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This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory. This is page number 28.

Sample size calculation for studies comparing binary outcomes using historical controls
In historical control trials (HCTs), the experimental therapy is compared with a control therapy that has been evaluated in a previously conducted trial. Makuch and Simon developed a sample size formula where the observations from the HC group were considered not subject to sampling variability. Many researchers have pointed out that the Makuch–Simon sample size formula does not preserve the nominal power and type I error. We develop a sample size calculation approach that properly accounts for the uncertainty in the true response rate of the HC group. We demonstrate that the empirical power and type I error, obtained ov...
Source: Biometrical Journal - January 1, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Song Zhang, Jing Cao, Chul Ahn Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Bayesian nonparametric centered random effects models with variable selection
In a linear mixed effects model, it is common practice to assume that the random effects follow a parametric distribution such as a normal distribution with mean zero. However, in the case of variable selection, substantial violation of the normality assumption can potentially impact the subset selection and result in poor interpretation and even incorrect results. In nonparametric random effects models, the random effects generally have a nonzero mean, which causes an identifiability problem for the fixed effects that are paired with the random effects. In this article, we focus on a Bayesian method for variable selection...
Source: Biometrical Journal - January 1, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Mingan Yang Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Stains recently certified.
Authors: PMID: 23249168 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Biotechnic and Histochemistry - January 1, 2013 Category: Research Tags: Biotech Histochem Source Type: research

Tuning the mechanical properties of self‐assembled mixed‐peptide tubes
In this study, nano‐ and microscale fibrillar and tubular structures formed by mixing two aromatic peptides known to self‐assemble separately, (diphenylalanine and di‐D‐2‐napthylalanine) have been investigated. The morphology, mechanical strength and thermal stability of the tubular structures formed have been studied. The tubes are shown to consist of both peptides with some degree of nanoscale phase separation. The ability of the mixed peptides to form structures, which display variable mechanical properties dependent on the percentage composition of the peptides is presented. Such materials with tuneable prope...
Source: Journal of Microscopy - January 1, 2013 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: V.L. SEDMAN, X. CHEN, S. ALLEN, C.J. ROBERTS, V.V. KOROLKOV, S.J.B. TENDLER Source Type: research

Alzheimer's Association Update for January 2013
In 2011, workgroups established by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) published four papers in which they proposed revising the 25-year-old criteria for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of the new criteria revised guidelines was to improve diagnostic accuracy, particularly during the early phases of disease. These papers have generated a flurry of discussion in the Alzheimer's community as researchers, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies consider the implications of implementing revised criteria in clinical practice, research, and drug development. Among those weighin...
Source: Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association - January 1, 2013 Category: Geriatrics Tags: Association Pages Source Type: research

Toxin‐Antitoxin systems are ubiquitous and versatile modulators of prokaryotic cell fate
Abstract Toxin‐antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic elements found on plasmids or chromosomes of countless bacteria, archaea and possibly also unicellular fungi. Under normal growth conditions the activity of the toxin protein or its translation is counteracted by an antitoxin protein or non‐coding RNA. Five types of TA systems have been proposed which differ markedly in their genetic architectures and modes of activity control. Subtle regulatory properties, frequently responsive to environmental cues, impact the behavior of TA systems. Typically, stress conditions result in the degradation or depletion of the anti...
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - January 1, 2013 Category: Microbiology Authors: Christopher F. Schuster, Ralph Bertram Tags: MiniReview Source Type: research

Legislative Status of the Biofuels Tax Credit
Biotechnology Law Report , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Source: Biotechnology Law Report - December 31, 2012 Category: Medical Law Tags: article Source Type: research

Fiscal cliff deadline looms
An agreement to avoid the worst impacts of the "fiscal cliff" appeared closer Monday evening, but House Republican leaders said they wouldn't vote on the matter until Tuesday at the earliest, meaning the nation would go over the edge for at least a day. The cliff refers to a combination of tax increases and spending cuts that some economists fear will plunge the nation back into recession. The question of what might happen was on the minds of Dallas-Fort Worth business people as the sun's rays…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Bill Hethcock Source Type: research

