Biotechnology

New Technique For Modifying Plant Genes Developed

2011-08-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital used a tool for genome engineering who developed the model to make a crop resistant to herbicides, without significant changes in its DNA.

"It 's always a GMO(genetically modified organisms), but the change was subtle," said Daniel Voyta, lead author and director of U of M Center for genome engineering. "We made a small change in the DNA sequence of the plant instead of adding foreign DNA."

The new approach has the potential to help scientists to modify plants to produce food, fuel and fiber in a sustainable manner, minimizing concerns about genetically modified organisms

For the study, the researchers have created a custom enzyme called zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) to modify a single gene in the cells of tobacco plants. The modified cells were then cultured to produce mature plants that survived exposure to herbicides.

The research is published online by Nature on April 29.

"This is the first real advance in technology to genetically modify plants to the foreign DNA was introduced into the chromosomes of plants in the early 1980's," said Voyta. "It could become a revolutionary tool for the manipulation of plants, animals and the human genome."

Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) were designed enzymes that bind to specific DNA sequences and to make changes in or near the binding site. The standard method for genetically modifying an organism is to introduce foreign genes in a genome without knowing where they will be integrated. The randomness of the standard method resulted in concerns about potential health and environmental risks of genetically modified organisms.

Voyta is co-founder of the zinc finger Consortium, which has developed a strategy of do-it-yourself for academic researchers. The consortium is led by co-author J. Keith Joung, a pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard University. The consortium has published his method (called Pool Engineering oligomerized, or open) in July 2008 in the journal Molecular Cell. Nature published an article on the view and open a business strategy in September 2008.

Laboratory Voyta 'ZFNs created by the open method used to modify the tobacco cells to make them resistant to herbicides. According Voyta, open ZFNs can be used to improve the nutrition of crops, plants are more favorable for conversion into biofuels, and help plants adapt to climate change.

"The world becomes more and more plants to solve many problems. Now we have a new set of tools to help you." Voyta said.

Voyta next steps "will be to apply the technology in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant, and rice, the world's most important food crops. It 'also the adaptation of algae to produce biofuels.

"The technology is ready for prime time," said Voyta. "There is no scientific reason can not be applied to plants grown today to improve agricultural production and practices."

Living well beyond 100

2011-07-02T02:31:00.000-07:00

Popular culture, as reflected in movies, fashion, and literature, is preoccupied with remaining young. A growing anti-aging industry offers myriad products and services to tap into the elusive fountain of youth, with plenty of hucksters and charlatans preying on our dreams. The quest for youth has been with us since antiquity. King Gilgamesh, who ruled parts of Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C., searched for immortality after a close friend died. To accomplish this divine goal,
he had to become a half-god, according to Babylonian legend. The first historical record of a treatment to reverse aging is an Egyptian papyrus dated around 1600 B.C. that describes an ointment for regaining youth (without evidence of success or a money-back guarantee). Youth concoctions are still produced and consumed daily, but thus far, the real fountain of youth has come from science and medicine.

HHS questions safety of new mesothelioma radiation therapy

2011-05-28T03:20:00.000-07:00

A recent study conducted by S. U. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suggests that there is insufficient evidence available to support applications for safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Currently used to treat mesothelioma cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), radiation therapy, SBRT is using the relatively new technology. SBRT allows them to accurately identify and treat areas affected by cancer without harming surrounding healthy tissues.

A brief was prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality HHS discuss the benefits and highlights the SBRT treatment. Preparation of the presentation was made by N. Kelley Tipton, MPH, Institute for the ECRI Evidence-based Practice Center. More than 5,500 articles have literally been tested for memory. And 24 percent were deemed relevant and used for further studies, these data included and the cover in case of malignant tumors treated with SBRT without receiving treatment for other forms of radiation.

The brief said that although SBRT is currently used for treatment of mesothelioma and a variety of NSCLC, a comprehensive systematic review of current literature can not answer questions about the efficacy and safety of more than SBRT other radiotherapeutic ".

Radiotherapy is often used in combination with surgery and chemotherapy for treatment of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos fibers and is characterized by an irregular pattern of tumors that spread through the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), or the skin of other abdominal cavity (peritoneal mesothelioma). There is no known cure for both types of mesothelioma.

The document prepared for the HHS also said SBRT "requires a rigorous quality control and quality assurance measures for treatment planning and delivery of treatment." This raises doubts about the ability of HHS to systematically provide strict specifications. In conclusion, the members of the research team suggests, "Comparative studies are needed to provide evidence that the theoretical advantages of SBRT treatment compared to radiation actually occur in clinical practice."

Clinical trials are planned for 2013 to ensure the safety and effectiveness of SBRT in patients with mesothelioma and NSCLC.

Immune system defense cells thought to be ‘disarmed’ by asbestos

2011-05-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

A recent study published in International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology suggests that asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma not only cancer but also the body's defenses against unnecessary. The researchers examined the immune system is the main response, natural killer (NK), in this study put these cytotoxic cells for testing.

If inhaled or ingested, asbestos fibers can present in the lining of organs start of a process of change leading to mesothelioma cancer. Characterized by an irregular network of cancer, mesothelioma specific to the lining of the lungs is called pleural mesothelioma, when in the lining of other abdominal cavity is called peritoneal mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma takes decades to develop, often twenty to fifty years. The symptoms show during the last step and the tumor is more aggressive and are often confused with symptoms of pneumonia or bronchitis. Many patients have no idea I've ever been exposed to asbestos and therefore have no reason to consult a medical advisor.

Mesothelioma affects about twenty thousand people each year worldwide. However, asbestos continues to be used throughout the world and in many countries without adequate collateral. Highly regulated in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, asbestos has become a security issue clean, rather than an industry leader in these countries.

Mesothelioma is often associated with asbestos in the workplace, which is thought to have peaked in the early 1970s in the United States. Because the latency period associated with mesothelioma cancer estimated in the United States are considered a peak now.

Most mesothelioma patients aware of their illness later in life, usually around the age of retirement. Life expectancy after a diagnosis of mesothelioma is short, from six months to two years. Mesothelioma treatments usually include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The Japanese study, conducted at Kawasaki Medical School, examined the effects of asbestos on NK cells, which under normal circumstances, would lead the fight against the invasion of the body of tumors and viruses. The NK cells contain protein targeting unwanted cell types. In a study of five months, NK cells were significantly depleted their defensive capabilities, having been exposed to asbestos throughout the test. NK cells exposed to asbestos for only two weeks showed a lower level of cytotoxicity, the toxic level of impact on target cells. NK cells from mesothelioma patient's tissue showed the same results. However, using fiberglass, asbestos, rather than to cross check the results, the outcome was not the same.

Members of the research team concluded: "These results show that asbestos has the potential to suppress the cytotoxicity of NK cells. In particular, it should be noted that both the NK cells of patients with malignant mesothelioma and those of a culture .. . from healthy volunteers with asbestos showed the same pattern of cytotoxicity decreased with low expression of NKp46. "

High asbestos levels detected in PA elementary school

2011-05-28T03:14:00.000-07:00

Municipal buildings in the United States continues to face record levels of exposure to asbestos. What was once considered the backbone of American industry has become a threat to national security.

Asbestos was widely used between 1920 and 1980, and in the construction of many production lines. Shipbuilding, manufacture of ammunition, commercial and residential construction saw its highest level of asbestos. Only later, in the last century, that the risk of dangerous asbestos has been known. Asbestos causes serious respiratory diseases including mesothelioma, a rare cancer.

Students and faculty from Benjamin Franklin Elementary School or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are aware of the dangers associated with exposure to asbestos. In 2003, after exceeding the level of use of their facilities, additional space adjacent to the school nearby Pilgrim Baptist Church. The church structure was tested every six months for abnormal levels of asbestos or hazardous. A test conducted in April by the Philadelphia Office of Environmental Management and Social Services and Health and Welfare Fund of Philadelphia Federation of Teachers had mixed results. levels of asbestos, which were higher than usual. Students and teachers were moved to another location nearby to await the detailed results and recommended changes to their property annexed.

Asbestos can cause mesothelioma if its fibers are inhaled or ingested toxic. These fibers accumulate on the walls of organs and initiate a process of growth transformation that spreads like a net of malignant tumors. Pleural mesothelioma is specific to the wall of the lung and peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the heart, diaphragm and other organs.

A twenty thousand the number of people suffering from mesothelioma in the world each year, but asbestos is still used. Increased use of asbestos has been seen in the developing world where safety measures and regulations are minimal, if any. These countries also lack medical services to diagnose or treat mesothelioma.

When available, mesothelioma treatments usually include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In general, palliative in nature, treatment aimed at reducing pain and quality of life. These treatments are also used in the form of cancer directly. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

Instances of asbestos, such as Benjamin Franklin Elementary School are expected to continue worldwide until the use of asbestos is strongly affected or stopped.

Mesothelioma qualified by PET/CT scan combo

2011-05-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

recent article published by the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Italy, offers a combination of PET and CT may enhance the ability of providers to describe the current stages of mesothelioma. A PET scan shows the models and molecular abnormalities on a lever, while the CT provides a global map of the body's internal organs and tissues. Together, these two scans, doctors should give a thorough knowledge of mesothelioma that this would not be guaranteed by a single scan.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer considered incurable and fatal. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers, which can initiate cancerous changes in the lining of organs, if inhaled or ingested. There are two types of mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma, which is specific to the lung lining and peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects other organs like the heart or diaphragm filling. Both types of mesothelioma are characterized by irregular patterns of malignant tumors.

Mesothelioma can be difficult to diagnose. After exposure to asbestos at home has begun to develop cancer, the disease requires a long latency period, often between twenty and fifty years. In its final phase, and the most aggressive, the signs begin to emerge. The symptoms resemble those of bronchitis or pneumonia mesothelioma, it is difficult to diagnose, even in its final phase. Once the appropriate diagnosis was made in life expectancy of patients is short and dark.

There are many mesothelioma treatments are available. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are often given in combination to achieve the best results. Some patients who are not healthy enough to receive such demanding procedures may choose palliative care focusing on pain management and comfort. Palliative care may also include surgery to ease breathing of the patient and reduce the spread of tumors.

Recent studies suggest that a combination PET / CT allows providers to better examine each case of mesothelioma. This allows suppliers to qualify more precisely which patients are strong enough for surgery and other invasive treatments, which are not. Being able to see the other tumor models, the size and location that allows suppliers to choose appropriate treatment options for each patient. PET / CT done together are proposed as a good tool for follow-up. Providers can control the spread of metastases or infection remains without disturbing the patient and recovery.

New gene therapy shows promise as mesothelioma treatment

2011-05-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

Initial treatment options in oncology will shortly publish a report covers the section of the gene therapy on malignant mesothelioma. Gene therapy is a new advanced treatment using a different viral agents to provide genetic changes in the target areas. The negative effects of a virus are removed, leaving only "search and contact characteristics of the virus. This cell structure Piggy Back agent of change prepared to alter the genetic makeup of target tissues.

Mesothelioma is a rare tumor that affects about three thousand and twenty thousand Americans each year worldwide. Mesothelioma is caused by toxic asbestos fibers, which can start developing a cancer of the lining of organs, if inhaled or ingested. This development begins with a latency period of twenty to fifty years, unnoticed by patients. When symptoms do not show the mesothelioma has reached its aggressive phase. The symptoms resemble those of bronchitis and pneumonia, however, is difficult to recognize. Once a correct diagnosis is made, patients receive a prognosis mesothelioma. Life expectancy varies mesothelioma of six months to several years. Mesothelioma is considered a fatal cancer and is without remedy.

When the gene therapy agent for the mobile phone for change are released into the body target cells of mesothelioma to deliver one of three genetic modifications: Agent of cells may initiate a process of cell death in mesothelioma cells, increase the risk that the choice of treatment, or inhibit the reproduction of cells that stop the spread of cancer.

According to the researchers in gene therapy, new treatments that could be very useful in the fight against mesothelioma in several respects. Mesothelioma tumors are characterized by a large cell surface, allowing the cells to change agent greater accuracy in the performance of genetic modifications. Moreover, the tumors of mesothelioma are tend to be grouped in the early stages of the disease, if early diagnosis could be made, the agent of change cells may have a greater target area, rather than scattered smaller. This speed of delivery options and response to gene therapy.

There are currently two ongoing gene therapy trials, both sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center. It is "intrapleural gene transfer for malignant pleural mesothelioma" and "combination of gene transfer and chemotherapy. The study's authors say the recent gene therapy" has demonstrated safety and some evidence of limited effectiveness.

Japan faces mesothelioma threat

2011-05-28T03:02:00.000-07:00

Japanese as a community are struggling to find their lives from the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in March, another threat is looming nearby. Piles of debris and rubble on the island mystery, full of asbestos-containing materials. Once cured and relatively safe, the rubble of drying can now afford to asbestos fibers into the air, causing another, even if subtle danger.

The World Health Organization classifies asbestos as a carcinogen type 1. Known to cause lung cancer and asbestosis, asbestos may be more associated with the rare cancer mesothelioma. Mesothelioma affects about twenty thousand people in the world each year. Often, a danger in the workplace, natural disasters such as fires, floods and earthquakes can quickly release the fibers into the air deadly. Once these fibers are inhaled they begin a shift in lung cancer tumors of improper motives and coating the lining of other abdominal cavity.

Asbestos was widely used throughout the history of Japan in many industries. Its fire resistance and the quality of stabilization have made a choice desirable in construction, shipyards, refineries and many other construction trades. Health problems related to asbestos were not widely known until the last decades. Many countries are struggling to enforce safety standards in asbestos while cleaning years of use of asbestos.

Mesothelioma has a long latency period, usually between twenty and fifty years only. When they show symptoms similar to pneumonia and bronchitis, delaying correct diagnosis. Prognosis for patients with mesothelioma is sad, life expectancy after months of average diagnosis age of eighteen. There are treatment options for mesothelioma, but no known cure.

Japanese government officials are working on a plan to isolate and manage the risk of spreading asbestos fibers by countless mounds of rubble.

Asbestos threat at Dominion Virginia Power plant

2011-05-24T08:21:00.001-07:00

Surry, Virginia, suffered a blackout due to a tornado that swept the region on April 16. A local power plant, owned and operated by Dominion Virginia Power (DOM), was immediately passed to the electricity generator for the rest of the division.

Due to the lack of electricity, a process required the plant's nuclear reactor refueling Sun spokesman Rick Zuercher said can take up to a month, and hundreds of entrepreneurs. The various components of the reactor are in areas or buildings separated from the central government contractors came and went throughout the plant for some time to complete the project.

