Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonda, Steve R.; Tsao, Yow-Min

2000-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) will support several facilities dedicated to scientific research. One such facility, the Biotechnology Facility (BTF), is sponsored by the Microgravity Sciences and Applications Division (MSAD) and developed at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The BTF is scheduled for delivery to the ISS via Space Shuttle in April 2005. The purpose of the BTF is to provide: (1) the support structure and integration capabilities for the individual modules in which biotechnology experiments will be performed, (2) the capability for human-tended, repetitive, long-duration biotechnology experiments, and (3) opportunities to perform repetitive experiments in a short period by allowing continuous access to microgravity. The MSAD has identified cell culture and tissue engineering, protein crystal growth, and fundamentals of biotechnology as areas that contain promising opportunities for significant advancements through low-gravity experiments. The focus of this coordinated ground- and space-based research program is the use of the low-gravity environment of space to conduct fundamental investigations leading to major advances in the understanding of basic and applied biotechnology. Results from planned investigations can be used in applications ranging from rational drug design and testing, cancer diagnosis and treatments and tissue engineering leading to replacement tissues.

Ecosystem Pen Pals: Using Place-Based Marine Science and Culture to Connect Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiener, Carlie S.; Matsumoto, Karen

2014-01-01

The marine environment provides a unique context for students to explore both natural and cultural connections. This paper reports preliminary findings on Ecosystem Pen Pals, an ocean literacy program for 4th and 5th graders focused on using a pen pal model for integrating traditional ecological knowledge into marine science. Surveys with…

Genome analysis of Betanodavirus from cultured marine fish species in Malaysia.

PubMed

Ransangan, Julian; Manin, Benny Obrain

2012-04-23

Betanodavirus is the causative agent of the viral nervous necrosis (VNN) or viral encephalopathy and retinopathy disease in marine fish. This disease is responsible for most of the mass mortalities that occurred in marine fish hatcheries in Malaysia. The genome of this virus consists of two positive-sense RNA molecules which are the RNA1 and RNA2. The RNA1 molecule contains the RdRp gene which encodes for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the RNA2 molecule contains the Cp gene which encodes for the viral coat protein. In this study, total RNAs were extracted from 32 fish specimens representing the four most cultured marine fish species in Malaysia. The fish specimens were collected from different hatcheries and aquaculture farms in Malaysia. The RNA1 was successfully amplified using three pairs of overlapping PCR primers whereas the RNA2 was amplified using a pair of primers. The nucleotide analysis of RdRp gene revealed that the Betanodavirus in Malaysia were 94.5-99.7% similar to the RGNNV genotype, 79.8-82.1% similar to SJNNV genotype, 81.5-82.4% similar to BFNNV genotype and 79.8-80.7% similar to TPNNV genotype. However, they showed lower similarities to FHV (9.4-14.2%) and BBV (7.2-15.7%), respectively. Similarly, the Cp gene revealed that the viruses showed high nucleotide similarity to RGNNV (95.9-99.8%), SJNNV (72.2-77.4%), BFNNV (80.9-83.5%), TPNNV (77.2-78.1%) and TNV (75.1-76.5%). However, as in the RdRp gene, the coat protein gene was highly dissimilar to FHV (3.0%) and BBV (2.6-4.1%), respectively. Based on the genome analysis, the Betanodavirus infecting cultured marine fish species in Malaysia belong to the RGNNV genotype. However, the phylogenetic analysis of the genes revealed that the viruses can be further divided into nine sub-groups. This has been expected since various marine fish species of different origins are cultured in Malaysia. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology essay competition: biotechnology and sustainable food practices.

PubMed

Peng, Judy; Schoeb, Helena; Lee, Gina

2013-06-01

Biotechnology Journal announces our second biotechnology essay competition with the theme "biotechnology and sustainable food practices", open to all undergraduate students. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-07

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Module (TCM) is the stationary bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures grow. However, for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI), color polystyrene beads are used to measure the effectiveness of various mixing procedures. Uniform mixing is a crucial component of CBOSS experiments involving the immune response of human lymphoid cell suspensions. In this picture, the beads are trapped in the injection port shortly after injection. Swirls of beads indicate, event to the naked eye, the contents of the TCM are not fully mixed. The beads are similar in size and density to human lymphoid cells. The goal is to develop procedures that are both convenient for the flight crew and are optimal in providing uniform and reproducible mixing of all components, including cells. The average bead density in a well mixed TCM will be uniform, with no bubbles, and it will be measured using the absorption of light

'Bioengineered Bugs' - a patho-biotechnology approach to probiotic research and applications.

PubMed

Sleator, Roy D; Hill, Colin

2008-01-01

Given the increasing commercial and clinical relevance of probiotic cultures, improving their stress tolerance profile and ability to overcome the physiochemical defences of the host is an important biological goal. Pathogenic bacteria have evolved sophisticated strategies to overcome host defences, interact with the immune system and modulate essential host systems. The 'Patho-biotechnology' concept promotes the exploitation of these valuable traits for the design of more technologically robust and effective probiotic cultures with potentially improved biotechnological and clinical applications, as well as the development of novel vaccine and drug delivery platforms.

Biotechnology's foreign policy.

PubMed

Feldbaum, Carl

2002-01-01

From its inception, biotechnology has been a uniquely international enterprise. An American and an Englishman working together elucidated the structure of DNA almost 50 years ago; more recently, the Human Genome Project linked researchers around the world, from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to the Beijing Human Genome Center. Today our industry's researchers hail from African villages and Manhattan high rises; from Munich and Melbourne; from London, Ontario, and London, England; from Scotland and Nova Scotia--New Scotland; from Calcutta and Calgary. But in the beginning, the infrastructure that supported these efforts--intellectual property, venture capital, streamlined technology transfer--was less widely dispersed and the world's brightest biotech researchers clustered in only half a dozen scientific Meccas. Previous technological revolutions have spread around the world. Following in their footsteps, biotechnology's global diaspora seems inevitable, especially since governments are promoting it. But as our science and business emigrate from early strongholds in the United States, Canada and Europe across oceans and borders and into new cultures, international tensions over biotechnology continue to grow. In just the last few years, controversies have rolled over R&D spending priorities, genetic patents, bioprospecting, transgenic agriculture and drug pricing. My premise today is that our industry needs to formulate its first foreign policy, one which is cognizant of the miserable judgments and mistakes of other industries--and avoids them.

Discrimination of Four Marine Biofilm-Forming Bacteria by LC-MS Metabolomics and Influence of Culture Parameters.

PubMed

Favre, Laurie; Ortalo-Magné, Annick; Greff, Stéphane; Pérez, Thierry; Thomas, Olivier P; Martin, Jean-Charles; Culioli, Gérald

2017-05-05

Most marine bacteria can form biofilms, and they are the main components of biofilms observed on marine surfaces. Biofilms constitute a widespread life strategy, as growing in such structures offers many important biological benefits. The molecular compounds expressed in biofilms and, more generally, the metabolomes of marine bacteria remain poorly studied. In this context, a nontargeted LC-MS metabolomics approach of marine biofilm-forming bacterial strains was developed. Four marine bacteria, Persicivirga (Nonlabens) mediterranea TC4 and TC7, Pseudoalteromonas lipolytica TC8, and Shewanella sp. TC11, were used as model organisms. The main objective was to search for some strain-specific bacterial metabolites and to determine how culture parameters (culture medium, growth phase, and mode of culture) may affect the cellular metabolism of each strain and thus the global interstrain metabolic discrimination. LC-MS profiling and statistical partial least-squares discriminant analyses showed that the four strains could be differentiated at the species level whatever the medium, the growth phase, or the mode of culture (planktonic vs biofilm). A MS/MS molecular network was subsequently built and allowed the identification of putative bacterial biomarkers. TC8 was discriminated by a series of ornithine lipids, while the P. mediterranea strains produced hydroxylated ornithine and glycine lipids. Among the P. mediterranea strains, TC7 extracts were distinguished by the occurrence of diamine derivatives, such as putrescine amides.

Applications of Protein Hydrolysates in Biotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasupuleti, Vijai K.; Holmes, Chris; Demain, Arnold L.

By definition, protein hydrolysates are the products that are obtained after the hydrolysis of proteins and this can be achieved by enzymes, acid or alkali. This broad definition encompasses all the products of protein hydrolysis - peptides, amino acids and minerals present in the protein and acid/alkali used to adjust pH (Pasupuleti 2006). Protein hydrolysates contain variable side chains depending on the enzymes used. These side chains could be carboxyl, amino, imidazole, sulfhydryl, etc. and they may exert specific physiological roles in animal, microbial, insect and plant cells. This introductory chapter reviews the applications of protein hydrolysates in biotechnology. The word biotechnology is so broad and for the purpose of this book, we define it as a set of technologies such as cell culture technology, bioprocessing technology that includes fermentations, genetic engineering technology, microbiology, and so on. This chapter provides introduction and leads to other chapters on manufacturing and applications of protein hydrolysates in biotechnology.

Production of volatile organic compounds in the culture of marine α-proteobacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirata, M.; Abe, M.; Hashimoto, S.

2014-12-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) release halogens in the troposphere and in the stratosphere by photolysis and released halogens catalyze ozone depletion . In the ocean, macroalgae, phytoplankton, and bacteria are considered to be the main producers of VOCs. Recent investigations have shown that marine bacteria produce halomethanes such as chloromethane, bromomethane, and iodomethane. However, knowledge of aquatic VOC production, particularly through bacteria, is lacking. We studied the production of VOCs, including halomethanes, through the bacterium HKF-1. HKF-1 was isolated from brackish water in Sanaru Lake, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. The bacterium belongs to the α-proteobacteria. Bacteria were incubated in marine broth 2216 (Difco) added with KI and KIO3 (each at 0.02 μmol/L) at 25°C. VOCs in the gas phase above the cultured samples was determined using a dynamic headspace (GESTEL DHS)—gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890N)—mass spectrometer (Agilent 5975C) at 0, 4, 7, 10 and 12 incubation days. In addition, the optical density at 600 nm (OD600) was measured during the culture period. Measurement of VOCs showed that chloromethane, bromomethane, iodomethane, isoprene, methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide were produced in the culture of HKF-1. Dihalomethanes and trihalomethanes, such as dibromomethane, chloroiodomethane, bromoiodomethane, and tribromomethane, were not detected. Given that monohalomethanes and sulfur-containing VOCs were abundant in the culture, HKF-1 is one of the possible candidates as a producer of monohalomethane and sulfur-containing VOCs in marine environment, but not of di- or trihalomethanes.

Culturing marine bacteria – an essential prerequisite for biodiscovery

PubMed Central

Joint, Ian; Mühling, Martin; Querellou, Joël

2010-01-01

Summary The potential for using marine microbes for biodiscovery is severely limited by the lack of laboratory cultures. It is a long‐standing observation that standard microbiological techniques only isolate a very small proportion of the wide diversity of microbes that are known in natural environments from DNA sequences. A number of explanations are reviewed. The process of establishing laboratory cultures may destroy any cell‐to‐cell communication that occurs between organisms in the natural environment and that are vital for growth. Bacteria probably grow as consortia in the sea and reliance on other bacteria for essential nutrients and substrates is not possible with standard microbiological approaches. Such interactions should be considered when designing programmes for the isolation of marine microbes. The benefits of novel technologies for manipulating cells are reviewed, including single cell encapsulation in gel micro‐droplets. Although novel technologies offer benefits for bringing previously uncultured microbes into laboratory culture, many useful bacteria can still be isolated using variations of plating techniques. Results are summarized for a study to culture bacteria from a long‐term observatory station in the English Channel. Bacterial biodiversity in this assemblage has recently been characterized using high‐throughput sequencing techniques. Although Alphaproteobacteria dominated the natural bacterial assemblage throughout the year, Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent group isolated by plating techniques. The use of different gelling agents and the addition of ammonium to seawater‐based agar did lead to the isolation of a higher proportion of Alphaproteobacteria. Variation in medium composition was also able to increase the recovery of other groups of particular interest for biodiscovery, such as Actinobacteria. PMID:21255353

Turkish university students' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Öztürk-Akar, Ebru

2017-03-04

This study questions the presumed relation between formal schooling and scientific literacy about biotechnologies. Comparing science and nonscience majors' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnological applications, conclusions are drawn if their formal learnings improve pupils' understandings of and attitudes toward biotechnology applications. Sample of the study consists of 403 undergraduate and graduate students, 198 nonscience, and 205 science majors. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire and the Biotechnology Attitude Questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics (mean and percentages), t test, and correlations were used to examine the participants' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications and differences as regards their majors. Although the science majors had higher knowledge and attitude scores than the nonscience majors, it is not possible to say that they have sufficient knowledge of biotechnologies. Besides, the participants' attitudes toward biotechnological applications were not considerably related to their knowledge of biotechnology. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):115-125, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Biotechnology worldwide and the 'European Biotechnology Thematic Network' Association (EBTNA).

PubMed

Bruschi, F; Dundar, M; Gahan, P B; Gartland, K; Szente, M; Viola-Magni, M P; Akbarova, Y

2011-09-01

The European Biotechnology Congress 2011 held under the auspices of the European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association (EBTNA) in conjunction with the Turkish Medical Genetics Association brings together a broad spectrum of biotechnologists from around the world. The subsequent abstracts indicate the manner in which biotechnology has permeated all aspects of research from the basic sciences through to small and medium enterprises and major industries. The brief statements before the presentation of the abstracts aim to introduce not only Biotechnology in general and its importance around the world, but also the European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association and its aims especially within the framework of education and ethics in biotechnology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology at the Cutting Edge - Keasling

ScienceCinema

Keasling, Jay

2018-05-11

Jay Keasling, Berkeley Lab ALD for Biosciences and CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute, appears in a video on biotechnology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The video is part of en exhibit titled "Science in American Life," which examines the relationship between science, technology, progress and culture through artifacts, historical photographs and multimedia technology.

Disclosing Biology Teachers' Beliefs about Biotechnology and Biotechnology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fonseca, Maria Joao; Costa, Patricio; Lencastre, Leonor; Tavares, Fernando

2012-01-01

Teachers have been shown to frequently avoid addressing biotechnology topics. Aiming to understand the extent to which teachers' scarce engagement in biotechnology teaching is influenced by their beliefs and/or by extrinsic constraints, such as practical limitations, this study evaluates biology teachers' beliefs about biotechnology and…

"Othering" agricultural biotechnology: Slovenian media representation of agricultural biotechnology.

PubMed

Zajc, Jožica; Erjavec, Karmen

2014-08-01

While studies on media representations of agricultural biotechnology mostly analyse media texts, this work is intended to fill a research gap with an analysis of journalistic interpretations of media representations. The purpose of this project was to determine how news media represent agricultural biotechnology and how journalists interpret their own representations. A content and critical discourse analysis of news texts published in the Slovenian media over two years and in-depth interviews with their authors were conducted. News texts results suggest that most of the news posts were "othering" biotechnology and biotechnologists: biotechnology as a science and individual scientists are represented as "they," who are socially irresponsible, ignorant, arrogant, and "our" enemies who produce unnatural processes and work for biotechnology companies, whose greed is destroying people, animals, and the environment. Most journalists consider these representations to be objective because they have published the biotechnologists' opinions, despite their own negative attitudes towards biotechnology.

Microalgal symbiosis in biotechnology.

PubMed

Santos, Carla A; Reis, Alberto

2014-07-01

This review provides an analysis of recent published work on interactions between microorganisms, especially the ones involving mainly nutrient exchanges and at least with one microalga species. Examples of microbial partners are given, with a remark to the potential application of cultures of an autotroph and a heterotroph, which grow simultaneously, taking advantage of the complementary metabolisms. These are particularly interesting, either due to economic or sustainable aspects, and some applications have already reached the commercial stage of development. The added advantages of these symbiotic cultures are biomass, lipid, and other products productivity enhancement a better utilization of resources and the reduction or even elimination of process residues (including carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases) to conduct an increasingly greener biotechnology. Among the several symbiotic partners referred, the microalgae and yeast cultures are the most used. The interaction between these two microorganisms shows how to enhance the lipid production for biodiesel purposes compared with separated (stand-alone) cultures.

Coral-Associated Actinobacteria: Diversity, Abundance, and Biotechnological Potentials

PubMed Central

Mahmoud, Huda M.; Kalendar, Aisha A.

2016-01-01

Marine Actinobacteria, particularly coral-associated Actinobacteria, have attracted attention recently. In this study, the abundance and diversity of Actinobacteria associated with three types of coral thriving in a thermally stressed coral reef system north of the Arabian Gulf were investigated. Coscinaraea columna, Platygyra daedalea and Porites harrisoni have been found to harbor equivalent numbers of culturable Actinobacteria in their tissues but not in their mucus. However, different culturable actinobacterial communities have been found to be associated with different coral hosts. Differences in the abundance and diversity of Actinobacteria were detected between the mucus and tissue of the same coral host. In addition, temporal and spatial variations in the abundance and diversity of the cultivable actinobacterial communities were detected. In total, 19 different actinobacterial genera, namely Micrococcus, Brachybacterium, Brevibacterium, Streptomyces, Micromonospora, Renibacterium, Nocardia, Microbacterium, Dietzia, Cellulomonas, Ornithinimicrobium, Rhodococcus, Agrococcus, Kineococcus, Dermacoccus, Devriesea, Kocuria, Marmoricola, and Arthrobacter, were isolated from the coral tissue and mucus samples. Furthermore, 82 isolates related to Micromonospora, Brachybacterium, Nocardia, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter, Rhodococcus, and Streptomyces showed antimicrobial activities against representative Gram-positive and/or Gram-negative bacteria. Even though Brevibacterium and Kocuria were the most dominant actinobacterial isolates, they failed to show any antimicrobial activity, whereas less dominant genera, such as Streptomyces, did show antimicrobial activity. Focusing on the diversity of coral-associated Actinobacteria may help to understand how corals thrive under harsh environmental conditions and may lead to the discovery of novel antimicrobial metabolites with potential biotechnological applications. PMID:26973601

Pichia pastoris production of a prolyl 4-hydroxylase derived from Chondrosia reniformis sponge: A new biotechnological tool for the recombinant production of marine collagen.

PubMed

Pozzolini, Marina; Scarfì, Sonia; Mussino, Francesca; Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca; Benatti, Umberto; Giovine, Marco

2015-08-20

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) is a α2β2 tetramer catalyzing the post-translational hydroxylation of prolines in collagen. Its recombinant production is mainly pursued to realize biotechnological tools able to generate animal contaminant-free hydroxylated collagen. One promising candidate for biomedical applications is the collagen extracted from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis, because of its biocompatibility and because is devoid of the health risks associated with bovine and porcine collagens. Here we report on the production and selection, by enzymatic and biomolecular analyses, of a triple transformed Pichia pastoris strain expressing a stable P4H tetramer derived from C. reniformis sponge and a hydroxylated non fibrillar procollagen polypeptide from the same animal. The percentage of recombinant procollagen hydroxylated prolines inside the transformed yeast was of 36.3% analyzed by mass spectrometry indicating that the recombinant enzyme is active on its natural substrate inside the yeast cell host. Furthermore, the recombinant sponge P4H has the ability to hydroxylate its natural substrate in both X and Y positions in the Xaa-Yaa-Gly collagenous triplets. In conclusion this Pichia system seems ideal for high-level production of hydroxylated sponge- or marine-derived collagen polypeptides as well as of conotoxins or other marine proteins of high pharmacological interest needing this particular post-translational modification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fueling industrial biotechnology growth with bioethanol.

PubMed

Otero, José Manuel; Panagiotou, Gianni; Olsson, Lisbeth

2007-01-01

Industrial biotechnology is the conversion of biomass via biocatalysis, microbial fermentation, or cell culture to produce chemicals, materials, and/or energy. Industrial biotechnology processes aim to be cost-competitive, environmentally favorable, and self-sustaining compared to their petrochemical equivalents. Common to all processes for the production of energy, commodity, added value, or fine chemicals is that raw materials comprise the most significant cost fraction, particularly as operating efficiencies increase through practice and improving technologies. Today, crude petroleum represents the dominant raw material for the energy and chemical sectors worldwide. Within the last 5 years petroleum prices, stability, and supply have increased, decreased, and been threatened, respectively, driving a renewed interest across academic, government, and corporate centers to utilize biomass as an alternative raw material. Specifically, bio-based ethanol as an alternative biofuel has emerged as the single largest biotechnology commodity, with close to 46 billion L produced worldwide in 2005. Bioethanol is a leading example of how systems biology tools have significantly enhanced metabolic engineering, inverse metabolic engineering, and protein and enzyme engineering strategies. This enhancement stems from method development for measurement, analysis, and data integration of functional genomics, including the transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and fluxome. This review will show that future industrial biotechnology process development will benefit tremendously from the precedent set by bioethanol - that enabling technologies (e.g., systems biology tools) coupled with favorable economic and socio-political driving forces do yield profitable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible processes. Biofuel will continue to be the keystone of any industrial biotechnology-based economy whereby biorefineries leverage common raw materials and unit operations to integrate

Understanding public perceptions of biotechnology through the "Integrative Worldview Framework".

PubMed

De Witt, Annick; Osseweijer, Patricia; Pierce, Robin

2015-07-03

Biotechnological innovations prompt a range of societal responses that demand understanding. Research has shown such responses are shaped by individuals' cultural worldviews. We aim to demonstrate how the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) can be used for analyzing perceptions of biotechnology, by reviewing (1) research on public perceptions of biotechnology and (2) analyses of the stakeholder-debate on the bio-based economy, using the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) as analytical lens. This framework operationalizes the concept of worldview and distinguishes between traditional, modern, and postmodern worldviews, among others. Applied to these literatures, this framework illuminates how these worldviews underlie major societal responses, thereby providing a unifying understanding of the literature on perceptions of biotechnology. We conclude the IWF has relevance for informing research on perceptions of socio-technical changes, generating insight into the paradigmatic gaps in social science, and facilitating reflexive and inclusive policy-making and debates on these timely issues. © The Author(s) 2015.

Biotechnological production of caffeic acid derivatives from cell and organ cultures of Echinacea species.

PubMed

Murthy, Hosakatte Niranjana; Kim, Yun-Soo; Park, So-Young; Paek, Kee-Yoeup

2014-09-01

Caffeic acid derivatives (CADs) are a group of bioactive compounds which are produced in Echinacea species especially Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. Echinacea is a popular herbal medicine used in the treatment of common cold and it is also a prominent dietary supplement used throughout the world. Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoylquinic acid), caftaric acid (2-O-caffeoyltartaric acid), cichoric acid (2, 3-O-dicaffeoyltartaric acid), cynarin, and echinacoside are some of the important CADs which have varied pharmacological activities. The concentrations of these bioactive compounds are species specific and also they vary considerably with the cultivated Echinacea species due to geographical location, stage of development, time of harvest, and growth conditions. Due to these reasons, plant cell and organ cultures have become attractive alternative for the production of biomass and caffeic acid derivatives. Adventitious and hairy roots have been induced in E. pupurea and E. angustifolia, and suspension cultures have been established from flask to bioreactor scale for the production of biomass and CADs. Tremendous progress has been made in this area; various bioprocess methods and strategies have been developed for constant high-quality productivity of biomass and secondary products. This review is aimed to discuss biotechnological methods and approaches employed for the sustainable production of CADs.

Chemoecological Screening Reveals High Bioactivity in Diverse Culturable Portuguese Marine Cyanobacteria

PubMed Central

Leão, Pedro N.; Ramos, Vitor; Gonçalves, Patrício B.; Viana, Flávia; Lage, Olga M.; Gerwick, William H.; Vasconcelos, Vitor M.

2013-01-01

Marine cyanobacteria, notably those from tropical regions, are a rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites. Tropical marine cyanobacteria often grow to high densities in the environment, allowing direct isolation of many secondary metabolites from field-collected material. However, in temperate environments culturing is usually required to produce enough biomass for investigations of their chemical constituents. In this work, we cultured a selection of novel and diverse cyanobacteria isolated from the Portuguese coast, and tested their organic extracts in a series of ecologically-relevant bioassays. The majority of the extracts showed activity in at least one of the bioassays, all of which were run in very small scale. Phylogenetically related isolates exhibited different activity profiles, highlighting the value of microdiversity for bioprospection studies. Furthermore, LC-MS analyses of selected active extracts suggested the presence of previously unidentified secondary metabolites. Overall, the screening strategy employed here, in which previously untapped cyanobacterial diversity was combined with multiple bioassays, proved to be a successful strategy and allowed the selection of several strains for further investigations based on their bioactivity profiles. PMID:23609580

Biotechnology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Vranken, Nancy S., Ed.

1987-01-01

The field of biotechnology, and specifically recombinant DNA technology, is transforming the way that many feel about the nature and purposes of biology. This newsletter annual supplement contains several articles addressing the topic of biotechnology and the importance that the topic should be given in science classes. James D. Watson's article,…

Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System Fluid Dynamics Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Medium (TCM) is the bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures are grown. With its two syringe ports, it is much like a bag used to administer intravenous fluid, except it allows gas exchange needed for life. The TCM contains cell culture medium, and when frozen cells are flown to the ISS, they are thawed and introduced to the TCM through the syringe ports. In the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI) experiment, several mixing procedures are being assessed to determine which method achieves the most uniform mixing of growing cells and culture medium.

Integrating ecology into biotechnology.

PubMed

McMahon, Katherine D; Martin, Hector Garcia; Hugenholtz, Philip

2007-06-01

New high-throughput culture-independent molecular tools are allowing the scientific community to characterize and understand the microbial communities underpinning environmental biotechnology processes in unprecedented ways. By creatively leveraging these new data sources, microbial ecology has the potential to transition from a purely descriptive to a predictive framework, in which ecological principles are integrated and exploited to engineer systems that are biologically optimized for the desired goal. But to achieve this goal, ecology, engineering and microbiology curricula need to be changed from the very root to better promote interdisciplinarity.

Implications in studies of environmental risk assessments: Does culture medium influence the results of toxicity tests of marine bacteria?

PubMed

Díaz-García, Alejandra; Borrero-Santiago, Ana R; Riba, Inmaculada

2018-04-14

Two marine bacterial populations (Roseobacter sp. and Pseudomonas litoralis) were exposed to different concentrations of zinc (300, 625, 1250, 2000, 2500 and 5000 mg L -1 ) and cadmium (75, 250, 340, 500 and 1000 mg L -1 ) using two culture media (full nutrient Marine Broth 2216 "MB" and 1:10 (vol/vol) dilution with seawater of Marine Broth 2216 "MB SW "), in order to assess population responses depending on the culture medium and also potential adverse effects associated with these two metals. Different responses were found depending on the culture medium (Bacterial abundance (cells·mL -1 ), growth rates (μ, hours -1 ), and production of Extracellular Polysaccharides Substances (EPS) (μg glucose·cells -1 ). Results showed negative effects in both strains after the exposure to Zn treatments. Both strains showed highest metal sensitivity at low concentrations using both culture media. However, different results were found when exposing the bacterial populations to Cd treatments depending on the culture medium. Highest toxicity was observed using MB at low levels of Cd concentrations, whereas MB SW showed toxicity to bacteria at higher concentrations of Cd. Results not only showed adverse effects on Roseobacter sp. and Pseudomonas litoralis associated with the concentration of Zn and Cd, but also confirm that depending on the culture medium results can differ. This work suggests MB SW as an adequate culture medium to study metal toxicity bioassays in order to predict realistic effects on marine bacterial populations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students' knowledge of, and attitudes towards biotechnology revisited, 1995-2014: Changes in agriculture biotechnology but not in medical biotechnology.

PubMed

Chen, Shao-Yen; Chu, Yih-Ru; Lin, Chen-Yung; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

2016-09-10

Modern biotechnology is one of the most important scientific and technological revolutions in the 21st century, with an increasing and measurable impact on society. Development of biotechnology curriculum has become important to high school bioscience classrooms. This study has monitored high school students in Taiwan on their knowledge of and attitudes towards biotechnology for nearly two decades. Not surprisingly, knowledge of biotechnology of current students has increased significantly (p < 0.001) and most students have learned some definitions and examples of biotechnology. There was a positive correlation between biotechnology knowledge and attitudes toward biotechnology for current students who study Advanced Biology (AB). However, for current students who did not study AB, there was a negative correlation.The attitude results showed that students today expressed less favorable opinions toward agricultural biotechnology (p < 0.001) despite studying AB or not. However, there is no significant difference between students today and 18 years ago in opinions towards medical biotechnology. In addition, current students showed a greater concern involving environmental risks than former students. Interestingly, the high school curriculum did affect students' attitudes toward genetically engineered (GE) plants but not GE animals. Our current study also found that the students' attitude towards GE animals was influenced more by their limited knowledge than by their moral belief. On the basis of findings from this study, we suggest that more materials of emerging animal biotechnology should be included in high school curriculum and recommend that high school teachers and university faculty establish a collaborative framework in the near future. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(5):475-491, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-07-02

Leland W. K. Chung (left), Director, Molecular Urology Therapeutics Program at the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, is principal investigator for the NASA bioreactor demonstration system (BDS-05). With him is Dr. Jun Shu, an assistant professor of Orthopedics Surgery from Kuming Medical University China. The NASA Bioreactor provides a low turbulence culture environment which promotes the formation of large, three-dimensional cell clusters. Due to their high level of cellular organization and specialization, samples constructed in the bioreactor more closely resemble the original tumor or tissue found in the body. The Bioreactor is rotated to provide gentle mixing of fresh and spent nutrient without inducing shear forces that would damage the cells. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. Credit: Emory University.

Biotechnological potential of Synechocystis salina co-cultures with selected microalgae and cyanobacteria: Nutrients removal, biomass and lipid production.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Ana L; Pires, José C M; Simões, Manuel

2016-01-01

Cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria has been the focus of several research studies worldwide, due to the huge biotechnological potential of these photosynthetic microorganisms. However, production of these microorganisms is still not economically viable. One possible alternative to improve the economic feasibility of the process is the use of consortia between microalgae and/or cyanobacteria. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Microcystis aeruginosa were co-cultivated with Synechocystis salina to evaluate how dual-species cultures can influence biomass and lipid production and nutrients removal. Results have shown that the three studied consortia achieved higher biomass productivities than the individual cultures. Additionally, nitrogen and phosphorus consumption rates by the consortia provided final concentrations below the values established by European Union legislation for these nutrients. In the case of lipid productivities, higher values were determined when S. salina was co-cultivated with P. subcapitata and M. aeruginosa. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Habitus Disposition within Culture of Land and Marine Sasi in Moluccas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azuz, Faidah; Mony, Farida

2018-05-01

The Moluccan embraces a local wisdom namely sasi. It functions is a tool to manage their natural resources. The land and marine sasi belongs to the customs territory, yet along with the development of the community, this culture experiences various transformations. Therefore, it is necessary to explore, identify, and compare the transformations of sasi on the land and the marine. The research was conducted at Morella village and Haruku, both are within the administrative territory of the District of Central Moluccas. Observations and in-depth interviews were held to obtain data. The result of this research shows that there is a shifting in the implementation of sasi which was held by the customary leader (habitus disposition). Nevertheless, the shifting from custom to ordinary tradition is only found on plant sasi. Meanwhile, the marine sasi remains within the customs territory. A unique finding has shown at land sasi which has a connection with religion. Meanwhile, the marine sasi does not have many links to religion. Finally, this research provides recommendations to conduct further identification and analysis of sasi shifting on wider area coverage such as in Southeast Moluccas. It also recommends conducting further research on the implementation of sasi on more diverse natural resources.

Biotechnological studies in the Far-Eastern Region of Russia.

PubMed

Stonik, Valentin A; Mikhailov, Valery V; Bulgakov, Victor P; Zhuravlev, Yuri N

2007-07-01

Achievements and problems in both the studies on natural bioactive compounds from the Far-Eastern higher plants and marine invertebrates and development of the corresponding biotechnologies concerning new drugs and food supplements, as well as pharmaceutical leads are discussed. Special emphasis is made on recent results from the Far-eastern Institutions belonging to the Russian Academy of Sciences, and their application in both medicine and the food industry, as well as on peculiarities of biological and chemical diversity in the North-Western part of Asia and adjoining seas.

Ammonificins C and D, Hydroxyethylamine Chromene Derivatives from a Cultured Marine Hydrothermal Vent Bacterium, Thermovibrio ammonificans

PubMed Central

Andrianasolo, Eric H.; Haramaty, Liti; Rosario-Passapera, Richard; Vetriani, Costantino; Falkowski, Paul; White, Eileen; Lutz, Richard

2012-01-01

Chemical and biological investigation of the cultured marine hydrothermal vent bacterium, Thermovibrio ammonifican led to the isolation of two hydroxyethylamine chromene derivatives, ammonificins C and D. Their structures were elucidated using combination of NMR and mass spectrometry. Absolute stereochemistry was ascertained by comparison of experimental and calculated CD spectra. Biological evaluation and assessment were determined using the patented ApopScreen cell-based screen for apoptosis-induction. Ammonificins C and D induce apoptosis in micromolar concentrations. To our knowledge, this finding is the first report of chemical compounds that induce apoptosis from the cultured deep-sea marine organism, hydrothermal vent bacterium, Thermovibrio ammonificans. PMID:23170085

Good to Go!: Marines, Combat and the Culture of Silence

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-13

work, even suicide .” 4 What are the elements in the warrior culture of combat Marines that keep veterans with PTSD from getting the help they need...lead to the temptation to take a bigger “dose” of alcohol the next night, which would only make things worse. People may not realize that alcohol...another meeting on his behalf in a different location. During the council meeting, an insurgent used a suicide vest that exploded, killing a multitude of

Exploring the Diversity and Antimicrobial Potential of Marine Actinobacteria from the Comau Fjord in Northern Patagonia, Chile

PubMed Central

Undabarrena, Agustina; Beltrametti, Fabrizio; Claverías, Fernanda P.; González, Myriam; Moore, Edward R. B.; Seeger, Michael; Cámara, Beatriz

2016-01-01

Bioprospecting natural products in marine bacteria from fjord environments are attractive due to their unique geographical features. Although, Actinobacteria are well known for producing a myriad of bioactive compounds, investigations regarding fjord-derived marine Actinobacteria are scarce. In this study, the diversity and biotechnological potential of Actinobacteria isolated from marine sediments within the Comau fjord, in Northern Chilean Patagonia, were assessed by culture-based approaches. The 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that members phylogenetically related to the Micrococcaceae, Dermabacteraceae, Brevibacteriaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Dietziaceae, Nocardiaceae, and Streptomycetaceae families were present at the Comau fjord. A high diversity of cultivable Actinobacteria (10 genera) was retrieved by using only five different isolation media. Four isolates belonging to Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium and Kocuria genera showed 16S rRNA gene identity <98.7% suggesting that they are novel species. Physiological features such as salt tolerance, artificial sea water requirement, growth temperature, pigmentation and antimicrobial activity were evaluated. Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium, Curtobacterium, Rhodococcus, and Streptomyces isolates showed strong inhibition against both Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes. Antimicrobial activities in Brachybacterium, Curtobacterium, and Rhodococcus have been scarcely reported, suggesting that non-mycelial strains are a suitable source of bioactive compounds. In addition, all strains bear at least one of the biosynthetic genes coding for NRPS (91%), PKS I (18%), and PKS II (73%). Our results indicate that the Comau fjord is a promising source of novel Actinobacteria with biotechnological potential for producing biologically active compounds. PMID:27486455

Diatom cultivation and biotechnologically relevant products. Part II: current and putative products.

PubMed

Lebeau, T; Robert, J-M

2003-02-01

While diatoms are widely present in terms of diversity and abundance in nature, few species are currently used for biotechnologically applications. Most studies have focussed on intracellularly synthesised eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) used for pharmaceutical applications. Applications for other intracellular molecules, such as total lipids for biodiesel, amino acids for cosmetic, antibiotics and antiproliferative agents, are at the early stage of development. In addition, the active principle component must be identified amongst the many compounds of biotechnological interest. Biomass from diatom culture may be applied to: (1). aquaculture diets, due to the lipid- and amino-acid-rich cell contents of these microorganisms, and (2). the treatment of water contaminated by phosphorus and nitrogen in aquaculture effluent, or heavy metal (bioremediation). The most original application of microalgal biomass, and specifically diatoms, is the use of silicon derived from frustules in nanotechnology. The competitiveness of biotechnologically relevant products from diatoms will depend on their cost of production. Apart from EPA, which is less expensive when obtained from Phaeodactylum tricornutum than from cod liver, comparative economic studies of other diatom-derived products as well as optimisation of culture conditions are needed. Extraction of intracellular metabolites should be also optimised to reduce production costs, as has already been shown for EPA. Using cell immobilisation techniques, benthic diatoms can be cultivated more efficiently allowing new, biotechnologically relevant products to be investigated.

Hairy root biotechnology of Rauwolfia serpentina: a potent approach for the production of pharmaceutically important terpenoid indole alkaloids.

PubMed

Mehrotra, Shakti; Goel, Manoj K; Srivastava, Vikas; Rahman, Laiq Ur

2015-02-01

Hairy root cultures of Rauwolfia serpentina induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes have been investigated extensively for the production of terpenoid indole alkaloids. Various biotechnological developments, such as scaling up in bioreactors, pathway engineering etc., have been explored to improve their metabolite production potential. These hairy roots are competent for regenerating into complete plants and show survival and unaltered biosynthetic potential during storage at low temperature. This review provides a comprehensive account of the hairy root cultures of R. serpentina, their biosynthetic potential and various biotechnological methods used to explore the production of pharmaceutically important terpenoid indole alkaloids. The review also indicates how biotechnological endeavors might improve the future progress of research for production of alkaloids using Rauwolfia hairy roots.

Diversity of Marine-Derived Fungal Cultures Exposed by DNA Barcodes: The Algorithm Matters

PubMed Central

Andreakis, Nikos; Høj, Lone; Kearns, Philip; Hall, Michael R.; Ericson, Gavin; Cobb, Rose E.; Gordon, Benjamin R.; Evans-Illidge, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Marine fungi are an understudied group of eukaryotic microorganisms characterized by unresolved genealogies and unstable classification. Whereas DNA barcoding via the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) provides a robust and rapid tool for fungal species delineation, accurate classification of fungi is often arduous given the large number of partial or unknown barcodes and misidentified isolates deposited in public databases. This situation is perpetuated by a paucity of cultivable fungal strains available for phylogenetic research linked to these data sets. We analyze ITS barcodes produced from a subsample (290) of 1781 cultured isolates of marine-derived fungi in the Bioresources Library located at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). Our analysis revealed high levels of under-explored fungal diversity. The majority of isolates were ascomycetes including representatives of the subclasses Eurotiomycetidae, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetidae, Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetidae, Xylariomycetidae and Saccharomycetidae. The phylum Basidiomycota was represented by isolates affiliated with the genera Tritirachium and Tilletiopsis. BLAST searches revealed 26 unknown OTUs and 50 isolates corresponding to previously uncultured, unidentified fungal clones. This study makes a significant addition to the availability of barcoded, culturable marine-derived fungi for detailed future genomic and physiological studies. We also demonstrate the influence of commonly used alignment algorithms and genetic distance measures on the accuracy and comparability of estimating Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) by the automatic barcode gap finder (ABGD) method. Large scale biodiversity screening programs that combine datasets using algorithmic OTU delineation pipelines need to ensure compatible algorithms have been used because the algorithm matters. PMID:26308620

Cytotoxicity assessment of antibiofouling compounds and by-products in marine bivalve cell cultures.

PubMed

Domart-Coulon, I; Auzoux-Bordenave, S; Doumenc, D; Khalanski, M

2000-06-01

Short-term primary cell cultures were derived from adult marine bivalve tissues: the heart of oyster Crassostrea gigas and the gill of clam Ruditapes decussatus. These cultures were used as experimental in vitro models to assess the acute cytotoxicity of an organic molluscicide, Mexel-432, used in antibiofouling treatments in industrial cooling water systems. A microplate cell viability assay, based on the enzymatic reduction of tetrazolium dye (MTT) in living bivalve cells, was adapted to test the cytotoxicity of this compound: in both in vitro models, toxicity thresholds of Mexel-432 were compared to those determined in vivo with classic acute toxicity tests. The clam gill cell model was also used to assess the cytotoxicity of by-products of chlorination, a major strategy of biofouling control in the marine environment. The applications and limits of these new in vitro models for monitoring aquatic pollutants were discussed, in reference with the standardized Microtox test.

Marine Polysaccharides in Pharmaceutical Applications: An Overview

PubMed Central

Laurienzo, Paola

2010-01-01

The enormous variety of polysaccharides that can be extracted from marine plants and animal organisms or produced by marine bacteria means that the field of marine polysaccharides is constantly evolving. Recent advances in biological techniques allow high levels of polysaccharides of interest to be produced in vitro. Biotechnology is a powerful tool to obtain polysaccharides from a variety of micro-organisms, by controlling the growth conditions in a bioreactor while tailoring the production of biologically active compounds. Following an overview of the current knowledge on marine polysaccharides, with special attention to potential pharmaceutical applications and to more recent progress on the discovering of new polysaccharides with biological appealing characteristics, this review will focus on possible strategies for chemical or physical modification aimed to tailor the final properties of interest. PMID:20948899

Evaluation of Brazilian biotechnology patent activity from 1975 to 2010.

PubMed

Dias, F; Delfim, F; Drummond, I; Carmo, A O; Barroca, T M; Horta, C C; Kalapothakis, E

2012-08-01

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 São 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

Biotechnology for Non-biology Majors: An Activity Using a Commercial Biotechnology Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wray, Francis P.; Fox, Mary C.; Huether, Carl A.; Schurdak, Eric R.

2001-01-01

Presents an inexpensive activity to stimulate student interest in biotechnology that was developed in partnership with a biotechnology company. Focuses on the use of DNA by a commercial laboratory; describing the analysis procedure; important uses of DNA technology in modern society; and ethical, social, and legal issues related to biotechnology.…

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-07-02

Diagram depicts the importance of cell-cell communication as central to the understanding of cancer growth and progression, the focus of the NASA bioreactor demonstration system (BDS-05) investigation. Microgravity studies will allow us to unravel the signaling and communication between these cells with the host and potential development of therapies for the treatment of cancer metastasis. The NASA Bioreactor provides a low turbulence culture environment which promotes the formation of large, three-dimensional cell clusters. Due to their high level of cellular organization and specialization, samples constructed in the bioreactor more closely resemble the original tumor or tissue found in the body. The Bioreactor is rotated to provide gentle mixing of fresh and spent nutrient without inducing shear forces that would damage the cells. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. Credit: Emory University.

Healthcare biotechnology in India.

PubMed

Srivastava, L M

2005-01-01

Biotechnology in India has made great progress in the development of infrastructure, manpower, research and development and manufacturing of biological reagents, biodiagnostics, biotherapeutics, therapeutic and, prophylactic vaccines and biodevices. Many of these indigenous biological reagents, biodiagnostics, therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines and biodevices have been commercialized. Commercially when biotechnology revenue has reached $25 billions in the U.S. alone in 2000 excluding the revenues of biotech companies that were acquired by pharmaceutical companies, India has yet to register a measurable success. The conservative nature and craze of the Indian Industry for marketing imported biotechnology products, lack of Government support, almost non-existing national healthcare system and lack of trained managers for marketing biological and new products seem to be the important factors responsible for poor economic development of biotechnology in India. With the liberalization of Indian economy, more and more imported biotechnology products will enter into the Indian market. The conditions of internal development of biotechnology are not likely to improve in the near future and it is destined to grow only very slowly. Even today biotechnology in India may be called to be in its infancy.

