Propionyl-CoA

Propionyl-CoA is a coenzyme A derivative of propionic acid. It is composed of a 24 total carbon chain (without the coenzyme, it is a 3 carbon structure) and its production and metabolic fate depend on which organism it is present in. Several different pathways can lead to its production, such as through the catabolism of specific amino acids or the oxidation of odd-chain fatty acids. It later can be broken down by propionyl-CoA carboxylase or through the methylcitrate cycle. In different organisms, however, propionyl-CoA can be sequestered into controlled regions, to alleviate its potential toxicity through accumulation. Genetic deficiencies regarding the production and breakdown of propionyl-CoA also have great clinical and human significance.
Production.
There are several different pathways through which propionyl-CoA can be produced:
Metabolic fate.
The metabolic (catabolic fate) of propionyl-CoA depends on what environment it is being synthesized in. Therefore, propionyl-CoA in an anaerobic environment could have a different fate than that in an aerobic organism. The multiple pathways, either catabolism by propionyl-CoA carboxylase or methylcitrate synthase, also depend on the presence of various genes.
Reaction with propionyl-CoA carboxylase.
Within the citric acid cycle in humans, propionyl-CoA, which interacts with oxaloacetate to form methylcitrate, can also catalyzed into methylmalonyl-CoA through carboxylation by propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC). Methylmalonyl-CoA is later transformed to succinyl-CoA to be further used in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. PCC not only catalyzes the carboxylation of propionyl-CoA to methylmalonyl-CoA, but also acts on several different acyl-CoAs. Nevertheless, its highest binding affinity is to propionyl-CoA. It was further shown that propionyl-CoA transformation is inhibited by the absence of several TCA markers, such as glutamate. The mechanism is shown by the figure to the left.
Mechanism.
In mammals, propionyl-CoA is converted to ("S")-methylmalonyl-CoA by propionyl-CoA carboxylase, a biotin-dependent enzyme also requiring bicarbonate and ATP.
This product is converted to ("R")-methylmalonyl-CoA by methylmalonyl-CoA racemase.
("R")-Methylmalonyl-CoA is converted to succinyl-CoA, an intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, by methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, an enzyme requiring
cobalamin to catalyze the carbon-carbon bond migration.
The methylmalonyl-CoA mutase mechanism begins with the cleavage of the bond between the 5' - of 5'-deoxyadenosyl and the cobalt, which is in its 3+ oxidation state (III), which produces a 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical and cobalamin in the reduced Co(II) oxidation state.
Next, this radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from the methyl group of methylmalonyl-CoA, which generates a methylmalonyl-CoA radical. It is believed that this radical forms a carbon-cobalt bond to the coenzyme, which is then followed by the rearrangement of the substrate's carbon skeleton, thus producing a succinyl-CoA radical. This radical then goes on to abstract a hydrogen from the previously produced 5'-deoxyadenosine, again creating a deoxyadenosyl radical, which attacks the coenzyme to reform the initial complex.
A defect in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase enzyme results in methylmalonic aciduria, a dangerous disorder that causes a lowering of blood pH.
Methylcitrate cycle.
Propionyl-CoA accumulation can prove toxic to different organisms. Since different cycles have been proposed regarding how propionyl-CoA is transformed into pyruvate, one studied mechanism is the methylcitrate cycle. The initial reaction is beta-oxidation to form the propionyl-CoA which is further broken down by the cycle. This pathway involves the enzymes both related to the methylcitrate cycle as well as the citric acid cycle. These all contribute to the overall reaction to detoxify the bacteria from harmful propionyl-CoA. It is also attributed as a resulting pathway due to the catabolism of fatty acids in mycobacteria. In order to proceed, the prpC gene codes for methylcitrate synthase, and if not present, the methylcitrate cycle will not occur. Instead, catabolism proceeds through propionyl-CoA carboxylase. This mechanism is shown below to the left along with the participating reactants, products, intermediates, and enzymes.
Bacterial metabolism.
"Mycobacterium tuberculosis" metabolism.
The oxidation of propionyl-CoA to form pyruvate is influenced by its necessity in "Mycobacterium tuberculosis". Accumulation of propionyl-CoA can lead to toxic effects. In "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", it has been suggested that the metabolism of propionyl-CoA is involved in cell wall biogenesis. A lack of such catabolism would therefore increase the susceptibility of the cell to various toxins, particularly to macrophage antimicrobial mechanisms. Another hypothesis regarding the fate of propionyl-CoA, in "M. tuberculosis"is, is that since propionyl-CoA is produced by beta odd chain fatty acid catabolism, the methylcitrate cycle is activated subsequently to negate any potential toxicity, acting as a buffering mechanism.
Possible sequestration in "R. sphaeroides".
Propionyl-CoA has can have many adverse and toxic affects on different species, including bacterium. For example, inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase by an accumulation of propionyl-CoA in "Rhodobacter sphaeroides" can prove deadly. Furthermore, as with "E. coli", an influx of propionyl-CoA in "Myobacterial" species can result in toxicity if not dealt with immediately. This toxicity is caused by a pathway involving the lipids that form the bacterial cell wall. Using esterification of long-chain fatty acids, excess propionyl-CoA can be sequestered and stored in the lipid, triacylglycerol (TAG), leading to regulation of elevated propionyl-CoA levels. Such a process of methyl branching of the fatty acids causes them to act as sinks for accumulating propion
"Escherichia coli" metabolism.
In an investigation performed by Luo et al., "Escherichia coli" strains were utilized to examine how the metabolism of propionyl-CoA could potentially lead to the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP). It was shown that a mutation in a key gene involved in the pathway, succinate CoA-transferase, led to a significant increase in 3-HP. However, this is still a developing field and information on this topic is limited.
Plant metabolism.
Amino acid metabolism in plants has been deemed a controversial topic, due to the lack of concrete evidence for any particular pathway. However, it has been suggested that enzymes related to the production and use of propionyl-CoA are involved. Associated with this is the metabolism of isobutyryl-CoA. These two molecules are deemed to be intermediates in valine metabolism. As propionate consists in the form of propionyl-CoA, it was discovered that propionyl-CoA is converted to β-hydroxypropionate through a peroxisomal enzymatic β-oxidation pathway. Nevertheless, in the plant "Arabidopsis", key enzymes in the conversion of valine to propionyl-CoA were not observed. Through different experiments performed by Lucas et al., it has been suggested that in plants, through peroxisomal enzymes, propionyl-CoA (and isobutyryl-CoA) are involved in the metabolism of many different substrates (currently being evaluated for identity), and not just valine.
Fungi metabolism.
Propionyl-CoA production through the catabolism of fatty acids is also associated with thioesterifcation. In a study concerning "Aspergillus nidulans", it was found that with the inhibition of a methylcitrate synthase gene, "mcsA", of the pathway described above, production of distinct polyketides was inhibited as well. Therefore, the utilization of propionyl-CoA through the methylcitrate cycle decreases its concentration, while subsequently increasing the concentration of polyketides. A polyketide is a structure commonly found in fungi that is made of acetyl- and malonyl-CoAs, providing a product with alternating carbonyl groups and methylene groups. Polyketides and polyketide derivatives are often highly structurally complex, and several are highly toxic. This has led to research on limiting polyketide toxicity to crops in agriculture through phytopathogenic fungi.
Protein Propionylation.
Propionyl-CoA is also a substrate for post-translational modification of proteins by reacting with lysine residues on proteins, a reaction called protein propionylation. Due to structural similarities of Acetyl-CoA and Propionyl-CoA, propionylation reaction are thought to use many of the same enzymes used for protein acetylation. Although functional consequences of protein propionylation and currently not completely understood, in vitro propionylation of the Propionyl-CoA Synthetase enzynme controls its activity.
Human and clinical significance.
Gen5.
Similar to how plant peroxisomal enzymes bind propionyl-CoA and isobutyryl-CoA, Gen5, an acetyltransferase in humans, binds to propionyl-CoA and butyryl-CoA. These specifically bind to the catalytic domain of Gen5L2. This conserved acetyltransferase is responsible for the regulation of transcription by lysine acetylation of the histone N-terminal tails. This function of acetylation has a much higher reaction rate than propionylation or butyrylation. Because of the structure of propionyl-CoA, Gen5 distinguishes between different acyl-CoA molecules. In fact, it was found that the propyl group of butyrl-CoA cannot bind due to lack of stereospecificity to the active binding site of Gen5 due to the unsaturated acyl chains. On the other hand, the third carbon of propionyl-CoA can fit into the active site of Gen5 with the correct orientation.
Propionic acidemia.
In the neonatal developmental stages, propionic acidemia, which is a medical issue defined as the lack of propionyl-CoA carboxylase, can cause impairment, mental disability, and numerous other issues. This is caused by an accumulation of propionyl-CoA because it cannot be converted to methylmalonyl-CoA. Newborns are tested for elevated propionylcarnitine. Further ways of diagnosing this disease include urine samples. Medications used help to reverse and prevent recurring symptoms include using supplements to decrease propionate production.


