Biotechnology Commons^™

Biosensor-Enhanced Organ-On-A-Chip Models For Investigating Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment Dynamics, Gayathree Thenuwara, Bilal Javed, Baljit Singh, Furong Tian

Articles

Glioblastoma, an aggressive primary brain tumor, poses a significant challenge owing to its dynamic and intricate tumor microenvironment. This review investigates the innovative integration of biosensor-enhanced organ-on-a-chip (OOC) models as a novel strategy for an in-depth exploration of glioblastoma tumor microenvironment dynamics. In recent years, the transformative approach of incorporating biosensors into OOC platforms has enabled real-time monitoring and analysis of cellular behaviors within a controlled microenvironment. Conventional in vitro and in vivo models exhibit inherent limitations in accurately replicating the complex nature of glioblastoma progression. This review addresses the existing research gap by pioneering the integration of biosensor-enhanced OOC …

Investigating Vital Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Pathogen Response In Neutropenic Individuals, Ryan Illig

Thinking Matters Symposium

Neutrophils, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), constitute the majority of innate immune cells. These cells possess a complex arsenal of functions that allow them to detect and eliminate a broad spectrum of pathogens. Neutropenia is characterized by decreased levels of neutrophils in the bloodstream, typically falling below the normal range. Moderate to severe neutropenia can increase the risk of pathogenic infections and without treatment can be life-threatening. Although the concentration of neutrophils in neutropenic individuals is decreased, upon activation, neutrophils still release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are pivotal in combating a spectrum of pathogens through their non-selective nature. Overreactive …

Amplon: Amplifying Dna With Multiarm Priming And Looping Optimization Of Nucleic Acid, Mert Tunca Doganay, Ethan Roman, Andrea M. Hujer, Robert A. Bonomo, Mohamed S. Draz

Faculty Scholarship

Nucleic acid amplification, the bedrock of biotechnology and molecular diagnostics, surges in applications—especially isothermal approaches—heightening the demand for advanced and precisely engineered methods. Here, a novel approach for amplifying DNA with multiarm priming and looping optimization of nucleic acid (AMPLON) is presented. AMPLON relies on a novel polymeric material with unique set of multiarm polyethylene glycol–DNA primers for efficient DNA amplification under isothermal conditions. Each arm carries single-stranded DNA complementing the sense or antisense sequence of the target DNA. The amplification reaction begins with antisense arms binding to the target DNA, forming a template for sense-carrying arms to direct multiarm …

Annotation Of Hypothetical Genes In Lactococcus Lactis Ssp. Il403, Jennifer A. Tangires

Student Scholar Showcase

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harnesses various microbial organisms involved in almost all processes of physiological homeostasis, among these are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These bacteria, almost all of which belong to the order Lactobacillales, are able to produce lactic acid, and play an important role in food preservation because they produce bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial proteins that are used to fight off related bacteria in their environment that are competing for the same resources. This study focuses on a specific LAB strain, Lactococcus lactis ssp. IL1403 where 21.9% of its predicted genes have not yet been assigned a function. …

Increasing The Phytoremediation Efficiency Of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils In The Uae Using Endophytic Actinobacteria For Sustainable Agriculture, Archana Mathew Mathai

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Pollution caused by heavy metals (HMs) is a major environmental concern worldwide. Human actions, agriculture practices and industrial activities can cause the release of HMs into the environment. Soil contamination with HMs may have negative effects on crops, thus disrupting the food chain and posing risks to human health. Lead (Pb) is a common pollutant found in soils when at high concentrations. Conventional land remediation techniques depending on chemical and mechanical methods are quite expensive and would lead to long-term deterioration of the ecosystems. Phytoremediation can serve as an alternative, eco-friendly approach to restore the lands for agricultural purposes. Hyperaccumulator …

The Effect Of Tryptone And Tomato Juice Addition On The Growth Performance Of Strawberry (Fragaria Ananassa) Explant Under In Vitro Condition, Zulfa Ulinnuha, Etik Wukir Tini, Noor Farid, Dhianing Shalatin

Jurnal Kultivasi

Strawberries are a fruit commodity that has high economic value. The obstacle in strawberry production is the lack of high-quality seed availability with disease-free properties. Tissue culture offers a promising solution to increase both the quantity and quality of strawberry seeds. This study aims to assess the effect of different concentrations of tomato juice and tryptone on the growth of strawberry explants under in vitro growing condition. The research was conducted at the Plant Breeding Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, from December 2022 to May 2023. The study employed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two factors. The …

In Vitro Multiplication Of Strawberry In Various Types And Concentrations Of Cytokinins And Auxins, Erni Suminar, Vira Rahmawati, Sumadi, Anne Nuraini

Jurnal Kultivasi

Growth regulator is one of the important factors in the success of plant propagation by tissue culture. 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) is one of the most widely used cytokinin because it is more stable, less expensive and more effective. Thidiazuron (TDZ) can increase the action of other cytokinins, either exogenous cytokinin or endogenous cytokinin. 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) belongs to the more stable auxin group, because it is not easily decomposed and oxidized by enzymes released by plants. This study aimed to obtain the best types and concentrations of BAP, TDZ, and NAA for the in vitro multiplication of strawberry explant. The experiment …