Fungal biodiversity to biotechnology.

PubMed

Chambergo, Felipe S; Valencia, Estela Y

2016-03-01

Fungal habitats include soil, water, and extreme environments. With around 100,000 fungus species already described, it is estimated that 5.1 million fungus species exist on our planet, making fungi one of the largest and most diverse kingdoms of eukaryotes. Fungi show remarkable metabolic features due to a sophisticated genomic network and are important for the production of biotechnological compounds that greatly impact our society in many ways. In this review, we present the current state of knowledge on fungal biodiversity, with special emphasis on filamentous fungi and the most recent discoveries in the field of identification and production of biotechnological compounds. More than 250 fungus species have been studied to produce these biotechnological compounds. This review focuses on three of the branches generally accepted in biotechnological applications, which have been identified by a color code: red, green, and white for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial biotechnology, respectively. We also discuss future prospects for the use of filamentous fungi in biotechnology application.

Species-dependent silicon isotope fractionation in unialgal cultures of marine diatoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutton, J. N.; Varela, D. E.; Brzezinski, M. A.; Beucher, C.

2011-12-01

Variations in the natural abundance of stable isotopes of silicon (expressed as δ30Si in %) are a key tool for studying the marine silicon (Si) cycle in modern and ancient oceans. In particular, this tool can be used to track relative differences in silicic acid drawdown in surface waters by siliceous microplankton. Diatoms are siliceous phytoplankton that dominate the cycling of Si in the oceans. They represent a major source of primary production and are important in the transfer of Si, nitrogen, phosphorus, and atmospheric carbon to the deep sea. Previous investigations of Si isotope fractionation in diatom cultures have ruled out the influence of temperature (12-22°C) and shown that Si fractionation was invariant in different species of temperate diatoms (De La Rocha et al. 1997). However, the application of this proxy for marine paleo-silicon reconstructions has typically only been used in polar regions, such as the Southern Ocean, where high primary production rates give rise to diatom-rich sediments. Here, we present results on the fractionation of Si isotopes by four species of polar diatoms grown in semi-continuous cultures (Chaetoceros brevis, Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, Porosira glacialis, and Thalassiosira antarctica). To compare with previous studies (De La Rocha et al, 1997), we also tested Si isotope fractionation by two species of temperate diatoms (Thalassiosira pseudonana and Thalassiosira weissflogii). The temperate species yielded Si isotope fractionation (Δ30Si) values of -0.81 % (±0.12, SD, n=11) for T. pseudonana and -1.03% (±0.09, SD, n=3) for T. weissflogii, that are identical to the previously reported fractionation of -1.1 % (±0.4, SD, n=6) (De La Rocha et al. 1997). Similarly, our data for polar species F. kerguelensis, P. glacialis and T. antarctica suggest a fractionation of -0.7 to -1.1 %. Interestingly, our preliminary results from Chaetoceros brevis cultures show a Si isotope fractionation value of about -2.61 % (±0.05, SD

An online calculator for marine phytoplankton iron culturing experiments.

PubMed

Rivers, Adam R; Rose, Andrew L; Webb, Eric A

2013-10-01

Laboratory experiments with iron offer important insight into the physiology of marine phytoplankton and the biogeochemical cycles they influence. These experiments often rely on chelators to buffer the concentration of available iron, but the buffer can fail when cell density increases, causing the concentration of that iron to drop rapidly. To more easily determine the point when the iron concentration falls, we developed an online calculator to estimate the maximum phytoplankton density that a growth medium can support. The results of the calculator were compared to the numerical simulations of a Fe-limited culture of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) Fryxell and Hasle. Modeling reveals that the assumptions behind thermodynamic estimates of unchelated Fe concentration can fail before easily perceptible changes in growth rate, potentially causing physiological changes that could alter the conclusions of culture experiments. The calculator is available at http://www.marsci.uga.edu/fidoplankter. © 2013 Phycological Society of America.

Effect of Religious Belief on Informal Reasoning about Biotechnology Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pope, Timothy; Dawson, Vaille; Koul, Rekha

2017-01-01

The advances of modern biotechnology provide teachers with a number of opportunities to explore socioscientific issues, and in doing so to enhance students' reasoning skills. Although some attempt has been made to understand cultural differences in students' informal reasoning across international and regional boundaries, there is limited research…

Applications of microfluidics in microalgae biotechnology: A review.

PubMed

Juang, Yi-Je; Chang, Jo-Shu

2016-03-01

Microalgae have been one of the important sources for biofuel production owing to their competitive advantages such as no need to tap into the global food supply chain, higher energy density, and absorbing carbon dioxide to mitigate global warming. One of the key factors to ensure successful biofuel production is that it requires not only bioprospecting of the microalgae with high lipid content, high growth rate and tolerance to environmental parameters but also on-site monitoring of the cultivation process and optimization of the culturing conditions. However, as the conventional techniques usually involve in complicated procedures, or are time-consuming or labor intensive, microfluidics technology offers an attractive alternative to resolve these issues. In this review, applications of microfluidics to bioprospecting in microalgae biotechnology were discussed such as cell identification, cell sorting/screening, cell culturing and cell disruption. In addition, utilization of microalgae in micro-sized fuel cells and microfluidic platforms for biosensing was addressed. This review reports the recent studies and offers a look into how microfluidics is exploited to tackle the issues encountered in the microalgae biotechnology. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Crop Biotechnology. Where Now?

PubMed Central

Miflin, B. J.

2000-01-01

Abstract Nature Biotechnology organized a conference in London on Agbiotech 99: Biotechnology and World Agriculture (November 14-16, 1999). The conference focused entirely on crop biotechnology and covered both societal and scientific aspects. Below is an account of the more important issues raised by the speakers and the audience. PMID:10806221

Biotechnology: from university to industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenney, M.F.

1984-01-01

This study examines the birth of the biotechnology industry in the US. It is argued that biotechnology may have important implications for the future of American capitalism. The study is contextualized theoretically through the use of the idea of the capitalism experiences waves of innovations at certain historical periods. Finally, the idea of a new regime of accumulation based on information technologies is explored and biotechnology's potential position in the information society is explored. The first section of the study examines the role of the university in biotechnology. The various objectives of administrators and professors are explored as is themore » role of corporate gift giving in transforming the university into an institution more useful for capitalist accumulation. The second section examines the corporate role in biotechnology: both from the viewpoint of the small venture capital-financed biotechnology firms and the large multinational oil, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies that have made a number of important investments in biotechnology. The last chapter describes the unique effects that biotechnology will have upon the US agricultural sector.« less

Traditional Chinese Biotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yan; Wang, Dong; Fan, Wen Lai; Mu, Xiao Qing; Chen, Jian

The earliest industrial biotechnology originated in ancient China and developed into a vibrant industry in traditional Chinese liquor, rice wine, soy sauce, and vinegar. It is now a significant component of the Chinese economy valued annually at about 150 billion RMB. Although the production methods had existed and remained basically unchanged for centuries, modern developments in biotechnology and related fields in the last decades have greatly impacted on these industries and led to numerous technological innovations. In this chapter, the main biochemical processes and related technological innovations in traditional Chinese biotechnology are illustrated with recent advances in functional microbiology, microbial ecology, solid-state fermentation, enzymology, chemistry of impact flavor compounds, and improvements made to relevant traditional industrial facilities. Recent biotechnological advances in making Chinese liquor, rice wine, soy sauce, and vinegar are reviewed.

Diseases of cultured marine fishes caused by Platyhelminthes (Monogenea, Digenea, Cestoda).

PubMed

Ogawa, K

2015-01-01

Mariculture is a rapidly developing industrial sector. Generally, fish are maintained in net cages with high density. Cage culture systems allow uncontrolled flow of sea water containing potentially infectious stages of fish parasites. In such culture conditions, prevention of such parasitic infections is difficult for parasites with life cycles that complete within culture sites, among which monogeneans and blood flukes are the most important platyhelminthes. Intense monogenean infections induce respiratory and osmo-regulatory dysfunctions. A variety of control measures have been developed, including freshwater bath treatment and chemotherapy. The potential to control monogenean infections through selective breeding, modified culture techniques to avoid infection, and general fish health management are discussed. It should be noted that mariculture conditions have provided some host-specific monogeneans with a chance to expand their host ranges. Blood flukes sometimes induce mass mortality among farmed fish. In-feed administration of praziquantel is the best solution to treat infected fish. Some cases are described that show how international trade in marine fish has resulted in the spread of hitherto unknown parasites into indigenous farmed and wild fish.

Emerging concepts promising new horizons for marine biodiscovery and synthetic biology.

PubMed

Reen, F Jerry; Gutiérrez-Barranquero, José A; Dobson, Alan D W; Adams, Claire; O'Gara, Fergal

2015-05-13

The vast oceans of the world, which comprise a huge variety of unique ecosystems, are emerging as a rich and relatively untapped source of novel bioactive compounds with invaluable biotechnological and pharmaceutical potential. Evidence accumulated over the last decade has revealed that the diversity of marine microorganisms is enormous with many thousands of bacterial species detected that were previously unknown. Associated with this diversity is the production of diverse repertoires of bioactive compounds ranging from peptides and enzymes to more complex secondary metabolites that have significant bioactivity and thus the potential to be exploited for innovative biotechnology. Here we review the discovery and functional potential of marine bioactive peptides such as lantibiotics, nanoantibiotics and peptidomimetics, which have received particular attention in recent years in light of their broad spectrum of bioactivity. The significance of marine peptides in cell-to-cell communication and how this may be exploited in the discovery of novel bioactivity is also explored. Finally, with the recent advances in bioinformatics and synthetic biology, it is becoming clear that the integration of these disciplines with genetic and biochemical characterization of the novel marine peptides, offers the most potential in the development of the next generation of societal solutions.

Emerging Concepts Promising New Horizons for Marine Biodiscovery and Synthetic Biology

PubMed Central

Reen, F. Jerry; Gutiérrez-Barranquero, José A.; Dobson, Alan D. W.; Adams, Claire; O’Gara, Fergal

2015-01-01

The vast oceans of the world, which comprise a huge variety of unique ecosystems, are emerging as a rich and relatively untapped source of novel bioactive compounds with invaluable biotechnological and pharmaceutical potential. Evidence accumulated over the last decade has revealed that the diversity of marine microorganisms is enormous with many thousands of bacterial species detected that were previously unknown. Associated with this diversity is the production of diverse repertoires of bioactive compounds ranging from peptides and enzymes to more complex secondary metabolites that have significant bioactivity and thus the potential to be exploited for innovative biotechnology. Here we review the discovery and functional potential of marine bioactive peptides such as lantibiotics, nanoantibiotics and peptidomimetics, which have received particular attention in recent years in light of their broad spectrum of bioactivity. The significance of marine peptides in cell-to-cell communication and how this may be exploited in the discovery of novel bioactivity is also explored. Finally, with the recent advances in bioinformatics and synthetic biology, it is becoming clear that the integration of these disciplines with genetic and biochemical characterization of the novel marine peptides, offers the most potential in the development of the next generation of societal solutions. PMID:25984990

Occurrence and diversity of Candida genus in marine environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lin; Chi, Zhenming; Yue, Lixi; Chi, Zhe; Zhang, Dechao

2008-11-01

A total of 317 yeast isolates from seawater, sediments, mud of salterns, guts of marine fishes and marine algae were obtained. The results of routine identification and molecular characterization showed that six isolates among these marine yeasts belonged to Candida genus as Candida intermedia for YA01a, Candida parapsilosis for 3eA2, Candida quercitrusa for JHSb, Candia rugosa for wl8, Candida zeylanoides for TJY13a, and Candida membranifaciens for W14-3. Isolates YA01a ( Candida intermedia), wl8 ( Candida rugosa), 3eA2 ( Candida parapsilosis), and JHSb ( Candida quercitrusa) were found producing cell-bound lipase, while isolate W14-3 ( Candida membranifaciens) producing riboflavin. These marine yeast Candida spp. seem to have wide potential applications in biotechnology.

Biotechnology in Turkey: an overview.

PubMed

Ozdamar, Tunçer H

2009-07-01

The term biotechnology first appeared in the programs of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) in 1982. The State Planning Organization (SPO) in 1988 defined biotechnology and the scientific fields. Moreover, it put forward an institutional framework and suggested priority areas for research and development. Turkey has been researching and investing in biotechnology for almost four decades. This review covers the development of science and technology policy with its history, consensus and consequences, bio-industries in Turkey, and research activities in biotechnology at Turkish Universities. Details are provided by the research groups in response to a common request for information on their activities and major publications in the field. The information provided has been grouped under thematic topics within the broad theme of biotechnology, and summarized within these topics. Although many aspects of biotechnological research are being pursued in Turkey, it appears that the most common research activities of the field are in fermentation processes, environmental biotechnology, and biomedical engineering.

Identification of a New Marine Bacterial Strain SD8 and Optimization of Its Culture Conditions for Producing Alkaline Protease

PubMed Central

Cui, Hongxia; Yang, Muyang; Wang, Liping; Xian, Cory J.

2015-01-01

While much attention has been given to marine microorganisms for production of enzymes, which in general are relatively more stable and active compared to those from plants and animals, studies on alkaline protease production from marine microorganisms have been very limited. In the present study, the alkaline protease producing marine bacterial strain SD8 isolated from sea muds in the Geziwo Qinhuangdao sea area of China was characterized and its optimal culture conditions were investigated. Strain SD8 was initially classified to belong to genus Pseudomonas by morphological, physiological and biochemical characterizations, and then through 16S rDNA sequence it was identified to be likely Pseudomonas hibiscicola. In addition, the culture mediums, carbon sources and culture conditions of strain SD8 were optimized for maximum production of alkaline protease. Optimum enzyme production (236U/mL when cultured bacteria being at 0.75 mg dry weight/mL fermentation broth) was obtained when the isolate at a 3% inoculum size was grown in LB medium at 20 mL medium/100mL Erlenmeyer flask for 48h culture at 30°C with an initial of pH 7.5. This was the first report of strain Pseudomonas hibiscicola secreting alkaline protease, and the data for its optimal cultural conditions for alkaline protease production has laid a foundation for future exploration for the potential use of SD8 strain for alkaline protease production. PMID:26716833

Teaching biotechnology in NSW schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, Frances A.

Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biological technologies. Today's students are the citizens who will make decisions about associated ethical issues. They need to have the knowledge that will enable them to make informed choices. Hence biotechnology has an important place in science education. The aims of the research were to: 1. describe the state of biotechnology teaching in NSW; 2. determine whether teachers in NSW do not teach biotechnology because they do not have the necessary knowledge and experience; 3. identify other reasons why NSW teachers choose not to teach biotechnology; 4. describe problems encountered in teaching biotechnology in NSW; 5. suggest ways in which the problems encountered in the teaching of biotechnology can be overcome. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in a complementary way to investigate these aims. In a sample of teachers surveyed, many reported that they chose not to teach biotechnology because they did not have adequate knowledge and experience. Other obstacles were identified. These were: 1. the difficulty of the subject matter; 2. the lack of practical work; 3. lack of a program for biotechnology in junior science. The results of this trial suggested that a biotechnology unit should be developed in collaboration with the teacher and that time needs to be made available for school based program development.

Early detection of protozoan grazers in algal biofuel cultures.

PubMed

Day, John G; Thomas, Naomi J; Achilles-Day, Undine E M; Leakey, Raymond J G

2012-06-01

Future micro-algal biofuels will most likely be derived from open-pond production systems. These are by definition open to "invasion" by grazers, which could devastate micro-algal mass-cultures. There is an urgent requirement for methodologies capable of early detection and control of grazers in dense algal cultures. In this study a model system employing the marine alga Nannochloropsis oculata was challenged by grazers including ciliates, amoebae and a heterotrophic dinoflagellate. A FlowCAM flow-cytometer was used to detect all grazers investigated (size range <20->80 μm in length) in the presence of algae. Detection limits were <10 cells ml(-1) for both "large" and "small" model grazers, Euplotes vannus (80 × 45 μm) and an unidentified holotrichous ciliate (~18 × 8 μm) respectively. Furthermore, the system can distinguish the presence of ciliates in N. oculata cultures with biotechnologically relevant cell densities; i.e. >1.4 × 10(8) cells ml(-1) (>0.5 g l(-1) dry wt.). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology Laboratory Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Robert H.; Kompala, Dhinakar S.

1989-01-01

Describes a course entitled "Biotechnology Laboratory" which introduces a variety of laboratory methods associated with biotechnology. Describes the history, content, and seven experiments of the course. The seven experiments are selected from microbiology and molecular biology, kinetics and fermentation, and downstream…

Biotechnology and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Biological Education, 1982

1982-01-01

Summarizes a Royal Society report on the educational implications of the growth of biotechnology (application of biological organisms, systems, or processes to manufacturing and service industries). Eighteen recommendations are made including the inclusion of biotechnological content into science curricula. (Author/JN)

Ornamental marine species culture in the coral triangle: seahorse demonstration project in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

PubMed

Williams, Susan L; Janetski, Noel; Abbott, Jessica; Blankenhorn, Sven; Cheng, Brian; Crafton, R Eliot; Hameed, Sarah O; Rapi, Saipul; Trockel, Dale

2014-12-01

Ornamental marine species ('OMS') provide valuable income for developing nations in the Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle, from which most of the specimens are exported. OMS culture can help diversify livelihoods in the region, in support of management and conservation efforts to reduce destructive fishing and collection practices that threaten coral reef and seagrass ecosystems. Adoption of OMS culture depends on demonstrating its success as a livelihood, yet few studies of OMS culture exist in the region. We present a case study of a land-based culture project for an endangered seahorse (Hippocampus barbouri) in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The business model demonstrated that culturing can increase family income by seven times. A Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis indicated good collaboration among diverse stakeholders and opportunities for culturing non-endangered species and for offshoot projects, but complicated permitting was an issue as were threats of market flooding and production declines. The OMS international market is strong, Indonesian exporters expressed great interest in cultured product, and Indonesia is the largest exporting country for H. barbouri. Yet, a comparison of Indonesia ornamental marine fish exports to fish abundance in a single local market indicated that OMS culture cannot replace fishing livelihoods. Nevertheless, seahorse and other OMS culture can play a role in management and conservation by supplementing and diversifying the fishing and collecting livelihoods in the developing nations that provide the majority of the global OMS.

Ornamental Marine Species Culture in the Coral Triangle: Seahorse Demonstration Project in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Susan L.; Janetski, Noel; Abbott, Jessica; Blankenhorn, Sven; Cheng, Brian; Crafton, R. Eliot; Hameed, Sarah O.; Rapi, Saipul; Trockel, Dale

2014-12-01

Ornamental marine species (`OMS') provide valuable income for developing nations in the Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle, from which most of the specimens are exported. OMS culture can help diversify livelihoods in the region, in support of management and conservation efforts to reduce destructive fishing and collection practices that threaten coral reef and seagrass ecosystems. Adoption of OMS culture depends on demonstrating its success as a livelihood, yet few studies of OMS culture exist in the region. We present a case study of a land-based culture project for an endangered seahorse ( Hippocampus barbouri) in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The business model demonstrated that culturing can increase family income by seven times. A Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis indicated good collaboration among diverse stakeholders and opportunities for culturing non-endangered species and for offshoot projects, but complicated permitting was an issue as were threats of market flooding and production declines. The OMS international market is strong, Indonesian exporters expressed great interest in cultured product, and Indonesia is the largest exporting country for H. barbouri. Yet, a comparison of Indonesia ornamental marine fish exports to fish abundance in a single local market indicated that OMS culture cannot replace fishing livelihoods. Nevertheless, seahorse and other OMS culture can play a role in management and conservation by supplementing and diversifying the fishing and collecting livelihoods in the developing nations that provide the majority of the global OMS.

Reprint of Design of synthetic microbial communities for biotechnological production processes.

PubMed

Jagmann, Nina; Philipp, Bodo

2014-12-20

In their natural habitats microorganisms live in multi-species communities, in which the community members exhibit complex metabolic interactions. In contrast, biotechnological production processes catalyzed by microorganisms are usually carried out with single strains in pure cultures. A number of production processes, however, may be more efficiently catalyzed by the concerted action of microbial communities. This review will give an overview of organismic interactions between microbial cells and of biotechnological applications of microbial communities. It focuses on synthetic microbial communities that consist of microorganisms that have been genetically engineered. Design principles for such synthetic communities will be exemplified based on plausible scenarios for biotechnological production processes. These design principles comprise interspecific metabolic interactions via cross-feeding, regulation by interspecific signaling processes via metabolites and autoinducing signal molecules, and spatial structuring of synthetic microbial communities. In particular, the implementation of metabolic interdependencies, of positive feedback regulation and of inducible cell aggregation and biofilm formation will be outlined. Synthetic microbial communities constitute a viable extension of the biotechnological application of metabolically engineered single strains and enlarge the scope of microbial production processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marine sources of ice nucleating particles: results from phytoplankton cultures and samples collected at sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilbourn, E.; Thornton, D.; Brooks, S. D.; Graff, J.

2016-12-01

The role of marine aerosols as ice nucleating particles is currently poorly understood. Despite growing interest, there are remarkably few ice nucleation measurements on representative marine samples. Here we present results of heterogeneous ice nucleation from laboratory studies and in-situ air and sea water samples collected during NAAMES (North Atlantic Aerosol and Marine Ecosystems Study). Thalassiosira weissflogii (CCMP 1051) was grown under controlled conditions in batch cultures and the ice nucleating activity depended on the growth phase of the cultures. Immersion freezing temperatures of the lab-grown diatoms were determined daily using a custom ice nucleation apparatus cooled at a set rate. Our results show that the age of the culture had a significant impact on ice nucleation temperature, with samples in stationary phase causing nucleation at -19.9 °C, approximately nine degrees warmer than the freezing temperature during exponential growth phase. Field samples gathered during the NAAMES II cruise in May 2016 were also tested for ice nucleating ability. Two types of samples were gathered. Firstly, whole cells were fractionated by size from surface seawater using a BD Biosciences Influx Cell Sorter (BD BS ISD). Secondly, aerosols were generated using the SeaSweep and subsequently size-selected using a PIXE Cascade Impactor. Samples were tested for the presence of ice nucleating particles (INP) using the technique described above. There were significant differences in the freezing temperature of the different samples; of the three sample types the lab-grown cultures tested during stationary phase froze at the warmest temperatures, followed by the SeaSweep samples (-25.6 °C) and the size-fractionated cell samples (-31.3 °C). Differences in ice nucleation ability may be due to size differences between the INP, differences in chemical composition of the sample, or some combination of these two factors. Results will be presented and atmospheric implications

Biotechnology

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-05-15

This prostate cancer construct was grown during NASA-sponsored bioreactor studies on Earth. Cells are attached to a biodegradable plastic lattice that gives them a head start in growth. Prostate tumor cells are to be grown in a NASA-sponsored Bioreactor experiment aboard the STS-107 Research-1 mission in 2002. Dr. Leland Chung of the University of Virginia is the principal investigator. The NASA Bioreactor provides a low turbulence culture environment which promotes the formation of large, three-dimensional cell clusters. Due to their high level of cellular organization and specialization, samples constructed in the bioreactor more closely resemble the original tumor or tissue found in the body. The Bioreactor is rotated to provide gentle mixing of fresh and spent nutrient without inducing shear forces that would damage the cells. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. Credit: NASA and the University of Virginia.

Turkish University Students' Knowledge of Biotechnology and Attitudes toward Biotechnological Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Öztürk-Akar, Ebru

2017-01-01

This study questions the presumed relation between formal schooling and scientific literacy about biotechnologies. Comparing science and nonscience majors' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnological applications, conclusions are drawn if their formal learnings improve pupils' understandings of and attitudes toward biotechnology…

The Challenge in Teaching Biotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, F.; Aubusson, P.

2004-08-01

Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biotechnologies. Biotechnology education is important because todays students and citizens will make decisions about the development and application of these new molecular biologies. This article reports an investigation of the teaching of biotechnology in an Australian state, New South Wales (NSW). In NSW few students were electing to answer examination questions related to biotechnology, suggesting that few students were studying the topic. This study looks at why electives relating to biotechnology are chosen or not chosen by students and teachers, with the intention of developing a greater understanding of the requirements for provision of a successful unit of study in this subject. Data was obtained through a survey of secondary science teachers, interviews with teachers and two case studies of the teaching of a biotechnology unit. Teachers reported a range of obstacles to the teaching of biotechnology including the difficulty of the subject matter and a lack of practical work that was suited to the content of the teaching unit. If biotechnology is worth learning in school science, then further research is needed to identify ways to promote the effective teaching of this topic, which teachers regard as important for, and interesting to, students but which most teachers choose not to teach.

Widespread and Persistent Populations of a Major New Marine Actinomycete Taxon in Ocean Sediments

PubMed Central

Mincer, Tracy J.; Jensen, Paul R.; Kauffman, Christopher A.; Fenical, William

2002-01-01

A major taxon of obligate marine bacteria within the order Actinomycetales has been discovered from ocean sediments. Populations of these bacteria (designated MAR 1) are persistent and widespread, spanning at least three distinct ocean systems. In this study, 212 actinomycete isolates possessing MAR 1 morphologies were examined and all but two displayed an obligate requirement of seawater for growth. Forty-five of these isolates, representing all observed seawater-requiring morphotypes, were partially sequenced and found to share characteristic small-subunit rRNA signature nucleotides between positions 207 and 468 (Escherichia coli numbering). Phylogenetic characterization of seven representative isolates based on almost complete sequences of genes encoding 16S rRNA (16S ribosomal DNA) yielded a monophyletic clade within the family Micromonosporaceae and suggests novelty at the genus level. This is the first evidence for the existence of widespread populations of obligate marine actinomycetes. Organic extracts from cultured members of this new group exhibit remarkable biological activity, suggesting that they represent a prolific resource for biotechnological applications. PMID:12324350

Food biotechnology's challenge to cultural integrity and individual consent.

PubMed

Thompson, P B

1997-01-01

Consumer response to genetically altered foods has been mixed in the United States. While transgenic crops have entered the food supply with little comment, other foods, such as the bioengineered tomato, have caused considerable controversy. Objections to genetically engineered food are varied, ranging from the religious to the aesthetic. One need not endorse these concerns to conclude that food biotechnology violates procedural protections of consumer sovereignty and religious liberty. Consumer sovereignty, a principle especially valued in this country, requires that information be made available so each individual or group may make food choices based on their own values. And as yet, there is no policy provision for informing consumers about the degree to which food has been genetically engineered.

New Developments in Biotechnology: U.S. Investment in Biotechnology. Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

Since the discovery of recombinant DNA in the early 1970s, biotechnology has become an essential tool for many industries. The potential of biotechnology to improve the Nation's health, food supply, and the quality of the environment leads logically to questions of whether current levels of investment in research and development, human resources,…

Biotechnological Production of Methyl-Branched Aldehydes.

PubMed

Fraatz, Marco Alexander; Goldmann, Michael; Geissler, Torsten; Gross, Egon; Backes, Michael; Hilmer, Jens-Michael; Ley, Jakob; Rost, Johanna; Francke, Alexander; Zorn, Holger

2018-03-14

A number of methyl-branched aldehydes impart interesting flavor impressions, and especially 12-methyltridecanal is a highly sought after flavoring compound for savory foods. Its smell is reminiscent of cooked meat and tallow. For the biotechnological production of 12-methyltridecanal, the literature was screened for fungi forming iso-fatty acids. Suitable organisms were identified and successfully grown in submerged cultures. The culture medium was optimized to increase the yields of branched fatty acids. A recombinant carboxylic acid reductase was used to reduce 12-methyltridecanoic acid to 12-methyltridecanal. The efficiency of whole-cell catalysis was compared to that of the purified enzyme preparation. After lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the fungal lipid extracts, the released fatty acids were converted to the corresponding aldehydes, including 12-methyltridecanal and 12-methyltetradecanal.

Public perceptions of biotechnology.

PubMed

McHughen, Alan

2007-09-01

The very term 'Biotechnology' elicits a range of emotions, from wonder and awe to downright fear and hostility. This is especially true among non-scientists, particularly in respect of agricultural and food biotechnology. These emotions indicate just how poorly understood agricultural biotechnology is and the need for accurate, dispassionate information in the public sphere to allow a rational public debate on the actual, as opposed to the perceived, risks and benefits of agricultural biotechnology. This review considers first the current state of public knowledge on agricultural biotechnology, and then explores some of the popular misperceptions and logical inconsistencies in both Europe and North America. I then consider the problem of widespread scientific illiteracy, and the role of the popular media in instilling and perpetuating misperceptions. The impact of inappropriate efforts to provide 'balance' in a news story, and of belief systems and faith also impinges on public scientific illiteracy. Getting away from the abstract, we explore a more concrete example of the contrasting approach to agricultural biotechnology adoption between Europe and North America, in considering divergent approaches to enabling coexistence in farming practices. I then question who benefits from agricultural biotechnology. Is it only the big companies, or is it society at large--and the environment--also deriving some benefit? Finally, a crucial aspect in such a technologically complex issue, ordinary and intelligent non-scientifically trained consumers cannot be expected to learn the intricacies of the technology to enable a personal choice to support or reject biotechnology products. The only reasonable and pragmatic alternative is to place trust in someone to provide honest advice. But who, working in the public interest, is best suited to provide informed and accessible, but objective, advice to wary consumers?

Upregulation and Identification of Antibiotic Activity of a Marine-Derived Streptomyces sp. via Co-Cultures with Human Pathogens.

PubMed

Sung, Anne A; Gromek, Samantha M; Balunas, Marcy J

2017-08-11

Marine natural product drug discovery has begun to play an important role in the treatment of disease, with several recently approved drugs. In addition, numerous microbial natural products have been discovered from members of the order Actinomycetales, particularly in the genus Streptomyces , due to their metabolic diversity for production of biologically active secondary metabolites. However, many secondary metabolites cannot be produced under laboratory conditions because growth conditions in flask culture differ from conditions in the natural environment. Various experimental conditions (e.g., mixed fermentation) have been attempted to increase yields of previously described metabolites, cause production of previously undetected metabolites, and increase antibiotic activity. Adult ascidians-also known as tunicates-are sessile marine invertebrates, making them vulnerable to predation and therefore are hypothesized to use host-associated bacteria that produce biologically active secondary metabolites for chemical defense. A marine-derived Streptomyces sp. strain PTY087I2 was isolated from a Panamanian tunicate and subsequently co-cultured with human pathogens including Bacillus subtilis , methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , followed by extraction. Co-culture of Streptomyces sp. PTY087I2 with each of these human pathogens resulted in increased production of three antibiotics: granaticin, granatomycin D, and dihydrogranaticin B, as well as several analogues seen via molecular networking. In addition, co-cultures resulted in strongly enhanced biological activity against the Gram positive human pathogens used in these experiments. Expanded utilization of co-culture experiments to allow for competitive interactions may enhance metabolite production and further our understanding of these microbial interactions.

Biotechnology and Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenney, Martin

Even at this early date in the application of biotechnology to agriculture, it is clear that agriculture may provide the largest market for new or less expensive biotechnologically manufactured products. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries that hold important positions in agricultural inputs are consolidating their positions by purchasing…

The rise (and decline?) of biotechnology.

PubMed

Kinch, Michael S

2014-11-01

Since the 1970s, biotechnology has been a key innovator in drug development. An analysis of FDA-approved therapeutics demonstrates pharmaceutical companies outpace biotechs in terms of new approvals but biotechnology companies are now responsible for earlier-stage activities (patents, INDs or clinical development). The number of biotechnology organizations that contributed to an FDA approval began declining in the 2000s and is at a level not seen since the 1980s. Whereas early biotechnology companies had a decade from first approval until acquisition, the average acquisition of a biotechnology company now occurs months before their first FDA approval. The number of hybrid organizations that arise when pharmaceutical companies acquire biotechnology is likewise declining, raising questions about the sustainability of biotechnology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of zeolites on cultures of marine micro-algae: A brief review.

PubMed

Fachini, Adriano; Vasconcelos, Maria Teresa S D

2006-10-01

The cation-exchange capacity of zeolites is well known and has been increasingly explored in different fields with both economic and environmental successes. In aquatic medium with low salinity, zeolites have found multiple applications. However, a review of the literature on the applications of zeolites in salt waters found relatively few articles, including some recently published papers. The purpose of this review is to present the state-of-the-art on applications of using zeolites for amending the trace elemental contents of salt water as well as the implications of this property for promoting marine micro-algal growth. This paper deals with the following features: Sorption capacity of zeolites including 1. application of zeolites in saltwater, 2. the role of silicon and zeolites on cultures of micro-algae, and 3. the role of organically chelated trace metals. The following competing factors have been identified as effects of zeolites on algal growth in salt water: (i) ammonia decrease: growth inhibition reduced; (ii) macro-nutrients increase, mainly silicon: stimulation of silicon-dependent algae; (iii) trace metals increase (desorption from zeolites) or decrease (adsorption): inhibition or stimulation, depending on the nature of the element and its concentration; and, (iv) changes in the chelating organics exudation: inhibition or stimulation of growth, depending on the (a) nature of the complexed element; (b) bioavailability of the complex; and (c) concentration of the elements simultaneously present in inorganic forms. Zeolites have been capable of stimulating the growth of the silicon-demanding marine micro-algae, like diatoms, mainly because they can act as a silicon buffer in seawater. Zeolites can also influence the yield of non-silicon-demanding algae, because the changes they can cause (liberation and adsorption of trace elements) in the composition of the medium. Zeolites have been capable of stimulating the growth of the marine micro-algae. However

Diatom cultivation and biotechnologically relevant products. Part I: cultivation at various scales.

PubMed

Lebeau, Thierry; Robert, Jean-Michel

2003-02-01

Biotechnological applications of diatoms are still in development. Further development at the industrial scale will depend on optimisation of the culture process with the aim of reducing costs. Because of the photoautotrophic status of the majority of diatoms, microalgal cultures suffer from the limitation of light diffusion, which requires the development of suitable photobioreactors. Thus, genetically engineered microalgae that may be cultivated in heterotrophic conditions present a new opportunity. Other limiting factors, such as nutrients (phosphate, nitrogen, silicon), pH, temperature, bioturbation and many more must be taken into account. Most of the time, metabolic stress conditions lead to an overproduction of the products of interest, with a decrease in biomass production as a consequence. Outdoor cultures in open ponds are usually devoted to aquaculture for the feeding of shrimps and bivalve molluscs (commercial production), while closed axenic indoor/outdoor photobioreactors are used for biotechnological compounds of homogeneous composition (still at the laboratory scale). In addition to the optimum culture conditions that have to be taken into account for photobioreactor design, the localisation of produced metabolites (intra- or extracellular) may also be taken into account when choosing the design. Microalgal cell immobilisation may be a suitable technique for application to benthic diatoms, which are usually sensitive to bioturbation and/or metabolites which may be overexpressed.

[Biotechnology's macroeconomic impact].

PubMed

Dones Tacero, Milagros; Pérez García, Julián; San Román, Antonio Pulido

2008-12-01

This paper tries to yield an economic valuation of biotechnological activities in terms of aggregated production and employment. This valuation goes beyond direct estimation and includes the indirect effects derived from sectorial linkages between biotechnological activities and the rest of economic system. To deal with the proposed target several sources of data have been used, including official data from National Statistical Office (INE) such us national accounts, input-output tables, and innovation surveys, as well as, firms' level balance sheets and income statements and also specific information about research projects compiled by Genoma Spain Foundation. Methodological approach is based on the estimation of a new input-output table which includes the biotechnological activities as a specific branch. This table offers both the direct impact of these activities and the main parameters to obtain the induced effects over the rest of the economic system. According to the most updated available figures, biotechnological activities would have directly generated almost 1,600 millions of euros in 2005, and they would be employed more than 9,000 workers. But if we take into account the full linkages with the rest of the system, the macroeconomic impact of Biotechnological activities would reach around 5,000 millions euros in production terms (0.6% of total GDP) and would be responsible, directly or indirectly, of more than 44,000 employments.

The Challenge in Teaching Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, F.; Aubusson, P.

2004-01-01

Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biotechnologies. Biotechnology education is important because today's students and citizens will make decisions about the development and application of these new molecular biologies. This article reports an investigation of the teaching of biotechnology in an Australian state, New South…

The biotechnology innovation machine: a source of intelligent biopharmaceuticals for the pharma industry--mapping biotechnology's success.

PubMed

Evens, R P; Kaitin, K I

2014-05-01

The marriage of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry (pharma) is predicated on an evolution in technology and product innovation. It has come as a result of advances in both the science and the business practices of the biotechnology sector in the past 30 years. Biotechnology products can be thought of as "intelligent pharmaceuticals," in that they often provide novel mechanisms of action, new approaches to disease control, higher clinical success rates, improved patient care, extended patent protection, and a significant likelihood of reimbursement. Although the first biotechnology product, insulin, was approved just 32 years ago in 1982, today there are more than 200 biotechnology products commercially available. Research has expanded to include more than 900 biotechnology products in clinical trials. Pharma is substantially engaged in both the clinical development of these products and their commercialization.

Marine Caulobacters. Isolation, Characterization and Assessing the Potential for Genetic Experimentation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

grants from the Washington SeaGrant Program, the Office of Naval Research (N00014-81-C-0570) and the California Toxic Substances Research and Teaching ...negative bacteria. Biotechnology _, 269-275. 45.ZoBell, C.E. (1946) Marine microbiology: a monograph on hydrobacteriology. Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham

Space and biotechnology: An industry profile

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Richard S.; Norton, David J.; Tom, Baldwin H.

1988-01-01

The results of a study conducted by the Center for Space and Advanced Technology (CSAT) for NASA-JSC are presented. The objectives were to determine the interests and attitudes of the U.S. biotechnology industry toward space biotechnology and to prepare a concise review of the current activities of the biotechnology industry. In order to accomplish these objectives, two primary actions were taken. First, a questionnaire was designed, reviewed, and distributed to U.S. biotechnology companies. Second, reviews of the various biotechnology fields were prepared in several aspects of the industry. For each review, leading figures in the field were asked to prepare a brief review pointing out key trends and current industry technical problems. The result is a readable narrative of the biotechnology industry which will provide space scientists and engineers valuable clues as to where the space environment can be explored to advance the U.S. biotechnology industry.

Students' Knowledge of, and Attitudes towards Biotechnology Revisited, 1995-2014: Changes in Agriculture Biotechnology but Not in Medical Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Shao-Yen; Chu, Yih-Ru; Lin, Chen-Yung; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

2016-01-01

Modern biotechnology is one of the most important scientific and technological revolutions in the 21st century, with an increasing and measurable impact on society. Development of biotechnology curriculum has become important to high school bioscience classrooms. This study has monitored high school students in Taiwan on their knowledge of and…

The antimicrobial activity of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the marine sponge Erylus deficiens (Astrophorida, Geodiidae)

PubMed Central

Graça, Ana Patrícia; Viana, Flávia; Bondoso, Joana; Correia, Maria Inês; Gomes, Luis; Humanes, Madalena; Reis, Alberto; Xavier, Joana R.; Gaspar, Helena; Lage, Olga M.

2015-01-01

Interest in the study of marine sponges and their associated microbiome has increased both for ecological reasons and for their great biotechnological potential. In this work, heterotrophic bacteria associated with three specimens of the marine sponge Erylus deficiens, were isolated in pure culture, phylogenetically identified and screened for antimicrobial activity. The isolation of bacteria after an enrichment treatment in heterotrophic medium revealed diversity in bacterial composition with only Pseudoalteromonas being shared by two specimens. Of the 83 selected isolates, 58% belong to Proteobacteria, 23% to Actinobacteria and 19% to Firmicutes. Diffusion agar assays for bioactivity screening against four bacterial strains and one yeast, revealed that a high number of the isolated bacteria (68.7%) were active, particularly against Candida albicans and Vibrio anguillarum. Pseudoalteromonas, Microbacterium, and Proteus were the most bioactive genera. After this preliminary screening, the bioactive strains were further evaluated in liquid assays against C. albicans, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Filtered culture medium and acetone extracts from three and 5 days-old cultures were assayed. High antifungal activity against C. albicans in both aqueous and acetone extracts as well as absence of activity against B. subtilis were confirmed. Higher levels of activity were obtained with the aqueous extracts when compared to the acetone extracts and differences were also observed between the 3 and 5 day-old extracts. Furthermore, a low number of active strains was observed against E. coli. Potential presence of type-I polyketide synthases (PKS-I) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) genes were detected in 17 and 30 isolates, respectively. The high levels of bioactivity and the likely presence of associated genes suggest that Erylus deficiens bacteria are potential sources of novel marine bioactive compounds. PMID:25999928

Marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials as a novel source of nanobiotechnological applications.

PubMed

Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Oh, Junghwan

2016-01-01

Research on marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials is emerging in nanobiotechnological fields such as drug delivery, gene delivery, tissue engineering, cancer therapy, wound dressing, biosensors, and water treatment. Important properties of the marine polysaccharides include biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, low cost, and abundance. Most of the marine polysaccharides are derived from natural sources such as fucoidan, alginates, carrageenan, agarose, porphyran, ulvan, mauran, chitin, chitosan, and chitooligosaccharide. Marine polysaccharides are very important biological macromolecules that widely exist in marine organisms. Marine polysaccharides exhibit a vast variety of structures and are still under-exploited and thus should be considered as a novel source of natural products for drug discovery. An enormous variety of polysaccharides can be extracted from marine organisms such as algae, crustaceans, and microorganisms. Marine polysaccharides have been shown to have a variety of biological and biomedical properties. Recently, research and development of marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials have received considerable attention as one of the major resources for nanotechnological applications. This review highlights the recent research on marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterials for biotechnological and biomedical applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Current state of biotechnology in Turkey.

PubMed

Dundar, Munis; Akbarova, Yagut

2011-09-01

Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary branch of science that encompasses a wide range of subjects like genetics, virology, microbiology, immunology, engineering to develop vaccines, and so on and plays a vital role in health systems, crop and seed management, yield improvement, agriculture, soil management, ecology, animal farming, cellular process, bio statistics, and so on. This article is about activities in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology and nanobiotechnology carried out in Turkey. Turkey has made some progress in biotechnology projects for research and development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in the use of tissue culture in forest improvement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haissig, B.E.; Nelson, N.D.; Kidd, G.H.

1987-01-01

We have analyzed and described the problems and potentials of using tissue culture in micropropagation and biotechnologies related to forest improvement. Trends in forest management concepts, commerical micropropagation, and tissue culture biotechnologies are discussed. Our analysis suggests that tissue culture will contribute significantly to the improvement of forests through exploitation of existing genotypes and production of new, commercially valuble genotypes. Such changes may significantly influence worldwide management decisions in forestry. 97 references.