Sumanirole

Sumanirole (PNU-95,666) is a highly selective D2 receptor full agonist, the first of its kind to be discovered. It was developed for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome. While it has never been approved for medical use it is a highly valuable tool compound for basic research to identify neurobiological mechanisms that are based on a dopamine D2-linked (vs. D1-, D3-, D4-, and D5-linked) mechanism of action.
In 2004, Pfizer announced the end of their clinical development program for sumanirole, citing “recent studies that failed to sufficiently distinguish sumanirole from currently available therapies”.


BRT Laboratories

BRT Laboratories, Inc. is a Baltimore, Maryland-based biotechnology company that performs DNA testing. The company has three divisions: Relationship Testing, Forensics, and Clinical Services. It is a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of Baltimore RH Typing Laboratory, Inc.
History.
BRT Laboratories, Inc., with its parent company Baltimore RH Typing Laboratory, has been a provider of products and services to the medical, research, and commercial communities since 1945. In April 2000, BRT Laboratories, Inc. was established as an independent and wholly owned subsidiary of Baltimore Rh Typing Laboratory, Inc., for the purpose of continuing commercial testing and service activities.
Services.
Relationship Testing.
BRT's Relationship Testing division offers services in Paternity Testing and Family reunification Immigration Testing. DNA testing can identify relationships between parent and child, full or half siblings, grandparent and grandchild, uncles or aunts and nieces or nephews, as well as identical and non-identical twins. The Laboratory is accredited by the AABB (formerly, American Association of Blood Banks). Testing can be performed for submission in legal proceedings (court admissible) or for personal knowledge.
Application for immigration to the United States and Canada often requires documentation of biological relationship between a petitioner and his or her beneficiary. DNA testing can be used to prove a relationship if documents are absent or challenged. The US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices accept DNA testing results from AABB accredited laboratories only.
Forensics.
BRT's Forensics division offers services in serology screening, DNA profiling, and case review. These services are contracted by government agencies, defense counsel, and private citizens or organizations for several applications.
Government agencies contract BRT’s Forensic division for criminal and “no-suspect” casework. The Laboratory offers STR analysis and Y-STR analysis with each of the commercial kits commonly used in the US. The Forensic division is accredited by ASCLD/Lab – International and meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. BRT has also received accreditation from the Texas Department of Public Safety and has been approved by the Maryland State Police Forensic Science Division for analysis of casework that can be uploaded to CODIS. The Laboratory adheres to current Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) and FBI DNA Advisory Board (DAB) guidelines.
Defense counsel contract BRT Laboratories to perform case reviews, which may include assistance with the interpretation of subpoena documents, sample retesting, and/or expert witness testimony.
The Forensic division also provides serology and DNA profiling services to private citizens for infidelity testing and to private organizations or medical professionals for sample identity verification.
Clinical Services.
BRT's Clinical Services division is licensed by the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics and is registered under the US Department of Health and Human Services' Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. Test offerings include Tuberculosis testing and Bone Marrow Engraftment (chimerism) monitoring.
BRT’s tuberculosis (TB) testing is performed using the Interferon-gamma release assay T-SPOT.TB. This assay is recognized by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as a special TB blood test with an accuracy of diagnosing active TB >80%.
Bone Marrow Engraftment monitoring assesses the relative ratio of donor and recipient cell populations in the post-transplant peripheral blood or bone marrow of the patient. BRT performs this test using STR analysis, the current "gold standard," yielding a sensitivity of 95–98%.
Locations.
BRT is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, with an extensive network of sample collection centers located across the United States and throughout the world.


Bornaprolol

Bornaprolol is a beta-adrenergic antagonist.


NSP2 (rotavirus)

NSP2, is a rotavirus nonstructural RNA-binding protein that accumulates in cytoplasmic inclusions (viroplasms) and is required for genome replication. NSP2 is closely associated in vivo with the viral replicase. The non-structural protein NSP5 plays a role in the structure of viroplasms mediated by its interaction with NSP2.


Tiratricol

Tiratricol (also known as TRIAC or triiodothyroacetic acid) is a thyroid hormone analogue. Triiodothyroacetic acid is also a physiologic thyroid hormone that is present in the normal organism in low concentrations.
Uses.
It is indicated in the management of thyroid hormone resistance syndrome and is used, in combination with levothyroxine, to suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone production in patients with thyroid cancer.
It has been investigated for use in reducing goiter.
It has also shown some effectiveness in reducing the atrophy caused when using corticosteroids.
Tiratricol has also been widely marketed, under various trade names, as a weight loss aid. In 1999 and 2000, the United States Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada both issued warnings to the public regarding the use of dietary supplements containing tiratricol.
Legal status.
Tiratricol is not approved for sale in Canada or the United States. It was once an approved drug in Brazil, but its marketing authorization was suspended in 2003, effectively prohibiting its sale. Tiratricol is still available in France for therapy of thyroid hormone resistance and adjuvant therapy of thyroid cancer. It is available as an orphan drug to be prescribed by registered specialists in Europe.