One of the companies involved reported threat of asbestos, which has attracted the attention of the State Department of Labor and Industry. Asbestos is a toxic chemical known to be used in insulation systems and building elements. Heavily regulated by the S. U. Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos is a cause of serious respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare cancer.

Mesothelioma is perhaps most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos. In case of inhalation of asbestos fibers can initiate a process of mutation that develops into a system of various cancers fantasy. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common of the two types of mesothelioma, tumors that extend through the protective lining of the lung. peritoneal mesothelioma is less common, specific tumors in the lining of other abdominal cavity, such as the heart or diaphragm.

Mesothelioma has a long latency period, often between twenty and fifty years. Victims of mesothelioma usually do not know you have been exposed to asbestos, which makes early diagnosis difficult. The symptoms resemble those of pneumonia and bronchitis and has not shown that the last step and the tumor more aggressive. The diagnosis is usually followed by a short life expectancy, on average eighteen months.

Nearly three thousand Americans suffer from mesothelioma each year. Most of these cases are due to asbestos in the workplace. The World Health Organization provides a rapid increase in the number of cases of mesothelioma in the world, including asbestos continues to be used throughout the world.

State Department of Labor and Industry spokeswoman Jennifer Wester, Surry Central was part of the investigation. He said, "We're looking into it, yes," but did not comment on investigations or situation.

Zuercher said a team of experts examined the area and considered good questions on the basis of guidelines that exposure in the security structure with the Safety and Health Standards Board.

Kidney cancer treatment may benefit mesothelioma patients

2011-05-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

A group of Austrian researchers tested chemotherapy drug temsirolimus, currently used for kidney cancer, malignant mesothelioma. Temsirolimus is an inhibitor of the kinase, but the targets and blocks the functions of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), an essential protein that regulates cell growth. In cases of kidney cancer, temsirolimus has stopped or greatly slowed the growth of a malignant tumor.

Although the results of temsirolimus on cancerous cells are mesothelioma showing similarities with those of kidney cancer cells, there is no turning back. The tests showed the malignant mesothelioma cells resistant to commonly used chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin, to be more resistant to temsirolimus. This led researchers to believe that temsirolimus as second-line treatment for mesothelioma, or a medicament for use in combination with first-line treatment of others.

Mesothelioma treatments are usually administered in combination. Standard procedures include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These can be administered in the form of cancer directly, in an attempt to eradicate the malignant cells of the body, or as palliative treatment in order to improve the quality of life for patients and prolong the expectancy life.

Mesothelioma has a short life expectancy after diagnosis, with an average of eighteen months. Mesothelioma is caused by toxic chemicals that asbestos fibers, if inhaled, he began to develop cancer of the lining of the lungs and the lining of the abdominal cavity of others.

Professor Walter Berger, Ph.D., Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna, said that the rare cancer mesothelioma on: "Malignant mesothelioma is a serious malignancy characterized by a very poor prognosis, with an average time of patients survived less than a year This unacceptable situation is mainly caused by delayed diagnosis associated with resistance to all the distinct forms of systemic therapy available to date Mesothelioma is often caused by exposure to asbestos, and unfortunately, -.. on the basis of the long latency period - the peak incidence is found, despite the ban of asbestos still in progress so, new therapeutic options for this disease are urgently needed devastated "..

The results and conclusions of the Austrian study were published in the May issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. Berger's study: "In our preclinical study, published in the BCT, we were able to demonstrate that inhibition of mTOR is the major active against oncogenic human mesothelioma, especially after the development of resistance to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo these. results suggest the early clinical trials of mTOR inhibitors as a new strategy against mesothelioma.

Biotechnology company aids in mesothelioma research

2011-04-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Because the search for a cure of mesothelioma continues, new innovations in the field of biology, medicine and technology are promising. Sigma Life Sciences is a company to add their expertise to the fight against the deadly mesothelioma and other cancers. Their goal to "provide researchers with cellular models of cancer that is expected to improve drug development for personalized medicine", Sigma Life Science provides an important role in research in mesothelioma.

Sigma Life Sciences manufactures and supplies products for all areas of scientific study and research. From animal models genetically modified cell lines, Sigma Life Science provides ready-to-use and customized solutions for scientific tests. Their new line of genetically modified tumor cells is of particular interest for mesothelioma researchers.

Mesothelioma is a rare tumor that affects about you thousand Americans each year. E 'caused by asbestos, a chemical WHO has labeled as a type 1 carcinogen. use of asbestos has been reduced significantly in many countries but is still used in developing land for construction and manufacturing. The total number of mesothelioma cases is estimated at ten thousand and is expected to be increasing.

Once the asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can begin to develop cancer of the lining of the lungs and other body cavity. irregularly shaped tumors to grow for decades without showing signs or symptoms. Most patients have no idea mesothelioma being sick up to twenty to fifty years after initial exposure to asbestos. Although there are mesothelioma treatment options, there is no known cure. Patient's average life expectancy of eighteen months after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Using their own instrument, CompoZr, Sigma Life Science aid in the development of personalized medicine through the "target validation, identification of the mechanical action of drugs and investigations of disease development, the progression and remission. "Sigma Life Science CompoZr allowed to produce" knockout "models. The process used for the mice they won the silver star of" Top Ten Innovations of 2010 "by the magazine Scientist.

The term "knockout" refers to a process that renders a gene from a sample of cells irrelevant and removed, or "knockout" compared to cells in normal individuals. Edward Weinstein, director of the Center for the essay Sigma Life Science Laboratories SAGE, said knockout technology will be "scientists powerful new tools to study human diseases."

Sigma Life Sciences will bring its new range of models of genetically modified cells of colon-rectum and lung.

Indian Biotech Investment

2011-04-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

India, the darling of the world in terms of the industry is concerned about the bio technology offers enormous opportunities for businesses to invest in India. The growth of the three areas of medicine, bio-technology climate, the agricultural and industrial products, and beneficial to also make India as one of the ideal destinations for global investment flows into India. Here are some areas where opportunities exist for India:

Vaccines: huge and growing population of India is among the largest world market for vaccines of all kinds. India is facing a growing demand for new generation vaccines and "combination" as DTP with hepatitis B, hepatitis A and polio vaccine injection, and several veterinary and poultry vaccines. In addition to conventional vaccines, rDNA have a market potential and offer great opportunities for business economy.

Drug Discovery: Opportunities to improve existing production structures and economies of scale based on licensing, joint ventures, the establishment of production bases and to establish rules for the distribution of royalties for all products and therapeutic drugs approved for marketing in India, in particular insulin, alpha interferon, hepatitis B surface antigen-based vaccine, erythropoietin, streptokinase, chymotrypsin, and others.

Agriculture: hybrid seeds, including genetically modified seeds such as Bt cotton represent new business opportunities based on performance improvement, and development of a manufacturing base in biopesticides and biofertilizers facilitate the entry of India in the growing market organic food or natural. genetically modified crops, like corn, cotton, millet, mustard and other vegetables diet also reinforced good potential in agriculture and also leads to improving agricultural production and productivity per hectare.

drug research: new research and developments in the field make it a center for technological development of new products and drugs with market lending to India and developed the same thing. Indian pharmaceutical companies possess competitive skills in chemical synthesis and process analysis and mining technologies, which can be used to develop new drugs and formulations. New investments in research and defense of patents successfully by a number of Indian companies in global markets has opened up new markets for ten Indian companies.

research and clinical trials: Clinical trials in India cost less than a fraction of what it costs in developed markets, clinical research organizations may apply for research projects and pilot projects in India by international companies, provided they are able to demonstrate international best practices and monitoring procedures.

Bioinformatics: Bioinformatics Indian companies can play an important role in key sectors such as mining, lexican, mapping and sequencing the DNA extraction, the design of molecular simulation on the world market for services bilinformatics. complex algorithm of writing and the use of computing power to study the 3D structures of proteins are the headlines in this area and India offers good investment opportunities for the same.

National Biotechnology Policy- Salient features

2011-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

The need for an integrated biotech policy with sufficient attention to different subsets of the sector such as health, agriculture, environment, industry and other application areas is a prerequisite for calcium in the thumb to the progress of Indian biotechnology sector. National Science and Technology Policy of the Government and the Vision Statement on Biotechnology issued by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to provide a framework and give strategic direction for different sectors to accelerate the pace of development of biotechnologies India. The policy has given meaning to the efforts of public and private sectors, the key being a quadrilateral agreement between universities, industry and other laboratories working in the field, and the State.

Main features of the policy:

• The need to increase the number of doctoral programs in life sciences and biotechnology, as a strong pool of academic leaders is essential to sustained innovation. A national working group agreed to establish programs of graduate and post-graduate model, to attract talent to the life sciences and working conditions for scientists to conduct industry-oriented research

• The need for more mature technologies such as diagnostics and vaccines. While the Indian industry is in strong product development and marketing business benefits of biotechnology in India does not have the necessary infrastructure for R & D molecular modeling, protein engineering, drug design and immunological studies. The DBT will act to facilitate a unique mechanism for wind farm window biotech plants and encourage private sector participation in infrastructure development

• India strategy should aim to increase the value of R & D and production of intellectual property rights. India needs to provide active support through incubator funds and various incentives, and increased focus on innovation, the ability to create a pipeline of products continuously. clear government policies to promote innovation and market knowledge will drive the growth of the biotechnology sector

• The need for government support, tax incentives and tax benefits are essential for this sector, biotechnology is the most research-intensive companies in the sector and to invest 20-30 percent of their operating costs in R & D or technology outsourcing. In addition, financial support for the development of early-stage products and small and medium-sized companies is the key to sustaining innovation

• Creating a Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIR) DBT through the system to support small and medium-sized enterprises through loans and grants. The support system for pre-proof of concept, innovative and original research on mentoring

• Establishment of biotechnology parks to provide a mechanism for the licensing of new technologies for biotechnology companies to come to start new businesses and realize the value of early stage technology with a minimum of financial data. Parks to facilitate technology transfer by serving as a stimulus for entrepreneurship through partnership among innovators from academia, R & D institutions and industry.

• Need a mechanism for scientific, rigorous, transparent, consistent and effective assessment of biosecurity, a single national authority on biotechnology to be established and governed by an independent administrative structure.

Modern biotechnology- Sustainable growth

2011-04-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Modern biotechnology is expected to have a number of products for the treatment of some problems of food security in developing countries. It offers the possibility of an agricultural system that relies more on biological rather than chemical applications. Potential applications of modern biotechnology in agriculture are: to increase yields while reducing inputs of fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides, which confers salt tolerance and drought on crops, increasing the duration of post-harvest loss reduction, increasing the content of nutritious products, and distribution of vaccine. The availability of these products could only play an important role in reducing hunger and improving food security, but also have the opportunity to address some health problems in the developing world.

The achievement of higher expected returns in developing countries can contribute directly to reducing poverty, increasing household incomes of small farmers who adopt these technologies, and indirectly through their positive effects, as evidenced by the declining price of herbicides and insecticides.

priority areas, in fact, some developing countries have identified as the tolerances of alkaline earth metals, drought and soil salinity, disease resistance, crops and crops with greater nutritional value. The adoption of technologies to extend the shelf life could be useful in helping to reduce post-harvest losses in crops of regional importance. main candidates in terms of choice of crops for development are the so-called "orphan crops" such as cassava, sweet potato, millet, sorghum and sweet potatoes.

Currently, the many promises of modern biotechnology that may have an impact on food security could have been achieved in most developing countries. The adoption of modern biotechnology has been remarkably low given the number of factors behind the food safety problems. In part, this may be because the first generation of commercially available crops using modern biotechnology have been modified with genes unique to confer resistance to pests, weeds and insects, non-complex characteristics that affect crop growth in difficult conditions. Secondly, the technologies developed by companies in industrialized countries, with little or no direct investment in, and derive little economic benefit in developing countries.

Although current commercial GM crops are not designed to solve specific problems of developing countries, their adoption has shown that may be relevant in some countries - for example, the planting of herbicide-tolerant soybeans in Argentina Bt cotton as a cash crop by resource-poor farmers in China and South Africa have led to significant benefits for farmers. On average, Bt cotton farmers in China have reduced pesticide use by 70%, producing a kilogram of cotton at a cost 28% less than non-Bt farmers. These benefits have had a significant impact on health, agronomic, environmental and economic impact of about 5 million resource-poor farmers of more than eight provinces.

Different agro-economic studies have been commissioned since the introduction of seed derived from modern biotechnology in the United States. A report shows that the increase in higher yield were obtained with an insect-resistant maize, while the largest decrease in input costs has been observed in herbicide-tolerant soybeans.

There are a lot more research must be dedicated to finding solutions to food problems and use of biotechnology techniques in the field. developing countries have more interest in these technologies and therefore they need to take the lead in this.

Indian Biotech Investment

2011-04-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

India, the darling of the world in terms of the industry is concerned about the bio technology offers enormous opportunities for businesses to invest in India. The growth of the three areas of medicine, bio-technology climate, the agricultural and industrial products, and beneficial to also make India as one of the ideal destinations for global investment flows into India. Here are some areas where opportunities exist for India:

Vaccines: huge and growing population of India is among the largest world market for vaccines of all kinds. India is facing a growing demand for new generation vaccines and "combination" as DTP with hepatitis B, hepatitis A and polio vaccine injection, and several veterinary and poultry vaccines. In addition to conventional vaccines, rDNA have a market potential and offer great opportunities for business economy.

Drug Discovery: Opportunities to improve existing production structures and economies of scale based on licensing, joint ventures, the establishment of production bases and to establish rules for the distribution of royalties for all products and therapeutic drugs approved for marketing in India, in particular insulin, alpha interferon, hepatitis B surface antigen-based vaccine, erythropoietin, streptokinase, chymotrypsin, and others.

Agriculture: hybrid seeds, including genetically modified seeds such as Bt cotton represent new business opportunities based on performance improvement, and development of a manufacturing base in biopesticides and biofertilizers facilitate the entry of India in the growing market organic food or natural. genetically modified crops, like corn, cotton, millet, mustard and other vegetables diet also reinforced good potential in agriculture and also leads to improving agricultural production and productivity per hectare.

drug research: new research and developments in the field make it a center for technological development of new products and drugs with market lending to India and developed the same thing. Indian pharmaceutical companies possess competitive skills in chemical synthesis and process analysis and mining technologies, which can be used to develop new drugs and formulations. New investments in research and defense of patents successfully for a number of Indian companies in global markets has opened up new markets for ten Indian companies.

research and clinical trials: Clinical trials in India cost less than a fraction of what it costs in developed markets, clinical research organizations may apply for research projects and pilot projects in India by international companies, provided they are able to demonstrate international best practices and monitoring procedures.