Reversible and irreversible electroporation of cell suspensions flowing through a localized DC electric field.
Abstract Experiments on reversible and irreversible cell electroporation were carried out with an experimental setup based on a standard apparatus for horizontal electrophoresis, a syringe pump with regulated cell suspension flow velocity and a dcEF power supply. Cells in suspension flowing through an orifice in a barrier inserted into the electrophoresis apparatus were exposed to defined localized dcEFs in the range of 0-1000 V/cm for a selected duration in the range 10-1000 ms. This method permitted the determination of the viability of irreversibly electroperforated cells. It also showed that the uptake by rever...
Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters - December 31, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Korohoda W, Grys M, Madeja Z Tags: Cell Mol Biol Lett Source Type: research

Navigating the new health-care law: Some tips for employers
This week’s edition of the Puget Sound Business Journal includes some updates on the state Health Exchange – now branded as the Washington Healthplanfinder. It includes five key questions employers need to consider in 2013 (subscription required) as they march toward the exchange’s October enrollment period. The updates are all part of a series of major changes introduced through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Below I’ve included a few extra considerations and helpful…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Valerie Bauman Source Type: research

Anti-diarrheal drug for HIV patients, made from South American tree bark, approved by FDA
An anti-diarrheal drug for HIV patients, developed by Napo Pharmaceuticals Inc. from the bark of a South American tree before a contentious handoff to a North Carolina drug maker, won Food and Drug Administration approval Monday. The FDA’s end-of-the-year approval of Fulyzaq, the second botanical drug OK’d by the agency, caps a 20-year journey by Napo’s principals to turn the highly purified form of red, sappy tree bark latex into a drug to relieve diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Ron Leuty Source Type: research

A fiscal cliff bonus: The Apple products a tax deal could buy you
UPDATE: CNBC and several other news outlets are reporting that the House of Representatives will not convene Monday night to vote on any potential fiscal cliff deals approved by the Senate. Cue discussion about whether we're really heading off a cliff, or rather a more gradual slope... Original Story: With all the chaos surrounding Washington’s inability to reach a deal on the fiscal cliff, some of you may have braced for a tax hike by setting aside more cash to pay the IRS in 2013. It's a long…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Lauren Hepler Source Type: research

Five of the biggest real estate deals of 2012
Commercial real estate seems like it went through fits and starts in 2012, with some major projects in the St. Louis area moving forward and others at a stand still. Many of the projects that began in 2012 were driven by institutional users such as local universities and health-care providers, including BJC Healthcare and Washington University. Here's a sampling: CORTEX’s $186 million plan to turn the blighted area between the campuses of Saint Louis University and the Washington University School…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Evan Binns Source Type: research

St. Louis’ 5 largest public companies end the year up
The S&P, Dow Jones and Nasdaq all ended the day up - the S&P by 1.7 percent, the Dow by 1.3 percent and the Nasdaq up 2 percent. St. Louis’ five biggest publicly held companies also ended the year on a high note. Express Scripts Holding Co. Inc. (Nasdaq: ESRX), led by CEO George Paz, closed Monday at $53.98 a share, up 2 percent from Friday’s close.Anheuser-Busch InBev. (NYSE: BUD), led by CEO Carlos Brito, closed at $87.42 a share, up .7 percent.Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR), led by Chairman…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Greta Weiderman Source Type: research

Growth prompts Oakstone to move HQ
Oakstone Publishing LLC, a health care education provider, has moved its headquarters to accommodate future growth, the Birmingham company announced. The move, effective Dec. 10, kept Oakstone at the same office park but its address is now 2700 Corporate Drive, Suite 100. The cost of the new headquarters was not disclosed. The new place will be equipped audio and video studios, a suite of production and editing studios and a distribution center, a news release said. "We look forward to accelerating…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Yann Ranaivo Source Type: research

