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Synthetic Biology (synthetic + biology)
Selected AbstractsBiotec Visions 2010, May,JuneBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010Article first published online: 3 MAY 2010 News:Ethanol biofuels from orange peels , Targeting leukaemia's gene addiction , Pea-derived solar cells , HIV is a kick in the head , Nano-scale DNA reader , Membrane in black , Cheese improves the immune response of elderly , Synthetic proteins built from standard parts , Therapeutic proteins produced in algae , Biosensor detects 100 mycoplasma cells , Protecting maggots against bacteria , Advanced biofuels from microbes , Fluorescent bacterial uptake , Two disparate stem cell states , Brachypodium genome sequenced Encyclopedia of Life Sciences: Nuclear transfer for cell lines WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology: Nanoparticle detection of respiratory infection Journal Highlights: Biocatalysis , Synthetic Biology In the news: Nanobiotech to detect cancer Most Read Industry News: Biomarker assays for personalized medicine , Bioplastic industry defies economic crisis , SDS-PAGE monitoring of mAB Awards: BTJ Editors elected members of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Meeting highlight Writing tips: Figure preparation made simple , Some useful tutorials on the web Book Highlights:Molecular Biotechnology , Bacterial Signaling , Yeast Test your knowledge:Do you recognize this? WIREs Authors Spotlight:Nanotechnology and orthopedics [source] Biotech networks and awardsBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 8 2008Article first published online: 13 AUG 200 Meeting preview: Costa Brava in October , Protein Design and Evolution for Biocatalysis James Briscoe awarded 2008 EMBO Gold Medal Chemical biology: Anti-Alzheimer's agent RTS Life Science wins 2008 North West "innovation in engineering" award Synthetic Biology: Funders move to address social and ethical challenges Novartis to accelerate TB drug development Project highlight: Metagenomic sequencing Biotech round the world: Focus on Uganda [source] Recombinant bacteria for environmental release: what went wrong and what we have learnt from itCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 2009V. De Lorenzo Abstract From a biotechnological point of view, bacteria can be seen as either pathogens to target with new drugs or as biocatalysts for large-scale processes in industry, agriculture or the environment. The last includes the exploitation of bacterial activities for bioremediation of toxic waste either in situ or ex situ. The onset of genetic engineering in the late 70s opened the possibility of tailoring recombinant bacteria for environmental release, aimed at biodegradation of otherwise recalcitrant chemicals. However, a few decades later the outcome of this prospect has been quite meager. The literature counts very few cases where the use of genetically engineered bacteria has been proven to be more efficient than natural microorganisms in elimination of recalcitrant compounds under natural (not laboratory) conditions. Fortunately, the emergence of Systems and Synthetic Biology in the last few years is helping to identify what were the caveats of the former approaches and how to correct them. In addition, robust design concepts imported from process engineering provides fresh approaches to the challenge of designing microorganisms á la carte for environmental applications. [source] It's Never Too Early To Ask QuestionsGERMAN RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009Jörg Hinrich Hacker Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Synthetic biology is a new field, but the opportunities and risks need to enter public debate now [source] Synthetic biology: A tight-rope walk between humility, ambition and languageBIOESSAYS, Issue 8 2010Andrew Moore Editor-in-Chief No abstract is available for this article. [source] Biotec Visions 2009, November,DecemberBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009Article first published online: 13 NOV 200 Nobel Prizes 2009: Ribosomes , Telomeres and telomerases Encyclopaedia of Life Sciences: SNP genotyping technologies , Molecular mimicry Special issues: Chinese microbial ecology , Advances in yeast proteomics , MALDI-TOF "Flip-flop" drug susceptibility test News: Phytophthora infestans genome , Sequencing bacterial transcriptomes , Stem cells from fat , Selecting green clones , Endogenous mutagenic force , Green batteries , Tobacco-produced vaccine , O2 transport in artificial liver , Endolysins instead of antibiotics , Quick switch key for mitochondria , Climate change shrinks algae , Bacteria degrade microcystins Opinion: Will biotech banish wrinkles forever? Most Read Synthetic biology Tips and tricks: Trypsinizing cells Biotech round the world: Kenya Writing Tips: IMRAD or RAMID? Briefs: Metabolic Engineering award , Mosquitoes , from foe to friend , Mobile phone microscope Test your Knowledge: Do you recognize this? In Brief: The horse pathogen Rhodococcus equi [source] A perspective of synthetic biology: Assembling building blocks for novel functionsBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 6 2006Pengcheng Fu ProfessorArticle first published online: 19 MAY 200 Abstract Synthetic biology is a recently emerging field that applies engineering formalisms to design and construct new biological parts, devices, and systems for novel