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Powerful new click chemistry reactivity

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

Chemists led by Nobel laureate K. Barry Sharpless at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have used his click chemistry to uncover unprecedented, powerful reactivity for making new drugs, diagnostics, plastics, smart materials and many other products. The new SuFExSulfur Fluoride Exchangereactions enable chemists to link molecules of their choice together using derivatives of a common commercial chemical considered essentially inert. The Sharpless team made this chemical reliably and predictably reactive. Astonishingly, acid-base constraints are rarely a concern, though they are central to nature's chemistry and an enormous hurdle for chemists. The stabile linkers are also non-polar and can enter cells, so have potential for crossing the blood-brain barrier. This is a new, emergent phenomenon, said Sharpless, the W.M. Keck Professor of Chemistry and member of the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at TSRI. Life chemistry depends on phosphate and amide linkers which are polar, so constrained when entering or exiting cells and membranes. During its three billion-year adventure, nature never adopted sulfate links, yet SuFEx has been shown to be tolerated by and within the chemistry of life. The breakthrough came by making SO2F2 reactive. SO2F2 is the commercial gas known as Vikane, the world's most common fumigant, used for … Continue reading →

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Training excites PZ Cussons Chemistry winners

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

The finalists in the inaugural edition of the PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge have commenced their internship with the company. The training, the PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc says, is part of the winning package. A 17-year-old pupil of Miketoy College, Ikotun, Lagos State, Emmanuel Onyekachi, who emerged this years winner, has described his experience so far in the training as exciting. Onyekachi said, I feel so much joy in my heart. I now have more confidence in myself and proud to be here because I have learnt a lot within this short period. This training has encouraged me to participate in more competitions and to seek to be a First Class student in the university. According to him, having emerged the champion has further propelled him to want to become a chemical engineer. For the second runner-up, Mgbemena Thankgod of Leeland International College, Oregun-Ikeja, the training has further brought out the best in him. He said, I thank God I am part of this success story. I am also grateful to PZ Cussons for inaugurating this initiative targeted at encouraging young scholars to put into practice what they learnt in school. Other participating interns are David Obi of Barachel College, Ifako-Agege, … Continue reading →

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Tissue development ‘roadmap’ created to guide stem cell medicine

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

In a boon to stem cell research and regenerative medicine, scientists at Boston Children's Hospital, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Boston University have created a computer algorithm called CellNet as a "roadmap" for cell and tissue engineering, to ensure that cells engineered in the lab have the same favorable properties as cells in our own bodies. CellNet and its application to stem cell engineering are described in two back-to-back papers in the August 14 issue of the journal Cell. Scientists around the world are engaged in culturing pluripotent stem cells (capable of forming all the body's tissues) and transforming them into specialized cell types for use in research and regenerative medicine. Available as an Internet resource for any scientist to use, CellNet provides a much needed "quality assurance" measure for this work. The two papers also clarify uncertainty around which methods are best for stem cell engineering, and should advance the use of cells derived from patient tissues to model disease, test potential drugs and use as treatments. For example, using CellNet, one of the studies unexpectedly found that skin cells can be converted into intestinal cells that were able to reverse colitis in … Continue reading →

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Misinformation Is Poisoning the Environment for Synthetic Biology

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

Friends of the Earth, Center for Food Safety and the ETC Group (orAction Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration) have launched a campaign to frighten consumers and consumer product companies about synthetic biology. The groups are following a well-worn campaign formula, threatening individual consumer product companies with boycotts to force them to abandon biotechnology. The groups campaign has resulted in some inconsistent advice for consumers.Friends of the Earth recently advocated the use of palm oilin consumer products, which other environmental allies such as theEnvironmental Working Grouphave classified as a hazardous product. FOE also apparently advocates the use of chemically synthesized vanillin and saffron flavorings, which it calls natures own compounds. Otherfood advocates have cautioned consumers against their use. Further, the campaign has enlisted an ally, theInstitute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, to parrot their misinformation. The Institute mistakenly equates synthetic biology with new methods of agricultural biotechnology and claims that synthetic biology is unregulated. The truth of the matter is that theU.S. governments oversight of any products produced with synthetic biologyfalls under the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. The same is true in Europe. Thats because synthetic biology is part of the ongoing growth and development of genetic engineering, … Continue reading →

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UC Santa Cruz begins building biology center this fall

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

By Kara Guzman kguzman@santacruzsentinel.com @karambutan on Twitter SANTA CRUZ >> Construction will begin in November on a $54 million UC Santa Cruz coastal biology building on the marine science campus. Expected to be complete by fall 2016, the 40,000-square-foot building the new home for UCSC's ecology and evolutionary biology department includes a marine life teaching lab, greenhouses and a 125-seat classroom. The state-funded project also includes a $19 million upgrade to roads, parking, pathways and underground utilities on the marine science campus, located near Natural Bridges State Beach. The project is the first on UCSC's Coastal Long Range Development Plan, approved by the California Coastal Commission in 2009 after an eight-year process. Next up is the $6.8 million expansion of UCSC's marine mammal pools, likely to start in 2015, said Gary Griggs, director of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences. Funds are still being raised for the last major project, a new wing for the Center for Ocean Health, he said. According to the plan available at lrdp.ucsc.edu 72 of the marine science campus's 98 acres are set aside for environmental preservation as part of the Younger Lagoon Reserve. The new building will overlook this lagoon, beach, marsh and coastal bluff … Continue reading →

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Funding Update: NSF Bioinformatics Grants Awarded June 27 Aug. 11, 2014