Mylan begins contraceptive shipments
Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq:MYL) announced that its Mumbai, India, partner Famy Care Ltd. has received final U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market the oral contraceptive ethinyl estradiol tablets. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. will distribute the product domestically and immediate shipments are planned. Ethinyl estradiol is the generic version of Nordette, which is distributed by Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA), the world’s largest generic drugmaker. “The approval and immediate launch…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Kris B. Mamula Source Type: research

Jewish Hospital launches STEMI Network program
Jewish Hospital officials are hoping a recent investment an a new program called the STEMI Network will reduce the time between when a patient suffers a heart attack and when that patient receives care. STEMI is an acronym meaning ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, which is a type of heart attack with a complete blockage of a coronary artery, Dr. Steven Raible, director of Jewish Hospital’s chest pain unit, explained in a recent interview. Through the new network, which launched in December,…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: David A. Mann Source Type: research

Health Care Guide: Spotlight - Wendy Hanisch
When Wendy Hanisch joined the JDRF Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter in 1996, the organization annually raised about $80,000, largely through a walk, and had only one employee. As fundraising manager for the local chapter of JDRF, formerly called Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Hanisch was the chapter’s sole staff member. She quickly took on her current title of executive director and the local chapter took off.
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research

Tom Still: Economic trends to keep your eye on in 2013
The president of the Wisconsin Technology Council in Madison takes a look at what's ahead in 2013, including the impact of health care reform and the issues raised by the boom in U.S. production of oil and gas.
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research

Fitness centers prepping for post New Year surge
There is one category of central Wisconsin businesses that is expecting to see a surge in 2013 once New Year's resolutions kick in — fitness centers.
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research

Rural Wisconsin could benefit most from Affordable Care Act
A report from the health care advocacy group Wisconsin Council on Children and Families says that families in rural communities across Wisconsin stand to gain the most from the Affordable Care Act because of the high levels of uninsured residents in those areas.
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research

Judge appoints receiver for HRC Medical
A Davidson County Circuit Court judge appointed a receiver over HRC Medical Centers Inc., Attorney General Bob Cooper announced Friday. The judge ordered the company to stop making allegedly misleading claims regarding its treatment programs, the Nashville Post reports. The Franklin-based company offers “bio-identical” hormone replacement therapy.
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research

Mayo behind drug that went from $50 to $28,000 overnight
A so-called wonder drug whose price has skyrocketed from $50 to $28,000 for a single vial has a couple of Minnesota connections. An extensive New York Times report recounts the history and current controversy over H.P. Acthar Gel, a medication made by Questcor Pharmaceuticals that's used to treat a rare type of infantile epilepsy. Increasingly, Questor, which raised the price virtually overnight about five years ago, is now marketing the product for all sorts of other conditions, even though critics…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Mark Reilly Source Type: research

Complete Genomics gets security clearance on deal with Chinese company
The $117 million sale of Complete Genomics to Chinese company BGI-Shenzhen has gotten approval from the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and now just needs antitrust clearance to be able to close. According to the New York Times, the committee reviews "national security implications of foreign takeovers of American companies," and the sale is controversial because some consider it a "threat to American competitiveness in DNA sequencing." The deal was announced in September…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Lisa Ward Source Type: research

Pearson takes Nook stake; Thomas the Tank Engine's upgrade
Business news from around the Web: • U.K.'s Pearson takes state in Barnes & Noble's Nook (Read more at Bizjournals) • Health care sector vulnerable to hackers, researchers say (Read more at Washington Post) • Risks to economy rise from Cliff debacle (Read more at WSJ) • A year of corner-office twists (Read more at WSJ) • Mattel works to expand Thomas the Tank Engine's brand (Read more at NYT)
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 31, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Mark Reilly Source Type: research