Bioinformatics: Bioinformatics Indian companies can play an important role in key sectors such as mining, lexican, mapping and sequencing the DNA extraction, the design of molecular simulation on the world market for services bilinformatics. complex algorithm of writing and the use of computing power to study the 3D structures of proteins are the headlines in this area and India offers good investment opportunities for the same.

Initiatives to promote Biotechnology in India

2011-04-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Without losing sight of the huge opportunities offered by the various aspects of biotechnology for the development of the nation, addressing issues of food security, agricultural production and efficiency, industrial pollution and the application and benefits of drugs The Indian government has taken a number of initiatives to promote growth of the biotechnology industry in India.

An Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOME), taking into account the provisions for the creation of special economic zones (SEZ) and the SEZ Act and rules relaxed the rules in terms of area and the area requirement Built for the biotechnology industry for the sum of 10 hectares and 40,000 square feet. This will encourage entrepreneurship, innovation and greater participation of small investors in biotechnology, health and agriculture in particular.

The Government has taken specific measures to promote the biotechnology industry and help increase sales of the biotechnology sector. Initiatives have been taken to ensure an environment conducive to industrial growth, such as exemption from the biotechnology sector a compulsory license, allowing 100 percent FDI in the sector, reducing the area of SEZ at parity with the IT industry by providing tax incentives for R & D recognized industries in terms of exemption from customs duties on capital goods, the reduction of import duties of 150 percent against a weighted deduction of R & D Expenditure

Department of Biotechnology, also supports R & D and technology development, both in public and private sector to develop products and processes that provide affordable solutions from biotechnology to food insecurity and health problems and more questions.

R & D in agricultural biotechnology is supported to develop improved varieties of crops resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses, especially drought. Salt-resistant GM rice has been developed and is currently in field test. Bio fortification of staple foods as important as rice, wheat and maize improvement of macro-nutrients such as iron and zinc has been launched. The country has also participated in the International Rice Genome with ten other countries. complete sequence of the rice genome was completed. It is expected that decoded the rice genome will help in the discovery of genes and DNA for the development of improved varieties.

In health, research continues to develop low-cost and cost effective solutions to public health. A number of vaccines and diagnostics have been developed which are at different stages of the process. Diagnostics for HIV, Japanese encephalitis have been transferred to industry. Rota virus vaccine is in advanced stage of experimentation with the industry. The programs have been funded for the development of drug targets identified for the treatment of diseases or NCDs.

SOCIAL AND ETHICAL CONCERNS ABOUT GM FOODS

2011-04-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Throughout the world, food is a part of the cultural and social life, and has a religious significance for people. Therefore, any technological change resulting from the science of biotechnology, including changes to the genetic base of cultivated plants or animals used for food, may face social resistance. In many countries, people interact with nature, often in collaboration with religious views, is resistance to changing social and ethical issues that interfere with the genes. Considering that biotechnology will contribute to achieving the stated objective of food security and the tide on food crises in many countries, the fact remains that always the reason for the feelings and strong opposition to genetically modified foods are much more complex variables and different regions of the world.

While in developed countries and advanced developing countries, the polls indicate that the lack of information is not the main reason for the opposition to GM crops there. The public is not for or against GMOs in itself - people are discussing the pros and cons of GMOs, and are aware of the contradictions within these arguments. In addition, people are not asking for zero risk. They are well aware that their life is full of risks to be compared with each other and against the potential benefits. A key finding is that people do not react much to the genetic modification of a specific technology, but rather the context in which GMOs are developed and the benefits they are supposed to produce.

However, in less developed countries and developing countries, lack of knowledge and awareness play an important role in whipping up passion and feelings against the bogeyman known as genetically modified crops and its effects, some imaginary bad for society as a whole. The irony is that most of the arguments against genetically modified crops or are shallow or very far from reality and hide the big picture. political connotations and interests are more important, rather than a deliberate attempt to give a clear and concise manner of reality.

A key argument against GM crops is their being natural and artificial. However, the same argument was also raised during the introduction of pesticides and other elements to eliminate weeds for crop protection.

Opposition to genetically modified crops and food has a lot to do with social values and political concerns of health and safety. "The awareness of their consumer rights and farmers fear the increasing dependence on multinationals, are symptoms of a deeper concern about the values and priorities, the type of person who wants the environment, the role of biodiversity, risk tolerance and the people of are willing to pay price for regulation. Some people are concerned about the level of control exercised by a handful of chemical companies in the markets for seed. GMOs are emblematic of globalization on economic fears. In some areas, the hostility to GMOs is the symbol of a broader opposition to the invasion of market forces. They are perceived to create a world where money with little regard for historical traditions, cultural identities and social needs.

The potential risk of cross-pollination and contamination for the dissemination of material from genetically modified plants may be a problem for organic farming. Dispersion of material from genetically modified crops (seeds, for example) can occur over long distances, depending on the characteristics of plants and climatic conditions.

Risk Assessment of GM Foods for human health and environment

2011-04-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

While the introduction of GM crops to solve the world food problem has come as a boon to a number of countries hit by food crisis, the experience gained so far has not been completely away from controversy. Many countries are facing opposition from various parties for the introduction of genetically modified seeds and crops in their fields. The problems are cultural, socio-economic and fears are not unfounded in a number of cases. So it becomes imperative for the countries and governments to conduct an exercise in environmental risk assessment carefully to avoid controversy introduction of new crop varieties. The program of risk assessment must include all elements that influence the introduction of any new use of non-organic varieties.

The history of risk assessment of GMOs:

When the new food (plant varieties, animal or micro-organisms) have been developed by traditional breeding methods are not generally subject to specific market risk pre-and post-market safety assessment or by national or international standards. This is in contrast with the needs of GMOs and GMOs. The concept of risk assessment of GMOs was discussed in 1975. At that time, the discovery of recombinant DNA has raised concerns among researchers about the potential creation of recombinant viruses whose escape would endanger public health and damage to the environment. Fourteen months after a voluntary moratorium on research involving recombinant DNA, the guidelines for experiments on physical and biological containment riskier were developed and adopted by the countries involved in the process.

The first legal regulation was designed to prevent accidental release of microorganisms from research facilities. Guidelines framed later approached the market of pre-human health and the requirement for environmental assessment and safety for all foods and GMOs. Many countries have implemented systems from the market before the adoption of specific regulations that require a rigorous assessment of GMOs prior to their release into the environment and / or use in food. This is to ensure adequate protection in this regard.

To ensure the consistency of the international risk analysis of GMOs, and a series of international standards bodies and regulators have adopted uniform rules. These include standards for human health and environmental safety assessment of GMOs, etc. The goal of uniform global standards for risk assessment would have been difficult, countries are required to make different decisions on the scope of the assessment, in particular resolution of whether to include social or economic.

The problems are complex and varied interests of stakeholders are often contradictory. The challenge, therefore, countries and governments and the reflection is to design a set of rules and policies that balance the interests of various stakeholders and are perceived as fair and equitable.

Recent Research Initiatives in GM Crops- Environment Impact

2011-04-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

While recent research efforts have been in the areas of higher agricultural production, build a resistance to insects, as well as improving the nutritional value and content of the plants, efforts are also to address issues of environment and improve efficiency in the agricultural sector . A little effort, as in this area and are connected:

Increased antioxidant content. Several other content related to tomatoes have been increased, as is the case of soybeans. These nutrients are known to improve health or prevent disease. The research in this area is in a relatively early stage of development, as knowledge of the inner content is still limited and not all plant nutrients are beneficial for human consumption.

Environmental stress. Tolerance to environmental stresses by genetic modification is an area that is in the early stages of R & D. Resistance to salinity and drought are the subject of intense research. Salinity is estimated to affect 20% of agricultural land and 40% of irrigated land worldwide. Salt and drought tolerance involve many genes interact in complex requiring endless effort to unravel the mystery. Because of this multigenic character, traditional breeding techniques have had little success in creating varieties of salt or drought tolerant. tolerance to salt sensitive crops may be conferred on the transfer of multiple genes linked to an appropriate way in a plant tolerant. The expected time frame for commercialization of GM crops is not known, research is still in its infancy and there are complex issues that are faced by scientists.

The tolerance of aluminum (a limiting factor for growth in acid soils) is in the initial phase of R & D for crops, including papaya, tobacco, rice and corn, but should not be used commercially for many years.

Attempts have been made to improve the photosynthesis in plants through genetic modification. Crops such as corn and sugar cane are more efficient in converting energy into sugars that most broadleaf plants. With the introduction of genes for photosynthesis from one culture to another more efficient, the efficiency could be improved by 10% with better performance.

Characteristics of male sterility have been introduced to obtain 100% hybrid seed planting to contain the environmental impact of GM crops. Male sterile maize varieties have been approved for marketing in the United States. In addition, several male sterile oilseed rape and canola varieties were approved for environmental release and food use in the European Union (EU), Canada and the United States. Another strategy to contain the flow of genes between plants of the attempts to introduce the spread of asexual seed (seed production without pollination).

Impact of GM crops on world agriculture scenario

2011-03-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

Probably not a step in plant science has been, in such a short time, far-reaching consequences on agriculture, as the method described in 1983 for the genetic modification of plants through genetic engineering. In 2005, these GM varieties account for 60% of the soybean crop in the world, 14% corn, 28% cotton and 18% of rape between 2003 and 2005, the overall increase in housing throughout the world intended to GM crops was 33%. This clearly shows that the application of genetic engineering in agriculture has been a great economic success.

Genetic modification of crops to date have focused on the production of varieties to minimize crop losses due to weeds, insects and the production of resistant varieties to reduce losses to insect damage. recent developments dealing with the protection against viral and fungal infections, increased tolerance to drought and salinity, the formation of male sterile plants for the generation of hybrid production, and improving the nutritional quality of crops, such as changing the composition of fatty acids in oilseeds.

The advent of genetically modified seeds and plants to increase productivity and reduce crop losses is an advantage for countries like India, in terms of food security and the fight against hunger and poverty. The government must also ensure adequate and transparent policy framework for the emergence of a comprehensive legislation on the industry and safeguards in order to avoid possible pitfalls.

rapid progress in this field of agricultural biotechnology has received and opened new doors for scientists, businesses and policy makers to explore the possibilities of using technology in agriculture. Today, even in developing countries, land is increasingly cultivated variety of a growing number of GM crops. Research efforts are under way to genetically modify most of the plants with high economic value, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, etc. The rapid advances in biotechnology and has opened new market opportunities for scientists and society to explore the possibility of use technology in agriculture. Today, even in developing countries, land is increasingly cultivated variety of a growing number of GM crops. Research efforts are under way to genetically modify most of the plants with high economic value, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, etc. challenge for countries like India is to reap the benefits of new technologies and protect their interests through various measures. The challenge of producing more food grains to feed the growing population of India has already crossed one billion mark with fewer resources have bought companies to invest in GM crops.

A large number of awareness campaigns should be conducted to reach the farmers to inform them about the benefits of using seeds that are resistant to pests, diseases, herbicides, and crops resistant to drought, cold, salinity and other harsh environments. This will bring confidence among farmers and policy makers.

Impact of Biotechnology in Animal production

2011-03-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Biotechnology promises to make significant changes in the field of plant and animal production and health. In both areas, it will affect all stages of the production chain, agrochemicals and food processing animal by-finals.

The use of biotechnology in animal production has grown faster than its applications in crop production. Worldwide, more than half of all biotechnology research and development costs are in the field of human health. In the experimental phase, a large number of drugs, diagnostic probes, vaccines, etc. are often applied in the production of livestock before becoming available for human use. The developments in the pharmaceutical sector, therefore, have significant implications for animal production for many innovations in this sector are also applicable to animals.

The applications of biotechnology to animal production to cover four areas:

• L ', the reproduction and breeding;

• Animal health;

• Food and Nutrition;

• The growth and production.

In the field of play, the new bio-technologies such as embryo transfer, in vitro fertilization, cloning and sex determination of embryos have been developed for different types of livestock such as cattle. There is substantial interest in breeding programs in developing countries because the importation of frozen embryos may be cheaper than the import of live animals.

Animal Health, the second field can be improved with new biotechnological methods of diagnosis, prevention and control of animal diseases. Diagnostic tests based on the use of antibodies and vaccines against viral and bacterial diseases are particularly relevant for developing countries and a wide application for the prevention of animal disease epidemics.

Biotechnology research in the third field of animal nutrition focuses on improving the enzyme treatment of food and reduce anti-nutritional factors in certain plants that are used as food. In developing countries, these techniques could eventually increase the potential scope of crops used to feed the largest herds of cattle.

Experiments with hormones to increase milk production and meat are the subject of much debate in industrialized countries because of possible adverse effects on animals and agricultural structures. In developing countries, however, increases in specific productivity may be a primary consideration which may lead to a rapid adoption of large-scale introduction in many industrialized countries. This field is another field of application of biotechnology.

Biotechnology in Health- How to ensure growth

2011-03-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

The obvious benefits of biotechnology for human health and life style has catapulted businesses and governments to join and create a positive framework for the industry to promote for the good of all.

The following measures can be taken by the mandarins of the captains of industry and reap the rewards of the great potential of the sector.

In the long term, the government support creative
Governments can encourage the biotech sector, providing incentives to overcome the difficult economic conditions. For example, Brazilian authorities faced with high rates of inflation and the Cuban authorities revised foreign investment laws. In reality, political will and a strong government role is essential for all countries with strengths in biotechnology. It 'the same model as the U.S. government has adopted several years ago. global high-tech industry of America in the biotechnology sector has been strongly supported by the government in almost all stages of its evolution. The loss of the most brilliant researchers and developed countries like the United States is a serious and continuing challenge for developing countries and governments can play an important role in stemming the "brain drain". Since the end of 1990, China has made concerted efforts to encourage expatriate professionals to return and contribute to research efforts. Incentives include the provision of funding for the creation of laboratories in China and programs that enable scientists to develop the business back. Similar trends were also noted in India, where a large number of NRIs returning to the country for growth opportunities and incentives offered in the country.

product specialization results of profitability:
By focusing on a specialized field is what is needed for developing countries. For example, recombinant vaccines are relatively easy to reproduce and can be much more cost-effective in the treatment of infectious diseases drug. India, for example, is developing vaccines for hepatitis B and C. With limited resources and underdeveloped private sector, targeted at specific sectors to meet both their needs and existing strengths is an effective strategy employed by some developing countries.