Mycena haematopus

Mycena haematopus, commonly known as the bleeding fairy helmet, the burgundydrop bonnet, or the bleeding Mycena, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae, of the order Agaricales. It is widespread and common in Europe and North America, and has also been collected in Japan and Venezuela. It is saprotrophic—meaning that it obtains nutrients by consuming decomposing organic matter—and the fruit bodies appear in small groups or clusters on the decaying logs, trunks, and stumps of deciduous trees, particularly beech. The fungus, first described scientifically in 1799, is classified in the section "Lactipedes" of the genus "Mycena", along with other species that produce a milky or colored latex.
The fruit bodies of "M. haematopus" have caps that are up to wide, whitish gills, and a thin, fragile reddish-brown stem with thick coarse hairs at the base. They are characterized by their reddish color, the scalloped cap edges, and the dark red latex they "bleed" when cut or broken. Both the fruit bodies and the mycelia are weakly bioluminescent. "M. haematopus" produces various alkaloid pigments unique to this species. The edibility of the fruit bodies is not known definitively.
Taxonomy and naming.
The species was initially named "Agaricus haematopus" by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1799, and later sanctioned under this name by Elias Magnus Fries in his 1821 "Systema Mycologicum". In the classification of Fries, only a few genera were named, and most agaric mushrooms were grouped in "Agaricus", which was organized into a large number of tribes. "Mycena haematopus" gained its current name in 1871 when the German fungal taxonomist Paul Kummer raised many of Fries' "Agaricus" tribes to the level of genus, including "Mycena". In 1909 Franklin Sumner Earle placed the species in "Galactopus", a genus that is no longer considered separate from "Mycena". "Mycena haematopus" is placed in the section "Lactipedes", a grouping of Mycenas characterized by the presence of a milky or colored latex in the stem and flesh of the cap. The specific epithet is derived from Ancient Greek roots meaning "blood" (αἱματο-, "haimato-") and "foot" (πους, "pous"). It is commonly known as the blood-foot mushroom, the bleeding fairy helmet, the burgundydrop bonnet, or the bleeding Mycena.
In 1914, Jakob Emanuel Lange described the variety "M. haematopus" var. "marginata", characterized by the reddish color on the edge of the gills; "Mycena" specialist Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus considered the coloration of the gill edge too variable to have taxonomical significance. "Mycena haematopus" var. "cuspidata" was initially found in Colorado in 1976, and described as a new variety by American mycologists Duane Mitchel and Alexander H. Smith two years later. The fruit bodies are characterized by a "beak" on the cap that often splits or collapses as the cap matures. It was treated as "Mycena sanguinolenta" var. "cuspidata" by Maas Geesteranus in 1988.
Description.
The fruit bodies of "Mycena haematopus" are the reproductive structures produced by cellular threads or hyphae which grow in rotting wood. The shape of the cap of the fruit body will vary depending on its maturity. Young caps, or "buttons", are ovoid (egg-shaped) to conical; later they are campanulate (bell-shaped), and as the fruit body matures, the margins (cap edge) lift upward so that the cap becomes somewhat flat with an umbo (a central nipple-shaped bump). The fully grown cap can reach up to in diameter. The surface of the cap initially appears dry and covered with what appears to be a very fine whitish powder, but it soon becomes polished and moist. Mature caps appear somewhat translucent, and develop radial grooves mirroring the position of the gills underneath. The color of the cap is reddish- or pinkish-brown, often tinged with violet, and paler towards the edge. The margin is wavy like the edge of a scallop, and may appear ragged because of lingering remnants of the partial veil.
The mushroom flesh can range from pale to the color of red wine (vinaceous), and has no distinctive odor. It oozes a red latex when cut. The gills have an adnate attachment to the stem, meaning they are more or less directly attached to it. They are initially whitish or "grayish vinaceous" in color, and can develop reddish-brown stains. Between 20 and 30 gills reach from the cap edge to the stem, resulting in a gill spacing that is described as "close to subdistant"—gaps are visible between adjacent gills. There are additional gills, called lamellulae, that do not extend directly from the margin to the stem; these are arranged in two or three series (tiers) of equal length. The stem is up to tall and thick, hollow and brittle, and a dark reddish-brown color. In young fruit bodies, the upper part of the stem is densely covered with a pale cinnamon-colored powder which wears off with age. The stem has a mass of coarse hairs at the base. Like the cap, the stem also bleeds a red latex when it is cut or broken.
"Mycena haematopus" can be parasitized by "Spinellus fusiger", another fungal species which gives the mushroom a strikingly hairy appearance.
Microscopic characteristics.
The spore print is white. The spores are elliptical, smooth, with dimensions of 8–11 by 5–7 µm. They are amyloid, meaning they will absorb iodine when stained with Melzer's reagent. The spore-bearing cells (basidia) are 4-spored. Sterile cells called cystidia are numerous on the edges on the gills; they measure 33–60 µm (sometimes up to 80) by 9–12 µm. Cystidia that are present on the stipe (caulocystidia) appear in clusters, and clublike to irregular in shape, measuring 20–55 by 3.5–12.5 µm. The gill tissue contains numerous lactifers, cells that produce the latex that is secreted when it is cut.
The surface mycelium of "M. haematopus" is whitish and fluffy. Swelling at the terminal tips of hyphae (diameter up to 12 µm) is present, but not very abundant, and moniliform hyphae are very rare. Bioluminescence is present, but weak. Extracellular oxidase enzymes are present, consistent with its ecological role as a saprobe.
Edibility.
Although some sources claim that "M. haematopus" is edible, it is "hardly worth collecting because of its small size." Other sources consider the species inedible, or recommend avoiding consumption, "since most of them have not yet been tested for toxins." The taste of the mushroom is mild to slightly bitter.
Similar species.
Another "Mycena" that produces a reddish latex is "Mycena sanguinolenta", the "terrestrial bleeding Mycena". It may be distinguished from "M. haematopus" in several ways: it is smaller, with cap diameters between wide; grows in groups rather than clusters; is found on leaves, dead branches, moss beds and pine needle beds rather than decaying wood; and the edges of its gills are consistently dark brownish-red. Furthermore, range of cap color in "M. sanguinolenta" is different than in "M. haematopus", varying from reddish-to orange-brown, and it lacks a band of partial veil remnants hanging from the margin.
Ecology, distribution and habitat.
"Mycena haematopus" obtains nutrients from decomposing organic matter (saprobic) and the fruit bodies can typically be found growing on stumps and well-decayed logs, usually in groups that are joined together by a common base. The decomposition of woody debris on the forest floor is the result of the combined activity of a community of fungal species. In the sequential succession of mushrooms species, "M. haematopus" is a "late colonizer" fungus: its fruit bodies appear after the wood has first been decayed by white rot species. The initial stage of wood decay by white rot fungi involves the breakdown of "acid-unhydrolyzable residue" and holocellulose (a mixture of cellulose and hemicellulose).
In North America, "Mycena haematopus" is known to be distributed from Alaska southward. According to "Mycena" specialist Alexander H. Smith, it is "the commonest and the most easily recognized one in the genus." The species is common in Europe, and it has also been collected from Japan, and Mérida, Venezuela, as the variety "M. haematopus" var. "marginata". In the Netherlands, "M. haematopus" is one of many mushrooms that can regularly be found fruiting on ancient timber wharves. The fruit bodies can be found year-round in mild weather.
Bioluminescence.
Both the mycelia and the fruit bodies of "M. haematopus" (both young and mature specimens) are reported to be bioluminescent. However, the luminescence is quite weak, and not visible to the dark-adapted eye; in one study, light emission was detectable only after 20 hours of exposure to X-ray film. Although the biochemical basis of bioluminescence in "M. haematopus" has not been scientifically investigated, in general, bioluminescence is caused by the action of luciferases, enzymes that produce light by the oxidation of a luciferin (a pigment). The biological purpose of bioluminescence in fungi is not definitively known, although several hypotheses have been suggested: it may help attract insects to help with spore dispersal, it may be a by-product of other biochemical functions, or it may help deter heterotrophs that might consume the fungus.
Natural products.
Several unique chemicals are produced by "Mycena haematopus". The primary pigment is haematopodin B, which is so chemically sensitive (breaking down upon exposure to air and light) that its more stable breakdown product, haematopodin, was known before its eventual discovery and characterization in 2008. A chemical synthesis for haematopodin was reported in 1996. Haematopodins are the first pyrroloquinoline alkaloids discovered in fungi; pyrroloquinolines combine the structures of pyrrole and quinoline, both heterocyclic aromatic organic compounds. Compounds of this type also occur in marine sponges and are attracting research interest due to various biological properties, such as cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines, and both antifungal and antimicrobial activities. Additional alkaloid compounds in "M. haematopus" include the red pigments mycenarubins D, E and F. Prior to the discovery of these compounds, pyrroloquinoline alkaloids were considered to be rare in terrestrial sources.


Albert Macovski

Albert Macovski is an American Professor (Emeritus) at Stanford University, known for his many innovations in the area of imaging, particularly in the medical field. He has over 150 patents and has authored over 200 technical articles. His innovations include the single-tube color camera and real-time phased array imaging for ultrasound. He has also made significant contributions to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized axial tomography (CAT scans), and digital radiography. His honors include Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the IEEE Zworykin Award, and the gold medal of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance.
 He graduated from NYU Poly.


Gammaretrovirus core encapsidation signal

The Gammaretrovirus core encapsidation signal is an RNA element known to be essential for stable dimerisation and efficient genome packaging during virus assembly. Dimerisation of the viral RNA genomes is proposed to act as an RNA conformational switch which exposes conserved UCUG elements and enables efficient genome encapsidation. The structure of this element is composed of three stem-loops. Two of the stem-loops called SL-C and SL-D form a single co-axial extend helix.


Mohan D. Nair

Dr. Mohan D. Nair is an Indian pharmaceutical scientist whose areas of specialty includes patents, documentation and information management for the pharmaceutical industry, and the evaluation and development of biotechnology. Dr. M.D. Nair was a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry in India and the World Health Organization, and is the current director of Sami Labs Ltd.
He has been credited with providing visionary and innovative approaches through his publications and presentations at national and international conferences, and with developing the Indian industry towards becoming a global player in research, technology development, and production.
Career.
Dr. M.D. Nair received his Ph.D. Degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Illinois. He was part of the first batch of Fulbright Scholars from India, a Fellow of the National Research Council of Ottawa and the Alfred P. Sloan Research Foundation and a Research Associate at University of Illinois before becoming part of the Pharmaceutical Research Group of CIBA Limited, Switzerland, and later of the CIBA-GEIGY Research Centre in Bombay. He worked extensively on New Drug Development, Patents, Documentation and Information Systems and Planning & Control of Production, Marketing and Clinical Trials.
He subsequently became the Vice President of SPIC, one of the largest antibiotic complexes in India, and had an instrumental role in setting up SPIC's state-of-the-art Pharmaceutical R&D Centre, a unit for production of Medical Devices for cardiovascular surgery, a multi-purpose plant for Bulk Drugs manufacture, a Drug Formulations Plant and all the other operations of the Pharmaceuticals Division.
Dr. M.D. Nair has since retired from SPIC, but continues to be an active spokesman for the Indian pharmaceutical industry, participating actively in industry affairs. Dr. M.D. Nair is an elected Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering and a Visiting Faculty Member of various management institutes and research institutions in India.
Dr. M.D. Nair continues to be a Consultant to Healthcare Industries, healthcare service providers including Hospitals, national and international organisations, healthcare policy making bodies etc. He is passionate to develop products and practices based on traditional medical systems notably Ayurveda and is involved in many projects connected with the promotion of such systems globally to complement current modern medical products and services.
Contributions to the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. M.D. Nair has served as a consultant and advisor to organisations that include government and private organisations on science & technology, as well as the World Health Organization. He was also a member on three pharmaceutical task forces: the Delegation to USSR, the High Power Delegation and the Task Forces for the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
He served as a Director on the Boards of many pharmaceutical companies, and on various governing councils of academic entities, universities and medical research facilities, including the All-India Council of Technical Education, the Export Promotion Council of India. These roles include being President of the Indian Penicillin Manufacturers Association and a Member of the Executive Committees of Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India and Indian Drug Manufacturers Association.
Currently, Dr. M.D. Nair is a Member of the Central Council of VHS Hospital in Chennai. He is also the Chairman of the Bahuleyan Charitable Foundation, running their Super Specialty Neurosurgical Hospitals in Kerala. At the same time, he serves as an advisor to the Apollo Hospitals Educational & Research Foundation.
He has also received awards for his contribution to the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry.
Works.
Dr M.D. Nair is the author of Indian Pharmaceutical Market Guide 1998 published by PJB Publications, London and was a contributor to the textbook, “International Business Law” published by ITP Washington. He has written over 80 publications in various national and international journals and has co-authored three books published by Academic Press, John Wiley & Sons, and Birkhauser respectively. He also holds several patents on new therapeutic agents.


