Biotechnology Commons^™

'Induction Of Apoptosis, Cytotoxicity And Radiosensitization By Novel 3,4-Dihydroquinazolinone Derivatives, Eman Ramadan, Amira Khalil

Pharmacy

Twenty new quinazolinone derivatives bearing a piperonyl moiety were designed and synthesized. The structures of the target compounds were in agreement with the microanalytical and spectral data. Compounds 4-10, 13, 14 and 17-27 were screened for their cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. The target compounds showed IC₅₀ in the range of 2.46-36.85 µM and 3.87-88.93 µM for HepG-2 and MCF-7, respectively. The promising compounds 7, 19, 26 and 27 were selected to measure their EGFR inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ values of the promising compounds were in the range of 146.9-1032.7 nM for EGFR in …

Covid19 Disease Map, A Computational Knowledge Repository Of Virus–Host Interaction Mechanisms, Marek Ostaszewski, Tomáš Helikar, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, A Host Of Co-Authors, Covid-19 Disease Map Community

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

We need to effectively combine the knowledge from surging literature with complex datasets to propose mechanistic models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, improving data interpretation and predicting key targets of intervention. Here, we describe a large-scale community effort to build an open access, interoperable and computable repository of COVID-19 molecular mechanisms. The COVID-19 Disease Map (C19DMap) is a graphical, interactive representation of disease-relevant molecular mechanisms linking many knowledge sources. Notably, it is a computational resource for graph-based analyses and disease modelling. To this end, we established a framework of tools, platforms and guidelines necessary for a multifaceted community of biocurators, domain experts, …

Identification And Characterisation Of Putative Drug Binding Sites In Human Atp-Binding Cassette B5 (Abcb5) Transporter, Lokeswari P. Tangella, Mahreen Arooj, Evelyne Deplazes, Elin S. Gray, Ricardo L. Mancera

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 The Author(s) The human ATP-binding cassette B5 (ABCB5) transporter, a member of the ABC transporter superfamily, is linked to chemoresistance in tumour cells by drug effluxion. However, little is known about its structure and drug-binding sites. In this study, we generated an atomistic model of the full-length human ABCB5 transporter with the highest quality using the X-ray crystal structure of mouse ABCB1 (Pgp1), a close homologue of ABCB5 and a well-studied member of the ABC family. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to validate the atomistic model of ABCB5 and characterise its structural properties in model cell membranes. Molecular …

Carbon Dots As Artificial Peroxidases For Analytical Applications, Shih-Chun Wei, Yang-Wei Lin, Huan-Tsung Chang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Nanozymes have become attractive in analytical and biomedical fields, mainly because of their low cost, long shelf life, and less environmental sensitivity. Particularly, nanozymes formed from nanomaterials having high surface area and rich active sites are interesting since their activities can be tuned through carefully controlling their size, morphology, and surface properties. This review article focuses on preparation of carbon dots (C dots) possessing peroxidase-like activity and their analytical applications. We highlight the important roles of the oxidation states and surface residues of C dots and their nanocomposites with metal, metal oxides, or metal sulfides playing on determining their specificity …

Transcutaneous Energy Transmission: Can We Do It Now?, Yuriy Pya

The VAD Journal

The percutaneous driveline used in contemporary LVADs presents a continuous risk of infection for the duration of support. Minimizing infection in durable mechanical circulatory support systems requires total implantation of all components and energy transfer by means other than percutaneous drivelines. A novel coplanar energy transfer (CET) system, similar to the original transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) design, is unique by incorporating two large rings with coil-within-the-coil topology to ensure strong resonance power. The CET system consists of an internal integrated controller, a battery coupled with an internal thoracic coil ring, and the LVAD pump. External equipment includes a power transmission …

Biofilm Forming Ability Of Bacteria Isolated From Dental Caries: With Reference To Streptococcus Species, Sonali Kaustubh Ambulkar, Vidya Tale, Abhijit Jadhav, Komal Kulkarni

Future Dental Journal

Dental caries is formed by the group of microorganisms attached to a tooth surface embedded in a matrix of polymers. Biofilm plays an important role in the development of dental caries, plaque and other periodontal diseases. The present study is aimed to isolate, identify and characterize bacteria from dental caries. The ability of biofilm formation of these isolates was confirmed by Congo red agar method, Tube method and Microtitre plate method. High biofilm-forming bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus anginosus, Enterococcus faecalis and Rothia dentocariosa are the predominant biofilm forming bacteria associated with dental caries.

