United States Army Medical Materiel Agency

The United States Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA), a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) at Fort Detrick, Maryland, serves as the U.S. Army's executive agent for strategic medical acquisition and logistics programs.
The US Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA) serves as the U.S. Army's life cycle management command (LCMC) for strategic medical acquisition, project management and logistics programs. The USAMMA manages strategic programs across the globe; equips and sustains the medical force within the Active Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard components; and develops medical technologies/devices/materiel innovations for use across the battlefield and at fixed Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs). The Agency also centrally manages the Army Prepositioned Stocks and The Office of the Surgeon General's contingency programs as well as other readiness support programs designed for all Army components during full spectrum operations. The Agency deploys Medical Logistics Support Teams (MLST) and/or Forward Repair Activity-Medical (FRA-M) as required to support Joint operations in the different theaters. The Agency also provides Army Medical Department National Maintenance Program expertise and Sustainment Maintenance technical proficiency to ensure medical maintenance supportability and training requirements, equipment reliability and maintainability, and the maintenance repair and services of medical equipment and technologies.
History.
USAMMA's origin is traced to the early part of World War II when the Army Surgeon General recognized the need to develop Army medical materiel support to the rapidly expanding mobilization forces. The genesis of USAMMA began in 1943 when the Procurement Division of the Supply Service, Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG), was renamed the Purchase Division and transferred to the Army Medical Purchasing Office in Manhattan, New York. Later that year, the Inventory Control Branch, Distribution and Requirements Division, OTSG, was also transferred to the Army Medical Purchasing Office. The Medical Testing Laboratory transferred from Binghamton, New York, in February 1943. Later that year, the Contract Termination Branch was added. In 1944, the Renegotiation and Stock Control Divisions were moved from the OTSG to New York.
On 21 May 1953, the Army Medical Supply Control Office was organized at Brooklyn, New York, and assigned to the Surgeon General. On 30 April 1965, the unit was re-designated the Army Medical Supply Control Office and on 1 January 1957, the office was again re-designated as the Army Medical Supply Support Activity, a Class II off-post activity of the Surgeon General.
On 2 April 1965, the activity transferred from Brooklyn to Valley Forge General Hospital, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and was renamed the United States Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA), effective 15 April 1965.
In 1974, USAMMA moved to Fort Detrick, Maryland and in 1994 was placed under the newly formed United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. In addition to the USAMMA headquarters located at Fort Detrick, USAMMA has operational maintenance and storage locations in Camp Carroll, South Korea; Sagami General Depot, Japan; Defense Depot Tracy, California; Sierra Army Depot, California; Defense Depot Hill, Utah; Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania; Naval Weapons Station Charleston, South Carolina; Husterhoeh Kaserne, Pirmasens, Germany; As Saliyah Army Base, Qatar; and Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.


4-Acetoxy-DET

4-Acetoxy-DET (4-Acetoxy-"N","N"-diethyltryptamine), also known as ethacetin, ethylacybin or 4-AcO-DET is a psychedelic tryptamine. It was first synthesized in 1958 by Albert Hofmann in the Sandoz lab.
It is expected that the compound is quickly hydrolyzed into the free phenolic 4-HO-DET by serum esterases, but human studies concerning the metabolic fate of this drug are lacking.
Dosage.
4-Acetoxy-DET is orally active, and dosages of 10–25 mg are common. Effects last 4–6 hours. The free base is also active when smoked in a dose range of 5–20 mg. Smoking 4-acetoxy-DET greatly speeds up the onset; peak effects are experienced within 10 minutes, and are usually over within 1 hour.
Drug prohibition laws.
Sweden.
"Sveriges riksdags" health ministry classified 4-AcO-DET as "health hazard" under the act (translated "Act on the Prohibition of Certain Goods Dangerous to Health") as of Nov 1, 2005, in their regulation SFS 2005:733 listed as 4-acetoxi-N,N-dietyltryptamin (4-AcO-DET), making it illegal to sell or possess.


Arcturus Therapeutics

Arcturus Therapeutics is an American RNA medicines biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutics for rare diseases and infectious diseases. Arcturus has developed a novel, potent, and safe RNA therapeutics platform called LUNAR, a proprietary lipid-enabled delivery system for nucleic acid medicines including small interfering RNA (siRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), gene editing RNA, DNA, antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), and microRNA.
The company's pipeline includes RNA therapeutics for the treatment of rare diseases such as ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD), and respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Vaccine medicines include a vaccine candidate for COVID-19, currently co-developed with Singaporean scientists at Duke–NUS Medical School and an influenza vaccine in the preclinical development phase.
Company history.
Founded in 2013 by Joseph Payne and Dr. Pad Chivukula, Arcturus Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California, USA. The company's core technology platform is a proprietary lipid nanoparticle-mediated delivery system able to deliver therapeutic RNA or DNA to target cells inside a patient's body. The company has a portfolio of eight mRNA-based therapeutics and two mRNA-based vaccines in development.
On June 27th 2019, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation for the company's lead product candidate ARCT-810 to treat an inherited metabolic disorder, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD). OTCD is the most common urea cycle disorder, which impacts an individual's ability to remove toxic waste products from the body. The orphan drug designation is granted to drugs capable of treating rare diseases that affect less than 200,000 people in the United States. Drug products approved by the FDA that have orphan drug status receive up to 7 years of marketing exclusivity. On April 13, 2020, it was announced that the company's investigational new drug (IND) application for Phase 1b study in patients with OTCD was allowed to proceed by the U.S. FDA. A Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for a Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers was approved by the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe). On June 5, 2020 Arcturus Therapeutics announced it dosed its first healthy volunteer in a Phase 1 study with ARCT-810. Following the success of Phase 1a, clinical phase progression continued in December 2020 with the dosing of the first patients in phase 1b of the Clinical Trial.
Platform.
LUNAR
Arcturus Therapeutics' primary technology platform for RNA therapeutics is called LUNAR a novel lipid-mediated delivery system. LUNAR is a multi-component drug delivery system that enables scientists to target specific cells inside the body and deliver a payload of RNA into the cell. Once release of the RNA into the cell occurs, the normal translational machinery of the cell can interact with the RNA to make a functional protein with a therapeutic effect.
ARCT-810, the company's lead product utilizes Arcturus' LUNAR lipid-mediated delivery platform intended to safely and effectively deliver OTC messenger RNA to liver cells. LUNAR mediated delivery to the liver has been confirmed in collaboration with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California which demonstrated the successful LUNAR-mediated delivery of a Factor IX messenger RNA (FIX mRNA) to the liver as reported in a publication in PNAS, where it was confirmed be efficacious. LUNAR is an effective and reproducible LNP mRNA delivery platform to potentially treat diseases requiring protein replacement. Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center also showed the unique application of microRNAs delivered in nanoparticles using the LUNAR platform as novel immune therapeutics for the treatment of malignancy.
STARR
STARR technology is a combination of self-replicating mRNA with the LUNAR delivery platform which increases the level and duration of expression of a therapeutic protein. The STARR technology platform is able to generate a protective immune response against infectious pathogens or increase the expression of therapeutic proteins to prevent and treat a variety of diseases. Arcturus is using the STARR technology to develop vaccines for both COVID-19 and, separately, influenza.
Products in development.
The company has programs in development for novel RNA therapeutics and mRNA vaccines, both wholly owned and in collaboration with other Pharmaceutical companies and Academic Labs.
LUNAR-COV19.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arcturus Therapeutics partnered with Singapore's Duke–NUS Medical School to develop a COVID-19 vaccine using STARR technology (STARR technology is a combination of self-replicating mRNA with the LUNAR delivery platform which increases the level and duration of expression of a therapeutic protein). The company also partnered with Catalent and Recipharm, contract development and manufacturing organizations, to manufacture multiple batches of Arcturus' COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate. LUNAR-COV19 clinical trials in healthy volunteers began in July 2020. Phase 2 clinical trials were approved in the United States and Singapore by the FDA and HSA, respectively in December 2020.
Arcturus has entered into development and supply agreements with the Economic Development Board of Singapore and supply agreements with the Israel Ministry of Health for LUNAR-COV19.
LUNAR-OTC.
A wholly owned mRNA medicine to treat ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, a life-threatening genetic disease caused by lack of the OTC enzyme in liver cells. OTC can cause seizures, coma, and death in untreated patients. There is currently no cure for OTC deficiency. In 2019, LUNAR-OTC received FDA orphan drug status. Lunar OTC clinical trials in patient began June 2020. In December 2020, clinical phase 1b of LUNAR-OTC began with dosing in patients.
LUNAR-CF
LUNAR-CF is a project in collaboration with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to treat cystic fibrosis.
LUNAR-FLU.
A wholly owned program to protect against the influenza virus. Arcturus is combining its self-replicating mRNA STARR technology with LUNAR to develop a prophylactic vaccine against influenza.
LUNAR-GSD.
LUNAR-GSD is a project in collaboration with Ultragenyx to treat glycogen storage disease type III.
LUNAR-Rare.
LUNAR-Rare is a project in collaboration with Ultragenyx to develop therapeutic candidates for certain rare disease targets.
LUNAR-HBV.
LUNAR-HBV is a project in collaboration with Janssen to develop medicines for the treatment of hepatitis B virus infection.
LUNAR-NASH.
LUNAR-NASH is a project in collaboration with Takeda to develop medicines for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other gastrointestinal disorders.
LUNAR-RPL.
LUNAR-RPL is a project in collaboration with Synthetic Genomics to develop improved technology for vaccines and therapeutics.
LUNAR-AH.
LUNAR-AH is a project in collaboration with Synthetic Genomics to develop infectious disease prophylactic vaccines.