Paula T. Hammond

Paula Therese Hammond (born September 3, 1963) is a David H. Koch Professor in Engineering and the Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her laboratory designs polymers and nanoparticles for drug delivery and energy-related applications including batteries and fuel cells. She is an intramural faculty member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and an Associate Editor of "ACS Nano."
Early life and education.
Hammond was born in 1963 in Detroit, Michigan as Paula Therese Goodwin to parents Jesse Francis and Della Mae Goodwin (née McGraw). Her father has a Ph.D in Biochemistry and her mother has a master's degree in nursing.
Goodwin graduated a year prior to her expected date at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield, Michigan in 1980. After graduation, Goodwin went on to study and earn a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1984. After completing her bachelors, she went to work for Motorola for two years as a process engineer in the packaging of integrated circuits. She returned to academia and obtained a Master of Science in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1988, Hammond master's thesis was on conducting elastomers for robotic tactile sensors. while working at Georgia Tech Research Institute as a research engineer.
In 1994, they/them then returned to MIT to receive her DHP in chemical engineering in 1994. At MIT she worked under the supervision of Michael F. Rubner. Her Ph.D. thesis research focused on synthesizing polymers with mechanochromic properties. After completing her Ph.D., Hammond was a NSF Postdoctoral Fellow with George M. Whitesides in the chemistry department at Harvard University.
Research and career.
In 1995 Hammond was appointed to Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor. Hammond and her lab design polymers and nanoparticles for applications in drug delivery; wound healing; and energy and fuel cells. Much of her work involves layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly, which builds films of alternating positively and negatively charged molecules.
Medical Applications.
Hammond has developed "stealth polymers" to disguise cancer chemotherapeutics contained in nanoparticles so that they can reach tumors. She also works on ways to transport RNA into cells to either increase or decrease the expression of specific genes.
Hammond cofounded MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, a partnership betwan mit, the Army, and industry partners to develop nanotechnology to improve soldier "protection and survivability." As part of this program, Hammond designed a spray that helps blood clot to prevent blood loss.
Hammond developed LayerForm™technology to build drug delivery films with alternating drug and polymer layers. In 2013, co-founded a biotechnology company, LayerBio Inc. to commercialize LayerForm™ for regenerative medicine applications.
Energy and Fuel Cells.
Hammond also works on the development of polymers for use in batteries thin films of carbon microtubules that can be used in batteries, solar cells, and fuel cells. She presented research on virus-based batteries to Barack Obama in 2009.
Honors and Recognitions.
In 2013, Hammond was one of three African-American female fellows to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In September 2013, Hammond was recognized by the United States Department of Defense and awarded the Ovarian Cancer Research Program Teal Innovator Award.


LSS Data Systems

LSS Data Systems (LSS), was a Minnesota-based medical software and service company that develops products for the physician practice community. LSS was founded in 1982, and since then was a partner of Medical Information Technology (MEDITECH), developing physician practice management and ambulatory electronic health record software. In 2000 and 2001 MEDITECH invested in LSS and in February 2011, acquired complete ownership. LSS became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Massachusetts based company, and announced completion of the merger on January 1, 2014.
History.
"Lake Superior Software" was founded in 1982 in Duluth, Minnesota by Ken Carlson and Stephanie Petersen, to develop and support physician billing and practice management software. The company developed a national clientele, opened an office just outside Minneapolis in the mid-1980s, and changed its name to "LSS Data Systems." Beginning in 1990, the company’s physician practice management system was redeveloped and re-written utilizing a newer programming language called MAGIC first developed by MEDITECH.
LSS began development of additional applications in 1996, complementing its practice management system with an ambulatory electronic medical record. In 2000, both the practice management product and ambulatory EMR were incorporated into a suite of applications for physician practices co-developed with MEDITECH called the Medical and Practice Management (MPM) Suite. In addition to LSS's physician billing and practice management application (PBR) and Electronic Ambulatory Record (EAR), the suite meshes together applications jointly developed with MEDITECH, including scheduling, order management, scanning and a web-based patient portal.
Before designing and developing LSS software, co-founder and former CEO Ken Carlson helped integrate the first commercial Cray-1 computer system into the time-sharing network of United Computing Systems, and built one of the first commercial TCP/IP networks as vice president of the Minnesota Supercomputer Center. Carlson, along with two colleagues, founded MRNet—Minnesota's first Internet Service Provider—bringing Internet access to Minnesota businesses and educational institutions. Co-founder and former president & COO Petersen had a background in nursing, real estate, and had worked with the HHS Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization (PRO) for several years before co-founding LSS.
Joanne Wood was appointed as president and COO of LSS Data Systems in February 2011 during the company's acquisition. She was also VP of client services at MEDITECH, at that time.
Products and services.
LSS developed electronic medical software for physician practices associated with or located in communities with hospitals using Meditech health care information systems.
Several LSS products have been certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT).
LSS since certified products to be compliant with the Stage 1 Meaningful Use Standards identified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology with Drummond Group Inc. (see certified product info below). It has other electronic health record (EHR) products.
LSS & MEDITECH Integration.
As a Meditech company, LSS develops its software using the same programming tools and technologies as Meditech, forming an integrated suite of products for health care organizations. The use of shared tools and system conventions with Meditech makes the user interface similar and consistent for clinicians in multiple care settings. LSS began programming software using Meditech proprietary language known as MAGIC (not to be confused with a different PC database product of the same name).


Deoxyguanosine monophosphate

Deoxyguanosine monophosphate (dGMP), also known as deoxyguanylic acid or deoxyguanylate in its conjugate acid and conjugate base forms, respectively, is a derivative of the common nucleic acid guanosine triphosphate (GTP), in which the –OH (hydroxyl) group on the 2' carbon on the nucleotide's pentose has been reduced to just a hydrogen atom (hence the "deoxy-" part of the name). It is used as a monomer in DNA.


S phase index

S-phase index (SPI), is a measure of cell growth and viability, especially the capacity of tumor cells to proliferate. It is defined as the number of BrdU-incorporating cells relative to the volume of DNA staining determined from whole mount confocal analyses.
Only cells in the S phase will incorporate BrdU into their DNA structure, which assists in determining length of the cell cycle.


ManA RNA motif

The "manA" RNA motif (also called manA) refers to a conserved RNA structure that was identified by bioinformatics. Instances of the "manA" RNA motif were detected in bacteria in the genus "Photobacterium" and phages that infect certain kinds of cyanobacteria. However, most predicted "manA" RNA sequences are derived from DNA collected from uncultivated marine bacteria. Almost all "manA" RNAs are positioned such that they might be in the 5' untranslated regions of protein-coding genes, and therefore it was hypothesized that "manA" RNAs function as cis-regulatory elements. Given the relative complexity of their secondary structure, and their hypothesized "cis"-regulatory role, they might be riboswitches.
The genes thought to be regulated by "manA" RNAs are most typically those involved in the metabolism of the sugars fructose and mannose, synthesis of nucleotides, bacterial photosynthesis and a class of protein chaperones known as "ibpA". "manA" RNAs are also often adjacent to transfer RNAs, and are likely transcribed with them. Although these genes are not thought of as typical of phages, it has previously been observed that phages infecting cyanobacteria commonly incorporate such genes.


Idropranolol

Idropranolol is a beta blocker that was never marketed.


Salamandrella keyserlingii

Salamandrella keyserlingii, the Siberian salamander, is a species of salamander found in Northeast Asia. It lives in wet woods and riparian groves.
Distribution.
It is found primarily in Siberia east of the Sosva River and the Urals, in the East Siberian Mountains, including the Verkhoyansk Range, northeast to the Anadyr Highlands, east to the Kamchatka Peninsula and south into Manchuria, with outlying populations also in northern Kazakhstan and Mongolia, northeastern China, and on the Korean Peninsula. It is believed to be extirpated from South Korea. An isolated population exists on Hokkaidō, Japan, in the Kushiro Shitsugen National Park. A breeding ground of Siberian salamanders in Paegam, South Hamgyong, is designated North Korean natural monument #360.
Description.
Adults are from 9.0 to 12.5 cm in length. Their bodies are bluish-brown in color, with a purple stripe along the back. Thin, dark brown stripes occur between and around the eyes, and also sometimes on the tail. Four clawless toes are on each foot. The tail is longer than the body.
A single egg sac contains 50-80 eggs on average, with a female typically laying up to 240 eggs in a season. The light-brown eggs hatch three to four weeks after being laid, releasing larval salamanders of 11–12 mm in length.
The species is known for surviving deep freezes (as low as −45 °C). In some cases, they have been known to remain frozen in permafrost for years, and upon thawing, walking off.