Discoveries In Aerosol Science: Characterization Of Nanoparticles Emitted From Metallic Coils In Electronic Cigarettes, Kaushal Prasad

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Electronic (e-) cigarettes, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems, are battery-operated devices that are growing in popularity worldwide. Although e-cigarettes are known to be safer than traditional cigarettes, their potential health risks have not been extensively reviewed yet. In this study, aerosol nanoparticles generated from e-cigarette heaters were characterized. Kanthal A1 (iron + chromium + aluminum) coils, without nicotine solution or a wick, were installed in an e-cigarette atomizer. The operating conditions were varied coil resistances (0.1–1.0 Ω), a set applied power (10 W), and a stable duty cycle (50%: 5 s on, 5 s off ). The size …

Longitudinal Clonal Lineage Dynamics And Functional Characterization Of Pancreatic Cancer Chemo-Resistance And Metastasization, Chieh-Yuan Li

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In recent years, technological advancements, such as next-generation sequencing and single-cell interrogation techniques, have enriched our understanding in tumor heterogeneity. By dissecting tumors and characterizing clonal lineages, we are better understanding the intricacies of tumor evolution. Tumors are represented by the presence of and dynamic interactions amongst clonal lineages. Each lineage and each cell contributes to tumor dynamics through intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms, and the variable responses of clones to perturbations in the environment, especially therapeutics, underlie disease progression and relapse. Thus, there exists a pressing need to understand the molecular mechanisms that determine the functional heterogeneity of tumor sub-clones …

Modeling, Fabrication And Characterization Of Coated Calcium Phosphate Scaffolds Produced By 3d-Printing For Tissue Engineering Application, Touri Maria

Student Works (2020-2029)

A fully interconnected 3-dimensional scaffold with pre-determined dimensions and porosity can be attained by design-dependent rapid prototyping techniques which possess precise control over the internal and external architecture of the scaffolds thus they can overcome the problems associated with the process-dependent classical approaches. Interruption of vascular flow with fracture or surgical osteotomy results in a transient hypoxic gradient within the wound and subsequent tissue necrosis. Tissue engineering scaffolds with oxygen generating elements have shown to be able to increase the level of oxygen and cell survivability. In this study, biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffolds with the composition of 60% hydroxyapatite …

In Vivo Biosynthesis Of Inorganic Nanomaterials Using Eukaryotes - A Review, Ashiqur Rahman, Julia Lin, Francisco E. Jaramillo, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Clayton Jeffryes, Si Amar Dahoumane

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Bionanotechnology, the use of biological resources to produce novel, valuable nanomaterials, has witnessed tremendous developments over the past two decades. This eco-friendly and sustainable approach enables the synthesis of numerous, diverse types of useful nanomaterials for many medical, commercial, and scientific applications. Countless reviews describing the biosynthesis of nanomaterials have been published. However, to the best of our knowledge, no review has been exclusively focused on the in vivo biosynthesis of inorganic nanomaterials. Therefore, the present review is dedicated to filling this gap by describing the many different facets of the in vivo biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using living eukaryotic …

Using A Novel Cell- Penetrating Peptide Technology To Induce Pluripotency, Laura-Maria Oja

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

Somatic stem cells have been used as a regenerative medicine tool to treat diseases like leukemia for decades, but they are limited in their ability to self-renew and differentiate. A better alternative, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), has the ability to generate cells from all three germ layers and avoid tissue rejection as well as bypass the ethical concerns related to embryonic stem cells. In 2006, Takahashi and Yamanaka discovered that only four genes were required to induce pluripotency: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM). Since then, pluripotency has been induced with OSKM most effectively by transfection or transduction. However, …

Hexadecane Petroleum, And Biofuel Utilization In Marine Bacteria Isolated From Ballast Tanks, Alex Yashchenko