MNase-seq

 MNase-seq, short for micrococcal nuclease digestion with deep sequencing, is a molecular biological technique that has been used since 2008 to measure nucleosome occupancy in the human genome. Though, the term ‘MNase-seq’ had not been coined until a year later, in 2009. Briefly, this technique relies on the use of the non-specific endo-exonuclease micrococcal nuclease, an enzyme derived from the bacteria "Staphylococcus aureus", to bind and cleave protein-unbound regions of DNA on chromatin. DNA bound to histones or other chromatin-bound proteins (e.g. transcription factors) may remain undigested. The uncut DNA is then purified from the proteins and sequenced through one or more of the various Next-Generation sequencing methods."
MNase-seq is one of four classes of methods used for assessing the status of the epigenome through analysis of chromatin accessibility. The other three techniques are DNase-seq, FAIRE-seq, and ATAC-seq. While MNase-seq is primarily used to sequence regions of DNA bound by histones or other chromatin-bound proteins, the other three are commonly used for: mapping Deoxyribonuclease I hypersensitive sites (DHSs), sequencing the DNA unbound by chromatin proteins, or sequencing regions of loosely packaged chromatin through transposition of markers, respectively.
History.
Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) was first discovered in "S. aureus" in 1956, protein crystallized in 1966, and characterized in 1967. MNase digestion of chromatin was key to early studies of chromatin structure; being used to determine that each nucleosomal unit of chromatin was composed of approximately 200bp of DNA. This, alongside Olins’ and Olins’ “beads on a string” model, confirmed Kornberg’s ideas regarding the basic chromatin structure. Upon additional studies, it was found that MNase could not degrade histone-bound DNA shorter than ~140bp and that DNase I and II could degrade the bound DNA to as low as 10bp. This ultimately elucidated that ~146bp of DNA wrap around the nucleosome core, ~50bp linker DNA connect each nucleosome, and that 10 continuous base-pairs of DNA tightly bind to the core of the nucleosome in intervals.
In addition to being used to study chromatin structure, micrococcal nuclease digestion had been used in oligonucleotide sequencing experiments since its characterization in 1967. MNase digestion was additionally used in several studies to analyze chromatin-free sequences, such as yeast ("Saccharomyces cerevisiae") mitochondrial DNA as well as bacteriophage DNA through its preferential digestion of adenine and thymine-rich regions. In the early 1980s, MNase digestion was used to determine the nucleosomal phasing and associated DNA for chromosomes from mature SV40, fruit flies ("Drosophila melanogaster"), yeast, and monkeys, among others. The first study to use this digestion to study the relevance of chromatin accessibility to gene expression in humans was in 1985. In this study, nuclease was used to find the association of certain oncogenic sequences with chromatin and nuclear proteins. Studies utilizing MNase digestion to determine nucleosome positioning without sequencing or array information continued into the early 2000s.
With the advent of whole genome sequencing in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it became possible to compare purified DNA sequences to the eukaryotic genomes of "S. cerevisiae," "Caenorhabditis elegans," "D. melanogaster," "Arabidopsis thaliana," "Mus musculus", and "Homo sapiens." MNase digestion was first applied to genome-wide nucleosome occupancy studies in "S. cerevisiae" and "C. elegans," accompanied by analyses through microarrays to determine which DNA regions were enriched with MNase-resistant nucleosomes. MNase-based microarray analyses were often utilized at genome-wide scales for yeast and in limited genomic regions in humans to determine nucleosome positioning, which could be used as an inference for transcriptional inactivation.
It was not until 2008, around the time Next-Generation sequencing was being developed, when MNase digestion was combined with high-throughput sequencing, namely Solexa/Illumina sequencing, to study nucleosomal positioning at a genome-wide scale in humans. A year later, the terms “MNase-Seq” and “MNase-ChIP”, for micrococcal nuclease digestion with chromatin immunoprecipitation, were finally coined. Since its initial application in 2008, MNase-seq has been utilized to deep sequence DNA associated with nucleosome occupancy and epigenomics across eukaryotes. As of February 2020, MNase-seq is still applied to assay accessibility in chromatin.
Description.
Chromatin is dynamic and the positioning of nucleosomes on DNA changes through the activity of various transcription factors and remodeling complexes, approximately reflecting transcriptional activity at these sites. DNA wrapped around nucleosomes are generally inaccessible to transcription factors. Hence, MNase-seq can be used to indirectly determine which regions of DNA are transcriptionally inaccessible by directly determining which regions are bound to nucleosomes.
In a typical MNase-seq experiment, eukaryotic cell nuclei are first isolated from a tissue of interest. Then, MNase-seq uses the endo-exonuclease micrococcal nuclease to bind and cleave protein-unbound regions of DNA of eukaryotic chromatin, first cleaving and resecting one strand, then cleaving the antiparallel strand as well. The chromatin can be optionally crosslinked with formaldehyde. MNase requires Ca2+ as a cofactor, typically with a final concentration of 1mM. If a region of DNA is bound by the nucleosome core (i.e. histones) or other chromatin-bound proteins (e.g. transcription factors), then MNase is unable to bind and cleave the DNA. Nucleosomes or the DNA-protein complexes can be purified from the sample and the bound DNA can be subsequently purified via gel electrophoresis and extraction. The purified DNA is typically ~150bp, if purified from nucleosomes, or shorter, if from another protein (e.g. transcription factors). This makes short-read, high-throughput sequencing ideal for MNase-seq as reads for these technologies are highly accurate but can only cover a couple hundred continuous base-pairs in length. Once sequenced, the reads can be aligned to a reference genome to determine which DNA regions are bound by nucleosomes or proteins of interest, with tools such as Bowtie. The positioning of nucleosomes elucidated, through MNase-seq, can then be used to predict genomic expression and regulation at the time of digestion.
Extended Techniques.
MNase-ChIP/CUT&RUN sequencing.
Recently, MNase-seq has also been implemented in determining where transcription factors bind on the DNA. Classical ChIP-seq displays issues with resolution quality, stringency in experimental protocol, and DNA fragmentation. Classical ChIP-seq typically uses sonication to fragment chromatin, which biases heterochromatic regions due to the condensed and tight binding of chromatin regions to each other. Unlike histones, transcription factors only transiently bind DNA. Other methods, such as sonication in ChIP-seq, requiring the use of increased temperatures and detergents, can lead to the loss of the factor. CUT&RUN sequencing is a novel form of an MNase-based immunoprecipitation. Briefly, it uses an MNase tagged with an antibody to specifically bind DNA-bound proteins that present the epitope recognized by that antibody. Digestion then specifically occurs at regions surrounding that transcription factor, allowing for this complex to diffuse out of the nucleus and be obtained without having to worry about significant background nor the complications of sonication. The use of this technique does not require high temperatures or high concentrations of detergent. Furthermore, MNase improves chromatin digestion due to its exonuclease and endonuclease activity. Cells are lysed in an SDS/[[Triton X-100\\ solution. Then, the MNase-antibody complex is added. And finally, the protein-DNA complex can be isolated, with the DNA being subsequently purified and [[massive parallel sequencing|sequenced]]. The resulting soluble extract contains a 25-fold enrichment in fragments under 50bp. This increased enrichment results in cost-effective high-resolution data.
Single-cell MNase-seq.
Single-cell micrococcal nuclease sequencing (scMNase-seq) is a novel technique that is used to analyze [[nucleosome]] positioning and to infer chromatin accessibility with the use of only a single-cell input. First, cells are sorted into single aliquots using [[Flow cytometry|fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)]]. The cells are then lysed and digested with micrococcal nuclease. The isolated DNA is subjected to [[Polymerase chain reaction|PCR]] amplification and then the desired sequence is isolated and analyzed. The use of MNase in single-cell assays results in increased detection of regions such as [[DNase I hypersensitive site|DNase I hypersensitive sites]] as well as transcription factor binding sites.
Comparison to other Chromatin Accessibility Assays.
[[File:Sequencing table.png|thumb|]]
 MNase-seq is one of four major methods ([[DNase-Seq|DNase-seq]], MNase-seq, [[FAIRE-Seq|FAIRE-seq]], and [[ATAC-seq]]) for more direct determination of [[chromatin]] accessibility and the subsequent consequences for [[gene expression]]. All four techniques are contrasted with [[ChIP-seq]], which relies on the inference that certain [[Post-translational modification|marks]] on [[Histone|histone tails]] are indicative of gene activation or repression, not directly assessing nucleosome positioning, but instead being valuable for the assessment of histone modifier enzymatic function.
[[DNase-Seq|DNase-seq]].
 As with MNase-seq, DNase-seq was developed by combining an existing DNA endonuclease with Next-Generation sequencing technology to assay chromatin accessibility. Both techniques have been used across several eukaryotes to ascertain information on nucleosome positioning in the respective organisms and both rely on the same principle of digesting open DNA to isolate ~140bp bands of DNA from nucleosomes or shorter bands if ascertaining transcription factor information. Both techniques have recently been optimized for single-cell sequencing, which corrects for one of the major disadvantages of both techniques; that being the requirement for high cell input.
At sufficient concentrations, DNase I is capable of digesting nucleosome-bound DNA to 10bp, whereas micrococcal nuclease cannot. Additionally, DNase-seq is used to identify DHSs, which are regions of DNA that are hypersensitive to DNase treatment and are often indicative of regulatory regions (e.g. [[Promoter (genetics)|promoters]] or [[Enhancer (genetics)|enhancers]]). An equivalent effect is not found with MNase. As a result of this distinction, DNase-seq is primarily utilized to directly identify regulatory regions, whereas MNase-seq is used to identify transcription factor and nucleosomal occupancy to indirectly infer effects on gene expression.
[[FAIRE-Seq|FAIRE-seq]].
 FAIRE-seq differs more from MNase-seq than does DNase-seq. FAIRE-seq was developed in 2007 and combined with Next-Generation sequencing three years later to study DHSs. FAIRE-seq relies on the use of formaldehyde to crosslink target proteins with DNA and then subsequent sonication and phenol-chloroform extraction to separate non-crosslinked DNA and crosslinked DNA. The non-crosslinked DNA is sequenced and analyzed, allowing for direct observation of open chromatin.
MNase-seq does not measure chromatin accessibility as directly as FAIRE-seq. However, unlike FAIRE-seq, it does not necessarily require crosslinking, nor does it rely on sonication, but it may require [[phenol-chloroform extraction|phenol and chloroform extraction]]. Two major disadvantages of FAIRE-seq, relative to the other three classes, are the minimum required input of 100,000 cells and the reliance on crosslinking. Crosslinking may bind other chromatin-bound proteins that transiently interact with DNA, hence limiting the amount of non-crosslinked DNA that can be recovered and assayed from the aqueous phase. Thus, the overall resolution obtained from FAIRE-seq can be relatively lower than that of DNase-seq or MNase-seq and with the 100,000 cell requirement, the single-cell equivalents of DNase-seq or MNase-seq make them far more appealing alternatives.
[[ATAC-seq]].
 ATAC-seq is the most recently developed class of chromatin accessibility assays. ATAC-seq uses a hyperactive [[transposase]] to insert transposable markers with specific adapters, capable of binding primers for sequencing, into open regions of chromatin. PCR can then be used to amplify sequences adjacent to the inserted transposons, allowing for determination of open chromatin sequences without causing a shift in chromatin structure. ATAC-seq has been proven effective in humans, amongst other eukaryotes, including in frozen samples. As with DNase-seq and MNase-seq, a successful single-cell version of ATAC-seq has also been developed.
ATAC-seq has several advantages over MNase-seq in assessing chromatin accessibility. ATAC-seq does not rely on the variable digestion of the micrococcal nuclease, nor crosslinking or phenol-chloroform extraction. It generally maintains chromatin structure, so results from ATAC-seq can be used to directly assess chromatin accessibility, rather than indirectly via MNase-seq. ATAC-seq can also be completed within a few hours, whereas the other three techniques typically require overnight incubation periods. The two major disadvantages to ATAC-seq, in comparison to MNase-seq, are the requirement for higher sequencing coverage and the prevalence of mitochondrial contamination due to non-specific insertion of DNA into both mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA. Despite these minor disadvantages, use of ATAC-seq over the alternatives is becoming more prevalent.
References.
[[Category:Molecular biology techniques]]