New Developments in Biotechnology: U.S. Investment in Biotechnology. [Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

Since the discovery of recombinant DNA in the early 1970s, biotechnology has become an essential tool for many industries. The potential of biotechnology to improve the Nation's health, food supply, and the quality of the environment leads logically to questions of whether current levels of investment in research and development, human resources,…

Effects of culture medium compositions on antidiabetic activity and anticancer activity of marine endophitic bacteria isolated from sponge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryani, Faiza; Mulyani, Hani; Artanti, Nina; Udin, Linar Zalinar; Dewi, Rizna Triana; Hanafi, Muhammad; Murniasih, Tutik

2017-01-01

High diversity of Indonesia marine spesies and their ability in producing secondary metabolite that can be used as a drug candidate cause this fascinating topic need to explore. Most of marine organisms explored to discover drug is macroorganism whereas microorganism (such as Indonesia marine bacteria) is very limited. Therefore, in this report, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of Indonesia marine bacteria isolated from Sponges's extract have been studied. Bacteria strain 8.9 which are collection of Research Center for Oseanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences were from Barrang Lompo Island, Makasar, Indonesia. Bacteria were cultured in different culture medium compositions (such as: different pH, source of glucose and water) for 48 hours on a shaker, then they were extracted with ethyl asetate. Extracts of bacteria were tested by DPPH method (antioxidant activity), alpha glucosidase inhibitory activity method (antidiabetic activity), and Alamar Blue assay (anticancer activity) at 200 ppm. According to result, extract of bacteria in pH 8.0 exhibited the greatest antioxidant (19.27% inhibition), antidiabetic (63.95% inhibition) and anticancer activity of T47D cell line (44.62% cell viability) compared to other extracts. However, effect of addition of sugar sources (such as: glucose, sucrose, and soluble starch) and effect of addition of water/sea water exhibited less influence on their bioactivities. In conclusion, Indonesia marine bacteria isolated from sponge have potential a source of bioactive compound in drug discovery field.

Cyanobacterial diversity held in microbial biological resource centers as a biotechnological asset: the case study of the newly established LEGE culture collection.

PubMed

Ramos, Vitor; Morais, João; Castelo-Branco, Raquel; Pinheiro, Ângela; Martins, Joana; Regueiras, Ana; Pereira, Ana L; Lopes, Viviana R; Frazão, Bárbara; Gomes, Dina; Moreira, Cristiana; Costa, Maria Sofia; Brûle, Sébastien; Faustino, Silvia; Martins, Rosário; Saker, Martin; Osswald, Joana; Leão, Pedro N; Vasconcelos, Vitor M

2018-01-01

Cyanobacteria are a well-known source of bioproducts which renders culturable strains a valuable resource for biotechnology purposes. We describe here the establishment of a cyanobacterial culture collection (CC) and present the first version of the strain catalog and its online database (http://lege.ciimar.up.pt/). The LEGE CC holds 386 strains, mainly collected in coastal (48%), estuarine (11%), and fresh (34%) water bodies, for the most part from Portugal (84%). By following the most recent taxonomic classification, LEGE CC strains were classified into at least 46 genera from six orders (41% belong to the Synechococcales), several of them are unique among the phylogenetic diversity of the cyanobacteria. For all strains, primary data were obtained and secondary data were surveyed and reviewed, which can be reached through the strain sheets either in the catalog or in the online database. An overview on the notable biodiversity of LEGE CC strains is showcased, including a searchable phylogenetic tree and images for all strains. With this work, 80% of the LEGE CC strains have now their 16S rRNA gene sequences deposited in GenBank. Also, based in primary data, it is demonstrated that several LEGE CC strains are a promising source of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Through a review of previously published data, it is exposed that LEGE CC strains have the potential or actual capacity to produce a variety of biotechnologically interesting compounds, including common cyanotoxins or unprecedented bioactive molecules. Phylogenetic diversity of LEGE CC strains does not entirely reflect chemodiversity. Further bioprospecting should, therefore, account for strain specificity of the valuable cyanobacterial holdings of LEGE CC.

The Ohio Science Workbook: Biotechnology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reames, Spencer E., Comp.

Because of the daily impact of biotechnology, it is important that students have some knowledge and experience with biotechnology in order to enable them to deal with the issues that arise as a result of its implementation. The purpose of this workbook is to assist in the efforts to expose students to the concepts of biotechnology through hands-on…

ISS Biotechnology Facility - Overview of Analytical Tools for Cellular Biotechnology Investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, A. S.; Towe, B. C.; Anderson, M. M.; Gonda, S. R.; Pellis, N. R.

2001-01-01

The ISS Biotechnology Facility (BTF) platform provides scientists with a unique opportunity to carry out diverse experiments in a microgravity environment for an extended period of time. Although considerable progress has been made in preserving cells on the ISS for long periods of time for later return to Earth, future biotechnology experiments would desirably monitor, process, and analyze cells in a timely way on-orbit. One aspect of our work has been directed towards developing biochemical sensors for pH, glucose, oxygen, and carbon dioxide for perfused bioreactor system developed at Johnson Space Center. Another aspect is the examination and identification of new and advanced commercial biotechnologies that may have applications to on-orbit experiments.

Marine natural products: a new wave of drugs?

PubMed Central

Montaser, Rana; Luesch, Hendrik

2011-01-01

The largely unexplored marine world that presumably harbors the most biodiversity may be the vastest resource to discover novel ‘validated’ structures with novel modes of action that cover biologically relevant chemical space. Several challenges, including the supply problem and target identification, need to be met for successful drug development of these often complex molecules; however, approaches are available to overcome the hurdles. Advances in technologies such as sampling strategies, nanoscale NMR for structure determination, total chemical synthesis, fermentation and biotechnology are all crucial to the success of marine natural products as drug leads. We illustrate the high degree of innovation in the field of marine natural products, which in our view will lead to a new wave of drugs that flow into the market and pharmacies in the future. PMID:21882941

Heparin-like entities from marine organisms.

PubMed

Colliec-Jouault, S; Bavington, C; Delbarre-Ladrat, C

2012-01-01

Polysaccharides are ubiquitous in animals and plant cells where they play a significant role in a number of physiological situations e.g. hydration, mechanical properties of cell walls and ionic regulation. This review concentrates on heparin-like entities from marine procaryotes and eukaryotes. Carbohydrates from marine prokaryotes offer a significant structural chemodiversity with novel material and biological properties. Cyanobacteria are Gram-negative photosynthetic prokaryotes considered as a rich source of novel molecules, and marine bacteria are a rich source of polysaccharides with novel structures, which may be a good starting point from which to synthesise heparinoid molecules. For example, some sulphated polysaccharides have been isolated from gamma-proteobacteria such as Alteromonas and Pseudoalteromonas sp. In contrast to marine bacteria, all marine algae contain sulphated wall polysaccharides, whereas such polymers are not found in terrestrial plants. In their native form, or after chemical modifications, a range of polysaccharides isolated from marine organisms have been described that have anticoagulant, anti-thrombotic, anti-tumour, anti-proliferative, anti-viral or anti-inflammatory activities.In spite of the enormous potential of sulphated oligosaccharides from marine sources, their technical and pharmaceutical usage is still limited because of the high complexity of these molecules. Thus, the production of tailor-made oligo- and polysaccharidic structures by biocatalysis is also a growing field of interest in biotechnology.

Biofuel Production Based on Carbohydrates from Both Brown and Red Macroalgae: Recent Developments in Key Biotechnologies

PubMed Central

Kawai, Shigeyuki; Murata, Kousaku

2016-01-01

Marine macroalgae (green, red and brown macroalgae) have attracted attention as an alternative source of renewable biomass for producing both fuels and chemicals due to their high content of suitable carbohydrates and to their advantages over terrestrial biomass. However, except for green macroalgae, which contain relatively easily-fermentable glucans as their major carbohydrates, practical utilization of red and brown macroalgae has been regarded as difficult due to the major carbohydrates (alginate and mannitol of brown macroalgae and 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose of red macroalgae) not being easily fermentable. Recently, several key biotechnologies using microbes have been developed enabling utilization of these brown and red macroalgal carbohydrates as carbon sources for the production of fuels (ethanol). In this review, we focus on these recent developments with emphasis on microbiological biotechnologies. PMID:26861307

[Biotechnology in perspective].

PubMed

Brand, A

1990-06-15

Biotechnology is a collective term for a large number of manipulations of biological material. Fields of importance in stock-keeping include: (1) manipulation of reproductive processes; (2) genetic manipulation of macro-(farm) animals and micro-organisms and (3) manipulation of metabolism. Fitting in biotechnological findings in breeding-stock farming has repercussions in several fields such as the relationship between producers and the ancillary and processing industries, service industries, consumers and society as a whole. The use of biotechnical findings will also require further automation and adaptation of farm management. Biotechnology opens up a new area and new prospects for farm animal husbandry. These can only be regarded as positive when they take a permanent development of the entire section into account.

Draft Genome Sequence of Muricauda sp. Strain K001 Isolated from a Marine Cyanobacterial Culture.

PubMed

Vizzotto, Carla S; Lopes, Fabyano A C; Green, Stefan J; Steindorff, Andrei S; Walter, Juline M; Thompson, Fabiano L; Krüger, Ricardo H

2018-05-31

We report the whole-genome sequence of Muricauda sp. strain K001 isolated from a marine cyanobacterial culture. This genome sequence will improve our understanding of the influence of heterotrophic bacteria on the physiology of cyanobacteria and may contribute to the development of new natural products. Copyright © 2018 Vizzotto et al.

Bioactivities, biosynthesis and biotechnological production of phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

PubMed

Shi, Min; Huang, Fenfen; Deng, Changping; Wang, Yao; Kai, Guoyin

2018-05-10

Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen in Chinese), is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant, which is used as not only human medicine but also health-promotion food. Danshen has been extensively used for the treatment of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. As a major group of bioactive constituents from S. miltiorrhiza, water-soluble phenolic acids such as salvianolic acid B possessed good bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and other health-promoting activities. It is of significance to improve the production of phenolic acids by modern biotechnology approaches to meet the increasing market demand. Significant progresses have been made in understanding the biosynthetic pathway and regulation mechanism of phenolic acids in S.miltiorrhiza, which will facilitate the process of targeted metabolic engineering or synthetic biology. Furthermore, multiple biotechnology methods such as in vitro culture, elicitation, hairy roots, endophytic fungi and bioreactors have been also used to obtain pharmaceutically active phenolic acids from S. miltiorrhiza. In this review, recent advances in bioactivities, biosynthetic pathway and biotechnological production of phenolic acid ingredients were summarized and future prospective was also discussed.

Colonizing Bodies: Corporate Power and Biotechnology in Young Adult Science Fiction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerra, Stephanie

2009-01-01

The American cultural and political landscape has seen changes on the level of seismic shifts in the past four decades, thanks in part to the two very diverse fields of big business and biotechnology. Linking the two arenas together in the literary landscape is a growing body of young adult science fiction that envisions a future shaped profoundly…

A Study of Pupils' Conceptions and Reasoning in Connection with "Microbes", as a Contribution To Research in Biotechnology Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonneaux, Laurence

2000-01-01

Students' conceptions about "microbes" tend to condition their understanding of biotechnology. Explores connections between the status given to diseases, a hygiene-oriented culture, layman's versus school knowledge, personal experience, socio-cultural mediation, linguistic confusions, and students' conceptions. (Contains 21 references.)…

The effect of biotechnology education on Australian high school students' understandings and attitudes about biotechnology processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Vaille; Soames, Christina

2006-11-01

Our education system aims to equip young people with the knowledge, problem-solving skills and values to cope with an increasingly technological society. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of biotechnology education on adolescents’ understanding and attitudes about processes associated with biotechnology. Data were drawn from teacher and student interviews and surveys in the context of innovative Year 10 biotechnology courses conducted in three Western Australian high schools. The results indicate that after completing a biotechnology course students’ understanding increased but their attitudes remained constant with the exception of their views about human uses of gene technology. The findings of this study have ramifications for the design and implementation of biotechnology education courses in high schools.

Phylogenentic and enzymatic characterization of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant marine bacteria belong to γ-Proteobacteria group isolated from the sub-Antarctic Beagle Channel, Argentina.

PubMed

Cristóbal, Héctor A; Benito, Juliana; Lovrich, Gustavo A; Abate, Carlos M

2015-05-01

The phylogenetic and physiological characteristics of cultivable-dependent approaches were determined to establish the diversity of marine bacteria associated with the intestines of benthonic organisms and seawater samples from the Argentina's Beagle Channel. A total of 737 isolates were classified as psychrophlic and psychrotolerant culturable marine bacteria. These cold-adapted microorganisms are capable of producing cold-active glycosyl hydrolases, such as β-glucosidases, celulases, β-galactosidases, xylanases, chitinases, and proteases. These enzymes could have potential biotechnological applications for use in low-temperature manufacturing processes. According to polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of part of genes encoding 16S ribosomal DNA (ARDRA) and DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB-RFLP), 11 operational taxonomic units (OTU) were identified and clustered in known genera using InfoStat software. The 50 isolates selected were sequenced based on near full sequence analysis of 16S rDNA and gyrB sequences and identified by their nearest neighbors ranging between 96 and 99 % of identities. Phylogenetic analyses using both genes allowed relationships between members of the cultured marine bacteria belonging to the γ-Proteobacteria group (Aeromonas, Halteromonas, Pseudomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Shewanella, Serratia, Colwellia, Glacielocola, and Psychrobacter) to be evaluated. Our research reveals a high diversity of hydrolytic bacteria, and their products actuality has an industrial use in several bioprocesses at low-temperature manufacturing.

Non-contact temperature measurements for biotechnology discipline working group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Robert S.

1988-01-01

In the biotechnology research areas, there is interest in measuring temperature changes over very small dimensions, such as the surface of a 10-micrometer diameter biological cell immersed in cell culture fluid. Non-interference measurements of other properties, such as chemical constituents and their concentrations, are also needed. Contacting probes for pH have recently been developed to penetrate a cell but questions have been raised about their accuracy and net value.

Ohio Biotechnology Competency Profile.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Lavonna; Bowermeister, Bob; Boudreau, Joyce

This document, which lists the biotechnology competencies identified by representatives from biotechnology businesses and industries as well as secondary and post-secondary educators throughout Ohio, is intended to assist individuals and organizations in developing college tech prep programs that will prepare students from secondary through…

Comparison of lipid content and Fatty Acid composition in the edible meat of wild and cultured freshwater and marine fish and shrimps from china.

PubMed

Li, Guipu; Sinclair, Andrew J; Li, Duo

2011-03-09

The lipid content and fatty acid composition in the edible meat of twenty-nine species of wild and cultured freshwater and marine fish and shrimps were investigated. Both the lipid content and fatty acid composition of the species were specified due to their unique food habits and trophic levels. Most of the marine fish demonstrated higher lipid content than the freshwater fish, whereas shrimps had the lowest lipid content. All the marine fish and shrimps had much higher total n-3 PUFA than n-6 PUFA, while most of the freshwater fish and shrimps demonstrated much lower total n-3 PUFA than n-6 PUFA. This may be the biggest difference in fatty acid composition between marine and freshwater species. The cultured freshwater fish demonstrated higher percentages of total PUFA, total n-3 PUFA, and EPA + DHA than the wild freshwater fish. Two freshwater fish, including bighead carp and silver carp, are comparable to the marine fish as sources of n-3 PUFA.

Agarolytic culturable bacteria associated with three antarctic subtidal macroalgae.

PubMed

Sánchez Hinojosa, Verónica; Asenjo, Joel; Leiva, Sergio

2018-05-21

Bacterial communities of Antarctic marine macroalgae remain largely underexplored in terms of diversity and biotechnological applications. In this study, three Antarctic subtidal macroalgae (Himantothallus grandifolius, Pantoneura plocamioides and Plocamium cartilagineum), two of them endemic of Antarctica, were investigated as a source for isolation of agar-degrading bacteria. A total of 21 epiphytic isolates showed agarolytic activity at low temperature on agar plates containing agar as the sole carbon source. 16S rRNA identification showed that the agar-degrading bacteria belonged to the genera Cellulophaga, Colwellia, Lacinutrix, Olleya, Paraglaciecola, Pseudoalteromonas and Winogradskyella. The agarase enzyme from a potential new species of the genus Olleya was selected for further purification. The enzyme was purified from the culture supernatant of Olleya sp. HG G5.3 by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography. Molecular weight of the agarase was estimated to be 38 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purified enzyme exhibited activity at 4 °C, retaining > 50% of its maximum activity at this temperature. This is the first study reporting the phylogeny of agar-degrading bacteria isolated from Antarctic subtidal macroalgae and the results suggest the huge potential of Antarctic algae-associated bacteria as a source of cold-active hydrolytic enzymes of biotechnological interest.

Impact of Biotechnology on Pharmacy Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Curtis D.; And Others

1990-01-01

Discussed is the role of schools of pharmacy in (1) preparing future practitioners to assimilate and shape the impact of biotechnology; (2) establish graduate and research programs to enhance and apply products of biotechnology; and (3) identify manpower needs to fully realize potential advances caused by biotechnology. (DB)

World Biotechnology Leaders to Gather for Conference

Science.gov Websites

Biotechnology Leaders to Gather for Conference For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs biotechnology leaders gather in Fort Collins, CO May 2-6 for the 21st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and special session on funding opportunities for U.S. biotechnology projects. More than 175 presentations are

Bioethics, biotechnology and culture: a voice from the margins.

PubMed

Tangwa, Godfrey B

2004-12-01

In this paper I argue for the universality of morality as against and in spite of the plurality and inevitable relativity of human cultures. Universalisability is the litmus test of moral authenticity whereas culture tends to impose an egocentric predicament. I argue equally for the equality of cultures qua cultures and of the importance of different cultural perspectives, given the limitations of each and every particular culture, in a balanced and wholesome appreciation of moral issues, particularly issues of cross-cultural relevance. I then try to anchor my reflections on a few topical ethical issues of cross-cultural relevance which have been the subject of controversy in recent times.

Books on biotechnology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The books selected for this review could serve to establish or strengthen the background of the chemical engineer who seeks to enter the field of biotechnology, which is described as a field linking three different branches of science - microbiology, biochemistry and engineering. Nineteen books on biotechnology under the headings Science, Genetic Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biomass Energy, Directories and sourcebook are reviewed and titles of five other books received too late for comment given.

Biotechnology and the developing world. Finding ways to bridge the agricultural technology gap.

PubMed

Platais, K W; Collinson, M P

1992-03-01

Biotechnology is a controversial subject that involves a range of scientific principles from basic tissue culture to genetic manipulation. Proponents include private sector capitalists, public sector researchers, and developing nation governments. Opponents include environmental organizations and social organizations involved in protecting the rights of developing nations. Biotechnology is being presented as the next step after the Green Revolution and the only way that the people of the developing world will be able to feed themselves in the next half century. Research by industrialized nations world wide total an estimated $11 billion with 66% being contributed by the private sector. Biotechnology represents somewhat of a dilemma. Since the majority of the work is being done by the private sector the interests of shareholders and profit are greater done by the private sector the interests of shareholders and profit are greater than that of public welfare or safety. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is one public sector group that is concerned about this problem. The countries of the developing world fall into 2 categories in relation to use of biotechnology: (1) those that have the potential to adapt imported biotechnologies to local conditions; (2) those that have little or no applied research capacity to effectively use biotechnologies. Currently only Brazil, China, India, and Thailand belong in the 1st category, all other developing countries fall into the 2nd. CGIAR believes it can help in 2 ways: (1) it can provide a bridge for needed information and germplasm between developed and developing countries; (2) it can help to ensure that the agricultural needs of developing countries are not lost. In 1990 CGIAR's plant and animal biotechnology research totaled $14.5 million which was less than 5% of the total CGIAR budget. Networking and institutions building are areas that CGIAR focuses on in an attempt to increase its affect

Mycodiversity in marine sediments contaminated by heavy metals: preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zotti, Mirca; Carbone, Cristina; Cecchi, Grazia; Consani, Sirio; Cutroneo, Laura; Di Piazza, Simone; Gabutto, Giacomo; Greco, Giuseppe; Vagge, Greta; Capello, Marco

2016-04-01

Fungi represent the main decomposers of woody and herbaceous substrates in the marine ecosystems. To date there is a gap in the knowledge about the global diversity and distribution of fungi in marine habitats. On the basis of their biological diversity and their role in ecosystem processes, marine fungi may be considered one of the most attractive groups of organisms in modern biotechnology, e.g. ecotoxic metal bioaccumulation. Here we report the data about the first mycological survey in the metal contaminated coastal sediments of the Gromolo Bay. The latter is located in Ligurian Sea (Eastern Liguria, Italy) and is characterized by an enrichment of heavy metals due to pollution of Gromolo Torrent by acidic processes that interest Fe-Cu sulphide mine. 24 samples of marine sediments were collected along a linear plot in front of the shoreline in July 2015. Each sample was separated into three aliquot for mineralogical, chemical analyses and fungal characterization. The sediment samples are characterised by clay fractions (illite and chlorite), minerals of ophiolitic rocks (mainly serpentine, pyroxene and plagioclase) and quartz and are enriched some chemical elements of environmental importance (such as Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As). For fungal characterisation the sediment samples were inoculated in Petri dishes on different culture media (Malt Extract Agar and Rose Bengal) prepared with sea water and added with antibiotics. The inoculated dishes were incubated at 20°C in the dark for 28 days. Every week fungal growth was monitored counting the number of colonies. Later, the colonies were isolated in axenic culture for further molecular analysis. The mycodiversity evaluate on the basis of Colony Forming Units (CFU) and microfungal-morphotype characterised by macro-and micro-morphology. Until now on the 72 Petri dishes inoculated 112 CFU of filamentous fungi were counted, among these about 50 morphotypes were characterized. The quantitative results show a mean value of 4

Undergraduate Biotechnology Students' Views of Science Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmondston, Joanne Elisabeth; Dawson, Vaille; Schibeci, Renato

2010-12-01

Despite rapid growth of the biotechnology industry worldwide, a number of public concerns about the application of biotechnology and its regulation remain. In response to these concerns, greater emphasis has been placed on promoting biotechnologists' public engagement. As tertiary science degree programmes form the foundation of the biotechnology sector by providing a pipeline of university graduates entering into the profession, it has been proposed that formal science communication training be introduced at this early stage of career development. The aim of the present study was to examine the views of biotechnology students towards science communication and science communication training. Using an Australian biotechnology degree programme as a case study, 69 undergraduates from all three years of the programme were administered a questionnaire that asked them to rank the importance of 12 components of a biotechnology curriculum, including two science communication items. The results were compared to the responses of 274 students enrolled in other science programmes. Additional questions were provided to the second year biotechnology undergraduates and semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 13 of these students to further examine their views of this area. The results of this study suggest that the biotechnology students surveyed do not value communication with non-scientists nor science communication training. The implications of these findings for the reform of undergraduate biotechnology courses yet to integrate science communication training into their science curriculum are discussed.

The Crosstalk between Tissue Engineering and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: Recent Advances and Future Directions.

PubMed

Pacheco, Daniela P; Reis, Rui L; Correlo, Vítor M; Marques, Alexandra P

2015-01-01

Tissue-engineered constructs made of biotechnology-derived materials have been preferred due to their chemical and physical composition, which offers both high versatility and a support to enclose/ incorporate relevant signaling molecules and/or genes known to therapeutically induce tissue repair. Herein, a critical overview of the impact of different biotechnology-derived materials, scaffolds, and recombinant signaling molecules over the behavior of cells, another element of tissue engineered constructs, as well its regulatory role in tissue regeneration and disease progression is given. Additionally, these tissue-engineered constructs evolved to three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like models that, as an advancement of two-dimensional standard culture methods, are expected to be a valuable tool in the field of drug discovery and pharmaceutical research. Despite the improved design and conception of current proposed 3D tissue-like models, advanced control systems to enable and accelerate streamlining and automation of the numerous labor-intensive steps intrinsic to the development of tissue-engineered constructs are still to be achieved. In this sense, this review intends to present the biotechnology- derived materials that are being explored in the field of tissue engineering to generate 3D tissue-analogues and briefly highlight their foremost breakthroughs in tissue regeneration and drug discovery. It also aims to reinforce that the crosstalk between tissue engineering and pharmaceutical biotechnology has been fostering the outcomes of tissue engineering approaches through the use of biotechnology-derived signaling molecules. Gene delivery/therapy is also discussed as a forefront area that represents another cross point between tissue engineering and pharmaceutical biotechnology, in which nucleic acids can be considered a "super pharmaceutical" to drive biological responses, including tissue regeneration.

Control of parasites in cultured marine finfishes in Southeast Asia--an overview.

PubMed

Seng, L T

1997-10-01

Mariculture in Southeast Asia began in the 1970s and expanded rapidly during the 1980s, with the commercial hatchery production of the seabass Lates calcarifer. Other important cultured species were Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus malabaricus, Lutjanus johni, and Lutjanus argentimaculatus. Intensification in the polyculture of these species and the large-scale international movement of fingerlings or juveniles, as well as the rapid expansion and concentration of fish farms, have caused severe problems resulting from parasitic infections. Infections in maricultured fish are predominantly caused by monoxenous parasites, in particular the capsalid and diplectanid monogeneans. Heteroxenous blood parasites also successfully maintained transmission in the culture system despite their requirement for an intermediate host. Prophylactic chemical treatments helped to reduce parasitic infection but did not eliminate them and once introduced into the floating netcage culture system, these parasites managed to maintain their transmission successfully. Despite the current lack of information regarding the biology of many parasites affecting cultured marine fishes, it nevertheless is possible to develop methodologies to produce an integrated health management system specifically designed to the needs of the mariculture practiced in the Southeast Asian region. This system is important and should include a sequence of prophylaxes, adequate nutrition, sanitation, immunization and an effective system of marketing for farmed fishes.

Projector Center. What Is Biotechnology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belzer, Bill; Case, Christine L.

1990-01-01

Presented is a menu designed to illustrate some classical examples of fermentation. This may be used to discuss biotechnology from a technological perspective. Other examples of biotechnology used in the foods industry are described. (CW)

Biofouling in photobioreactors for marine microalgae.

PubMed

Zeriouh, Ouassim; Reinoso-Moreno, José Vicente; López-Rosales, Lorenzo; Cerón-García, María Del Carmen; Sánchez-Mirón, Asterio; García-Camacho, Francisco; Molina-Grima, Emilio

2017-12-01

The economic and/or energetic feasibility of processes based on using microalgae biomass requires an efficient cultivation system. In photobioreactors (PBRs), the adhesion of microalgae to the transparent PBR surfaces leads to biofouling and reduces the solar radiation penetrating the PBR. Light reduction within the PBR decreases biomass productivity and, therefore, the photosynthetic efficiency of the cultivation system. Additionally, PBR biofouling leads to a series of further undesirable events including changes in cell pigmentation, culture degradation, and contamination by invasive microorganisms; all of which can result in the cultivation process having to be stopped. Designing PBR surfaces with proper materials, functional groups or surface coatings, to prevent microalgal adhesion is essential for solving the biofouling problem. Such a significant advance in microalgal biotechnology would enable extended operational periods at high productivity and reduce maintenance costs. In this paper, we review the few systematic studies performed so far and applied the existing thermodynamic and colloidal theories for microbial biofouling formation in order to understand microalgal adhesion on PBR surfaces and the microalgae-microalgae cell interactions. Their relationship to the physicochemical properties of the solid PBR surface, the microalgae cell surfaces, and the ionic strength of the culture medium is discussed. The suitability and the applicability of such theories are reviewed. To this end, an example of biofouling formation on a commercial glass surface is presented for the marine microalgae Nannochloropsis gaditana. It highlights the adhesion dynamics and the inaccuracies of the process and the need for further refinement of previous theories so as to apply them to flowing systems, such as is the case for PBRs used to culture microalgae.

Biotechnology and human rights.

PubMed

Feuillet-Le Mintier, B

2001-12-01

Biotechnology permits our world to progress. It's a tool to better apprehend the human being, but as well to let him go ahead. Applied to the living, biotechnologies present the same finality. But since their matter concerns effectively the living, they are the sources of specific dangers and particularly of that one to use the improvements obtained on the human to modify the human species. The right of the persons has to find its place to avoid that the fundamental rights of the human personality shall undergo harm. This mission assigned to the right of the persons is as so much invaluable that the economical stakes are particularly important in the domain of the biotechnologies.

Current status of biotechnology in Slovakia.

PubMed

Stuchlík, Stanislav; Turna, Ján

2013-07-01

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as: 'Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.' In other words biotechnology is 'application of scientific and technical advances in life science to develop commercial products' or briefly 'the use of molecular biology for useful purposes'. This short overview is about different branches of biotechnology carried out in Slovakia and it shows that Slovakia has a good potential for further development of modern biotechnologies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The evolution of cultural adaptations: Fijian food taboos protect against dangerous marine toxins

PubMed Central

Henrich, Joseph; Henrich, Natalie

2010-01-01

The application of evolutionary theory to understanding the origins of our species' capacities for social learning has generated key insights into cultural evolution. By focusing on how our psychology has evolved to adaptively extract beliefs and practices by observing others, theorists have hypothesized how social learning can, over generations, give rise to culturally evolved adaptations. While much field research documents the subtle ways in which culturally transmitted beliefs and practices adapt people to their local environments, and much experimental work reveals the predicted patterns of social learning, little research connects real-world adaptive cultural traits to the patterns of transmission predicted by these theories. Addressing this gap, we show how food taboos for pregnant and lactating women in Fiji selectively target the most toxic marine species, effectively reducing a woman's chances of fish poisoning by 30 per cent during pregnancy and 60 per cent during breastfeeding. We further analyse how these taboos are transmitted, showing support for cultural evolutionary models that combine familial transmission with selective learning from locally prestigious individuals. In addition, we explore how particular aspects of human cognitive processes increase the frequency of some non-adaptive taboos. This case demonstrates how evolutionary theory can be deployed to explain both adaptive and non-adaptive behavioural patterns. PMID:20667878

Influence of strong monsoon winds on the water quality around a marine cage-culture zone in a shallow and semi-enclosed bay in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Yuan-Chao Angelo; Huang, Shou-Chung; Meng, Pei-Jie; Hsieh, Hernyi Justin; Chen, Chaolun Allen

2012-04-01

Influences of marine cage culture and monsoonal disturbances, northeasterly (NE) and southwesterly (SW) monsoons on the proximal marine environment were investigated across a gradient of sites in a semi-enclosed bay, Magong Bay (Penghu Islands, Taiwan). Elevated levels of ammonia produced by the cages were the main pollutant and distinguished the cage-culture and intermediary zones (1000 m away from the cages) from the reference zone in the NE monsoon, indicating currents produced by the strong monsoon may have extended the spread of nutrient-enriched waters without necessarily flushing such effluents outside Magong Bay. Moreover, the levels of chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity were distinguishable between two seasons, suggesting that resuspension caused by the NE monsoon winds may also influence the water quality across this bay. It indicated that the impacts of marine cage culture vary as a function of distance, and also in response to seasonal movements of water driven by local climatic occurrences. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress towards the 'Golden Age' of biotechnology.

PubMed

Gartland, K M A; Bruschi, F; Dundar, M; Gahan, P B; Viola Magni, M p; Akbarova, Y

2013-07-01

Biotechnology uses substances, materials or extracts derived from living cells, employing 22 million Europeans in a € 1.5 Tn endeavour, being the premier global economic growth opportunity this century. Significant advances have been made in red biotechnology using pharmaceutically and medically relevant applications, green biotechnology developing agricultural and environmental tools and white biotechnology serving industrial scale uses, frequently as process feedstocks. Red biotechnology has delivered dramatic improvements in controlling human disease, from antibiotics to overcome bacterial infections to anti-HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals such as azidothymidine (AZT), anti-malarial compounds and novel vaccines saving millions of lives. Green biotechnology has dramatically increased food production through Agrobacterium and biolistic genetic modifications for the development of 'Golden Rice', pathogen resistant crops expressing crystal toxin genes, drought resistance and cold tolerance to extend growth range. The burgeoning area of white biotechnology has delivered bio-plastics, low temperature enzyme detergents and a host of feedstock materials for industrial processes such as modified starches, without which our everyday lives would be much more complex. Biotechnological applications can bridge these categories, by modifying energy crops properties, or analysing circulating nucleic acid elements, bringing benefits for all, through increased food production, supporting climate change adaptation and the low carbon economy, or novel diagnostics impacting on personalized medicine and genetic disease. Cross-cutting technologies such as PCR, novel sequencing tools, bioinformatics, transcriptomics and epigenetics are in the vanguard of biotechnological progress leading to an ever-increasing breadth of applications. Biotechnology will deliver solutions to unimagined problems, providing food security, health and well-being to mankind for centuries to come. Copyright © 2013

The costly benefits of opposing agricultural biotechnology.

PubMed

Apel, Andrew

2010-11-30

Rigorous application of a simple definition of what constitutes opposition to agricultural biotechnology readily encompasses a wide array of key players in national and international systems of food production, distribution and governance. Even though the sum of political and financial benefits of opposing agricultural biotechnology appears vastly to outweigh the benefits which accrue to providers of agricultural biotechnology, technology providers actually benefit from this opposition. If these barriers to biotechnology were removed, subsistence farmers still would not represent a lucrative market for improved seed. The sum of all interests involved ensures that subsistence farmers are systematically denied access to agricultural biotechnology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology Education. Engaging the Learner: Embedding Information Literacy Skills into a Biotechnology Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Helena; Hockey, Julie

2007-01-01

One of the challenges of the Biotechnology industry is keeping up to date with the rapid pace of change and that much of the information, which students learn in their undergraduate studies, will be out of date in a few years. It is therefore crucial that Biotechnology students have the skills to access the relevant information for their studies…

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

The last two decades have shown remarkable advances in the field of biotechnology. We have processes using biotechnology to produce materials from commodity chemicals to pharmaceuticals. The application to agriculture has shown the introduction of transgenic crops with pesticidal...

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

The last two decades have shown remarkable advances in the field of biotechnology. We hav processes using biotechnology to produce materials from commodity chemicals to pharmaceuticals. The application to agriculture gas shown the introduction of transgenic crops with pesticidal ...

Biotechnology Outlines for Classroom Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paolella, Mary Jane

1991-01-01

Presents a course outline for the study of biotechnology at the high school or college level. The outline includes definitions, a history, and the vocabulary of biotechnology. Presents a science experiment to analyze the effects of restriction enzymes on DNA. (MDH)

An Overview on Indian Patents on Biotechnology.

PubMed

Mallick, Anusaya; Chandra Santra, Subhas; Samal, Alok Chandra

2015-01-01

The application of biotechnology is a potential tool for mitigating the present and future fooding and clothing demands in developing countries like India. The commercialization of biotechnological products might benefiting the poor`s in developing countries are unlikely to be developed. Biotechnology has the potential to provide a wide range of products and the existing production skills in the industrial, pharmaceuticals and the agricultural sector. Ownership of the intellectual property rights is the key factors in determining the success of any technological invention, which was introduced in the market. It provides the means for technological progress to continue of the industry of the country. The new plans, animal varieties, new methods of treatments, new crops producing food articles as such are the inventions of biotechnology. Biotechnology is the result of the application of human intelligence and knowledge to the biological processes. Most of the tools of biotechnology have been developed, by companies, governments, research in- stitutes and universities in developed nations. These human intellectual efforts deserve protection. India is a developing country with advance biotechnology based segments of pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. The Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is not likely to have a significant impact on incentives for innovation creation in the biotechnology sectors. In the recent years, the world has seen the biotechnology sector as one of greatest investment area through the Patent Law and will giving huge profit in future. The Research and Development in the field of biotechnology should be encouraged for explor- ing new tools and improve the biological systems for interest of the common people. Priority should be given to generation, evaluation, protection and effective commercial utilization of tangible products of intellectual property in agriculture and pharmaceuticals. To support the future growth and

Systematic and biotechnological aspects of halophilic and halotolerant actinomycetes.

PubMed

Hamedi, Javad; Mohammadipanah, Fatemeh; Ventosa, Antonio

2013-01-01

More than 70 species of halotolerant and halophilic actinomycetes belonging to at least 24 genera have been validly described. Halophilic actinomycetes are a less explored source of actinomycetes for discovery of novel bioactive secondary metabolites. Degradation of aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds, detoxification of pollutants, production of new enzymes and other metabolites such as antibiotics, compatible solutes and polymers are other potential industrial applications of halophilic and halotolerant actinomycetes. Especially new bioactive secondary metabolites that are derived from only a small fraction of the investigated halophilic actinomycetes, mainly from marine habitats, have revealed the huge capacity of this physiological group in production of new bioactive chemical entities. Combined high metabolic capacities of actinomycetes and unique features related to extremophilic nature of the halophilic actinomycetes have conferred on them an influential role for future biotechnological applications.

Re-Framing Biotechnology Regulation.

PubMed

Peck, Alison

Biotechnology is about to spill the banks of federal regulation. New genetic engineering techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 promise revolutionary breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and public health—but those techniques would not be regulated under the terms of the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. This revolutionary moment in biotechnology offers an opportunity to correct the flaws in the framework, which was hastily patched together at the advent of the technology. The framework has never captured all relevant technologies, has never satisfied the public that risk is being effectively managed, and has never been accessible to small companies and publicly-funded labs that increasingly are positioned to make radical, life-saving innovations. This Article offers a proposal for new legislation that would reshape biotechnology regulation to better meet these goals. Key reforms include tying regulation to risk rather than technology category; consolidating agency review; capturing distinct regulatory expertise through inter-agency consultations; creating a clearinghouse to help guide applicants and disseminate information; setting up more comprehensive monitoring of environmental effects; and providing federal leadership to fill key data gaps and address socio-economic impacts.

State responses to biotechnology.

PubMed

Harris, Rebecca C

2015-01-01

This article reviews biotechnology legislation in the 50 states for 11 policy areas spanning 1990-2010, an era of immense growth in biotechnology, genetic knowledge, and significant policy development. Policies regarding health insurance, life insurance, long-term care insurance, DNA data bank collection, biotech research protection, biotech promotion and support, employment discrimination, genetic counselor licensing, human cloning, and genetic privacy each represent major policy responses arising from biotechnology and coinciding with key areas of state regulation (insurance, criminal justice, economic development, labor law, health and safety, privacy, and property rights). This analysis seeks to answer three questions regarding biotechnology legislation at the state level: who is acting (policy adoption), when is policy adopted (policy timing), and what is policy doing (policy content). Theoretical concerns examine state ideology (conservative or liberal), policy type (economic or moral), and the role of external events (federal law, news events, etc.) on state policy adoption. Findings suggest ideological patterns in adoption, timing, and content of biotech policy. Findings also suggest economic policies tend to be more uniform in content than moral policies, and findings also document a clear link between federal policy development, external events, and state policy response.

Relevance of chemistry to white biotechnology

PubMed Central

Gupta, Munishwar N; Raghava, Smita

2007-01-01

White biotechnology is a fast emerging area that concerns itself with the use of biotechnological approaches in the production of bulk and fine chemicals, biofuels, and agricultural products. It is a truly multidisciplinary area and further progress depends critically on the role of chemists. This article outlines the emerging contours of white biotechnology and encourages chemists to take up some of the challenges that this area has thrown up. PMID:17880746

Preface: Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This book was assembled with the intent of bringing together current advances and in-depth reviews of biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology with emphasis on bio-based products and agricultural biotechnology. Recent energy and food crises point out the importance of bio-based products from ren...

Bio-mining the microbial treasures of the ocean: new natural products.

PubMed

Imhoff, Johannes F; Labes, Antje; Wiese, Jutta

2011-01-01

The biological resources of the oceans have been exploited since ancient human history, mainly by catching fish and harvesting algae. Research on natural products with special emphasis on marine animals and also algae during the last decades of the 20th century has revealed the importance of marine organisms as producers of substances useful for the treatment of human diseases. Though a large number of bioactive substances have been identified, some many years ago, only recently the first drugs from the oceans were approved. Quite astonishingly, the immense diversity of microbes in the marine environments and their almost untouched capacity to produce natural products and therefore the importance of microbes for marine biotechnology was realized on a broad basis by the scientific communities only recently. This has strengthened worldwide research activities dealing with the exploration of marine microorganisms for biotechnological applications, which comprise the production of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical use, as well as the development of other valuable products, such as enzymes, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. While the focus in these fields was mainly on marine bacteria, also marine fungi now receive growing attention. Although culture-dependent studies continue to provide interesting new chemical structures with biological activities at a high rate and represent highly promising approaches for the search of new drugs, exploration and use of genomic and metagenomic resources are considered to further increase this potential. Many efforts are made for the sustainable exploration of marine microbial resources. Large culture collections specifically of marine bacteria and marine fungi are available. Compound libraries of marine natural products, even of highly purified substances, were established. The expectations into the commercial exploitation of marine microbial resources has given rise to numerous institutions worldwide, basic research facilities as

Marine Fungi: Their Ecology and Molecular Diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Thomas A.; Jones, Meredith D. M.; Leonard, Guy; Bass, David

2012-01-01

Fungi appear to be rare in marine environments. There are relatively few marine isolates in culture, and fungal small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences are rarely recovered in marine clone library experiments (i.e., culture-independent sequence surveys of eukaryotic microbial diversity from environmental DNA samples). To explore the diversity of marine fungi, we took a broad selection of SSU rDNA data sets and calculated a summary phylogeny. Bringing these data together identified a diverse collection of marine fungi, including sequences branching close to chytrids (flagellated fungi), filamentous hypha-forming fungi, and multicellular fungi. However, the majority of the sequences branched with ascomycete and basidiomycete yeasts. We discuss evidence for 36 novel marine lineages, the majority and most divergent of which branch with the chytrids. We then investigate what these data mean for the evolutionary history of the Fungi and specifically marine-terrestrial transitions. Finally, we discuss the roles of fungi in marine ecosystems.

Editorial: from plant biotechnology to bio-based products.

PubMed

Stöger, Eva

2013-10-01

From plant biotechnology to bio-based products - this Special Issue of Biotechnology Journal is dedicated to plant biotechnology and is edited by Prof. Eva Stöger (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria). The Special Issue covers a wide range of topics in plant biotechnology, including metabolic engineering of biosynthesis pathways in plants; taking advantage of the scalability of the plant system for the production of innovative materials; as well as the regulatory challenges and society acceptance of plant biotechnology. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Contemporary molecular tools in microbial ecology and their application to advancing biotechnology.

PubMed

Rashid, Mamoon; Stingl, Ulrich

2015-12-01

Novel methods in microbial ecology are revolutionizing our understanding of the structure and function of microbes in the environment, but concomitant advances in applications of these tools to biotechnology are mostly lagging behind. After more than a century of efforts to improve microbial culturing techniques, about 70-80% of microbial diversity - recently called the "microbial dark matter" - remains uncultured. In early attempts to identify and sample these so far uncultured taxonomic lineages, methods that amplify and sequence ribosomal RNA genes were extensively used. Recent developments in cell separation techniques, DNA amplification, and high-throughput DNA sequencing platforms have now made the discovery of genes/genomes of uncultured microorganisms from different environments possible through the use of metagenomic techniques and single-cell genomics. When used synergistically, these metagenomic and single-cell techniques create a powerful tool to study microbial diversity. These genomics techniques have already been successfully exploited to identify sources for i) novel enzymes or natural products for biotechnology applications, ii) novel genes from extremophiles, and iii) whole genomes or operons from uncultured microbes. More can be done to utilize these tools more efficiently in biotechnology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On Teaching Biotechnology in Kentucky.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Dan C.; Kemp, Michael C.; Hall, Jennifer

1998-01-01

One study surveyed 187 Kentucky teachers (36% agriculture, 32% science, 32% technology education); they rated importance of content organizers, topics, transferable skills, and delivery methods for biotechnology. A second study received responses from 70 of 150 teachers; 45 thought science teachers or an integrated team should teach biotechnology;…

Vaccine manufacturing and technology: from biotechnological platforms to syntethic epitopes, current viepoint.