Private sector power products and services:
Initiate and support the growth of the private sector and the commercialization of scientific discoveries into products is what is needed. Private sector participation is essential to integrate several sources of knowledge in the field of biotechnology for health and their transformation into products and services.

Successful innovation requires collaboration:
Successful innovation requires collaboration and cooperation widespread. lack of cooperation from China has prevented its scientists to be the first in the world to sequence severe acquired respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Emerging issues in Agri-Biotechnology in India

2011-03-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

The growing population, limited land for cultivation and the growing demand for alternative energy sources has led to greater application of the techniques of biotechnology in agriculture in India. various research institutes and departments of the Government of India and the Governments of the States to focus efforts on other exploration and exploitation of new technologies to improve agricultural production and productivity.

With the approval of Bt cotton for commercial cultivation in April 2002, seed companies more and more people are looking for technologies such as genetic modification of insect protection. There is also an increasing use of molecular markers in plant breeding.

With the promulgation of the rights of breeders and farmers 'rights bill', there is an increasing demand for molecular fingerprinting of germplasm lines of claiming ownership of these crop varieties and hybrids. There is a growing awareness that some of these new technologies will lead to future growth of the crop productivity and quality. The ability to develop or source of these technologies will determine the future leaders of agriculture in this country.

The main concerns and questions

• Excessive delays in the regulatory system as it exists today.

• Lack of adequate intellectual property protection and uncertainties relating to the capture of value.

• the doubts and apprehensions among the farmers and policy makers on various applications of biotechnology in the field.

• Lack of political consensus on various issues.

Addressing these key issues

The industry should initiate a debate on these issues and bring to the attention of legislators and other stakeholders. It 'also need to educate our farmers and agronomists on the benefits as soon Successful exploitation of new technologies in agriculture.

Early trends

There is a large part of farmers, the consumers of this technology in this country who have seen the benefits and began to ask for agro-biotechnology, such as Bt cotton, however, the industry today is not able to meet this question, because there are very few players in this field. Sensing this opportunity, some unscrupulous elements were undertaking non-essential goods and forgery in the name of some of these new technologies. In the short term, this trend can affect public confidence in these new technologies, if appropriate measures are not taken against. However, in the long term, agro-biotechnology will have a positive impact on Indian agriculture more and more benefits are real.

GM Crops- Altered nutrition and composition- Fortification

2011-03-05T20:57:00.001-08:00

Although GM crops have emerged for some time and have revolutionized the agricultural sector, while a number of countries, many efforts are made to contribute more in the realm of avant-garde. Some of these efforts are designed to increase productivity and resistance to insects, weeds and viruses that affect the yield and production accordingly. Other initiatives in the area are also strengthening the intrinsic nature of culture in itself have an impact, positive impact on human health and development.

Some developments in the field are as follows:

vitamin-enriched rice. The best known example of a transgenic plant nutritional properties of rice containing high levels of beta-carotene - a precursor of vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential to increase disease resistance, protection against visual impairment and blindness, and improve the opportunities for growth and development. Vitamin A deficiency contributes to serious illness and infant mortality. This condition prevented the increase in disease burden for health systems in developing countries. enhanced vitamin A rice and maize are currently being developed for growing in developing countries. The current efforts to ensure that vitamin A in rice can be effectively absorbed in the human gut. Once this is solved, 300 g of transgenic rice could make a significant contribution to the daily requirement of vitamin A and the man will have a significant impact on human development.

High-iron rice. The prevalence of iron deficiency is very high in regions where rice is the staple food daily. This is because rice has a low iron content. rice seed ferritin iron-transporter protein of soybeans were found to contain twice as much iron as the seed of the variety has not been processed. Rice was transformed with three genes that increase the accumulation of iron in rice grains and iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

Improving the protein content. Researchers are also studying methods that could improve the protein content of vegetable base such as cassava, bananas and potatoes. The results of greenhouse experiments show that these tubers are 35-45% more protein, and the level of essential amino acids.

Elimination of allergens and anti-nutritional factors. Cassava roots contain naturally high levels of cyanide. Since they are a staple food in tropical Africa, which led to high levels of cyanide in the blood that have harmful effects. Application of modern biotechnology to reduce the concentration of this toxic substance in cassava should reduce the preparation time.

Modification of starch and fatty acid profile. In an effort to provide healthier food, there is an effort to increase the starch content of potatoes to absorb less fat during cooking to create healthy fats, the fatty acid composition of soybean and canola has been modified to produce oils with low levels of saturated fat. R & D is currently focused on soybean, rapeseed and palm oil. Two such transgenic crops have already been approved in the United States of America.

Future trends in GM crops

2011-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

The introduction of GM crops in the lexicon of the word agriculture has contributed to spend hours of research and ways the most rapid increase in areas where technology can be used for commercial applications. Now, the introduction of foreign genes in plant species of economic importance, resulting in crop improvement and production of new products in the factories are no longer regarded with awe. Nor is the use of industrial chemicals and environmentally friendly alternative cost effective as biofuels, bio-fertilizers and organic pesticides that are also due to increased agricultural production, improve health and safety standards.

The introduction of commercial crops with agronomic traits is often referred to as the first generation of GM plants. The development of GM crops with agronomic traits and the continuous production of a range of GM crops with improved properties is also running under laboratory conditions. Several new characters are being tested in laboratory and field trials in a number of countries. Many of these GM crops "second generation are still under development and not likely to enter the market for several years. All of the GM crops on the market for commercial applications only after careful consideration and legal approvals.

The main areas of research and development (R & D) in the field of GM crops are as follows:

1. agronomic traits and resistance to virus

2. Altered nutrition and composition.

Improvement of agronomic traits

This evolution makes plants resistant to pests and diseases and helps the crop to grow without being affected by weeds and insects. In the short term, most recently commercialized GM crops continue to focus on agronomic traits, including herbicide resistance and insect resistance and, indirectly, the potential yield. R & D in this area focuses on:

1. Enter characters herbicide resistance in a wider range of varieties of corn, soybean and rapeseed.
2. Broadening the range of herbicides that can be used in combination with GM crops resistant to herbicides, such as the introduction of herbicide tolerance to bromoxynil, oxynil and sulfonylurea.
3. New genes for insect resistance in plants Stack, such as new variants containing other Bt toxins

Adding resistance to viruses. resistance to the virus could be extremely important for improving agricultural productivity. The following field trials of crops resistant to the virus are underway in different parts of the world: the sweet potato (feathery mottle virus), corn (maize streak virus) and African cassava (mosaic virus). These crops could be marketed within 3-5 years. Because of its complex genome, the work on virus-resistant wheat and barley yellow dwarf progress is still being studied in the laboratory.

Economic cost adopting GM crops

2011-03-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Many reports of organizations or in support or criticism of genetically modified foods have been published, and the number of applications has increased or decreased the profitability of agricultural practices, including GMOs can be found in world literature.

A review of the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy concluded that biotechnology has and will continue to have a significant impact on improved efficiency, reduced costs and reduce pesticide use producer. GM Bt cotton appears to have significant benefits for small farmers in many parts of the world. On the other hand, some report lower yields, continued dependency on chemical sprays, the loss of exports and profits for farmers critical reduced following the use of biotechnology.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture report on the economic impact of GM crops summarized a positive impact of the adoption of Bt cotton on the farm system, but a negative impact in the case of an improvement in the performance of Bt corn also been observed with the herbicide tolerant maize, while significant was observed with soybeans resistant to herbicides.

A detailed study by the European Commission on the economic impact of GM crops on agriculture has concluded that the rapid adoption by farmers in the United States was the result of expectations of strong profitability. However, there is no conclusive evidence on profitability at farm level of GM crops.

The advantage of the land the most immediate and tangible benefits to farmers of GM crops seems to be a combination of performance and convenience of genetically modified crops - in particular the varieties resistant to herbicides. These crops allow for more flexibility in cropping practices and in some cases, due to reduced work or flexible. For insect-resistant crops like Bt corn, production losses are reduced compared to conventional maize. However, cost-effectiveness of Bt corn depends on a number of factors, in particular growing conditions.

The profitability of GM crops should be tested over a long period of time. First, there are significant fluctuations in annual yield and price and it is difficult to isolate the possible effects of biotechnology. Second, changes in supply and demand of the food chain must be considered together. A recent study analyzed the international spread of the result of the use of GMOs shows the need to differentiate between cultures and regions. In China, a region with a base generally high pesticide and pesticide poisoning among farmers, a report showed that use of Bt cotton significantly reduced pesticide use without reducing the output per hectare and the quality cotton. This led to significant health and economic benefits for small farmers.

There seems to be evidence of the profitability of GM crops in specific situations, especially growing conditions are strongly dependent on regional agro-ecological factors, particularly the reference pressure of pests and pesticides. On the other hand, it seems that there are situations where these factors do not allow the profitability of GM crops, or when other practices for the installation may be more value for various reasons or market Regional.

Assessment of the impact of GM foods on human health

2011-03-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

Introduction of GM crops for human consumption has been fraught with controversy and conflict of interests of various parties such as governments, companies and research institutions and farmers and consumers. To balance the stakes of all stakeholders and to carry out an appropriate procedure for risk assessment, it is essential that the first and most important assessment of their impact on human health is given due consideration by policy makers around the world . It is not that the world governing bodies are not aware of the problem. In July 2003, the Codex Commission adopted the following principles, which although not binding on national governments, but are considered in the performance assessment:

• Principles for the risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology;

• Guidelines for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants;

• Guidelines for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods produced using recombinant DNA microorganisms.

These principles and guidelines presuppose make a preliminary assessment of the market, made on a case by case basis, including an assessment of both direct effects (from the inserted gene) and side effects (which may be incurred as a result of adding the new gene). These principles and guidelines in order to assess the quality and impact of GM foods require investigation of:

(A) direct health effects (toxicity);

(B) the tendency to cause allergic reactions (allergenicity);

(C) specific components thought to have nutritional or toxic properties;

(D) the stability of the inserted gene;

(E) nutritional effects associated with genetic modification, and

(F) any adverse effects that may result from the insertion of the gene.

Potential direct effects on human health

The potential direct health effects of GM foods are generally comparable to the known risks associated with conventional food, and include, for example, the potential to cause allergies and toxicity and its impact on the nutritional quality and microbiological safety of food. While many of these issues have not traditionally been evaluated for conventional food products, the safety assessment of GM food, followed by a gradual process aided by a structured series of questions. The factors taken into account in the safety assessment include:

• Identity of the gene of interest, including sequence analysis.
• Source of the gene of interest.
• Composition of GMOs.
• The protein product expression of the novel DNA.
• the potential toxicity.
• Potential cause allergy.

Its important to be taken into account by all the decision makers of these areas in order to instill a sense of trust between those who are skeptical about the use of genetically modified crops for human consumption. This will have a positive impact on growth and food security among nations.

Biotechnology and food Security

2011-02-26T00:13:00.000-08:00

The official definition of food security adopted at the World Food Summit in 1996, said: "Food security exists when all people at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, healthy and nutritious food to meet their needs dietary and food preferences for an active and healthy life. "

The thrust of food security is to achieve a significant increase in agricultural production in a sustainable way and achieve a substantial improvement of people's right to adequate food and culturally appropriate food supply. The underlying assumption is that the means to increase food supplies in many countries exist but are not realized due to a number of constraints. During the identification and resolution of these constraints, we must find ways to improve in a sustainable manner and reduce the variability from year to year in food production and pave the way for greater access to food.

The causes of food insecurity involves a complex interaction of economic, social, political and technical. The problem for some communities, it can produce enough food. For others, lack of money to buy a bigger choice of food is the problem. Food insecurity and poverty are strongly correlated. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), defines poverty as a deficit of three levels: the lack of safety, capacity and opportunities. Poverty is the main cause of food insecurity and food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition to prevent people from acquiring skills and reduce their productivity. The delay of agricultural productivity is closely associated with rural poverty and hunger. Food insecurity is still a reality for vulnerable people in all societies and in all countries, developed and developing countries.

In developed countries, the problem of food security is often a reflection of the affordability and accessibility, through traditional channels. The food security of rural poor in developing countries is to produce or obtain enough food to feed his family and able to maintain this level of production year after year ..

Challenges for Food Safety According to one estimate, in developing countries, some 800 million undernourished people, including a large proportion living on less than $ 1 a day, despite a drop of over 50% of product prices food world in recent years. world food production has exploded, making a variety of food available to all consumers. Despite the drop in food prices in developed countries has benefited the poor who spend a considerable part of their income on food, this trend has not had much impact on most developing countries, with the 'darker paint SSA' s image.

In addition, agricultural production has stagnated for a considerable period of time or just managed to achieve a significant growth. E 'in this context that the search for solutions to declining crop yields requires an effort that improves the heritage upon which agriculture, in particular, soil, water and biodiversity. Transform farmers in farming systems by introducing new technologies, including tools and techniques of biotechnology processes that integrate agro-ecological food production, minimizing negative effects on the environment, is essential for sustainable agriculture. In addition, increasing the crops must be met to use the technology locally at low cost and minimal inputs without causing environmental damage.

E 'in this context that biotechnology can only come from a rescue deal with international food. Introduction of genetically modified high-performance, fire techniques such as gene transfer, tissue culture, etc. are intended to help scientists achieve results with minimal social and economic costs.

Environmental Biotechnology

2011-02-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

Environmental biotechnology is the use of living organisms for a wide range of applications in hazardous waste treatment and pollution control. For example, a fungus is used for cleaning a harmful substance discharged by the paper industry. Marine biotechnologists are studying ways that bacteria can detoxify the estuaries of materials such as brines Wed chemicals that cause environmental problems in many industries.

Environmental biotechnology can effectively clean many hazardous waste than conventional methods and significantly reduce our dependence on methods of cleaning the waste, as incineration or hazardous waste sites. This technology can be an advantage for a number of developing countries that face a recurring problem of finding effective ways to treat their waste per day.

How does it work?
Using biotechnology to treat pollution problems is not a new idea. Communities have relied on complex populations of naturally occurring microbes for the treatment of waste water for more than a century. Every living organism, animals, plants, bacteria and so on, ingests nutrients to live and produces a by-product stream as a result. different organisms need different types of nutrients. Some bacteria grow on the chemical components of waste. Some microorganisms, for example, feed on toxic materials such as methylene chloride, detergents and creosote.