BOM (psychedelic)

BOM (3,4,5,beta-tetramethoxyphenethylamine) is a lesser-known psychedelic drug. It is the beta-methoxy derivative of mescaline. BOM was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin. In his book "PiHKAL", the minimum dosage is listed as 200 mg, and the duration unknown. BOM produces few to no effects. Very little data exists about its pharmacological properties, metabolism, and toxicity.
Legality.
United Kingdom.
This substance is a Class A drug in the Drugs controlled by the UK Misuse of Drugs Act.


Small humanin-like peptide

Small humanin-like peptides (SHLPs) are a group of peptides encoded in the 16S ribosomal RNA region of mitochondrial genome. Six peptides of this group (SHLP1–6) have been identified so far, each peptide is of 20-38 amino-acid long. They are derived from the mitochondria and act as important retrograde signaling molecules in the cell. Their names were given because the SHLPs share some similar biological effects with the mitochondrial peptide Humanin.
Every individual SHLP showed unique expression pattern in mouse tissues. Specifically, SHLP1 was detected in the heart, kidney, and spleen; SHLP2 was detected in the liver, kidney, and muscle; SHLP3 was detected in the brain and spleen; SHLP4 was detected in the liver and prostate; and SHLP6 was detected in the liver and kidney.
Experiments using cultured mammalian cells have shown that SHLPs are bioactive peptides. Incubation of each synthetic SHLP with cells affected cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis differentially, which suggests that every SHLP may play a different role in the biological system.
Discovery.
An "in silico" search for potential small open-reading-frames (sORFs) within 16S ribosomal RNA-encoding short peptides (20–40 amino acids) was conducted in the Pinchas Cohen lab at University of Southern California. Six sequences encoding 20–38 amino-acid-long peptides were identified, which were named SHLP 1–6. The endogenous SHLPs were detected by immunoblots and their transcripts were validated by both qPCR and northern blot.
Functions.
Individual SHLPs demonstrated different biological effects. SHLP2 and SHLP3 enhanced cell viability and inhibited apoptosis in both NIT-1 and 22Rv1 cells. SHLP2 and SHLP4 promoted cell proliferation in NIT-1 β-cells. SHLP6 significantly increased apoptosis in both NIT-1 and 22Rv1 cells, having an effect opposite of SHLP2 and SHLP3. Moreover, SHLP2 and SHLP3 also induced oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and increased cellular ATP levels, which indicates that SHLP2 and 3 are mitochondrial modulators.


Loren Taylor

Loren Taylor (born July 1977) is an American politician, member of the Democratic Party, and Councilmember on the Oakland City Council representing District 6 which includes the East Oakland neighborhoods of Maxwell Park, Oakland, California, Millsmont, Oakland, California, Havenscourt, Oakland, California and Eastmont, Oakland, California.
Engineering and business career.
Prior to his election to represent District 6 on the Oakland City Council in 2018, Loren Taylor worked as a biomedical engineer and management consultant for businesses and non-profits. After serving as Director in PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PWC) health strategy & innovation practice, Taylor launched Custom Taylor Solutions (CTS), a social impact consulting firm based in Oakland. Taylor's community involvement included serving as a Board member of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area and the West Oakland Health Center.
Political career.
Taylor first ran for public office in 2018 and defeated 16-year incumbent Desley Brooks and three other candidates earning 64.3% of the vote after 5 rounds of ranked choice voting.
Taylor's stated priorities during the election were (1) creating economic opportunities in East Oakland, (2) stop the pushing out / pricing out of Oaklanders, and (3) making government more effective and efficient. Among Taylor's proposals to make government more effective was civilianizing certain police jobs and strengthening the existing Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils
Council leadership and committee assignments.
Loren Taylor holds the following city council leadership positions and committee assignments for the 2019–2021 session:
Personal life.
Loren Taylor is a 3rd generation Oaklander whose grandparents moved to Oakland from the segregated south in the 1940s. His mother was a public school teacher in the Oakland Unified School District. He began his professional career as a biomedical engineer after earning masters in biomedical engineering from the University of Connecticut. He later earned an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Taylor lives in Oakland with his wife, Dr. Erica Taylor and two children and has served as PTA President, soccer coach and Boy Scout leader.