PubMed

Ignateva, G A

2016-01-01

The Purposes: the review take into account short history of vaccination practice and development of vaccine technology. In the review we include data from several monographs about manufacturing of vaccines published by authors from such companies as Merck & Co; Sanofi Pasteur; Dynavax Europe/Rhein Biotech GmbH; Latham Biopharm Group; Aridis Pharmaceuticals LLC; Genentech; Amgen; Shamir Biologics LLC; Biopharm Services US; Novartis Pharma AG, аnd several research centers: Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, US; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Univ. Of Kansas; Max Planck Institute for dynamics of Complex Technical Systems; Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology; US Dep. of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, etc. In historic literature there are data about inoculation practices in antique China, Persia, India, Byzantium, native Americans, some African population. In modern immunology since the end of XIX century the vaccines were produced at the in vivo platforms - in animals (rabbits, mice, cows). Since 1931 due to E. Goodpasture' elaboration most virus vaccines were and are produced at the in ovo platform. In 1949 J.F. Enders elaborated large-scale polio virus production in the primary culture of monkey kidney cells in vitro. Up to day primary culture of chiken embrio fibroblasts are used to large-scale production of vaccine viruses of measles, mumps, rabies. Since 2000-th in Western countries most part of virus vaccines were began to produced via a cultivation in continuous tumor cell lines. The last technology is the most low cost for large-scale production of vaccines. We review several new biotechnological platforms for the production of the recombinant protein or virus-like particles as subunit vaccines: plant system, algae, mushrooms, insect cells, etc. Beside of good purpose of vaccination - prophylactic of several infectious

Biotechnological advances in mango (Mangifera indica L.) and their future implication in crop improvement: a review.

PubMed

Krishna, Hare; Singh, S K

2007-01-01

Biotechnology can complement conventional breeding and expedite the mango improvement programmes. Studies involving in vitro culture and selection, micropropagation, embryo rescue, genetic transformation, marker-assisted characterization and DNA fingerprinting, etc. are underway at different centers worldwide. In vitro culture and somatic embryogenesis of several different genotypes have been achieved. The nucellus excised from immature fruitlets is the appropriate explant for induction of embryogenic cultures. High frequency somatic embryogenesis has been achieved in some genotypes; however, some abnormalities can occur during somatic embryo germination. Embryo rescue from young and dropped fruitlets can improve the hybridization success in a limited flowering season. Protocols for protoplast culture and regeneration have also been developed. In vitro selections for antibiotic tolerance and fungal toxin resistance have been very promising for germplasm screening. Genetic transformation using Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been reported. Genes that are involved with fruit ripening have been cloned and there have been attempts to deliver these genes into plants. DNA fingerprinting and studies on genetic diversity of mango cultivars and Mangifera species are also being conducted at several research stations. The purpose of this review is to focus upon contemporary information on biotechnological advances made in mango. It also describes some ways of overcoming the problems encountered during in vitro propagation of mango.

Sponge-Associated Microorganisms: Evolution, Ecology, and Biotechnological Potential†

PubMed Central

Taylor, Michael W.; Radax, Regina; Steger, Doris; Wagner, Michael

2007-01-01

Summary: Marine sponges often contain diverse and abundant microbial communities, including bacteria, archaea, microalgae, and fungi. In some cases, these microbial associates comprise as much as 40% of the sponge volume and can contribute significantly to host metabolism (e.g., via photosynthesis or nitrogen fixation). We review in detail the diversity of microbes associated with sponges, including extensive 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic analyses which support the previously suggested existence of a sponge-specific microbiota. These analyses provide a suitable vantage point from which to consider the potential evolutionary and ecological ramifications of these widespread, sponge-specific microorganisms. Subsequently, we examine the ecology of sponge-microbe associations, including the establishment and maintenance of these sometimes intimate partnerships, the varied nature of the interactions (ranging from mutualism to host-pathogen relationships), and the broad-scale patterns of symbiont distribution. The ecological and evolutionary importance of sponge-microbe associations is mirrored by their enormous biotechnological potential: marine sponges are among the animal kingdom's most prolific producers of bioactive metabolites, and in at least some cases, the compounds are of microbial rather than sponge origin. We review the status of this important field, outlining the various approaches (e.g., cultivation, cell separation, and metagenomics) which have been employed to access the chemical wealth of sponge-microbe associations. PMID:17554047

Conventional and Unconventional Antimicrobials from Fish, Marine Invertebrates and Micro-algae

PubMed Central

Smith, Valerie J.; Desbois, Andrew P.; Dyrynda, Elisabeth A.

2010-01-01

All eukaryotic organisms, single-celled or multi-cellular, produce a diverse array of natural anti-infective agents that, in addition to conventional antimicrobial peptides, also include proteins and other molecules often not regarded as part of the innate defences. Examples range from histones, fatty acids, and other structural components of cells to pigments and regulatory proteins. These probably represent very ancient defence factors that have been re-used in new ways during evolution. This review discusses the nature, biological role in host protection and potential biotechnological uses of some of these compounds, focusing on those from fish, marine invertebrates and marine micro-algae. PMID:20479976

Religion and Culture Encounters in Misool Raja Ampat: Marine Ritual Practice of Sasi Laut

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suardi Wekke, Ismail; Aghsari, Diah; Evizariza, Evizariza; Junaidi, Junaidi; Harun, Nurlaila

2018-05-01

The acculturation of religion and culture in such a way are gradually accepted without causing the loss of the native culture in one community will influence the social process. When religion and culture arise and merged into one, it can be clear to be found in their rituals. This ethnography study on qualitative in nature was conducted to see how the existence, practices, and acculturation between local culture and Islam in, Sasi marine rituals in Misool Raja Ampat in West Papua Indonesia. Data collection was done through observation, in-depth interview including library research on community manuscript and local government database. Using snowball sampling technique, this study is able to gain solid information from native people in Misoo that willing to take part as the informants. The informants in this study were found as influences native people in Misool community e.g; the head of Fafanlap village, community figures, female figures and youth figures. This study considers Misool community which still strongly maintains their cultures including sasi laut as a sign to start and stop harvesting the specific sea resources to maintain the sustainability of nature. The acculturation between the culture of Islam runs smoothly in changing the native mindset to eliminate the things that can cause syirik but did not eliminate the characteristics and the main part of the ritual of sasi laut.

Cancer Biotechnology | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Biotechnology advances continue to underscore the need to educate NCI fellows in new methodologies. The Cancer Biotechnology course will be held on the NCI-Frederick campus on January 29, 2016 (Bldg. 549, Main Auditorium) and the course will be repeated on the Bethesda campus on February 9, 2016 (Natcher Balcony C). The latest advances in DNA, protein and image analysis will be presented. Clinical and postdoctoral fellows who want to learn about new biotechnology advances are encouraged to attend this course.

Western Australian school students' understanding of biotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Vaille; Schibeci, Renato

2003-01-01

Are science educators providing secondary school students with the background to understand the science behind recent controversies such as the recently introduced compulsory labelling of genetically modified foods? Research from the UK suggests that many secondary school students do not understand the processes or implications of modern biotechnology. The situation in Australia is unclear. In this study, 1116 15-year-old students from eleven Western Australian schools were surveyed to determine their understanding of, and attitude towards, recent advances in modern biotechnology. The results indicate that approximately one third of students have little or no understanding of biotechnology. Many students over-estimate the use of biotechnology in our society by confusing current uses with possible future applications. The results provide a rationale for the inclusion of biotechnology, a cutting edge science, in the school science curriculum

Glycobiology of Reproductive Processes in Marine Animals: The State of the Art

PubMed Central

Gallo, Alessandra; Costantini, Maria

2012-01-01

Glycobiology is the study of complex carbohydrates in biological systems and represents a developing field of science that has made huge advances in the last half century. In fact, it combines all branches of biomedical research, revealing the vast and diverse forms of carbohydrate structures that exist in nature. Advances in structure determination have enabled scientists to study the function of complex carbohydrates in more depth and to determine the role that they play in a wide range of biological processes. Glycobiology research in marine systems has primarily focused on reproduction, in particular for what concern the chemical communication between the gametes. The current status of marine glycobiology is primarily descriptive, devoted to characterizing marine glycoconjugates with potential biomedical and biotechnological applications. In this review, we describe the current status of the glycobiology in the reproductive processes from gametogenesis to fertilization and embryo development of marine animals. PMID:23247316

Omega-3 biotechnology: Thraustochytrids as a novel source of omega-3 oils.

PubMed

Gupta, Adarsha; Barrow, Colin J; Puri, Munish

2012-01-01

Thraustochytrids are large-celled marine heterokonts and classified as oleaginous microorganisms due to their production of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) ω-3-fatty acids. The applications of microbial DHA and EPA for human health are rapidly expanding, and a large number of clinical trials have been carried out to verify their efficacy. The development of refined isolation and identification techniques is important for the cultivation of thraustochytrids. With a high proportion of lipid biomass, thraustochytrids are also amenable to various production strategies which increase omega-3 oil output. Modifications to the existing lipid extraction methods and utilisation of sophisticated analytical instruments have increased extraction yields of DHA and EPA. Other metabolites such as enzymes, carotenoids and extracellular polysaccharides can also be obtained from these marine protists. Approaches such as the exploration for more diverse isolates having fast growth rates, metabolic engineering including gene cloning, and growing thraustochytrids on alternate low cost carbon source, will further enhance the biotechnological potential of thraustochytrids. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biotechnological and in situ food production of polyols by lactic acid bacteria.

PubMed

Ortiz, Maria Eugenia; Bleckwedel, Juliana; Raya, Raúl R; Mozzi, Fernanda

2013-06-01

Polyols such as mannitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol are naturally found in fruits and vegetables and are produced by certain bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and algae. These sugar alcohols are widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries and in medicine because of their interesting physicochemical properties. In the food industry, polyols are employed as natural sweeteners applicable in light and diabetic food products. In the last decade, biotechnological production of polyols by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been investigated as an alternative to their current industrial production. While heterofermentative LAB may naturally produce mannitol and erythritol under certain culture conditions, sorbitol and xylitol have been only synthesized through metabolic engineering processes. This review deals with the spontaneous formation of mannitol and erythritol in fermented foods and their biotechnological production by heterofermentative LAB and briefly presented the metabolic engineering processes applied for polyol formation.

[The past 30 years of Chinese Journal of Biotechnology].

PubMed

Jiang, Ning

2015-06-01

This review addresses the association of "Chinese Journal of Biotechnology" and the development of biotechnology in China in the past 30 years. Topics include relevant awards and industrialization, development of the biotechnology discipline, and well know scientists in biotechnology, as well as perspectives on the journal.

Chemical constituents of the fermentation broth of the marine-derived fungus Penicillium roqueforti.

PubMed

Mioso, Roberto; Marante, Francisco Javier Toledo; Laguna, Irma Herrera Bravo de

2015-01-01

The filamentous fungus Penicillium roqueforti is a well-known multifunctional cell factory of high added-value biomolecules. The objective of this work was to carry out a detailed analysis of the metabolites present in the culture broth of a new marine-derived Penicillium roqueforti strain isolated in the Canary Islands, Spain. The fungal biomass production was carried out in liquid-state fermentation, and after 10-12 days of incubation at 22-25°C, the supernatant mycelia was separated by filtration, and the culture broth (12l) was stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for a subsequent liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane (3×), in accordance with the modified Kupchan method. The volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds were separated by chromatography and analyzed using GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy analyses. Several volatile organic compounds involved in the fatty acid pathway were identified: a terpenoid, a cyclic dipeptide, phthalates, and an alkyl adipate. In addition, three categories of non-volatile compounds (alkanes, fatty acids and 1-alkanols) were identified by spectroscopy. The results show that the fermented broth of this fungal strain has no mycotoxins under the culture conditions applied. It is hoped that this chemo-specific information will offer critical input for improving the biotechnological applications of this filamentous fungus. Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A Sourcebook of Biotechnology Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Alison M., Ed.; Matheson, Robert H., III, Ed.

This book contains 22 lessons using hands-on activities designed to present some aspect of biotechnology in a usable form that teachers can adapt for their classrooms. The introductory section serves as a resource that introduces the teacher and student to the history of biotechnology. The activities are divided into five units that group lessons…

Teachers' Concerns about Biotechnology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgerding, Lisa A.; Sadler, Troy D.; Koroly, Mary Jo

2013-01-01

The impacts of biotechnology are found in nearly all sectors of society from health care and food products to environmental issues and energy sources. Despite the significance of biotechnology within the sciences, it has not become a prominent trend in science education. In this study, we seek to more fully identify biology teachers' concerns…

Biotechnology, nanotechnology, and pharmacogenomics and pharmaceutical compounding, Part 1.

PubMed

Allen, Loyd V

2015-01-01

The world of pharmaceuticals is changing rapidly as biotechnology continues to grow and nanotechnology appears on the horizon. Biotechnology is gaining in importance in extemporaneous pharmaceutical compounding, and nanotechnology and pharmacogenomics could drastically change the practice of pharmacy. This article discusses biotechnology and the factors to consider when compounding biotechnology drugs.

A Case for Teaching Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazaros, Edward; Embree, Caleb

2016-01-01

Biotechnology is an innovative field that is consistently growing in popularity. It is important that students are taught about this technology at an early age, so they are motivated to join the field, or at least motivated to become informed citizens and consumers (Gonzalez, et al, 2013). An increase in biotechnology knowledge can result in an…

Commercial biotechnology processing on International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deuser, Mark S.; Vellinger, John C.; Hardin, Juanita R.; Lewis, Marian L.

1998-01-01

Commercial biotechnology processing in space has the potential to eventually exceed the $35 billion annual worldwide market generated by the current satellite communications industry (Parone 1997). The International Space Station provides the opportunity to conduct long-term, crew-tended biotechnology research in microgravity to establish the foundation for this new commercial biotechnology market. Industry, government, and academia are collaborating to establish the infrastructure needed to catalyze this biotechnology revolution that could eventually lead to production of medical and pharmaceutical products in space. The biotechnology program discussed herein is evidence of this collaborative effort, with industry involvement from Space Hardware Optimization Technology, Inc., government participation through the NASA Commercial Space program, and academic guidance from the Consortium for Materials Development in Space at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Blending the strengths and resources of each collaborator creates a strong partnership, that offers enormous research and commercial opportunities.

Frontiers in biomedical engineering and biotechnology.

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Goodarzi, Ali; Wang, Haifeng; Stasiak, Joanna; Sun, Jianbo; Zhou, Yu

2014-01-01

The 2nd International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (iCBEB 2013), held in Wuhan on 11–13 October 2013, is an annual conference that aims at providing an opportunity for international and national researchers and practitioners to present the most recent advances and future challenges in the fields of Biomedical Information, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology. The papers published by this issue are selected from this conference, which witnesses the frontier in the field of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, which particularly has helped improving the level of clinical diagnosis in medical work.

White biotechnology: ready to partner and invest in.

PubMed

Kircher, Manfred

2006-01-01

It needs three factors to build an industry: market demand, product vision and capital. White biotechnology already produces high volume products such as feed additive amino acids and specialty products like enzymes for enantioselective biocatalysis. It serves large and diverse markets in the nutrition, wellness, pharmaceutical, agricultural and chemical industry. The total volume adds up to $ 50 billion worldwide. In spite of its proven track record, white biotechnology so far did not attract as much capital as red and even green biotechnology. However, the latest finance indicators confirm the continuously growing attractiveness of investment opportunities in white biotechnology. This article discusses white biotechnology's position and potential in the finance market and success factors.

Theoretical Calculations on the Feasibility of Microalgal Biofuels: Utilization of Marine Resources Could Help Realizing the Potential of Microalgae.

PubMed

Park, Hanwool; Lee, Choul-Gyun

2016-11-01

Microalgae have long been considered as one of most promising feedstocks with better characteristics for biofuels production over conventional energy crops. There have been a wide range of estimations on the feasibility of microalgal biofuels based on various productivity assumptions and data from different scales. The theoretical maximum algal biofuel productivity, however, can be calculated by the amount of solar irradiance and photosynthetic efficiency (PE), assuming other conditions are within the optimal range. Using the actual surface solar irradiance data around the world and PE of algal culture systems, maximum algal biomass and biofuel productivities were calculated, and feasibility of algal biofuel were assessed with the estimation. The results revealed that biofuel production would not easily meet the economic break-even point and may not be sustainable at a large-scale with the current algal biotechnology. Substantial reductions in the production cost, improvements in lipid productivity, recycling of resources, and utilization of non-conventional resources will be necessary for feasible mass production of algal biofuel. Among the emerging technologies, cultivation of microalgae in the ocean shows great potentials to meet the resource requirements and economic feasibility in algal biofuel production by utilizing various marine resources. © 2016 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Exopolysaccharide production by a marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain isolated from Madeira Archipelago ocean sediments.

PubMed

Roca, Christophe; Lehmann, Mareen; Torres, Cristiana A V; Baptista, Sílvia; Gaudêncio, Susana P; Freitas, Filomena; Reis, Maria A M

2016-06-25

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are polymers excreted by some microorganisms with interesting properties and used in many industrial applications. A new Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain, MD12-642, was isolated from marine sediments and cultivated in bioreactor in saline culture medium containing glucose as carbon source. Its ability to produce EPS under saline conditions was demonstrated reaching an EPS production of 4.4g/L within 17hours of cultivation, corresponding to a volumetric productivity of 0.25g/Lh, the highest value so far obtained for Pseudoalteromonas sp. strains. The compositional analysis of the EPS revealed the presence of galacturonic acid (41-42mol%), glucuronic acid (25-26mol%), rhamnose (16-22mol%) and glucosamine (12-16mol%) sugar residues. The polymer presents a high molecular weight (above 1000kDa). These results encourage the biotechnological exploitation of strain MD12-642 for the production of valuable EPS with unique composition, using saline by-products/wastes as feedstocks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative genomics of biotechnologically important yeasts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ascomycete yeasts are metabolically diverse, with great potential for biotechnology. Here, we report the comparative genome analysis of 29 taxonomically and biotechnologically important yeasts, including 16 newly sequenced. We identify a genetic code change, CUG-Ala, in Pachysolen tannophilus in the...

Termites as targets and models for biotechnology.

PubMed

Scharf, Michael E

2015-01-07

Termites have many unique evolutionary adaptations associated with their eusocial lifestyles. Recent omics research has created a wealth of new information in numerous areas of termite biology (e.g., caste polyphenism, lignocellulose digestion, and microbial symbiosis) with wide-ranging applications in diverse biotechnological niches. Termite biotechnology falls into two categories: (a) termite-targeted biotechnology for pest management purposes, and (b) termite-modeled biotechnology for use in various industrial applications. The first category includes several candidate termiticidal modes of action such as RNA interference, digestive inhibition, pathogen enhancement, antimicrobials, endocrine disruption, and primer pheromone mimicry. In the second category, termite digestomes are deep resources for host and symbiont lignocellulases and other enzymes with applications in a variety of biomass, industrial, and processing applications. Moving forward, one of the most important approaches for accelerating advances in both termite-targeted and termite-modeled biotechnology will be to consider host and symbiont together as a single functional unit.

Electromagnetic Biostimulation of Living Cultures for Biotechnology, Biofuel and Bioenergy Applications

PubMed Central

Hunt, Ryan W.; Zavalin, Andrey; Bhatnagar, Ashish; Chinnasamy, Senthil; Das, Keshav C.

2009-01-01

The surge of interest in bioenergy has been marked with increasing efforts in research and development to identify new sources of biomass and to incorporate cutting-edge biotechnology to improve efficiency and increase yields. It is evident that various microorganisms will play an integral role in the development of this newly emerging industry, such as yeast for ethanol and Escherichia coli for fine chemical fermentation. However, it appears that microalgae have become the most promising prospect for biomass production due to their ability to grow fast, produce large quantities of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins, thrive in poor quality waters, sequester and recycle carbon dioxide from industrial flue gases and remove pollutants from industrial, agricultural and municipal wastewaters. In an attempt to better understand and manipulate microorganisms for optimum production capacity, many researchers have investigated alternative methods for stimulating their growth and metabolic behavior. One such novel approach is the use of electromagnetic fields for the stimulation of growth and metabolic cascades and controlling biochemical pathways. An effort has been made in this review to consolidate the information on the current status of biostimulation research to enhance microbial growth and metabolism using electromagnetic fields. It summarizes information on the biostimulatory effects on growth and other biological processes to obtain insight regarding factors and dosages that lead to the stimulation and also what kind of processes have been reportedly affected. Diverse mechanistic theories and explanations for biological effects of electromagnetic fields on intra and extracellular environment have been discussed. The foundations of biophysical interactions such as bioelectromagnetic and biophotonic communication and organization within living systems are expounded with special consideration for spatiotemporal aspects of electromagnetic topology, leading to the

An Introductory Undergraduate Course Covering Animal Cell Culture Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mozdziak, Paul E.; Petitte, James N.; Carson, Susan D.

2004-01-01

Animal cell culture is a core laboratory technique in many molecular biology, developmental biology, and biotechnology laboratories. Cell culture is a relatively old technique that has been sparingly taught at the undergraduate level. The traditional methodology for acquiring cell culture training has been through trial and error, instruction when…

The Effect of Biotechnology Education on Australian High School Students' Understandings and Attitudes about Biotechnology Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Vaille; Soames, Christina

2006-01-01

Our education system aims to equip young people with the knowledge, problem-solving skills and values to cope with an increasingly technological society. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of biotechnology education on adolescents' understanding and attitudes about processes associated with biotechnology. Data were drawn from…

Medical biotechnology trends and achievements in iran.

PubMed

Mahboudi, Fereidoun; Hamedifar, Haleh; Aghajani, Hamideh

2012-10-01

A healthcare system has been the most important priority for all governments worldwide. Biotechnology products have affected the promotion of health care over the last thirty years. During the last several decades, Iran has achieved significant success in extending healthcare to the rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality and increasing population growth. Biomedical technology as a converging technology is considered a helpful tool to fulfill the Iranian healthcare missions. The number of biotechnology products has reached 148 in 2012. The total sales have increased to 98 billion USD without considering vaccines and plasma derived proteins in 2012. Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of Medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched in Iran is 13 products until 2012. More than 15 products are in pipelines now. Manufacturers are expecting to receive the market release for more than 8 products by the end of 2012. Considering this information, Iran will lead the biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars in Asia after India in next three years. The present review will discuss leading policy, decision makers' role, human resource developing system and industry development in medical biotechnology.

Medical Biotechnology Trends and Achievements in Iran

PubMed Central

Mahboudi, Fereidoun; Hamedifar, Haleh; Aghajani, Hamideh

2012-01-01

A healthcare system has been the most important priority for all governments worldwide. Biotechnology products have affected the promotion of health care over the last thirty years. During the last several decades, Iran has achieved significant success in extending healthcare to the rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality and increasing population growth. Biomedical technology as a converging technology is considered a helpful tool to fulfill the Iranian healthcare missions. The number of biotechnology products has reached 148 in 2012. The total sales have increased to 98 billion USD without considering vaccines and plasma derived proteins in 2012. Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of Medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched in Iran is 13 products until 2012. More than 15 products are in pipelines now. Manufacturers are expecting to receive the market release for more than 8 products by the end of 2012. Considering this information, Iran will lead the biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars in Asia after India in next three years. The present review will discuss leading policy, decision makers’ role, human resource developing system and industry development in medical biotechnology. PMID:23407888

Hematodinium spp. infections in wild and cultured populations of marine crustaceans along the coast of China.

PubMed

Wang, Jin-Feng; Li, Meng; Xiao, Jie; Xu, Wen-Jun; Li, Cai-Wen

2017-05-11

The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium spp. infects a broad range of marine crustaceans. Its epidemics have impacted wild populations of various commercial fishery species around the world and the sustainability of mariculture in China. To study the epidemiology of Hematodinium spp. in marine crustaceans along the coast of China, we conducted a broad survey of wild and cultured stocks of major crustacean species in 2013 to 2015. Hematodinium sp. infections were identified in wild stocks of Portunus trituberculatus from Huludao, Laizhou, Qingdao, Yangtze River Estuary and Zhoushan, and Scylla paramamosain from Shantou; and cultured stocks of Portunus trituberculatus and Penaeus monodon from a polyculture pond in Qingdao. In the polyculture pond, Hematodinium sp. infections were observed in Portunus trituberculatus from June until October, with peak prevalence (up to 90%) observed in late July to early August. Furthermore, Hematodinium sp. infection was identified for the first time in the giant tiger prawn Penaeus monodon in the polyculture system during the disease outbreak. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Hematodinium isolate infecting Penaeus monodon was identical to the isolate infecting the co-cultured Portunus trituberculatus, and it was grouped into H. perezi genotype II together with the other isolates reported in China. The Hematodinium sp. isolated from Portunus trituberculatus appeared to have similar life stages as the H. perezi genotype III isolated from the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus. Our study indicates that outbreaks of Hematodinium disease can be a significant threat to the widely used polyculture system for decapods in China that may be particularly vulnerable to such generalist pathogens.

Developments in biotechnological research in Austria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kubicek, C.P.

1996-12-01

Austria is a small European country with a small number of universities and biotechnological industries, but with great efforts in the implementation of environmental consciousness and corresponding legal standards. This review attempts to describe the biotechnological landscape of Austria, thereby focusing on the highlights in research by industry, universities, and research laboratories, as published during 1990 to early 1995. These will include microbial metabolite (organic acids, antibiotics) and biopolymer (polyhydroxibutyrate, S-layers) production; enzyme (cellulases, hemicellulases, ligninases) technology and biocatalysis; environmental biotechnology; plant breeding and plant protection; mammalian cell products; fermenter design; and bioprocess engineering. 234 refs.

Life sciences today and tomorrow: emerging biotechnologies.

PubMed

Williamson, E Diane

2017-08-01

The purpose of this review is to survey current, emerging and predicted future biotechnologies which are impacting, or are likely to impact in the future on the life sciences, with a projection for the coming 20 years. This review is intended to discuss current and future technical strategies, and to explore areas of potential growth during the foreseeable future. Information technology approaches have been employed to gather and collate data. Twelve broad categories of biotechnology have been identified which are currently impacting the life sciences and will continue to do so. In some cases, technology areas are being pushed forward by the requirement to deal with contemporary questions such as the need to address the emergence of anti-microbial resistance. In other cases, the biotechnology application is made feasible by advances in allied fields in biophysics (e.g. biosensing) and biochemistry (e.g. bio-imaging). In all cases, the biotechnologies are underpinned by the rapidly advancing fields of information systems, electronic communications and the World Wide Web together with developments in computing power and the capacity to handle extensive biological data. A rationale and narrative is given for the identification of each technology as a growth area. These technologies have been categorized by major applications, and are discussed further. This review highlights: Biotechnology has far-reaching applications which impinge on every aspect of human existence. The applications of biotechnology are currently wide ranging and will become even more diverse in the future. Access to supercomputing facilities and the ability to manipulate large, complex biological datasets, will significantly enhance knowledge and biotechnological development.

Optimization of culturing condition and medium composition for the production of alginate lyase by a marine Vibrio sp. YKW-34

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xiaoting; Lin, Hong; Kim, Sang Moo

2008-02-01

Carbohydrases secreted by marine Vibrio sp. YKW-34 with strong Laminaria cell wall degrading ability were screened, and among them alginate lyase was found to be dominant. The effects of medium composition and culturing condition on the production of alginate lyase by marine Vibrio sp. YKW-34 in flask were investigated in this study. In the culture medium of marine broth, no alginate lyase was produced. The activity of the alginate lyase, after being induced, reached 5 UmL-1. The best inoculum volume and inoculum age were 10% and 12 h, respectively. The optimal temperature for alginate lyase production was 25°C. The fermentation medium was composed of 0.5% of Laminaria powder and 0.2% of KNO3 with an initial acidity of pH 8.0. Alginate could induce alginate lyase production but not as efficiently as Laminaria powder did. The addition of fucoidan, cellulose and glucose had negative effect on the alginate lyase production. Other kinds of nitrogen sources, such as yeast extract, beef extract and peptone, had positive effect on the growth of the microorganism and negative effect on alginate lyase production. In addition, the time course of alginate lyase production under the optimized condition was described. The optimal harvest time was 48 h.

Discovery Strategies of Bioactive Compounds Synthesized by Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases and Type-I Polyketide Synthases Derived from Marine Microbiomes

PubMed Central

Amoutzias, Grigoris D.; Chaliotis, Anargyros; Mossialos, Dimitris

2016-01-01

Considering that 70% of our planet’s surface is covered by oceans, it is likely that undiscovered biodiversity is still enormous. A large portion of marine biodiversity consists of microbiomes. They are very attractive targets of bioprospecting because they are able to produce a vast repertoire of secondary metabolites in order to adapt in diverse environments. In many cases secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical and biotechnological interest such as nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) and polyketides (PKs) are synthesized by multimodular enzymes named nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSes) and type-I polyketide synthases (PKSes-I), respectively. Novel findings regarding the mechanisms underlying NRPS and PKS evolution demonstrate how microorganisms could leverage their metabolic potential. Moreover, these findings could facilitate synthetic biology approaches leading to novel bioactive compounds. Ongoing advances in bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are driving the discovery of NRPs and PKs derived from marine microbiomes mainly through two strategies: genome-mining and metagenomics. Microbial genomes are now sequenced at an unprecedented rate and this vast quantity of biological information can be analyzed through genome mining in order to identify gene clusters encoding NRPSes and PKSes of interest. On the other hand, metagenomics is a fast-growing research field which directly studies microbial genomes and their products present in marine environments using culture-independent approaches. The aim of this review is to examine recent developments regarding discovery strategies of bioactive compounds synthesized by NRPS and type-I PKS derived from marine microbiomes and to highlight the vast diversity of NRPSes and PKSes present in marine environments by giving examples of recently discovered bioactive compounds. PMID:27092515

Immense Essence of Excellence: Marine Microbial Bioactive Compounds

PubMed Central

Bhatnagar, Ira; Kim, Se-Kwon

2010-01-01

Oceans have borne most of the biological activities on our planet. A number of biologically active compounds with varying degrees of action, such as anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-microtubule, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, photo protective, as well as antibiotic and antifouling properties, have been isolated to date from marine sources. The marine environment also represents a largely unexplored source for isolation of new microbes (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, microalgae-cyanobacteria and diatoms) that are potent producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Extensive research has been done to unveil the bioactive potential of marine microbes (free living and symbiotic) and the results are amazingly diverse and productive. Some of these bioactive secondary metabolites of microbial origin with strong antibacterial and antifungal activities are being intensely used as antibiotics and may be effective against infectious diseases such as HIV, conditions of multiple bacterial infections (penicillin, cephalosporines, streptomycin, and vancomycin) or neuropsychiatric sequelae. Research is also being conducted on the general aspects of biophysical and biochemical properties, chemical structures and biotechnological applications of the bioactive substances derived from marine microorganisms, and their potential use as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals. This review is an attempt to consolidate the latest studies and critical research in this field, and to showcase the immense competence of marine microbial flora as bioactive metabolite producers. In addition, the present review addresses some effective and novel approaches of procuring marine microbial compounds utilizing the latest screening strategies of drug discovery. PMID:21116414

Immense essence of excellence: marine microbial bioactive compounds.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Ira; Kim, Se-Kwon

2010-10-15

Oceans have borne most of the biological activities on our planet. A number of biologically active compounds with varying degrees of action, such as anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-microtubule, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, photo protective, as well as antibiotic and antifouling properties, have been isolated to date from marine sources. The marine environment also represents a largely unexplored source for isolation of new microbes (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, microalgae-cyanobacteria and diatoms) that are potent producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Extensive research has been done to unveil the bioactive potential of marine microbes (free living and symbiotic) and the results are amazingly diverse and productive. Some of these bioactive secondary metabolites of microbial origin with strong antibacterial and antifungal activities are being intensely used as antibiotics and may be effective against infectious diseases such as HIV, conditions of multiple bacterial infections (penicillin, cephalosporines, streptomycin, and vancomycin) or neuropsychiatric sequelae. Research is also being conducted on the general aspects of biophysical and biochemical properties, chemical structures and biotechnological applications of the bioactive substances derived from marine microorganisms, and their potential use as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals. This review is an attempt to consolidate the latest studies and critical research in this field, and to showcase the immense competence of marine microbial flora as bioactive metabolite producers. In addition, the present review addresses some effective and novel approaches of procuring marine microbial compounds utilizing the latest screening strategies of drug discovery.

Mechatronics design principles for biotechnology product development.

PubMed

Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik; Björkman, Mats

2010-05-01

Traditionally, biotechnology design has focused on the manufacture of chemicals and biologics. Still, a majority of biotechnology products that appear on the market today is the result of mechanical-electric (mechatronic) construction. For these, the biological components play decisive roles in the design solution; the biological entities are either integral parts of the design, or are transformed by the mechatronic system. This article explains how the development and production engineering design principles used for typical mechanical products can be adapted to the demands of biotechnology products, and how electronics, mechanics and biology can be integrated more successfully. We discuss three emerging areas of biotechnology in which mechatronic design principles can apply: stem cell manufacture, artificial organs, and bioreactors. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Editorial: Latest methods and advances in biotechnology.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Yup; Jungbauer, Alois

2014-01-01

The latest "Biotech Methods and Advances" special issue of Biotechnology Journal continues the BTJ tradition of featuring the latest breakthroughs in biotechnology. The special issue is edited by our Editors-in-Chief, Prof. Sang Yup Lee and Prof. Alois Jungbauer and covers a wide array of topics in biotechnology, including the perennial favorite workhorses of the biotech industry, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell and Escherichia coli. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Approaches to education of pharmaceutical biotechnology in faculties of pharmacy.

PubMed

Calis, S; Oner, F; Kas, S; Hincal, A A

2001-06-01

Pharmaceutical biotechnology is developing rapidly both in academic institutions and in the biopharmaceutical industry. For this reason, FIP Special Interest Group of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology decided to develop a questionnaire concerning pharmaceutical biotechnology education. After preliminary studies were completed, questionnaires were sent to the leading scientists in academia and research directors or senior managers of various Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Companies in order to gather their views about how to create a satisfactory program. The objectives of this study were as follows: -To review all of the graduate and undergraduate courses which are presently available worldwide on pharmaceutical biotechnology in Faculties of Pharmacy. -To review all of the text books, references and scientific sources available worldwide in the area of pharmaceutical biotechnology. When replying to the questionnaires, the respondents were asked to consider the present status of pharmaceutical biotechnology education in academia and future learning needs in collaboration with the biotechnology industry. The data from various pharmacy faculties and biotechnology industry representatives from Asia, Europe and America were evaluated and the outcome of the survey showed that educational efforts in training qualified staff in the rapidly growing field of pharmaceutical biotechnology is promising. Part of the results of this questionnaire study have already been presented at the 57th International Congress of FIP Vancouver, Canada in 1997.

Marine shrimp aquaculture and natural resource degradation in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flaherty, Mark; Karnjanakesorn, Choomjet

1995-01-01

Rising demand for shrimp in the developed nations has helped to foster a dramatic growth in marine shrimp aquaculture, particularly in South America and South Asia. In Thailand, Marine shrimp aquaculture is now an important earmer of foreign exchange. The growth in Production has been achieved through the expansion of the culture area and the adoption of intensive production methods. The conversion of near-shore areas to shrimp culture, however, is proving to have many consequences that impinge on the environmental integrity of coastal areas. This paper reviews the development of Thailand's marine shrimp culture industry and examines the nature of the environmental impacts that are emerging. It then discusses the implications these have for rural poor and the long-term viability of the culture industry.

Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Web page describes the continuing effort to modernize the federal regulatory system for biotechnology products as well as clarify various roles of EPA, FDA and USDA in evaluating new biotechnology products.

Biotechnology and Consumer Decision-Making.

PubMed

Sax, Joanna K

Society is facing major challenges in climate change, health care and overall quality of life. Scientific advances to address these areas continue to grow, with overwhelming evidence that the application of highly tested forms of biotechnology is safe and effective. Despite scientific consensus in these areas, consumers appear reluctant to support their use. Research that helps to understand consumer decision-making and the public’s resistance to biotechnologies such as vaccines, fluoridated water programs and genetically engineered food, will provide great social value. This article is forward-thinking in that it suggests that important research in behavioral decision-making, specifically affect and ambiguity, can be used to help consumers make informed choices about major applications of biotechnology. This article highlights some of the most controversial examples: vaccinations, genetically engineered food, rbST treated dairy cows, fluoridated water, and embryonic stem cell research. In many of these areas, consumers perceive the risks as high, but the experts calculate the risks as low. Four major thematic approaches are proposed to create a roadmap for policymakers to consider for policy design and implementation in controversial areas of biotechnology. This article articulates future directions for studies that implement decision-making research to allow consumers to appropriately assign risk to their options and make informed decisions.

Social Science Research on Biotechnology and Agriculture: A Critique.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buttel, Frederick H.

1989-01-01

Examines trends in social science research on biotechnology and agriculture. Discusses role of private industry's biotechnology "hype" in defining social science research policy in universities. Suggests that widespread promotion of biotechnology as "revolutionary" contributed to lack of academic scrutiny. Examines social…

Sharing Malaysian experience with the development of biotechnology-derived food crops.

PubMed

Abu Bakar, Umi K; Pillai, Vilasini; Hashim, Marzukhi; Daud, Hassan Mat

2005-12-01

Biotechnology-derived food crops are currently being developed in Malaysia mainly for disease resistance and improved post harvest quality. The modern biotechnology approach is adopted because of its potential to overcome constraints faced by conventional breeding techniques. Research on the development of biotechnology-derived papaya, pineapple, chili, passion fruit, and citrus is currently under way. Biotechnology-derived papaya developed for resistance to papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) and improved postharvest qualities is at the field evaluation stage. Pineapple developed for resistance to fruit black heart disorder is also being evaluated for proof-of-concept. Other biotechnology-derived food crops are at early stages of gene cloning and transformation. Activities and products involving biotechnology-derived crops will be fully regulated in the near future under the Malaysian Biosafety Law. At present they are governed only by guidelines formulated by the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC), Malaysia. Commercialization of biotechnology-derived crops involves steps that require GMAC approval for all field evaluations and food-safety assessments before the products are placed on the market. Public acceptance of the biotechnology product is another important factor for successful commercialization. Understanding of biotechnology is generally low among Malaysians, which may lead to low acceptance of biotechnology-derived products. Initiatives are being taken by local organizations to improve public awareness and acceptance of biotechnology. Future research on plant biotechnology will focus on the development of nutritionally enhanced biotechnology-derived food crops that can provide more benefits to consumers.

Marine Cyanobacteria Compounds with Anticancer Properties: A Review on the Implication of Apoptosis

PubMed Central

Costa, Margarida; Costa-Rodrigues, João; Fernandes, Maria Helena; Barros, Piedade; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Martins, Rosário

2012-01-01

Marine cyanobacteria have been considered a rich source of secondary metabolites with potential biotechnological applications, namely in the pharmacological field. Chemically diverse compounds were found to induce cytoxicity, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. The potential of marine cyanobacteria as anticancer agents has however been the most explored and, besides cytotoxicity in tumor cell lines, several compounds have emerged as templates for the development of new anticancer drugs. The mechanisms implicated in the cytotoxicity of marine cyanobacteria compounds in tumor cell lines are still largely overlooked but several studies point to an implication in apoptosis. This association has been related to several apoptotic indicators such as cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative damage, alterations in caspase cascade, alterations in specific proteins levels and alterations in the membrane sodium dynamics. In the present paper a compilation of the described marine cyanobacterial compounds with potential anticancer properties is presented and a review on the implication of apoptosis as the mechanism of cell death is discussed. PMID:23170077

Biotechnology Works!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Libby G.; Spenciner, Loraine

There have been few initiatives addressing the improvement of science education for students with disabilities. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Biotechnology Works is a summer institute in immunology and genetics for students with disabilities, high school science teachers, and high school counselors. During the 1998 summer session,…

Emerging Strategies and Integrated Systems Microbiology Technologies for Biodiscovery of Marine Bioactive Compounds

PubMed Central

Rocha-Martin, Javier; Harrington, Catriona; Dobson, Alan D.W.; O’Gara, Fergal

2014-01-01

Marine microorganisms continue to be a source of structurally and biologically novel compounds with potential use in the biotechnology industry. The unique physiochemical properties of the marine environment (such as pH, pressure, temperature, osmolarity) and uncommon functional groups (such as isonitrile, dichloroimine, isocyanate, and halogenated functional groups) are frequently found in marine metabolites. These facts have resulted in the production of bioactive substances with different properties than those found in terrestrial habitats. In fact, the marine environment contains a relatively untapped reservoir of bioactivity. Recent advances in genomics, metagenomics, proteomics, combinatorial biosynthesis, synthetic biology, screening methods, expression systems, bioinformatics, and the ever increasing availability of sequenced genomes provides us with more opportunities than ever in the discovery of novel bioactive compounds and biocatalysts. The combination of these advanced techniques with traditional techniques, together with the use of dereplication strategies to eliminate known compounds, provides a powerful tool in the discovery of novel marine bioactive compounds. This review outlines and discusses the emerging strategies for the biodiscovery of these bioactive compounds. PMID:24918453

Ethnobotany and Medicinal Plant Biotechnology: From Tradition to Modern Aspects of Drug Development.

PubMed

Kayser, Oliver

2018-05-24

Secondary natural products from plants are important drug leads for the development of new drug candidates for rational clinical therapy and exhibit a variety of biological activities in experimental pharmacology and serve as structural template in medicinal chemistry. The exploration of plants and discovery of natural compounds based on ethnopharmacology in combination with high sophisticated analytics is still today an important drug discovery to characterize and validate potential leads. Due to structural complexity, low abundance in biological material, and high costs in chemical synthesis, alternative ways in production like plant cell cultures, heterologous biosynthesis, and synthetic biotechnology are applied. The basis for any biotechnological process is deep knowledge in genetic regulation of pathways and protein expression with regard to todays "omics" technologies. The high number genetic techniques allowed the implementation of combinatorial biosynthesis and wide genome sequencing. Consequently, genetics allowed functional expression of biosynthetic cascades from plants and to reconstitute low-performing pathways in more productive heterologous microorganisms. Thus, de novo biosynthesis in heterologous hosts requires fundamental understanding of pathway reconstruction and multitude of genes in a foreign organism. Here, actual concepts and strategies are discussed for pathway reconstruction and genome sequencing techniques cloning tools to bridge the gap between ethnopharmaceutical drug discovery to industrial biotechnology. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Trends of microalgal biotechnology: a view from bibliometrics].

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoqiu; Wu, Yinsong; Yan, Jinding; Song, Haigang; Fan, Jianhua; Li, Yuanguang

2015-10-01

Microalgae is a single-cell organism with the characteristics of high light energy utilization rate, fast growth rate, high-value bioactive components and high energy material content. Therefore, microalgae has broad application prospects in food, feed, bioenergy, carbon sequestration, wastewater treatment and other fields. In this article, the microalgae biotechnology development in recent years were fully consulted, through analysis from the literature and patent. The progress of microalgal biotechnology at home and abroad is compared and discussed. Furthermore, the project layout, important achievements and development bottlenecks of microalgae biotechnology in our country were also summarized. At last, future development directions of microalgae biotechnology were discussed.

Perspectives on biotechnological applications of archaea.