Businesses that benefit

• The chemical industry
The use of biocatalysts for the production of novel compounds, reduce wastes and improve chemical purity.

• The plastics industry:
Decreased use of oil for the production of plastic, making "green plastics" from renewable crops like corn or soybeans.

• The paper industry:
Improve production processes, including the use of enzymes to reduce toxic byproducts from pulp.

• The textile industry:
Decreasing toxic byproducts of dead tissue and finishing. laundry detergents are becoming more efficient with the addition of enzymes to their active ingredients.

• Food industry:
Improving the cooking process, the conservatives derived from fermentation and analytical techniques for food safety.

• The livestock sector:
Adding enzymes to improve absorption of nutrients and reduce phosphate products.

• The energy sector:
Use of enzymes for making biofuels and non-polluting agricultural waste.

Biotechnology in Food- Risk Assessment

2011-02-26T00:08:00.000-08:00

Probably not a discovery in the field of green biotechnology was in such a short time, far-reaching consequences on agriculture, as the method described in 1983 for the genetic modification of plants through genetic engineering. In 2005, these GM varieties account for 60% of the soybean crop in the world, 14% corn, 28% cotton and 18% of rape between 2003 and 2005, the overall increase in housing throughout the world intended to GM crops was 33%. This clearly shows that the application of genetic engineering in agriculture has been a great economic success.

Genetic modification of crops have focused on producing varieties for cut crop losses due to insects and weeds. recent developments dealing with the protection against viral and fungal infections, increased tolerance to drought and salinity, the formation of male sterile plants for the generation of hybrid production, and improving the nutritional quality of crops and increasing the shelf-life of many perishable products like tomatoes, identifying the genes responsible for early maturation of the same.

Although the benefits of genetically modified organisms are numerous and more and more research is directed toward the field, the use of GMOs may pose risks to human health and development. Many genes used for GMOs in food supply have not been before. As new types of traditional food crops are generally not subject to a pre-market safety assessment, assessment of genetically modified foods are usually made before the first crops are marketed. It 'necessary to assess the risks to consider both intentional and unintentional effects of these foods in the food chain. GM foods are currently marketed in the international market have passed risk assessments in several countries and are not subject, and have been shown to pose risks to human health. But still there are many questions that must be handled with care.

The application of modern biotechnology to food production presents new opportunities and new challenges to human health and development. recombination, the most famous modern biotechnology, can plants, animals and micro-organisms genetically modified (GM) with new features beyond what is possible through the selection and conventional breeding techniques. E 'acknowledged that techniques such as cloning, tissue culture and marker-assisted breeding are often considered as modern biotechnology, in addition to the genetic modification.

The challenge of producing more food grains to feed a growing world population and reduce agricultural waste and increasing productivity with fewer resources has led companies to invest in GM crops and undertake new research in the field. The advantages are many encouraging results. What is needed is a concerted effort to allay fears.

Potential unintended effects of GM foods on human health

2011-02-26T00:05:00.000-08:00

Effects of GMOs, such as increased levels of anti-nutritional or toxic components in foods have been found in conventional breeding. Agents traditional farming methods, including tissue culture, may be an option a bit 'better genetic imbalance. It is believed that the introduction of a new gene can lead to increased levels of toxicity or decreased level of nutritional value found in natural organisms. The impact assessment considered all factors it is important to avoid complications and problems of implementation of the post.

Agents and immune responses in allergy to genetically modified foods:
Food allergies or sensitivities are adverse reactions to foods triggered by the immune system. Allergic reactions to foods are well known. The main food allergens are proteins and derivatives, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews and walnuts) and wheat. Considering that the most important allergens are well known and advanced test methods have been developed, traditionally developed foods are not generally tested for allergens before they are marketed.

The application of modern biotechnology crops has the potential to make food less safe if the protein is newly added cause an allergic reaction, once the food supply. protocols for assessing the risk of food allergy consists of three: (1) Evaluation of allergenicity (either food or a potential cause of food allergy) exposure assessment (2) (How likely is it that people meet the agent that cause allergies), and (3) sensitivity analysis (such as people with allergies react to this new food.)

Monitoring of human health and the environment:
In the future, GM crops can have a wider recognition for the environmental release, with or without permission to enter the human food chain. In such situations, it is important to consider whether to apply the post-marketing surveillance for unexpected environmental spread of GMOs) that may pose a risk to food safety. Methods for detection of GMOs into the environment could cause the application of two well-established body of scientific method:
(1) DNA-based diagnostic marker
(2) appropriate sampling protocols (in terms of statistical power) and cost-effectiveness.

Although GM crops have tried to solve the problems of the most powerful men say to help the food security and reduce poverty, it is necessary to make an adequate assessment of all factors negative impact of GM crops can be considered. While many scientific studies are being prepared on this matter so that a series of guidelines and standards can be developed and followed by all. This requires a careful evaluation and respectful of the interests at stake and how to balance these often conflicting interests.

Indian Biotechnology Scenario- An analysis

2011-02-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

According to a NASSCOM-KPMG study, the R & D and biotech industry will reach a turnover of 3 billion dollars by 2010 and the bioinformatics market will reach $ 2 billion. Indian companies have become suppliers of information to customers worldwide biotech. The sequencing of genes and dissemination of genomic information for drug companies is the size of the next boom industry. India has the potential to become one of the strengths of choice in the development and manufacture of genomic medicine with a good atmosphere and well-directed research efforts and initiatives. Currently, there are about 190 biotech companies in India. The scenario in India Biotech

India is a huge market for products based on biotechnology. However, most of these products are not developed here but are imported by domestic and foreign companies. According to the analysis of capitalmarket.com, the Indian biotech industry is expected to reach Rs 4,40,000 crore in 2020.

The current demand for biotech products in India, in terms of predicting and evaluating the Information Technology Council (TIFAC) report are: - The products of fermentation-based vaccines.

- DMA products and antibiotics among healthcare products.

- Alcohol, organic acids, enzymes, amino acids, yeast and other industrial products.

There were about 400 companies in India with activities related to biotechnology in 1995. This number has increased to about 850. India and biotechnology industry is small compared to its pharmaceutical industry (about 16,000 drug makers big and small). Biotech in India started in the mid-1980s and has focused in large national or multinational drug. In 1986, the Indian government established the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology. Many small biotechnology companies have been created since then.

The actors can be divided into the following companies:

- Contract Research Organizations: Sygen Labs, Biological E, Bangalore Genie, Avestha Gengraine etc.

- Biotechnology company that engages in basic research using recombinant DNA technology and develops and markets its products: like Shanta Biotech, Bharat Biotech & Biocon India.

- Wings biotech companies or subsidiaries of pharmaceutical / agro-technology, research on measurement using recombinant DNA technology: Lupin Labs, Wockhardt, RPG Life Sciences, Monsanto, Cadila Healthcare, Dr Reddy's Labs, etc.

- Companies that do not use recombinant DNA technology, but apply the principles of biotechnology: floriculture, tissue culture and society of industrial application of biotechnology industry such as enzymes, fermentation and bio-chemicals.

Biotechnology in Indian context

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The biotechnology industry is the sunrise and perhaps one of the emerging economy of India's new generation, resulting in phenomenal growth in research initiatives and the creation of jobs. The broad base of intellectual capacity and skills are well developed, for R & D cost and benefit of all tend to make India as one of the most promising markets worldwide and offer great opportunities for companies and the ' industry to invest and reap the benefits thereof. The government is also trying hard to define and change the political framework in order to make India a dynamic center for research on bio-technology center and infrastructure development.

Biotechnology in India can be divided into three main areas - the pharmaceutical industry on improved health care, feed and pharmaceutical research, the agricultural sector leading to the introduction of new crops and to produce improved plants and industrial lead business creation and new economy industries.

The Indian biotech industry has core competencies in areas and sectors:

• The growth in fermentation products.
• Using parts of plants and animals to extract value-added products of high purity.
• The use of cell culture techniques and microbiological.
• The techniques of plant cultivation and animal breeding technology based on molecular methods.
• cultivation of plant cells / tissue, etc.
• The technology of DNA of plants and animals
• The isolation of plant and animal products.
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Gene manipulation of microbes and animal cells;

Market success Story Biotech

India is an example of successful development in the field of Bio technology is concerned about improving health care and animal products and agricultural growth and plant products. Development and production of indigenous hepatitis B vaccine by a number of companies around the world for patent plafactor sound system of fermentation called drug distribution of State for gene therapy, the domestic production of HIV I & II Rapid Detection Test Kit the development of various other indigenous diagnostic kits and the transfer of industry, the introduction of transgenic Bt cotton and the successful testing under controlled conditions of a number of vegetables, horticultural crops, research on genetically modified seeds and organic fertilizers and organic products, development of human insulin, growth hormone, interferons (alpha 2a and 2b), the development of vaccines for animals, such as vaccines for poultry are a few success stories in Since the growth of this sector is concerned.

Biotechnology in India – a historical back ground

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The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) was established by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1986. This gave new impetus to the development of biotechnology in India. The DBT has established several centers of excellence in the country. These centers are responsible for the generation of skilled workers, the development of research initiatives and opportunities and sustain its R & D in the private sector and provides the platform to stand on their research activities in these centers. This facilitated the interaction between academia and industry that led to the real estate entrepreneur and a number of initiatives to take root and grow biotechnology in India.

The Indian government has developed in biosecurity and helped establish the patent rules. He also participated in technology transfer and international cooperation. The center also plans to introduce other venture capital funds in line with its Technology Development Fund (TDF) to promote small and medium biotech companies.

The Indian government has set up a decent regulatory framework for approving GM crops and products of recombinant DNA for human health. A proactive government policy allows stem cells in the country, despite having put in place its code of ethics. The patent system, which came into force in 2005 and led to give a message to the world and the Indian industry that India supports the framework of rules and rewards of research and new initiatives. The second amendment to the Indian patent law includes a patent period of 20 years, the provision of emergency and early R & D, immediately after the filing of patents. The bill is consistent with WTO provisions and travel and make Indian laws compatible with what was agreed in the framework of multilateral negotiations.

Several states have taken their own initiatives in terms of defining their own policies to boost the biotechnology industry in this sector and biotechnology in India, as a whole. States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh are developing biotech parks. This is to encourage research, establish links between their research institutions and industry. various concessions offered to the industry in terms of one-stop shop for quick clearance, exemption from taxation, the creation of funds to be used for the incubation of a new project.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Ministry of Science and Technology, a number of centers of excellence in the field were established. These places have a world-class infrastructure and research centers to be fully developed. These centers are open to collaboration. Some of them are: Plant Genomics Center, New Delhi, Center for Human Genetics, Bangalore, National Institute of Biologicals, New Delhi, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, National Facility for Macromolecular Crystallography, BARC, Mumbai, National Endowment for the high field NMR, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, Central Institute of Drug Research, Lucknow, National Brain Research Centre, New Delhi, CIMAP, Lucknow.

Biotechnology in Health- A goldmine

2011-02-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

Biotechnology has been associated with improved overall health and lifestyle of human beings for some time. In fact a lot of research in biotechnology is focused in the field of genetics, DNA fingerprinting, DNA recombitant (rDNA) analysis and other related areas are addressed to unlock the mysteries of life and to improve disease quality of life and improve the standard of living. Needless to say, this exciting and unexplored (unexplored in the sense that a vast ocean is still there to win as much as the conditions and human diseases are concerned) offers tremendous opportunities for manufacturers of drugs and academic institutions to undertake or sponsor projects research and pilot projects to give shape to ideas and concepts.

India has remained relatively intact for a considerable period of time due to various regulatory and other reasons. The first and the first was the process patent regime that existed until December 31, 2004. This enables companies to achieve what is commonly called "reverse engineering" that by developing the same product, but with different processes. Thus the Indian pharmaceutical company profitable in the short term, as the Indian market were concerned. However, even this has made them ill late on the international scene to the extent that new research in the field was concerned. However, the amendment of the Patent Act and the entry into force of the same thing with effect from 1 January 2005, has made Indian companies to rethink their strategy and contribute to the field by a change in the policy framework.

Several path breaking success in international research in the field of biotechnology for health has completely changed the market. Sequencing the human genome has led to a better understanding of how to detect and treat various diseases. Health Biotechnology has had a direct impact on the daily lives of people around the world. treatments for cancer vaccines, antibiotics, genetic testing, and diagnostics and innovative therapies for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and diabetes are some innovations in biotechnology in improving health and health life styles of people in developed countries and countries in the developing world.

Biotechnology plays an important role as a preventive health system. patients screened for susceptibility to the disease and the provision of vaccines against the onset of the disease has a positive impact on millions of people. Improved diagnostic tools to help doctors and researchers to identify the disease and targeted treatments for patients planning. The side effects can be minimized by understanding how a person's genetic makeup affects their ability to metabolize drugs.

In the future, biotechnology can improve health through the use and understanding of the genetic code to fight against the disease, and provides physicians with the tools to not only treat illness but to prevent and treat diseases with a personalized approach. Stem cells are cells of the type of construction for all, tissues and organs in human body cells. Preservation of his own stem cells could one day help restore the body parts that become damaged due to disease or injury.

Biotechnology in food processing- Issues Relevant to Developing Countries

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Application of biotechnology for food processing in developing countries is a matter of debate and discussion long ago. biotech research applied to biotechnological processes in most developing countries, development goals and improving the traditional fermentation processes. However, there are some issues to be discussed in developing countries, using the technology for various applications.

1. Socio-economic and cultural
Traditional fermentation processes used in most developing countries are low-input technologies for food processing appropriate to the minimum investment. These processes are, however, often uncontrolled, unhygienic, inefficient and generally lead to products of varying quality and short duration. Fermented foods, however, be consumer acceptance in developing countries and contribute significantly to food security and nutrition. As the applications of biotechnology to fermented foods such impact on socio-economic and cultural rights?

2. Infrastructure and logistics
Physical infrastructure needs of production, distribution and storage (eg refrigeration) microbial cultures or enzymes on a continuous basis is generally available in urban areas of many developing countries. However, this is not the case in most rural areas of developing countries. If research is oriented so that people at all levels can benefit from biotechnology applications in food fermentation process? What is needed for the level of fermentation technologies and process controls must be improved to increase efficiency, productivity and quality and safety of fermented foods in developing countries?

3. Nutrition and Food Security
Fermentation processes to improve the nutritional value of foods through the biosynthesis of vitamins, amino acids and proteins, improving the digestibility of protein and fiber, to improve the bioavailability of trace elements and degrading anti-nutritional factors.