Regulatory sequence

A regulatory sequence is a segment of a nucleic acid molecule which is capable of increasing or decreasing the expression of specific genes within an organism. Regulation of gene expression is an essential feature of all living organisms and viruses.
Description.
In DNA, regulation of gene expression normally happens at the level of RNA biosynthesis (transcription), and is accomplished through the sequence-specific binding of proteins (transcription factors) that activate or inhibit transcription. Transcription factors may act as activators, repressors, or both. Repressors often act by preventing RNA polymerase from forming a productive complex with the transcriptional initiation region (promoter), while activators facilitate formation of a productive complex. Furthermore, DNA motifs have been shown to be predictive of epigenomic modifications, suggesting that transcription factors play a role in regulating the epigenome.
In RNA, regulation may occur at the level of protein biosynthesis (translation), RNA cleavage, RNA splicing, or transcriptional termination. Regulatory sequences are frequently associated with messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, where they are used to control mRNA biogenesis or translation. A variety of biological molecules may bind to the RNA to accomplish this regulation, including proteins (e.g. translational repressors and splicing factors), other RNA molecules (e.g. miRNA) and small molecules, in the case of riboswitches.
Activation and implementation of regulatory sequences.
A regulatory DNA sequence does not regulate unless it is activated. Different regulatory sequences are activated and then implement their regulation by different mechanisms.
Enhancer activation and implementation.
Up-regulated expression of genes in mammals can be initiated when signals are transmitted to the promoters associated with the genes. Cis-regulatory DNA sequences that are located in DNA regions distant from the promoters of genes can have very large effects on gene expression, with some genes undergoing up to 100-fold increased expression due to such a cis-regulatory sequence. These cis-regulatory sequences include enhancers, silencers, insulators and tethering elements. Among this constellation of sequences, enhancers and their associated transcription factor proteins have a leading role in the regulation of gene expression.
Enhancers are sequences of the genome that are major gene-regulatory elements. Enhancers control cell-type-specific gene expression programs, most often by looping through long distances to come in physical proximity with the promoters of their target genes. In a study of brain cortical neurons, 24,937 loops were found, bringing enhancers to promoters. Multiple enhancers, each often at tens or hundred of thousands of nucleotides distant from their target genes, loop to their target gene promoters and coordinate with each other to control expression of their common target gene.
The schematic illustration in this section shows an enhancer looping around to come into close physical proximity with the promoter of a target gene. The loop is stabilized by a dimer of a connector protein (e.g. dimer of CTCF or YY1), with one member of the dimer anchored to its binding motif on the enhancer and the other member anchored to its binding motif on the promoter (represented by the red zigzags in the illustration). Several cell function specific transcription factor proteins (in 2018 Lambert et al. indicated there were about 1,600 transcription factors in a human cell) generally bind to specific motifs on an enhancer and a small combination of these enhancer-bound transcription factors, when brought close to a promoter by a DNA loop, govern the level of transcription of the target gene. Mediator (coactivator) (a complex usually consisting of about 26 proteins in an interacting structure) communicates regulatory signals from enhancer DNA-bound transcription factors directly to the RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) enzyme bound to the promoter.
Enhancers, when active, are generally transcribed from both strands of DNA with RNA polymerases acting in two different directions, producing two eRNAs as illustrated in the Figure. An inactive enhancer may be bound by an inactive transcription factor. Phosphorylation of the transcription factor may activate it and that activated transcription factor may then activate the enhancer to which it is bound (see small red star representing phosphorylation of a transcription factor bound to an enhancer in the illustration). An activated enhancer begins transcription of its RNA before activating a promoter to initiate transcription of messenger RNA from its target gene.
CpG island methylation and demethylation.
5-methylcytosine (5-mC) is a methylated form of the DNA base cytosine (see Figure). 5-mC is an epigenetic marker found predominantly on cytosines within CpG dinucleotides, where 5’ cytosine is followed by 3’ guanine (CpG sites). About 28 million CpG dinucleotides occur in the human genome. In most tissues of mammals, on average, 70% to 80% of CpG cytosines are methylated (forming 5-methylCpG or 5-mCpG). Methylated cytosines within 5’cytosine-guanine 3’ sequences often occur in groups, called CpG islands. About 59% of promoter sequences have a CpG island while only about 6% of enhancer sequences have a CpG island. CpG islands constitute regulatory sequences, since if CpG islands are methylated in the promoter of a gene this can reduce or silence gene expression.
DNA methylation regulates gene expression through interaction with methyl binding domain (MBD) proteins, such as MeCP2, MBD1 and MBD2. These MBD proteins bind most strongly to highly methylated CpG islands. These MBD proteins have both a methyl-CpG-binding domain as well as a transcription repression domain. They bind to methylated DNA and guide or direct protein complexes with chromatin remodeling and/or histone modifying activity to methylated CpG islands. MBD proteins generally repress local chromatin such as by catalyzing the introduction of repressive histone marks, or creating an overall repressive chromatin environment through nucleosome remodeling and chromatin reorganization.
As noted in the previous section, transcription factors are proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences in order to regulate the expression of a given gene. The binding sequence for a transcription factor in DNA is usually about 10 or 11 nucleotides long. As summarized in 2009, Vaquerizas et al. indicated there are approximately 1,400 different transcription factors encoded in the human genome and they constitute about 6% of all human protein coding genes. About 94% of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) that are associated with signal-responsive genes occur in enhancers while only about 6% of such TFBSs occur in promoters.
EGR1 protein is a particular transcription factor that is important for regulation of methylation of CpG islands. An EGR1 transcription factor binding site is frequently located in enhancer or promoter sequences. There are about 12,000 binding sites for EGR1 in the mammalian genome and about half of EGR1 binding sites are located in promoters and half in enhancers. The binding of EGR1 to its target DNA binding site is insensitive to cytosine methylation in the DNA.
While only small amounts of EGR1 transcription factor protein are detectable in cells that are un-stimulated, EGR1 translation into protein at one hour after stimulation is drastically elevated. Expression of EGR1 transcription factor proteins, in various types of cells, can be stimulated by growth factors, neurotransmitters, hormones, stress and injury. In the brain, when neurons are activated, EGR1 proteins are up-regulated and they bind to (recruit) the pre-existing TET1 enzymes which are highly expressed in neurons. TET enzymes can catalyse demethylation of 5-methylcytosine. When EGR1 transcription factors bring TET1 enzymes to EGR1 binding sites in promoters, the TET enzymes can demethylate the methylated CpG islands at those promoters. Upon demethylation, these promoters can then initiate transcription of their target genes. Hundreds of genes in neurons are differentially expressed after neuron activation through EGR1 recruitment of TET1 to methylated regulatory sequences in their promoters.
Signal-responsive promoters and enhancers subject to limited, short-term, double-strand or single-strand breaks.
About 600 regulatory sequences in promoters and about 800 regulatory sequences in enhancers appear to depend on double strand breaks initiated by topoisomerase 2-beta (TOP2B) for activation. The induction of particular double-strand breaks are specific with respect to their inducing signal. When neurons are activated, just 22 of TOP2B-induced double-strand breaks occur in their genomes.
Such TOP2B-induced double-strand breaks are accompanied by at least four enzymes of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway (DNA-PKcs, KU70, KU80 and DNA LIGASE IV) (see Figure). These enzymes repair the double-strand breaks within about 15 minutes to two hours. The double-strand breaks in the promoter are thus associated with TOP2B and at least these four repair enzymes. These proteins are present simultaneously on a single promoter nucleosome (there are about 147 nucleotides in the DNA sequence wrapped around a single nucleosome) located near the transcription start site of their target gene.
The double-strand break introduced by TOP2B apparently frees the part of the promoter at an RNA polymerase-bound transcription start site to physically move to its associated enhancer. This allows the enhancer, with its bound transcription factors and mediator proteins, to directly interact with the RNA polymerase paused at the transcription start site to start transcription.
Topoisomerase I (TOP1) enzymes appear to be located at a large number of enhancers and those enhancers become activated when TOP1 introduces a single-strand break. TOP1 causes single strand breaks in particular enhancer DNA regulatory sequences when signaled by a specific enhancer-binding transcription factor. Topoisomerase I breaks are associated with different DNA repair factors than those surrounding TOP2B breaks. In the case of TOP1 the breaks are associated most immediately with DNA repair enzymes MRE11, RAD50 and ATR.
Examples.
Research to find all regulatory regions in the genomes of all sorts of organisms is under way. Conserved non-coding sequences often contain regulatory regions, and so they are often the subject of these analyses.
Insulin gene.
Regulatory sequences for the insulin gene are:


F-star

F-star Biotechnology Ltd. is a biotechnology company, founded in Vienna in 2006, with a current main research site in Cambridge, UK. The company is focused in developing bispecific monoclonal antibodies using a modular combinatorial approach that engineers the Fc constant region of an immunoglobulin into a novel antigen-binding site.


Polynucleotide adenylyltransferase

In enzymology, a polynucleotide adenylyltransferase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are ATP and RNA, whereas its two products are pyrophosphate and RNA with an extra adenosine nucleotide at its 3' end.
Human genes with this activity include TUT1, MTPAP, PAPOLA, PAPOLB, PAPOLG, TENT2, TENT4A, TENT4B, TENT5C, TENT5D.
Naming.
This enzyme belongs to the family of transferases, specifically those transferring phosphorus-containing nucleotide groups (nucleotidyltransferases). The systematic name of this enzyme class is ATP:polynucleotide adenylyltransferase.
Other names in common use include:
Function.
This enzyme is responsible for the addition of the 3' polyadenine tail to a newly synthesized pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) molecule during the process of gene transcription. The protein is the final addition to a large protein complex that also contains smaller assemblies known as the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) and cleavage stimulatory factor (CtSF) and its binding is a necessary prerequisite to the cleavage of the 3' end of the pre-mRNA. After cleavage of the 3' signaling region that directs the assembly of the complex, polyadenylate polymerase (PAP) adds the polyadenine tail to the new 3' end.
The rate at which PAP adds adenine nucleotides is dependent on the presence of another regulatory protein, PABPII (poly-adenine binding protein II). The first few nucleotides added by PAP are added very slowly, but the short polyadenine tail is then bound by PABPII, which accelerates the rate of adenine addition by PAP. The final tail is about 200-250 adenine nucleotides long.
PAP is phosphorylated by mitosis-promoting factor, a key regulator of the cell cycle. High phosphorylation levels decrease PAP activity.
Structural studies.
As of late 2007, 27 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and .


Urocortin II

Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) is an endogenous peptide in the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) family.
Urocortin II is a 38-amino acid peptide that is a member of the CRF family of peptides. Unlike Urocortin I, Urocortin II is highly selective for the CRF2 receptor and does not show affinity for the CRF binding protein.
Function.
Urocortin (UCN) II, also known as stresscopin-related peptide, is a 38 amino acid member of the mammalian corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) peptide family, which also includes CRH, UCN I, and UCN III. CRH mainly binds to type 1 CRH receptors (CRH1), while UCN II and III bind primarily to type 2 CRH receptors, and UCN I binds to both (CRH2). Each of these hormones has distinctive distribution patterns in the central nervous system and the periphery, suggesting each peptide may have distinct behavioral and physiological effects, although all have been associated with anxiety. In general, agonism of CRH1 receptors is posited to be anxiogenic and agonism of CRH2 receptors is posited to be anxiolytic.
Urocortin II has been shown to have anorexigenic effects and hypotensive effects similar to Urocortin, but does not induce secretion of ACTH.
Receptor.
The activation of cAMP/PKA by Ucn2 gives similar effects to the β-adrenergic pathway. Ucn2 increases left ventricular function independent of the β-adrenergic receptor but dependent on the binding of Ucn2 to CFR2. Ucn2 is an agonist for the G-protein coupled CRF1 and CRF2 receptors. It is highly selective for CRF2 which is predominantly found in the myocardium, blood vessels and peripheral tissues. This association provides reason for its strong cardiovascular effects. When Ucn2 binds CRF2 it activates adenyl-cyclase to increase cAMP which activates PKA and results in the noted changes to cardiovascular function.
The ability of Ucn2 to produce PKA and alter calcium flux has led to the hypothesis that administration of Ucn2 may increase the risk of arrhythmias.
Clinical significance.
Immunohistochemistry analysis of human myocytes has shown greater immunoreactivity of Ucn2 in myocytes of the failing heart compared to those of the healthy heart. This is a result of an innate mechanism in which Ucn2 acts to improve function of the failing heart. The pathophysiology of heart failure is often a consequence of improper calcium handling and relaxation resulting in a lower cardiac output, decreased blood flow and overall decreased heart function. Infusion of Ucn2 in healthy humans has shown a dose dependent increase in cardiac output, heart rate and left ventricle ejection fraction and a decrease in systemic vascular resistance. Ucn2 has been studied as potential treatment for individuals with heart failure.
Animal studies.
Infusion of Ucn2 into rat hearts resulted in an immediate and significant improvement in left ventricle function, increased coronary flow, significantly altered intracellular calcium handling and increased SR calcium. These relaxation effects can be explained by the increased calcium clearance into the SR would assist in relaxation of the cell. Increased calcium in the SR by Ucn2 is a result of Ucn2 mediated production of cAMP and phosphokinase A (PKA). Ucn2 increases cAMP levels in myocytes and nonmyocytes. The production of PKA results in the phosphorylation of phospholamban and inhibition of its block on the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA). In rat coronary vessels, PKA mediates inhibition of calcium-independent phospholipase A and calcium influx which results in relaxation of the vasculature. This suggests Ucn2 may be beneficial in improving blood but these findings have less biological applicability to human medicine as they were completed on rats. In 2011 a similar relationship was found in human heart. Ucn2 produced a dose dependent relaxation of coronary. This correlation was a result of the cAMP/ PKA pathway and independent of endothelial function. Ucn2 may be a beneficial drug in damaged hearts where the endothelium is not intact.