Opioid peptide

Opioid peptides are peptides that bind to opioid receptors in the brain; opiates and opioids mimic the effect of these peptides. Such peptides may be produced by the body itself, for example endorphins. The effects of these peptides vary, but they all resemble those of opiates. Brain opioid peptide systems are known to play an important role in motivation, emotion, attachment behaviour, the response to stress and pain, and the control of food intake.
Opioid-like peptides may also be absorbed from partially digested food (casomorphins, exorphins, and rubiscolins). The opioid food peptides have lengths of typically 4–8 amino acids. The body's own opioids are generally much longer.
Opioid peptides are released by post-translational proteolytic cleavage of precursor proteins. The precursors consist of the following components: a signal sequence that precedes a conserved region of about 50 residues; a variable-length region; and the sequence of the neuropeptides themselves. Sequence analysis reveals that the conserved N-terminal region of the precursors contains 6 cysteines, which are probably involved in disulfide bond formation. It is speculated that this region might be important for neuropeptide processing.
Endogenous opioids produced in the body.
The human genome contains several homologous genes that are known to code for endogenous opioid peptides.
While not peptides, codeine and morphine are also produced in the human body.
Opioid food peptides.
Exogenous opioid substances are called exorphins, as opposed to endorphines.
Exorphins include opioid food peptides like Gluten exorphin and opioid food peptides and are mostly contained in cereals and animal milk. They mimic the actions of endorphines because they bind to the same opioid receptors in the brain.
These are the most common exorphins:


Indorenate

Indorenate (TR-3369), is a tryptamine derivative which acts as an agonist at the 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C serotonin receptors. It has anxiolytic, antihypertensive and anorectic effects, predominantly through action at 5-HT1A, but with some contribution from the 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C subtypes, and possibly some other non-serotonergic targets also.


Adeola Olubamiji

Adeola Deborah Olubamiji is a Nigerian-Canadian technologist who specializes in Metal and Plastic Additive Manufacturing (also known as 3D-Printing). In 2017, she became the first black person to obtain a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the 112-year-old University of Saskatchewan, Canada. She went on to give a TEDx Talk on how she utilized 3D-printing for recovery of damaged articular cartilage in Canada.
Background and education.
Adeola Olubamiji was born on April 3, 1985 in Nigeria, a native of Ijare area, Ondo state. She was raised in Ibadan where she attended Alafia Public Primary School and St Gabriel Secondary School, Mokola. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Physics (with Electronics) from Olabisi Onabanjo University, and later went on to obtain her master's degree at Tampere University of Technology, Finland. She received her Doctorate degree from University of Saskatchewan, becoming the first Black person to obtain a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University.
Career.
She is currently the Director of Additive Manufacturing Solutions at Desktop Metal. Prior to that, she worked as an Advanced Manufacturing Technical Advisor at Cummins Inc. Indiana, as an additive manufacturing subject matter expert, instrumental in the development of additive manufacturing technology roadmap, also improving cummins' laser printed 316L stainless steel.
She worked as the Lead Metallurgist and Material Engineer at Burloak Technologies from 2016 to 2018. While at Burloak Technologies, she also acted as the Principal Liaison Officer for all Burloak’s and Multiscale Additive Manufacturing Lab at the University of Waterloo, Ontario Canada.
She is the Founder of STEMHub Foundation, a Canadian Non-Profit that empowers and teaches Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education to students and early career professionals. In addition, she seats on the board of Health Science & Innovation Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana as the Secretary of the board.
She is the chief consultant at D-Tech Centrix, an education and career consulting company, located in Ontario Canada and Indiana USA
Awards and recognition.
She was recognized in 2017 as 5th of the 150 black women making Canada better, commemorating the 150th celebration of Canada.
In 2019, She was named one of the 10 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honoree Canada
In 2019, She was named as one of 27 Influential Women in Manufacturing Honoree in USA
In 2020, Olubamiji was awarded as one of 130 STEP Ahead Honoree and female manufacturing leaders by the Manufacturing Institute, USA
She was selected as an awardee of  Top 100 Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2020,  under the Life Science and Technology Category


William Charles Evans

William Charles Evans F.R.S. (1 October 1911-24 July 1988) was an eminent biochemist who spent most of his career at the University College of North Wales, Bangor.


Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase

Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) is an enzyme found in the prokaryote "Nitrosomonas europaea." It plays a critically important role in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle as part of the metabolism of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria.
The substrate is hydroxylamine (<chem>NH2OH</chem>), a chemical produced biologically by the enzyme Ammonia monooxygenase. The products of the catalyzed reaction are debated, but recent work shows compelling evidence for the production of nitric oxide.
Structural studies.
Crystallographic methods show that HAO (PDB code: ) is a cross-linked trimer of polypeptides containing 24 heme cofactors.
Reactivity.
For many decades the enzyme was thought to catalyze the following reaction:
Recent work in the field, however, reveals that this enzyme catalyzes an entirely different reaction:
Subsequent oxidation of the nitric oxide to nitrite caused by reaction with oxygen accounts for the reactivity previous described by Hooper et al.
Environmental Impact.
Nitric oxide, the product of HAO catalysis, is a potent greenhouse gas. Additionally, the oxidized product of nitric oxide in the presence of oxygen is nitrite - a common pollutant in agricultural run-off.


DNQX

DNQX (6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione) is a competitive antagonist at AMPA and kainate receptors, two ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) subfamilies. It is used in a variety of molecular biology subfields, notably neurophysiology, to assist researchers in determining the properties of various types of ion channels and their potential applications in medicine.


Viridamide

Viridamides are bio-active lipodepsipeptides made by marine cyanobacteria.


Chemerin peptide

Chemerin peptides are short peptides (on the order of 9 amino acids) that are produced from the carboxyl terminus of the chemokine chemerin. They display the same activities as chemerin, although at higher efficacy and potency.
A particular synthetic chemerin-derived peptide, termed C15, was developed at Oxford University. It showed anti-inflammatory activities. Intraperitoneal administration of C15 (0.32 ng/kg) to mice before zymosan challenge conferred significant protection against zymosan-induced peritonitis, suppressing neutrophil (63%) and monocyte (62%) recruitment with a concomitant reduction in proinflammatory mediator expression.
C15 was found to promote phagocytosis and efferocytosis in peritoneal macrophages at picomolar concentrations. C15 enhanced macrophage clearance of microbial particles and apoptotic cells by factor of 360% in vitro


Reverse northern blot

The reverse northern blot is a method by which gene expression patterns may be analyzed by comparing isolated RNA molecules from a tester sample to samples in a control cDNA library. It is a variant of the northern blot in which the nucleic acid immobilized on a membrane is a collection of isolated DNA fragments rather than RNA, and the probe is RNA extracted from a tissue and radioactively labelled. A reverse northern blot can be used to profile expression levels of particular sets of RNA sequences in a tissue or to determine presence of a particular RNA sequence in a sample. Although DNA Microarrays and newer next-generation techniques have generally supplanted reverse northern blotting, it is still utilized today and provides a relatively cheap and easy means of defining expression of large sets of genes.
Procedure.
In order to prepare the reverse northern membrane, cDNA sequences for transcripts of interest are immobilized on nylon membranes, which can be accomplished by use of dot blots or bidirectional agarose gel blotting and UV fixation of the DNA to the membranes. In many cases, cDNA probes may be preferred over RNA probes in order to mitigate problems of RNA degradation by RNAses or tissue metabolites. Prepared reverse northern blot membranes are pre-hybridized in Denhardt's solution with SSC buffer and labeled cDNA probes are denatured at 100 °C and added to the pre-hybridization solution. The membrane is incubated with the probes for at least 15 hours at 65 °C, then washed and exposed.
Applications.
Quantification of mRNA expression levels.
Reverse Northern blot, much like the northern blot upon which it is based, is used to determine levels of gene expression in particular tissues. In comparison to the Northern blot, the reverse northern blot is able to probe a large number of transcripts at once with less specificity with regard to probes than is required for Northern blot. Often this will involve the use of suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) libraries or differential display to isolate differentially expressed transcripts and create bacterial clones containing inserts for these sequences. These will serve as the targets hybridized to the membrane and will be probed by sample RNA. Expression levels can be quantified by increase or decrease in fluorescent or radioactive signal over a control treatment. Bands or dots which appear darker and larger signify transcripts which are over-expressed in a sample of interest and lighter dots indicate that a transcript is down-regulated versus a control sample.
Confirmation of differential display results.
Due to a tendency to generate high numbers of false positives caused by band contamination with heterogeneous sequences, differential display hits will need to be confirmed by an alternative method for determining differential expression. While northern blot or q-PCR are often used to confirm results, both techniques have drawbacks. Northern blot is limited by its ability to only probe with one mRNA at a time, while q-PCR requires transcripts to be long enough to generate primers for the sequence and probes can be costly. Therefore, reverse northern has been used as one means of confirming hits from DD-PCR, or sequences with altered expression levels. In this case, the membrane will be coated with amplified DD-PCR products which have been cloned into vectors, sequenced, and reamplified.
DNA microarrays.
DNA microarrays operate by similar procedures to those used in the reverse northern blot, consisting of many DNA probes hybridized to a solid glass, plastic or silicon substrate which is probed with labeled RNA or cDNA. This allows for significantly expanded gene expression profiling. Arrays may be purchased from commercial suppliers tailored to research needs e.g. cancer, cell cycle, or toxicology microarrays, or may be generated for custom targets. Fluorescent or radioactive signals generated by hybridization of isolated sample cDNA probes will be proportional to the transcript's abundance in the tissue being studied.