Nutritional characteristics (and safety aspects) of fermented foods are well documented and appreciated in developing countries? It 'necessary to educate consumers about the benefits of fermented foods?

4. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
The methods used in the most advanced agricultural biotechnology tend to be covered by intellectual property rights This also applies to biotechnological processes used in food processing. On the other hand, many of the fermentation process traditionally used in developing countries rely on traditional knowledge.

How should food scientists, researchers, associations and industry players and governments of developing countries to address these problems?

Biotechnology and food processing

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Appliations of biotechnology in food-How to benefit?

Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of different technologies and can be applied in each of the various food sectors and agriculture. It includes technologies such as genetic modification (manipulation) and the transfer, the use of molecular markers, the development of recombinant vaccines and DNA-based methods of disease characterization propagation / diagnostic in-vitro growing plants, embryo transfer and other reproductive technologies. It also includes a number of technologies used to process raw materials produced by the food crop sectors, fisheries and livestock. It 'an area that receives relatively little media attention, but it is very important for food security in many developing countries.

Biotechnology in food processing is the selection and improvement of microorganisms with the objectives of improving process control, productivity and efficiency and the quality, safety and consistency of processed organic products. Micro-organisms or microbes are generic terms for the group of organisms that are microscopic in size, and include bacteria, yeasts and molds.

Fermentation is the process of bioconversion of organic matter by micro-organisms and / or enzymes (complex proteins) of microbial, plant or animal. This is one of the oldest forms of food preservation that is applied globally. Indigenous fermented foods such as bread, cheese and wine and other fermented foods contribute about one third of the food throughout the world.

The fermentation is generally applied in the conservation of a range of agricultural products (cereals, roots, tubers, fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, fish, etc..) Commercially produced fermented foods that are marketed worldwide dairy products (yogurt cheese, fermented milk), soy sauce and sausages.

food fermentations contribute substantially to the safety and food security, particularly in rural areas of many developing countries. The process has been used for years and years and has been widely accepted standard. Needless to say, the potential application of biotechnology in particular in developing countries in terms of food security and the fight against hunger is huge and more efforts and incentives are needed to give a boost to the sector.

Although the fermentation technology has been used for many years in these countries, the resulting output of these technologies is not very high and there is a need to contribute to research efforts in this direction to increase productivity. In addition to a careful evaluation of the merits and weaknesses of each technology to find the level of consumption and the toxin is also necessary.

Biotechnology- means to Achieve Food security

2011-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Agricultural productivity is important for food security, as it has an impact on food supplies, prices and incomes and purchasing power of farmers. Improve food security at national level requires an increase in food availability through increased agricultural production.

Historically, food production in developing countries can be attributed to the cultivation of new land, rather than the introduction of better farming practices and application of new technologies. By its very nature, agriculture threatens other ecosystems, a situation that can be aggravated by over-cultivation, grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. However, the increase in demand for food in Asia, Europe and North Africa should be met by increasing yields, because most land in these areas is already used for agriculture. E 'in this context that biotechnology techniques of different nature may be practical to use to improve performance and productivity.

Food safety:

food productivity worldwide is undergoing a process of rapid transformation due to technological advances in communication, information, transport and modern biotechnology. A general observation is that technologies tend to develop in response to market pressures, not the needs of the poor who have no purchasing power. Agriculture is the main economic activity in rural communities, optimizing production levels will generate employment and income, and thus advance the wealth and welfare of the community. Improve agricultural production in developing countries is essential to reduce poverty and increase food security.

The initial investment to boost agricultural productivity can be achieved through the introduction of advanced technologies such as improved seeds, crop rotation systems, etc., using technology to reduce the loss of crops and waste production of crops that are resistant weeds, insects and other reasons for the failure of crops using biological insecticides to preserve the nutritional value of plants and reduce its toxicity. Other measures include the use of techniques that are:

• the environment, conserve resources and maintain the productive potential
• feasible and profitable for farmers over a long period
• Provide Food Quality and sufficiency for all people
• socially acceptable
• socially equitable between countries and within each country

production problems for farmers vary between countries and communities, and technology must be adapted to these situations, ie, a solution will not be appropriate everywhere. In fact, these programs are now widely accepted as being the focus of sustainable agriculture. Improving the nutritional properties of staple foods consumed by the poor could reduce the disease burden in many developing countries. For example, scientists at the Institute for International Research on the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, India) have developed a variety of pearl millet enriched in beta-carotene. This has led not only to produce a crop that is widely used by low productivity increases, but also add value to the nutritional content of culture. E 'need for direct research in areas that are capable of generating sustainable long-term solutions to food problems, which are not governed only by considerations of pure economic interests.

Biotech Policy Initiatives

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Perhaps one of the greatest impetus to the growth of the bio-technology in India was part of the positive political climate and investment offered by the government and the governments of states that have tried to develop the sector in their respective states. The government and the governments of states have taken various initiatives to promote biotechnology in India. State governments, including Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi have taken initiatives to encourage entrepreneurs to establish industries of biotechnology in their states.

Among the important measures taken by central governments and states the following:

• Establishment of a separate Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1986 gave impetus to the growth of Indian economy.

• Announcement of a separate policy for biotechnology in the U.S. as a recognition of the importance of the sector as a key area for growth;

• Setting up of exclusive Biotechnology Parks, they must encourage research, establish links between their research institutions and industry. various concessions offered to the industry in terms of one-stop shop for quick clearance, exemption from taxation, the creation of funds to be used for the incubation of a new project.

• establish working groups with experts to guide them on policy issues and the establishment of a positive policy framework.

• Holding fairs in various fields of science and technology seminars for national and international initiatives for India in the field.

Many Indian companies have introduced products through original research and technology transfer between R & D institutes in India in the field of vaccines, diagnostics and clinical research and contract testing. Others have established tie ups and joint ventures with foreign companies for the provision of technology and testing of new products made with technology from abroad, to introduce them in India under the Indian laws. The outsourcing of R & D in biotechnology represents a tremendous opportunity for Indian companies to do research on behalf of foreign companies. The current expenditure on R & D outsourcing is about $ 9 billion and is expected to increase to 30 percent per year over the next five years.

There are about 50 R & D laboratories in the public sector, offering high-quality R & D and more than 20 research conducted in specific areas of biotechnology. In addition, there are companies in Bangalore with an excellent workforce and technical institutions worldwide as the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), National Centre for Biological Sciences (BCN), Jawahar Lal Nehru Centre for Research Advanced Scientific (JNCASR), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, National Center for Macromolecular Crystallography, BARC, Mumbai, National High Field NMR, TIFR, Mumbai, Central Institute of Drug Research, Lucknow, National Brain Research, New Delhi, which offers all the services of high quality R & D organizations worldwide.

Biotechnology- Funding by Government of India

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Biotechnology-financing by the Government of India

Without losing sight of the importance of biotechnology in the modern era, several government funding agencies offer various types of research grants and fellowships through soft loans or equity, to conduct research in various fields of biotechnology and commercialization of indigenous biotechnology. Various institutes like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), University Grants Commission (UGC) are actively involved in the field.

Under the aegis of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India are three major departments:

• Department of Science and Technology (DST)

• Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

• Ministry of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

FINANCING PROGRAMS DST, DBT and DSIR

TDB - Technology Development Board

The TDB, created in 1996, aims to manage and fund Technology Development and Application. It invests in equity capital and also gives soft loans to industrial concerns, cooperatives and other agencies, which are involved in the development and commercial application of indigenous technology, or adapting imported technology to wider domestic applications having common good as the cause.

TIFAC - Technology Information Forecasting & Assessment Council

TIFAC is an autonomous organization under the DST. It aims to keep a technology watch on global trends, formulate preferred technology options for India and promote key technologies.

HGT - Home Grown Technologies

Falling under the ambit of TIFAC , the Home-Grown Technology Programme aims to give financial., techno-managerial and patent related support to deserving technology development projects for pilot operations or/and significant improvement to existing processes and operations.

PATSER - Program aimed at Technological Self Reliance

The aim of PATSER is supporting industry for technology absorption, development and demonstration. It also helps builds indigenous capabilities for development and commercialization of contemporary products and processes of high impact.

TePP - Technopreneur Promotion Program The program jointly operated by DSIR and DST has the objective of tapping the vast existing innovative potentials of Indian entrepreneurs, to assist individual innovators to become technology based entrepreneurs and to assist in networking and forging links for the commercialization of their developments.

RDI - Research & Development by Industry The RDI main area of focus is the recognition of in-house R&D units in industries, recognition of Scientific & Industrial Research Organizations and giving fiscal incentives for Scientific Research.

SEETOT - Scheme to Enhance the Efficacy of Transfer of Technology.

SEETOT gives support to Technology Acquisition and Management.

Plant Bio Genetic Engineering

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The selective, the voluntary transfer of beneficial genes from one organism to another to create new and better plants, animals or materials. Examples of GM crops are cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, soybeans, etc. transgenic plants and seeds are created by the process of genetic engineering, which allows scientists to move genetic material between organisms in order to modify these characteristics. All organisms, including plants consist of cells that contain the DNA molecule. DNA molecules in units of genetic information from genes. Every organism has a genetic code made up of DNA that determines the functions of its cells and the characteristics that make it unique.

Before genetic engineering, germplasm exchange was possible only between individual organisms of the same species. With the advent of genetic engineering in 1972, scientists were able to identify specific genes associated with desirable traits in an organism and the transfer of genes across species boundaries in another organism. For example, a gene from bacteria, viruses or animals can be moved into the production of genetically modified plants with altered characteristics. Thus, this method allows the mixing of genetic material between species that otherwise would not breed naturally. After decades of research, specialists of the plant were able to apply their knowledge of genetic engineering to improve the various cultures such as corn, potatoes and cotton.

Rapid advances in biotechnology have opened new market opportunities for scientists and companies to explore the possibilities of using technology in agriculture. Today, even in developing countries, land is increasingly cultivated variety of a growing number of GM crops. Research efforts are under way to genetically modify most of the plants with high economic value, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, floriculture and vegetable crops.

Application of genetic engineering in plants has the following advantages for humanity:

• Development of plants resistant to pests and diseases.

• Increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

• To produce plants with healthy fats and oils that have increased nutritional value, improved lifestyle.

• The production of soybeans with higher protein expression of cancer that is found naturally in soybeans.

• Increase the yield per hectare resulting in increased productivity.

Plant Tissue Culture Biotechnology

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The growing demand for energy for the mass propagation of trees has led to the development of the technique is known as plant tissue culture. It allows whole plants to be produced from small amounts of plant parts like roots, leaves or stems, or even just a single cell plant under laboratory conditions.

The father of plant tissue culture is the French botanist George Morel, who discovered the technique in 1965 while trying to get a plant virus-free orchids. Subsequently, the commercial use of the technology began in 1970 in developed countries. Early on, the concept was limited to a laboratory and an academic interest and, at best, was previously used for the cultivation of ornamental plants and flowers for export. But in most developing countries, the lack of biomass and energy needs increasingly felt the need to explore the possibility of mass distribution of trees through tissue culture.

Tissue culture methods or mass cloning of elite tree species is done to increase the productivity of the land. Are modified or adapted to the change of scale and increase efficiency and productivity. The concept has great importance for many developing countries like India where agriculture remains the predominant activity, requiring the adoption of new technologies to increase production.

In general, the species are selected for tissue culture based on the following considerations:

• Plant species that have problems of regeneration, mainly because of poor quality (such as bananas, Irish potatoes and bamboo). In these cases, the seeds collected from higher plants are used for the opening of crops and increase production.

• species where the plants of any one sex in particular is of commercial importance, such as equipment for papaya male and female plants of asparagus. In these cases, culture is launched with seed specific plants with commercial value. In tissue culture cells, tissues and organs of a plant are separated. These cells are grown in separate individual with a nutrient medium under controlled conditions of temperature and light. The plant requires a growing source of energy from sugar, salt, some vitamins, amino acids, etc., which are provided in the nutrient medium. From these elements of culture, an embryo can develop, which then develops into an entirely new plant.

Seedlings were photosynthetic efficiency and lack of appropriate mechanism to control water loss. They should be hardened gradually by moving them along a gradient of humidity in the greenhouse. Once these plants are in the areas of research are evaluated in the field. Many plant tissue culture that has developed over the trees are very consistent and show an increased production of biomass crops bred conventionally.

Tissue culture is used for the rapid vegetative propagation of plant material that is also known as micropropagation and the production of plants resistant to disease and pest free.

Use of Biotechnology

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Biotechnology in its broadest sense, the application of all the natural sciences and engineering for the direct or indirect use of living organisms or parts of organisms in their natural form or modified in any way in the production of innovative goods and services and / or improve industrial processes. The market demand of modern biotechnology techniques, it is usually in the general areas of human health care, agriculture and food production, processing industry and other biological parameters of public good and the environment.

Thus, biotechnology refers to a set of technologies to understanding, mapping, manipulation or alteration of the genetic characteristics of a living organism.

The following is the application of modern biotechnology techniques in different application fields ranging from agricultural to industrial processes.

Healthcare biotechnology
Medicines
Vaccines
Diagnostics
Gene therapy
Bioactive therapeutic
Clinical and contract research
Neutraceuticals

Agricultural Biotechnology
Hybrid seeds
Biofertilizers
Biopesticides
Plant extraction
Plant genetic engineering
Tissue culture in planting

Industrial Biotechnology
Industrial enzymes
Biofuels
Polymers
Fermented products
Microbial strains
Biocatalysts
Oligonucleotides

Environment Biotechnology
Effluent and waste water management
Biosensors
Bioremediation
Development of Germplasms

Variants of Biotechnology

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Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organizations or systems to manufacture products that improve the quality of human life. The first farmers biotechnologists who developed the species of plants and animals from cross-pollination or crossing. In recent years, biotechnology has increased in sophistication, scope and applicability in various sectors of modern economies.

The science of biotechnology can be divided into several sub-discipline called red, white, green and blue.

Red biotechnology involves processes such as medical organizations for the production of new drugs, or using stem cells to regenerate damaged human tissues and perhaps re-grow whole organs, the design of organisms to produce antibiotics and genetic engineering care through the manipulation of genomic DNA analysis of progress in the understanding of human evolution and the origin of various diseases, tissue culture for the detection of diseases, etc. are examples of red biotechnology.

White biotechnology, also known as white biotechnology, biotechnology applied to industrial processes. An example is the project of an organism to produce a useful chemical. White biotechnology tends to consume less resources than traditional processes used to produce industrial goods. fermentation process that is used to make bread and other food products is an example of white biotechnology.