Gel doc

A gel doc, also known as a gel documentation system, gel image system or gel imager, refers to equipment widely used in molecular biology laboratories for the imaging and documentation of nucleic acid and protein suspended within polyacrylamide or agarose gels. These gels are typically stained with ethidium bromide or other nucleic acid stains such as GelGreen. Generally, a gel doc includes an ultraviolet (UV) light transilluminator, a hood or a darkroom to shield external light sources and protect the user from UV exposure, and a CMOS camera for image capturing.
The main manufacturers of Gel documentation systems are Bio Rad, Azure Biosystems, Bioolympics, Syngene, Vilber Lourmat, UVItec and Aplegen. Recently Chinese manufacturers have entered the market.
Recently produced imager models also include features to handle a variety of fluorescence and chemiluminescence with cameras cooled to -28 to -60 °C. Other advanced features include instant printing on-board the camera and Wi-Fi connectivity for control by smartphone and tablet devices.


Prince Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily

Prince Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily (Giuseppe Carlo Gennaro; 18 June 1781 – 19 February 1783) was the first "Prince of Naples and Sicily". The title was later conferred by Joseph Bonaparte to be hereditary on his children and grandchildren.
Biography.
Prince Giuseppe (Joseph) was born at the Royal Palace of Naples to King Ferdinand IV of Naples and his Austrian consort Maria Carolina of Austria, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa.
A member of the House of Bourbon, he was a Prince of Naples and Sicily by birth.
He was the ninth child of his parents and their fourth son. At the time of his birth, he was third in line to the throne after his brother Prince Francis, "then" Duke of Calabria and Prince Gennaro. His oldest brother Carlo, Duke of Calabria (d.1778) died of smallpox aged 3 and the next in line, Francis became heir apparent.
His sisters included the future Holy Roman Empress, Grand Duchess of Tuscany. His younger sister, Princess Maria Cristina, was the wife of the future Charles Felix of Sardinia and Queen of Sardinia. Another sister was the Queen of the French and the youngest was the future Princess of Asturias.
His cousins included a Duke of Parma, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of Portugal, King of Spain, a Duchess of Calabria, the first wife of his older brother Ferdinand.
At the age of 20 months the prince caught smallpox which eventually killed him. He died at the Caserta Palace and was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara, Naples.


4-HO-DiPT

4-Hydroxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (4-HO-DiPT or Iprocin) is a synthetic psychedelic drug. It is a higher homologue of psilocin, 4-HO-DET, and is a positional isomer of 4-HO-DPT and has a tryptamine molecular sub-structure.
Dosage.
4-HO-DiPT is orally active at around 3 mg and above, and its effects last for 2–3 hours. Higher doses such as those above 30 mgs can increase the duration of the effects significantly.
Effects.
The effects of 4-HO-DiPT are broadly comparable to those of other serotonergic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin, but they are distinguished by their relative brevity. Shulgin "doubt[s] that there is another psychedelic drug, anywhere, that can match this one for speed, for intensity, for brevity, and sensitivity to dose, at least one that is active orally." An idiosyncratic effect of the drug, also noted by Shulgin, is its tendency to induce tremors.
Some users have reported a minor audio distortion with lower dosages. Higher dosages increase the polarity of the distortion. It is defined as being slightly lower in pitch and creating several different effects, such as pitch bend, volume distortion, and rate distortion. As with most DiPT psychedelics, music can become more dissonant and less harmonious. Users have also reported a visual distortion widely comparable to the hallucinogen LSD.
Legal Status.
Sweden.
"Sveriges riksdags" health ministry classified 4-HO-DiPT as "health hazard" under the act (translated "Act on the Prohibition of Certain Goods Dangerous to Health") as of Mar 1, 2005, in their regulation SFS 2005:26 listed as 4-hydroxi-N,N-diisopropyltryptamin (4-HO-DIPT), making it illegal to sell or possess.
United States.
4-HO-DiPT is not scheduled at the federal level in the United States, but it is possible that it could be considered an analog of 5-MeO-DiPT, in which case purchase, sale, or possession could be prosecuted under the Federal Analog Act.
Florida.
"4-Hydroxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine" is a Schedule I controlled substance in the state of Florida making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess in Florida.


Efaroxan

Efaroxan is an α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist and antagonist of the imidazoline receptor.


C-C chemokine receptor type 7

C-C chemokine receptor type 7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the "CCR7" gene. Two ligands have been identified for this receptor: the chemokines (C-C motif) ligand 19 (CCL19/ELC) and (C-C motif) ligand 21 (CCL21).
CCR7 has also recently been designated CD197 (cluster of differentiation 197).
Function.
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family. This receptor was identified as a gene induced by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and is thought to be a mediator of EBV effects on B lymphocytes. This receptor is expressed in various lymphoid tissues and activates B and T lymphocytes. CCR7 has been shown to stimulate dendritic cell maturation. CCR7 is also involved in homing of T cells to various secondary lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes and the spleen as well as trafficking of T cells within the spleen.
Activation of Dendritic cells in peripheral tissues induces CCR7 expression on the cell's surface, which recognize CCL19 and CCL21 produced in the Lymph node and increases dendritic cell expression of co-stimulation molecules (B7), and MHC class I or MHC class II.
Clinical significance.
CCR7 is expressed by various cancer cells, such as nonsmall lung cancer, gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer. Expression of CCR7 by cancer cells is linked with metastasis to lymph nodes.


Archaeal H/ACA sRNA

In archaea like in eukaryotes, uridines in various RNAs are converted to pseudouridines by ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) containing H/ACA sRNA. Because of their conserved function, these sRNAs are also called small "nucleolar" RNAs (snoRNA) like in eukaryotes, despite no nucleus is present in prokaryotes. By using various computational and experimental approaches in three "Pyrococcus" genomes seven H/ACA sRNAs and 15 pseudouridine (Ψ) resides on rRNA were identified. One H/ACA motif was shown to guide up to three distinct pseudouridylations. Atypical pseudouridine guide RNA features were identified in "Pyrobaculum" species. Lack of the conserved 3'-terminal ACA sequence and sometimes lack of 5' portion of the pseudouridylation pocket feature in few conserved "Pyrobaculum" H/ACA-like sRNAs. A study by Toffano-Nioche "et al." proposes an unified structure/function model based on the common structural components in Euryarchaea and Crenarchaea shared by H/ACA and H/ACA-like motifs .
See also.
Other archaeal sRNAs:


Peter M Tessier

Peter M Tessier is a biochemical engineering award-winner and protein-engineering expert. His work with therapeutic proteins has the potential for detecting and treating devastating diseases (including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease).
Awards.
Some of the awards and recognition for the pioneering work he has engineered include:


Catherine M. Green

Catherine Mary Green is an English biologist who is an Associate Professor in Chromosome Dynamics at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford. Her research considers chromosome stability during the replication of DNA. During the COVID-19 pandemic Green was part of the Oxford team who developed the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Early life and education.
Green grew up in Gravesend. She was an undergraduate at the University of Cambridge, where she has said that her love of science was solidified. After completing part II of biochemistry, Green was awarded an Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK) scholarship for her doctoral research. Green studied damaged DNA in yeast at the Clare Hall laboratories. After earning her doctorate, Green moved to the Curie Institute, where she studied DNA damage in human cells as a Marie Curie Fellow. Upon returning to the United Kingdom Green was appointed to the University of Sussex, where she studied DNA damage due to sunlight exposure.
Research and career.
Green was made a Cancer Research UK Research Fellow in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge in 2008. She held a Kaye Research Fellowship at Christ's College, Cambridge. Her research considered the mechanisms of genome replication at the genetic and epigenetic levels. During this replication process the mutations that are responsible for cancer can occur, or be fixed. Understanding the process that underpins this replication, and how cells control this replication, allows Green to better understand the development of cancer.
In 2012 Green moved to the University of Oxford, where she joined the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics. Here Green expanded her work in genomics to encompass the genetic and epigenetic stability of DNA. Green was made Monsanto Senior Research Fellow at Exeter College, Oxford in 2017. She leads the core facility in Chromosome Dynamics at the Wellcome Centre.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Green was part of the Jenner Institute team who developed a coronavirus disease vaccine. The Jenner Institute vaccination platform had been prepared for the MERS and SARS outbreaks, and so was ready to respond quickly to the emerging disease. Green worked with Sarah Gilbert on the production of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. The team started research in January 2020, and managed to identify a chimpanzee adenovirus vector (ChAdOx) that generated a strong immune response to SARS-CoV-2. They used the SARS-CoV-2 genome that had beens sequenced by researchers in Wuhan. The adenovirus cannot replicate, so does not cause further infection, and instead acts as a vector to transfer the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The spike protein, an external protein that enables the virus to enter cells, is responsible for the immune system response. In early April the team were awarded £22 million of funding from the Government of the United Kingdom to run human trials. The vaccine underwent clinical trials in Oxford in April 2020, which were successful. As of 2021, the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine is in worldwide use.