PubMed

Schiraldi, Chiara; Giuliano, Mariateresa; De Rosa, Mario

2002-09-01

Many archaea colonize extreme environments. They include hyperthermophiles, sulfur-metabolizing thermophiles, extreme halophiles and methanogens. Because extremophilic microorganisms have unusual properties, they are a potentially valuable resource in the development of novel biotechnological processes. Despite extensive research, however, there are few existing industrial applications of either archaeal biomass or archaeal enzymes. This review summarizes current knowledge about the biotechnological uses of archaea and archaeal enzymes with special attention to potential applications that are the subject of current experimental evaluation. Topics covered include cultivation methods, recent achievements in genomics, which are of key importance for the development of new biotechnological tools, and the application of wild-type biomasses, engineered microorganisms, enzymes and specific metabolites in particular bioprocesses of industrial interest.

Exploitation of biotechnology in a large company.

PubMed

Dart, E C

1989-08-31

Almost from the outset, most large companies saw the 'new biotechnology' not as a new business but as a set of very powerful techniques that, in time, would radically improve the understanding of biological systems. This new knowledge was generally seen by them as enhancing the process of invention and not as a substitute for tried and tested ways of meeting clearly identified targets. As the knowledge base grows, so the big-company response to biotechnology becomes more positive. Within ICI, biotechnology is now integrated into five bio-businesses (Pharmaceuticals, Agrochemicals, Seeds, Diagnostics and Biological Products). Within the Central Toxicology Laboratory it also contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of toxic action of chemicals as part of assessing risk. ICI has entered two of these businesses (Seeds and Diagnostics) because it sees biotechnology making a major contribution to the profitability of each.

Marine sponge-associated bacteria as a potential source for polyhydroxyalkanoates.

PubMed

Sathiyanarayanan, Ganesan; Saibaba, Ganesan; Kiran, George Seghal; Yang, Yung-Hun; Selvin, Joseph

2017-05-01

Marine sponges are filter feeding porous animals and usually harbor a remarkable array of microorganisms in their mesohyl tissues as transient and resident endosymbionts. The marine sponge-microbial interactions are highly complex and, in some cases, the relationships are thought to be truly symbiotic or mutualistic rather than temporary associations resulting from sponge filter-feeding activity. The marine sponge-associated bacteria are fascinating source for various biomolecules that are of potential interest to several biotechnological industries. In recent times, a particular attention has been devoted to bacterial biopolymer (polyesters) such as intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) produced by sponge-associated bacteria. Bacterial PHAs act as an internal reserve for carbon and energy and also are a tremendous alternative for fossil fuel-based polymers mainly due to their eco-friendliness. In addition, PHAs are produced when the microorganisms are under stressful conditions and this biopolymer synthesis might be exhibited as one of the survival mechanisms of sponge-associated or endosymbiotic bacteria which exist in a highly competitive and stressful sponge-mesohyl microenvironment. In this review, we have emphasized the industrial prospects of marine bacteria for the commercial production of PHAs and special importance has been given to marine sponge-associated bacteria as a potential resource for PHAs.

Biotechnology in the Middle School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, De Ann

2007-01-01

Biotechnology is a fairly new concept for middle school students as well as teachers. If the latest craze of TV shows focused on crime scene investigation events were not so popular, the term and concept might be even obscure to the public. There is an increased presence of biotechnology in our daily surroundings that makes it practical and…

The Biotechnology Facility for International Space Station.

PubMed

Goodwin, Thomas; Lundquist, Charles; Tuxhorn, Jennifer; Hurlbert, Katy

2004-03-01

The primary mission of the Cellular Biotechnology Program is to advance microgravity as a tool in basic and applied cell biology. The microgravity environment can be used to study fundamental principles of cell biology and to achieve specific applications such as tissue engineering. The Biotechnology Facility (BTF) will provide a state-of-the-art facility to perform cellular biotechnology research onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BTF will support continuous operation, which will allow performance of long-duration experiments and will significantly increase the on-orbit science throughput.

The Biotechnology Facility for International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodwin, Thomas; Lundquist, Charles; Tuxhorn, Jennifer; Hurlbert, Katy

2004-01-01

The primary mission of the Cellular Biotechnology Program is to advance microgravity as a tool in basic and applied cell biology. The microgravity environment can be used to study fundamental principles of cell biology and to achieve specific applications such as tissue engineering. The Biotechnology Facility (BTF) will provide a state-of-the-art facility to perform cellular biotechnology research onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The BTF will support continuous operation, which will allow performance of long-duration experiments and will significantly increase the on-orbit science throughput.

Green biotechnology and European competitiveness.

PubMed

Enriquez, J

2001-04-01

Europe has led many aspects of gene research and yet it has been unable to translate these discoveries into a globally dominant industrial sector. There are valid societal, political and financial reasons for its reluctance to deploy agricultural biotechnology but this reluctance might have unintended consequences. It will be hard to de-commoditize agriculture and improve farmer's lives. Research in medical biotechnology and the global environment might suffer. Europe could damage its overall economy and its global competitive standing.

A metabolomics guided exploration of marine natural product chemical space.

PubMed

Floros, Dimitrios J; Jensen, Paul R; Dorrestein, Pieter C; Koyama, Nobuhiro

2016-09-01

Natural products from culture collections have enormous impact in advancing discovery programs for metabolites of biotechnological importance. These discovery efforts rely on the metabolomic characterization of strain collections. Many emerging approaches compare metabolomic profiles of such collections, but few enable the analysis and prioritization of thousands of samples from diverse organisms while delivering chemistry specific read outs. In this work we utilize untargeted LC-MS/MS based metabolomics together with molecular networking to. This approach annotated 76 molecular families (a spectral match rate of 28 %), including clinically and biotechnologically important molecules such as valinomycin, actinomycin D, and desferrioxamine E. Targeting a molecular family produced primarily by one microorganism led to the isolation and structure elucidation of two new molecules designated maridric acids A and B. Molecular networking guided exploration of large culture collections allows for rapid dereplication of know molecules and can highlight producers of uniques metabolites. These methods, together with large culture collections and growing databases, allow for data driven strain prioritization with a focus on novel chemistries.

Current biotechnological developments in Belgium.

PubMed

Masschelein, C A; Callegari, J P; Laurent, M; Simon, J P; Taeymans, D

1989-01-01

In recent years, actions have been undertaken by the Belgian government to promote process innovation and technical diversification. Research programs are initiated and coordinated by the study committee for biotechnology setup within the Institute for Scientific Research in Industry and Agriculture (IRSIA). As a result of this action, the main areas where biotechnological processes are developed or commercially exploited include plant genetics, protein engineering, hybridoma technology, biopesticides, production by genetic engineering of vaccines and drugs, monoclonal detection of human and animal deseases, process reactors for aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment, and genetic modification of yeast and bacteria as a base for biomass and energy. Development research also includes new fermentation technologies principally based on immobilization of microorganisms, reactor design, and optimization of unit operations involved in downstream processing. Food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries are involved in genetic engineering and biotechnology and each of these sectors is overviewed in this paper.

CHANGES IN CHLOROPHYLL A FLOURESCENCE AND PIGMENT RATIOS DURING DIFFERENT GROWTH PHASES OF A UNICELLULAR MARINE CHAETOCEROS (BACILLAROPHYCEAE) IN BATCH CULTURE

EPA Science Inventory

Interpretations of chlorophyll a fluorescence data are based largely on application with green algae and higher plants. This study evaluated the interpretation of fluorescence data for a unicellular marine diatom. Chaetoceros sp. was grown in 4-liter batch cultures on a 16:8, L:D...

Choosing a Career in Marine Occupations: A Cultural Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Marcia G.; Baldauf, Sandra L.

A study examined the proportion of locally born residents working in marine occupations on Saint Croix and the reasons why these workers on the island chose their occupation. All 43 Saint Croix businesses and agencies employing workers in marine occupations were asked how many persons they employ and where those workers were born. Marine…

High School Students' Knowledge and Attitudes regarding Biotechnology Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozel, Murat; Erdogan, Mehmet; Usak, Muhammet; Prokop, Pavol

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' knowledge and attitudes regarding biotechnology and its various applications. In addition, whether students' knowledge and attitudes differed according to age and gender were also explored. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire (BKQ) with 16 items and the Biotechnology Attitude…

Biotechnology: Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Airozo, Diana; Warmbrodt, Robert D.

Biotechnology is the latest in a series of technological innovations that have revolutionized the fields of agriculture and the health sciences; however, there are concerns with this technology. This document is designed to help foster dialogue with emphasis on education and the development of a public understanding of the principals involved in…

Commercialization, patents and moral assessment of biotechnology products.

PubMed

Hoedemaekers, R

2001-06-01

The biotechnology patent debates have revealed deep moral concerns about basic genetics research, R&D and specific biotechnological products, concerns that are seldom taken into consideration in Technology Assessment. In this paper important moral concerns are examined which appear at the various stages of development of a specific genetic product: a predictive genetic test. The purpose is to illustrate the need for a more contextual approach in technology assessment, which integrates the various forms of interaction between bio-technology and society or societal segments. Such an approach will generate greater insight in the moral issues at all stages of a product's life-cycle and this will facilitate decision-making on the 'morality' of a specific biotechnological product.

Finestkind: The American Lobster. A Learning Experience for Marine Education. Northern New England Marine Education Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maine Univ., Orono. Coll. of Education.

This interdisciplinary unit is intended for use in the fourth grade. Through discussion of the American Lobster, its economics, history, literature, and biology, the unit describes the effects of the marine environment on human history and culture. Sections deal with how marine organisms have evolved. Detailed descriptions are provided of lobster…

Cancer Biotechnology | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Biotechnology advances continue to underscore the need to educate NCI fellows in new methodologies. The Cancer Biotechnology course will be held on the NCI-Frederick campus on January 29, 2016 (Bldg. 549, Main Auditorium) and the course will be repeated on the Bethesda campus on February 9, 2016 (Natcher Balcony C). The latest advances in DNA, protein and image analysis will

Perspectives on biotechnological applications of archaea

PubMed Central

Schiraldi, Chiara; Giuliano, Mariateresa; De Rosa, Mario

2002-01-01

Many archaea colonize extreme environments. They include hyperthermophiles, sulfur-metabolizing thermophiles, extreme halophiles and methanogens. Because extremophilic microorganisms have unusual properties, they are a potentially valuable resource in the development of novel biotechnological processes. Despite extensive research, however, there are few existing industrial applications of either archaeal biomass or archaeal enzymes. This review summarizes current knowledge about the biotechnological uses of archaea and archaeal enzymes with special attention to potential applications that are the subject of current experimental evaluation. Topics covered include cultivation methods, recent achievements in genomics, which are of key importance for the development of new biotechnological tools, and the application of wild-type biomasses, engineered microorganisms, enzymes and specific metabolites in particular bioprocesses of industrial interest. PMID:15803645

Effect of dissolved aromatic hydrocarbons on the growth of marine bacteria in batch culture.

PubMed Central

Calder, J A; Lader, J H

1976-01-01

Dissolved aromatic hydrocarbons were found to decrease growth rate and maximum cell density of marine bacteria in batch cultures. The magnitude of the decrement was observed to be a function of concentration of the hydrocarbon and inherent toxicity. The inherent toxicity was observed to increase inversely with solubility such that naphthalene at 100 muM concentration demonstrated a toxic effect similar to benzopyrene at 0.02 muM. A partial oxidation product of naphthalene was found to be more effective in decreasing growth parameters than naphthalene at equivalent concentrations and to cause complete cessation of growth at the higher concentrations permitted by its polar structure. PMID:970939

Biotechnological applications in in vitro plant regeneration studies of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica), an important vegetable crop.

PubMed

Kumar, Pankaj; Srivastava, Dinesh Kumar

2016-04-01

Biotechnology holds promise for genetic improvement of important vegetable crops. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is an important vegetable crop of the family Brassicaceae. However, various biotic and abiotic stresses cause enormous crop yield losses during commercial cultivation of broccoli. Establishment of a reliable, reproducible and efficient in vitro plant regeneration system with cell and tissue culture is a vital prerequisite for biotechnological application of crop improvement programme. An in vitro plant regeneration technique refers to culturing, cell division, cell multiplication, de-differentiation and differentiation of cells, protoplasts, tissues and organs on defined liquid/solid medium under aseptic and controlled environment. Recent progress in the field of plant tissue culture has made this area one of the most dynamic and promising in experimental biology. There are many published reports on in vitro plant regeneration studies in broccoli including direct organogenesis, indirect organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. This review summarizes those plant regeneration studies in broccoli that could be helpful in drawing the attention of the researchers and scientists to work on it to produce healthy, biotic and abiotic stress resistant plant material and to carry out genetic transformation studies for the production of transgenic plants.

Biotechnology of non-Saccharomyces yeasts-the basidiomycetes.

PubMed

Johnson, Eric A

2013-09-01

Yeasts are the major producer of biotechnology products worldwide, exceeding production in capacity and economic revenues of other groups of industrial microorganisms. Yeasts have wide-ranging fundamental and industrial importance in scientific, food, medical, and agricultural disciplines (Fig. 1). Saccharomyces is the most important genus of yeast from fundamental and applied perspectives and has been expansively studied. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts (non-conventional yeasts) including members of the Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes also have substantial current utility and potential applicability in biotechnology. In an earlier mini-review, "Biotechnology of non-Saccharomyces yeasts-the ascomycetes" (Johnson Appl Microb Biotechnol 97: 503-517, 2013), the extensive biotechnological utility and potential of ascomycetous yeasts are described. Ascomycetous yeasts are particularly important in food and ethanol formation, production of single-cell protein, feeds and fodder, heterologous production of proteins and enzymes, and as model and fundamental organisms for the delineation of genes and their function in mammalian and human metabolism and disease processes. In contrast, the roles of basidiomycetous yeasts in biotechnology have mainly been evaluated only in the past few decades and compared to the ascomycetous yeasts and currently have limited industrial utility. From a biotechnology perspective, the basidiomycetous yeasts are known mainly for the production of enzymes used in pharmaceutical and chemical synthesis, for production of certain classes of primary and secondary metabolites such as terpenoids and carotenoids, for aerobic catabolism of complex carbon sources, and for bioremediation of environmental pollutants and xenotoxicants. Notwithstanding, the basidiomycetous yeasts appear to have considerable potential in biotechnology owing to their catabolic utilities, formation of enzymes acting on recalcitrant substrates, and through the production of unique primary

BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

In accordance with EPA's mission to minimize risks to human health and to safeguard ecological integrity, the EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) is committed to assessing and mitigating any risk posed by biotechnology-derived crops. Consequently, ...

Biotechnological potential of microbial consortia and future perspectives.

PubMed

Bhatia, Shashi Kant; Bhatia, Ravi Kant; Choi, Yong-Keun; Kan, Eunsung; Kim, Yun-Gon; Yang, Yung-Hun

2018-05-15

Design of a microbial consortium is a newly emerging field that enables researchers to extend the frontiers of biotechnology from a pure culture to mixed cultures. A microbial consortium enables microbes to use a broad range of carbon sources. It provides microbes with robustness in response to environmental stress factors. Microbes in a consortium can perform complex functions that are impossible for a single organism. With advancement of technology, it is now possible to understand microbial interaction mechanism and construct consortia. Microbial consortia can be classified in terms of their construction, modes of interaction, and functions. Here we discuss different trends in the study of microbial functions and interactions, including single-cell genomics (SCG), microfluidics, fluorescent imaging, and membrane separation. Community profile studies using polymerase chain-reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and terminal restriction fragment-length polymorphism (T-RFLP) are also reviewed. We also provide a few examples of their possible applications in areas of biopolymers, bioenergy, biochemicals, and bioremediation.

Cell biology and biotechnology research for exploration of the Moon and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellis, N.; North, R.

Health risks generated by human long exposure to radiation, microgravity, and unknown factors in the planetary environment are the major unresolved issues for human space exploration. A complete characterization of human and other biological systems adaptation processes to long-duration space missions is necessary for the development of countermeasures. The utilization of cell and engineered tissue cultures in space research and exploration complements research in human, animal, and plant subjects. We can bring a small number of humans, animals, or plants to the ISS, Moon, and Mars. However, we can investigate millions of their cells during these missions. Furthermore, many experiments can not be performed on humans, e.g. radiation exposure, cardiac muscle. Cells from critical tissues and tissue constructs per se are excellent subjects for experiments that address underlying mechanisms important to countermeasures. The development of cell tissue engineered for replacement, implantation of biomaterial to induce tissue regeneration (e.g. absorbable collagen matrix for guiding tissue regeneration in periodontal surgery), and immunoisolation (e.g. biopolymer coating on transplanted tissues to ward off immunological rejection) are good examples of cell research and biotechnology applications. NASA Cell Biology and Biotechnology research include Bone/Muscle and Cardiovascular cell culture and tissue engineering; Environmental Health and Life Support Systems; Immune System; Radiation; Gravity Thresholds ; and Advanced Biotechnology Development to increase the understanding of animal and plant cell adaptive behavior when exposed to space, and to advance technologies that facilitates exploration. Cell systems can be used to investigate processes related to food, microbial proliferation, waste management, biofilms and biomaterials. The NASA Cell Science Program has the advantage of conducting research in microgravity based on significantly small resources, and the ability to

New master program in management in biophotonics and biotechnologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meglinski, I. V.; Tuchin, V. V.

2006-08-01

We develop new graduate educational highly interdisciplinary program that will be useful for addressing problems in worldwide biotechnologies and related biomedical industries. This Master program called Management in Biophotonics and Biotechnologies provides students with the necessary training, education and problem-solving skills to produce managers who are better equipped to handle the challenges of modern business in modern biotechnologies. Administered jointly by Cranfield University (UK) and Saratov State University, Russia) graduates possess a blend of engineering, biotechnologies, business and interpersonal skills necessary for success in industry. The Master courses combine a regular year program in biophotonics & biotechnologies disciplines with the core requirements of a Master degree. A major advantage of the program is that it will provide skills not currently available to graduates in any other program, and it will give the graduates an extra competitive edge for getting a job then.

Undergraduate Biotechnology Students' Views of Science Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edmondston, Joanne Elisabeth; Dawson, Vaille; Schibeci, Renato

2010-01-01

Despite rapid growth of the biotechnology industry worldwide, a number of public concerns about the application of biotechnology and its regulation remain. In response to these concerns, greater emphasis has been placed on promoting biotechnologists' public engagement. As tertiary science degree programmes form the foundation of the biotechnology…

Draft Genome Sequence of Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1, a Filamentous Cyanobacterium with Biotechnological Potential for Alimentary Purposes

PubMed Central

Kim, Ji Hyung

2016-01-01

Here, we report the draft genome of cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1 isolated from a microalgal culture pond in South Korea. The genome consists of 13 contigs containing 6,320,172 bp, and a total of 5,327 coding sequences were predicted. This genomic information will allow further exploitation of its biotechnological potential for alimentary purposes. PMID:27635005

Electron shuttles in biotechnology.

PubMed

Watanabe, Kazuya; Manefield, Mike; Lee, Matthew; Kouzuma, Atsushi

2009-12-01

Electron-shuttling compounds (electron shuttles [ESs], or redox mediators) are essential components in intracellular electron transfer, while microbes also utilize self-produced and naturally present ESs for extracellular electron transfer. These compounds assist in microbial energy metabolism by facilitating electron transfer between microbes, from electron-donating substances to microbes, and/or from microbes to electron-accepting substances. Artificially supplemented ESs can create new routes of electron flow in the microbial energy metabolism, thereby opening up new possibilities for the application of microbes to biotechnology processes. Typical examples of such processes include halogenated-organics bioremediation, azo-dye decolorization, and microbial fuel cells. Herein we suggest that ESs can be applied widely to create new microbial biotechnology processes.

Cnidarians as a Source of New Marine Bioactive Compounds—An Overview of the Last Decade and Future Steps for Bioprospecting

PubMed Central

Rocha, Joana; Peixe, Luisa; Gomes, Newton C.M.; Calado, Ricardo

2011-01-01

Marine invertebrates are rich sources of bioactive compounds and their biotechnological potential attracts scientific and economic interest worldwide. Although sponges are the foremost providers of marine bioactive compounds, cnidarians are also being studied with promising results. This diverse group of marine invertebrates includes over 11,000 species, 7500 of them belonging to the class Anthozoa. We present an overview of some of the most promising marine bioactive compounds from a therapeutic point of view isolated from cnidarians in the first decade of the 21st century. Anthozoan orders Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea exhibit by far the highest number of species yielding promising compounds. Antitumor activity has been the major area of interest in the screening of cnidarian compounds, the most promising ones being terpenoids (monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids). We also discuss the future of bioprospecting for new marine bioactive compounds produced by cnidarians. PMID:22073000

Relevance of microbial coculture fermentations in biotechnology.

PubMed

Bader, J; Mast-Gerlach, E; Popović, M K; Bajpai, R; Stahl, U

2010-08-01

The purpose of this article is to review coculture fermentations in industrial biotechnology. Examples for the advantageous utilization of cocultures instead of single cultivations include the production of bulk chemicals, enzymes, food additives, antimicrobial substances and microbial fuel cells. Coculture fermentations may result in increased yield, improved control of product qualities and the possibility of utilizing cheaper substrates. Cocultivation of different micro-organisms may also help to identify and develop new biotechnological substances. The relevance of coculture fermentations and the potential of improving existing processes as well as the production of new chemical compounds in industrial biotechnology are pointed out here by means of more than 35 examples.

Development of cultures of the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perleve for genotoxicity assessment using the alkaline comet assay.

PubMed

Akpiri, Rachael U; Konya, Roseline S; Hodges, Nikolas J

2017-12-01

Sponges are a potential alternative model species to bivalves in pollution biomonitoring and environmental risk assessment in the aquatic ecosystem. In the present study, a novel in vivo exposure sponge culture model was developed from field-collected and cryopreserved sponge (Hymeniacidon perleve) cells to investigate the genotoxic effects of environmentally relevant metals in the laboratory. Sponge cell aggregates were cultured and exposed to noncytotoxic concentrations (0-0.4 mg/L) of cadmium chloride, nickel chloride, and sodium dichromate as quantified by the reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and DNA-strand breaks assessed by the comet assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation was quantified by oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate in sponge cell aggregates exposed to the same concentrations of Cd, Cr, and Ni. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) concentration-dependent increase in the level of DNA-strand breaks and ROS formation in all of the metals investigated. To the best of our knowledge, we have utilized for the first time the alkaline comet assay to detect DNA-strand breaks in marine sponge cells and demonstrated that exposure to noncytotoxic concentrations of Cd, Cr, and Ni for 12 h results in a concentration-dependent increase in DNA damage and levels of ROS production. In conclusion, we have developed a novel in vivo model based on culture of cryopreserved sponge cells that is compatible with the alkaline comet assay. Genotoxicity in marine sponges measured by the comet assay technique may be a useful tool for biomonitoring research and risk assessment in aquatic ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3314-3323. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Module (TCM) is the stationary bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures grow. However, for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI), color polystyrene beads are used to measure the effectiveness of various mixing procedures. The beads are similar in size and density to human lymphoid cells. Uniform mixing is a crucial component of CBOSS experiments involving the immune response of human lymphoid cell suspensions. The goal is to develop procedures that are both convenient for the flight crew and are optimal in providing uniform and reproducible mixing of all components, including cells. The average bead density in a well mixed TCM will be uniform, with no bubbles, and it will be measured using the absorption of light. In this photograph, beads are trapped in the injection port, with bubbles forming shortly after injection.

Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Module (TCM) is the stationary bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures grow. However, for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI), color polystyrene beads are used to measure the effectiveness of various mixing procedures. The beads are similar in size and density to human lymphoid cells. Uniform mixing is a crucial component of CBOSS experiments involving the immune response of human lymphoid cell suspensions. The goal is to develop procedures that are both convenient for the flight crew and are optimal in providing uniform and reproducible mixing of all components, including cells. The average bead density in a well mixed TCM will be uniform, with no bubbles, and it will be measured using the absorption of light. In this photograph, a TCM is shown after mixing protocols, and bubbles of various sizes can be seen.

The command of biotechnology and merciful conquest in military opposition.

PubMed

Guo, Ji-Wei

2009-01-01

Biotechnology has an increasingly extensive use for military purposes. With the upcoming age of biotechnology, military operations are depending more on biotechnical methods. Judging from the evolving law of the theory of command, the command of biotechnology is feasible and inevitable. The report discusses some basic characteristics of modern theories of command, as well as the mature possibility of the command theory of military biotechnology. The evolution of the command theory is closely associated with the development of military medicine. This theory is expected to achieve successes in wars in an ultramicro, nonlethal, reversible, and merciful way and will play an important role in biotechnological identification and orientation, defense and attack, and the maintenance of fighting powers and biological monitoring. The command of military biotechnology has not become a part of the virtual military power yet, but it is an exigent strategic task to construct and perfect this theory.

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center at MIT - Overview

Science.gov Websites

laboratories. Biotechnology-related research in the labs of over 15 faculty members in the Biological 60,000 square feet for biotechnology-related engineering research. This centralization and consolidation wider array of equipment and facilities available in other MIT labs and Centers. Some examples include

Biotechnology Education and the Internet. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Thomas

The world of modern biotechnology is based on recent developments in molecular biology, especially those in genetic engineering. Since this is a relatively new and rapidly advancing field of study, there are few traditional sources of information and activities. This digest highlights biotechnology resources including those that can be found on…

Biotechnology Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Vocational Education.

This program quide presents the biotechnology curriculum for technical institutes in Georgia. The general information section contains the following: purpose and objectives; program description, including admissions, typical job titles, and accreditation and certification; and curriculum model, including standard curriculum sequence and lists of…

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

DOE PAGES

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. Rick; ...

2015-06-19

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN;http://usccn.org) is “to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind.” Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Here, representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections.

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

PubMed Central

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. Rick; Ryan, Matthew; Kang, Seogchan; Nobles, David; Eisen, Jonathan A.; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Sitepu, Irnayuli R.; Torok, Tamas; Brown, Daniel R.; Cho, Juliana; Wertz, John E.; Mukherjee, Supratim; Cady, Sherry L.

2015-01-01

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN; http://usccn.org) is “to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind.” Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections. PMID:26092453

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. Rick

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN;http://usccn.org) is “to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind.” Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Here, representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections.

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boundy-Mills, K.; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. R.

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN; http://usccn.org) is "to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind." Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections.

Health-related biotechnology transfer to Africa: principal-agency relationship issues.

PubMed

Kirigia, J M; Muthuri, L K; Kirigia, D G

2007-01-01

The aim of this paper is to stimulate debate on the agency (principal-agent) in health-related biotechnology research. It attempts to answer the following questions: What is health-related biotechnology and biotechnology research? What is an agency? What factors are likely to undermine the principal's capacity to exercise informed consent? When might the principal-agency problem arise? How could the agency in biotechnology transfer be strengthened in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)? The transfer of health-related biotechnology to SSA ought to be preceded by research to ascertain the effectiveness of such technologies on population health. In that process, the national ethical review committee (REC), as an agent of every human research subject (principal), ought to ensure that international principles (e.g. beneficence, non-malfeasance, autonomy, justice, dignity, truthfulness and honesty) for human experimentation are observed by biotechnology researchers in order to satisfy moral, ethical and legal requirements. The key factors that undermine principals' sovereignty in exercising their right to informed consent to participate in biotechnology trials are discussed. The paper ends with a list of activities that can strengthen the agency, e.g. legislative requirement that all health-related biotechnology transfer should be preceded by rigorous evaluation; continuous update of the agents knowledge of the contents of the international ethical guidelines; and education of potential and actual principals on their human rights; among others.

Fossil energy biotechnology: A research needs assessment. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-11-01

The Office of Program Analysis of the US Department of Energy commissioned this study to evaluate and prioritize research needs in fossil energy biotechnology. The objectives were to identify research initiatives in biotechnology that offer timely and strategic options for the more efficient and effective uses of the Nation`s fossil resource base, particularly the early identification of new and novel applications of biotechnology for the use or conversion of domestic fossil fuels. Fossil energy biotechnology consists of a number of diverse and distinct technologies, all related by the common denominator -- biocatalysis. The expert panel organized 14 technical subjects intomore » three interrelated biotechnology programs: (1) upgrading the fuel value of fossil fuels; (2) bioconversion of fossil feedstocks and refined products to added value chemicals; and, (3) the development of environmental management strategies to minimize and mitigate the release of toxic and hazardous petrochemical wastes.« less

Matching Society Values: Students' Views of Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saez, Maria J.; Nino, Angela Gomez; Carretero, Antonio

2008-01-01

The rapid growth of biotechnology knowledge during the past decades has made it necessary to rethink the contents of the school curriculum and has provoked a consideration of the ethical and social issues related to the use of biotechnological applications. With the financial assistance of the European Union, the European Initiative for…

[Health risks in the biotechnological industry].

PubMed

Colombi, A; Maroni, M; Foà, V

1989-01-01

Biotechnology has been defined as the application of biological organisms, systems or processes to manufacturing and service industries. In considering health aspects of biotechnological development it must be underlined that the use of microorganisms in traditional industries, such as the production of food, bread, beer and dairy products, has not added significantly to the more usual industrial hazards. The risk factors encountered in the biotechnology industry can be defined as general, i.e., common to other industrial activities, and specific, i.e., depending on the presence of microorganisms and/or their metabolic products. The specific health risks vary according to the type of process, but can be grouped into three main categories: immunological diseases, toxic effects; pathological effects of microorganisms. Allergic immunological diseases such as bronchial asthma, contact dermatitis, oculo-rhinitis and extrinsic allergic alveolitis are by far the most frequent and well known diseases occurring among workers employed on biotechnological production. Toxic effects were observed among workers employed on the production of antibiotics and hormones or single cell proteins, where absorption of endotoxins has been described. Infectious diseases may arise from uncontrolled dissemination of pathogenic microorganisms through aerosols, dusts, aqueous and semisolid sludge effluents from biotechnological plants. The greatest risks occur in the production of antiviral vaccines, in research laboratories and in waste-water treatment plants. Risk of pathogenic effects has also been speculated from exposure to engineered microorganisms in laboratory and environmental or agricultural applications. Safety precautions consisting of protective measures, and effective barriers of containment (both physical and biological) have to be advised according to the hazardous characteristics of the organisms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A biosafety level 2 virology lab for biotechnology undergraduates

PubMed Central

Matza‐Porges, Sigal

2017-01-01

Abstract Medical, industrial, and basic research relies heavily on the use of viruses and vectors. Therefore, it is important that bioscience undergraduates learn the practicalities of handling viruses. Teaching practical virology in a student laboratory setup presents safety challenges, however. The aim of this article is to describe the design and implementation of a virology laboratory, with emphasis on student safety, for biotechnology undergraduates. Cell culture techniques, animal virus infection, quantification, and identification are taught at a biosafety level 2 for a diverse group of undergraduates ranging from 20 to 50 students per group. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):537–543, 2017. PMID:28758332

Antiviral lead compounds from marine sponges.

PubMed

Sagar, Sunil; Kaur, Mandeep; Minneman, Kenneth P

2010-10-11

Marine sponges are currently one of the richest sources of pharmacologically active compounds found in the marine environment. These bioactive molecules are often secondary metabolites, whose main function is to enable and/or modulate cellular communication and defense. They are usually produced by functional enzyme clusters in sponges and/or their associated symbiotic microorganisms. Natural product lead compounds from sponges have often been found to be promising pharmaceutical agents. Several of them have successfully been approved as antiviral agents for clinical use or have been advanced to the late stages of clinical trials. Most of these drugs are used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV). The most important antiviral lead of marine origin reported thus far is nucleoside Ara-A (vidarabine) isolated from sponge Tethya crypta. It inhibits viral DNA polymerase and DNA synthesis of herpes, vaccinica and varicella zoster viruses. However due to the discovery of new types of viruses and emergence of drug resistant strains, it is necessary to develop new antiviral lead compounds continuously. Several sponge derived antiviral lead compounds which are hoped to be developed as future drugs are discussed in this review. Supply problems are usually the major bottleneck to the development of these compounds as drugs during clinical trials. However advances in the field of metagenomics and high throughput microbial cultivation has raised the possibility that these techniques could lead to the cost-effective large scale production of such compounds. Perspectives on biotechnological methods with respect to marine drug development are also discussed.

The relationship of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding biotechnology in college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohan, Donna Elizabeth

Biotechnology is the latest in a series of technological innovations that have revolutionized such fields as agriculture and the health sciences. However, along with the benefits of biotechnology are concerns. For biotechnology's potential to be realized, it must be accepted on public and governmental levels. Although many studies focus on adult consumer attitudes, it will be the students of today who will be the consumers and leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, this study focused on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of college students regarding biotechnology. More than 3,000 undergraduate students were surveyed from a variety of undergraduate courses at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas during the 1997-1998 academic year. Information sought included students' knowledge regarding recent applications of biotechnology, demographic information, and their agreement or disagreement with statements regarding different aspects and applications of biotechnology. This study found that despite a low awareness or knowledge of biotechnology, students were accepting of specific applications or products of biotechnology. Those applications or products viewed as beneficial without involving animals had the highest acceptance levels. A majority of the students identified mass media as their major source of biotechnology while also indicating a high level of distrust of the media. Students also indicated that biotechnology information is needed and that such information is appropriate for high school students. Relationships between knowledge and attitudes were also investigated. A greater knowledge level correlated with a more favorable view of biotechnology. In addition, relationships between demographic variables such as gender and race were investigated. Individuals who identified themselves as scientists were found more accepting of biotechnology while females in general were found less accepting. Females majoring in education were found to be the least

Biotechnology for the extractive metals industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brierley, James A.

1990-01-01

Biotechnology is an alternative process for the extraction of metals, the beneficiation of ores, and the recovery of metals from aqueous systems. Currently, microbial-based processes are used for leaching copper and uranium, enhancing the recovery of gold from refractory ores, and treating industrial wastewater to recover metal values. Future developments, emanating from fundamental and applied research and advances through genetic engineering, are expected to increase the use and efficiency of these biotechnological processes.

A survey of culturable aerobic and anaerobic marine bacteria in de novo biofilm formation on natural substrates in St. Andrews Bay, Scotland.

PubMed

Finnegan, Lucy; Garcia-Melgares, Manuel; Gmerek, Tomasz; Huddleston, W Ryan; Palmer, Alexander; Robertson, Andrew; Shapiro, Sarah; Unkles, Shiela E

2011-10-01

This study reports a novel study of marine biofilm formation comprising aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Samples of quartz and feldspar, minerals commonly found on the earth, were suspended 5 m deep in the North Sea off the east coast of St. Andrews, Scotland for 5 weeks. The assemblage of organisms attached to these stones was cultivated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in the laboratory. Bacteria isolated on Marine Agar 2216 were all Gram-negative and identified to genus level by sequencing the gene encoding 16S rRNA. Colwellia, Maribacter, Pseudoaltermonas and Shewanella were observed in aerobically-grown cultures while Vibrio was found to be present in both aerobic and anaerobic cultures. The obligate anaerobic bacterium Psychrilyobacter atlanticus, a recently defined genus, was identified as a close relative of isolates grown anaerobically. The results provide valuable information as to the main players that attach and form de novo biofilms on common minerals in sea water.

Sex, gender, and health biotechnology: points to consider

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Reproductive technologies have been extensively debated in the literature. As well, feminist economists, environmentalists, and agriculturalists have generated substantial debate and literature on gender. However, the implications for women of health biotechnologies have received relatively less attention. Surprisingly, while gender based frameworks have been proposed in the context of public health policy, practice, health research, and epidemiological research, we could identify no systematic framework for gender analysis of health biotechnology in the developing world. Discussion We propose sex and gender considerations at five critical stages of health biotechnology research and development: priority setting; technology design; clinical trials; commercialization, and health services delivery. Summary Applying a systematic sex and gender framework to five key process stages of health biotechnology research and development could be a first step towards unlocking the opportunities of this promising science for women in the developing world. PMID:19622163

Introduction to Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Volume 1; Basic techniques and concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatia, Saurabh; Goli, Divakar

2018-05-01

Animal biotechnology is a broad field including polarities of fundamental and applied research, as well as DNA science, covering key topics of DNA studies and its recent applications. In Introduction to Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, DNA isolation procedures followed by molecular markers and screening methods of the genomic library are explained. Interesting areas like isolation, sequencing and synthesis of genes, with the broader coverage on synthesis of genes, are also described. The book begins with an introduction to biotechnology and its main branches, explaining both the basic science and the applications of biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals, with special emphasis on their clinical use. It then moves on to historical development and scope of biotechnology with an overall review of early applications that scientists employed long before the field was defined.

Microbial biotechnology and circular economy in wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Nielsen, Per Halkjaer

2017-09-01

Microbial biotechnology is essential for the development of circular economy in wastewater treatment by integrating energy production and resource recovery into the production of clean water. A comprehensive knowledge about identity, physiology, ecology, and population dynamics of process-critical microorganisms will improve process stability, reduce CO2 footprints, optimize recovery and bioenergy production, and help finding new approaches and solutions. Examples of research needs and perspectives are provided, demonstrating the great importance of microbial biotechnology. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Yeast biotechnology: teaching the old dog new tricks.

PubMed

Mattanovich, Diethard; Sauer, Michael; Gasser, Brigitte

2014-03-06

Yeasts are regarded as the first microorganisms used by humans to process food and alcoholic beverages. The technology developed out of these ancient processes has been the basis for modern industrial biotechnology. Yeast biotechnology has gained great interest again in the last decades. Joining the potentials of genomics, metabolic engineering, systems and synthetic biology enables the production of numerous valuable products of primary and secondary metabolism, technical enzymes and biopharmaceutical proteins. An overview of emerging and established substrates and products of yeast biotechnology is provided and discussed in the light of the recent literature.

White House Announcement on the Regulation of Biotechnology

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The White House posted a blog unveiling documents as part of the Administration’s continuing effort to modernize the federal regulatory system for biotechnology products as well as clarify various roles of the EPA, FDA in evaluating new biotechnologies.

Biotechnological Aspects of Microbial Extracellular Electron Transfer

PubMed Central

Kato, Souichiro

2015-01-01

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a type of microbial respiration that enables electron transfer between microbial cells and extracellular solid materials, including naturally-occurring metal compounds and artificial electrodes. Microorganisms harboring EET abilities have received considerable attention for their various biotechnological applications, in addition to their contribution to global energy and material cycles. In this review, current knowledge on microbial EET and its application to diverse biotechnologies, including the bioremediation of toxic metals, recovery of useful metals, biocorrosion, and microbial electrochemical systems (microbial fuel cells and microbial electrosynthesis), were introduced. Two potential biotechnologies based on microbial EET, namely the electrochemical control of microbial metabolism and electrochemical stimulation of microbial symbiotic reactions (electric syntrophy), were also discussed. PMID:26004795

Draft Genome Sequence of Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1, a Filamentous Cyanobacterium with Biotechnological Potential for Alimentary Purposes.

PubMed

Kim, Ji Hyung; Kang, Do-Hyung

2016-09-15

Here, we report the draft genome of cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1 isolated from a microalgal culture pond in South Korea. The genome consists of 13 contigs containing 6,320,172 bp, and a total of 5,327 coding sequences were predicted. This genomic information will allow further exploitation of its biotechnological potential for alimentary purposes. Copyright © 2016 Kim and Kang.

Plant Tissue Culture Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Robert Alan

Plant tissue culture has developed into a valid botanical discipline and is considered a key area of biotechnology, but it has not been a key component of the science curriculum because of the expensive and technical nature of research in this area. This manual presents a number of activities that are relatively easy to prepare and perform. The…

Isolation of marine fungi Aspergillus sp. and its in vitro antifouling activity against marine bacteria.

PubMed

Thiyagarajan, Santhananmari; Bavya, Manoharan; Jamal, Alruwaili

2016-09-01

Biofouling is considered as a main issue of concern in aquatic environment causing severe economic loss and pollution. The aim of the present study was to isolate marine fungus antagonistic to biofouling bacteria and to define antifouling compounds present in it. Using standard plate method five predominant biofouling bacteria viz., Methylococcus sp., Flavobacterium sp., Marinococcus sp., Serratia sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were isolated from marine solid substances on Zobell's agar. Tolerance range of these bacteria to NaCl was 2-10%. Isolation of fungi from mangrove and estuarine sediments and their screening identified Aspergillus sp. EF4 as a potential isolate. This isolate caused inhibition of all the five test bacterial cultures measuring zone diameters respectively of 11, 16, 12, 13 and 11mm.? Subsequent to submerged fermentation using shaking flask method this fungus produced bioactive compounds within 5 days. The culture parameters optimized were raffinose as carbon source, yeast extract as lone nitrogen source, pH up to 9.0 and temperature up to 40?C. Antifouling compounds of culture filtrate were separated and detected by a three-step procedure involving thin layer chromatography, bioautography and preparative TLC. The in vitro assay involving glass slide-wooden stick-biofilm method revealed that these compounds could cause inhibition and destruction of bacteria to an extent of 2.16 x 104 CFU ml-1 and 2.46 x 104 CFU ml-1 respectively while growth of bacteria in control beaker was enumerated to be 4.41 x 104 CFU ml-1. High performance liquid chromatography of culture filtrate indicated probable principal antifouling compound as Fumonisin B2. Isolation of antagonistic marine fungus from Indian coast and detection of its antifouling compound would help in planning effective strategies for controlling biofouling in marine environment.

Opportunities in biotechnology.

PubMed

Gartland, Kevan M A; Gartland, Jill S

2018-06-08

Strategies for biotechnology must take account of opportunities for research, innovation and business growth. At a regional level, public-private collaborations provide potential for such growth and the creation of centres of excellence. By considering recent progress in areas such as genomics, healthcare diagnostics, synthetic biology, gene editing and bio-digital technologies, opportunities for smart, strategic and specialised investment are discussed. These opportunities often involve convergent or disruptive technologies, combining for example elements of pharma-science, molecular biology, bioinformatics and novel device development to enhance biotechnology and the life sciences. Analytical applications use novel devices in mobile health, predictive diagnostics and stratified medicine. Synthetic biology provides opportunities for new product development and increased efficiency for existing processes. Successful centres of excellence should promote public-private business partnerships, clustering and global collaborations based on excellence, smart strategies and innovation if they are to remain sustainable in the longer term. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Pigment Cell Differentiation in Sea Urchin Blastula-Derived Primary Cell Cultures

PubMed Central

Ageenko, Natalya V.; Kiselev, Konstantin V.; Dmitrenok, Pavel S.; Odintsova, Nelly A.

2014-01-01

The quinone pigments of sea urchins, specifically echinochrome and spinochromes, are known for their effective antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activities. We developed in vitro technology for inducing pigment differentiation in cell culture. The intensification of the pigment differentiation was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in cell proliferation. The number of pigment cells was two-fold higher in the cells cultivated in the coelomic fluids of injured sea urchins than in those intact. The possible roles of the specific components of the coelomic fluids in the pigment differentiation process and the quantitative measurement of the production of naphthoquinone pigments during cultivation were examined by MALDI and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Echinochrome A and spinochrome E were produced by the cultivated cells of the sand dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis in all tested media, while only spinochromes were found in the cultivated cells of another sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus intermedius. The expression of genes associated with the induction of pigment differentiation was increased in cells cultivated in the presence of shikimic acid, a precursor of naphthoquinone pigments. Our results should contribute to the development of new techniques in marine biotechnology, including the generation of cell cultures producing complex bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. PMID:24979272

Viability and Isolation of Marine Bacteria by Dilution Culture: Theory, Procedures, and Initial Results

PubMed Central

Button, D. K.; Schut, Frits; Quang, Pham; Martin, Ravonna; Robertson, Betsy R.