President Bush moved out of intensive care unit
After being in the intensive care unit at a Houston hospital for nearly a week, former President George H.W. Bush on Saturday was moved out of the unit now that his condition has improved. Family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement that the former Commander-in-Chief will be moved back to his regular room at the Methodist Hospital to continue his recovery, the Associated Press reports. He was moved into the intensive care unit on Dec. 23. The former president has been in hospital since the…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 30, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Greg Barr Source Type: research

Gut microbiota, host health, and polysaccharides.
We describe the roles of the gut microbiota in maintaining intestinal and immune system homeostasis and the relationship between gut microbiota and diseases. In particular, the contributions of polysaccharides, as the most abundant diet components in intestinal microbiota and host health are presented. Finally, perspectives for research avenues relating to gut microbiota are also discussed. PMID: 23280014 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Biotechnology Advances - December 30, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Xu X, Xu P, Ma C, Tang J, Zhang X Tags: Biotechnol Adv Source Type: research

Biodegradation of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam by the nitrogen-fixing and plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Ensifer adhaerens strain TMX-23.
Abstract Thiamethoxam (THIA), a second generation neonicotinoid insecticide in the thianicotinyl subclass, is used worldwide. Environmental studies revealed that microbial degradation is the major mode of removal of this pesticide from soil. However, microbial transformation of THIA is poorly understood. In the present study, we isolated a bacterium able to degrade THIA from rhizosphere soil. The bacterium was identified as Ensifer adhaerens by its morphology and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. High-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis suggested that the major metabolic pathway of T...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Zhou GC, Wang Y, Zhai S, Ge F, Liu ZH, Dai YJ, Yuan S, Hou JY Tags: Appl Microbiol Biotechnol Source Type: research

Proteomic Identification Network Analysis of Haptoglobin as a Key Regulator Associated with Liver Fibrosis.
Abstract Liver fibrosis (LF) is the final stage of liver dysfunction, characterized by diffuse fibrosis which is the main response to the liver injury. Haptoglobin (HP) protein, produced as an acute phase reactant during LF, preventing liver damage, may be potential molecular targets for early LF diagnostics and therapeutic applications. However, protein networks associated with the HP are largely unknown. To address this issue, we used a pathological mouse model of LF that was induced by treatment with carbon tetrachloride for 8 days. HP protein was separated and identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis ...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Zhang A, Sun H, Sun W, Ye Y, Wang X Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

Pulse Respirometry in Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactors: Case Study of Terephthalic Acid Biodegradation.
Abstract Two-phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs) are based on the addition of an organic phase, often called vector, to a bioreactor in order to increase mass transfer of oxygen or gaseous substrates from the gaseous phase to the aqueous phase. In TPPBs, like in any other reactor design, the characterization of the bioprocess is often required for design, control, and operation purposes. Pulse respirometry is a method that allows for microbial processes characterization through the determination of several stoichiometric and kinetic parameters with relatively little experimental effort. Despite its interest and ...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Ordaz A, Quijano G, Thalasso F, Garibay-Orijel C Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

Analysis of Nitrification in Agricultural Soil and Improvement of Nitrogen Circulation with Autotrophic Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria.
Abstract Accumulations of inorganic nitrogen (NH(4) (+), NO(2) (-), and NO(3) (-)) were analyzed to evaluate the nitrogen circulation activity in 76 agricultural soils. Accumulation of NH(4) (+) was observed, and the reaction of NH(4) (+) → NO(2) (-) appeared to be slower than that of NO(2) (-) → NO(3) (-) in agricultural soil. Two autotrophic and five heterotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were isolated and identified from the soils, and the ammonia-oxidizing activities of the autotrophic AOB were 1....
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Matsuno T, Horii S, Sato T, Matsumiya Y, Kubo M Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

Effects of Alcohols and Compatible Solutes on the Activity of β-Galactosidase.
Abstract During alcoholic fermentation, the products build up and can, ultimately, kill the organism due to their effects on the cell's macromolecular systems. The effects of alcohols on the steady-state kinetic parameters of the model enzyme β-galactosidase were studied. At modest concentrations (0 to 2 M), there was little effect of methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol on the kinetic constants. However, above these concentrations, each alcohol caused the maximal rate, V (max), to fall and the Michaelis constant, K (m), to rise. Except in the case of methanol, the chaotropicity of the solute, ra...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Bell AN, Magill E, Hallsworth JE, Timson DJ Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