Graduate Theses

This study characterized the growth of bacteria isolated from ballast tank fluids in hexadecane, petroleum, plant, and algae-derived fuels. The study was performed to explore the capacity of ballast tank isolates to survive and grow within fuels that may be stored within ballast tanks. Results of the hexadecane analysis indicated that most isolates had higher viable cell counts in media supplemented with hexadecane. Members of Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, and a single Brevundimonas species had viable cell counts that were one or several orders ofmagnitude greater than that of controls. Results offuel analysis indicated higher viable cell counts in pure JP-5 and …

Multiplexed Crispr Libraries For Cancer Functional Genomics, Jintan Liu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

High-throughput forward genetic screenings are invaluable tools to systematically explore genetic interactions and to link gene disruption with disease contexts. The adaptation of CRISPR/Cas9 has improved the sensitivity and specificity of functional screenings. Despite this advance, there remains a long-standing need to improve functional screenings with smaller and more versatile pooled libraries. Capitalizing on the inherent multiplexing capability of a class 2 CRISPR enzyme AsCpf1, we developed a multiplexed, high throughput screening strategy that has avoided the usual trade-off between library size and library penetration, allowing library minimization without sacrificing gene targeting efficiency. We optimized the AsCpf1 protein for functional …

Inconceivable: An Analysis Of Assisted Reproductive Technology For The Church, Mary Elizabeth Gresham

Senior Honors Theses

Infertility pushes the boundaries of emotional and physical health, which is why many couples inside and outside the church turn to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) for a solution. Despite what has seemed like silence from the Church, some individuals have braved the biological confusion and ethical dilemmas to evaluate the technology. Three major ethical viewpoints have emerged that each prioritize something over medical technology, namely community, order, or human dignity. This paper serves to educate pastors and church leaders on the ever-changing biology of ART as well as give voice to Christians that have spoken out on this issue. At …

Potential Use Of Biotherapeutic Bacteria To Target Colorectal Cancer-Associated Taxa, Gareth Lawrence, Maire Begley, Paul D. Cotter, Caitríona M. Guinane

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease is the focus of much attention. It has been widely agreed upon that our gut bacteria play a role in host immunity, nutrient absorption, digestion, metabolism, and other key drivers of health. Furthermore, certain microbial signatures and specific taxa have also been associated with the development of diseases, such as obesity; inflammatory bowel disease; and, indeed, colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the focus of this review. By extension, such taxa represent potential therapeutic targets. In particular, the emerging human pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum represents an important agent in CRC development …

Constitutionalizing Nature's Law: Dignity And The Regulation Of Biotechnology In Switzerland, James Toomey

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The Swiss Constitution was amended by referendum in 1992 to include two unique provisions: Article 119, which imposes strict limits on genetic and reproductive technologies in humans in order to protect ‘human dignity’, and Article 120, which commits the Swiss federal government to limiting genetic technologies in non-human species on the basis of the ‘dignity of the creature’. This article analyzes the role of ‘dignity’ as a limit on biotechnologies in the Swiss constitutional order. It concludes that the understanding of dignity the constitution embraces codifies a contestable metaphysical theory of value at the constitutional level. Specifically, the Swiss constitutional …

Validity Of Plasma Collection Cards For Ferritin Assessment—A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Karsten Koehler, Eileen Marks-Nelson, Camila Pereira Braga, Safiya E. Beckford, Jiri Adamec

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Iron depletion is common around the world and among certain risk groups in developed countries. The overall purpose was to test the suitability of a novel plasma collection card for minimally invasive iron status assessment.

Methods: Twenty participants (10 f/10 m) participated in this cross-sectional study. Ferritin and hemoglobin were measured from blood collected from a forearm vein, serving as reference method. Blood was also collected from the fingertip using the NoviplexTM Plasma Prep Card as well as capillary collection tubes.

Results: There was substantial concordance between ferritin measured from samples collected via NoviplexTM and venous ferritin (concordance correlation …

Combination Of Investigational Cell-Based Therapy And Deep Brain Stimulation To Alter The Progression Of Parkinson’S Disease, Nader El Seblani

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the motor symptoms are caused by progressive loss of midbrain dopamine neurons. There is no current treatment that can slow or reverse PD. Our current “DBS-Plus” clinical trial (NCT02369003) features the implantation in vivo of autologous Schwann cells (SCs) derived from a patient’s sural nerve into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in combination with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for treating patients with advanced PD.

