MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Biotechnology Journal' source. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:15:10 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5658166&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22294331%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22294331 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5658166 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5658166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5658165&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22294378%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, to develop an energy-saving glutathione production process by reducing energy consumption during the cooking step, we efficiently produced glutathione from low-temperature cooked rice using amylase-expressing S. cerevisiae. The combination of the amylase-expressing yeast with low-temperature cooking is potentially applicable to a variety of energy-saving bio-production methods of chemicals from starchy bio-resources. PMID: 22294378 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5658165 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5658165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5658164&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22294389%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vasilchenko LG, Ludwig R, Yershevich OP, Haltrich D, Rabinovich ML Abstract Extracellular fungal flavocytochrome cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is a promising enzyme for both bioelectronics and lignocellulose bioconversion. A selective high-throughput screening assay for CDH in the presence of various fungal oxidoreductases was developed. It is based on Prussian Blue (PB) in situ formation in the presence of cellobiose (<0.25 mM), ferric acetate and ferricyanide. CDH induces PB formation via both reduction of ferricyanide to ferrocyanide reacting with an excess of Fe(3+) (pathway 1) and reduction of ferric ions to Fe(2+) reacting with the excess of ferricyanide (pathway 2). Basidiomycetous and ascomycetous CDH formed PB optimally at pH 3.5 and 4.5, respectively. In cont... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5658164 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5658164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5620642&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22259025%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we examined further the utility of bounding the fluxes and predetermining the trafficking scenarios in the PB25 problem, including confirmation of quasi-linearity between extreme points to ensure sensitivity is maintained. The effects of variation in extracellular measurements and reaction reversibilities were also examined. Tightened flux bounds reduced the nonlinearity between label distribution and fluxes. For low to moderate reversibility, contrast was also preserved. However, for highly reversible phosphoglucoisomerase activity, information from common analytes could lead to a flux solution that is biased towards one extreme point. Based on the PB25 model, some suggestions are provided for how pre-determining flux bounds and trafficking scenarios could enable flux ident... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5620642 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5620642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5620645&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22252924%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Maury TL, Ottow KE, Brask J, Villadsen J, Hobley TJ Abstract Proteolysis during fermentation may have a severe impact on the yield and quality of a secreted product. In the current study, we demonstrate the use of high gradient magnetic fishing (HGMF) as an efficient alternative to the more conventional methods of preventing proteolytic degradation. Bacitracin linked magnetic affinity adsorbents were employed directly in a fermenter during Bacillus licheniformis cultivation to remove trace amounts of unwanted proteases. The magnetic adsorbents constructed had excellent, highly specific binding characteristics in the fermentation broth (K(d) = 1.94 micro Molar; Q(max) = 222.8 mg/g) which obeyed the Langmuir isotherm and had rapid binding kinetics (equilibrium in < 300 s)... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5620645 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5620645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5620644&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22253212%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roche Y, Cao-Hoang L, Perrier-Cornet JM, Waché Y Abstract Advances in fundamental physical and optical principles applied to novel fluorescence methods are currently resulting in rapid progress in cell biology and physiology. Instrumentation devised in pioneering laboratories is becoming commercially available, and study findings are now becoming accessible. The first results have concerned mainly higher eukaryotic cells but many more developments can be expected, especially in microbiology. Until now, some important problems of cell physiology have been difficult to investigate due to interactions between probes and cells, excretion of probes from cells and the inability to make in situ observations deep within the cell, within tissues and structures. These technologies ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5620644 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5620644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5620643&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22253253%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stoger E Abstract See accompanying article by Pham et al. DOI: 10.1002/biot.201100430. PMID: 22253253 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5620643 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5620643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5620646&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22241586%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chang HF, Tsai YL, Tsai CF, Lin CK, Lee PY, Teng PH, Su C, Jeng CC Abstract Rayleigh-Bénard convective PCR is a simple and effective design for amplification of DNA. Convective PCR is however extremely sensitive to environmental temperature fluctuations, especially when using the test tubes of small diameters. Therefore this method is inherently unstable with limited applications. Here, we present a modified convective PCR device by adding thermal baffles. With the thermally baffled device the influence from the environmental temperature fluctuations was significantly reduced, even in a wind tunnel (1 meter/second). The described thermally baffled PCR instrument has the potential to be used as a low-cost, point-of-care device for PCR-based molecular diagnostics in the fie... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5620646 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5620646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5577927&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22228702%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fox JM, Levine SE, Blanch HW, Clark DS Abstract Commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production has been hindered by high costs associated with cellulose-to-glucose conversion and hexose and pentose co-fermentation. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with a yeast strain capable of xylose and cellobiose co-utilization has been proposed as a possible avenue to reduce these costs. The recently developed DA24-16 strain of S. cerevisiae incorporates a xylose assimilation pathway and a cellodextrin transporter (CDT) that permit rapid growth on xylose and cellobiose. In the present work, a mechanistic kinetic model of cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose was combined with a multi-substrate model of microbial growth to investigate the ability of DA24-16 and... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5577927 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5577927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559878&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22213656%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22213656 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559878 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5559878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559879&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22213648%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Randolph TW PMID: 22213648 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559879 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5559879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559864&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22213675%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Terrell JL, Gordonov T, Cheng Y, Wu HC, Sampey D, Luo X, Tsao CY, Ghodssi R, Rubloff GW, Payne GF, Bentley WE Abstract Many recent advances in bioprocessing have been enabled by developments in miniaturization and microfluidics. A continuing challenge, however, is integrating multiple unit operations that require distinct spatial boundaries, especially with included labile biological components. We have suggested "biofabrication" as a means for organizing cells and biomolecules in complex configurations while preserving function of individual components. Polysaccharide films of chitosan and alginate that are assembled on-chip by electrodeposition are "smart" configurable interfaces that mediate communication between the biological systems and microfabricated devices. Here,... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559864 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5559864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559863&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22213682%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schmidt M, Weuster-Botz D Abstract Acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum has been extensively studied in recent years because the organism is recognized as an excellent butanol producer. A parallel bioreactor system with 48 stirred-tank bioreactors on a 12 mL-scale was evaluated for batch cultivations of the strictly anaerobic butanol producing C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Continuous gassing with nitrogen gas was applied for the control of anaerobic conditions. Process performances of acetone-butanol-ethanol batch fermentations on a mL-scale were found to be identical to the liter-scale stirred-tank reactor, if reaction conditions were kept identical on the different scales (e.g. initial medium and pH, temperature, specific evaporation rates, sp... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559863 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5559863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533237&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22180043%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dietmair S, Nielsen LK, Timmins NE Abstract Mammalian cells are important hosts for the production of a wide range of biopharmaceuticals due to their ability to produce correctly folded and glycosylated proteins. Compared to microbes and yeast, however, the productivity of mammalian cells is low because of their comparatively slow growth rate, tendency to undergo apoptosis, and low production capacities. While much effort has been invested in the engineering of mammalian cells with superior production characteristics, the success of these approaches has been limited to date. One factor responsible for this lack of success is our limited understanding of the cellular basis for high productivity, and of how discrete mechanisms within a cell contribute to the overall phenotyp... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533237 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533236&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22180345%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Snyderman R Abstract The practice of medicine stands at the threshold of a transformation from its current focus on the treatment of disease events to an emphasis on enhancing health, preventing disease and personalizing care to meet each individual's specific health needs. Personalized health care is a new and strategic approach that is driven by personalized health planning empowered by personalized medicine tools, which are facilitated by advances in science and technology. These tools improve the capability to predict health risks, to determine and quantify the dynamics of disease development, and to target therapeutic approaches to the needs of the individual. Personalized health care can be implemented today using currently available technologies and know-how and the... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533236 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533249&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22147583%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hilbrig F, Freitag R Abstract Hydroxyapatite and related stationary phases increasingly play a role in the downstream processing of high-value biological materials, such as recombinant proteins, therapeutic antibodies and pharmaceutical-grade plasmid DNA. Chromatographic hydroxyapatite is an inorganic, ceramic material identical in composition, if not in structure, to calcium phosphate found in human bones and teeth. The interaction of hydroxyapatite with biomacromolecules is complex and highly dynamic, which can make predicting performance difficult, but also allows the design of very selective isolation processes. This review discusses the currently commercially available chromatographic materials, different retention mechanisms supported by these materials and different... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533249 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533248&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22147620%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cai Z, Zhang B, Li Y Abstract Conversion of the abundant lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol is an environmentally sustainable solution to the energy crisis. Fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is not cost-effective yet as substantial amounts of xylose in the hydrolysates cannot be utilized by native S. cerevisiae strains. Extensive studies including both metabolic and evolutionary engineering have been carried out to develop an efficient xylose-fermenting S. cerevisiae strain, yet the ethanol yield and productivity from xylose fermentation of the best one are still far below expectation. This review compares the engineering approaches and resulted anaerobic xylose fermentation performance of recently reported xylose-utilizing S. cerev... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533248 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533247&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22147654%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Doolan P, Barron N, Kinsella P, Clarke C, Meleady P, O'Sullivan F, Melville M, Leonard M, Clynes M Abstract Fed batch culture processes are often characterized by decreasing cell culture performance as the process continues, presumably through the depletion of vital nutrients and the accumulation of toxic byproducts. We have similarly observed that cellular productivity (Qp) will often decline during the course of a fed batch process. However, it is not clear why some cell lines elicit this behaviour, while others do not. We here present a transcriptomic profiling analysis of a phenotype of sustained Qp (S-Qp) in production Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) culture, in which a marked drop in Qp levels ("non-sustained" (NS) phenotype) in two cell lines irrespective of viability l... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533247 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533246&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162489%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22162489 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533246 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533245&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162490%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gurkan UA, Xu F PMID: 22162490 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533245 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533244&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162491%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22162491 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533244 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533243&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162492%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22162492 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533243 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533242&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162493%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jungbauer A, Peng J PMID: 22162493 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533242 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533241&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162494%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22162494 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533241 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533240&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162495%26dopt%3DAbstract This article serves as a good reference for all applications of advanced cell therapies and as well as advantages and limitations of scaffold-based and scaffold-free strategies. PMID: 22162495 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533240 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533239&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162496%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhou L, Huang G, Wang S, Wu J, Lee WG, Chen Y, Xu F, Lu T Abstract Cell-based biosensors (CBBs) have emerged as promising biotechnical tools whereby various cell types can be used as basic sensing units to detect external stimuli. Specifically, CBBs have been applied in environmental monitoring, drug screening, clinical diagnosis and biosecurity. For these applications, CBBs offer several advantages over conventional molecular-based biosensors or living animal-based approaches, such as the capability to better mimic physiological situations, to enhance detection specificity and sensitivity, and to detect unknown compounds and toxins. On the other hand, existing CBBs suffer from several limitations, such as weak cell-substrate attachment, two-dimensional (2D) cell microenvi... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533239 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533238&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22162497%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abstract Cover illustration Scaffold-free cell-based systems. This issue of BTJ, edited by Umut Gurkan (Harvard Medical School, MA, USA) and Feng Xu (Xi' an Jiaotong University, China) highlights several applications of scaffold-free systems such as cell therapies for tissue regeneration, in vitro functional tissue and disease models for drug sensitivity testing, cell-based biosensors, and drug delivery. Cover image: Confocal image of a microtissue generated from human colorectal carcinoma cell line, HCT-116, stained for integrin, 1 (green), cytoskeleton (red) and nuclei (blue). Image: Irina Agarkova (InSphero AG, Zurich, Switzerland). See the article by Drewitz et al., http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.201100290. PMID: 22162497 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnolo... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533238 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474322&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22131282%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22131282 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474322 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474326&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22125256%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Morris MK, Shriver Z, Sasisekharan R, Lauffenburger DA Abstract Mathematical models have substantially improved our ability to predict the response of a complex biological system to perturbation, but their use is typically limited by difficulties in specifying model topology and parameter values. Additionally, incorporating entities across different biological scales ranging from molecular to organismal in the same model is not trivial. Here, we present a framework called 'querying quantitative logic models' (Q2LM) for building and asking questions of constrained fuzzy logic (cFL) models. CFL is a recently developed modeling formalism that uses logic gates to describe influences among entities, with transfer functions to describe quantitative dependencies. Q2LM does not re... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474326 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474325&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22125283%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the sweet-tasting protein thaumatin I was expressed and successfully secreted from tobacco hairy root cultures. The presence of an ER signal peptide appears to be crucial for the secretion of thaumatin: without an ER signal peptide, no thaumatin was detectable in the spent medium, while inclusion of the ER signal peptide calreticulin fused to the N-terminus of thaumatin led to the secretion of thaumatin into the spent medium of hairy root cultures at concentrations of up to 0.21 mg/L. Extracellular thaumatin levels reached a maximum after 30 days (stationary phase) and the subsequent decline was linked to the rapid increase of proteases in the medium. Significant amounts of thaumatin were trapped in the apoplastic space of root cells. The addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone and... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474325 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474324&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22125297%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kim HU, Sohn SB, Lee SY Abstract Systems biology has greatly contributed toward the analysis and understanding of biological systems under various genotypic and environmental conditions on a much larger scale than ever before. One of the applications of systems biology can be seen in unraveling and understanding complicated human diseases where the primary causes for a disease are often not clear. The in silico genome-scale metabolic network models can be employed for the analysis of diseases and for the discovery of novel drug targets suitable for treating the disease. Also, new antimicrobial targets can be discovered by analyzing, at the systems level, the genome-scale metabolic network of pathogenic microorganisms. Such applications are possible as these genome-scale me... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474324 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474323&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22125298%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cimini D, De Rosa M, Schiraldi C Abstract This review provides an overview of the properties, different biosynthetic machineries, and biotechnological production processes of four microbially derived glucuronic acid-based polysaccharides that are of interest for diverse biomedical purposes. In particular, the utilization of hyaluronic acid and heparin sulfate in high-value medical applications is already well established, whereas chondroitin sulfate and alginate show high potential within this ever-growing field. Furthermore, new strategies exploiting genetically engineered microorganisms generated through improving naturally existing pathways or de novo designed ones are described. These new developments result in increased fermentation titers, and thereby, pave the way t... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474323 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474329&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22121038%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zheng S, Kwon I Abstract Since wild-type enzymes do not always have the properties needed for various applications, enzymes are often engineered to obtain desirable properties through protein engineering techniques. In the past decade, complementary to the widely used rational protein design and directed evolution techniques, noncanonical amino acid incorporation (NCAAI) has become a new and effective protein engineering technique. Recently, NCAAI has been used to improve intrinsic functions of proteins, such as enzymes and fluorescent proteins, beyond the capacities obtained with natural amino acids. Herein, recent progress on improving enzyme properties through NCAAI in vivo is reviewed and the challenges of current approaches and future directions are also discussed. To... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474329 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474328&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22121045%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: von Kries C, Winter G PMID: 22121045 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474328 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474327&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22121055%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shebanova O, Hammer DA Abstract Understanding cell migration and cell-cell interactions are key to understanding cell invasion, a critical step in the progression of breast cancer. Biochemical and mechanical cues of the extracellular matrix have been shown to play important roles in cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. We have experimentally tested the combined influence of these cues to better understand cell motility, force generation, cell-cell interaction and assembly in an 'in vitro' breast cancer model. MCF-10A non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells were observed on surfaces with varying fibronectin ligand concentration and polyacrylamide gel rigidity. Our data shows that cell velocity is biphasic in both matrix rigidity and adhesiveness. The maximum in cell mig... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474327 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474331&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22102428%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ahn WS, Antoniewicz MR Abstract Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most widely used mammalian cell line for biopharmaceutical production, with a total global market approaching $100 billion per year. In the pharmaceutical industry CHO cells are grown in fed-batch culture, where cellular metabolism is characterized by high glucose and glutamine uptake rates combined with high rates of ammonium and lactate secretion. The metabolism of CHO cells changes dramatically during a fed-batch culture as the cells adapt to a changing environment and transition from exponential growth phase to stationary phase. Thus far, it has been challenging to study metabolic flux dynamics in CHO cell cultures using conventional metabolic flux analysis techniques that were developed for syst... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474331 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474330&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22102438%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study the robustness of spherical microtissue production and drug testing in a 96-well hanging-drop multiwell plate format was assessed on a standard 96-well channel robotic platform. Microtissue models derived from six different cell lines were produced and characterized according to their growth profile and morphology displaying high-density tissue-like reformation and growth over at least 15 days. The colon cancer cell line HCT116 was chosen as a model to assess microtissue-based assay reproducibility. Within three individual production batches the size variations of the produced microtissues were below 5%. Reliability of the microtissue-based assay was tested using two reference compounds, staurosporine and chlorambucil. In four independent drug testings the calculated IC(50) v... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474330 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474333&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22095859%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Patil RA, Kolewe ME, Normanly J, Walker EL, Roberts SC Abstract Variability in product accumulation is one of the major obstacles limiting the widespread commercialization of plant cell culture technology to supply natural product pharmaceuticals. Despite extensive process engineering efforts, which have led to increased yields, plant cells exhibit variability in productivity that is poorly understood. Elicitation of Taxus cultures with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induces paclitaxel accumulation, but to varying extents in different cultures. In this work, cultures with different aggregation profiles were established to create predictable differences in paclitaxel accumulation upon MeJA elicitation. Expression of known paclitaxel biosynthetic genes in MeJA-elicited cultures exh... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474333 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5474332&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22095877%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wuest DM, Lee KH Abstract In vitro cell culture models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are important tools used to study cellular physiology and brain disease therapeutics. Although the number of model configurations is expanding across neuroscience laboratories, it is not clear that any have been effectively optimized. A sequential screening study to identify optimal primary mouse endothelial cell parameter set points grown alone and in combination with common model enhancements, including co-culturing with primary mouse or rat astrocytes and addition of biochemical agents in the media was performed. A range of endothelial cell-seeding densities (1 & 8x10(5) cells/cm(2) ) and astrocyte-seeding densities (2 & 8x10(4) cells/cm(2) ) were studied over 7 days in the s... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5474332 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5474332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418931&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22076813%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pan J, Chan SY, Lee WG, Kang L Abstract Micro- and nanoparticulate drug-delivery systems (DDSs) play a significant role in formulation sciences. Most particulate DDSs are scaffold-free, although some particles are encapsulated inside other biomaterials for controlled release. Despite rapid progress in recent years, challenges still remain in controlling the homogenicity of micro-/nanoparticles, especially for two crucial factors in particulate DDSs: the size and shape of the particles. Recent approaches make use of microfabrication techniques to generate micro-/nanoparticles with highly controllable architectures free of scaffolds. This review presents an overview of a burgeoning field of DDSs, which can potentially overcome some drawbacks of conventional techniques for pa... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418931 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418930&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22076828%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Contreras-Martin LM, Boock JT, Kostecki JS, Delisa MP Abstract The folding of many cellular proteins occurs co-translationally immediately outside the ribosome exit tunnel, where ribosomal proteins and other associated factors coordinate the synthesis and folding of newly translated polypeptides. Here, we show that the large subunit protein L29, which forms part of the exit tunnel in Escherichia coli, is required for the productive synthesis of an array of structurally diverse recombinant proteins including the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and an intracellular single-chain Fv antibody. Surprisingly, the corresponding mRNA transcript level of these proteins was markedly less abundant in cells lacking L29, suggesting an unexpected regulatory mechanism that links defects i... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418930 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418929&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22076844%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee JH, Song HS, Lee SG, Park TH, Kim BG Abstract Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are attractive vectors for in vivo and in vitro cellular uptake. However, the uses of CPPs are limited by insufficient understanding of their preference for a target cell. Here, a new CPP screening method was developed using mRNA display. After the target cell lines such as human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) and HeLa cells were incubated with a mRNA display library for 3 hrs at 37 ?C, the cell penetrating peptides-mRNA nucleotide conjugates were harvested after cell washing, amplified with PCR, and subsequently sequenced. The screened CPPs for each cell line were identified after 4 rounds of selection. Among them, two peptides, i.e. MAMPGEPRRANVMAHKLEPASLQLRNSCA (CPPK) and MAPQRDTVGGRTTPPS... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418929 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418928&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22076863%26dopt%3DAbstract We report on the influence of His-affinity tags on protein expression levels, solubility, secondary structure, thermal denaturation, aggregation and the impact on humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. While the overall immunogenicity induced by His-tagged MSP1(42) proteins is greater, the fine specificity of the humoral and cellular immune responses is altered relative to anti-parasitic antibody activity and the breadth of T-cell responses. Thus, the usefulness of protein tags may be outweighed by their potential impact on structure and function, stressing the need for caution in their use. PMID: 22076863 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418928 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418934&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22057844%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Weber SS, Bovenberg RA, Driessen AJ Abstract Industrial production of β-lactam antibiotics by the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum is based on successive classical strain improvement cycles. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the results of this classical strain improvement process, and discusses avenues to improve β-lactam biosynthesis and to exploit P. chrysogenum as an industrial host for the production of other antibiotics and peptide products. Genomic and transcriptional analysis of strain lineages has led to the identification of several important alterations in high-yielding strains, including the amplification of the penicillin biosynthetic gene cluster, elevated transcription of genes involved in biosynthesis of penicillin and amino acid p... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418934 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418933&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22057878%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Park SJ, Lee SY, Kim TW, Jung YK, Yang TH Abstract Due to increasing concerns about environmental problems, climate change and limited fossil resources, bio-based production of chemicals and polymers is gaining attention as one of the solutions to these problems. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters that can be produced by microbial fermentation. PHAs are synthesized using monomer precursors provided from diverse metabolic pathways and are accumulated as distinct granules inside the cells. On the other hand, most so-called bio-based polymers including polybutylene succinate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, and polylactic acid (PLA) are synthesized by a chemical process using monomers produced by fermentation. PLA, an attractive biomass-derived plastic, is currently ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418933 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5418932&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22057971%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gautam N PMID: 22057971 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5418932 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5418932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5379301&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22052731%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22052731 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5379301 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5379301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5379302&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22031507%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gredell JA, Frei CS, Cirino PC Abstract Nature takes advantage of the malleability of protein and RNA sequence and structure to employ these macromolecules as molecular reporters whose conformation and functional roles depend on the presence of a specific ligand (an "effector" molecule). By following nature's example, ligand-responsive proteins and RNA molecules are now routinely engineered and incorporated into customized molecular reporting systems (biosensors). Microbial small-molecule biosensors and endogenous molecular reporters based on these sensing components find a variety of applications that include high-throughput screening of biosynthesis libraries, environmental monitoring, and novel gene regulation in synthetic biology. Here, we review recent advances in eng... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5379302 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5379302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5379305&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22021162%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rodríguez-Dévora JI, Shi ZD, Xu T Abstract Over the last few decades, high-throughput (HT) bioscreening, a technique that allows rapid screening of biochemical compound libraries against biological targets, has been widely used in drug discovery, stem cell research, development of new biomaterials, and genomics research. To achieve these ambitions, scaffold-free (or direct) assembly of biological entities of interest has become critical. Appropriate assembling methodologies are required to build an efficient HT bioscreening platform. The development of contact and non-contact assembling systems as a practical solution has been driven by a variety of essential attributes of the bioscreening system, such as miniaturization, high throughput, and high precision. The present ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5379305 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5379305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5379304&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22021171%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tan Y, Liao JC Abstract Previous mathematical modeling efforts have made significant contributions to the development of systems biology for predicting biological behavior quantitatively. However, dynamic metabolic model construction remains challenging due to uncertainties in mechanistic structures and parameters. In addition, parameter estimation and model validation often require designated experiments conducted only for purpose of modeling. Such difficulties have hampered the progress of modeling in biology and biotechnology. To circumvent these problems, ensemble approaches have been used to account for uncertainties in model structure and parameters. Specifically, this review focuses on approaches that utilize readily available fermentation data for parameter screeni... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5379304 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5379304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5379303&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22021189%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ye VM, Bhatia SK Abstract Driven by requirements for sustainability as well as affordability and efficiency, metabolic engineering of plants and microorganisms is increasingly being pursued to produce compounds for clinical applications. This review discusses three such examples of the clinical relevance of metabolic engineering: the production of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention of cardiovascular disease; the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid, an anti-malarial drug precursor, for the treatment of malaria; and the production of the complex natural molecule taxol, an anti-cancer agent. In terms of omega-3 fatty acids, bioengineering of fatty acid metabolism by expressing desaturases and elongases, both in soybeans and oleaginous yeast, has resulted in commercial-scale ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5379303 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5379303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5344325&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22009669%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Orumets K, Kevvai K, Nisamedtinov I, Tamm T, Paalme T Abstract Microbiological production of glutathione using genetically engineered yeast strains has a potential to satisfy the increasing industrial demand of this tripeptide. In the present work accumulation of glutathione in response to YAP1 over-expression in S. cerevisiae was studied. The over-expression resulted in intracellular glutathione level over two times higher than in the parent strain. Transcript analyses revealed that, in addition to the genes encoding enzymes in the glutathione biosynthesis pathway (GSH1 and GSH2), the expression levels of the genes in the cysteine biosynthesis pathway (CYS3 and CYS4) were also significantly higher in the YAP1 over-expressed strain. This suggests that YAP1 over-expression ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5344325 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5344325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5312028&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21983999%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21983999 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5312028 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5312028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5312027&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21984000%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Guebitz G PMID: 21984000 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5312027 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5312027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5312026&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21984001%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21984001 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5312026 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5312026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5312025&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21984002%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21984002 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5312025 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5312025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5312024&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21984003%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Peng J PMID: 21984003 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5312024 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5312024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5312023&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21984004%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abstract Cover illustration: Polymer and Textile Biotech. Polymer biotechnology has led to highly functional materials with wideranging applications from textiles to medicine. This includes protective clothing, which could for example be used for future space trips, as well as for tissue engineering. This special issue of BTJ, edited by Georg Guebitz, Graz University of Technology, Austria (co-edited by Giuliano Freddi and Artur Cavaco-Paulo) provides a broad overview of novel biotechnological approaches for processing of materials and textiles. Cover image: Astronaut © Lasse Kristensen - Fotolia.com. PMID: 21984004 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5312023 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5312023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5277093&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21953777%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21953777 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5277093 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5277093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5277092&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21953804%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Caparrós C, López C, Torrell M, Lant N, Smets J, Cavaco-Paulo A Abstract The influence of one or several enzymatic treatment processes by an alkaline cellulase enzyme from Bacillus spp. on the sorption properties of cotton fabrics was analysed. Although cellulases had been commonly applied in detergent formulations due to their antiredeposition and depilling benefits, the mechanism of action of alkaline cellulases on cotton fibres requires deeper appreciation on the morphology and structure of cotton fibres from the cleaning standpoint. The accessibility of cellulose fibres was studied by iodine sorption value and fluorescent-labelled enzyme microscopy, and surface morphology of fabrics was analysed by scanning microscopy. The action of enzyme hydrolysis in short periods... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5277092 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5277092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5277091&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21953825%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kayser V, Chennamsetty N, Voynov V, Helk B, Forrer K, Trout BL Abstract Lack of a rapid selection method to identify the most stable protein is one of the major challenges for developing successful therapeutic protein formulations more rapidly. The swift and accurate detection of small amounts of aggregates is another problem since aggregates may trigger an immunological response and the aggregation decreases the biological activity of the antibody. Herein, we present an alternative method for initial screening of aggregation propensity of proteins, using monoclonal antibodies (mAb) as an example, with Thioflavin T (ThT) binding. The major advantage of ThT binding is the short duration of testing compared with SEC measurements that can take 6 months or more even under acce... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5277091 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5277091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5246163&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21932249%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gentile P, Chiono V, Tonda-Turo C, Ferreira AM, Ciardelli G Abstract In this review, different barrier membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR) are described as a useful surgical technique to enhance bone regeneration in damaged alveolar sites before performing implants and fitting other dental appliances. The GBR procedure encourages bone regeneration through cellular exclusion and avoids the invasion of epithelial and connective tissues that grow at the defective site instead of bone tissue. The barrier membrane should satisfy various properties, such as biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, non-toxicity, and a degradation rate that is long enough to permit mechanical support during bone formation. Other characteristics such as tissue integration, nutrient transfer, ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5246163 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5246163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5246162&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21932250%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Erickson B, Nelson , Winters P PMID: 21932250 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5246162 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5246162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5246161&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21932251%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Girotti A, Fernández-Colino A, López IM, Rodríguez-Cabell JC, Arias FJ Abstract The past few decades have witnessed the development of novel naturally inspired biomimetic materials, such as polysaccharides and proteins. Likewise, the seemingly exponential evolution of genetic-engineering techniques and modern biotechnology has led to the emergence of advanced protein-based materials with multifunctional properties. This approach allows extraordinary control over the architecture of the polymer, and therefore, monodispersity, controlled physicochemical properties, and high sequence complexity that would otherwise be impossible to attain. Elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) are emerging as some of the most prolific of these protein-based biopolymers. Indeed, their inherent ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5246161 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5246161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5246160&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21932253%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Thakker C, Martínez I, San KY, Bennett GN Abstract Succinate has been recognized as an important platform chemical that can be produced from biomass. While a number of organisms are capable of succinate production naturally, this review focuses on the engineering of Escherichia coli for the production of four-carbon dicarboxylic acid. Important features of a succinate production system are to achieve an optimal balance of reducing equivalents generated by consumption of the feedstock, while maximizing the amount of carbon channeled into the product. Aerobic and anaerobic production strains have been developed and applied to production from glucose and other abundant carbon sources. Metabolic engineering methods and strain evolution have been used and supplemented by the r... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5246160 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5246160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5228653&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21922669%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Qian L, Krause DS, Saltzman WM Abstract Fetal liver epithelial cells (FLEC) are valuable for liver cell therapy and tissue engineering, but methods for culture and characterization of these cells are not well developed. This work explores the influence of multiple soluble factors on FLEC, with the long-term goal of developing an optimal culture system to generate functional liver tissue. Our comparative analysis suggests hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is required throughout the culture period. In the presence of HGF, addition of oncostatin M (OSM) at culture initiation results in concurrent growth and maturation, while constant presence of protective agents like ascorbic acid enhances cell survival. Study observations led to the development of a culture medium that provide... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5228653 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5228653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5228652&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21922670%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Matsumoto T, Takase R, Tanaka T, Fukuda H, Kondo A Abstract Modification of proteins with small molecules is a widely used and powerful tool in biological research. Enzymatic approaches are particularly promising because substrate specificity allows for site-specific modification. Sortase A, a transpeptidase from Staphylococcus aureus, cleaves between the T and G residues in the sequence LPXTG, and subsequently links the carboxyl group of the T residue to an amino group of N-terminal glycine oligomers by a native peptide bond. Although gram-positive bacteria have several kinds of sortases, there are few reports concerning their expression and substrate specificity. Here, we demonstrate site-specific protein modification with primary amine-containing molecules catalyzed by ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5228652 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5228652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218481&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21913330%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gonçalves GA, Bower DM, Prazeres DM, Monteiro GA, Prather KL Abstract Plasmid DNA (pDNA) has become very attractive as a biopharmaceutical, especially for gene therapy and DNA vaccination. Currently, there are a few products licensed for veterinary applications and numerous plasmids in clinical trials for use in humans. Recent work in both academia and industry demonstrates a need for technological and economical improvement in pDNA manufacturing. Significant progress has been achieved in plasmid design and downstream processing, but there is still a demand for improved production strains. This review focuses on engineering of Escherichia coli strains for plasmid DNA production, understanding the differences between the traditional use of pDNA for recombinant protein prod... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218481 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218491&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21905226%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Berezina N Abstract In the current context of global warming, the substitution of conventional plastics with bioplastics is a challenge. To take it up we must meet technical and financial requirements. In the case of PHBV, technical properties' modulation can be acquired via 3-hydroxyvalerate content modification. Yet 3-hydroxyvalerate enhancement is an issue; simultaneous evaluation of several 3-hydroxyvalerate-enhancing substrates through fractional factorial design of experiments is described. Eight substrates were studied: citric, valeric, propionic and levulinic acids, propanol, pentanol and sodium propionate - for 3-hydroxyvalerate enhancement, and sodium glutamate - for biomass and PHA enhancement. The most efficient 3-hydroxyvalerate enhancing factors were found to... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218491 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218490&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21905227%26dopt%3DAbstract This study shows that the addition of potassium nitrate, which acts as a nitrogen reservoir, in cultivations carried out with urea by fed-batch process, is appropriate to increase the maximum cell concentration (X(m) ) and also cell productivity (P(X) ). By using response surface methodology, the model indicates that the estimated optimum X(m) can be achieved with 17.3 mM and 8.9 mM of potassium nitrate and urea, respectively. At this condition X(m) of 6077 ±199 mg L(-1) and P(X) of 341.5 ± 19.1 mg.L(-1) d(-1) were obtained. PMID: 21905227 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218490 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218492&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21898831%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Eisler SA, Fuchs YF, Pfizenmaier K, Hausser A Abstract The serine/threonine protein kinase D (PKD) is recruited to the trans-Golgi-network (TGN) by interaction with diacylglycerol and Arf1 and promotes the fission of vesicles containing cargo destined for the plasma membrane. PKD activation is mediated by PKCη-induced phosphorylation. However, signaling pathways that activate PKD specifically at the TGN are only poorly characterized. Recently we created G-PKDrep, a genetically encoded fluorescent reporter for PKD activity at the TGN in fixed cells. To establish a reporter useful for monitoring Golgi-specific PKD activity in living cells we now refined G-PKDrep to generate G-PKDrep-live. Specifically, phosphorylation of G-PKDrep-live expressed in mammalian cells results in... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218492 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218489&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910251%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abstract Cover illustration: Biotech Reviews. This special issue, edited by Sophia Hober (Stockholm, Sweden) covers review articles on key areas of biotechnology, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering as well as protein and biofuel engineering, nanobiotechnology, siRNA therapeutics and food biotechnology. Cover image: SPDM/localization microscopy of nanostructures in human cell nuclei, H2A proteins (red) and Snf2H proteins (green) in a human osteosarcoma cell nucleus (U2OS cells), provided by Manuel Gunkel, Heidelberg, Germany, taken from the Review on superresolution imaging by Cremer et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.201100031. PMID: 21910251 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218489 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218488&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910252%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21910252 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218488 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218487&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910253%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hober S PMID: 21910253 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218487 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218486&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910254%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21910254 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218486 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218485&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910255%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21910255 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218485 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218484&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910256%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cremer C, Kaufmann R, Gunkel M, Pres S, Weiland Y, Müller P, Ruckelshausen T, Lemmer P, Geiger F, Degenhard S, Wege C, Lemmermann NA, Holtappels R, Strickfaden H, Hausmann M Abstract For the improved understanding of biological systems on the nanoscale, it is necessary to enhance the resolution of light microscopy in the visible wavelength range beyond the limits of conventional epifluorescence microscopy (optical resolution of about 200 nm laterally, 600 nm axially). Recently, various far-field methods have been developed allowing a substantial increase of resolution ("superresolution microscopy", or "lightoptical nanoscopy"). This opens an avenue to 'nano-image' intact and even living cells, as well as other biostructures like viruses, down to the molecular detail. Thus... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218484 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218483&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910257%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wahrheit J, Nicolae A, Heinzle E Abstract Metabolic compartmentation represents a major characteristic of eukaryotic cells. The analysis of compartmented metabolic networks is complicated by separation and parallelization of pathways, intracellular transport, and the need for regulatory systems to mediate communication between interdependent compartments. Metabolic flux analysis (MFA) has the potential to reveal compartmented metabolic events, although it is a challenging task requiring demanding experimental techniques and sophisticated modeling. At present no ready-made solution can be provided to cope with the complexity of compartmented metabolic networks, but new powerful tools are emerging. This review gives an overview of different strategies to approach this issue,... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218483 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218482&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910258%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bazaka K, Crawford RJ, Ivanova EP Abstract Whereas the employment of nanotechnology in electronics and optics engineering is relatively well established, the use of nanostructured materials in medicine and biology is undoubtedly novel. Certain nanoscale surface phenomena are being exploited to promote or prevent the attachment of living cells. However, as yet, it has not been possible to develop methods that completely prevent cells from attaching to solid surfaces, since the mechanisms by which living cells interact with the nanoscale surface characteristics of these substrates are still poorly understood. Recently, novel and advanced surface characterisation techniques have been developed that allow the precise molecular and atomic scale characterisation of both living c... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218482 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5192528&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21882346%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Peng J, Goebel U, Kalvodova L, Gaugel A, Green AM, Grunwell B, Gilmartin B, Zhang J, Brachhold K, Bandounas L, Maia M, Hemphill M, Kortenjann M, Vice S, Köster V, Parr V PMID: 21882346 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5192528 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5192528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5192527&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21882347%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carta G PMID: 21882347 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5192527 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5192527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5156953&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21858927%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Peterbauer C, Maischberger T, Haltrich D Abstract In the 1990s, significant efforts were invested in the research and development of food-grade expression systems in lactic acid bacteria (LAB). At this time, Lactococcus lactis in particular was demonstrated to be an ideal cell factory for the food-grade production of recombinant proteins. Steady progress has since been made in research on LAB, including Lactococcus, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, in the areas of recombinant enzyme production, industrial food fermentation, and gene and metabolic pathway regulation. Over the past decade, this work has also led to new approaches on chromosomal integration vectors and host/vector systems. These newly constructed food-grade gene expression systems were designed with specific ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5156953 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5156953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141212&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21845603%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bouwhuis GH, Brinks GJ, Warmoeskerken MM PMID: 21845603 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141212 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141211&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21845736%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cho BK, Palsson B, Zengler K Abstract Interactions between cis-regulatory elements and trans-acting factors are fundamental for cellular functions such as transcription. With the revolution in microarrays and sequencing technologies, genome-wide binding locations of trans-acting factors are being determined in large numbers. The richness of the genome-scale information has revealed that the nature of the bacterial transcriptome and regulome are considerably more complex than previously expected. In addition, the emerging view of the bacterial transcriptome is revising the concept of the operon organization of the genome. This review describes current advances in the genome-scale analysis of the interaction between cis-regulatory elements and trans-acting factors in microor... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141211 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141214&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21834132%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Blanch HW, Simmons BA, Klein-Marcuschamer D Abstract The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass relies on the depolymerization of its polysaccharide content into fermentable sugars. Accomplishing this requires pretreatment of the biomass to reduce its size, and chemical or physical alteration of the biomass polymers to enhance the susceptibility of their glycosidic linkages to enzymatic or acid catalyzed cleavage. Well-studied approaches include dilute and concentrated acid pretreatment and catalysis, and the dissolution of biomass in organic solvents. These and recently developed approaches, such as solubilization in ionic liquids, are reviewed in terms of the chemical and physical changes occurring in biomass pretreatment. As pretreatment represents one of t... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141214 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141213&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21834133%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Linton E, Walsh MK, Sims RC, Miller CD Abstract Type I and II secretory pathways are used for the translocation of recombinant proteins from the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. The purpose of this study was to evaluate four signal peptides (HlyA, TorA, GeneIII, and PelB), representing the most common secretion pathways in E. coli, for their ability to target green fluorescent protein (GFP) for membrane translocation. Signal peptide-GFP genetic fusions were designed in accordance with BioFusion standards (BBF RFC 10, BBF RFC 23). The HlyA signal peptide targeted GFP for secretion to the extracellular media via the type I secretory pathway, whereas TAT-dependent signal peptide TorA and Sec-dependent signal peptide GeneIII exported GFP to the periplasm. The PelB signal peptide... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141213 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141224&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21818859%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jang YS, Lee J, Malaviya A, Seung DY, Cho JH, Lee SY Abstract Biofuel from renewable biomass is one of the answers to help solve the problems associated with limited fossil resources and climate change. Butanol has superior liquid-fuel characteristics, with similar properties to gasoline, and thus, has the potential to be used as a substitute for gasoline. Clostridia are recognized as a good butanol producers and are employed in the industrial-scale production of solvents. Due to the difficulty of performing genetic manipulations on clostridia, however, strain improvement has been rather slow. Furthermore, complex metabolic characteristics of acidogenesis followed by solventogenesis in this strain have hampered the development of engineered clostridia strains with highly e... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141224 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141223&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21818860%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sieblist C, Jenzsch M, Pohlscheidt M, Lübbert A Abstract In the pharmaceutical industry it is state of the art to produce recombinant proteins and antibodies with animal cell cultures using bioreactors with volumes of up to 20 m(3) . Recent guidelines and position papers for the industry by FDA and EMA stress the necessity of mechanistic insights into large scale bioreactors. A detailed mechanistic view of their practically relevant subsystems is required as well as their mutual interactions, i.e. mixing or homogenization of the culture broth and sufficient mass and heat transfer. In large scale bioreactors for animal cell cultures different agitation systems are employed. Here we discuss details of the flows induced in stirred tank reactors relevant for animal cell cultu... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141223 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141222&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21818861%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sieblist C, Hägeholz O, Aehle M, Jenzsch M, Pohlscheidt M, Lübbert A Abstract Most discussions about stirred tank bioreactors for cell cultures focus on liquid-phase motions and neglect the importance of the gas phase for mixing, power input and especially CO(2) stripping. Particularly in large production reactors CO(2) removal from the culture is known to be a major problem. Here we show that stripping is majorly affected by the change of the gas composition during the movement of the gas-phase through the bioreactor from the sparger system towards the head space. A mathematical model for CO(2) -stripping and O(2) -mass transfer is presented taking gas residence times into account. The gas phase is not moving through the reactor in form of a plug flow as often assumed. ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141222 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141221&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823237%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abstract Cover illustration: Scale-up and scale-down strategies are a key for successful implementation of bioprocesses in industry. This issue of Biotechnology Journal, edited by Peter Neubauer (TU Berlin, Germany), features articles on methods for improved scale-up and -down strategies, e.g. measuring CO(2) gradients, drop breakage analysis and study of metabolic stress. One review article by Alvin Nienow presents strategies for improved beer production (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.201000414). Cover image: Outdoor fermentation vessels at a Spanish brewery. ©Olaf Hendel (Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) e.V.). PMID: 21823237 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141221 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141220&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823238%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21823238 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141220 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141219&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823239%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Neubauer P PMID: 21823239 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141219 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141218&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823240%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21823240 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141218 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141217&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823241%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21823241 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141217 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141216&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823242%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zeng AP PMID: 21823242 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141216 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141215&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21823243%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Phillips CJ PMID: 21823243 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141215 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051606&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21766459%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of hydrodynamic stress heterogeneity on metabolism and productivity of an industrial mammalian cell line. For this purpose a novel Lobed Taylor-Couette (LTC) mixing unit combining a narrow distribution of hydrodynamic stresses and a membrane aeration system to prevent cell damage by bubble bursting was developed. A hydrodynamic analysis of the LTC has been developed to reproduce, in a uniform hydrodynamic environment, the same hydrodynamic stress encountered locally by cells in a stirred tank, particularly at the large scale, e.g. close and far from the impeller. The developed LTC has been used to simulate the stress values near the impeller of a laboratory stirred tank bioreactor, equal to about 0.4 Pa, which is however belo... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051606 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051609&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751393%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, a three-layered scaffold consisting of an electrospun silk fibroin (SF) mat sandwiched between two dense collagen (DC) layers was designed and characterized. It was hypothesized that the SF layer would endow the DC-SF-DC construct with enhanced mechanical properties (e.g. apparent modulus, tensile strength and toughness), while the surrounding DC layers provide an extracellular matrix-like environment for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) growth. MSC-seeded DC-SF-DC hybrids were produced using the plastic compression technique and characterized morphologically, chemically and mechanically. Moreover, MSC viability was assessed for up to 1 week in culture. Scaffold analyses confirmed compaction and integration of the meso-scaled multilayered DC-SF-DC hybrid, which was reflected in a... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051609 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051607&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751400%26dopt%3DAbstract This study describes an advanced version of a two compartment scale-down bioreactor which simulates inhomogeneities present in large scale industrial bioreactors in the laboratory scale. The system is made of commercially available parts and is suitable for sterilization with steam. The scale-down bioreactor is comprised of a usual stirred tank bioreactor (STR) and a plug flow reactor (PFR) equipped with static mixer modules. The PFR module with a working volume of 1.2 L is equipped with five sample ports, pH and DO sensors. The concept is applied at the non-sporulating Bacillus subtilis mutant strain AS3 characterized by a SpoIIGA gene knockout. In a fed-batch process with a constant feed rate, it is found that oscillating substrate and dissolved oxygen concentration led to diminished glu... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051607 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051615&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21744501%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nienow AW, Nordkvist M, Boulton CA Scale-up/scale-down techniques are vital for successful and safe commercial-scale bioprocess design and operation. An example is given in this review of recent studies related to beer production. Work at the bench scale shows that brewing yeast is not compromised by mechanical agitation up to 4.5 W/kg; and that compared with fermentations mixed by CO(2) evolution, agitation ≥ 0.04 W/kg is able to reduce fermentation time by about 20%. Work at the commercial scale in cylindroconical fermenters shows that, without mechanical agitation, most of the yeast sediments into the cone for about 50% of the fermentation time, leading to poor temperature control. Stirrer mixing overcomes these problems and leads to a similar reduction in batch time as t... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051615 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051614&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21744502%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Burnett JC, Rossi JJ, Tiemann K Through a mechanism known as RNA interference (RNAi), small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules can target complementary mRNA strands for degradation, thus specifically inhibiting gene expression. The ability of siRNAs to inhibit gene expression offers a mechanism that can be exploited for novel therapeutics. Indeed, over the past decade, at least 21 siRNA therapeutics have been developed for more than a dozen diseases, including various cancers, viruses, and genetic disorders. Like other biological drugs, RNAi-based therapeutics often require a delivery vehicle to transport them to the targeted cells. Thus, the clinical advancement of numerous siRNA drugs has relied on the development of siRNA carriers, including biodegradable nanoparticles, lipi... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051614 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051613&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751386%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Silva C, Da S, Silva N, Matamá T, Araújo R, Martins M, Chen S, Chen J, Wu J, Casal M, Cavaco-Paulo A A bacterial cutinase from Thermobifida fusca, named Tfu_0883, was genetically modified by site-directed mutagenesis to enhance its activity on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The new mutations tailored the catalytic-site for PET, increasing the affinity of cutinase to this hydrophobic substrate and the ability to hydrolyse it. The mutation I218A was designed to create space and the double mutation Q132A/T101A was designed both to create space and to increase hydrophobicity. The activity of the double mutant on the soluble substrate pNPB increased 2-fold compared to wild-type cutinase, while on PET both single and double mutants exhibit considerably higher hydrolysis efficie... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051613 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051612&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751387%26dopt%3DAbstract This study demonstrates that trimeric and hexameric peptides may have different, matrix-specific roles to play in virus removal applications. In general, the hexamer ligand may perform better for binding of specific viruses, whereas the trimer ligand may have more broadly reactive virus-binding properties. PMID: 21751387 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051612 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051610&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751391%26dopt%3DAbstract This study combines the properties of slioxanes and lignin polymers in order to produce hybrid functional polymers that can be used as adhesives, coating material and/or multifunctionalized thin coating films. Lignin-silica hybrid copolymers were synthesized using the sol gel process. Laccases from Trametes hirsuta were used to oxidize lignosulphonates to enhance its reactivity towards the siloxanes and then incorporated into siloxane precursors undergoing the sol-gel process. In vitro copolymerization studies using pure lignin monomers with aminosilanes or ethoxytrimethylsilane and analysis by Si-NMR revealed hybrid products. Except for kraft lignin, increase in lignin concentration positively affected the tensile strength in all the samples. Similarly, the viscosity generally increased i... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051610 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051611&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751388%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: de Jonge LP, Buijs NA, Ten Pierick A, Deshmukh A, Zhao Z, Kiel JA, Heijnen JJ, van Gulik WM In large-scale production reactors the combination of high broth viscosity and large broth volume leads to insufficient liquid phase mixing, resulting in gradients in, for example, the concentrations of substrate and oxygen. This often leads to differences in productivity of the full scale process, compared to lab scale. In this scale-down study of penicillin production, the influence of substrate gradients on the process performance and cell physiology was investigated by imposing an intermittent feeding regime on a lab-scale culture of a high yielding strain of Penicillium chrysogenum. It was found that the penicillin production was reduced by a factor 2 in the intermittently fed cult... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051611 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051608&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21751396%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Maaß S, Buscher S, Hermann S, Kraume M Understanding of particle strain and drop breakage is relevant for various technical applications. To analyze it single drop experiments in a breakage cell and evolving drop size distributions in an agitated system are studied. The mechanisms for particle strain and drop breakage are assumed to be comparable for the investigated turbulent flow regime. The agitation process is simulated using a population balance model. This model provides transient prediction capacities at different scales and can be used for scale-up/down projects. The number and the size distributions of daughter fragments for single drops have been studied. The results clearly support the assumption of binary breakage. The most common assumption of a Gaussian distribu... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051608 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5051608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001364&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21714091%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21714091 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001364 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001363&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21721127%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sharma S, Raju R, Sui S, Hu WS Advances in stem cell research and recent work on clinical trials employing stem cells have heightened the prospect of stem cell applications in regenerative medicine. The eventual clinical application of stem cells will require transforming cell production from laboratory practices to robust processes. Most stem cell applications will require extensive ex vivo handling of cells, from isolation, cultivation, and directed differentiation to product cell separation, cell derivation, and final formulation. Some applications require large quantities of cells in each defined batch for clinical use in multiple patients; others may be for autologous use and require only small-scale operations. All share a common requirement: the production must be robus... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001363 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001362&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21728239%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cover illustration: Synthetic Biology. This special issue, edited by Alfonso Jaramillo and Jean-Loup Foulon, highlights articles from the International conference on Synthetic Biology (December 2010) organized by the Genopole and iSSB. The cover image depicts a tentative synthetic leaf in half revealing its genetic circuitry. A zoom box details the leaf's interior circuits, which are made up of three multiplexed light sensors regulating gene expression controlled by red, green and blue light. The image (provided by Daniel Camsund) illustrates the application of light sensors reported in this issue (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.201100091). PMID: 21728239 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001362 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001361&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21728240%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21728240 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001361 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001360&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21728241%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jaramillo A, Faulon JL PMID: 21728241 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001360 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001359&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21728242%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: RIBOSOME ALLOCATION LIMITS GROWTH RATE: Carrera, et al., Biotechnol. J. 2011, 6, 773-783 Synthetic biology uses modeling to facilitate the design of new genetic constructions. In this issue, Alfonso Jaramillo and co-workers use previous characterizations of the growth rate dependence on cellular resource availability, i.e. DNA and RNA polymerases and ribosomes, to create a model for predicting expression of heterologous systems in a cellular chassis. Maximum capacities of the cell for heterologous expression could be estimated as 46% of the total RNA and 33% of the total protein in a cell. Ribosomes are the limiting resource for heterogonous expression. The model can now be used to decide between alternative plasmid replicons or synthetic constructions on the basis of their e... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001359 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001358&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21728243%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21728243 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001358 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001357&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21728244%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jungbauer A PMID: 21728244 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001357 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5001365&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21695787%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Solomon KV, Prather KL With increasing price volatility and growing awareness of the lack of sustainability of traditional chemical synthesis, microbial chemical production has been tapped as a promising renewable alternative for the generation of diverse, stereospecific compounds. Nonetheless, many attempts to generate them are not yet economically viable. Due to the zero-sum nature of microbial resources, traditional strategies of pathway optimization are attaining minimal returns. This result is in part a consequence of the gross changes in host physiology resulting from such efforts and underscores the need for more precise and subtle forms of gene modulation. In this review, we describe alternative strategies and emerging paradigms to address this problem and highlight po... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5001365 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5001365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4956788&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21681965%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gendrault Y, Madec M, Lallement C, Pecheux F, Haiech J In microelectronics, the design of new systems is based on a proven time-tested design flow. The goal of this paper is to determine to what extend this design flow can be adapted to biosystem design. The presented methodology is based on a top-down approach and consists of starting with a behavioral description of the system to progressively refine it to its final low-level system representation, composed of DNA parts. To preserve accuracy and simplicity, the design flow relies on refined models of biological mechanisms, which can be expressed by the hardware description languages and simulation tools traditionally used in microelectronics. A case study, the complete modeling of a priority encoder, is presented to demonstr... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4956788 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4956788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4956787&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21681967%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Song H, Payne S, Tan C, You L A major aim of synthetic biology is to program novel cellular behavior using engineered gene circuits. Early endeavors focused on building simple circuits that fulfill simple functions, such as logic gates, bistable toggle switches, and oscillators. These gene circuits have primarily focused on single-cell behaviors since they operate intracellularly. Thus, they are often susceptible to cell-cell variations due to stochastic gene expression. Cell-cell communication offers an efficient strategy to coordinate cellular behavior at the population level. To this end, we review recent advances in engineering cell-cell communication to achieve reliable population dynamics, spanning from communication within single species to multispecies, from one-way se... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4956787 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4956787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4956789&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21661120%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Planson AG, Carbonell P, Grigoras I, Faulon JL Progress in DNA technology, analytical methods and computational tools is leading to new developments in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, enabling new ways to produce molecules of industrial and therapeutic interest. Here, we review recent progress in both antibiotic production and strategies to counteract bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Advances in sequencing and cloning are increasingly enabling the characterization of antibiotic biosynthesis pathways, and new systematic methods for de novo biosynthetic pathway prediction are allowing the exploration of the metabolic chemical space beyond metabolic engineering. Moreover, we survey the computer-assisted design of modular assembly lines in polyketide synthases and... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4956789 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4956789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908952&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21648093%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stano P Research on the construction of minimal cell-like systems is continuously progressing. The aim is to assemble a synthetic or semi-synthetic cell by encapsulating the minimal set of different macromolecules into a lipid vesicle (liposome). Synthetic cells have their relevance as new biotechnological tool for use in synthetic biology and in research into the origin of life. In recent years, several technical advances have been reported and reviewed, but most deal with the biochemical and molecular biology of protein synthesis inside liposomes, whereas a discussion on the importance and the interplay of some physical factors has not been discussed. In this short review, we comment on physical aspects, such as compartment formation and solute entrapment, and on the nature ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908952 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908951&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21648094%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Camsund D, Lindblad P, Jaramillo A Light of different wavelengths can serve as a transient, noninvasive means of regulating gene expression for biotechnological purposes. Implementation of advanced gene regulatory circuits will require orthogonal transcriptional systems that can be simultaneously controlled and that can produce several different control states. Fully genetically encoded light sensors take advantage of the favorable characteristics of light, do not need the supplementation of any chemical inducers or co-factors, and have been demonstrated to control gene expression in Escherichia coli. Herein, we review engineered light-sensor systems with potential for in vivo regulation of gene expression in bacteria, and highlight different means of extending the range of av... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908951 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908958&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21630464%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cover illustration: Protein folding in vivo. This special issue, edited by Marc Blondel (Brest, France) and Mónica Marín (Montevideo, Uruguay) includes review and original articles on co-translational folding, alternative codon usage and the impacts of protein folding on protein production. The drawing on the cover illustrates the ribosome as a platform for co-translational folding of newly synthesized proteins. © HRATCH ARBACH 2011. PMID: 21630464 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908958 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908957&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21630465%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21630465 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908957 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908956&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21630466%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21630466 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908956 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908955&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21630467%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Marín M, Blondel M PMID: 21630467 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908955 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908954&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21630468%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: BIRTH, LIFE AND DEATH OF NASCENT POLYPEPTIDE CHAINS: Jha and Komar, Biotechnol. J. 2011, 6, 623-640 The journey of nascent polypeptides from synthesis at the ribosome ("birth") to full function ("maturity") involves multiple ways of tight regulation to ensure that proteins achieve their native, functional form. Unproductive co-translational folding intermediates are subjects of co-translational degradation ("death"). It has become clear that the kinetics of protein translation is predominantly modulated by synonymous codon usage along the mRNA, thereby providing an active mechanism for coordinating the synthesis, maturation and folding of nascent polypeptides. In this issue, Sujata Jha and Anton A. Komar from the Cleveland State University (OH, USA) provide an overview of the... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908954 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4908953&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21630469%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21630469 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4908953 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4908953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856498&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567956%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Borges P, Pacheco R, Karmali A The effect of cultivation parameters such as temperature incubation, IPTG induction and ethanol shock on the production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa amidase (E.C.3.5.1.4) in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain in LB ampicillin culture medium was investigated. The highest yield of soluble amidase, relatively to other proteins, was obtained in the condition at 37°C using 0.40 mM IPTG to induce growth, with ethanol. Our results demonstrate the formation of insoluble aggregates containing amidase, which was biologically active, in all the tested growth conditions. Addition of ethanol at 25°C in the culture medium improved amidase yield, which quantitatively aggregated in a biological active form and exhibited in all conditions an increased specific ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856498 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856497&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567957%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Deane CM, Saunders R The "central dogma" of biology outlines the unidirectional flow of interpretable data from genetic sequence to protein sequence. This has led to the idea that a protein's structure is dependent only on its amino acid sequence and not its genetic sequence. Recently, however, a more than transient link between the coding genetic sequence and the protein structure has become apparent. The two interact at the ribosome via the process of co-translational protein folding. Evidence for co-translational folding is growing rapidly, but the influence of codons on the protein structure attained is still highly contentious. It is theorised that the speed of codon translation modulates the time available for protein folding and hence the protein structure. Here, past a... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856497 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856495&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567959%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zalucki YM, Beacham IR, Jennings MP Proteins destined for export via the Sec-dependent pathway are synthesized with a short N-terminal signal peptide. A requirement for export is that the proteins are in a translocationally competent state. This is a loosely folded state that allows the protein to pass through the SecYEG apparatus and pass into the periplasm. In order to maintain pre-secretory proteins in an export-competent state, there are many factors that slow the folding of the pre-secretory protein in the cytoplasm. These include cytoplasmic chaperones, such as SecB, and the signal recognition particle, which bind the pre-secretory protein and direct it to the cytoplasmic membrane for export. Recently, evidence has been published that non-optimal codons in the signal seq... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856495 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856494&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567960%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Salinas G, Pellizza L, Margenat M, Fló M, Fernández C Disulfide-bond formation is a major post-translational modification and is essential for protein folding, stability, and function. This is especially true for secreted proteins, many of which possess great potential for biotechnological applications. Focusing on the use of Escherichia coli for the production of this class of proteins, we describe the mechanisms that maintain redox compartmentalization in the cell, with an emphasis on those that promote the formation and isomerization of disulfide bonds in the bacterial periplasm, while presenting parallel pathways in the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum. Based on these concepts, we review the use of E. coli as a cell factory for the production of heterologous disulfide-co... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856494 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856490&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567964%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ramón A, Marín M Membrane proteins play key roles in diverse cellular functions and have become the target for a large number of pharmacological drugs. Despite representing about 20-30% of cellular proteins, their characterization is long overdue since they are difficult to handle, to purify from their natural source or to obtain as recombinant proteins. Pichia pastoris is a methylotrophic yeast species increasingly used as a host for heterologous protein expression for both research and industrial purposes. Over the past few years many efforts have allowed important advances in the development of this expression system for the expression and production of membrane proteins. The most recent achievements in improving yield and proper folding of integral membrane proteins are ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856490 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856489&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567965%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jasmin L PMID: 21567965 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856489 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856496&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567958%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Angov E Biomedical and biotechnological research relies on processes leading to the successful expression and production of key biological products. High-quality proteins are required for many purposes, including protein structural and functional studies. Protein expression is the culmination of multistep processes involving regulation at the level of transcription, mRNA turnover, protein translation, and post-translational modifications leading to the formation of a stable product. Although significant strides have been achieved over the past decade, advances toward integrating genomic and proteomic information are essential, and until such time, many target genes and their products may not be fully realized. Thus, the focus of this review is to provide some experimental supp... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856496 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856493&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567961%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Voisset C, Saupe SJ, Blondel M In addition to its involvement in protein synthesis, the ribosome is implicated in protein folding. Some co-translational events, such as the rhythm of protein synthesis, the passage through the exit tunnel of the ribosome, or the interaction with ribosome-associated chaperones may help protein folding. Ribosomes from prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and mitochondria have also been shown to assist the folding of denatured proteins in vitro in a translation-independent way. This intriguing protein-folding activity of the ribosome (PFAR, also termed RPFA) has been mapped to the domain V of the large rRNA of the large subunit of the ribosome. Unfolded, newly synthesized proteins catalyze the dissociation of the two ribosomal subunits in vitro, thereby promo... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856493 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856492&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567962%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Correa A, Oppezzo P Proteins are the main reagents for structural, biomedical, and biotechnological studies; however, some important challenges remain concerning protein solubility and stability. Numerous strategies have been developed, with some success, to mitigate these challenges, but a universal strategy is still elusive. Currently, researchers face a plethora of alternatives for the expression of the target protein, which generates a great diversity of conditions to be evaluated. Among these, different promoter strength, diverse expression host and constructs, or special culture conditions have an important role in protein solubility. With the arrival of automated high-throughput screening (HTS) systems, the evaluation of hundreds of different conditions within reasonabl... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856492 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4856491&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21567963%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Manta B, Obal G, Ricciardi A, Pritsch O, Denicola A Production of recombinant proteins is a process intensively used in the research laboratory. In addition, the main biotechnology market products are recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. The biological (and clinical) properties of the protein product strongly depend on the conformation of the polypeptide. Therefore, assessment of the correct conformation of the produced protein is crucial. There is no single method to assess every aspect of protein structure or function. Depending on the protein, the methods of choice vary. There are general methods to evaluate not only mass and primary sequence of the protein, but also higher-order structure. This review outlines the principal techniques for determining the conform... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4856491 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4856491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804363&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21509939%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21509939 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804363 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804362&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538887%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21538887 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804362 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804361&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538888%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21538888 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804361 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804360&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538889%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Peng J PMID: 21538889 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804360 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804359&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538890%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21538890 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804359 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804358&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538891%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 21538891 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804358 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804357&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538892%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Leong S PMID: 21538892 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804357 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804356&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538893%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Babu S PMID: 21538893 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804356 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804355&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538894%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the current data suggest that glyceollins induced phase 2 detoxifying enzymes likely through promoting nuclear translocation of Nrf2, which is known to be regulated by phosphorylation of Nrf2 and/or disrupting Keap1-Nrf2 complex formation. PMID: 21538894 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biotechnology Journal) Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804355 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804354&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538895%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tripathi NK, Shrivastava A, Biswal KC, Rao PV Dengue is a public health problem of global significance for which there is neither an effective antiviral therapy nor a preventive vaccine. The envelope protein of dengue virus is the major antigen to elicit neutralizing antibody response and protective immunity in hosts. Optimization of culture media was carried out for enhanced production of recombinant dengue virus type 3 envelope domain III (rDen 3 EDIII) protein in E. coli. Further, batch and fed-batch cultivation process were also developed in optimized medium. After fed-batch cultivation, the dry cell weight was about 22.80 g/L of culture. The rDen 3 EDIII protein was purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. This process produced ∼649 mg of purified rDen ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804354 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804353&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538896%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jha S, Komar AA The journey of nascent polypeptides from synthesis at the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome ("birth") to full function ("maturity") involves multiple interactions, constraints, modifications and folding events. Each step of this journey impacts the ultimate expression level and functional capacity of the translated protein. It has become clear that the kinetics of protein translation is predominantly modulated by synonymous codon usage along the mRNA, and that this provides an active mechanism for coordinating the synthesis, maturation and folding of nascent polypeptides. Multiple quality control systems ensure that proteins achieve their native, functional form. Unproductive co-translational folding intermediates that arise during protein synthesis m... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804353 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804352&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538897%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Castillo V, Graña-Montes R, Sabate R, Ventura S In the cell, protein folding into stable globular conformations is in competition with aggregation into non-functional and usually toxic structures, since the biophysical properties that promote folding also tend to favor intermolecular contacts, leading to the formation of β-sheet-enriched insoluble assemblies. The formation of protein deposits is linked to at least 20 different human disorders, ranging from dementia to diabetes. Furthermore, protein deposition inside cells represents a major obstacle for the biotechnological production of polypeptides. Importantly, the aggregation behavior of polypeptides appears to be strongly influenced by the intrinsic properties encoded in their sequences and specifically by the presence ... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804352 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804351&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538898%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mellitzer A, Glieder A, Weis R, Reisinger C, Flicker K The exploitation of renewable resources for the production of biofuels relies on efficient processes for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials. The development of enzymes and strains for these processes requires reliable and fast activity-based screening assays. Additionally, these assays are also required to operate on the microscale and on the high-throughput level. Herein, we report the development of a highly sensitive reducing-sugar assay in a 96-well microplate screening format. The assay is based on the formation of osazones from reducing sugars and para-hydroxybenzoic acid hydrazide. By using this sensitive assay, the enzyme loads and conversion times during lignocellulose hydrolysis can be reduced,... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804351 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4804350&cid=s_37624_70_f&fid=37624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21538899%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Castillo V, Graña-Montes R, Ventura S Proteins are key players in most cellular processes. Therefore, their abundances are thought to be tightly regulated at the gene-expression level. Recent studies indicate, however, that steady-state cellular-protein concentrations correlate better across species than the levels of the corresponding mRNAs; this supports the existence of selective forces to maintain precise cellular-protein concentrations and homeostasis, even if gene-expression levels diverge. One of these forces might be the avoidance of protein aggregation because, in the cell, the folding of proteins into functional conformations might be in competition with anomalous aggregation into non-functional and usually toxic structures in a concentration-dependent manner. The d... Biotechnology Journal journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4804350 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4804350