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

Epic Sciences has appointed Greg Lucier as chairman of its board of directors. Lucier was previously chairman and CEO of Life Technologies. Illumina said this week it has appointed Google Senior Vice President Jeff Huber to serve on its board of directors. Huber, who works with the Google X research branch, joined Google in 2003 and led development of Google Maps, Google Apps, and Google Ads. He also formerly was VP of architecture and systems development at eBay, and senior VP of engineering at Excite@Home. Peter Dansky, formerly the president of the molecular and cell biology division at Life Technologies, has joined Agena Bioscience as its CEO and a member of its board of directors. He will lead Agena's expansion of its genetic analysis business into new application areas including clinical diagnostics. Previously, he held management positions at Arcturus Bioscience, Affymetrix, Molecular Dynamics, PerSeptive BioSystems and Millipore. Mark Guyer has retired from his post as deputy director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. Guyer joined the Office of Human Genome Research, the institute's precursor, in 1998, and he helped guide NHGRI's research activities from the earliest days of the Human Genome Project. He became director of the NHGRI Division … Continue reading →

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Games Proving Useful as Tools for Teaching Bioinformatics Concepts, Engaging Broad Communities

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

Epic Sciences has appointed Greg Lucier as chairman of its board of directors. Lucier was previously chairman and CEO of Life Technologies. Illumina said this week it has appointed Google Senior Vice President Jeff Huber to serve on its board of directors. Huber, who works with the Google X research branch, joined Google in 2003 and led development of Google Maps, Google Apps, and Google Ads. He also formerly was VP of architecture and systems development at eBay, and senior VP of engineering at Excite@Home. Peter Dansky, formerly the president of the molecular and cell biology division at Life Technologies, has joined Agena Bioscience as its CEO and a member of its board of directors. He will lead Agena's expansion of its genetic analysis business into new application areas including clinical diagnostics. Previously, he held management positions at Arcturus Bioscience, Affymetrix, Molecular Dynamics, PerSeptive BioSystems and Millipore. Mark Guyer has retired from his post as deputy director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. Guyer joined the Office of Human Genome Research, the institute's precursor, in 1998, and he helped guide NHGRI's research activities from the earliest days of the Human Genome Project. He became director of the NHGRI Division … Continue reading →

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Researchers Create Functional 3-D Brain-Like Tissue

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who created functional 3-D brain-like tissue say it could help scientists find new treatments for brain injuries and diseases and improve knowledge about normal brain function. The tissue, which can be kept alive in the laboratory for more than two months, is structurally similar to tissue in a rat's brain. It's also functionally like brain tissue. In early experiments with the tissue, researchers used it to study chemical and electrical changes that occur immediately after brain injury and the changes that occur in response to a drug. The tissue was developed at Tuft University's Tissue Engineering Resource Center, which is funded by the U.S. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). The research is described in an article published online Aug. 11 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This work is an exceptional feat," Rosemarie Hunziker, program director of Tissue Engineering at NIBIB, said in an agency news release. "It combines a deep understand of brain physiology with a large and growing suite of bioengineering tools to create an environment that is both necessary and sufficient to mimic brain function." This tissue offers advantages over using live animals … Continue reading →

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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy | Joint Injuries | Cartilage …

Posted: Published on August 15th, 2014

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Repair Damaged Joints Mesenchymal stem cell therapy can help repair damaged joints by encouraging the regeneration of healthy tissue. Dennis M. Lox, M.D., a board certified physician, performs this progressive, minimally invasive technique at his state-of-the-art clinic, Florida Spine and Sports Medicine Center. Dr. Lox is a leader in ground-breaking non-surgical pain treatment and has helped many patients find relief and recommence the activities they once enjoyed but were forced to give up due to joint pain. At his clinic, Dr. Lox has successfully treated athletes, weekend warriors, accident victims, and others, either initially for acute injuries, or later in life as the injured segment degenerates. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy does not involve the use of embryonic cells. Instead, the cells are extracted from the patients own bone marrow or fatty tissue during a short procedure performed in Dr. Loxs office. Immediately afterward, the cells are prepared and injected into the affected joint. Through this technique, the stem cells infiltrate the damaged joint and help restore its function by replacing the native cells lost through damage or disease, and also by inducing the remaining healthy cells to replicate. Stem cells have the extraordinary ability … Continue reading →

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Bristol Firefighters Host Boy With Muscular Dystrophy

Posted: Published on August 14th, 2014

BRISTOL When city firefighters begin their annual fundraiser for muscular dystrophy research this weekend, they'll have a bit of extra motivation: The thought of 4-year-old Justin Bolduc. Justin, a Bristol boy who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy two years ago, visited fire headquarters downtown on Tuesday with his mother, Sheri, and his older brother, Conner. Justin will be the "goodwill ambassador" for Bristol Firefighters Local 773's campaign for muscular dystrophy research, said Sean Lennon, a firefighter and union president. "Justin really enjoyed his time at the station and we are looking forward to a long friendship with him," Lennon said. Bristol firefighters will be on the streets Aug. 16 and 23 with their Fill The Boot fund drive, and Lennon is asking motorists in advance to take a minute to pitch in. Firefighters across the country do similar fundraising work around this time of year, and Lennon noted that Bristol has generated a significant amount for muscular dystrophy in the past. "Due to the generosity of Bristol residents we hope to continue to be one of the top cities again this year," he said. "I can't thank the residents of Bristol enough." The International Association of Fire Fighters began raising … Continue reading →

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