Biotechnology Advances

Biotechnology Advances is a peer-reviewed scientific journal which focuses on the biotechnology principles and industry applications of research in agriculture, medicine, and the environment.
Abstracting and indexing.
The journal is abstracted and indexed in BIOSIS Previews, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents/Agriculture, Biology & Environmental Sciences, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, and Scopus. According to the "Journal Citation Reports", the journal has a 2010 impact factor of 7.600.


Aggregatibacter iron-regulated sRNA

Four non-coding small RNAs containing a Fur box-like (ferric uptake regulator) sequence were identified by bioinformatics analysis in "Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans" "HK1651" called JA01-JA04. The transcription of sRNAs was confirmed by Northern blot. Fur binding was demonstrated to each sRNA promoter, and that transcription of the sRNAs was decreased in presence of iron and increased by iron limitation. JA03 may have the ability to regulate biofilm formation. JA01 is conserved only among "A. actinomycetemcomitans". JA02 is present in both "A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. multocida. J"A 03 and JA04 are most widely conserved and have orthologues across many "Pasteurellaceae". HrrF RNA is another Fur-regulated sRNA conserved among the "Pasteurcellaceae".


Sulfite dehydrogenase

In enzymology, a sulfite dehydrogenase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
The 3 substrates of this enzyme are sulfite, ferricytochrome c, and H2O, whereas its 3 products are sulfate, ferrocytochrome c, and H+.
This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on a sulfur group of donor with a cytochrome as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is sulfite:ferricytochrome-c oxidoreductase. Other names in common use include sulfite cytochrome c reductase, sulfite-cytochrome c oxidoreductase, and sulfite oxidase. This enzyme participates in sulfur metabolism.


Joseph Kost

Joseph Kost D.Sc. (born January 15, 1947) is an Israeli academic, currently holder of The Abraham and Bessie Zacks Chair in Biomedical Engineering and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Early career.
Kost completed undergraduate training in 1973, and obtained his M.Sc. in 1975, both at the Department of Chemical Engineering, D.Sc. in 1981 at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He obtained his MBA in 2004 at the Ben-Gurion University School of Business Administration. He completed three years of Post-Doctoral training at the University of Washington, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Kost credits Bob Langer from MIT as an outstanding role model.
Contribution to Biomedical Science.
Dr. Kost has made significant contributions to the field of Biomedical Sciences. Coming from an engineering background, Dr Kost has offered creative and unorthodox solutions to the field of drug delivery and non-invasive diagnostics. He has pioneered new medical technologies for disease management and was one of the pioneers developing artificial pancreas, studying polymeric system sensitive to glucose, and the entrapment of bone and Langerhans cells. Dr. Kost was the first to propose the ultrasonically modulated systems in which the release of drugs, from polymers or through synthetic or biological membranes, can be repeatedly modulated at will from a position external to the delivery system. His research impacts treatment of various diseases, including pain, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, and infectious diseases.
Dr Kost contributions are particularly noteworthy in the field of transdermal drug delivery. Transdermal drug delivery (through the skin) offers an attractive alternative to needles for systemic drug administration. However, the low permeability of the skin limits its applicability. Kost has come up with creative ways to open the skin for drug delivery without compromising safety. The approach is painless, non-intrusive, and a patient-friendly method for drug delivery. In 2004 the FDA approved Kost's and coworker's application for ultrasound based system for fast acting topical anesthetic. At that year Popular Science awarded the ultrasound system GRAND AWARD for “Best of What’s New”.
Based on the comprehensive studies of the ultrasound effect on mass transport, Kost proposed the use of the enhanced skin transport in the opposite direction to delivery, for the non-invasive continuous detection of blood analytes. The major focus has been the development of a non-invasive continuous detection of glucose. The first clinical study on diabetic volunteers was published by Kost et al. in Nature Medicine 2000. Since, Kost also proposed a novel approach for a glucose flux continuous biosensor and noninvasive detection of amniotic fluid for prenatal testing. Additional applications studied by Kost are the use of ultrasound for on-demand targeted delivery of drugs from liposomes, combined ultrasonic and enzymatic debridement of necrotic eschars and the use of ultrasound for more efficient cancer gene therapy. Nowadays, he study gene therapy approach for the treatment of psoriasis. The focus in these studies is on the effect of ultrasound on transport through tissues of no viral carriers developed by Kost complexed with miRNA.
In addition to his studies on responsive controlled release systems: pH sensitive, glucose sensitive and calcium sensitive drug delivery Kost also developed a novel injectable delivery system to provide the body with a steady supply of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor. The system is based on the principle that a water insoluble polymer, dissolved in a biocompatible solvent, will participate upon contact with physiological fluids.
In 2012 a collaborative project entitled “Bio-inspired Nano-carriers for Sub-Cellular Targeted Therapeutics” of eleven research groups from Ben-Gurion University, Weizmann Institute of Science and The Hebrew University, led by Prof. Kost was approved in the framework of the National 5-year Nano-Science and Technology Program. The goal has been to study the intracellular transport phenomena in attempt to develop approaches for intracellular targeting of drugs for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, autophagy and obesity.
Academic and related positions.
At the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Kost was the Head of the Center for Biomedical Engineering 1988-1993, and Head of the Program for Biotechnology Engineering from 1993 to 1995. These have been major centers for bioengineering research at the Ben-Gurion University. Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering 2010-2011 and since 2011 Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences (11 Engineering Departments 5 Units 190 Professors and more than 5000 students)
Kost was one of the pioneers who started the Journal "Tissue Engineering" and has served on its Editorial Board since its inception in 1994; also served on the Board of "Biomaterials" and the "Journal of Controlled Release", and continues serving on Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Reviews in Chemical Engineering, Recent Patents on Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery, Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation and Open Pharmacology Journal. He has published four books, 37 book chapters, 113 papers, and more than 55 patents, principally in the area of Bio-Engineering Sciences. In 1995 Kost founded the Israeli Society for Controlled Delivery of Bio-Materials (more than 300 members), which is also the Israeli chapter of the International Controlled Release Society and was elected as its first President.
Awards and honors.
1996 Juludan Prize for Outstanding Scientific Research Achievements, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.
1996 President of the Israel Society for Controlled Delivery of Bio-Materials and the Israeli Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (1996-1998).
1998 Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
1998 Clemson Award for Applied Research in Recognition of the Outstanding Contributions to Applied Biomaterials Research, Society for Biomaterials.
2004 Popular Science announced SonoPrep as the best new product for "personal health". (SonoPrep technology has been invented and developed by Kost and coworkers).
2005 Jacqueline Seroussi 2005 Award for Cancer Research in recognition of the project entitled: Ultrasound for efficient non-viral sustained gene therapy of breast cancer.
2006 President of the Israel Institute of Chemical Engineers.
2007 Elected a Foreign Member of the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for discoveries that led to ultrasonic drug release and self-regulated drug delivery systems.
2008 President's Prize for Outstanding Scientific Achievements, Ben-Gurion University.
2010 Incumbent of the Abraham and Bessie Zacks Chair in Biomedical Engineering.
2012 Honorary Fellow of the Israel Institute of Chemical Engineers.
2014 Induction into the Controlled Release Society College of Fellows.
2015 Elected a Member of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
2016 Ben-Gurion University Distinguished Professor.
2016 The Israeli Chapter of the Controlled Release Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drug Delivery, in recognition of his pioneering work in the field of Ultrasound-Based Drug Delivery Systems.


Hodgkin cycle

In membrane biology, the Hodgkin cycle is a key component of membrane physiology that describes bioelectrical impulses, especially prevalent in neural and muscle tissues. It was identified by British physiologist and biophysicist Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin.
The Hodgkin cycle represents a positive feedback loop in which an initial membrane depolarization leads to uncontrolled deflection of the membrane potential to near VNa. The initial depolarization must reach or surpass a certain threshold in order to activate voltage-gated Na+ channels. The opening of Na+ channels allows Na+ inflow, which, in turn, further depolarizes the membrane. Additional depolarization activates additional Na+ channels. This cycle leads to a very rapid rise in Na+ conductance (gNa), which moves the membrane potential close to VNa. The cycle is broken when the membrane potential reaches to the sodium equilibrium potential and potassium channels open to re-polarize the membrane potential. This positive feedback loop means that the closer these voltage-gated Na+ channels are to each other, the lower the threshold of activation.
Importance in cell physiology.
An understanding of membrane physiology is needed in order to understand how cells communicate with one another. Signalling between cells, such as neurons for example, revolves around changes in the electrical potentials across their membranes. In a healthy cell at rest, the intracellular area is usually negatively charged relative to the extracellular region. Depolarization refers to when the intracellular region is neutralized to be at the same voltage relative to the extracellular region. The concentration of sodium ions is intimately related to the electrical potential across a membrane. Depolarization often occurs via the influx of sodium ions to the intracellular region. Given that sodium ions have a positive charge, the intracellular region becomes less negatively charged relative to the extracellular region.