Molecular Cloning, Expression, and Enzymatic Analysis of Cathepsin X from Starfish (Asterina pectinifera).
Abstract Cathepsin X, also known as cathepsin Z, is referred to as a "lysosomal proteolytic enzyme" and a member of the peptidase C1 family, which is involved in various biological processes such as immune response, cell adhesion, and proliferation. In the present study, the cDNA of starfish (Asterina pectinifera), which is known to cause serious damage to commercial shellfish mariculture, cathepsin X (ApCtX) was isolated through the combination of homology molecular cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods for the application to find a way to reduce/control starfish densities. The full-length of...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Bak HJ, Kim MS, Kim NY, Go HJ, Han JW, In Jo H, Ahn SJ, Park NG, Chung JK, Lee HH Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

Use of NAD(P)H Fluorescence Measurement for On-Line Monitoring of Metabolic State of Azohydromonas australica in Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Production.
Abstract Culture fluorescence measurement is an indirect and non-invasive method of biomass estimation to assess the metabolic state of the microorganism in a fermentation process. In the present investigation, NAD(P)H fluorescence has been used for on-line in situ characterization of metabolic changes occurring during different phases of batch cultivation of Azohydromonas australica in growth associated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) or PHB production. A linear correlation between biomass concentration and net NAD(P)H fluorescence was obtained during early log phase (3-12 h) and late log phase (24-39 h) of PHB fermenta...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 30, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Gahlawat G, Srivastava AK Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

How Neuroscientists Observe Brains Watching Movies
Unless you have been deaf and blind to the world over the past decade, you know that functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (fMRI) can look inside the skull of volunteers lying still inside the claustrophobic, coffinlike confines of a loud, banging magnetic scanner. The technique relies on a fortuitous property of the blood supply to reveal regional activity. Active synapses and neurons consume power and therefore need more oxygen, which is delivered by the hemoglobin molecules inside the circulating red blood cells. When these molecules give off their oxygen to the surrounding tissue, they not only change color--from...
Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed - December 29, 2012 Category: Science Tags: Mind & Brain,Technology,More Science,Biotechnology,Neuroscience,Thought Cognition,Biotechnology,Biology,Science Education Source Type: research

DBJ's top slide shows of 2012: No. 3, healthiest employers
As 2012 draws to a close, the Denver Business Journal offers another look at our 10 most-clicked-on photo slide shows of the year through New Year's Eve. At No. 3 are the winners of 2012's DBJ Healthiest Employer awards. The DBJ announced its second Metro Denver Healthiest Employer award winners Sept. 19 during a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. Click here for the year's No. 3 slide show. MORE SLIDE SHOWS Click here for 2012's No. 4 slide show: a tour of…
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research

HealthEast hires HCMC exec for CIO post
HealthEast Care System has hired Joanne Sunquist, chief information officer at Hennepin County Medical Center, to serve as its CIO and senior vice president. Sunquist will join St. Paul-based HealthEast on Feb. 11. She has served as Minneapolis-based HCMC's CIO since 2004 and led the health system's implementation of an electronic medical records system. Sunquist started her career as a critical-care nurse and also worked for Allina Health System.
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Katharine Grayson Source Type: research

Perspectives on the contribution of lactic acid bacteria to cheese flavor development.
Abstract It has been known since the 1960s that lactic acid bacteria are essential for the development of cheese flavor. In the ensuing 50 years significant research has been directed at understanding the microbiology, genetics and biochemistry of this process. This review briefly covers the current status of cheese flavor development and then provides our vision for approaches which will enhance our understanding of this process. The long-term goal of this area of research is to enable technology (i.e. cultures and enzymes) that results in consistent rapid development of cheese variety-specific characteristic flav...
Source: Current Opinion in Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Steele J, Broadbent J, Kok J Tags: Curr Opin Biotechnol Source Type: research