functions or life forms that do not exist in nature. Synthetic biology relies on and shares tools from genetic engineering, bioengineering, systems biology and many other engineering disciplines. It is also different from these subjects, in both insights and approach. Applications of synthetic biology have great potential for novel contributions to established fields and for offering opportunities to answer fundamentally new biological questions. This article does not aim at a thorough survey of the literature and detailing progress in all different directions. Instead, it is intended to communicate a way of thinking for synthetic biology in which basic functional elements are defined and assembled into living systems or biomaterials with new properties and behaviors. Four major application areas with a common theme are discussed and a procedure (or "protocol") for a standard synthetic biology work is suggested. [source] Synthetic morphology: prospects for engineered, self-constructing anatomiesJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2008Jamie A. Davies Abstract This paper outlines prospects for applying the emerging techniques of synthetic biology to the field of anatomy, with the aim of programming cells to organize themselves into specific, novel arrangements, structures and tissues. There are two main reasons why developing this hybrid discipline , synthetic morphology , would be useful. The first is that having a way to engineer self-constructing assemblies of cells would provide a powerful means of tissue engineering for clinical use in surgery and regenerative medicine. The second is that construction of simple novel systems according to theories of morphogenesis gained from study of real embryos will provide a means of testing those theories rigorously, something that is very difficult to do by manipulation of complex embryos. This paper sets out the engineering requirements for synthetic morphology, which include the development of a library of sensor modules, regulatory modules and effector modules that can be connected functionally within cells. A substantial number of sensor and regulatory modules already exist and this paper argues that some potential effector modules have already been identified. The necessary library may therefore be within reach. The paper ends by suggesting a set of challenges, ranging from simple to complex, the achievement of which would provide valuable proofs of concept. [source] The cytoplasmic structure hypothesis for ribosome assembly, vertical inheritance, and phylogeny,BIOESSAYS, Issue 7 2009David S. Thaler Abstract Fundamental questions in evolution concern deep divisions in the living world and vertical versus horizontal information transfer. Two contrasting views are: (i) three superkingdoms Archaea, Eubacteria, and Eukarya based on vertical inheritance of genes encoding ribosomes; versus (ii) a prokaryotic/eukaryotic dichotomy with unconstrained horizontal gene transfer (HGT) among prokaryotes. Vertical inheritance implies continuity of cytoplasmic and structural information whereas HGT transfers only DNA. By hypothesis, HGT of the translation machinery is constrained by interaction between new ribosomal gene products and vertically inherited cytoplasmic structure made largely of preexisting ribosomes. Ribosomes differentially enhance the assembly of new ribosomes made from closely related genes and inhibit the assembly of products from more distal genes. This hypothesis suggests experiments for synthetic biology: the ability of synthetic genomes to "boot," i.e., establish hereditary continuity, will be constrained by the phylogenetic closeness of the cell "body" into which genomes are placed. [source] Engineering multigene expression in vitro and in vivo with small terminators for T7 RNA polymeraseBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 6 2009Liping Du Abstract Engineering protein expression in vitro or in vivo is usually straightforward for single genes, but remains challenging for multiple genes because of the requirement of coordinated control. RNA and protein overexpression strategies often exploit T7 RNA polymerase and its natural T, Class I terminator. However, this terminator's inefficiency and large size (100,bp) are problematic for multigene construction and expression. Here, we measure the effects of tandem copies of a small (18,bp) Class II T7 terminator from vesicular stomatitis virus on transcription in vitro and on translation in vitro and in vivo. We first test monomeric and dimeric gene constructs, then attempt extension to pentameric gene constructs. "BioBrick" versions of a pET vector and translation factor genes were constructed to facilitate cloning, and His-tags were incorporated to allow copurification of all protein products for relatively unbiased analysis and easy purification. Several results were surprising, including imbalanced expression of the pentameric constructs in vivo, illustrating the value of synthetic biology for investigating gene expression. However, these problems were solved rationally by changing the orders of the genes and by adding extra promoters to the upstream gene or by moving to a more predictable in vitro translation system. These successes were significant, given our initial unexpected results and that we are unaware of another example of coordinated overexpression of five proteins. Our modular, flexible, rational method should further empower synthetic biologists wishing to overexpress multiple proteins simultaneously. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 1189,1196. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] In this issue: Biotechnology Journal 12/2009BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 12 2009Article first published online: 14 DEC 200 Genome-scale in silico modeling Milne et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1653,1670 Driven by advancements in high-throughput biological technologies and the growing number of sequenced genomes, the construction of in silico models at the genome scale has provided powerful tools to investigate a vast array of biological systems and applications. Nathan Price and colleagues review comprehensively the use of such models in industrial and medical biotechnology, including biofuel generation, food production, and drug development. As such, genome-scale models can provide a basis for rational genome-scale engineering and synthetic biology. Genome-scale in silico models promise to extend their application and analysis scope to become a transformative tool in biotechnology. From metagenomics to metaproteomics Tuffin et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1671,1683 Metagenomics emerged in the late 1990s as a tool for accessing and studying the collective microbial genetic material in the environment and has been widely predicted to reach new dimensions of the protein sequence space. A decade on, researchers from South Africa see that while several novel enzyme activities and protein structures have been identified the greatest advancement has been made in the isolation of novel protein sequences, some of which have no close relatives, form deeply branched lineages and even represent novel families. However, there is much room for improvement in the methods employed that need to be addressed in order to access novel biocatalytic activities. Recombinant secondary metabolites Schäfer et al., Biotechnol. J. 2009, 4, 1684,1703 Plants produce a high diversity of natural products or secondary metabolites which have interesting biological properties and quite a number are of medicinal importance. Their functions range from the protection against herbivores and/or microbial pathogens to defend against abiotic stress, e.g. UV-B exposure. Because the production of valuable natural products, such as the anticancer drugs paclitaxel, vinblastine or camptothecin in plants is a costly process, biotechnological alternatives to produce these alkaloids more economically become more and more important. This review provides an overview of the state of art to produce alkaloids in recombinant microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast. In a longterm perspective, it will probably be possible to generate gene cassettes for complete pathways, which could then be used for the production of valuable natural products in bioreactors or for metabolic engineering of crop plants. [source] Industrial biotechnology: Tools and applicationsBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 12 2009Weng Lin Tang Abstract Industrial biotechnology involves the use of enzymes and microorganisms to produce value-added chemicals from renewable sources. Because of its association with reduced energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation, industrial biotechnology is a rapidly growing field. Here we highlight a variety of important tools for industrial biotechnology, including protein engineering, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, systems biology, and downstream processing. In addition, we show how these tools have been successfully applied in several case studies, including the production of 1, 3-propanediol, lactic acid, and biofuels. It is expected that industrial biotechnology will be increasingly adopted by chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural industries. [source] (Re-)construction, characterization and modeling of systems for synthetic biologyBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009María Suárez Diez First page of article [source] A perspective of synthetic biology: Assembling building blocks for novel functionsBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 6 2006Pengcheng Fu ProfessorArticle first published online: 19 MAY 200 Abstract Synthetic biology is a recently emerging field that applies engineering formalisms to design and construct new biological parts, devices, and systems for novel functions or life forms that do not exist in nature. Synthetic biology relies on and shares tools from genetic engineering, bioengineering, systems biology and many other engineering disciplines. It is also different from these subjects, in both insights and approach. Applications of synthetic biology have great potential for novel contributions to established fields and for offering opportunities to answer fundamentally new biological questions. This article does not aim at a thorough survey of the literature and detailing progress in all different directions. Instead, it is intended to communicate a way of thinking for synthetic biology in which basic functional elements are defined and assembled into living systems or biomaterials with new properties and behaviors. Four major application areas with a common theme are discussed and a procedure (or "protocol") for a standard synthetic biology work is suggested. [source] | ||||||||||