7-OH-DPAT

7-OH-DPAT is a synthetic compound that acts as a dopamine receptor agonist with reasonable selectivity for the D3 receptor subtype, and low affinity for serotonin receptors, unlike its structural isomer 8-OH-DPAT. 7-OH-DPAT is self-administered in several animal models, and is used to study addiction to cocaine.


Butinoline

Butinoline (Azulone) is an anticholinergic drug used as an antispasmodic.


Mepiprazole

Mepiprazole (INN, BAN) (brand name Psigodal) is an anxiolytic drug of the phenylpiperazine group with additional antidepressant properties that is marketed in Spain. It acts as a 5-HT2A and α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist and inhibits the reuptake and induces the release of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine to varying extents, and has been described as a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI). Controlled clinical trials of mepiprazole in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were also carried out and suggested some benefits of the drug in relieving symptoms of IBS in some patients. Similarly to other phenylpiperazines like trazodone, nefazodone, and etoperidone, mepiprazole produces "m"CPP as an active metabolite.


Oleispira

Oleispira is a psychrophilic bacteria genus from the family of Oceanospirillaceae.


Enterovirus cis-acting replication element

Enterovirus cis-acting replication element is a small RNA hairpin in the coding region of protein 2C as the site in PV1(M) RNA that is used as the primary template for the "in vitro" uridylylation. The first step in the replication of the plus-stranded poliovirus RNA is the synthesis of a complementary minus strand. This process is initiated by the covalent attachment of uridine monophosphate (UMP) to the terminal protein VPg, yielding VPgpU and VPgpUpU.


John X. J. Zhang

John X. J. Zhang () is a professor at Thayer School of Engineering of Dartmouth College, and an investigator in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Before joining Dartmouth, he was an associate professor with tenure in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas of Austin (UT Austin). He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, California in 2004, and was a research scientist in systems biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before joining the faculty at UT Austin in 2005. Zhang is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and a recipient of the 2016 NIH Director's Transformative Research Award.
Career.
Zhang's research focuses on exploring bio-inspired nanomaterials, scale-dependent biophysics, and nanofabrication technology. The objectives are to: (1) develop new diagnostic devices and methods to screen rare biomarkers for a range of human disorders; (2) probe complex cellular processes and biological networks critical to whole-body functions in health and disease; and (3) to advance fundamental micro and nanotechnologies. Both multi-scale experimental and theoretical approaches are combined within the lab to investigate fundamental force, flow, and energy processes that lie at the interface of engineering and biomedicine. By favoring this innovative, combinatorial approach, the Zhang research group has become a leader in the development of integrated microfluidic and photonic microsystems (MEMS, micro-electro-mechanical systems), semiconductor chips, and other nanotechnologies to facilitate precision medicine and point-of-care (POC) diagnostics for global health initiatives, as evidenced by the development and validation of:
Zhang has a track record for developing well-funded research programs with significant societal impact, and his research has been sponsored by the NIH, NSF, DARPA, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, British Council, and several other agencies and industrial partners. His group has published over 160 peer-reviewed publications, presented over 70 invited seminars worldwide, and filed more than 50 patents (8 US patents and 30+ international patents issued). Several patents were licensed to "CardioSepctra, Inc"., which was later acquired by Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ:VOLC) for $25 million, and "NanoLite Systems, Inc"., which he co-founded in 2010 (with $3.3 million seed investment) for developing products designed to diagnose cancer through blood screening, tissue imaging and cell transformations at the point-of-care. In 2013, "LifeM" "Inc." was spanned out of his laboratory to develop flexible pressure sensors (the “X2 sensor”) for catheter applications. These innovative sensors allow for multiple points of blood pressure measurement, leading to reduced surgery risk and operating time. His translational effort won the Medical Device Grant from National Instruments in 2011. In 2012, Dr. Zhang has been recognized as one of the MD+DI's (Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry) “"40 Medtech Innovators Under 40”". Recently, Dr. Zhang has been leading the effort championed by "Facebook" to invent wearable actuators for social touch and to help design the future of tactile communications.
Among his numerous awards, Dr. Zhang received the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Early Career Award in Biomedical Engineering in 2006 for his innovative research in microphotonic imaging scanners and microsystems for early cancer detection. In 2009, Dr. Zhang received an NSF CAREER award for his cutting-edge research in plasmonic scanning probe design for controlled perturbation and imaging at the sub-cellular level, which has enabled a wide range of molecular dynamics studies in live cells and embryos. In 2010, Dr. Zhang received the DARPA Young Faculty Award for the invention of patterned plasmonic surface on MEMS for lab-on-chip biosensing applications. In 2011, Dr. Zhang received an NIH R01 award to develop advanced opto-microfluidic microchips for circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis, which has enabled the proactive monitoring of cancer prognosis and early cancer detection. To recognize his accomplishment in research and education, Zhang was selected to attend the US National Academy of Engineering, Frontiers of Engineering (NAE FOE) program in 2011, the NAE Frontiers of Engineering Education (NAE FOEE) program in 2012, and, subsequently, the NAE China-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (CAFOE) in 2013. Zhang was also awarded an NIH Director's Transformative Research Award in 2016 to develop implantable energy-harvesting devices enabled by flexible porous polymer films integrated on multi-stable structures. Dr. Zhang's research has been reported by many technical magazines and public media"," and was highlighted in the president's “State of the University” address at the U. of Texas in both 2010 and 2011.
As an active member in his professional community, Zhang has served on numerous international conference organizing committees and editorial boards. He is an associate editor for "ASME/IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (JMEMS)" and six other journals. He also actively serves on scientific review committees for the NIH, NSF, DOE, the Canada Research Chairs Program, Swiss National Science Foundation, and many other international agencies. Zhang has mentored over 30 Ph.D. students and post-doctoral scholars, and published a textbook in biomedical engineering.
Honors and awards.
Source:


Southern blot

A Southern blot is a method used in molecular biology for detection of a specific DNA sequence in DNA samples. Southern blotting combines transfer of electrophoresis-separated DNA fragments to a filter membrane and subsequent fragment detection by probe hybridization.
The method is named after the British biologist Edwin Southern, who first published it in 1975. Other blotting methods (i.e., western blot, northern blot, eastern blot, southwestern blot) that employ similar principles, but using RNA or protein, have later been named in reference to Edwin Southern's name. As the label is eponymous, Southern is capitalised, as is conventional of proper nouns. The names for other blotting methods may follow this convention, by analogy.
Result.
Hybridization of the probe to a specific DNA fragment on the filter membrane indicates that this fragment contains DNA sequence that is complementary to the probe.
The transfer step of the DNA from the electrophoresis gel to a membrane permits easy binding of the labeled hybridization probe to the size-fractionated DNA. It also allows for the fixation of the target-probe hybrids, required for analysis by autoradiography or other detection methods.
Southern blots performed with restriction enzyme-digested genomic DNA may be used to determine the number of sequences (e.g., gene copies) in a genome. A probe that hybridizes only to a single DNA segment that has not been cut by the restriction enzyme will produce a single band on a Southern blot, whereas multiple bands will likely be observed when the probe hybridizes to several highly similar sequences (e.g., those that may be the result of sequence duplication). Modification of the hybridization conditions (for example, increasing the hybridization temperature or decreasing salt concentration) may be used to increase specificity and decrease hybridization of the probe to sequences that are less than 100% similar.
Applications.
Southern blotting transfer may be used for homology-based cloning on the basis of amino acid sequence of the protein product of the target gene. Oligonucleotides are designed so that they are similar to the target sequence. The oligonucleotides are chemically synthesized, radiolabeled, and used to screen a DNA library, or other collections of cloned DNA fragments. Sequences that hybridize with the hybridization probe are further analysed, for example, to obtain the full length sequence of the targeted gene.
Southern blotting can also be used to identify methylated sites in particular genes. Particularly useful are the restriction nucleases "MspI" and "HpaII", both of which recognize and cleave within the same sequence. However, "HpaII" requires that a C within that site be methylated, whereas "MspI" cleaves only DNA unmethylated at that site. Therefore, any methylated sites within a sequence analyzed with a particular probe will be cleaved by the former, but not the latter, enzyme.


Hepatitis C stem-loop IV

The Hepatitis C stem-loop IV is part of a putative RNA element found in the NS5B coding region. This element along with stem-loop VII, is important (but not essential) for colony formation, though its exact function and mechanism are unknown.


Cytocladus

Cytocladus is a radiolarian genus reported in the family Thalassothamnidae. The genus contains bioluminescent species.
Species.
The following species are recognized (incomplete list):


AEM (psychedelic)

AEM (alpha-ethylmescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxy-alpha-ethylphenethylamine) is a lesser-known psychedelic drug. It is an analog of mescaline. AEM was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin. In his book "PiHKAL", the minimum dosage is listed as 220 mg, and the duration unknown. AEM produces few to no effects. Very little data exists about the pharmacological properties, metabolism, and toxicity of AEM.


Sulfate adenylyltransferase

In enzymology, a sulfate adenylyltransferase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are ATP and sulfate, whereas its two products are pyrophosphate and adenylyl sulfate.
This enzyme belongs to the family of transferases, specifically those transferring phosphorus-containing nucleotide groups (nucleotidyltransferases). The systematic name of this enzyme class is ATP:sulfate adenylyltransferase. Other names in common use include adenosine-5'-triphosphate sulfurylase, adenosinetriphosphate sulfurylase, adenylylsulfate pyrophosphorylase, ATP sulfurylase, ATP-sulfurylase, and sulfurylase. This enzyme participates in 3 metabolic pathways: purine metabolism, selenoamino acid metabolism, and sulfur metabolism.
Some sulfate adenylyltransferases are part of a bifunctional polypeptide chain associated with adenosyl phosphosulfate (APS) kinase. Both enzymes are required for PAPS (phosphoadenosine-phosphosulfate) synthesis from inorganic sulfate.
Structural studies.
As of late 2007, 18 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and .
Applications.
ATP sulfurylase is one of the enzymes used in pyrosequencing.