Using Artificial (Ai) To Predict A Structure Of Protein Complex, Yiqing Zang

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Proteins play pivotal roles in essential life processes and elucidating their three-dimensional (3D) structures is crucial for understanding their functions. AlphaFold2, an advanced artificial intelligence-based method developed by Google DeepMind, has emerged as a promising tool for predicting protein structures. In this study, we evaluated the predictive capabilities of AlphaFold2. Our findings highlight AlphaFold2's efficacy in providing valuable insights into protein structure prediction, albeit with certain limitations. While AlphaFold2 represents a significant advancement in the field, its utility is best realized when integrated with complementary experimental approaches. Consequently, combining the strengths of AlphaFold2 with experimental validation remains essential for achieving …

Hira Gene Mutation In Arabidopsis Via Crispr, Kelly Chen, Claire Shippy, Tara Phelps-Durr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The purpose of this study is to mutate the Histone Repressor A (HIRA) gene in a mustard plant (Arabidopsis) using CRISPR technology. HIRA is a chromatin-remodeling protein that is required for proper development in both plants and animals. Creating new changes (mutations) in HIRA will help us better understand the mechanism of how HIRA regulates transcription, which is important for understanding developmental disorders in animals, as well as how improper development leads to a reduction in crop yields in plants

The Impact Of Mutations In The Arabidopsis Apetela (Ap3) Gene, Hazel R. Frans, Tara Phelps-Durr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The purpose of this research is to understand the molecular functioning of the Arabidopsis thaliana Apetela (Ap3) gene. We created mutations in two sites of the gene, AP3-3 and AP3-5. These are predicted to change AP3 protein structure, which may result in a mutated flower. Analyzing the effects of new mutations allows an understanding of protein formation both in plants and humans.

Quantifying Costs And Benefits Of Alternative Overwintering Strategies In A Southeastern Population Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus), John Powers, Amber Stubbs, Alfred J. Mead, Dominic L. Desantis

Graduate Research Showcase

Temperate reptile populations are under strong selective pressure to minimize the costs of extreme winter temperatures. For high latitude and high elevation snake populations, this has often favored communal overwintering behavior, wherein large numbers of conspecifics aggregate at optimal sites given the limited availability of such features in the environment. Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) are distributed across a wide latitudinal gradient in North America, and therefore represent ideal models for exploring how variable winter selective regimes might favor different strategies. Here, we leverage a unique intermediate population of C. horridus from central Georgia, USA, that exhibits both communal …

Neurotensin Modulates Ovarian Vascular Permeability Via Adherens Junctions, Andrew Pearson, Ketan Shrestha, Thomas E. Curry, Diane M. Duffy

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Neurotensin (NTS) is a 13-amino acid peptide which is highly expressed in the mammalian ovary in response to the luteinizing hormone surge. Antibody neutralization of NTS in the ovulatory follicle of the cynomolgus macaque impairs ovulation and induces follicular vascular dysregulation, with excessive pooling of red blood cells in the follicle antrum. We hypothesize that NTS is an essential intrafollicular regulator of vascular permeability. In the present study, follicle injection of the NTS receptor antagonist SR142948 also resulted in vascular dysregulation. To measure vascular permeability changes in vitro, primary macaque ovarian microvascular endothelial cells (mOMECs) were enriched from follicle aspirates …

Exploring The Intestinal Microbial Community Of Lantang Pigs Through Metagenome-Assembled Genomes And Carbohydrate Degradation Genes, Jianbo Yang, Ying Fan, Rui Jin, Yunjuan Peng, Jianmin Chai, Xiaoyuan Wei, Yunxiang Zhao, Feilong Deng, Jiangchao Zhao, Ying Li

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

High-fiber, low-cost agricultural byproducts offer a sustainable alternative for mitigating the competition for crops between humans and livestock. Pigs predominantly utilize dietary fibers through the process of microbial fermentation within the gut. This study explored the gut microbiota and the capacity for carbohydrate degradation in 30 individual Lantang pigs, a breed indigenous to China. Through metagenomic analysis, a total of 671 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were assembled and assigned into 14 bacterial and 1 archaeal phylum, including 97 species from uncultured microbes. The phylum with the highest abundance were identified as Bacillota_A, Bacteroidota, and Bacillota. Remarkably, the investigation revealed nearly 10,000 …

Exploring The Potential Of Alcohol-Fermenting Yeast Isolated From Heterotrigona Itama Stingless Bees For Beverage Production, Pimprapa Chaijak, Alisa Kongthong, Chiraprapha Maenpaa

Makara Journal of Science

Mead, an ancient alcoholic beverage, relies on the indigenous microbial community in honey for alcohol fermentation. Nevertheless, data on the use of bee indigenous flora for mead production in Thailand are scarce. This investigation involved the isolation of alcohol-producing yeast strains from the Thai stingless bee species Heterotrigona itama. Subsequently, these isolated yeast strains were employed in mead fermentation with honey sourced from the same stingless bee species. Findings revealed that the yeast strain denoted as P03b, which was identified molecularly as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, exhibited the highest alcohol production of 13.53% ± 0.76%. Furthermore, the yeast strain P03b …