Green biotechnology is biotechnology applied to agricultural processes. An example is the design of transgenic plants to grow under specific environmental conditions or the presence (or absence) of certain agricultural chemicals. One hope is that green biotechnology might produce more environmentally friendly solutions than traditional industrial agriculture. An example of this is engineering a plant to express a pesticide, thereby eliminating the need for external application of pesticides. An example of this would be the green revolution of Bt maize in India is a successful example of green biotechnology, leading to greater efficiency and productivity and self-sufficiency in food production. biofertilsers Introduction and biopesticides are various other examples of green biotechnology.

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that deals with computational techniques to biological problems. The land is often referred to as the computational biology. It plays a key role in various fields such as functional genomics, structural genomics and proteomics, and is a key element in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. And 'the dawn of the sector to the growth of the IT industry.

Blue biotechnology has also been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology, but its use is relatively rare.

Molecular Biotechnology

2011-02-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most powerful use of biotechnology for the development of human welfare has been in the field of molecular biotechnology. The powerful revolution in medicine over the past ten years has been in the field of genomic research, which has completely transformed the conventional medicine in the field of molecular medicine. The unveiling remarkable almost complete human genome in June 2000 and the release of the genetic code, in February 2001, was instrumental in deciphering the search path breaking and miracle drugs and the demand for the scientific community. So he created jubilation among health care workers around the world, but at the same time, the requests raised several ethical, legal and social too (ELSI).

The progress of research in genomic medicine in India in the field of cancer genomics, vaccines, genomics, microbial, pharmacogenomics, vector genomics, neurogenetics and molecular basis of disease has led to the development of new drugs and research into new treatments for conditions that were considered fatal in the past.

While new developments are underway in the area, the need to further enhance the proven technologies such as diagnostics and vaccines and uses them to apply also in the process. And 'here that Indian industry will make further efforts to take advantage of a revolution in biotechnology. This shows that if the Indian industry is strong in product development and marketing of commercial benefits of biotechnology in India does not have the necessary infrastructure for R & D molecular modeling, protein engineering, medicine and the design of immunological studies . This problem must be treated immediately to save on research initiatives.

Another aspect to consider is that different technologies in the field of molecular biotechnology have the potential to improve productivity and increase the number and quality of new drugs, allowing more and more diverse genomic targets for drug quality and acceleration of clinical development by designing better tests have clearly shown that the improved safety, efficiency and compliance. According to one estimate, improvising medical outcomes using well-developed drugs and diagnostics, pharmaceutical companies could benefit from the order of U.S. $ 200-500 in additional revenue for each drug. Apex scientific bodies in India, for example, CSIR, ICMR, DBT has initiated national programs to identify and characterize novel drug targets, particularly in the field of tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, etc., as well as new therapeutic targets for disorders diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. In addition, there is also preparing a proposal to undertake single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping in over 500 genes to identify and characterize the Indian population, genes associated with susceptibility to malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and neurological diseases, which are more common in the Indian context.

Health Biotechnology- Paradigms of Success

2011-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

With the growing interest in health biotechnology is no longer the preserve of institutions of high quality research from North America and Europe. The market cost effective and urgent need to address human suffering and disease are in developing countries to take stock of the situation and create alliances to be at the forefront of research in this sunrise sector. Vaccines for the prevention of many diseases and epidemics, diagnostic tools and other products of biotechnology which can be produced relatively easily and economically by developing countries have the potential to save millions of people dying each year disease.

The following factors are crucial for the development of the sector:

• Focus on the health of local needs

• Important role of the private sector in marketing.

• The collaboration between academia and industry and government and industry.

• Carving a niche.

• long-term support of the government and sustainable.

A worrying phenomenon observed in this area is that, because markets for drugs in industrialized countries are much more profitable, the development of health products for people in the poorest regions of the world is upset. Of 1,393 new drugs marketed between 1975 and 1999, only 16 were for tropical diseases in developing countries and predominantly affect others and three of the 16 were for tuberculosis, which affects the whole world. More than 175 new drugs have been developed for cardiovascular disease in the same period.

Developing countries should adopt measures to contribute to the creation of health products to meet their needs. This would require not only increased spending on the core and the efforts of applied research, but also greater cooperation and collaboration between industry and the private sector on the one hand and research institutes, universities and other public institutions. The government should also make a world of good through financial contributions and other tax incentives for the biotechnology industry. You have to understand that biotechnology in the health sector has a long gestation period and serious efforts over the long term and sustained efforts are needed to promote the development of the sector significantly.

We can learn from South Korea. Although a late starter in the field of biotechnology, compared to other developed countries or developing countries, the South Korean government has played an important leadership role and wrote with chalk on a plan to invest 4.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 in 2007. Equally important, government policies to encourage technology transfer and allow university professors to set up private firms or spin-off, which promotes entrepreneurship and a global set of skills.

White Biotechnology Industrial Application

2011-02-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

White or more commonly known as industrial biotechnology is used to produce all types of products used in daily life - ranging from bread and cheese microbial strains of biodiesel and bio-catalysts. It also involves fermentation and enzymatic processes that are always the best financial and ecological alternatives to chemical-physical and mechanical applications because of their economic environment and easier to use.

White biotechnology is an excellent example of interdisciplinary cooperation. The pool is generated by the technology areas as diverse as chemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, chemical engineering, agricultural sciences, computer science, computer engineering and process engineering. A new look, especially in the field of genomics and systems biology, are currently giving a big boost to white biotechnology are revolutionizing the entire application and industrial processes and the resulting savings.

The use of bio technology in industrial demand has also led to the introduction of environmentally friendly methods and processes in various areas such as food processing, textiles, mining, cosmetics and paper industries. Currently, only 5% of chemicals are produced using biotechnological methods. McKinsey report titled "The absorption of white biotechnology in the chemical industry") declared an increase of 10 to 20 per cent in 2010 is expected - with a trend for future growth. This should give a good sound byte of green peace volunteers.

There are over 3,000 different enzymes known to only 150-170 are used commercially. There is an enormous research potential waiting to be exploited. Other challenges include the optimization methods and enzymes involved. Washing products are probably the best known example of using biotech enzymes. Through biotechnology has a significant effect on the cost: wash without enzymes requires almost two times more energy than when the enzymes are used. Enzymes also the workflow more competitive and environmentally friendly. A good example is its effect on the textile industry: the use of enzymes in cleaning processes for the purification of tissues has led to a reduction in the consumption of energy and water up to 50 percent.

White biotechnology is also used in water purification that involves bacteria and demand for renewable raw materials. Products such as biofuels such as biodiesel, bioplastics, etc. have a promising future and opened research opportunities ideal for the mutual benefit of research institutions and industrial houses.

Further research in the field of white biotechnology acts as a three-pronged strategy. It gives an impetus to research initiatives, led to industrial production and a greater improvement in business and financial gain, while allowing the use of technologies that are more environmentally friendly and less polluting. Needless to say that the funds continue to flow steadily in that area that are huge mutual benefits and for all those involved in the process.

Red Biotechnology

2011-02-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

Working to improve human health and lifestyle, using advances in technology and innovation.

In medicine, biotechnology has become an integral part in the diagnosis, gene therapy, clinical research and contract testing, therapeutic, bioactive, stem cells, genetic engineering and the development and production of new drugs to treat various diseases that are life threatening. The increased use of combination vaccines such as DPT with Hepatitis B, hepatitis A and polio vaccine injection, and several veterinary and poultry vaccines are examples of application of biotechnology in the field of drugs.

Tissue engineering, which deals with the plant tissue after culturing cells on biodegradable and biocompatible materials is the application of the new field with a great human development and alleviate human suffering. Besides the production of artificial leather, products of tissue engineering service contracts primarily through the provision of orthopedic cartilage, bone and intervertebral disc replacements.

Increasing application of biotechnology in the field of cancer research and treatment of disease, Parkinson's disease AM by discovering mutations and amplifications of a particular gene that causes Parkinson's disease AM is a revolution to open new frontiers to find a better and more effective treatment for the disease.

Biochips are also under development, as important tools for the development of personalized medicine. Biochips are miniaturized analytical tools that are used in diagnostics. They allow the rapid analysis of a patient's individual genetic OSA. Accelerating the development of new drugs, to allow early detection of disease, dose adjustment of medications to patients, AO individual needs and thereby reducing the number of unwanted side effects

It 'also known that some substances are only effective in some patients because of their particular genetic predisposition. Scientific studies have shown that the anti-cancer drug is effective in only about 10 percent of all cancer patients. E 'genetically possible to determine whether a particular patient belongs to the group of patients for whom the drug is effective. Another study showed that patients react differently to different doses of anti-depression and beta-blockers to control hypertension by maintaining their level of metabolism and genetic predisposition. Molecular genetics has shown that it is possible to determine the best medication dosage or can specify whether a particular drug is effective. This is, of course, also possible to design drugs based on specific genetic groups of specific patients. All this leads to a huge potential application of research and industry for a market that is growing.

Needless to say that biotechnology has a great demand for red, not only for growth in the sector, but is also useful to use technology more charitable to relieve human suffering and improve quality of life.

Green Plant Biotechnology

2011-02-18T20:37:00.000-08:00

Green biotechnology is more commonly known as plant biotechnology is a growing field within modern biotechnology. This is essentially the introduction of foreign genes in plant species of economic importance, resulting in crop improvement and production of new products in factories. Use environmental friendly and effective alternatives to industrial chemicals such as biofuels, organic fertilizers and organic pesticides is not only result in increased agricultural production, improve standards of health and safety, these new products are driving less pollution to the environment and the use of green technologies. The increasing demand for agricultural products, has given new impetus to research in the field and has brought great benefits to farmers and consumers.

Today, plant biotechnology, which includes the following areas of research and application:

Plant tissue culture:
A technique that allows whole plants to be produced from small amounts of plant parts like roots, leaves or stems, or even just a single cell plant under laboratory conditions. An advantage of tissue culture is the rapid production of healthy planting materials. Examples of products of tissue culture in Kenya include bananas, cassava, Irish potatoes, pyrethrum and citrus.

Plant genetic engineering:
The selective transfer of genes voluntary benefits (s) from one organism to another to create new and better plants, animals or materials. Examples of GM crops are cotton, corn, sweet potato, soybean, etc.

Breeding assisted by molecular markers:
A technique that uses molecular markers to select a character of particular interest such as yield. A molecular marker is a short sequence of DNA are closely related to the desirability (in disease resistance) and for his presence at last choose option of preference. For example, corn that is tolerant to drought and maize streak virus.

Bio fertilizers and bio pesticides:
More and more farmers use organic fertilizers and bio pesticides to reap more benefits and to avoid chemical pesticides and pollutants have harmful effects on crops. According to conservative estimates in India, 10 percent savings through the use of organic fertilizers will result in an annual saving of 1.094 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer, which costs about Rs 550 crore.

Hybridization:
Increasingly specialists from the plant to exploit this feature to improve performance "hybrid" in factories. hybrid vigor, or hetrosis because it is scientifically known, exploits the fact that some children from the progeny of a cross between two parents noted that their parents would be better. Many hybrid varieties of various crops are grown throughout the world today. An example of this is that the hybrid tomatoes that we eat commonly.

Biotechnology- Significance in food production

2011-02-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

The importance of the application of modern biotechnology in food production and its impact on human health and development can not be ruled out. While the world faces a growing population and increasing food shortages and regional imbalances, new techniques and technologies have been developed to improve production and increase the shelf life of perishable products. E 'in this sense that new research initiatives in biotechnology have been made to improve the productivity and nutritional value of foods.

Foods produced by modern biotechnology can be classified as follows:

1. Food consisting of or containing living organisms or viable, for example, maize.

2. Foods derived from or containing ingredients produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), such as flour, the products of dietary protein, or genetically modified soybean oil, wheat etc.

3. Foods containing simple ingredients or additives produced by microorganisms (GMMs) such as color, vitamins and essential amino acids.

4. Foods containing ingredients treated with enzymes produced by MGM, for example syrup, high fructose corn produced from using the enzyme glucose isomerase (product of MGM).

The first component of genetically modified foods (GMOs delayed ripening tomato) was introduced in the U.S. market in mid 1990. Since then, GM strains of maize, soybean, rapeseed and cotton have been adopted by a number of countries and marketed internationally. In addition, GM varieties of papaya, potato, rice, pumpkin and sugar beet have been tested or released. It is estimated that GM crops cover almost 4% of the total arable land.

The development of genetically modified organisms, has revolutionized the scenario of world food production. He also offered the opportunity to increase agricultural productivity and improving the nutritional value that can directly contribute to the improvement of human health and development. From a health perspective, there may also have indirect benefits such as reduced use of chemicals and farm incomes improved and sustainable crop improvement and food security, particularly in developing countries.

Although the introduction of GM crops has undoubtedly changed the scenario of the agricultural sector and led to a significant impact on human development, has also raised a number of social, cultural and ethical issues and the reluctance on the part of individual countries and governments to accept genetically modified foods, even in times of need such as famine and severe drought. While some countries have established standards for pre-market regulatory risk assessment of each food, before being launched on the market for the application, there may be a case of a coherent and consistent international regulatory authorities to ensure that the food complies with a set of rules that are fair and equitable. This will also remove a number of fears and doubts in the minds of countries that have yet to benefit from these foods.

Biologicial Technology- What it means

2011-02-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

Biotechnology is short for biological technology. The technology is the ability to make better use of our environment and our way of life. Biotechnology applies the same principles for living organisms. Biotechnology can be defined as the application of our knowledge and understanding of biology to meet practical needs. Today, biotechnology is largely identified with applications in medicine and agriculture based on our knowledge of the genetic code of life, genetic engineering, DNA fingerprinting, molecular technology, the cultivation of genetically modified seeds, vaccines, bio-pesticides and fertilizers organic. Fermentation, used to make bread, beer and cheese, is an example of biotechnology. Modern biotechnology allows scientists to simply be more accurate in their work and expand their areas of specialization.

The different types of crops have been produced using the molecular tools of biotechnology and are beginning to be used in agricultural systems around the world.

Biotechnology has the potential to help farmers to reduce chemical inputs at the farm and produce value added. Conversely, there are concerns about the use of biotechnology in agricultural systems, including the possibility that it may lead to increased farmers' dependence on suppliers of new technologies.

Biotechnology is a technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity has developed one of the many definitions of biotechnology. "Biotechnology: any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use."

Biotechnology can also be defined as the manipulation of organisms to do practical things and provide useful products.