The central hypothesis of our research is that transdifferentiated SCs within conditioned nerve tissue will deliver pro-regenerative factors to enhance the survival of …

Observing The Effects Of Antimalarial Drug Availability On Women’S Work Absenteeism, Rei Imada

CMC Senior Theses

This study aims to provide insight on how availability of antimalarial drugs can help alleviate the economic burden of malaria. Much of the existing literature that looks into the effects of antimalarial drug availability focuses on the associated health benefits, but fails to draw a link to the economic benefits that may also be incurred. Using data from the 2015-2016 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey, this study performs a series of multiple regressions to observe how increased availability of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), a front-line antimalarial drug in most African countries, affects likelihood of work absenteeism …

Neurodegenerative Modeling: Tau Protein, Degradative Pathways, And Gene Expression Profiling Of Human Ipsc-Derived Neural Precursors And Differentiated 3-D Neural Sphere Versus 2-D Monolayer Cultures, Kyle H. Anthoney

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Human induced pluripotent stem cells offer a model for human brain development and disease by differentiation into brain organoids; however, current neural culture systems lack the microenvironment, neuronal circuits and connectivity, vascular circulation, and immune system that exist in vivo. After differentiation and development of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types within two formats of cell cultures, we can visualize and recapitulate in vivo protein accumulation, gene expression, and degradative processes such as autophagy. Using RNA extraction, purification methods and reverse transcription I compared traditional monolayer cultures and novel 3-D neural sphere cultures via gene expression analysis. This analysis indicated …

Theranostics For Antiretroviral Biodistribution And Pharmacokinetics, Brendan M. Ottemann

Theses & Dissertations

RATIONALE: Our laboratories birthed the field of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) theranostics. The new field allows simultaneous detection (diagnostics) and treatment (therapeutic) for the identification, treatment and inevitable elimination of virus in cell and tissue compartments. By employing theranostics, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can be tracked in lymph nodes, gut, spleen and liver. Cellular viral reservoirs including CD4+ T cell populations and mononuclear phagocytes (MP; monocytes, macrophages, microglia and dendritic cells) along with subcellular endosomal structures can now be targeted for drug delivery bringing therapeutics to areas where virus replicates. The overarching idea rests in improving precision targeted ARV delivery. …

Inhibition Of Serine, Glycine, One-Carbon Metabolism Reduces Proinflammatory Response, Ashlynn Mccall

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

Acute lung injury affects around 200,000 critically ill patients annually, with a mortality rate near 33%. With a lack of targeted therapies, it is vital to discover and understand the fundamental cellular processes that drive macrophage inflammation. In the field of macrophage immunometabolism, it is accepted that macrophages upregulating glycolysis indicates a role in proinflammatory processes, however, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding the intermediate pathways in glycolysis. This study examined the effects of serine, glycine, one-carbon metabolism inhibition on LPS-induced inflammation in bone marrow-derived macrophages. We show that the enzymatic expression of PHGDH and PSATl is unaffected when …

Chemical Epitope Targeting: Review Of A Novel Screening Technology, Qurrat Ul-Ain, Rene Kandler, Dylan Gillespie, Arundhati Nag

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

Chemical Epitope Targeting is a novel technology developed for designing peptide ligands with high affinity and specificity against specific regions of a protein that may be inaccessible to small molecules or antibodies. In this review, we summarize the key steps and significant applications of this technology. Operating on the same principles as antibody-antigen interactions, this technique involves chemically synthesizing the region of interest on the protein, called the epitope, as a polypeptide with a biotin detection tag and a strategically placed alkyne or azide presenting amino acid. The constructed epitope is screened against a comprehensive linear or cyclic One Bead …

Eugenics In The 21st Century, Jessica Linn Chin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Eugenics is the science of enhancing the human population through the management of breeding and hereditary traits. This thesis explores the history of eugenics and shows how eugenic practices continue in the 21^st century with advancements in technology and positive eugenic goals that can result in adverse effects on the human body and society. When Sir Francis Galton coined the term eugenics in 1883, he intended to improve British society with the use of positive eugenics. Galton used positive eugenics to encourage people with good mental and physical qualities to produce more children. He avoided negative eugenics, which involved …

Developing A Dissociative Nanocontainer For Peptide Drug Delivery, Michael Patrick Kelly