Pyrrolidinophenone

Pyrrolidinophenones are a class of recreational designer drugs. The prototypical example is "alpha"-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP).
Pyrrolidinophenones have psychostimulant effects and are associated with central nervous system and cardiovascular toxicities.


Regional Centre for Biotechnology

The Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) is an autonomous institution of education, training and research established under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT, India). The Parliament has passed the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016 to provide statutory status to the existing institution. The Bill seeks to provide legislative backing to the Regional Centre and also confers upon it the status of an institution of national importance. Sudhanshu Vrati is the executive director of RCB.
Background.
The Government of India and UNESCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 14 July 2006 to establish RCB. The centre is now recognized as a "Category II Centre" by "the principles and guidelines for the establishment and functioning of UNESCO Institutes and Centres". Following approval from the Union Cabinet, the centre became operational from its interim campus at Gurgaon, Haryana from 20 April 2009.
Mandate.
The mandate of RCB is to provide a platform for biotechnology education, training and research at the interface of multiple disciplines.
The objectives of the Regional Centre Biotechnology is to disseminate knowledge by providing teaching and research facilities in biotechnology and related fields, create a hub of biotechnology expertise, facilitate transfer of technology and knowledge in the SAARC region and generally Asia and promote cooperation at the international level.
Research areas.
RCB engages in contemporary research at the interface of disciplines constituting biotechnology in its broadest definition. Research programmes aim to integrate science, engineering, medicine and agriculture in biotechnology and emphasize on their relevance to the regional societies.
A broad range of research areas planned include:
Academics and training.
Multidisciplinary doctoral programme.
Has been instituted for students who have completed masters in any relevant discipline of natural sciences, medicine, engineering and other related sciences. RCB recruits Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) twice during an academic year and already mentors 31 Research Fellows.
Young Investigator (YI) Post-Doctoral Programme.
(RCB-YI award) has been initiated to nurture outstanding recent PhDs with innovative ideas and the drive to pursue novel discoveries under the mentorship of RCB faculty. RCB-YI award has been instituted for both Indian and Foreign nationals on the competitive basis with initial appointment for three years which is extendable on rigorous review for additional two years.
Short-term training programmes.
These are conducted at RCB by inducting post-graduate students of science from various universities/institutions/colleges to carry out their project/ dissertation work towards partial fulfillment of their postgraduate degrees.
Advanced workshops/training.
Courses are arranged by RCB periodically throughout the year, covering various frontier areas that could be broadly classified under biotechnology keeping in view the multi-disciplinary nature of the subject. During the week-long workshops, expert in-house and invited faculty deliver lectures and provide hands-on training to expose the participants to contemporary science/technology and explore their utility for addressing research problems in specific scientific areas.
Research facilities.
RCB has established facilities in its interim campus at Gurgaon where it is functioning. Centre is expected to expand further when it moves to its permanent campus in Faridabad, within the NCR Biotech Science Cluster, later this year. RCB has established major specialized facilities that include: high resolution optical imaging (Atomic Force Microscopy, Confocal Microscopy, Fluorescence Microscopy), synthesis chemistry facilities, Protein sequencer, Protein purification systems, biophysical (Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Circular Dichroism, SPR, NMR, FTIR, Dynamic Light Scattering), structural biology (Crystallization Robotics, X-ray Diffraction), proteomics (ABSciEx Triple TOF 5600), flow cytometry, plant, bacterial and animal cell/ tissue culture facilities, tissue sectioning and insect culture facilities.
In addition, researchers at RCB have access to the Advanced Technology Platform Center (ATPC) of the Biotech Science Cluster Faridabad. The ATPC already houses an operational flow cytometry and proteomics facilities. Other high-end facilities planned to be operational in near future include complete optical imaging, electron microscopy and next-generation sequencing.
Indian Biological Data Centre.
Department of Biotechnology announces the launch of first Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad. A national facility to store, manage , archive and distribute all kind of biological data.
Partnerships.
Towards fulfilling its mandate, RCB is collaborating with various national and international institutions of repute. The partnerships are meant for exchange of ideas, information sharing, training, networking, conducting scientific colloquia, workshops, academic exchange programmes and student study visits within (and outside) India and for
students of the Asia-Pacific region.
RCB and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan announced a partnership to further capacity building initiatives in bio-imaging and biotechnology.
The agreement offers an excellent opportunity for both the institutions in capacity building, training and research collaborations, benefitting young scientists not only in India and Japan, but also from the UNESCO member countries in the Asia-Pacific and SAARC regions. In its continuing effort to fulfill the core mandate, RCB is actively engaged in a range of research and related activities in partnership with other academic institutions, which form part of the NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad. Shared facilities such as Advanced Technology Platform Centre (ATPC), and Bioincubators (supported by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)), which is meant to support the budding biotechnology entrepreneurs, are being established.
Governance.
RCB is an institution of international importance in biotechnology, education, training and research. The Board of Governors (BoG), composed of eminent scientists and specialists in the field of biotechnology, representing Government of India and UNESCO are responsible for the governance of the Centre. The Programme Advisory Committee (PAC), composed of experts within India and abroad, provide support and guidance for the centre's education, training and research programmes. On behalf of the Governing body, the Executive Director executes policies and functions of the Centre with the guidance of a duly constituted Executive Committee.
References.
www.mrcindia.org/
National Institute of Malaria Research under Indian Council of Medical Research
New Delhi.


David C. Muddiman

David C. Muddiman is an American chemist and distinguished professor of chemistry at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. His research is focused on developing innovative tools for mass spectrometry based proteomics, metabolomics, and glycomics as well as novel imaging mass spectrometry ionization methods.
He received his B.S. in Chemistry with a Minor in Business (1985) and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Bioanalytical Chemistry, and he carried out a post-doctoral fellowship at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (1995–1997). His independent academic career prior to his appointment at NC State University were at Virginia Commonwealth University (1997–2002) and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (2002–2005).
He has received several awards during his career including the Arthur F. Findeis Award from the American Chemical Society (2004), the NC State Alumni Association Outstanding Research Award (2009), and was the recipient of the Biemann Medal (2010).


Beatrice (psychedelic)

Beatrice (also known as MDO-D, MDOM, 2C-D, and 4-methyl-2,5-dimethoxymethamphetamine) is a lesser-known psychedelic drug. It is a substituted methamphetamine and a homolog of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM). Beatrice was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin. In his book "PiHKAL", the minimum dosage is listed as 30 mg, and the duration listed as 6–10 hours. Beatrice produces a vague feeling of openness and receptiveness, and causes a stimulative effect. It also causes diarrhea. Very little data exists about the pharmacological properties, metabolism, and toxicity of beatrice.


Hemorphin

Hemorphins are a class of naturally occurring, endogenous opioid peptides which are found in the bloodstream, and are derived from the β-chain of hemoglobin. They have antinociceptive effects via activation of the opioid receptors, and some may also play a role in blood pressure through inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), as well as cause an elevation of endogenous enkephalin levels. Some examples of hemorphins include hemorphin-4, spinorphin, and valorphin.


Photobacterium phosphoreum

Photobacterium phosphoreum or Vibrio phosphoreum is a Gram-negative bioluminescent bacterium living in symbiosis with marine organisms, such as anglerfish. It can emit bluish-green light (490 nm) due to a chemical reaction between FMN, luciferin and molecular oxygen catalysed by an enzyme called luciferase.


MBI (Michigan Biotechnology Institute)

MBI (the Michigan Biotechnology Institute) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) biotechnology research accelerator based in Lansing, Michigan. MBI came into existence in 1982 through a joint collaboration between the State of Michigan and a few different organizations, including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. MBI's original goal, as stated by Russell G. Mawby, Chairman and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was to "link university research with applications of biotechnology to expand our forest and agricultural industries, create jobs, and further improve the state's economic situation." The W.K. Kellogg foundation made a 4 year, $10 million grant to carry out this objective.
MBI is sought out by industry partners for its unique derisking capabilities and their market-driven multidisciplinary team that accelerates the commercialization of biobased technologies. MBI pioneered de-risking, a process that quickly and cost-effectively fails flawed technologies while accelerating viable ones through a stage-gated innovation process. MBI has collaborated with many notable companies in the industrial biotechnology, including: DuPont, Genomatica, OPX Bio, and Novozymes. Most recently, MBI collaborated with Bolt Threads (Emeryville, CA) to produce synthetic spider silk without the spiders.
Historically, MBI also worked with Michigan State University and Cargill to develop PLA, the first biodegradable polymer in global use.
On February 7, 2014, President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited and toured MBI's facility prior to signing the Farm Bill at MSU's Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center. President Obama learned about MSU and MBI's joint project, AFEX, a pretreatment process for crop residues, and visited the pilot facility. The pilot facility was funded by in 2011 by a $4.3 million grant from the US Department of Energy, allowing MBI to scale-up the technology. President Obama provided a favorable review of the AFEX technology during his visit.
MBI was purchased by the Michigan State University Foundation in 2007.
MBI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation and is located in Lansing, Michigan, on the south end of Michigan State University's campus.
References.
5. Dr.


Arthrobacter subterraneus

Arthrobacter subterraneus is a species of bacteria. It is pale yellow-pigmented, Gram-positive, short rod- or coccus-shaped (diameter between 0.8-1 µm). It is non-motile and non-spore-forming. The type strain is CH7T (=KCTC 9997T =DSM 17585T).