Construction Of An Array Of Antibody–Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates For Their Comparative Assessment On Multiplex Lateral Flow Test To Detect Mycotoxins, Bilal Javed Nanolab Research Centre, Vinayak Sharma School Of Food Science And Environmental Health, Furong Tian Nanolab Research Centre

Articles

Bio-functionalized gold nanoparticles with anti-toxin antibody conjugates have unique physical, biochemical, and optical properties that can greatly improve the performance of biochemical assays because they can enhance the signal intensity of analyte, improve signal transduction, have higher sensitivity of analyte detection, and provide simple colorimetric signal readouts. The surface properties of gold nanoparticles, along with various antibody conjugates, play a significant role in terms of functionalizing gold nanoparticles, and the strategy for surface modification is of great significance to the application of gold nanoparticle-mediated biochemical assays. Spherical gold nanoparticles are among the most used reporter molecules in lateral flow assays. …

In Silico Analysis Of C-Type Lectins As Co-Infection Receptors Of Dengue And Chikungunya Viruses In Aedes Aegypti, Munawir Sazali, R. C. Hidayat Soesilohadi, Nastiti Wijayanti, Tri Wibawa, Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori

Makara Journal of Science

Aedes aegypti is a primer vector of dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The susceptibility of mosquitoes to DENV and CHIKV depends on their recognition receptor of pathogens. C-type lectins (CTLs) are an important mediator of virus infection in A. aegypti. This study aims to identify potential receptors and determine the binding affinity between ligand–receptor interaction, CTLs and virus envelopes (DENV-1, 2, 3, and 4 and CHIKV) interaction based on in silico analysis. Sample sequences were obtained from GenBank (NCBI), and 10 CTLs were acquired from VectorBase. Homology modeling based on a minimum standard of 20% was processed …

Targeting Mycobacterial Efflux System For Combating Anti-Microbial Resistance, Arathi Radhakrishnan, Raj Kishor Kapardar, Rajpal Srivastav

Research Symposium

Background: The drug resistance in the microbes is a serious concern in medicine. Along with intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors like unprescribed usage of drugs are the contributing factors. The drug tolerance has led to the emergence of superbugs. Mycobacterial species utilize an array of multidrug efflux mechanisms linked to intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance. Understanding molecular mechanisms regulating efflux could reveal new therapeutic targets and strategies. Our study is aimed to target regulators of efflux Mycobacterial transporter.

Methods: Using the reference mycobacterial strain, antibiotic sensitivity was first profiled by minimal inhibitory concentration assays across a panel of antimicrobials, followed by …

Piperlongumine Nanoformulation Attenuates Pancreatic Tumor Desmoplasia And Alter Tumor Immune Responses, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Neeraj Chauhan, Mohammed Sikander, Eswara N. H. K. Ghali, Bilal Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is characterized by lack of early diagnosis, poor response to available therapeutic modalities and chemoresistance. Gemcitabine (GEM) is currently considered the most effective therapy for PanCa; however, it shows only a marginal survival benefit of 6 months. This poor drug response has been attributed to desmoplasia, causes suboptimal drug delivery, alters tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes tumor surrounding blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular matrix, and other signaling molecules and induces chemo-resistance in tumors. To overcome these existing issues associated with chemotherapy, identification and development of novel therapeutic modalities are a pressing need. Piperlongumine (PL) is a …

Case Studies On Biomedical Innovation Systems In Major Countries, Xiaoling Ma

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The study focuses on the basic research, technological breakthroughs, transformation and commercialization of representative biomedical innovations over the past century—including penicillin, artemisinin, monoclonal antibodies, tumor immunotherapy, adenoviral gene therapy, mRNA vaccines, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, etc.—adopting a “dissecting the sparrow” case study methodology to conduct in-depth analyses (“double-clicking”) of each breakthrough, thereby mapping the institutional architectures and performance outcomes of national biomedical innovation systems and achieving a “seeing both trees and forest” perspective. Through comparative analysis, it reveals that the United States, compared with the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and China, has developed a smooth technology transfer system and a mature …

Measurement And Imaging Of Intra Matrix Igg Diffusion, Riya Debbarma, Antonio C. F. Dos Santos, Diana Milena Ramiez Gutierrez, Fernanda M. Da Cunha, Michael Ladisch

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Bovine IgG diffusion measurement by tracking the movement of the protein over time in an in-vitro matrix is motivated by the large number of protein/peptide therapeutics currently under various stages of development in the pharmaceutical industry. Many of these therapeutics are monoclonal antibodies (IgG type proteins) that are candidates for subcutaneous, intra-vitreous and intra-articular administration depending on the target of the therapeutic. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major constituent and determines the key attributes of the subcutaneous environment, vitreous humor of the eye and synovial fluid of the knee joint. HA exhibits varying molecular weight at these anatomic locations thereby …