1993-01-01

Dilution culture, a method for growing the typical small bacteria from natural aquatic assemblages, has been developed. Each of 11 experimental trials of the technique was successful. Populations are measured, diluted to a small and known number of cells, inoculated into unamended sterilized seawater, and examined three times for the presence of 104 or more cells per ml over a 9-week interval. Mean viability for assemblage members is obtained from the frequency of growth, and many of the cultures produced are pure. Statistical formulations for determining viability and the frequency of pure culture production are derived. Formulations for associated errors are derived as well. Computer simulations of experiments agreed with computed values within the expected error, which verified the formulations. These led to strategies for optimizing viability determinations and pure culture production. Viabilities were usually between 2 and 60% and decreased with >5 mg of amino acids per liter as carbon. In view of difficulties in growing marine oligobacteria, these high values are noteworthy. Significant differences in population characteristics during growth, observed by high-resolution flow cytometry, suggested substantial population diversity. Growth of total populations as well as of cytometry-resolved subpopulations sometimes were truncated at levels of near 104 cells per ml, showing that viable cells could escape detection. Viability is therefore defined as the ability to grow to that population; true viabilities could be even higher. Doubling times, based on whole populations as well as individual subpopulations, were in the 1-day to 1-week range. Data were examined for changes in viability with dilution suggesting cell-cell interactions, but none could be confirmed. The frequency of pure culture production can be adjusted by inoculum size if the viability is known. These apparently pure cultures produced retained the size and apparent DNA-content characteristic of the

Ethical limitations in patenting biotechnological inventions.

PubMed

Lugagnani, V

1999-01-01

In order to connect ethical considerations with practical limits to patentability, the moral judgement should possibly move from the exploitation of the invention to the nature and/or objectives of Research and Development (R&D) projects which have produced it: in other words, it appears quite reasonable and logical that Society is not rewarding unethical R&D activities by granting intellectual property rights. As far as biotechnology R&D is concerned, ethical guidance can be derived from the 1996 Council of EuropeOs OConvention for the protection of human rights and dignity of the human being with regard to the application of biology and medicineO, whose Chapter V - Scientific research - provides guidelines on: i. protection of persons undergoing research (e.g. informed consent); ii. protection of persons not able to consent to research; iii. research on embryos in vitro. As far as the specific point of patenting biotechnology inventions is concerned, the four exclusions prescribed by Directive 98/44/EC (i.e. human cloning, human germ-line gene therapy, use of human embryos for commercial purposes, unjustified animal suffering for medical purposes) are all we have in Europe in terms of ethical guidance to patentability. In Italy, in particular, we certainly need far more comprehensive legislation, expressing SocietyOs demand to provide ethical control of modern biotechnology. However it is quite difficult to claim that ethical concerns are being raised by currently awarded biotechnology patents related to living organisms and material thereof; they largely deal with the results of genomic R&D, purposely and usefully oriented toward improving health-care and agri-food processes, products and services. ONo patents on lifeOO can be an appealing slogan of militants against modern biotechnology, but it is far too much of an over-simplified abstraction to become the Eleventh Commandment our Society.

Evaluation of an In-service Course on Biotechnology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lock, Roger; Dunkerton, John

1989-01-01

Described is the evaluation of an inservice course on biotechnology. Evaluated were the influence that the course had on teacher knowledge, use of practical work, problem solving investigations and theoretical aspects of biotechnology. A practical model of inservice evaluation is provided. (Author/CW)

[Antioxidative activities of two metabolites of cultured marine fungus, Halorosellinia oceanicum 323 in vitro].

PubMed

Luo, Jinghui; Yang, Yingbao; Lin, Yongcheng; Chen, Zhiliang; Jiang, Guangce

2004-03-01

To investigate the antioxidative effects of 323-A and 323-B, two isomers extracted from the metabolites of cultured marine fungus, Halorosellinia oceanicum 323 in vitro. NADH-PMS-NBT system was used to produce superoxide free radical (O2*-), EDTANa2-Fe(II)-H2O2 system to generate hydroxyl free radical (*OH), H2O2 to stimulate oxidative hemolysis of erythrocytes of rats, Cys-Fe2+ to induce malondialdehyde (MDA) production in homogenates, and ferrous-ascorbic acid system to increase the turbidity of mitochondria suspension in the liver of rats. And the antioxidative activities of 323-A and 323-B were studied. 323-A and 323-B not only scavenge O2*- and *OH produced by the experimental systems directly, but also inhibit H2O2 stimulated oxidative hemolysis of erythrocytes of rats, depress MDA production in homogenates induced by Cys-Fe2+ system, and reduce the turbidity of mitochondria suspension in the liver of rats increased by ferrous-ascorbic acid system in vitro. 323-A and 323-B showed comprehensive cleaning actions on free radicals and protective effects on the functions of tissues and cells against oxidative lesion. The results suggested that the marine microorganic metabolites might be a novel and profound source of antioxidative reagents.

BIOFAC-An investment in space infrastructure for biotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deuser, Mark S.; Vellinger, John C.

2000-01-01

During the last half century, biotechnology has contributed to the development of many important new and useful products that have improved our quality of life. To a large extent, these contributions are attributable to advances in cellular and molecular biology that can be traced to the discovery of DNA. What began as a science involved with manipulations of whole organisms has transcended into an ability to influence organisms at the cellular and molecular levels with greater speed, flexibility and precision than ever before. This has produced significantly improved pharmaceutical, textile, diagnostic, and environmental products, to name just a few. Early in this new century, biotechnology research is expected to literally explode with exciting new and promising opportunities. More importantly, biotechnology research in the low gravity environment of space is expected to play a significant part in this biotechnology revolution by expediting the discovery of important new medical, agricultural and environmental products. .

Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Tissue Culture Module (TCM) is the stationary bioreactor vessel in which cell cultures grow. However, for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI), color polystyrene beads are used to measure the effectiveness of various mixing procedures. Uniform mixing is a crucial component of CBOSS experiments involving the immune response of human lymphoid cell suspensions. In this picture, the beads are trapped in the injection port shortly after injection. Swirls of beads indicate, event to the naked eye, the contents of the TCM are not fully mixed. The beads are similar in size and density to human lymphoid cells. The goal is to develop procedures that are both convenient for the flight crew and are optimal in providing uniform and reproducible mixing of all components, including cells. The average bead density in a well mixed TCM will be uniform, with no bubbles, and it will be measured using the absorption of light

Current and Future Leaders' Perceptions of Agricultural Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingenbach, Gary J.; Miller, Rene P.

2009-01-01

Were elected state FFA officers' attitudes toward agricultural biotechnology significantly different from elected Texas legislators' attitudes about the same topic? The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in agricultural biotechnology perceptions or information source preferences when compared by leadership status:…

Yeast biotechnology: teaching the old dog new tricks

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Yeasts are regarded as the first microorganisms used by humans to process food and alcoholic beverages. The technology developed out of these ancient processes has been the basis for modern industrial biotechnology. Yeast biotechnology has gained great interest again in the last decades. Joining the potentials of genomics, metabolic engineering, systems and synthetic biology enables the production of numerous valuable products of primary and secondary metabolism, technical enzymes and biopharmaceutical proteins. An overview of emerging and established substrates and products of yeast biotechnology is provided and discussed in the light of the recent literature. PMID:24602262

The impact of plant biotechnology on food allergy.

PubMed

Herman, Eliot M; Burks, A Wesley

2011-04-01

Concerns about food allergy and its societal growth are intertwined with the growing advances in plant biotechnology. The knowledge of plant genes and protein structures provides the key foundation to understanding biochemical processes that produce food allergy. Biotechnology offers the prospect of producing low-allergen or allergen null plants that could mitigate the allergic response. Modified low-IgE binding variants of allergens could be used as a vaccine to build immunotolerance in sensitive individuals. The potential to introduce new allergens into the food supply by biotechnology products is a regulatory concern. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prospects for the use of plant cell cultures in food biotechnology.

PubMed

Davies, Kevin M; Deroles, Simon C

2014-04-01

Plant cell cultures can offer continuous production systems for high-value food and health ingredients, independent of geographical or environmental variations and constraints. Yet despite many improvements in culture technologies, cell line selection, and bioreactor design, there are few commercial successes. This is principally due to the culture yield and market price of food products not being sufficient to cover the plant cell culture production costs. A better understanding of the underpinning biological mechanisms that control the target metabolite biosynthetic pathways may allow the metabolic engineering of cell lines to provide for economically competitive product yields. However, uncertainty around the regulatory and public acceptance of products derived from engineered cell cultures presents a barrier to the uptake of the technology by food product companies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role of Biotechnology for Conservation and Biologically Active Substances Production of Rhodiola rosea: Endangered Medicinal Species

PubMed Central

Tasheva, Krasimira; Kosturkova, Georgina

2012-01-01

At present, more than 50 000 plant species are used in phytotherapy and medicine. About 2/3 of them are harvested from nature leading to local extinction of many species or degradation of their habitats. Biotechnological methods offer possibilities not only for faster cloning and conservation of the genotype of the plants but for modification of their gene information, regulation, and expression for production of valuable substances in higher amounts or with better properties. Rhodiola rosea is an endangered medicinal species with limited distribution. It has outstanding importance for pharmaceutical industry for prevention and cure of cancer, heart and nervous system diseases, and so forth. Despite the great interest in golden root and the wide investigations in the area of phytochemistry, plant biotechnology remained less endeavoured and exploited. The paper presents research on initiation of in vitro cultures in Rhodiola rosea and some other Rhodiola species. Achievements in induction of organogenic and callus cultures, regeneration, and micropropagation varied but were a good basis for alternative in vitro synthesis of the desired metabolites and for the development of efficient systems for micropropagation for conservation of the species. PMID:22666097

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections.

PubMed

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A Rick; Ryan, Matthew; Kang, Seogchan; Nobles, David; Eisen, Jonathan A; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Sitepu, Irnayuli R; Torok, Tamas; Brown, Daniel R; Cho, Juliana; Wertz, John E; Mukherjee, Supratim; Cady, Sherry L; McCluskey, Kevin

2015-09-01

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN; http://usccn.org) is "to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind." Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Biotechnology--Biotechnical Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruggles, Stanford

1990-01-01

The perspective of biotechnology and its development in the K-12 technology education curriculum are described. The content curriculum development and implications for activities are discussed. The difference between a curriculum focused on the activities of industry compared to one that addresses technology as it pervades all human endeavors is…

Phylogeny and Antagonistic Activities of Culturable Bacteria Associated with the Gut Microbiota of the Sea Urchin (Paracentrotus lividus).

PubMed

Laport, Marinella Silva; Bauwens, Mathieu; Collard, Marie; George, Isabelle

2018-03-01

In this study, we have investigated the phylogeny and the antagonistic interactions of culturable bacteria isolated from the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus collected from Aber and Morgat, both located in Crozon peninsula, France. Bacteria were isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of ten specimens by using conventional culture-dependent method and then investigated by using phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Assays for antagonistic interactions among the bacterial strains were performed; bacteria (including at least one strain representative of each OTU identified) were screened for antimicrobial substance production. So, 367 bacterial strains were isolated on marine-agar. On the basis of morphological characteristics, 180 strains were sequenced and 94 OTUs were classified. The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, with a high abundance of the strains belonging to the genus Psychrobacter. From the antagonistic interactions assays, it could be determined that 22.7% strains were positive for at least one antagonism interaction, 18.3% of them isolated from the sea urchins collected in Morgat. We hypothesize that the bacteria isolated in this study may represent the transitory microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract of P. lividus, and that this microbiota may be related to the diet of this marine invertebrate. Furthermore, our results suggest that chemical antagonism could play a significant role in shaping the bacterial communities within gastrointestinal tract of the sea urchins. In addition, most isolated bacteria may have promising biotechnology applications.

Dendritic platforms for biomimicry and biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Nagpal, Kalpana; Mohan, Anand; Thakur, Sourav; Kumar, Pradeep

2018-02-15

Dendrimers, commonly referred to as polymeric trees, offer endless opportunities for biotechnological and biomedical applications. By controlling the type, length, and molecular weight of the core, branches and end groups, respectively, the chemical functionality and topology of dendrimeric archetypes can be customized which further can be applied to achieve required solubility, biodegradability, diagnosis and other applications. Given the physicochemical variability of the dendrimers and their hybrids, this review attempts to discuss a full spectrum of recent advances and strides made by these "perfectly designed structures". An extensive biotech/biomimicry application profiling of dendrimers is provided with focus on complex archetypical designs such as protein biomimicry (angiogenic inhibitors, regenerative hydroxyapatite and collagen) and biotechnology applications. In terms of biotechnological advances, dendrimers have provided distinctive advantages in the fields of biocatalysis, microbicides, artificial lights, mitochondrial function modulation, vaccines, tissue regeneration and repair, antigen carriers and even biosensors. In addition, this review provides overview of the extensive chemo-functionalization opportunities available with dendrimers which makes them a perfect candidate for forming drug conjugates, protein hybrids, bio mimics, lipidic derivatives, metal deposits and nanoconjugates thereby making them the most multifunctional platforms for diverse biotechnological applications.

Organisation of biotechnological information into knowledge.

PubMed

Boh, B

1996-09-01

The success of biotechnological research, development and marketing depends to a large extent on the international transfer of information and on the ability to organise biotechnology information into knowledge. To increase the efficiency of information-based approaches, an information strategy has been developed and consists of the following stages: definition of the problem, its structure and sub-problems; acquisition of data by targeted processing of computer-supported bibliographic, numeric, textual and graphic databases; analysis of data and building of specialized in-house information systems; information processing for structuring data into systems, recognition of trends and patterns of knowledge, particularly by information synthesis using the concept of information density; design of research hypotheses; testing hypotheses in the laboratory and/or pilot plant; repeated evaluation and optimization of hypotheses by information methods and testing them by further laboratory work. The information approaches are illustrated by examples from the university-industry joint projects in biotechnology, biochemistry and agriculture.

Biotechnological uses of enzymes from psychrophiles

PubMed Central

Cavicchioli, R.; Charlton, T.; Ertan, H.; Omar, S. Mohd; Siddiqui, K. S.; Williams, T. J.

2011-01-01

Summary The bulk of the Earth's biosphere is cold (e.g. 90% of the ocean's waters are ≤ 5°C), sustaining a broad diversity of microbial life. The permanently cold environments vary from the deep ocean to alpine reaches and to polar regions. Commensurate with the extent and diversity of the ecosystems that harbour psychrophilic life, the functional capacity of the microorganisms that inhabitat the cold biosphere are equally diverse. As a result, indigenous psychrophilic microorganisms provide an enormous natural resource of enzymes that function effectively in the cold, and these cold‐adapted enzymes have been targeted for their biotechnological potential. In this review we describe the main properties of enzymes from psychrophiles and describe some of their known biotechnological applications and ways to potentially improve their value for biotechnology. The review also covers the use of metagenomics for enzyme screening, the development of psychrophilic gene expression systems and the use of enzymes for cleaning. PMID:21733127

Management in biophotonics and biotechnologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meglinski, I. V.; Tuchin, V. V.

2005-10-01

Biophotonics, one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas, offers vast potential for changing traditional approaches to meeting many critical needs in medicine, biology, pharmacy, food, health care and cosmetic industries. Follow the market trends we developed new MSc course Management in Biophotonics and Biotechnologies (MBB) that provide students of technical disciplines with the necessary training, education and problem-solving skills to produce professionals and managers who are better equipped to handle the challenges of modern science and business in biophotonics and biotechnology. A major advantage of the course is that it provides skills not currently available to graduates in other Master programs.

Analytical Challenges in Biotechnology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glajch, Joseph L.

1986-01-01

Highlights five major analytical areas (electrophoresis, immunoassay, chromatographic separations, protein and DNA sequencing, and molecular structures determination) and discusses how analytical chemistry could further improve these techniques and thereby have a major impact on biotechnology. (JN)

A Haloalkane Dehalogenase from a Marine Microbial Consortium Possessing Exceptionally Broad Substrate Specificity.

PubMed

Buryska, Tomas; Babkova, Petra; Vavra, Ondrej; Damborsky, Jiri; Prokop, Zbynek

2018-01-15

The haloalkane dehalogenase enzyme DmmA was identified by marine metagenomic screening. Determination of its crystal structure revealed an unusually large active site compared to those of previously characterized haloalkane dehalogenases. Here we present a biochemical characterization of this interesting enzyme with emphasis on its structure-function relationships. DmmA exhibited an exceptionally broad substrate specificity and degraded several halogenated environmental pollutants that are resistant to other members of this enzyme family. In addition to having this unique substrate specificity, the enzyme was highly tolerant to organic cosolvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, and acetone. Its broad substrate specificity, high overexpression yield (200 mg of protein per liter of cultivation medium; 50% of total protein), good tolerance to organic cosolvents, and a broad pH range make DmmA an attractive biocatalyst for various biotechnological applications. IMPORTANCE We present a thorough biochemical characterization of the haloalkane dehalogenase DmmA from a marine metagenome. This enzyme with an unusually large active site shows remarkably broad substrate specificity, high overexpression, significant tolerance to organic cosolvents, and activity under a broad range of pH conditions. DmmA is an attractive catalyst for sustainable biotechnology applications, e.g., biocatalysis, biosensing, and biodegradation of halogenated pollutants. We also report its ability to convert multiple halogenated compounds to corresponding polyalcohols. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Omics of the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) and its relevance to marine environmental research.

PubMed

Kim, Bo-Mi; Kim, Jaebum; Choi, Ik-Young; Raisuddin, Sheikh; Au, Doris W T; Leung, Kenneth M Y; Wu, Rudolf S S; Rhee, Jae-Sung; Lee, Jae-Seong

2016-02-01

In recent years, the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma), also known as the Indian medaka or brackish medaka, has been recognized as a model fish species for ecotoxicology and environmental research in the Asian region. O. melastigma has several promising features for research, which include a short generation period (3-4 months), daily spawning, small size (3-4 cm), transparent embryos, sexual dimorphism, and ease of mass culture in the laboratory. There have been extensive transcriptome and genome studies on the marine medaka in the past decade. Such omics data can be useful in understanding the signal transduction pathways of small teleosts in response to environmental stressors. An omics-integrated approach in the study of the marine medaka is important for strengthening its role as a small fish model for marine environmental studies. In this review, we present current omics information about the marine medaka and discuss its potential applications in the study of various molecular pathways that can be targets of marine environmental stressors, such as chemical pollutants. We believe that this review will encourage the use of this small fish as a model species in marine environmental research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Language of Biotechnology: A Dictionary of Terms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, John M.; Cox, Michael

This dictionary attempts to define routinely used specialized language in the various areas of biotechnology, and remain suitable for use by scientists involved in unrelated disciplines. Viewing biotechnology as the practical application of biological systems to the manufacturing and service industries, and to the management of the environment,…

Technology Teachers' Beliefs about Biotechnology and Its Instruction in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Hyuksoo; Chang, Mido

2009-01-01

The increased public awareness of the significance and necessity of biotechnology has encouraged educators to implement biotechnology instruction in various educational settings. One example is the great effort made by educational researchers and practitioners internationally to integrate biotechnology in technology education. Despite the gains in…

Changing trends in biotechnology of secondary metabolism in medicinal and aromatic plants.

PubMed

Gandhi, Sumit G; Mahajan, Vidushi; Bedi, Yashbir S

2015-02-01

Medicinal and aromatic plants are known to produce secondary metabolites that find uses as flavoring agents, fragrances, insecticides, dyes and drugs. Biotechnology offers several choices through which secondary metabolism in medicinal plants can be altered in innovative ways, to overproduce phytochemicals of interest, to reduce the content of toxic compounds or even to produce novel chemicals. Detailed investigation of chromatin organization and microRNAs affecting biosynthesis of secondary metabolites as well as exploring cryptic biosynthetic clusters and synthetic biology options, may provide additional ways to harness this resource. Plant secondary metabolites are a fascinating class of phytochemicals exhibiting immense chemical diversity. Considerable enigma regarding their natural biological functions and the vast array of pharmacological activities, amongst other uses, make secondary metabolites interesting and important candidates for research. Here, we present an update on changing trends in the biotechnological approaches that are used to understand and exploit the secondary metabolism in medicinal and aromatic plants. Bioprocessing in the form of suspension culture, organ culture or transformed hairy roots has been successful in scaling up secondary metabolite production in many cases. Pathway elucidation and metabolic engineering have been useful to get enhanced yield of the metabolite of interest; or, for producing novel metabolites. Heterologous expression of putative plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis genes in a microbe is useful to validate their functions, and in some cases, also, to produce plant metabolites in microbes. Endophytes, the microbes that normally colonize plant tissues, may also produce the phytochemicals produced by the host plant. The review also provides perspectives on future research in the field.

Plant biotechnology for food security and bioeconomy.

PubMed

Clarke, Jihong Liu; Zhang, Peng

2013-09-01

This year is a special year for plant biotechnology. It was 30 years ago, on January 18 1983, one of the most important dates in the history of plant biotechnology, that three independent groups described Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation at the Miami Winter Symposium, leading to the production of normal, fertile transgenic plants (Bevan et al. in Nature 304:184-187, 1983; Fraley et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:4803-4807, 1983; Herrera-Estrella et al. in EMBO J 2:987-995, 1983; Vasil in Plant Cell Rep 27:1432-1440, 2008). Since then, plant biotechnology has rapidly advanced into a useful and valuable tool and has made a significant impact on crop production, development of a biotech industry and the bio-based economy worldwide.

Space Biotechnology and Commercial Applications University of Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Winfred; Evanich, Peggy L.

2004-01-01

The Space Biotechnology and Commercial Applications grant was funded by NASA's Kennedy Space Center in FY 2002 to provide dedicated biotechnology and agricultural research focused on the regeneration of space flight environments with direct parallels in Earth-based applications for solving problems in the environment, advances in agricultural science, and other human support issues amenable to targeted biotechnology solutions. This grant had three project areas, each with multiple tasks. They are: 1) Space Agriculture and Biotechnology Research and Education, 2) Integrated Smart Nanosensors for Space Biotechnology Applications, and 3) Commercial Applications. The Space Agriculture and Biotechnology Research and Education (SABRE) Center emphasized the fundamental biology of organisms involved in space flight applications, including those involved in advanced life support environments because of their critical role in the long-term exploration of space. The SABRE Center supports research at the University of Florida and at the Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL) at the Kennedy Space Center. The Integrated Smart Nanosensors for Space Biotechnology Applications component focused on developing and applying sensor technologies to space environments and agricultural systems. The research activities in nanosensors were coordinated with the SABRE portions of this grant and with the research sponsored by the NASA Environmental Systems Commercial Space Technology Center located in the Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences. Initial sensor efforts have focused on air and water quality monitoring essential to humans for living and working permanently in space, an important goal identified in NASA's strategic plan. The closed environment of a spacecraft or planetary base accentuates cause and effect relationships and environmental impacts. The limited available air and water resources emphasize the need for reuse, recycling, and system monitoring. It is essential to

Antimicrobial Potential of Bacteria Associated with Marine Sea Slugs from North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

PubMed

Böhringer, Nils; Fisch, Katja M; Schillo, Dorothee; Bara, Robert; Hertzer, Cora; Grein, Fabian; Eisenbarth, Jan-Hendrik; Kaligis, Fontje; Schneider, Tanja; Wägele, Heike; König, Gabriele M; Schäberle, Till F

2017-01-01

Nudibranchia, marine soft-bodied organisms, developed, due to the absence of a protective shell, different strategies to protect themselves against putative predators and fouling organisms. One strategy is to use chemical weapons to distract predators, as well as pathogenic microorganisms. Hence, these gastropods take advantage of the incorporation of chemical molecules. Thereby the original source of these natural products varies; it might be the food source, de novo synthesis from the sea slug, or biosynthesis by associated bacteria. These bioactive molecules applied by the slugs can become important drug leads for future medicinal drugs. To test the potential of the associated bacteria, the latter were isolated from their hosts, brought into culture and extracts were prepared and tested for antimicrobial activities. From 49 isolated bacterial strains 35 showed antibiotic activity. The most promising extracts were chosen for further testing against relevant pathogens. In that way three strains showing activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and one strain with activity against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli , respectively, were identified. The obtained results indicate that the sea slug associated microbiome is a promising source for bacterial strains, which hold the potential for the biotechnological production of antibiotics.

Genetic Variations of the Parasitic Dinoflagellate Hematodinium Infecting Cultured Marine Crustaceans in China.

PubMed

Xiao, Jie; Miao, Xiaoxiang; Li, Caiwen; Xu, Wenjun; Zhang, Xuelei; Wang, Zongling

2016-12-01

The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium infects multiple cultured marine crustaceans and has resulted in significant economic losses to their aquaculture in China. Limited molecular data implied a close relationship among Hematodinium reported in China, whereas the genetic diversity and detailed genetic variation within Hematodinium remains unclear. In order to investigate the genetic diversity and composition of the parasitic dinoflagellate in China, the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1 - 5.8S - ITS2) were amplified from 104 infected hosts cultured in three geographic locations. Two strains were identified, Hematodinium perezi II was the prevalent strain observed in all three host taxa throughout the survey, the other novel one was detected from the single Exopalaemon carinicauda collected from Zhejiang province. Eight ITS haplotypes within H. perezi II were identified with a similarity of 99.8% -100%. The distinct haplotype compositions and AMOVA analysis suggested a significant genetic differentiation and population structure among the three geographic populations of H. perezi II. The novel strain, genetically affiliated with H. perezi, was quite divergent from the three known genotypes (I, II and III) of H. perezi, and further investigation is needed to determine the distribution and host range of this new strain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand: redefining policy directions.

PubMed

Velasco, Román Pérez; Chaikledkaew, Usa; Myint, Chaw Yin; Khampang, Roongnapa; Tantivess, Sripen; Teerawattananon, Yot

2013-01-02

Thailand faces a significant burden in terms of treating and managing degenerative and chronic diseases. Moreover, incidences of rare diseases are rising. Many of these-such as diabetes, cancer, and inherited inborn metabolic diseases-have no definite treatments or cure. Meanwhile, advanced health biotechnology has been found, in principle, to be an effective solution for these health problems. Qualitative approaches were employed to analyse the current situation and examine existing public policies related to advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand. The results of this analysis were then used to formulate policy recommendations. Our research revealed that the system in Thailand in relation to advanced health biotechnologies is fragmented, with multiple unaddressed gaps, underfunding of research and development (R&D), and a lack of incentives for the private sector. In addition, there are no clear definitions of advanced health biotechnologies, and coverage pathways are absent. Meanwhile, false advertising and misinformation are prevalent, with no responsible bodies to actively and effectively provide appropriate information and education (I&E). The establishment of a specialised institution to fill the gaps in this area is warranted. The development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategic plan related to advanced health biotechnologies, greater investment in R&D and I&E for all stakeholders, collaboration among agencies, harmonisation of reimbursement across public health schemes, and provision of targeted I&E are specifically recommended.

Advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand: redefining policy directions

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Thailand faces a significant burden in terms of treating and managing degenerative and chronic diseases. Moreover, incidences of rare diseases are rising. Many of these—such as diabetes, cancer, and inherited inborn metabolic diseases—have no definite treatments or cure. Meanwhile, advanced health biotechnology has been found, in principle, to be an effective solution for these health problems. Methods Qualitative approaches were employed to analyse the current situation and examine existing public policies related to advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand. The results of this analysis were then used to formulate policy recommendations. Results Our research revealed that the system in Thailand in relation to advanced health biotechnologies is fragmented, with multiple unaddressed gaps, underfunding of research and development (R&D), and a lack of incentives for the private sector. In addition, there are no clear definitions of advanced health biotechnologies, and coverage pathways are absent. Meanwhile, false advertising and misinformation are prevalent, with no responsible bodies to actively and effectively provide appropriate information and education (I&E). The establishment of a specialised institution to fill the gaps in this area is warranted. Conclusion The development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategic plan related to advanced health biotechnologies, greater investment in R&D and I&E for all stakeholders, collaboration among agencies, harmonisation of reimbursement across public health schemes, and provision of targeted I&E are specifically recommended. PMID:23281771

Biotechnology awareness study, Part 2: Meeting the information needs of biotechnologists.

PubMed Central

Cunningham, D; Grefsheim, S; Simon, M; Lansing, P S

1991-01-01

The second part of the biotechnology awareness study focused on health sciences libraries and how well they are meeting the needs of biotechnologists working in the study's nine medical centers. A survey was conducted over a three-month period to assess the demand for biotechnology-related reference services at nine libraries and the sources the librarians used to answer the questions. Data on monographic and current serial holdings were also collected. At the end of the survey period, librarians were asked for their perceptions about biotechnology research at their institutions and in their geographic areas. Their responses were compared to the responses the scientists at the nine schools gave to the same or similar questions. Results showed few biotechnology-related reference questions were asked of the librarians. The recorded questions dealt with a range of biotechnology subjects. MEDLINE was used to answer 77% of the questions received during the survey period. More detailed notes in MeSH and a guide to online searching for biotechnology topics were suggested by the librarians as ways to improve reference service to this group of researchers. Journal collections were generally strong, with libraries owning from 50% to 87% of the titles on a core list of biotechnology journals compiled for this study. All libraries subscribed to the five titles most often cited by the scientists surveyed. Generally, librarians were unaware of the biotechnology-related research being done on their campuses or in their geographic areas. PMID:1998819

Biotechnology Science Experiments on Mir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kroes, Roger L.

1999-01-01

This paper describes the microgravity biotechnology experiments carried out on the Shuttle/Mir program. Four experiments investigated the growth of protein crystals, and three investigated cellular growth. Many hundreds of protein samples were processed using four different techniques. The objective of these experiments was to determine optimum conditions for the growth of very high quality single crystals to be used for structure determination. The Biotechnology System (BTS) was used to process the three cell growth investigations. The samples processed by these experiments were: bovine chondrocytes, human renal epithelial cells, and human breast cancer cells and endothelial cells. The objective was to determine the unique properties of cell aggregates produced in the microgravity environment.

Biotechnological Applications of Microbial (Per)chlorate Reduction.

PubMed

Wang, Ouwei; Coates, John D

2017-11-24

While the microbial degradation of a chloroxyanion-based herbicide was first observed nearly ninety years ago, only recently have researchers elucidated the underlying mechanisms of perchlorate and chlorate [collectively, (per)chlorate] respiration. Although the obvious application of these metabolisms lies in the bioremediation and attenuation of (per)chlorate in contaminated environments, a diversity of alternative and innovative biotechnological applications has been proposed based on the unique metabolic abilities of dissimilatory (per)chlorate-reducing bacteria (DPRB). This is fueled in part by the unique ability of these organisms to generate molecular oxygen as a transient intermediate of the central pathway of (per)chlorate respiration. This ability, along with other novel aspects of the metabolism, have resulted in a wide and disparate range of potential biotechnological applications being proposed, including enzymatic perchlorate detection; gas gangrene therapy; enhanced xenobiotic bioremediation; oil reservoir bio-souring control; chemostat hygiene control; aeration enhancement in industrial bioreactors; and, biogenic oxygen production for planetary exploration. While previous reviews focus on the fundamental science of microbial (per)chlorate reduction (for example see Youngblut et al., 2016), here, we provide an overview of the emerging biotechnological applications of (per)chlorate respiration and the underlying organisms and enzymes to environmental and biotechnological industries.

Current Perspectives on Biotechnological Cannabinoid Production in Plants.

PubMed

Schachtsiek, Julia; Warzecha, Heribert; Kayser, Oliver; Stehle, Felix

2018-03-01

The plant Cannabis sativa contains a number of psychoactive chemical compounds, the cannabinoids, which possess a significant pharmaceutical potential. Recently, the usage of Cannabis for medicinal purposes was legalized in many countries. Thus, the study on the influence of different cannabinoids in combination with other Cannabis -derived compounds with respect to the treatment of various diseases becomes increasingly important. Besides the production of distinct cannabinoids in a heterologous host, like tobacco or yeast, transgenic Cannabis plants would be a suitable alternative to modify and therefore optimize the cannabinoid profile. This perspective highlights the current efforts on Cannabis cell culture systems, in vitro propagation, and transformation of the plant and reveals the resulting opportunities concerning biotechnological production of cannabinoids. Furthermore, alternative platform organisms for the heterologous production of cannabinoids, like tobacco, are considered and evaluated. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Establishing Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as an industrial biotechnology host

PubMed Central

Scaife, Mark A; Nguyen, Ginnie TDT; Rico, Juan; Lambert, Devinn; Helliwell, Katherine E; Smith, Alison G

2015-01-01

Microalgae constitute a diverse group of eukaryotic unicellular organisms that are of interest for pure and applied research. Owing to their natural synthesis of value-added natural products microalgae are emerging as a source of sustainable chemical compounds, proteins and metabolites, including but not limited to those that could replace compounds currently made from fossil fuels. For the model microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, this has prompted a period of rapid development so that this organism is poised for exploitation as an industrial biotechnology platform. The question now is how best to achieve this? Highly advanced industrial biotechnology systems using bacteria and yeasts were established in a classical metabolic engineering manner over several decades. However, the advent of advanced molecular tools and the rise of synthetic biology provide an opportunity to expedite the development of C. reinhardtii as an industrial biotechnology platform, avoiding the process of incremental improvement. In this review we describe the current status of genetic manipulation of C. reinhardtii for metabolic engineering. We then introduce several concepts that underpin synthetic biology, and show how generic parts are identified and used in a standard manner to achieve predictable outputs. Based on this we suggest that the development of C. reinhardtii as an industrial biotechnology platform can be achieved more efficiently through adoption of a synthetic biology approach. Significance Statement Chlamydomonas reinhardtii offers potential as a host for the production of high value compounds for industrial biotechnology. Synthetic biology provides a mechanism to generate generic, well characterised tools for application in the rational genetic manipulation of organisms: if synthetic biology principles were adopted for manipulation of C. reinhardtii, development of this microalga as an industrial biotechnology platform would be expedited. PMID:25641561

[The role of biotechnology in pharmaceutical drug design].

PubMed

Gaisser, Sibylle; Nusser, Michael

2010-01-01

Biotechnological methods have become an important tool in pharmaceutical drug research and development. Today approximately 15 % of drug revenues are derived from biopharmaceuticals. The most relevant indications are oncology, metabolic disorders and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. For the future it can be expected that the relevance of biopharmaceuticals will further increase. Currently, the share of substances in preclinical testing that rely on biotechnology is more than 25 % of all substances in preclinical testing. Products for the treatment of cancer, metabolic disorders and infectious diseases are most important. New therapeutic approaches such as RNA interference only play a minor role in current commercial drug research and development with 1.5 % of all biological preclinical substances. Investments in sustainable high technology such as biotechnology are of vital importance for a highly developed country like Germany because of its lack of raw materials. Biotechnology helps the pharmaceutical industry to develop new products, new processes, methods and services and to improve existing ones. Thus, international competitiveness can be strengthened, new jobs can be created and existing jobs preserved.

Multidimensional Analysis of High-School Students' Perceptions about Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fonseca, Maria Joao; Costa, Patricio; Lencastre, Leonor; Tavares, Fernando

2012-01-01

Concerns about public understanding of biotechnology have motivated educational initiatives to improve students' competency to make scientifically sustained decisions regarding controversial issues. Understanding students' perceptions about biotechnology is essential to determine the effectiveness of these programmes. To assess how students'…

Seventy-one important questions for the conservation of marine biodiversity.

PubMed

Parsons, E C M; Favaro, Brett; Aguirre, A Alonso; Bauer, Amy L; Blight, Louise K; Cigliano, John A; Coleman, Melinda A; Côté, Isabelle M; Draheim, Megan; Fletcher, Stephen; Foley, Melissa M; Jefferson, Rebecca; Jones, Miranda C; Kelaher, Brendan P; Lundquist, Carolyn J; McCarthy, Julie-Beth; Nelson, Anne; Patterson, Katheryn; Walsh, Leslie; Wright, Andrew J; Sutherland, William J

2014-10-01

The ocean provides food, economic activity, and cultural value for a large proportion of humanity. Our knowledge of marine ecosystems lags behind that of terrestrial ecosystems, limiting effective protection of marine resources. We describe the outcome of 2 workshops in 2011 and 2012 to establish a list of important questions, which, if answered, would substantially improve our ability to conserve and manage the world's marine resources. Participants included individuals from academia, government, and nongovernment organizations with broad experience across disciplines, marine ecosystems, and countries that vary in levels of development. Contributors from the fields of science, conservation, industry, and government submitted questions to our workshops, which we distilled into a list of priority research questions. Through this process, we identified 71 key questions. We grouped these into 8 subject categories, each pertaining to a broad component of marine conservation: fisheries, climate change, other anthropogenic threats, ecosystems, marine citizenship, policy, societal and cultural considerations, and scientific enterprise. Our questions address many issues that are specific to marine conservation, and will serve as a road map to funders and researchers to develop programs that can greatly benefit marine conservation. © 2014 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Of Apples and Animals: An Introduction to Biotechnology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mourad, Teresa M.; And Others

This guide is designed to foster an understanding of the basic concepts underlying biotechnology through simple activities that are fun and creative for students in grades 3-5. It contains four units that will lead young students to an appreciation of how biotechnology is possible and some of its applications. The process of learning is intended…

TSCA Biotechnology Notifications Status

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Notifications Table lists only those submissions received under the Biotechnology Regulation, beginning in 1998. From the Table, you can link to a brief summary of select submission and, in many cases, to a fact sheet on the decision reached by OPPT.

Advances in biotechnology and genomics of switchgrass

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a C4 perennial warm season grass indigenous to the North American tallgrass prairie. A number of its natural and agronomic traits, including adaptation to a wide geographical distribution, low nutrient requirements and production costs, high water use efficiency, high biomass potential, ease of harvesting, and potential for carbon storage, make it an attractive dedicated biomass crop for biofuel production. We believe that genetic improvements using biotechnology will be important to realize the potential of the biomass and biofuel-related uses of switchgrass. Tissue culture techniques aimed at rapid propagation of switchgrass and genetic transformation protocols have been developed. Rapid progress in genome sequencing and bioinformatics has provided efficient strategies to identify, tag, clone and manipulate many economically-important genes, including those related to higher biomass, saccharification efficiency, and lignin biosynthesis. Application of the best genetic tools should render improved switchgrass that will be more economically and environmentally sustainable as a lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstock. PMID:23663491

Synthesis of aromatic cytokinins for plant biotechnology.

PubMed

Plíhalová, Lucie; Vylíčilová, Hana; Doležal, Karel; Zahajská, Lenka; Zatloukal, Marek; Strnad, Miroslav

2016-09-25

Cytokinins represent an important group of plant growth regulators that can modulate several biotechnological processes owing to their ability to influence almost all stages of plant development and growth. In addition, the use of purine based cytokinins with aromatic substituent in C6 position of the purine moiety in tissue culture techniques is currently experiencing a surge in interest, made possible by the ongoing systematic synthesis and study of these compounds. This review article outlines progress in the synthesis of aromatic cytokinins, the in vitro and in vivo effects of these substances and insights gleaned from their synthesis. As the purine moiety in these compounds can be substituted at several positions, we examine each of the substitution possibilities in relation to the derivatives prepared so far. The discussion highlights the gradual simplification of their preparation in relation to their application in practice and summarizes the relevant organic chemistry literature and published patents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology regulation: is policy transfer an appropriate answer?

PubMed

Cárdenas-Gómez, Olga Carolina; Létourneau, Lyne

2010-01-01

In the world of biotechnology regulation, one often encounters the suggestion that the legislation of other countries should be consulted. Known as "policy transfer" in the field of public policy analysis, the purpose of such a recommendation is for policymakers to use the experiences of other States as a basis for developing appropriate regulatory frameworks in a timely manner. This paper examines whether policy transfer is relevant as an instrument for biotechnology regulation, and if it is, to what extent. Our analysis uses the example of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), and unfolds according to the following argumentative steps. We will begin by discussing policy transfer as a recognized feature of policymaking in the literature pertaining to public policy analysis. We will then introduce a distinction between the technical dimension of policymaking and its political component. We will refer to "morality policy" as an illustration of policymaking directed toward its political component. We will show that, in the case of morality policy, States have moved away from a policy transfer approach. We will then establish that ART qualifies as morality policy, suggesting that policy transfer is most likely not the optimal policymaking tool for dealing with biotechnology regulation. Moving beyond the issue of ART in order to expand our reasoning to biotechnology regulation as a whole, we will conclude that, although the experiences of other States may be useful, policy transfer does not suffice in terms of informing policymaking in the case of biotechnology advances.

New biotechnological applications for Ashbya gossypii: Challenges and perspectives

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii has long been considered a paradigm of the White Biotechnology in what concerns riboflavin production. Its industrial relevance led to the development of a significant molecular and in silico modeling toolbox for its manipulation. This, together with the increasing knowledge of its genome and metabolism has helped designing effective metabolic engineering strategies for optimizing riboflavin production, but also for developing new A. gossypii strains for novel biotechnological applications, such as production of recombinant proteins, single cell oils (SCOs), and flavour compounds. With the recent availability of its genome-scale metabolic model, the exploration of the full biotechnological potential of A. gossypii is now in the spotlight. Here, we will discuss some of the challenges that these emerging A. gossypii applications still need to overcome to become economically attractive and will present future perspectives for these and other possible biotechnological applications for A. gossypii. PMID:27791453

Recovery of biotechnological products using aqueous two phase systems.

PubMed

Phong, Win Nee; Show, Pau Loke; Chow, Yin Hui; Ling, Tau Chuan

2018-04-16

Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) has been suggested as a promising separation tool in the biotechnological industry. This liquid-liquid extraction technique represents an interesting advance in downstream processing due to several advantages such as simplicity, rapid separation, efficiency, economy, flexibility and biocompatibility. Up to date, a range of biotechnological products have been successfully recovered from different sources with high yield using ATPS-based strategy. In view of the important potential contribution of the ATPS in downstream processing, this review article aims to provide latest information about the application of ATPS in the recovery of various biotechnological products in the past 7 years (2010-2017). Apart from that, the challenges as well as the possible future work and outlook of the ATPS-based recovery method have also been presented in this review article. Copyright © 2018 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emerging Agricultural Biotechnologies for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.

PubMed

Anderson, Jennifer A; Gipmans, Martijn; Hurst, Susan; Layton, Raymond; Nehra, Narender; Pickett, John; Shah, Dilip M; Souza, Thiago Lívio P O; Tripathi, Leena

2016-01-20

As global populations continue to increase, agricultural productivity will be challenged to keep pace without overtaxing important environmental resources. A dynamic and integrated approach will be required to solve global food insecurity and position agriculture on a trajectory toward sustainability. Genetically modified (GM) crops enhanced through modern biotechnology represent an important set of tools that can promote sustainable agriculture and improve food security. Several emerging biotechnology approaches were discussed in a recent symposium organized at the 13th IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry meeting in San Francisco, CA, USA. This paper summarizes the innovative research and several of the new and emerging technologies within the field of agricultural biotechnology that were presented during the symposium. This discussion highlights how agricultural biotechnology fits within the context of sustainable agriculture and improved food security and can be used in support of further development and adoption of beneficial GM crops.

Marine snail venoms: use and trends in receptor and channel neuropharmacology.