5-MAPB

5-MAPB (1-(benzofuran-5-yl)-"N"-methylpropan-2-amine) is an entactogenic designer drug similar to MDMA in its structure and effects.
Legal Status.
Canada.
5-MAPB is not listed itself in the CDSA but since it is structurally related to MDMA it may be considered illegal in Canada, although this has not been tested in court.
China.
As of October 2015 5-MAPB is a controlled substance in China.
United Kingdom.
5-MAPB was originally banned in the UK in June 2013 under a Temporary class drug order. On March 5, 2014 the UK Home Office announced that 5-MAPB would be made a class B drug on 10 June 2014 alongside every other benzofuran entactogen and many structurally related drugs.
Pharmacokinetics.
Metabolism and toxicity.
Little formal knowledge exists on 5-MAPB. It does not form the alpha-methyldopamine metabolite that contributes to the neurotoxicity of MDMA or MDA. A study in rats indicated that the major metabolites of 5-MAPB are 5-APB and 3-carboxymethyl-4-hydroxymethamphetamine.
Pharmacodynamics.
5-MAPB binds to the dopamine transporter in rat brain cells with a lower potency than cocaine. "In silico" data suggests that the primary action on dopamine is through reversal of the transporter to release dopamine. This is consistent with the effects and it is possible that it exerts a similar action on serotonin and norepinephrine transporters.


Pheophytin

Pheophytin or phaeophytin (abbreviated Pheo) is a chemical compound that serves as the first electron carrier intermediate in the electron transfer pathway of Photosystem II (PS II) in plants, and the type II photosynthetic reaction center (RC P870) found in purple bacteria. In both PS II and RC P870, light drives electrons from the reaction center through pheophytin, which then passes the electrons to a quinone (QA) in RC P870 and RC P680. The overall mechanisms, roles, and purposes of the pheophytin molecules in the two transport chains are analogous to each other.
Structure.
In biochemical terms, pheophytin is a chlorophyll molecule lacking a central Mg2+ ion. It can be produced from chlorophyll by treatment with a weak acid, producing a dark bluish waxy pigment. The probable etymology comes from this description, with "pheo" meaning "dusky" and "phyt" meaning "vegetation".
History and discovery.
In the 1977s, scientists Klevanik, Klimov, Shuvalov performed a series of experiments to demonstrate that it is pheophytin and not plastoquinone that serves as the primary electron acceptor in photosystem II. Using several experiments, including electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), they were able to show that pheophytin was reducible and, therefore, the primary electron acceptor between P680 and plastoquinone (Klimov, Allakhverdiev, Klevanik, Shuvalov). This discovery was met with fierce opposition, since many believed pheophytin to only be a byproduct of chlorophyll degradation. Therefore, more experiments ensued to prove that pheophytin is indeed the primary electron acceptor of PSII, occurring between P680 and plastoquinone (Klimov, Allakhverdiev, Shuvalov). The data that was obtained is as follows:
These observations are all characteristic of photo-conversions of reaction center components.
Reaction in purple bacteria.
Pheophytin is the first electron carrier intermediate in the photoreaction center (RC P870) of purple bacteria. Its involvement in this system can be broken down into 5 basic steps. The first step is excitation of the bacteriochlorophylls (Chl)2 or the special pair of chlorophylls. This can be seen in the following reaction.
The second step involves the (Chl)2 passing an electron to pheophytin, producing a negatively charged radical (the pheophytin) and a positively charged radical (the special pair of chlorophylls), which results in a charge separation.
The third step is the rapid electron movement to the tightly bound menaquinone, QA, which immediately donates the electrons to a second, loosely bound quinone (QB). Two electron transfers convert QB to its reduced form (QBH2).
The fifth and final step involves the filling of the “hole” in the special pair by an electron from a heme in cytochrome "c". This regenerates the substrates and completes the cycle, allowing for subsequent reactions to take place.
Involvement in photosystem II.
In photosystem II, pheophytin plays a very similar role. It again acts as the first electron carrier intermediate in the photosystem. After P680 becomes excited to P680*, it transfers an electron to pheophytin, which converts the molecule into a negatively charged radical. Two negatively charged pheophytin radicals quickly pass their extra electrons to two consecutive plastoquinone molecules. Eventually, the electrons pass through the cytochrome "b6f" molecule and leaves photosystem II. The reactions outlined above in the section concerning purple bacteria give a general illustration of the actual movement of the electrons through pheophytin and the photosystem. The overall scheme is:


Marjolein van der Meulen

Marjolein Christine Hermance van der Meulen is an American engineer who currently serves as James M. and Marsha McCormick Director of Biomedical Engineering and Swanson Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University and is a Senior Scientist in the Research Division of the Hospital for Special Surgery.
Biography.
Education.
Van der Meulen received her BS in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987. She went on to graduate from Stanford University with a MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1989 and 1993 respectively.
Career.
Van der Meulen worked at the Rehabilitation R&D Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Palo Alto, California for three years as a biomedical engineer before joining Cornell University as a professor.
She currently runs the van der Meulen research group at Cornell University. Van der Meulen's research in the field of orthopaedic biomechanics "focuses on the interaction between mechanical stimuli and the skeleton, and the mechanical properties of musculoskeletal tissues." In 2013, the van der Meulen research group created a model that simulates prolonged joint loading and published a study in the journal "Arthritis and Rheumatism."
Honors and awards.
Some of Van der Meulen's honors have included:
Van der Meulen is a member of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, the American and European Societies of Biomechanics, and the Orthopaedic Research Society.
Personal life.
Van der Meulen is Dutch-American.


CXCR4

C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR-4) also known as fusin or CD184 (cluster of differentiation 184) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the "CXCR4" gene. The protein is a CXC chemokine receptor.
Function.
CXCR-4 is an alpha-chemokine receptor specific for stromal-derived-factor-1 (SDF-1 also called CXCL12), a molecule endowed with potent chemotactic activity for lymphocytes. CXCR4 is one of several chemokine co-receptors that HIV can use to infect CD4+ T cells. HIV isolates that use CXCR4 are traditionally known as T-cell tropic isolates. Typically, these viruses are found late in infection. It is unclear as to whether the emergence of CXCR4-using HIV is a consequence or a cause of immunodeficiency.
CXCR4 is upregulated during the implantation window in natural and hormone replacement therapy cycles in the endometrium, producing, in presence of a human blastocyst, a surface polarization of the CXCR4 receptors suggesting that this receptor is implicated in the adhesion phase of human implantation.
CXCR4's ligand SDF-1 is known to be important in hematopoietic stem cell homing to the bone marrow and in hematopoietic stem cell quiescence. It has been also shown that CXCR4 signalling regulates the expression of CD20 on B cells. Until recently, SDF-1 and CXCR4 were believed to be a relatively monogamous ligand-receptor pair (other chemokines are promiscuous, tending to use several different chemokine receptors). Recent evidence demonstrates ubiquitin is also a natural ligand of CXCR4. Ubiquitin is a small (76-amino acid) protein highly conserved among eukaryotic cells. It is best known for its intracellular role in targeting ubiquitylated proteins for degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome system. Evidence in numerous animal models suggests ubiquitin is anti-inflammatory immune modulator and endogenous opponent of proinflammatory damage associated molecular pattern molecules. It is speculated this interaction may be through CXCR4 mediated signalling pathways. MIF is an additional ligand of CXCR4
CXCR4 is present in newly generated neurons during embryogenesis and adult life where it plays a role in neuronal guidance. The levels of the receptor decrease as neurons mature. CXCR4 mutant mice have aberrant neuronal distribution. This has been implicated in disorders such as epilepsy.
CXCR4 dimerization is dynamic and increases with concentration.
Clinical significance.
Drugs that block the CXCR4 receptor appear to be capable of "mobilizing" hematopoietic stem cells into the bloodstream as peripheral blood stem cells. Peripheral blood stem cell mobilization is very important in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (as a recent alternative to transplantation of surgically harvested bone marrow) and is currently performed using drugs such as G-CSF. G-CSF is a growth factor for neutrophils (a common type of white blood cells), and may act by increasing the activity of neutrophil-derived proteases such as neutrophil elastase in the bone marrow leading to proteolytic degradation of SDF-1. Plerixafor (AMD3100) is a drug, approved for routine clinical use, which directly blocks the CXCR4 receptor. It is a very efficient inducer of hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in animal and human studies. In a small human clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fucoidan ingestion (brown seaweed extract), 3g daily of 75% w/w oral fucoidan for 12 days increased the proportion of CD34+CXCR4+ from 45 to 90% and the serum SDF-1 levels, which could be useful in CD34+ cells homing/mobilization via SDF-1/CXCR4 axis.
It has been associated with WHIM syndrome. WHIM like mutations in CXCR4 were recently identified in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a B-cell malignancy. The presence of CXCR4 WHIM mutations has been associated with clinical resistance to ibrutinib in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
While CXCR4's expression is low or absent in many healthy tissues, it was demonstrated to be expressed in over 23 types of cancer, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancer. Expression of this receptor in cancer cells has been linked to metastasis to tissues containing a high concentration of CXCL12, such as lungs, liver and bone marrow. However, in breast cancer where SDF1/CXCL12 is also expressed by the cancer cells themselves along with CXCR4, CXCL12 expression is positively correlated with disease free (metastasis free) survival. CXCL12 (over-)expressing cancers might not sense the CXCL12 gradient released from the metastasis target tissues since the receptor, CXCR4, is saturated with the ligand produced in an autocrine manner. Another explanation of this observation is provided by a study that shows the ability of CXCL12 (and CCL2) producing tumors to entrain neutrophils that inhibit seeding of tumor cells in the lung.
Drug response.
Chronic exposure to THC has been shown to increase T lymphocyte CXCR4 expression on both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in rhesus macaques. It has been shown that BCR signalling inhibitors also affect CXCR4 pathway and thus CD20 expression.
Interactions.
CXCR4 has been shown to interact with USP14.