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The potency and specificity of bioactive peptides have propelled these agents to the forefront of pharmacological research. However, delivery of peptides to their molecular target in cells is a major obstacle to their widespread application. A Trojan Horse strategy of packaging a bioactive peptide within a modified protein cage to protect it during transport, and releasing it at the target site, is a promising delivery method. Recent work has demonstrated that the viral capsid of the P22 bacteriophage can be loaded with an arbitrary, genetically-encoded peptide, and externally decorated with a cell-penetrating peptide, such as HIV-Tat, to translocate across in …

Development Of Novel Zika And Anthrax Viral Nanoparticle Vaccines, Elizabeth Henderson

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Vaccines protect against numerous infectious diseases and prevent millions of deaths annually, but there are still many infectious diseases for which no licensed vaccine exists. Developing a new vaccine requires balancing safety and efficacy, and viral nanoparticle (VNP) vaccines possess both of these characteristics. The work herein demonstrates how tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanoparticles can serve as a platform to create candidate vaccines for Zika virus (ZIKV) and anthrax. In the first study, a ZIKV-specific epitope was genetically fused to TMV to create a safe and inexpensive vaccine that proved highly immunogenic in mice and led to the discovery of …

Synthesis Of New Aliphatic Pseudo-Branched Polyester Co-Polymers For Biomedical Applications, Zachary Shaw

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

In this study, a hyperbranched polyester co-polymer was designed using a proprietary monomer and diethylene glycol or triethylene glycol as monomers. The synthesis was carried out using standard melt polymerization technique and catalyzed by p-Tolulenesulfonic acid. The progress of the reaction was monitored with respect to time and negative pressure, with samples being subjected to standard characterization protocols. The resulting polymers were purified using the solvent precipitation method and characterized using various chromatographic and spectroscopic methods including GPC, MALDI-TOF, and NMR. We have observed polymers with a molecular weight of 29,643 kDa and 33,996 kDa, which is ideal to be …

Development Of A Lectin-Fc Fusion Protein With Antiviral And Anti-Cancer Activity., Matthew William Dent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the development of a novel lectin-Fc fusion protein and its antiviral and anti-cancer activity. The molecule, Avaren-Fc (AvFc), is a fusion of a variant of the actinomycete lectin actinohivin (Avaren) and the Fc region of human IgG1, and is selective for the terminal α1,2-mannose residues found at the ends of high-mannose-type glycans that can be found on the surface of certain heavily glycosylated viruses and cancer cells. Here, AvFc was found to be able to neutralize simian immunodeficiency virus as well as Hepatitis C virus with nanomolar IC₅₀ values. Furthermore, AvFc recognizes a number of cell …

Multimodality Somatostatin Analog For Fluorescence-Guided Surgery In Cancer, Servando Hernandez Vargas

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer surgery remains the primary curative treatment for most solid cancers and has major therapeutic implications for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Anatomical and functional imaging technologies are widely used during the pre- and postoperative stages, but intraoperative disease recognition relies on direct visual inspection and the hands of surgeons. The limited number of clinical tools for real-time intraoperative visual feedback restricts the ability to remove the complete cancer source and is partially responsible for the high rate of disease recurrence in patients. Intraoperative imaging with fluorescent contrast agents has the potential to improve the ability of surgeons to detect …

Uptake And Persistence Of Bacterial Magnetite Magnetosomes In A Mammalian Cell Line: Implications For Medical And Biotechnological Applications., Jefferson Cypriano, Jacques Werckmann, Gabriele Vargas, Adrana Lopes Dos Santos, Karen T. Silva, Pedro Leao, Fernando P. Almeida, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Marcos Farina, Ulysses Lins, Fernanda Abreu

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Magnetotactic bacteria biomineralize intracellular magnetic nanocrystals surrounded by a lipid bilayer called magnetosomes. Due to their unique characteristics, magnetite magnetosomes are promising tools in Biomedicine. However, the uptake, persistence, and accumulation of magnetosomes within mammalian cells have not been well studied. Here, the endocytic pathway of magnetite magnetosomes and their effects on human cervix epithelial (HeLa) cells were studied by electron microscopy and high spatial resolution nano-analysis techniques. Transmission electron microscopy of HeLa cells after incubation with purified magnetosomes showed the presence of magnetic nanoparticles inside or outside endosomes within the cell, which suggests different modes of internalization, and that …