PubMed

Favreau, Philippe; Stöcklin, Reto

2009-10-01

Venoms are rich mixtures of mainly peptides and proteins evolved by nature to catch and digest preys or for protection against predators. They represent extensive sources of potent and selective bioactive compounds that can lead to original active ingredients, for use as drugs, as pharmacological tools in research and for the biotechnology industry. Among the most fascinating venomous animals, marine snails offer a unique set of pharmacologically active components, targeting a wide diversity of receptors and ion channels. Recent advances still continue to demonstrate their huge neuropharmacological potential. In the quest for interesting pharmacological profiles, researchers face a vast number of venom components to investigate within time and technological constraints. A brief perspective on marine snail venom's complexity and features is given followed by the different discovery strategies and pharmacological approaches, exemplified with some recent developments. These advances will hopefully help further uncovering new pharmacologically important venom molecules.

Proceedings of papers presented at the 2nd international symposium on applications of biotechnology to tree culture, protection, and utilization.

Treesearch

Charles H. Michler; Michael R. Becwar; Daniel Cullen; Warren L. Nance; Ronald R. Sederoff; James M. Silvicek

1994-01-01

Contains 38 oral presentation abstracts, 34 poster abstracts, and 18 manuscripts on applications of biotechnology to tree research in the areas of stress resistance, protection, and wood utilization presented at an international conference in Bloomington, Minnesota, October 2-6, 1994.

Recovery and phylogenetic diversity of culturable fungi associated with marine sponges Clathrina luteoculcitella and Holoxea sp. in the South China Sea.

PubMed

Ding, Bo; Yin, Ying; Zhang, Fengli; Li, Zhiyong

2011-08-01

Sponge-associated fungi represent an important source of marine natural products, but little is known about the fungal diversity and the relationship of sponge-fungal association, especially no research on the fungal diversity in the South China Sea sponge has been reported. In this study, a total of 111 cultivable fungi strains were isolated from two South China Sea sponges Clathrina luteoculcitella and Holoxea sp. using eight different media. Thirty-two independent representatives were selected for analysis of phylogenetic diversity according to ARDRA and morphological characteristics. The culturable fungal communities consisted of at least 17 genera within ten taxonomic orders of two phyla (nine orders of the phylum Ascomycota and one order of the phylum Basidiomycota) including some potential novel marine fungi. Particularly, eight genera of Apiospora, Botryosphaeria, Davidiella, Didymocrea, Lentomitella, Marasmius, Pestalotiopsis, and Rhizomucor were isolated from sponge for the first time. Sponge C. luteoculcitella has greater culturable fungal diversity than sponge Holoxea sp. Five genera of Aspergillus, Davidiella, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, and Penicillium were isolated from both sponges, while 12 genera of Apiospora, Botryosphaeria, Candida, Marasmius, Cladosporium, Didymocrea, Hypocrea, Lentomitella, Nigrospora, Pestalotiopsis, Rhizomucor, and Scopulariopsis were isolated from sponge C. luteoculcitella only. Order Eurotiales especially genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, and order Hypocreales represented the dominant culturable fungi in these two South China Sea sponges. Nigrospora oryzae strain PF18 isolated from sponge C. luteoculcitella showed a strong and broad spectrum antimicrobial activities suggesting the potential for antimicrobial compounds production.

A biosafety level 2 virology lab for biotechnology undergraduates.

PubMed

Matza-Porges, Sigal; Nathan, Dafna

2017-11-01

Medical, industrial, and basic research relies heavily on the use of viruses and vectors. Therefore, it is important that bioscience undergraduates learn the practicalities of handling viruses. Teaching practical virology in a student laboratory setup presents safety challenges, however. The aim of this article is to describe the design and implementation of a virology laboratory, with emphasis on student safety, for biotechnology undergraduates. Cell culture techniques, animal virus infection, quantification, and identification are taught at a biosafety level 2 for a diverse group of undergraduates ranging from 20 to 50 students per group. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):537-543, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Characterizing The Microbial Lability And Isotopic (14C, 13C) Signatures Of Marine Organic Matter With A Novel Culture Vessel System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaupre, S. R.; Mahmoudi, N.; Pearson, A.

2016-02-01

The rate at which non-living organic matter is respired in the ocean is an unconstrained and important property of the marine carbon cycle. Studies of inherent mineralization rates are complicated by the fact that marine organic matter is a mixture of compounds that vary in reactivity and concentration. While natural radiocarbon ages (14C, half-life = 5730 yr) have served as proxies for lability, they have not been used extensively to characterize that fraction of marine organic matter that is biologically accessible. To address this problem, we developed a novel batch culture system to monitor the time-dependent production rates and isotopic signatures of CO2 released during microbial degradation of natural organic matter. The system simulated a nepheloid layer by maintaining a slurry of decarbonated sediment and minimal media (M9) in a custom 2-liter culture vessel. The natural microbial community was allowed to develop within the sediment, and respired CO2 was continuously sparged from the medium with helium and oxygen, quantified in real time with an infrared gas analyzer, and isolated as a series of contiguous fractions for subsequent isotopic (∆14C, d13C) characterization. Control experiments indicated the accumulation of just 4.5 mg of background carbon per hour of continuous gas flow, which constituted ≤ 10 % of the respired carbon mass in each fraction. Since ∆14C values are conserved during molecular transformations, this low-blank system enables the detection of subtle shifts in the "age" of organic matter respired during the course of a culture experiment. Analyses of sediments from Falmouth, MA revealed both a variable CO2 production rate and an increase in post-bomb ∆14C values during a 10-day incubation. This suggests that the microbial lability of organic matter at this site decreased non-linearly with apparent 14C age, and that the least labile fraction observed was not more than 50 years old. These results underscore the complex

Outer Limits of Biotechnologies: A Jewish Perspective

PubMed Central

Loike, John D.; Kadish, Alan

2018-01-01

A great deal of biomedical research focuses on new biotechnologies such as gene editing, stem cell biology, and reproductive medicine, which have created a scientific revolution. While the potential medical benefits of this research may be far-reaching, ethical issues related to non-medical applications of these technologies are demanding. We analyze, from a Jewish legal perspective, some of the ethical conundrums that society faces in pushing the outer limits in researching these new biotechnologies. PMID:29406847

Polycyclovorans algicola gen. nov., sp. nov., an aromatic-hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacterium found associated with laboratory cultures of marine phytoplankton.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Tony; Green, David H; Nichols, Peter D; Whitman, William B; Semple, Kirk T; Aitken, Michael D

2013-01-01

A strictly aerobic, halotolerant, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain TG408, was isolated from a laboratory culture of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum (CCAP1077/1C) by enrichment with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as the sole carbon source. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed this organism within the order Xanthomonadales of the class Gammaproteobacteria. Its closest relatives included representatives of the Hydrocarboniphaga-Nevskia-Sinobacter clade (<92% sequence similarity) in the family Sinobacteraceae. The strain exhibited a narrow nutritional spectrum, preferring to utilize aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds and small organic acids. Notably, it displayed versatility in degrading two- and three-ring PAHs. Moreover, catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity was detected in lysates, indicating that this strain utilizes the meta-cleavage pathway for aromatic compound degradation. Cells produced surface blebs and contained a single polar flagellum. The predominant isoprenoid quinone of strain TG408 was Q-8, and the dominant fatty acids were C(16:0), C(16:1) ω7c, and C(18:1) ω7c. The G+C content of the isolate's DNA was 64.3 mol% ± 0.34 mol%. On the basis of distinct phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain TG408 represents a novel genus and species in the class Gammaproteobacteria for which the name Polycyclovorans algicola gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. Quantitative PCR primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene of this strain were developed and used to show that this organism is found associated with other species of marine phytoplankton. Phytoplankton may be a natural biotope in the ocean where new species of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria await discovery and which contribute significantly to natural remediation processes.

Advances in biomedical engineering and biotechnology during 2013-2014.

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Wang, Ying; Burkhart, Timothy A; González Penedo, Manuel Francisco; Ma, Shaodong

2014-01-01

The 3rd International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (iCBEB 2014), held in Beijing from the 25th to the 28th of September 2014, is an annual conference that intends to provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners around the world to present the most recent advances and future challenges in the fields of biomedical engineering, biomaterials, bioinformatics and computational biology, biomedical imaging and signal processing, biomechanical engineering and biotechnology, amongst others. The papers published in this issue are selected from this conference, which witnesses the advances in biomedical engineering and biotechnology during 2013-2014.

Biotechnology in weed control

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biotechnology can be used to enhance the management of weeds in several ways. Crops have been made resistant to herbicides by inserting transgenes that impart herbicide resistance into the plant genome. Glyphosate and glufosinate-resistant crops are commercialized in North America and crops made res...

Biotechnology/materials: The growing interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decker, Raymond F.

1986-01-01

The biotechnology/materials interaction dates back 3.5 billion years, yet today offers novel challenges for human creativity. The materials cycle practiced by microorganisms is compared to that recently practiced by humans. The processes of the biotechnology materials cycle are biogenesis, bioleaching, biofouling, biocorrosion, biodeterioration, and bioaccumulation. Each process is examined for mechanisms, scale of effect, and opportunity for creative human intervention or utilization. More than 50 of our metallic elements are bio-processed in nature. A like number of biogenic materials have been identified, with some at production rates of trillions of kg per annum (p.a.). Microorganisms can substitute for energy, capital, and labor. Over the eons, microorganisms have gained special attributes that now offer creative humans a new era of partnership in materials processing.

Controversial medical and agri-food biotechnology: a cultivation analysis.

PubMed

Bauer, Martin W

2002-04-01

Whether biotechnology is one or several developments is not clear. Once distinctions are required, the question is: Which one prevails? When the good, the bad, and the ugly settle, where do they fall? Evaluation implies distinction, and representation drives attitude. The controversies over biotechnology are fertile ground on which to study these issues. The imports of genetically modified (GM) soya into Europe in 1996-97 and the cloning of Dolly the sheep from adult cells in 1997 changed the symbolic environment for genetic engineering. The ensuing public controversies came to focus mainly on field trials of GM crops and food labeling. This paper will explore the relationship between quality press coverage and public perception, in particular the cultivation of the contrast between "desirable" biomedical (RED) and "undesirable" agri-food (GREEN) biotechnology in Britain. The argument draws on a systematic analysis of the British press coverage of biotechnology from 1973 to 1999 and analysis of public perceptions in 1996 and 1999. The paper concludes that the debate over GM crops and food ingredients fostered the RED-GREEN contrast among the newspaper-reading public, thereby shielding RED biotechnology from public controversy, and ushered in a realignment of the regulatory framework in 2000.

[Importance of reproductive biotechnology in cattle in Europe].

PubMed

Wrenzycki, C; Stinshoff, H

2015-01-01

Reproductive biotechnology has manifold applications and includes a great innovation potential in livestock. Due to the global changes the new findings and techniques can aid to meet the future challenges. The use of biotechnology in animal production can guarantee enough high quality food for the whole population. Genetic resources of animals can be preserved via sperm and embryo banking. Early diagnosis of hereditary defects, generation of offspring with predetermined sex and the avoidance of animal transports for breeding employing shipment of frozen embryos will improve animal welfare. A special application is the use of animal models for human assisted reproductive technologies. Therefore, not only in Germany research related to the methodologies in reproductive biotechnology and their improvement need to be supported.

Enhance beef cattle improvement by embryo biotechnologies.

PubMed

Wu, B; Zan, L

2012-10-01

Embryo biotechnology has become one of the prominent high businesses worldwide. This technology has evolved through three major changes, that is, traditional embryo transfer (in vivo embryo production by donor superovulation), in vitro embryo production by ovum pick up with in vitro fertilization and notably current cloning technique by somatic cell nuclear transfer and transgenic animal production. Embryo biotechnology has widely been used in dairy and beef cattle industry and commercial bovine embryo transfer has become a large international business. Currently, many developed biotechnologies during the period from early oocyte stage to pre-implantation embryos can be used to create new animal breeds and accelerate genetic progression. Based on recent advances in embryo biotechnologies and authors current studies, this review will focus on a description of the application of this technology to beef cattle improvement and discuss how to use this technology to accelerate beef cattle breeding and production. The main topics of this presentation include the following: (i) how to increase calf production numbers from gametes including sperm and oocyte; (ii) multiple ovulation and embryo transfer breeding schemes; (iii) in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasm sperm injection in bovine; (iv) pronuclear development and transgenic animals; (v) sex selection from sperm and embryos; (vi) cloning and androgenesis; (vii) blastocyst development and embryonic stem cells; (viii) preservation of beef cattle genetic resources; and (ix) conclusions. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Biotechnology: the language of multiple views in Māori communities.

PubMed

Te Momo, O H Fiona

2007-09-01

In Aotearoa (New Zealand), the government funded studies on communicating biotechnology to different sectors in the community from 2003 to 2006. Subsequently, a researcher covering the Māori sector performed a content analysis of data gathered in the community. Qualitative analysis methods included examining text from participant interviews, focus groups, government documents, newspapers, Internet sites, and current literature. Content was coded by identifying common themes in the English and the Māori language. Words like genetic modification (GM), genetic engineering (GE), and biotechnology were explained to provide a basic understanding between the communities and researcher. The terminology applied in the research was essential to achieve communication between the researcher and the community. The resultant themes represented seven views to interpret the communities association with biotechnology: purist Māori, religious Māori, anti Māori, pro Māori, no Māori, uncertain Māori, and middle Māori views. The themes are taken from the analysis of data compiled after 3 years of completing different stages of a research project. The views indicate that a common understanding can be achieved in the diverse range of Māori tribal communities providing those communicating biotechnology can identify the view and interpretations communities associate with biotechnology. This knowledge is essential for government agencies, researchers, community practitioners, scientist, and businesses that desire to dialogue with Māori communities in the language of biotechnology.

Teaching a Biotechnology Unit in High School General Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hays, Lana

1994-01-01

Describes a unit in biotechnology for average and below average high school students. Students developed productive team membership, used math and communication skills to solve problems, and used the scientific method to learn about biotechnology. Students separated DNA, transformed bacterial cells, interpreted DNA fingerprints, completed creative…

Biotechnology of trees: Chestnut

Treesearch

C.D. Nelson; W.A. Powell; S.A. Merkle; J.E. Carlson; F.V. Hebard; N Islam-Faridi; M.E. Staton; L. Georgi

2014-01-01

Biotechnology has been practiced on chestnuts (Castanea spp.) for many decades, including vegetative propagation, controlled crossing followed by testing and selection, genetic and cytogenetic mapping, genetic modifi cation, and gene and genome sequencing. Vegetative propagation methods have ranged from grafting and rooting to somatic embryogenesis, often in...

Past, Present, and Future Industrial Biotechnology in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhenjiang; Ji, Xiaojun; Kan, Suli; Qiao, Hongqun; Jiang, Min; Lu, Dingqiang; Wang, Jun; Huang, He; Jia, Honghua; Ouyuang, Pingkai; Ying, Hanjie

Fossil resources, i.e. concentrated carbon from biomass, have been irrecoverably exhausted through modern industrial civilization in the last two hundred years. Serious consequences including crises in resources, environment and energy, as well as the pressing need for direct and indirect exploitation of solar energy, pose challenges to the science and technology community of today. Bioenergy, bulk chemicals, and biomaterials could be produced from renewable biomass in a biorefinery via biocatalysis. These sustainable industries will match the global mass cycle, creating a new form of civilization with new industries and agriculture driven by solar energy. Industrial biotechnology is the dynamo of a bioeconomy, leading to a new protocol for production of energy, bulk chemicals, and materials. This new mode of innovation will place the industry at center stage supported by universities and research institutes. Creativity in industrial biotechnology will be promoted and China will successfully follow the road to green modernization. China's rapid economic development and its traditional capacity in fermentation will place it in an advantageous position in the industrial biotechnology revolution. The development and current status of industrial biotechnology in China are summarized herein.

Past, present, and future industrial biotechnology in China.

PubMed

Li, Zhenjiang; Ji, Xiaojun; Kan, Suli; Qiao, Hongqun; Jiang, Min; Lu, Dingqiang; Wang, Jun; Huang, He; Jia, Honghua; Ouyuang, Pingkai; Ying, Hanjie

2010-01-01

Fossil resources, i.e. concentrated carbon from biomass, have been irrecoverably exhausted through modern industrial civilization in the last two hundred years. Serious consequences including crises in resources, environment and energy, as well as the pressing need for direct and indirect exploitation of solar energy, pose challenges to the science and technology community of today. Bioenergy, bulk chemicals, and biomaterials could be produced from renewable biomass in a biorefinery via biocatalysis. These sustainable industries will match the global mass cycle, creating a new form of civilization with new industries and agriculture driven by solar energy. Industrial biotechnology is the dynamo of a bioeconomy, leading to a new protocol for production of energy, bulk chemicals, and materials. This new mode of innovation will place the industry at center stage supported by universities and research institutes. Creativity in industrial biotechnology will be promoted and China will successfully follow the road to green modernization. China's rapid economic development and its traditional capacity in fermentation will place it in an advantageous position in the industrial biotechnology revolution. The development and current status of industrial biotechnology in China are summarized herein.

Student Content Knowledge Increases after Participation in a Hands-on Biotechnology Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigler, Amber M.; Hanegan, Nikki L.

2011-01-01

Implementing biotechnology education through hands-on teaching methods should be considered by secondary biology teachers. This study is an experimental research design to examine increased student content knowledge in biotechnology after a hands-on biotechnology intervention. The teachers from both school groups participated in, Project Crawfish,…

MOLECULAR APPROACHES FOR IN SITU IDENTIFCIATION OF NITRATE UTILIZATION BY MARINE BACTERIA AND PHYTOPLANKTON

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frischer, Marc E.; Verity, Peter G.; Gilligan, Mathew R.

Traditionally, the importance of inorganic nitrogen (N) for the nutrition and growth of marine phytoplankton has been recognized, while inorganic N utilization by bacteria has received less attention. Likewise, organic N has been thought to be important for heterotrophic organisms but not for phytoplankton. However, accumulating evidence suggests that bacteria compete with phytoplankton for nitrate (NO3-) and other N species. The consequences of this competition may have a profound effect on the flux of N, and therefore carbon (C), in ocean margins. Because it has been difficult to differentiate between N uptake by heterotrophic bacterioplankton versus autotrophic phytoplankton, the processesmore » that control N utilization, and the consequences of these competitive interactions, have traditionally been difficult to study. Significant bacterial utilization of DIN may have a profound effect on the flux of N and C in the water column because sinks for dissolved N that do not incorporate inorganic C represent mechanisms that reduce the atmospheric CO2 drawdown via the ?biological pump? and limit the flux of POC from the euphotic zone. This project was active over the period of 1998-2007 with support from the DOE Biotechnology Investigations ? Ocean Margins Program (BI-OMP). Over this period we developed a tool kit of molecular methods (PCR, RT-PCR, Q-PCR, QRT-PCR, and TRFLP) and combined isotope mass spectrometry and flow-cytometric approaches that allow selective isolation, characterization, and study of the diversity and genetic expression (mRNA) of the structural gene responsible for the assimilation of NO3- by heterotrophic bacteria (nasA). As a result of these studies we discovered that bacteria capable of assimilating NO3- are ubiquitous in marine waters, that the nasA gene is expressed in these environments, that heterotrophic bacteria can account for a significant fraction of total DIN uptake in different ocean margin systems, that the expression of nasA is

Thirty years of European biotechnology programmes: from biomolecular engineering to the bioeconomy.

PubMed

Aguilar, Alfredo; Magnien, Etienne; Thomas, Daniel

2013-06-25

This article traces back thirty years of biotechnology research sponsored by the European Union (EU). It outlines the crucial role played by De Nettancourt, Goffeau and Van Hoeck to promote and prepare the first European programme on biotechnology (1982-1986) run by the European Commission. Following this first biotechnology programme, others followed until the current one, part of the seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (2007-2013) (FP7). Particular attention is given to the statutory role of the European institutions in the design and orientation of the successive biotechnology programmes, compared to the more informal-yet visionary-role of key individuals upstream to any legislative decision. Examples of success stories and of the role of the biotechnology programmes in addressing societal issues and industrial competitiveness are also presented. Finally, an outline of Horizon 2020, the successor of FP7, is described, together with the role of biotechnology in building the bioeconomy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What Ideas Do Students Associate with "Biotechnology" and "Genetic Engineering"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Ruaraidh; Stanisstreet, Martin; Boyes, Edward

2000-01-01

Explores the ideas that students aged 16-19 associate with the terms 'biotechnology' and 'genetic engineering'. Indicates that some students see biotechnology as risky whereas genetic engineering was described as ethically wrong. (Author/ASK)

Biotechnology Towards Energy Crops.

PubMed

Margaritopoulou, Theoni; Roka, Loukia; Alexopoulou, Efi; Christou, Myrsini; Rigas, Stamatis; Haralampidis, Kosmas; Milioni, Dimitra

2016-03-01

New crops are gradually establishing along with cultivation systems to reduce reliance on depleting fossil fuel reserves and sustain better adaptation to climate change. These biological assets could be efficiently exploited as bioenergy feedstocks. Bioenergy crops are versatile renewable sources with the potential to alternatively contribute on a daily basis towards the coverage of modern society's energy demands. Biotechnology may facilitate the breeding of elite energy crop genotypes, better suited for bio-processing and subsequent use that will improve efficiency, further reduce costs, and enhance the environmental benefits of biofuels. Innovative molecular techniques may improve a broad range of important features including biomass yield, product quality and resistance to biotic factors like pests or microbial diseases or environmental cues such as drought, salinity, freezing injury or heat shock. The current review intends to assess the capacity of biotechnological applications to develop a beneficial bioenergy pipeline extending from feedstock development to sustainable biofuel production and provide examples of the current state of the art on future energy crops.

Archaeology Meets Marine Ecology: The Antiquity of Maritime Cultures and Human Impacts on Marine Fisheries and Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erlandson, Jon M.; Rick, Torben C.

2010-01-01

Interdisciplinary study of coastal archaeological sites provides a wealth of information on the ecology and evolution of ancient marine animal populations, the structure of past marine ecosystems, and the history of human impacts on coastal fisheries. In this paper, we review recent methodological developments in the archaeology and historical ecology of coastal regions around the world. Using two case studies, we examine (a) a deep history of anthropogenic effects on the marine ecosystems of California's Channel Islands through the past 12,000 years and (b) geographic variation in the effects of human fishing on Pacific Island peoples who spread through Oceania during the late Holocene. These case studies—the first focused on hunter-gatherers, the second on maritime horticulturalists—provide evidence for shifting baselines and timelines, documenting a much deeper anthropogenic influence on many coastal ecosystems and fisheries than considered by most ecologists, conservation biologists, and fisheries managers.

Archaeology meets marine ecology: the antiquity of maritime cultures and human impacts on marine fisheries and ecosystems.

PubMed

Erlandson, Jon M; Rick, Torben C

2010-01-01

Interdisciplinary study of coastal archaeological sites provides a wealth of information on the ecology and evolution of ancient marine animal populations, the structure of past marine ecosystems, and the history of human impacts on coastal fisheries. In this paper, we review recent methodological developments in the archaeology and historical ecology of coastal regions around the world. Using two case studies, we examine (a) a deep history of anthropogenic effects on the marine ecosystems of California's Channel Islands through the past 12,000 years and (b) geographic variation in the effects of human fishing on Pacific Island peoples who spread through Oceania during the late Holocene. These case studies--the first focused on hunter-gatherers, the second on maritime horticulturalists-provide evidence for shifting baselines and timelines, documenting a much deeper anthropogenic influence on many coastal ecosystems and fisheries than considered by most ecologists, conservation biologists, and fisheries managers.

Agricultural Communications Students' Awareness and Perceptions of Biotechnology Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingenbach, Gary J.; Rutherford, Tracy A.; Dunsford, Deborah W.

2003-01-01

Agricultural communications students (n=330) from 11 universities were most aware of biotechnology effects on food, less aware of effects on health and the environment. They were somewhat accepting of genetic modifications for plants, not humans. Sources of biotechnology knowledge were science classes, labs, and university professors' beliefs.…

Dwarfing the Social? Nanotechnology Lessons from the Biotechnology Front

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Einsiedel, Edna F.; Goldenberg, Linda

2004-01-01

Biotechnology and nanotechnology are both strategic technologies, and the former provides several lessons that could contribute to more successful embedding and integration processes for the latter. This article identifies some of the key questions emerging from the biotechnology experience and summarizes several lessons learned in the context of…

The Impact of Biotechnology upon Chemistry in Pharmacy Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henkel, James G.; And Others

1990-01-01

Applications of biotechnology to the pharmaceutical industry are examined, and its impact on the research and practical domains of medicinal and natural products chemistry is discussed. Specific curricular implications for undergraduate and graduate study in pharmacy are outlined, and suggestions for faculty development in biotechnology are made.…

Too New for Textbooks: The Biotechnology Discoveries & Applications Guidebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loftin, Madelene; Lamb, Neil E.

2013-01-01

The "Biotechnology Discoveries and Applications" guidebook aims to provide teachers with an overview of the recent advances in genetics and biotechnology, allowing them to share these findings with their students. The annual guidebook introduces a wealth of modern genomic discoveries and provides teachers with tools to integrate exciting…

Western Australian High School Students' Attitudes towards Biotechnology Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Vaille; Schibeci, Renato

2003-01-01

This study reports on the attitudes towards biotechnology of 905, 15-16 year-old students from 11 Western Australian schools. Students were asked to read 15 statements about biotechnology processes and to draw a line to separate what they considered "acceptable" statements from those they considered "unacceptable". Overall, the…

Considerations for conducting research in agricultural biotechnology.

PubMed

Shelton, Anthony M

2003-06-01

Science has shown its increased vulnerability because of two recent high-profile articles published in major journals on corn produced through biotechnology: a laboratory report suggesting profound consequences to monarch butterfly populations due to Bt corn pollen and a report suggesting transgenic introgression into Mexican maize. While both studies have been widely regarded as having flawed methodology, publishing these studies has created great consternation in the scientific community, regulatory agencies and the general public. There are roles and responsibilities of scientists, scientific journals, the public media, public agencies, and those who oppose or advocate a specific technology, and serious consequences when those roles and responsibilities go awry. Modern communication may exacerbate the flow of misinformation and easily lead to a decline in public confidence about biotechnology and science. However, common sense tells us that scientific inquiry and the publication and reporting of results should be performed with high standards of ethical behavior, regardless of one's personal perspective on agricultural biotechnology.

Marine and Freshwater Feedstocks as a Precursor for Nitrogen-Containing Carbons: A Review

PubMed Central

Ilnicka, Anna; Lukaszewicz, Jerzy P.

2018-01-01

Marine-derived as well as freshwater feedstock offers important benefits, such as abundance, morphological and structural variety, and the presence of multiple elements, including nitrogen and carbon. Therefore, these renewal resources may be useful for obtaining N- and C-containing materials that can be manufactured by various methods, such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal processes supported by means of chemical and physical activators. However, every synthesis concept relies on an efficient transfer of nitrogen and carbon from marine/freshwater feedstock to the final product. This paper reviews the advantages of marine feedstock over synthetic and natural but non-marine resources as precursors for the manufacturing of N-doped activated carbons. The manufacturing procedure influences some crucial properties of nitrogen-doped carbon materials, such as pore structure and the chemical composition of the surface. An extensive review is given on the relationship between carbon materials manufacturing from marine feedstock and the elemental content of nitrogen, together with a description of the chemical bonding of nitrogen atoms at the surface. N-doped carbons may serve as effective adsorbents for the removal of pollutants from the gas or liquid phase. Non-recognized areas of adsorption-based applications for nitrogen-doped carbons are presented, too. The paper proves that nitrogen-doped carbon materials belong to most of the prospective electrode materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cells, air–metal batteries, and supercapacitors, as well as for bioimaging. The reviewed material belongs to the widely understood field of marine biotechnology in relation to marine natural products. PMID:29701697

Organic nutrient chemistry and the marine microbiome

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Repeta, Daniel J.; Boiteau, Rene M.

Vast expanses of the ocean are characterized by extraordinarily low concentrations of nutrients but nevertheless support vibrant communities of marine microbes. In aggregate, these communities drive many of the important elemental cycles that sustain life on Earth. Microbial communities are organized to maximize nutrient and energy transfer between cells, and efficiently recycle organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and trace metals. Energy and nutrient transfer occurs across a broad range of spatial scales. Large-sized marine algae and bacteria support epibiont communities that are physically in contact, exchanging nutrients and energy across cell membranes, while other communities that are physically far apart, relymore » on the horizontal mixing of ocean currents or the vertical pull of gravity to transfer nutrient and energy containing organic matter. Marine organic geochemists are making rapid progress in understanding the chemistry of the marine microbiome. These advances have benefited from parallel developments in analytical chemistry, microbial isolation and culture techniques, and advances in microbial genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. The combination of all three approaches has proven to be quite powerful. Here we highlight two aspects of the chemistry of organic phosphorus and trace metal cycling and the marine microbiome. In each study, advances in chemical analyses, microbial culture, and microbial genomics played key roles in understanding how microbial communities interact to facilitate nutrient cycling in the open ocean.« less

Independent Biotechnology: The Innovation-Regulation Dilemma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Althouse, P.; Prosnitz, D.; Velsko, S.

The Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory convened a workshop on August 19, 2016 to consider “Independent Biotechnology: The Innovation-­Regulation Dilemma”. The topic was motivated by the observation that non-­government funded biotechnology research and development activities have grown and diversified tremendously over the past decade. This sector encompasses a broad range of actors and activities: individuals with private laboratories, community “hackerspaces,” biotechnology incubators, and individual startups. Motivations and aspirations are diverse and include such things as personal curiosity, community education, the invention of new products or services, and even the realization of certain economic, political, ormore » social goals. One driving force is the “democratization” of ever more powerful biological technologies, allowing individual citizens and groups access to capabilities that have traditionally only been available to researchers in universities, research institutes, national laboratories, and large commercial concerns. Another is the rise of alternative financing mechanisms such as “crowdsourcing,” which ostensibly provide greater freedom to innovate, and greater public visibility, but entail looser management oversight and transparency.« less

Biotechnology Computing: Information Science for the Era of Molecular Medicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masys, Daniel R.

1989-01-01

The evolution from classical genetics to biotechnology, an area of research involving key macromolecules in living cells, is chronicled and the current state of biotechnology is described, noting related advances in computing and clinical medicine. (MSE)

Microbial ecology to manage processes in environmental biotechnology.

PubMed

Rittmann, Bruce E

2006-06-01

Microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology are inherently tied to each other. The concepts and tools of microbial ecology are the basis for managing processes in environmental biotechnology; and these processes provide interesting ecosystems to advance the concepts and tools of microbial ecology. Revolutionary advancements in molecular tools to understand the structure and function of microbial communities are bolstering the power of microbial ecology. A push from advances in modern materials along with a pull from a societal need to become more sustainable is enabling environmental biotechnology to create novel processes. How do these two fields work together? Five principles illuminate the way: (i) aim for big benefits; (ii) develop and apply more powerful tools to understand microbial communities; (iii) follow the electrons; (iv) retain slow-growing biomass; and (v) integrate, integrate, integrate.

Estimating economic gains for landowners due to time-dependent changes in biotechnology

Treesearch

John E. Wagner; Thomas P. Holmes

1998-01-01

This paper presents a model for examining the economic value of biotechnological research given time-dependent changes in biotechnology. Previous papers examined this issue assuming a time-neutral change in biotechnology. However, when analyzing the genetic improvements of increasing a tree's resistance to a pathogen, this assumption is untenable. The authors...

Occurrence and expression of gene transfer agent genes in marine bacterioplankton.

PubMed

Biers, Erin J; Wang, Kui; Pennington, Catherine; Belas, Robert; Chen, Feng; Moran, Mary Ann

2008-05-01

Genes with homology to the transduction-like gene transfer agent (GTA) were observed in genome sequences of three cultured members of the marine Roseobacter clade. A broader search for homologs for this host-controlled virus-like gene transfer system identified likely GTA systems in cultured Alphaproteobacteria, and particularly in marine bacterioplankton representatives. Expression of GTA genes and extracellular release of GTA particles ( approximately 50 to 70 nm) was demonstrated experimentally for the Roseobacter clade member Silicibacter pomeroyi DSS-3, and intraspecific gene transfer was documented. GTA homologs are surprisingly infrequent in marine metagenomic sequence data, however, and the role of this lateral gene transfer mechanism in ocean bacterioplankton communities remains unclear.

Microfluidic tools toward industrial biotechnology.

PubMed

Oliveira, Aline F; Pessoa, Amanda C S N; Bastos, Reinaldo G; de la Torre, Lucimara G

2016-11-01

Microfluidics is a technology that operates with small amounts of fluids and makes possible the investigation of cells, enzymes, and biomolecules and encapsulation of biocatalysts in a greater variety of conditions than permitted using conventional methods. This review discusses technological possibilities that can be applied in the field of industrial biotechnology, presenting the principal definitions and fundamental aspects of microfluidic parameters to better understand advanced approaches. Specifically, concentration gradient generators, droplet-based microfluidics, and microbioreactors are explored as useful tools that can contribute to industrial biotechnology. These tools present potential applications, inclusive as commercial platforms to optimizing in bioprocesses development as screening cells, encapsulating biocatalysts, and determining critical kinetic parameters. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1372-1389, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Bioprospecting Marine Plankton

PubMed Central

Abida, Heni; Ruchaud, Sandrine; Rios, Laurent; Humeau, Anne; Probert, Ian; De Vargas, Colomban; Bach, Stéphane; Bowler, Chris

2013-01-01

The ocean dominates the surface of our planet and plays a major role in regulating the biosphere. For example, the microscopic photosynthetic organisms living within provide 50% of the oxygen we breathe, and much of our food and mineral resources are extracted from the ocean. In a time of ecological crisis and major changes in our society, it is essential to turn our attention towards the sea to find additional solutions for a sustainable future. Remarkably, while we are overexploiting many marine resources, particularly the fisheries, the planktonic compartment composed of zooplankton, phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses, represents 95% of marine biomass and yet the extent of its diversity remains largely unknown and underexploited. Consequently, the potential of plankton as a bioresource for humanity is largely untapped. Due to their diverse evolutionary backgrounds, planktonic organisms offer immense opportunities: new resources for medicine, cosmetics and food, renewable energy, and long-term solutions to mitigate climate change. Research programs aiming to exploit culture collections of marine micro-organisms as well as to prospect the huge resources of marine planktonic biodiversity in the oceans are now underway, and several bioactive extracts and purified compounds have already been identified. This review will survey and assess the current state-of-the-art and will propose methodologies to better exploit the potential of marine plankton for drug discovery and for dermocosmetics. PMID:24240981

National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products sets forth a vision for ensuring that the federal regulatory system is prepared to efficiently assess the risks, if any, of the future products of biotechnology.

Identification and characterization of a novel fumarase gene by metagenome expression cloning from marine microorganisms

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Fumarase catalyzes the reversible hydration of fumarate to L-malate and is a key enzyme in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and in amino acid metabolism. Fumarase is also used for the industrial production of L-malate from the substrate fumarate. Thermostable and high-activity fumarases from organisms that inhabit extreme environments may have great potential in industry, biotechnology, and basic research. The marine environment is highly complex and considered one of the main reservoirs of microbial diversity on the planet. However, most of the microorganisms are inaccessible in nature and are not easily cultivated in the laboratory. Metagenomic approaches provide a powerful tool to isolate and identify enzymes with novel biocatalytic activities for various biotechnological applications. Results A plasmid metagenomic library was constructed from uncultivated marine microorganisms within marine water samples. Through sequence-based screening of the DNA library, a gene encoding a novel fumarase (named FumF) was isolated. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the FumF protein shared the greatest homology with Class II fumarate hydratases from Bacteroides sp. 2_1_33B and Parabacteroides distasonis ATCC 8503 (26% identical and 43% similar). The putative fumarase gene was subcloned into pETBlue-2 vector and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity. Functional characterization by high performance liquid chromatography confirmed that the recombinant FumF protein catalyzed the hydration of fumarate to form L-malate. The maximum activity for FumF protein occurred at pH 8.5 and 55°C in 5 mM Mg2+. The enzyme showed higher affinity and catalytic efficiency under optimal reaction conditions: Km= 0.48 mM, Vmax = 827 μM/min/mg, and kcat/Km = 1900 mM/s. Conclusions We isolated a novel fumarase gene, fumF, from a sequence-based screen of a plasmid metagenomic library from uncultivated marine microorganisms. The

75 FR 1749 - Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; Availability of Petition and Environmental Assessment for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-13

...] Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; Availability of Petition and Environmental Assessment for Determination of... Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., seeking a....gov ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Subray Hegde, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS...

Workshop proceedings: challenges and opportunities in evaluating protein allergenicity across biotechnology industries.

PubMed

Stagg, Nicola J; Ghantous, Hanan N; Ladics, Gregory S; House, Robert V; Gendel, Steven M; Hastings, Kenneth L

2013-01-01

A workshop entitled "Challenges and Opportunities in Evaluating Protein Allergenicity across Biotechnology Industries" was held at the 51st Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) in San Francisco, California. The workshop was sponsored by the Biotechnology Specialty Section of SOT and was designed to present the science-based approaches used in biotechnology industries to evaluate and regulate protein allergenicity. A panel of experts from industry and government highlighted the allergenicity testing requirements and research in the agricultural, pharmaceutical/biopharma, and vaccine biotechnology industries and addressed challenges and opportunities for advancing the science of protein allergenicity. The main learning from the workshop was that immunoglobulin E-mediated allergenicity of biotechnology-derived products is difficult to assess without human data. The approaches currently being used to evaluate potential for allergenicity across biotechnology industries are very different and range from bioinformatics, in vitro serology, in vivo animal testing, in vitro and in vivo functional assays, and "biosimilar" assessments (ie, biotherapeutic equivalents to innovator products). The challenge remains with regard to the different or lack of regulatory requirements for allergenicity testing across industries, but the novel approaches being used with bioinformatics and biosimilars may lead to opportunities in the future to collaborate across biotechnology industries.

Australian Undergraduate Biotechnology Student Attitudes towards the Teaching of Ethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lysaght, Tamra; Rosenberger, Philip J., III; Kerridge, Ian

2006-08-01

In recent years, ethics has become part of most tertiary biotechnology curricula. There is, however, considerable variation in the extent and manner of ethics education provided to students in different institutions. In addition, the perceived need that students and employers have regarding ethics education, and the aims and expected outcomes of ethics education, are rarely made clear. This research reports the findings of a questionnaire administered to 375 undergraduate biotechnology students from 19 Australian universities to determine their attitudes towards the teaching of ethics. The results suggest that undergraduate biotechnology students generally regard ethics education to be important and that ethics should be included in undergraduate biotechnology curricula. Students tended, however, to emphasize the professional and industrial side of ethics and not to recognize the personal effects of morals and behaviour. We provide suggestions for rethinking how ethics should be taught.

Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Biotechnology of Elementary Education Preservice Teachers: The first Spanish experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casanoves, Marina; González, Ángel; Salvadó, Zoel; Haro, Juan; Novo, Maite

2015-11-01

Due to the important impact that biotechnology has on current Western societies, well-informed critical citizens are needed. People prepared to make conscious decisions about aspects of biotechnology that relate to their own lives. Teachers play a central role in all education systems. Thus, the biotechnological literacy of preservice teachers is an important consideration as they will become an influential collective as future teachers of the next generation of children. The attitudes toward science (and biotechnology) that teachers have affect their behavior and influence the way they implement their daily practice of science teaching in school. This study analyzes the attitudes and knowledge of Spanish preservice teachers toward biotechnology. We designed a new survey instrument that was completed by 407 university students who were taking official degree programs in preschool and primary education. Our results point out that although they are aware of biotechnology applications, topics concerning the structure of DNA, management of genetic information inside the cell, genetically modified organism technology and the use of microorganisms as biotechnological tools were not correctly answered. According to our attitude analysis, Spanish preservice teachers could be defined as opponents of genetically modified product acquisition, supporters of biotechnology for medical purposes and highly interested in increasing their knowledge about biotechnology and other scientific advances. Our results show a positive correlation between better knowledge and more positive attitudes toward biotechnology. A Spanish preservice teacher with positive attitudes toward biotechnology tends to be a student with a strong biology background who scored good marks in our knowledge test.

Connecting learners: The role of biotechnology programme in preparing students for the industry.

PubMed

Mohd Saruan, Nadiah; Sagran, Avinash; Fadzil, Kamal Solhaimi; Razali, Zuliana; Ow Phui San, Rebecca; Somasundram, Chandran

2015-01-01

The recent growth of biotechnology requires a wide range of expertise within the industry. Education is the primary platform for students to gain information and knowledge on biotechnology. In Malaysia where biotechnology is relatively new, education programs and courses must be tailored to meet the demands of the industry. A combination of theoretical knowledge as well as practical and industrial training is essential to ensure graduates are prepared for their career in the fields of biotechnology. Results from this study show that university students lack literacy on biotechnology information and access to facilities provided by the universities. This may be a significant contributing factor to the lack of knowledge and information amongst graduates. Furthermore comparative analysis on the biotechnology program in Malaysian universities with that of other countries show the need to restructure the program by offering more specialized courses as well as soft skills and business subjects. This is to meet the demands of the related professionals as well as the various branches that exist in the biotechnology industry. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Biotechnology System Facility: Risk Mitigation on Mir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonda, Steve R., III; Galloway, Steve R.

2003-01-01

NASA is working with its international partners to develop space vehicles and facilities that will give researchers the opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space. As part of this activity, NASA's Biotechnology Cell Science Program (BCSP) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is developing a world-class biotechnology laboratory facility for the International Space Station (ISS). This report describes the BCSP, including the role of the BTS. We identify the purpose and objectives of the BTS and a detailed description of BTS facility design and operational concept, BTS facility and experiment-specific hardware, and scientific investigations conducted in the facility. We identify the objectives, methods, and results of risk mitigation investigations of the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on the BTS data acquisition and control system. These results may apply to many other space experiments that use commercial, terrestrial-based data acquisition technology. Another focal point is a description of the end-to-end process of integrating and operating biotechnology experiments on a variety of space vehicles. The identification of lessons learned that can be applied to future biotechnology experiments is an overall theme of the report. We include a brief summary of the science results, but this is not the focus of the report. The report provides some discussion on the successful 130-day tissue engineering experiment performed in BTS on Mir and describes a seminal gene array investigation that identified a set of unique genes that are activated in space.

The biotechnology and bioeconomy landscape in Malaysia.

PubMed

Arujanan, Mahaletchumy; Singaram, Muthu

2018-01-25

Since 1990s Malaysia aspired to make biotechnology and bioeconomy as her engines of economic growth to utlise the abundance of natural resources and biodiversity. The public sector plays an integral role in developing the sector and various incentives are in place for the private sector to be actively involved and to forge collaboration with the public sector. The country launched its National Biotechnology Policy in 2005 and later launched its National Bioeconomy Programme in 2010 to become the first country in South East Asia and second in Asia after China to have such an initiative. Malaysia is also very proactive in its biosafety law and regulations and has most of the related legal instrument in place. A lot of success has been recorded since the inception of the National Biotechnology Policy in terms of job creation, contribution to GDP through biobusinesses and investment from foreign companies, but the sector is not spared from challenges too. Due to the nature of the discipline that is multidisciplinary and that requires huge amount of investment, expertise and political will, there are a lot of barriers before the country emerges as a bioeconomy player. This paper discusses the public policies, initiatives and funding mechanisms in place in Malaysia that drive its research, development and commercialisation in the area of biotechnology and bioeconomy. The authors also discuss the challenges faced in Malaysia in implementing the policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How Japanese students reason about agricultural biotechnology.