Application of stable isotope ratio analysis for biodegradation monitoring in groundwater.
Abstract Stable isotope ratio analysis is increasingly being applied as a tool to detect, understand, and quantify biodegradation of organic and inorganic contaminants in groundwater. An important feature of this approach is that it allows degradative losses of contaminants to be distinguished from those caused by non-destructive processes such as dilution, dispersion, and sorption. Recent advances in analytical techniques, and new approaches for interpreting stable isotope data, have expanded the utility of this method while also exposing complications and ambiguities that must be considered in data interpretation...
Source: Current Opinion in Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Hatzinger PB, Böhlke J, Sturchio NC Tags: Curr Opin Biotechnol Source Type: research

Production of bulk chemicals via novel metabolic pathways in microorganisms.
Abstract Metabolic engineering has been playing important roles in developing high performance microorganisms capable of producing various chemicals and materials from renewable biomass in a sustainable manner. Synthetic and systems biology are also contributing significantly to the creation of novel pathways and the whole cell-wide optimization of metabolic performance, respectively. In order to expand the spectrum of chemicals that can be produced biotechnologically, it is necessary to broaden the metabolic capacities of microorganisms. Expanding the metabolic pathways for biosynthesizing the target chemicals req...
Source: Biotechnology Advances - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Shin JH, Kim HU, Kim DI, Lee SY Tags: Biotechnol Adv Source Type: research

Knowledge Management and Process Monitoring of Pharmaceutical Processes in the Quality by Design Paradigm.
Abstract : Pharmaceutical processes are complex and highly variable in nature. The complexity and variability associated with these processes result in inconsistent and sometimes unpredictable process outcomes. To deal with the complexity and understand the causes of variability in these processes, in-depth knowledge and thorough understanding of the process and the various factors affecting the process performance become critical. This makes knowledge management and process monitoring an indispensable part of the process improvement efforts for any pharmaceutical organization. PMID: 23275947 [Pu...
Source: Advances in Biochemical Engineering Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Rathore AS, Bansal A, Hans J Tags: Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol Source Type: research

Then and now: hypes and hopes of regenerative medicine.
PMID: 23280408 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Trends in Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Slingerland AS, Smits AI, Bouten CV Tags: Trends Biotechnol Source Type: research

Nanoproteomics: a new sprout from emerging links between nanotechnology and proteomics.
Abstract The complexity of proteomics challenges current methods to provide all peptide mass fingerprints in an ensemble measurement of various proteins at differing concentrations. To detect those low-abundance proteins, nanotechnology provides a technical platform to improve biocompatibility, specificity, reproducibility, and robustness of the current proteomic methods. Here, we comprehensively analyze the weaknesses of traditional proteomic methods and evaluate the importance of nanomaterials in significantly improving the quality of proteomic methods by manipulating individual proteins. We also illustrate how t...
Source: Trends in Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Jia L, Lu Y, Shao J, Liang XJ, Xu Y Tags: Trends Biotechnol Source Type: research

Expression pattern of recombinant organophosphorus hydrolase from Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551 in Escherichia coli.
Abstract Concerned with the influence of tagging system on the expression of heterogeneous protein in Escherichia coli, we attempted to express the organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) of Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551 in E. coli. Recombinant OPH was overproduced successfully in E. coli when modified without the use of a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage sequence. In addition, though there has never been a report on the extracellular secretion of recombinant OPH harboring native Tat signal peptides in E. coli, the produced protein was observed to be secreted extracellularly. Through the use of reverse transcrip...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Kwak Y, Rhee IK, Shin JH Tags: Appl Microbiol Biotechnol Source Type: research