Pressure-volume curves

In ecology, pressure-volume curves describe the relationship between total water potential (Ψt) and relative water content (R) of living organisms. These values are widely used in research on plant-water relations, and provide valuable information on the turgor, osmotic and elastic properties of plant tissues.
According to the Boyle–v'ant Hoff Relation, the product of osmotic potential and volume of solution should be a constant for any given amount of osmotically active solutes in an ideal osmotic system.
formula_1 = A constant
formula_2 is osmotic potential and formula_3 is volume of solution.
This can then be manipulated to a linear relation which describes the ideal situation:
formula_2 = formula_5 A constant


Richard Martin (Recorder of London)

Richard Martin (1570–1618) was an English lawyer, orator, and supporter of the Virginia Company who was appointed Recorder of the City of London at the recommendation of James I of England in 1618 but died shortly thereafter.
Lawyer and tavern wit.
Martin studied at Oxford University and was admitted to the Middle Temple, one of the Inns of Court providing legal training in Elizabethan London, on 7 November 1587. He was a member of a group of intellectual men, poets, and playwrights including John Donne and Ben Jonson who met the first Friday of every month at the Mermaid Tavern in Bread Street. Martin was "universally well regarded for his warmth of nature, personal beauty, and graceful speech", and was elected "prince of Love" to preside over the Christmas grand revels of the Middle Temple in the winter of 1597/98. Michelle O'Callaghan points out that those elected to oversee the grand revels had to be skilled in "singing, dancing, and music", and well-versed in "rhetoric, law and other scholastic exercises travestied" in the revels. The poet John Davies dedicated his 1596 collection "Orchestra, or a Poeme of Dauncing" to Martin, but they fell out soon after, and Davies was disbarred and briefly thrown in the Tower of London in February 1598 "for thrashing his friend, another roysterer of the day, Mr. Richard Martin, in the Middle Temple Hall" with a cudgel. (Davies publicly apologized to Martin in 1601 and was readmitted to the English Bar. He went on to have a brilliant legal career.)
Martin defended Jonson and his controversial 1602 play "The Poetaster" to the Lord Chief Justice Sir John Popham. Later, Jonson acknowledged Martin in the dedication of the 1616 folio edition of "The Poetaster" "for whose innocence as for the author's you were once a noble and kindly undertaker to the greatest justice [Popham] of this kingdom."
Martin is mentioned in, and was perhaps a co-author of, the poetic libel "The Parliament Fart", one of the most popular and malleable comic poems of the early Stuart era, which originated in the circle of tavern wits of which Martin was a part.
Parliament and the Virginia Company.
Martin was elected member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1601. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, Martin was chosen to give a speech welcoming the new King James to London on behalf of the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex as part of the celebrations of the royal entry on 7 May. In his speech, Martin reminded the king of the breadth of his new kingdom and warned of the dangers of piracy. The speech was printed that same year.
Martin was M.P. for Christchurch in James's first Parliament (1604–11) and Counsel to the Virginia Company from 1612. In May 1614, Martin was invited to speak before the Addled Parliament on the Colony of Virginia as lawyer for the company. From 1611 Martin had taken an active interest in the colonization of the Bermuda Islands or Somers Isles, and in 1615 was a founding shareholder of the Somers Isles Company chartered to manage the colony.
On the death of Sir Anthony Benn, 29 September 1618, King James recommended Martin to the City of London for their recorder or chief counsel to the Lord Mayor, and he was chosen to the position, but died about a month after, of smallpox, on Sunday morning 2 November 1618, and was buried in the Temple Church, London.
In 1617, when the treasury of the Virginia Company was exhausted, societies of private adventurers were authorized to settle plantations in Virginia under the style of "hundreds." One of the first of these societies, organized in 1618 as the Society of Martin's Hundred, was named in honour of Richard Martin who had so eloquently defended Virginia before Parliament in 1614. Martin's Hundred, containing some , was about seven miles (11 km) below Jamestown, Virginia, on the north side of the James River.


Shu Chien

Shu Chien (; born June 23, 1931 in Beijing, China), is a Chinese–American physiologist and bioengineer. His work on the fluid dynamics of blood flow has had a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. More recently, Chien's research has focused on the mechanical forces, such as pressure and flow, that regulate the behaviors of the cells in blood vessels. Chien is currently President of the Biomedical Engineering Society and is one of only 11 scholars who are members of all three U.S. national institutes: the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
Biography.
Chien was born in Beijing and grew up in Shanghai. Chien's family are descendants of the royal family of the King Qian Liu of the Kingdom of Wuyue. His grandfather Chien Hong-ye (錢鴻業) was a Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of the Republic of China (in Shanghai). His father Chien Shih-Liang, a chemist, was former President of Academia Sinica. His elder brother Robert Chien (錢純) was former Minister of Finance of Taiwan, and former Secretary-general of Executive Yuan. His young brother Fredrick Chien is also an influential politician in Taiwan. Shu Chien married Dr. Kuang-Chung Hu Chien in 1957.
From 1947 to 1948, Chien completed his medical preparatory study at Peking University Medical School. In 1949, Chien moved to Taiwan with his family. In 1953, Chien graduated from the National Taiwan University. Chien went to study in the United States in 1954 and obtained his PhD in 1957 from Columbia University. Chien also received M.D. from the National Taiwan University.
From 1969 to 1988, Chien was a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Columbia University. Chien was a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 1992.
Chien is current President (since 1991) of the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Chien was the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering of UCSD from 1994 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2005. He is also the founding director of the Institute of Engineering in Medicine in July 2008. He was named as a recipient of the National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama on September 27, 2011 for "pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering".
1967 Science Papers.
In 1967 Chien published three papers in Science that advanced the understanding of the physics behind the flow of red blood cells. Chien and his colleagues were able to explore the flow properties of red blood cells through various experiments involved with filtering red blood cells through plastic porous sieves. One key finding was that the flow of red blood cells does not follow Newtonian behavior and this characteristic is fundamental in aiding red blood cells to squeeze through capillaries.
Chien and his colleagues further discovered the importance of the malleability of red blood cells to pass through tiny pores smaller than the cells' diameter. In other words, a healthy normal red blood cell is able to "squeeze" by deforming its shape and pass through small pores. In addition, this deformation helps lower the viscosity of blood and facilitate flow. Another important discovery that determines the viscosity of blood is the ability of red blood cells to aggregate to form rouleaux (like stacks of coins) due to their disc like shape. Chien and his colleagues discovered that this was a crucial factor in modulating viscosity and regulating blood flow and elucidated the mechanical, electrical and biochemical basis of this process. These discoveries show that the shape of red blood cells is not accidental, but rather a highly "engineered design" meant for efficient transportation.
Recent research.
Chien has investigated the mechanisms by which mechanical forces such as pressure and flow regulate the behaviors of the cells in blood vessels, including the endothelial cells lining the vessel lumen and the smooth muscle cells in the vessel interior and their interactions. His work has led to the understanding how forces with a clear direction (as seen in the straight parts of the vascular tree) can protect the vessels from atherosclerosis and how forces without a clear direction (as seen in the branch points) make the vessels vulnerable to atherosclerosis. More recently, he has developed novel approaches to assess the optimum microenvironment for the growth and differentiation of stem cells.