PubMed

Maekawa, Fumi; Macer, Darryl

2004-10-01

Many have claimed that education of the ethical issues raised by biotechnology is essential in universities, but there is little knowledge of its effectiveness. The focus of this paper is to investigate how university students assess the information given in class to make their own value judgments and decisions relating to issues of agricultural biotechnology, especially over genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Analysis of homework reports related with agricultural biotechnology after identification of key concepts and ideas in each student report is presented. The ideas were sorted into different categories. The ideas were compared with those in the reading materials using the same categories. These categories included: concern about affects on humans, affects on the environment, developing countries and starvation, trust in industry, responsibility of scientists, risk perception, media influence, need for (international) organizations or third parties, and information dissemination. What was consistent through the different years was that more than half of the students took a "neutral" position. A report was scored as "neutral" when the report included both the positive and negative side of an issue, or when the student could not make a definite decision about the use of GMOs and GM food. While it may be more difficult to defend a strong ''for" or "against" position, some students used logical arguments successfully in doing so. Sample comments are presented to depict how Japanese students see agricultural technology, and how they value its application, with comparisons to the general social attitudes towards biotechnology.

Modulation of cell adhesion and viability of cultured murine bone marrow cells by arsenobetaine, a major organic arsenic compound in marine animals.

PubMed

Sakurai, T; Fujiwara, K

2001-01-01

1. In this study, we investigated the biological effects of trimethyl (carboxymethyl) arsonium zwitterion, namely arsenobetaine (AsBe), which is a major organic arsenic compound in marine animals using murine bone marrow (BM) cells and compared them with those of an inorganic arsenical, sodium arsenite, in vitro. 2. Sodium arsenite showed strong cytotoxicity in BM cells, and its IC(50) was 6 microM. In contrast, AsBe significantly enhanced the viability of BM cells in a dose-dependent manner during a 72-h incubation; about a twofold increase in the viability of cells compared with that of control cells cultured with the medium alone was observed with a microM level of AsBe. 3. In morphological investigations, AsBe enhanced the numbers of large mature adherent cells, especially granulocytes, during a 72-h BM culture. When BM cells were cultured together with AsBe and a low dose (1 u ml(-1)) of recombinant murine granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rMu GM-CSF), significant additive-like increasing effects were observed on the numbers of both granulocytes and macrophages originated from BM cells. However, AsBe did not cause proliferation of BM cells at all as determined by colony-forming assay using a gelatinous medium. 4. These findings demonstrate the unique and potent biological effects in mammalian cells of AsBe, a major organic arsenic compound in various marine animals which are ingested daily as seafood in many countries.

Application of MSSIP-2 nutrient in marine phytoplankton culture to support the production of biomass for biofuel industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taba, Paulina; Kasim, S.; Raya, I.

2018-03-01

A research on the application of MSSIP-2 nutrient in marine phytoplankton culture has been conducted to produce biomass to be used as raw material for biofuel. Marine phytoplankton was cultivated using the nutrient media and the growth rates were studied by measuring the cell solidity at various growth times. Seven phytoplanktons; Isochrysis aff galbana, Spirulina sp., Thalassiosira sp., and Nitzchia sp., Chlorella vulgaris, Chaetoceros calcitrans and Isochrysis tahiti were used in the research. The experimental temperature, salinity, and pH of the media were measured and the specific growth rates of phytoplanktons were determined using the first order rate equation. Results showed that the highest specific growth rate was given by Chlorella vulgaris (0.0322 cells/hour) and the lowest one was by Thalassiosira sp. (0.0277 cells/hour). The highest biomass weight was obtained from Isochrysis aff galbana (0.329 g), whereas the lowest one (0.27 g) was from Nitzchia sp. The carbohydrate content was various, the highest content was 34.07% found in Isochrysis aff galbana and the lowest was 28.16% in Thalassiosira sp.

Microbial culture collections as pillars for promoting fungal diversity, conservation and exploitation.

PubMed

Sette, Lara Durães; Pagnocca, Fernando Carlos; Rodrigues, André

2013-11-01

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms with an overall global number of 1.5M up to 3.3M species on Earth. Besides their ecological roles as decomposers, fungi are important in several aspects of applied research. Here, we review how culture collections may promote the knowledge on diversity, conservation and biotechnological exploitation of fungi. The impact of fungi diversity on biotechnological studies is discussed. We point out the major roles of microbial repositories, including fungal preservation, prospecting, identification, authentication and supply. A survey on the World Data Center for Microorganisms (WDCM) powered by the World Federation for Culture Collections and on the Genetic Heritage Management Council (CGEN) database revealed that 46 Brazilian culture collections registered in these databases are dedicate to preserving fungi. Most of these culture collections are located in the Southeast of Brazil. This scenario also demonstrates that Brazil has many collections focused on fungal strains, but the lack of up-to-date information in WDCM as well as of a solid national platform for culture collections registration do not allow accurate assessment of fungal preservation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial: Biotechnology Journal highlights from 2012 - AFOB and more.

PubMed

Peng, Judy

2013-01-01

Biotechnology Journal welcomed the Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB) in 2012. Together with our existing affiliates, the European Biosafety Association (EBSA) and the EFB Section on Biochmical Engineering (ESBES), the Journal will provide unique bridge between Asian and Europen biotechnologists and bioengineers. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microgravity: New opportunities to facilitate biotechnology development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Terry; Todd, Paul; Stodieck, Louis S.

1996-03-01

New opportunities exist to use the microgravity environment to facilitate biotechnology development. BioServe Space Technologies Center for the Commercial Development of Space offers access to microgravity environments for companies who wish to perform research or develop products in three specific life-science fields: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research, Biotechnology and Bioprocessing Research, and Agricultural and Environmental Research. Examples of each include physiological testing of new pharmaceutical countermeasures against symptoms that are exaggerated in space flight, crystallization and testing of novel, precompetitive biopharmaceutical substances in a convection-free environment, and closed life-support system product development.

The Marine Language Exchange Program: an International Approach to Ocean Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowell, A.; Robigou, V.

2004-12-01

The ability of scientists to communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers is crucial for the global economic sustainability and protection of the world's oceans. Yet students with majors in the sciences and engineering constitute less than 2% of those who study abroad each year. And even fewer are students who study in countries where English is not the first language. The Marine Language Exchange program is a case study of an international and interdisciplinary collaboration between faculties in the languages and the sciences that address this gap. A consortium of U.S. and European institutions including University of Washington (Washington), Eckerd College (Florida), University of Hilo (Hawaii), Université de la Rochelle (France), Université de Liège (Belgium), and Universidad de Las Palmas (Spain) is developing a multilingual, marine sciences exchange program in an effort to internationalize their ocean sciences departments. The program includes a three-week, intensive "bridge" course designed to reinforce second language skills in the context of marine sciences, and prepare undergraduate students for the cultural and educational differences of their host country. Following this preparatory immersion experience students from each institution enroll in courses abroad for 6 to 12 months to study marine sciences for full academic credit. Different disciplinary approaches -Second Language Acquisition, English as a Second Language and Marine Science- prepare science students to contribute to the study and the management of the world\\'{}s oceans with an awareness of the cultural issues reflected by national marine policies.

Biotechnology: Economic and Behavioral Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGhan, William F.; Beardsley, Robert S.

1990-01-01

The paper reviews factors related to effects of biotechnology on the discipline of pharmacy administration including needs assessment, diffusion of technology, cost benefit analysis, marketing, cost containment, patient education and compliance, ethics, and health professions training. (DB)

Law and Marine Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bockrath, Joseph

1976-01-01

The University of Delaware Marine Studies has implemented courses in coastal zone law and policy and maritime law. The courses attempt to integrate the scientist's or engineer's work with public policy formation. The program emphasizes historical and current issues and the economic, cultural, and political forces operating in decision-making…

75 FR 41798 - Solicitation of Letters of Interest to Participate in Biotechnology Quality Management System...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-19

...] Solicitation of Letters of Interest to Participate in Biotechnology Quality Management System Program AGENCY... participate in the APHIS Biotechnology Quality Management System Program. The Biotechnology Quality Management..., audit-based compliance assistance program known as the Biotechnology Quality Management System Program...

Improved enrichment culture technique for methane-oxidizing bacteria from marine ecosystems: the effect of adhesion material and gas composition.

PubMed

Vekeman, Bram; Dumolin, Charles; De Vos, Paul; Heylen, Kim

2017-02-01

Cultivation of microbial representatives of specific functional guilds from environmental samples depends largely on the suitability of the applied growth conditions. Especially the cultivation of marine methanotrophs has received little attention, resulting in only a limited number of ex situ cultures available. In this study we investigated the effect of adhesion material and headspace composition on the methane oxidation activity in methanotrophic enrichments obtained from marine sediment. Addition of sterilized natural sediment or alternatively the addition of acid-washed silicon dioxide significantly increased methane oxidation. This positive effect was attributed to bacterial adhesion on the particles via extracellular compounds, with a minimum amount of particles required for effect. As a result, the particles were immobilized, thus creating a stratified environment in which a limited diffusive gas gradients could build up and various microniches were formed. Such diffusive gas gradient might necessitate high headspace concentrations of CH 4 and CO 2 for sufficient concentrations to reach the methane-oxidizing bacteria in the enrichment culture technique. Therefore, high concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide, in addition to the addition of adhesion material, were tested and indeed further stimulated methane oxidation. Use of adhesion material in combination with high concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide might thus facilitate the cultivation and subsequent enrichment of environmentally important members of this functional guild. The exact mechanism of the observed positive effects on methane oxidation and the differential effect on methanotrophic diversity still needs to be explored.

75 FR 20560 - Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; Determination of Nonregulated Status for Corn Genetically...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-20

...] Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; Determination of Nonregulated Status for Corn Genetically Engineered for... are advising the public of our determination that a corn line developed by Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc... Biotechnology, Inc., in its petition for a determination of nonregulated status, our analysis of other...

Synthetic extreme environments: overlooked sources of potential biotechnologically relevant microorganisms.

PubMed

Sibanda, Timothy; Selvarajan, Ramganesh; Tekere, Memory

2017-05-01

Synthetic extreme environments like carwash effluent tanks and drains are potential sources of biotechnologically important microorganisms and molecules which have, however, remained unexplored. Using culture- and molecular-based methods, a total of 17 bacterial isolates belonging to the genera Shewanella, Proteus, Paenibacillus, Enterobacter and Citrobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Pantoea were identified. Hydrocarbon utilization and enzyme production screening assays showed that Aeromonas sp. CAC11, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13 and Citrobacter sp. PCW7 were able to degrade benzanthracene, naphthalene and diesel oil, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13 could produce cellulase enzyme, while Proteus sp. BPS2, Pseudomonas sp. SAS8 and Proteus sp. CAL3 could produce lipase. GC-MS analysis of bacterial secondary metabolites resulted in identification of 107 different compounds produced by Proteus sp. BPS2, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12, Pseudomonas sp. SAS8, Proteus sp. CAL3 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13. Most of the compounds identified by both GC-MS and LC-MS have previously been determined to have antibacterial, antifungal and/or anticancer properties. Further, microbial metabolites which have previously been known to be produced only by plants or microorganisms found in natural extreme environments were also identified in this study. This research has revealed the immense bioresource potential of microorganisms inhabiting synthetic extreme environments. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Biotechnology in the southern research station: a problem analysis

Treesearch

F.E. Bridgwater; C.D. Nelson

2006-01-01

We provide an analysis of opportunities and challenges for biotechnology in forest research in the southern United States. Four major areas of biotechnology were identified and described and then rated for priority among three groups of researchers—private sector, public sector, and the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station (SRS). The four areas of...

Sustainable use of marine resources: cultivation of sponges.

PubMed

Brümmer, F; Nickel, M

2003-01-01

Among all metazoan phyla, sponges are known to produce the largest number of bioactive compounds, some of them metabolites with human therapeutic value. Therefore, an increasing interest in basic cell biology research up to biochemical engineering can be observed aiming at the production of sponge metabolites under completely controlled conditions. One major obstacle is the limited availability of larger quantities of defined sponge material--the so-called supply problem. In this chapter, different approaches used so far for producing sponge biomass by in situ aquaculture as well as some significant progress in the maintenance of sponges in aquaria are reviewed. These approaches are mainly based on old methods for producing commercial bath sponges as well as on experience in maintaining sponges in public aquaria and on the usage of artificial substrates for a natural-like colonization structure. In recent years, great efforts have been made to set up in vitro culture systems for the cultivation of sponge cells. One of the major advantages of cell cultures is the possibility to control and manipulate the cultivation conditions depending on the sponge species and the target metabolite. Up to now, monolayer cultures of dissociated sponge cells have been shown in a few cases to produce the desired product. However, to date, no continuously growing sponge cell line has been established. Organotypic culture systems, which maintain or mimic the natural tissue structure, have been developed in recent years and demonstrate a promising way towards the biotechnology of sponges. Successful attempts to produce sponge metabolites using the three-dimensional growing primmorphs are given. The use of sponge fragments, another three-dimensional approach, has reappeared and has also been successfully used as an in vitro approach as well as for the biotechnological production of boreal sponge tissue.

Diversity, ecological distribution and biotechnological potential of Actinobacteria inhabiting seamounts and non-seamounts in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

PubMed

Ettoumi, Besma; Chouchane, Habib; Guesmi, Amel; Mahjoubi, Mouna; Brusetti, Lorenzo; Neifar, Mohamed; Borin, Sara; Daffonchio, Daniele; Cherif, Ameur

2016-01-01

In the present study, the ecological distribution of marine Actinobacteria isolated from seamount and non-seamount stations in the Tyrrhenian Sea was investigated. A collection of 110 isolates was analyzed by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of representatives for each ARISA haplotype (n=49). Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences showed a wide diversity of marine isolates and clustered the strains into 11 different genera, Janibacter, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, Kocuria, Dietzia, Curtobacterium, Micrococcus, Citricoccus, Brevibacterium, Brachybacterium and Nocardioides. Interestingly, Janibacter limosus was the most encountered species particularly in seamounts stations, suggesting that it represents an endemic species of this particular ecosystem. The application of BOX-PCR fingerprinting on J. limosus sub-collection (n=22), allowed their separation into seven distinct BOX-genotypes suggesting a high intraspecific microdiversity among the collection. Furthermore, by screening the biotechnological potential of selected actinobacterial strains, J. limosus was shown to exhibit the most important biosurfactant activity. Our overall data indicates that Janibacter is a major and active component of seamounts in the Tyrrhenian Sea adapted to low nutrient ecological niche. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Selenium biomineralization for biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Nancharaiah, Yarlagadda V; Lens, Piet N L

2015-06-01

Selenium (Se) is not only a strategic element in high-tech electronics and an essential trace element in living organisms, but also a potential toxin with low threshold concentrations. Environmental biotechnological applications using bacterial biomineralization have the potential not only to remove selenium from contaminated waters, but also to sequester it in a reusable form. Selenium biomineralization has been observed in phylogenetically diverse microorganisms isolated from pristine and contaminated environments, yet it is one of the most poorly understood biogeochemical processes. Microbial respiration of selenium is unique because the microbial cells are presented with both soluble (SeO(4)(2-) and SeO(3)(2-)) and insoluble (Se(0)) forms of selenium as terminal electron acceptor. Here, we highlight selenium biomineralization and the potential biotechnological uses for it in bioremediation and wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New challenges in microalgae biotechnology.

PubMed

Valverde, Federico; Romero-Campero, Francisco J; León, Rosa; Guerrero, Miguel G; Serrano, Aurelio

2016-08-01

Photosynthetic protists, also called microalgae, have been systematically studied for more than a century. However, only recently broad biotechnological applications have fostered a novel wave of research on their potentialities as sustainable resources of renewable energy as well as valuable industrial and agro-food products. At the recent VII European Congress of Protistology held in Seville, three outstanding examples of different research strategies on microalgae with biotechnological implications were presented, which suggested that integrative approaches will produce very significant advances in this field in the next future. In any case, intense research and the application of systems biology and genetic engineering techniques are absolutely essential to reach the full potential of microalgae as cell-factories of bio-based products and, therefore, could contribute significantly to solve the problems of biosustainability and energy shortage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Biotechnologies for the management of genetic resources for food and agriculture.

PubMed

Lidder, Preetmoninder; Sonnino, Andrea

2012-01-01

In recent years, the land area under agriculture has declined as also has the rate of growth in agricultural productivity while the demand for food continues to escalate. The world population now stands at 7 billion and is expected to reach 9 billion in 2045. A broad range of agricultural genetic diversity needs to be available and utilized in order to feed this growing population. Climate change is an added threat to biodiversity that will significantly impact genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA) and food production. There is no simple, all-encompassing solution to the challenges of increasing productivity while conserving genetic diversity. Sustainable management of GRFA requires a multipronged approach, and as outlined in the paper, biotechnologies can provide powerful tools for the management of GRFA. These tools vary in complexity from those that are relatively simple to those that are more sophisticated. Further, advances in biotechnologies are occurring at a rapid pace and provide novel opportunities for more effective and efficient management of GRFA. Biotechnology applications must be integrated with ongoing conventional breeding and development programs in order to succeed. Additionally, the generation, adaptation, and adoption of biotechnologies require a consistent level of financial and human resources and appropriate policies need to be in place. These issues were also recognized by Member States at the FAO international technical conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies for Developing Countries (ABDC-10), which took place in March 2010 in Mexico. At the end of the conference, the Member States reached a number of key conclusions, agreeing, inter alia, that developing countries should significantly increase sustained investments in capacity building and the development and use of biotechnologies to maintain the natural resource base; that effective and enabling national biotechnology policies and science-based regulatory frameworks can

Protein engineering approaches to chemical biotechnology.

PubMed

Chen, Zhen; Zeng, An-Ping

2016-12-01

Protein engineering for the improvement of properties of biocatalysts and for the generation of novel metabolic pathways plays more and more important roles in chemical biotechnology aiming at the production of chemicals from biomass. Although widely used in single-enzyme catalysis process, protein engineering is only being increasingly explored in recent years to achieve more complex in vitro and in vivo biocatalytic processes. This review focuses on major contributions of protein engineering to chemical biotechnology in the field of multi-enzymatic cascade catalysis and metabolic engineering. Especially, we discuss and highlight recent strategies for combining pathway design and protein engineering for the production of novel products. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of culture conditions and medium composition on the production of antibacterial compounds by marine Serratia sp. WPRA3.

PubMed

Jafarzade, Mahtab; Yahya, Nur Ain; Shayesteh, Fatemeh; Usup, Gires; Ahmad, Asmat

2013-06-01

This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of culture conditions and medium components on production of antibacterial compounds by Serratia sp. WPRA3 (JX020764) which was isolated from marine water of Port Dickson, Malaysia. Biochemical, morphological, and molecular characteristics suggested that the isolate is a new candidate of the Serratia sp. The isolate showed strong antimicrobial activity against fungi, Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. This bacterium exhibited optimum antibacterial compounds production at 28°C, pH 7 and 200 rev/min aeration during 72 h of incubation period. Highest antibacterial activity was obtained when sodium chloride (2%), yeast extract (0.5%), and glucose concentration (0.75%) were used as salt, nitrogen, and carbon sources respectively. Different active fractions were obtained by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Flash Column Chromatography (FCC) from ethyl acetate crude extracts namely OCE and RCE in different culture conditions, OCE (pH 5, 200 rev/min) and RCE (pH 7/without aeration). In conclusion, the results suggested different culture conditions have a significant impact on the types of secondary metabolites produced by the bacterium.

78 FR 7387 - Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture; Renewal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-01

... Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture; Renewal AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, USDA. ACTION: Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture Renewal. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given... agricultural biotechnology. The AC21 has been established to provide information and advice to the Secretary of...

A cross-sectional study of biotechnology awareness and teaching in European high schools.

PubMed

Vanderschuren, Hervé; Heinzmann, Dominik; Faso, Carmen; Stupak, Martin; Arga, Kazim Yalçin; Hoerzer, Helen; Laizet, Yech'an; Leduchowska, Paulina; Silva, Nádia; Simková, Klára

2010-12-31

Undoubtedly, biotechnology has a tremendous impact on our daily lives. As a result of this and in parallel to the advancement of knowledge in this field of applied research, consumer awareness of the potential benefits and risks of this technology has steadily increased, leading to a thorough investigation of the public perception of biotechnology in the past years. Indeed, it has become clear that it is in the general interest of science and especially of applied research to inform the public of its advances. A promising next step is to strengthen biotechnology communication in scholastic institutions. In this paper, we investigate the perception of biotechnology in a specific target group, namely high-school students in the 16-20-year-old age range. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey on a total of 1410 students in six European countries to investigate students' perception, concern, scientific knowledge, and awareness. Our data revealed some unexpected patterns of acceptance and concern about biotechnology. Knowledge analysis indicated that pupils lack specific knowledge about biotechnological applications and their interest in biotechnology appeared to be linked to knowledge. Analysis of specific questions about teaching practices at schools suggests that a better targeted choice in media as vehicles for information together with selected speakers could be instrumental in increasing students' interest in science and more specifically in biotechnology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rising Company’s Performance through Leadership Role: Culture, Strategies, and Management System as a Marine State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardi, Jeni; Yandra, Alexsander

2018-05-01

This research aims to learn the direct influence of transformational and transactional leaderships on Indonesian company’s performance through company’s culture, strategy, management accounting and control system as a marine state. This research involves descriptive and inferential designs in solving the research problem. To test the model and the hypothesis, SEM analysis is used. The populations of this research are companies registered in Indonesian stock exchange in 2012. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling. The data of the research are obtained from questionnaires distributed to respondents. The respondents are companies’ managers represented by accounting and finance managers with the positions 1 and 2 levels below top management team who have direct communication with the top management. The results of the research show that transformational leadership influences company’s performance directly, but not the transactional leadership. The company’s culture is not the mediation variable in indirect influence on the company’s performance, either in transformational or transactional leadership. On the other hand, management control system proves to be the mediation in transactional leadership on the performance but not for transformational leadership. Meanwhile, management accounting system proves to be the mediation variable in the influence of transformational and transactional leaderships. Except the variables of company’s culture, strategy, management accounting system and management control system, each directly influences the performance.

Occurrence and Expression of Gene Transfer Agent Genes in Marine Bacterioplankton▿

PubMed Central

Biers, Erin J.; Wang, Kui; Pennington, Catherine; Belas, Robert; Chen, Feng; Moran, Mary Ann

2008-01-01

Genes with homology to the transduction-like gene transfer agent (GTA) were observed in genome sequences of three cultured members of the marine Roseobacter clade. A broader search for homologs for this host-controlled virus-like gene transfer system identified likely GTA systems in cultured Alphaproteobacteria, and particularly in marine bacterioplankton representatives. Expression of GTA genes and extracellular release of GTA particles (∼50 to 70 nm) was demonstrated experimentally for the Roseobacter clade member Silicibacter pomeroyi DSS-3, and intraspecific gene transfer was documented. GTA homologs are surprisingly infrequent in marine metagenomic sequence data, however, and the role of this lateral gene transfer mechanism in ocean bacterioplankton communities remains unclear. PMID:18359833

Biotechnologies and Human Dignity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, William; Masciulli, Joseph

2011-01-01

In this article, the authors review some contemporary cases where biotechnologies have been employed, where they have had global implications, and where there has been considerable debate. The authors argue that the concept of dignity, which lies at the center of such documents as the 2005 Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, the…

Biotechnological challenges of bioartificial kidney engineering.

PubMed

Jansen, J; Fedecostante, M; Wilmer, M J; van den Heuvel, L P; Hoenderop, J G; Masereeuw, R

2014-11-15

With the world-wide increase of patients with renal failure, the development of functional renal replacement therapies have gained significant interest and novel technologies are rapidly evolving. Currently used renal replacement therapies insufficiently remove accumulating waste products, resulting in the uremic syndrome. A more preferred treatment option is kidney transplantation, but the shortage of donor organs and the increasing number of patients waiting for a transplant warrant the development of novel technologies. The bioartificial kidney (BAK) is such promising biotechnological approach to replace essential renal functions together with the active secretion of waste products. The development of the BAK requires a multidisciplinary approach and evolves at the intersection of regenerative medicine and renal replacement therapy. Here we provide a concise review embracing a compact historical overview of bioartificial kidney development and highlighting the current state-of-the-art, including implementation of living-membranes and the relevance of extracellular matrices. We focus further on the choice of relevant renal epithelial cell lines versus the use of stem cells and co-cultures that need to be implemented in a suitable device. Moreover, the future of the BAK in regenerative nephrology is discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology Patenting in the BRICS Countries: Strategies and Dynamics.

PubMed

Streltsova, Ekaterina; Linton, Jonathan D

2018-01-05

The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) account for 25% of global biotechnology patents. To understand the current and future landscape of the domain, it is important to better understand the capacity of these contributors. Here, we consider the thematic priorities, strategies, and key players of the BRICS countries in biotechnology patenting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure University Students' Biotechnology Attitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdogan, Mehmet; Özel, Murat; Uşak, Muhammet; Prokop, Pavol

2009-06-01

The impact of biotechnologies on peoples' everyday lives continuously increases. Measuring young peoples' attitudes toward biotechnologies is therefore very important and its results are useful not only for science curriculum developers and policy makers, but also for producers and distributors of genetically modified products. Despite of substantial number of instruments which focused on measuring student attitudes toward biotechnology, a majority of them were not rigorously validated. This study deals with the development and validation of an attitude questionnaire toward biotechnology. Detailed information on development and validation process of the instrument is provided. Data gathered from 326 university students provided evidence for the validity and reliability of the new instrument which consists of 28 attitude items on a five point likert type scale. It is believed that the instrument will serve as a valuable tool for both instructors and researchers in science education to assess students' biotechnology attitudes.

Utilization of protein-rich residues in biotechnological processes.

PubMed

Pleissner, Daniel; Venus, Joachim

2016-03-01

A drawback of biotechnological processes, where microorganisms convert biomass constituents, such as starch, cellulose, hemicelluloses, lipids, and proteins, into wanted products, is the economic feasibility. Particularly the cost of nitrogen sources in biotechnological processes can make up a large fraction of total process expenses. To further develop the bioeconomy, it is of considerable interest to substitute cost-intensive by inexpensive nitrogen sources. The aim of this mini-review was to provide a comprehensive insight of utilization methods of protein-rich residues, such as fish waste, green biomass, hairs, and food waste. The methods described include (i) production of enzymes, (ii) recovery of bioactive compounds, and/or (iii) usage as nitrogen source for microorganisms in biotechnological processes. In this aspect, the utilization of protein-rich residues, which are conventionally considered as waste, allows the development of value-adding processes for the production of bioactive compounds, biomolecules, chemicals, and materials.

Marine Invertebrate Metabolites with Anticancer Activities: Solutions to the “Supply Problem”

PubMed Central

Gomes, Nelson G. M.; Dasari, Ramesh; Chandra, Sunena; Kiss, Robert; Kornienko, Alexander

2016-01-01

Marine invertebrates provide a rich source of metabolites with anticancer activities and several marine-derived agents have been approved for the treatment of cancer. However, the limited supply of promising anticancer metabolites from their natural sources is a major hurdle to their preclinical and clinical development. Thus, the lack of a sustainable large-scale supply has been an important challenge facing chemists and biologists involved in marine-based drug discovery. In the current review we describe the main strategies aimed to overcome the supply problem. These include: marine invertebrate aquaculture, invertebrate and symbiont cell culture, culture-independent strategies, total chemical synthesis, semi-synthesis, and a number of hybrid strategies. We provide examples illustrating the application of these strategies for the supply of marine invertebrate-derived anticancer agents. Finally, we encourage the scientific community to develop scalable methods to obtain selected metabolites, which in the authors’ opinion should be pursued due to their most promising anticancer activities. PMID:27213412

A European Competence Framework for Industrial Pharmacy Practice in Biotechnology.

PubMed

Atkinson, Jeffrey; Crowley, Pat; De Paepe, Kristien; Gennery, Brian; Koster, Andries; Martini, Luigi; Moffat, Vivien; Nicholson, Jane; Pauwels, Gunther; Ronsisvalle, Giuseppe; Sousa, Vitor; van Schravendijk, Chris; Wilson, Keith

2015-07-29

The PHAR-IN (" Competences for industrial pharmacy practice in biotechnology ") looked at whether there is a difference in how industrial employees and academics rank competences for practice in the biotechnological industry. A small expert panel consisting of the authors of this paper produced a biotechnology competence framework by drawing up an initial list of competences then ranking them in importance using a three-stage Delphi process. The framework was next evaluated and validated by a large expert panel of academics ( n = 37) and industrial employees ( n = 154). Results show that priorities for industrial employees and academics were similar. The competences for biotechnology practice that received the highest scores were mainly in: "Research and Development", '"Upstream" and "Downstream" Processing', "Product development and formulation", "Aseptic processing", "Analytical methodology", "Product stability", and "Regulation". The main area of disagreement was in the category "Ethics and drug safety" where academics ranked competences higher than did industrial employees.

Biotechnology, Ethics and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzsimons, Peter John

2007-01-01

Fundamental differences between current and past knowledge in the field of biotechnology mean that we now have at our disposal the means to irreversibly change what is meant by "human nature". This paper explores some of the ethical issues that accompany the (as yet tentative) attempt to increase scientific control over the human genetic code in…

Extremophiles and biotechnology: current uses and prospects

PubMed Central

Coker, James A.

2016-01-01

Biotechnology has almost unlimited potential to change our lives in very exciting ways. Many of the chemical reactions that produce these products can be fully optimized by performing them at extremes of temperature, pressure, salinity, and pH for efficient and cost-effective outcomes. Fortunately, there are many organisms (extremophiles) that thrive in extreme environments found in nature and offer an excellent source of replacement enzymes in lieu of mesophilic ones currently used in these processes. In this review, I discuss the current uses and some potential new applications of extremophiles and their products, including enzymes, in biotechnology. PMID:27019700

Biotechnology and Open University Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grobstein, Clifford

1985-01-01

Discusses whether biotechnology commercial application will significantly inhibit the free flow of information traditional in academic environments. Background factors, crux of the concern, assessment, and current options are given. Although little evidence that industry-university collaboration has impaired academic molecular genetics exists,…

The Marine Biogeochemistry of Zinc Isotopes

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

hydrothermal fluids and minerals, cultured marine phytoplankton, natural plankton, and seawater. By measuring Zn isotopes in a diverse array of...variations were discovered in hydrothermal fluids and minerals, with hydrothermal fluids ranging in 6 66Zn from 0.02 %o to +0.93 %o, and chimney minerals...drives much of the Zn isotope fractionation in hydrothermal systems. In cultured diatoms, a relationship was discovered between Zn transport by

High School and University Students' Knowledge and Attitudes regarding Biotechnology: A Turkish Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usak, Muhammet; Erdogan, Mehmet; Prokop, Pavol; Ozel, Murat

2009-01-01

Biotechnology has a considerable importance in Turkish biology curriculum. This study was designed to explore or indicate Turkish high school and university students' knowledge and attitudes toward biotechnology. A total number of 352 high school and 276 university students were invited to the study. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire (BKQ)…

Studying Biotechnological Methods Using Animations: The Teacher's Role

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarden, Hagit; Yarden, Anat

2011-12-01

Animation has great potential for improving the way people learn. A number of studies in different scientific disciplines have shown that instruction involving computer animations can facilitate the understanding of processes at the molecular level. However, using animation alone does not ensure learning. Students sometimes miss essential features when they watch only animations, mainly due to the cognitive load involved. Moreover, students seem to attribute a great deal of authority to the computer and may develop misconceptions by taking animations of abstract concepts too literally. In this study, we attempted to explore teachers' perceptions concerning the use of animations in the classroom while studying biotechnological methods, as well as the teachers' contribution to the enactment of animations in class. Thirty high-school biotechnology teachers participated in a professional development workshop, aimed at investigating how teachers plan for and support learning with animation while studying biotechnological methods in class. From that sample, two teachers agreed to participate in two case studies aimed at characterizing teachers' contribution to the enactment of animations in class while studying biotechnological methods. Our findings reveal marked teacher contribution in the following three aspects: establishing the "hands-on" point of view, helping students deal with the cognitive load that accompanies the use of animation, and implementing constructivist aspects of knowledge construction while studying using animations.

Rhamnolipid biosurfactants: evolutionary implications, applications and future prospects from untapped marine resource.

PubMed

Kiran, George Seghal; Ninawe, Arun Shivanth; Lipton, Anuj Nishanth; Pandian, Vijayalakshmi; Selvin, Joseph

2016-01-01

Rhamnolipid-biosurfactants are known to be produced by the genus Pseudomonas, however recent literature reported that rhamnolipids (RLs) are distributed among diverse microbial genera. To integrate the evolutionary implications of rhamnosyl transferase among various groups of microorganisms, a comprehensive comparative motif analysis was performed amongst bacterial producers. Findings on new RL-producing microorganism is helpful from a biotechnological perspective and to replace infective P. aeruginosa strains which ultimately ensure industrially safe production of RLs. Halotolerant biosurfactants are required for efficient bioremediation of marine oil spills. An insight on the exploitation of marine microbes as the potential source of RL biosurfactants is highlighted in the present review. An economic production process, solid-state fermentation using agro-industrial and industrial waste would increase the scope of biosurfactants commercialization. Potential and prospective applications of RL-biosurfactants including hydrocarbon bioremediation, heavy metal removal, antibiofilm activity/biofilm disruption and greener synthesis of nanoparticles are highlighted in this review.

Review of computational fluid dynamics applications in biotechnology processes.

PubMed

Sharma, C; Malhotra, D; Rathore, A S

2011-01-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is well established as a tool of choice for solving problems that involve one or more of the following phenomena: flow of fluids, heat transfer,mass transfer, and chemical reaction. Unit operations that are commonly utilized in biotechnology processes are often complex and as such would greatly benefit from application of CFD. The thirst for deeper process and product understanding that has arisen out of initiatives such as quality by design provides further impetus toward usefulness of CFD for problems that may otherwise require extensive experimentation. Not surprisingly, there has been increasing interest in applying CFD toward a variety of applications in biotechnology processing in the last decade. In this article, we will review applications in the major unit operations involved with processing of biotechnology products. These include fermentation,centrifugation, chromatography, ultrafiltration, microfiltration, and freeze drying. We feel that the future applications of CFD in biotechnology processing will focus on establishing CFD as a tool of choice for providing process understanding that can be then used to guide more efficient and effective experimentation. This article puts special emphasis on the work done in the last 10 years. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Biotechnology developments in the livestock sector in developing countries.

PubMed

Onteru, Suneel; Ampaire, Agatha; Rothschild, Max

2010-01-01

Global meat and milk consumption is exponentially increasing due to population growth, urbanization and changes in lifestyle in the developing world. This is an excellent opportunity for developing countries to improve the livestock sector by using technological advances. Biotechnology is one of the avenues for improved production in the "Livestock revolution". Biotechnology developments applied to livestock health, nutrition, breeding and reproduction are improving with a reasonable pace in developing countries. Simple bio-techniques such as artificial insemination have been well implemented in many parts of the developing world. However, advanced technologies including transgenic plant vaccines, marker assisted selection, solid state fermentation for the production of fibrolytic enzymes, transgenic fodders, embryo transfer and animal cloning are confined largely to research organizations. Some developing countries such as Taiwan, China and Brazil have considered the commercialization of biotechnology in the livestock sector. Organized livestock production systems, proper record management, capacity building, objective oriented research to improve farmer's income, collaborations with the developed world, knowledge of the sociology of an area and research on new methods to educate farmers and policy makers need to be improved for the creation and implementation of biotechnology advances in the livestock sector in the developing world.

Connecting Learners: The Role of Biotechnology Programme in Preparing Students for the Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohd Saruan, Nadiah; Sagran, Avinash; Fadzil, Kamal Solhaimi; Razali, Zuliana; Ow Phui San, Rebecca; Somasundram, Chandran

2015-01-01

The recent growth of biotechnology requires a wide range of expertise within the industry. Education is the primary platform for students to gain information and knowledge on biotechnology. In Malaysia where biotechnology is relatively new, education programs and courses must be tailored to meet the demands of the industry. A combination of…

Crossing boundaries: the importance of cellular membranes in industrial biotechnology.

PubMed

Jezierska, Sylwia; Van Bogaert, Inge N A

2017-05-01

How small molecules cross cellular membranes is an often overlooked issue in an industrial microbiology and biotechnology context. This is to a large extent governed by the technical difficulties to study these transport systems or by the lack of knowledge on suitable efflux pumps. This review emphasizes the importance of microbial cellular membranes in industrial biotechnology by highlighting successful strategies of membrane engineering towards more resistant and hence better performing microorganisms, as well as transporter and other engineering strategies for increased efflux of primary and secondary metabolites. Furthermore, the benefits and limitations of eukaryotic subcellular compartmentalization are discussed, as well as the biotechnological potential of membrane vesicles.

Risk communication related to animal products derived from biotechnology.

PubMed

McCrea, D

2005-04-01

Previous chapters of this review have dealt with the key considerations related to the application of biotechnology in veterinary science and animal production. This article explores the theory and practice of risk communication and sets out the basic principles for good risk communication when dealing with new technologies, uncertainty, and cautious and sceptical consumers. After failure to communicate with consumers and stakeholders about the risk to human health from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the 1990s, Government Agencies in the United Kingdom have made significant improvements in risk communication. The official inquiry that followed the BSE crisis concluded that a policy of openness was the correct approach, and this article emphasises the importance of consultation, consistency and transparency. There are, however, many different factors that affect public perception of risk (religious, political, social, cultural, etc.) and developing effective risk communication strategies must take all of these complex issues into consideration.

Using the Mystery of the Cyclopic Lamb to Teach Biotechnology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Jamie L.

2010-01-01

I present a learning cycle that explores different biotechnologies using the process of in situ hybridization as a platform. Students are presented with a cyclopic lamb and must use biotechnology to discover the mechanism behind the deformity. Through this activity, students learn about signal transduction and discover the processes of polymerase…

How to boost marine fungal research: A first step towards a multidisciplinary approach by combining molecular fungal ecology and natural products chemistry.

PubMed

Reich, Marlis; Labes, Antje

2017-12-01

Marine fungi have attracted attention in recent years due to increased appreciation of their functional role in ecosystems and as important sources of new natural products. The concomitant development of various "omic" technologies has boosted fungal research in the fields of biodiversity, physiological ecology and natural product biosynthesis. Each of these research areas has its own research agenda, scientific language and quality standards, which have so far hindered an interdisciplinary exchange. Inter- and transdisciplinary interactions are, however, vital for: (i) a detailed understanding of the ecological role of marine fungi, (ii) unlocking their hidden potential for natural product discovery, and (iii) designing access routes for biotechnological production. In this review and opinion paper, we describe the two different "worlds" of marine fungal natural product chemists and marine fungal molecular ecologists. The individual scientific approaches and tools employed are summarised and explained, and enriched with a first common glossary. We propose a strategy to find a multidisciplinary approach towards a comprehensive view on marine fungi and their chemical potential. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotechnology Facility (BTF) for ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Engineering mockup shows the general arrangement of the plarned Biotechnology Facility inside an EXPRESS rack aboard the International Space Station. This layout includes a gas supply module (bottom left), control computer and laptop interface (bottom right), two rotating wall vessels (top right), and support systems.

Selecting Microbial Strains from Pine Tree Resin: Biotechnological Applications from a Terpene World

PubMed Central

Vilanova, Cristina; Marín, Maria; Baixeras, Joaquín; Latorre, Amparo; Porcar, Manuel

2014-01-01

Resin is a chemical and physical defensive barrier secreted by many plants, especially coniferous trees, with insecticidal and antimicrobial properties. The degradation of terpenes, the main components accounting for the toxicity of resin, is highly relevant for a vast range of biotechnological processes, including bioremediation. In the present work, we used a resin-based selective medium in order to study the resin-tolerant microbial communities associated with the galls formed by the moth Retinia resinella; as well as resin from Pinus sylvestris forests, one of the largest ecosystems on Earth and a yet-unexplored source of terpene-degrading microorganisms. The taxonomic and functional diversity of the cultivated, resin-tolerant fraction of the whole microbiota were unveiled by high-throughput sequencing, which resulted in the detection of more than 40 bacterial genera among the terpene-degrading microorganisms, and a range of genes involved in the degradation of different terpene families. We further characterized through culture-based approaches and transcriptome sequencing selected microbial strains, including Pseudomonas sp., the most abundant species in both environmental resin and R. resinella resin-rich galls, and three fungal species, and experimentally confirmed their ability to degrade resin and also other terpene-based compounds and, thus, their potential use in biotechnological applications involving terpene catabolism. PMID:24971580

Biotechnological Production of Organic Acids from Renewable Resources.

PubMed

Pleissner, Daniel; Dietz, Donna; van Duuren, Jozef Bernhard Johann Henri; Wittmann, Christoph; Yang, Xiaofeng; Lin, Carol Sze Ki; Venus, Joachim

2017-03-07

Biotechnological processes are promising alternatives to petrochemical routes for overcoming the challenges of resource depletion in the future in a sustainable way. The strategies of white biotechnology allow the utilization of inexpensive and renewable resources for the production of a broad range of bio-based compounds. Renewable resources, such as agricultural residues or residues from food production, are produced in large amounts have been shown to be promising carbon and/or nitrogen sources. This chapter focuses on the biotechnological production of lactic acid, acrylic acid, succinic acid, muconic acid, and lactobionic acid from renewable residues, these products being used as monomers for bio-based material and/or as food supplements. These five acids have high economic values and the potential to overcome the "valley of death" between laboratory/pilot scale and commercial/industrial scale. This chapter also provides an overview of the production strategies, including microbial strain development, used to convert renewable resources into value-added products.

Popular misconceptions: agricultural biotechnology.

PubMed

McHughen, Alan; Wager, Robert

2010-12-31

Agricultural biotechnology, especially genetic engineering or genetic modification (GM), is a topic of considerable controversy worldwide. The public debate is fraught with polarized views and opinions, some are held with religious zeal. Unfortunately, it is also marked with much ignorance and misinformation. Here we explore some popular misconceptions encountered in the public debate. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marine Language Exchange Program: A 21st Century International and Interdisciplinary Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.; Nichols-Pecceu, M.

2001-12-01

The ability of scientists to communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers is crucial for the global economic sustainability and protection of the world\\'{}s oceans. Yet students with majors in the sciences and engineering constitute less than 2% of those who study abroad each year. And even rarer are students who study in countries where English is not the first language. The Marine Language Exchange program is a case study of an international and interdisciplinary collaboration between faculties in the languages and the sciences who address this gap. A consortium of U.S. and European institutions including Eckerd College (Florida), University of Washington (Washington), University of Hilo (Hawaii), Université de la Rochelle (France), Université de Liège (Belgium), and Universidad de Las Palmas (Spain) is developing a multilingual, marine sciences exchange program in an effort to internationalize their Marine Sciences departments. The program includes a three-week, intensive "bridge" course designed to reinforce second language skills in the context of marine sciences, and prepare undergraduate students for the cultural and educational differences of their host country. Following this immersion experience students from each institution enroll in courses abroad including marine sciences specialization for full academic credit. This session will review the Marine Language Exchange program activities since 2000 and will discuss the ideological and practical aspects of the program. The program successes, difficulties and future directions will also be presented. Different disciplinary approaches -Second Language Acquisition, English as a Second Language and Marine Science- prepare science students to contribute to the study and the management of the world\\'{}s oceans with an awareness of the cultural issues reflected by national marine policies. Based on this case study, other universities could initiate their own international and interdisciplinary

The application of biotechnology in medicinal plants breeding research in China.

PubMed