Novel chiral tool, (R)-2-octanol dehydrogenase, from Pichia finlandica: purification, gene cloning, and application for optically active α-haloalcohols.
Abstract A novel enantioselective alcohol dehydrogenase, (R)-2-octanol dehydrogenase (PfODH), was discovered among methylotrophic microorganisms. The enzyme was purified from Pichia finlandica and characterized. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 83,000 and 30,000 by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. The enzyme was an NAD(+)-dependent secondary alcohol dehydrogenase and showed a strict enantioselectivity, very broad substrate specificity, and high tolerance to SH reagents. A gene-encoding PfODH was cloned and sequenced. The gene consisted o...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Yamamoto H, Kudoh M Tags: Appl Microbiol Biotechnol Source Type: research

Activity and characterization of mixed organic compounds extracted from Rhodobacter sphaeroides as alternative materials to serum for mammalian cell growth.
In this study, mammalian HeLa cells were cultured in different culture media which were Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM) with newborn calf serum (NCS), and DMEM including different types of physiologically activating compounds (PACs) extracted from Rhodobacter sphaeroides grown under various culture conditions. R. sphaeroides was grown under the following five different culture conditions: anaerobically in the light, anaerobically in the dark and treated with dimethyl sulfoxide, aerobically in the dark for 48 h, in the light for 48 h, and in the light for 24 h and changed after previous culturing in the dark for ...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Lee HJ, Park JY, Yoo KS, Yoon J, Kim YH, Min J Tags: Appl Microbiol Biotechnol Source Type: research

Development of simple sequence repeat markers and diversity analysis in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).
The objective of this study was to enrich SSR markers directly from alfalfa expressed sequence tags (ESTs). A total of 12,371 alfalfa ESTs were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Total 774 SSR-containing ESTs were identified from 716 ESTs. On average, one SSR was found per 7.7 kb of EST sequences. Tri-nucleotide repeats (48.8 %) was the most abundant motif type, followed by di-(26.1 %), tetra-(11.5 %), penta-(9.7 %), and hexanucleotide (3.9 %). One hundred EST-SSR primer pairs were successfully designed and 29 exhibited polymorphism among 28 alfalfa accessions. The allele number per mar...
Source: Molecular Biology Reports - December 29, 2012 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Wang Z, Yan H, Fu X, Li X, Gao H Tags: Mol Biol Rep Source Type: research

Characterization of a Recombinant Flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain that Co-ferments Glucose and Xylose: I. Influence of the Ratio of Glucose/Xylose on Ethanol Production.
Abstract Glucose/xylose mixtures (90 g/L total sugar) were evaluated for their effect on ethanol fermentation by a recombinant flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae, MA-R4. Glucose was utilized faster than xylose at any ratio of glucose/xylose, although MA-R4 can simultaneously co-ferment both sugars. A high percentage of glucose can increase cell biomass production and therefore increase the rate of glucose utilization (1.224 g glucose/g biomass/h maximum) and ethanol formation (0.493 g ethanol/g biomass/h maximum). However, the best ratio of glucose/xylose for the highest xylose consumption rate (0.209 g xylose...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Matsushika A, Sawayama S Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research

Eplt4 Proteinaceous Elicitor Produced in Pichia pastoris Has a Protective Effect Against Cercosporidium sofinum Infections of Soybean Leaves.
Abstract A complementary DNA library was constructed from the mycelium of Trichoderma asperellum T4, and a highly expressed gene fragment named EplT4 was found. In order to find a more efficient and cost-effective way of obtaining EplT4, this study attempted to produce EplT4 using a Pichia pastoris expression system. The gene encoding EplT4, with an additional 6-His tag at the C-terminus, was cloned into the yeast vector pPIC9K and expressed in the P. pastoris strain GS115 to obtaining more protein for the further research. Transformants of P. pastoris were selected by PCR analysis, and the ability to secrete high ...
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - December 29, 2012 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Wang Y, Song J, Wu Y, Odeph M, Liu Z, Howlett BJ, Wang S, Yang P, Yao L, Zhao L, Yang Q Tags: Appl Biochem Biotechnol Source Type: research