Renu Swarup

Renu Swarup is the Secretary, Government of India, heading the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology. She has actively contributed in the formulation of India’s Biotechnology Vision and Strategy. She is credited with the establishment of India’s largest microbial resource centre, Microbial Culture Collection.
To acknowledge her support in microbial diversity research in India and simplifying provisions of the Biological diversity Act, 2002, a newly discovered microbial species "Natrialba swarupiae" has been named in her honour by the National Centre for Cell Science.
In addition to her current role, she holds the position of Chairperson, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Public Sector Company incorporated by the Government of India to promote research and innovation in the Biotech Enterprise with special focus on Start-Ups and SMEs.
Education.
Swarup earned her PhD in the field of Genetics and Plant Breeding. She did her Post-Doctoral work with the Commonwealth Scholarship in the lab of Professor Roy Davies at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. In 1989 she returned to India and took up the assignment of a Science Manager in the Department of Biotechnology.
Career.
Renu Swarup has served in the Department of Biotechnology for nearly 29 years. She was the Senior Advisor and Scientist- H at DBT before taking over as Secretary to Government of India on April 10, 2018.
At the Department of Biotechnology, Swarup has overseen national programmes on Bioresource development and utilization, spatial characterisation of biodiversity, second generation bioethanol and drugs from microbes and the National Biopharma Mission.
She was instrumental in formulation of the Biotechnology Vision in 2001, National Biotechnology Development Strategy in 2007 and Strategy II, 2015–20 as the Member Secretary of the Expert Committee.
Swarup is a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and a life member of the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences(TAAS). She also serves on the Board Of Management of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed university) in Andhra Pradesh, India.
She has been a supporter of women scientists and has been involved in several initiatives that encourage participation of women in scientific and technological research. She initiated a DBT scheme called Biotechnology Career Advancement for Women Scientists (BioCARe).  She was a member of the task force on Women in Science, constituted by the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister. She is also a member of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World.
Under her leadership, the Department Of Biotechnology is playing a key role in developing technological solutions for COVID-19 in India.


Niosome

A niosome is a non-ionic surfactant-based vesicle. Niosomes are formed mostly by non-ionic surfactant and cholesterol incorporation as an excipient. Other excipients can also be used. Niosomes have more penetrating capability than the previous preparations of emulsions. They are structurally similar to liposomes in having a bilayer, however, the materials used to prepare niosomes make them more stable. It can entrap both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, either in an aqueous layer or in a vesicular membrane made of lipid material.
Structure.
Niosomes are lamellar structures that are microscopic in size. They constitute of non-ionic surfactant of the alkyl or dialkyl polyglycerol ether class and cholesterol with subsequent hydration in aqueous media. The surfactant molecules tend to orient themselves in such a way that the hydrophilic ends of the non-ionic surfactant point outwards, while the hydrophobic ends face each other to form the bilayer. The figure in this article on niosomes gives a better idea of the lamellar orientation of the surfactant molecules.
Methods of preparation.
Niosomes can be prepared by various methods, including:
Applications.
Niosomes are a novel drug delivery system that are finding application in:


Henry Lumley, Viscount Lumley

Henry Lumley, Viscount Lumley (c. 1685 – 24 April 1710), of Stansted Park, Sussex and Lumley Castle, county Durham, was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1710.
Lumley was the eldest son of Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough and his wife Frances Jones, daughter of Sir Henry Jones of Aston, Oxfordshire. He was educated at Eton College in 1698 and matriculated from King's College, Cambridge at Easter 1703. He became a Captain in the 1st Dragoon Guards in 1708.
Lumley was returned as Whig Member of Parliament for Arundel, near the family estates in Sussex, at a by-election on 7 December 1708. Early in 1710, he voted for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell. His career was cut short due to his death by smallpox in 1710.
Lumley died unmarried on 24 April 1710 and was buried at St Martin-in-the-Fields. He was extremely small in stature, and was even referred to as a ‘pigmy’ by one contemporary. Alexander Pope, another small man, expressed regret on the death of Lumley, whom he considered a hero.


Esmolol

Esmolol, sold under the brand name Brevibloc, is a cardioselective beta1 receptor blocker with rapid onset, a very short duration of action, and no significant intrinsic sympathomimetic or membrane stabilising activity at therapeutic dosages.
It is a class II antiarrhythmic. Esmolol decreases the force and rate of heart contractions by blocking beta-adrenergic receptors of the sympathetic nervous system, which are found in the heart and other organs of the body. Esmolol prevents the action of two naturally occurring substances: epinephrine and norepinephrine.
It was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in 1987.
Medical uses.
To terminate supraventricular tachycardia,
Episodic atrial fibrillation or flutter,
Arrhythmia during anaesthesia,
To reduce HR and BP during and after cardiac surgery, and
In early treatment of myocardial infarction.
Esmolol is also used in blunting the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation.
Dosing.
A loading dose of 0.5 mg/kg is given followed
by 0.05–0.2 mg/kg/min infusion.
Metabolism.
Esmolol is considered a soft drug, one that is rapidly metabolized to an inactive form. Esmolol is rapidly metabolized by hydrolysis of the ester linkage, chiefly by the esterases in the cytosol of red blood cells and not by plasma cholinesterases or red cell membrane acetylcholinesterase. Total body clearance in man was found to be about 20 L/kg/hr, which is greater than cardiac output; thus the metabolism of esmolol is not limited by the rate of blood flow to metabolizing tissues such as the liver or affected by hepatic or renal blood flow. Esmolol's short duration of action is based on the ester-methyl side chain which allows for quick hydrolysis. Esmolol's structure is reflected in its name, es-molol as in ester-methyl. Plasma cholinesterases and red cell membrane acetylcholinesterase do not have any action. This metabolism results in the formation of a free acid and methanol. The amount of methanol produced is similar to endogenous methanol production. Esmolol has a rapid distribution half-life of about two minutes and an elimination half-life of about nine minutes.


Vinylphenol reductase

Vinylphenol reductase is an enzyme that catalyses the reaction :
4-vinylphenol + NAD+ + 3 H+ ⇔ 4-ethylphenol + NADH
It is found in "Brettanomyces bruxellensis", a yeast responsible of the presence of ethyl phenols in wine formed from p-coumaric acid.


Frances Separovic

Frances Separovic (born 1954) is a biophysical chemist, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Deputy Director of the Bio21 Institute and former Head of the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, where she taught physical chemistry and graduate students in her field. She is credited with developing a technique which utilises nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to study peptides in aligned lipid bilayers, and has applications in the study of the structure of membrane proteins and their effects on the membrane. Her current research concerns 'the structure and interactions of amyloid peptides from Alzheimer's disease, pore-forming toxins and antibiotic peptides in model biological membranes'.
Early life.
Franica Šeparović was born in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, People's Republic of Croatia and emigrated to Australia with her family in 1957. They settled in Broken Hill, western New South Wales. Separovic excelled in school and she was awarded both a Commonwealth and teacher's scholarship; she began tertiary studies at the University of Sydney, but soon left to work at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). In addition to work and study, Separovic was also a young mother.
Early career and academic achievements.
Separovic's career in science began as a Technical Assistant at a CSIRO microbiology lab (1972–78) 'counting colonies' and 'doing the washing up'. Adept at these basic tasks, she habitually finished her work early and went in search of more to do. Her capacity with mathematics recommended her to a section of the department involved in modelling lipid membranes, and trying to discover why they leak. This was the project upon which Separovic first encountered an NMR instrument – at the time (the 70s) a new technique – which now plays such a major role in her research. It was here, too, that she made her first contribution to a scientific paper: using her aptitude for mathematics to determine via 'simple geometry' the smallest possible radius of a vesicle which it is possible to make (10-nanometers), solving a contemporaneous argument within the scientific community.
In 1978 Separovic completed a Technical Certificate in Biology at Sydney Technical College, and continued to work at the CSIRO as a Technical Officer while studying part-time on a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University, with majors in Mathematics and Physics. She completed her undergraduate degree in 1984, at which time she became an Experimental Scientist at CSIRO; in 1986 she finished an Honours qualification in Physics (also at Macquarie University). Between 1986 and 1992, in addition to being a single parent and working full-time at the CSIRO, she completed a PhD (part-time) in Physics at the University of New South Wales. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, USA), Frances returned briefly to CSIRO before moving to the University of Melbourne as an Associate Professor & Reader in 1996.
Later career and public recognition.
In 2005, Separovic became the first woman to be appointed to a professorship in chemistry in Victoria. She is currently Professor of Chemistry and Group Leader at the Bio21 Institute and President of the Biophysical Society and was Head of School at the University of Melbourne (2010–2016), President of the Australian & New Zealand Magnetic Society for Resonance (ANZMAG), Treasurer of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, President of the Australian Society for Biophysics, and chaired the board of the Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology at Deakin University. She has been on the editorial board of "Biochimica et Biophysica Acta", an editor of "European Biophysics Journal" and a member of the editorial advisory board of "Accounts of Chemical Research" and "Chemical Reviews".
In 2012 Frances Separovic was made Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance (ISMAR), the Biophysical Society (USA) and the Australian Academy of Science – the first woman to be elected to the AAS in the field of chemistry. At the time, Separovic had published over 130 papers and successfully organized more than 25 conferences. In 2017 Frances was one of twelve IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering awardees and received a University of New South Wales Alumni Award for Science & Technology and in 2019 received the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Margaret Sheil Leadership Award.
In March 2018 Separovic was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women and became Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor Emeritus in February 2019. Frances was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for her "distinguished service to science education, particularly to biophysical chemistry, as an academic, and to young women scientists".