One aspect of biotechnology is the directed use of organisms for the manufacture of biological products (eg, beer and dairy products like cheese, yogurt). For another example, naturally occurring bacteria used by the mining industry in bioleaching. Biotechnology is also used for recycling, waste treatment, remediation of sites contaminated by industrial activities (bioremediation), and produce biological weapons.

There are also applications of biotechnology that do not use living organisms. Examples are DNA microarrays used in genetics and radioactive tracers used in medicine.

Bio technology is applied in fields such as medicine and human rights in general and to improve health, agriculture to produce higher yields, the search for drugs and clinical trials and contract research for bioinformatics and related sectors and regions. Needless to say that the market already available and the extensive use of technology in industrial applications for the technology is one of the most happening today in the application for general use.

Bio Informatics Biotechnology

2011-02-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

Bioinformatics and computational biology involve the use of techniques and methods, including applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, chemistry and biochemistry to solve biological problems. Considerable research efforts in the field include sequence alignment, gene discovery, genetic engineering, DNA fingerprinting, genome assembly, protein structure alignment, protein structure prediction, prediction of gene expression and protein-protein interactions, and modeling of evolution. E 'dawn and industry billions of dollars and millions of hours of research are spent in developed countries to explore better and more efficient on the database.

Bioinformatics and computational biology terms are often used interchangeably. However bioinformatics more properly refers to the creation and promotion of algorithms, computational techniques and statistics, and theory to solve formal and practical problems posed by or inspired from the management and analysis of biological data. computational biology, on the other hand, refers to a survey based on an assumption of a specific biological problem using computers, carried out with experimental data and simulated, with the main objective of discovering and promoting biological knowledge.

In recent decades, advances in molecular biology and the equipment available for research in this field has allowed the sequencing of more and faster than a large number of genes. This deluge of information has required the careful storage, organization and indexing of sequence information. Information science has been applied to biology to produce the field called bioinformatics.

The simplest tasks used in bioinformatics concern the creation and maintenance of databases of biological information. nucleic acid sequences (and sequences of protein) make up the majority of these databases. Although millions of storage and / or organization of nucleotides is far from trivial, designing a database and developing an interface whereby researchers can both access existing information and submit new entries is only the beginning. These are some concepts related to the field of bioinformatics:

• Finding genes in DNA sequences from different organisms.
• Development of methods to predict the structure and / or function of newly discovered proteins and structural RNA sequences.
• Clustering protein sequences into families of related sequences and the development of models of proteins.
• Alignment of similar proteins and generating phylogenetic trees to examine evolutionary relationships.

Plant Production Biotechnology

2011-02-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

There is almost no aspect of crop production that will not go through major changes as a result of the application of biotechnology. Commercial applications of agricultural biotechnology has not yet occurred. Currently, more traditional aspects of biotechnology as tissue culture were important to disease-free, especially in accelerating the process of selection and propagation of new varieties of seeds.

Supply of seed crops cultivation was greatly improved with the in vitro development of varieties that are better suited to an environment improved. The application of tissue culture has several advantages, including reproduction and rapid reproduction, the availability of seed of all material, etc. year after the application of tissue culture does not require very expensive equipment, this technique can be easily applied in the countries development and can contribute to improving the local varieties of crops. For example, using traditional methods for propagating potatoes.

The reduction in the use of synthetic chemicals: Biotechnology can contribute to the need for agricultural chemicals, small farmers in developing countries can afford. Reducing the use of chemicals is less residue in the final product. This should increase productivity and fertility of the soil, and the reduction of toxic elements in crops.

Increased production: biotechnology can be used in diverse ways to achieve higher returns, such as improving the ability to flower and get increased photosynthesis or the intake of nutrients. Increase in productivity can be · Prices, which is an important policy objective is low in many developing countries.

improved collection: The cloning of plants can contribute to the labor market for the crop needs. When the plants more individual properties are uniform, grow at the same rate and mature at the same time, the harvest is less tiring. A reduction in workload is not only a goal in the highly industrialized countries, can also be very important for small farmers in developing countries.

Better Grade: food shortages in many countries would not exist if the problem of post-harvest losses can be solved. In future, the genetic engineering used to remove lead, system components, the premature deterioration of the crop. For example, on a technique to reduce the presence of a normal enzyme in tomato softening of ripe tomato fruit is involved patented and is very useful to improve the shelf life of different varieties of crops.

Application of Biotechnology to Livestock

2011-02-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

In terms of food production, application of modern biotechnology, animals in two major areas: animal production and human nutrition. Many of the applications will be discussed below in the early stages of research and development and it will take a while before the same can be used for commercial applications.

Fish: Fish is the staple food for many economies and an important source of income. Expected increase in demand for fish suggests that GM fish may be important in developed countries and developing countries. Improved growth of Atlantic salmon with a gene for growth hormone of Chinook salmon is probably the first transgenic animal in the food market. These fish 3-5 times faster than non-GM growth, production and availability of food reduced. At least eight other species of farmed fish have been genetically modified to enhance growth. Other fish, whose growth hormone genes have been introduced experimentally, including carp, rainbow trout, tilapia and catfish. In all cases, the genes of the growth hormone of fish.

The farming of carnivorous fish such as trout and salmon out on capelin and sand overfishing. To resolve this problem, the research is focused on the possibility of modifying the metabolism of these species, to improve the digestion of carbohydrates, to make the transition to a diet more herbal.

The lack of cold tolerance in warm-water species such as carp and tilapia can lead to significant stock losses in the winter season. Research efforts include attempts carried out in the field, the molecular conformation change of the lipids, increases membrane fluidity. To expand the geographical range of fish, one from an antifreeze fish species to other species, which led to the development of the required characteristic. Although strains resistant to freezing of Atlantic salmon were produced, the level of antifreeze protein secreted by the salmon was too small to significantly affect the freezing point have the blood.

The problems in the identification and assessment of hazards risks that may be associated with the release of genetically modified fish involved are always addressed at different levels. One such aspect is the production of transgenic fish sterile to minimize the environmental risks of releasing them into wild populations and lead to possible contamination of wildlife biology.

Fish farming scene is greatly changed the research efforts are increasingly successful in developing new technologies to increase productivity. This should also lead to excellent application development and developed countries. On the one hand, research in the field should devote serious revenue lead for several coastal states and fishing also an opportunity for the developed countries in research to improve quality for different purposes.

Biotechnology - Livestock and poultry

2011-02-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Foods produced from genetically modified animals and poultry are far from commercial use. Research efforts are underway in many laboratories around the world to improve the quality of animals for human consumption. Although it may take some time for an effective commercial application of these efforts really start and has a significant impact on human development, the effort is going in the right direction and could lead to breakthrough results sooner or later.

As part of ongoing research on several new genes that promote growth in pigs have been introduced. The process had a positive effect on meat quality, ie the meat is lean and tender. This research was initiated more than a decade ago, but due to some morphological and physiological effects developed by pigs, they are not marketed. It may still be a bit "when the commercial application of technology begins to consumption.

Many changes have been proposed that milk, or add milk proteins or manipulate endogenous proteins. Recently, researchers from New Zealand developed genetically modified cows that produce milk with increased protein casein. The use of such milk is rich in protein will increase efficiency in the production of cheese. Other work aims to reduce the lactose in milk, with the intent to make milk available to the population of individuals intolerant to milk. This is an area where research is in a fairly advanced stage, with results expected to be out very soon. Indeed in some countries, GM has cow got the green light for the test, which is the first step in allowing the commercial use of the same.

Other uses of genetic modification in livestock production in the early stages of R & D include improved resistance to disease, increase fertility in sheep changed ratio in poultry, increased egg production in poultry by creating two active ovaries, and improving feed efficiency in 'Enviropig' (environmentally friendly pig excrete less phosphorus). Most of this work is still theoretical and in a very early stage of research, that estimates of time frames for possible commercial introduction of any of these applications are not in the near future. However, the mere thought of effort in this direction shows that there is tremendous potential for commercial application of these technologies.

Research is also underway to improve the quality of poultry such as chicken and early detection of the virus and develop immunity to the virus in poultry. This point has both a human and commercial chicken Virus Free is fit for human consumption, and will take the concerns about the SARS virus outbreak in many countries. It is also expected to improve the breeding of poultry and reduced mortality in poultry, leading to improved returns for poultry producers.

Agricultural Biotechnology Part 2

2011-02-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

With increasing population and the concern about food quality organic farming has gained focus in the recent past in India. Farmers in India are looking at the GM seeds, biofertilizers, biopesticides, which they expect more from their investments and also increase productivity. Farmers currently receive a premium for organic products. With this I am able to export their products at much higher prices. Much research initiatives have been launched to explore in the area of new technologies and new UPS tie and joint ventures were set up and get approvals from the government on technologies to improve agricultural yields and use a decent

GM seeds

The challenge to feed the production of more food grains to a growing population of India already has a billion exceeded with fewer resources companies such as Mahyco, Monsanto, Syngenta, Hindustan Lever bought, Advanta invest in GM crops. It was in 2002, a joint venture called Mahyco Monsanto and Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech AG has given the green signal from Indian government for commercial production and sale of Bt cotton (Bollgard) were obtained in six southern states of India.

Making a lot of awareness-raising campaigns to get in contact with the farmers to inform them of the benefits of using seeds that are resistant to pests, diseases, herbicides should be told and cultures, tolerance to drought, cold, salinity and other harsh environments. This will lead to trust between farmers and people in the industry.

Biofertilizers, biopesticides

In addition to genetically modified seeds are given to farmers also looking bio-fertilizers, biopesticides more benefits. Now farmers use Bt-based formulations, viruses such as NPV and GV, and neem-based pesticides. To meet the growing demand, the industry is to scale up investment in bio-fertilizers and biopesticides. conservative estimate shows that 10 percent will result in savings through the use of organic fertilizer to annual savings of 1.094 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer at a cost of about RS 550 crore.

Biofuel

A look at the opportunities in the biofuels sector has the central government to promote the initiative in this sector in a big way. The total consumption of ethanol-blended petrol would be 4.6 million tons per year. This industry not only helps the sugarcane farmers, sugar cane is used as a raw material for ethanol production, but also helps the security of oil than to trust and environmental benefits. E 'can save foreign currency for an amount of Rs 80,000 crore, while imports from India by 70 per cent of its crude oil requirements.

Biotechnology & Competitiveness

2010-12-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Biotechnology is a new set of techniques that can be used in basic research, product development, and manufacturing in several different industries. Although it was primarily developed in the United States, funded mainly through government support for basic biomedical research, there are growing concerns that, like some other native technologies, biotechnology will be rapidly adopted and commercially applied elsewhere, leading to a loss of U.S. preeminence in this area.

Biotechnology was first applied commercially in producing diagnostics and therapeutics. These applications were the most obvious because most of the developers of the new techniques were conducting basic biomedical research. Most recently, genetically engineered biopesticides have won regulatory approval in the United States. Further agricultural applications are expected within the next 10 years.

In the United States, the earliest firms to exploit these new techniques were the dedicated biotechnology companies (DBCs). Financed with venture capital, they were founded in the late 1970s and early 1980s to apply the new techniques to the development of diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, plants, and other products. Although these firms are often referred to collectively as the “biotech industry,” the dedicated biotechnology firms are, in fact, developing products and competing with firms in existing industries. DBCs, regardless of the products they make, share some characteristics and certainly compete with each other for capital. But industries are defined primarily by the products they produce and the markets in which they compete. As DBCs develop and become engaged in commercializing products, the problems they face are characteristic of the existing industries to which they belong. Thus, their problems become more understandable if DBCs are regarded not as “biotech companies’ but as young firms in, for example, the pharmaceutical, agricultural, or waste treatment industries.

Targeting Biotechnology Development

2010-12-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

Because it encompasses several processes that have applications to many sectors of the U.S.

economy, some argue that biotechnology should be targeted by the Federal Government for aggressive government support and promotion. Currently, U.S. industrial growth depends on private sector entrepreneurship, Federal funding of research, and regulatory oversight of various research applications and commercial development.

Congress could target biotechnology through legislation that broadly singles it out for favorable treatment, or through measures that address specific problems faced by researchers and companies seeking to commercialize products developed through biotechnology. Legislative attempts to target biotechnology have focused on the establishment of national biotechnology policy boards and advisory panels for specific areas of research interest (e.g., agriculture, human genome, and biomedical ethics) and development of a national center for biotechnology information. Those who argue against targeting biotechnology say that it is not the role of the Federal Government to pick winners and losers in the world of commerce, that such efforts have more often failed than succeeded, and that attempts to target biotechnology cannot succeed due to the number of industries involved, all of which face different scientific, regulatory, patent, and commercial problems. Targeting biotechnology alone cannot assure increased competitiveness; fostering a research base (funding, training, and personnel) and maintaining an industrial capacity to convert basic research into products also is required.

Federal Funding for Biotechnology Research

2010-12-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

An issue central to the competitive position of U.S. efforts in biotechnology is a sufficient and stable level of funding for areas of science crucial to the field. In relative and absolute terms, the United States supports more research relevant to biotechnology than any other country. Clearly, intensive and sustained Federal investment in applications of biotechnology to the life sciences has been transformed into commercial products in some industries faster than others. Commercial applications continue to be more advanced in areas such as human therapeutics and diagnostics, largely due to the high 22 l Biotechnology in a Global Economy levels of funding of basic biological research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Other areas, such as agriculture, chemicals, and waste degradation, have not come close to approaching the same levels of funding enjoyed by the biomedical sciences. In some cases, such as agriculture and waste degradation, slow progress in commercial activity could be due in part to insufficient funds for basic research; in other cases, such as chemicals, potential products are simply not being developed because industry does not consider the biotechnology products or processes sufficiently better (either functionally or economically) than those that already exist.

Congress could determine that Federal levels of investment in R&D over recent years have adequately supported the forward integration of biotechnology into many sectors and have contributed to the commercial successes of U.S. biotechnology companies. Proceeding with the current funding patterns would ensure a stable level of research relevant to biotechnology and its applications. Such an approach, however, would perpetuate current disparities in research emphases, with biomedicine continuing to fare better than agriculture and waste management.

Biotechnology Intellectual Property Protection

2010-12-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Intellectual-property law, which provides a personal property interest in the work of the mind, is of increasing importance to people using biotechnology to create new inventions. Intellectual property involves several areas of the law: patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and plant variety protection. All affect emerging high-technology industries because they provide incentives for individuals and organizations to invest in and carry out R&D. Many see protection of intellectual property as a paramount consideration when discussing a nation’s competitiveness in industries fostered by the new biology.

Broad patent protection exists for all types of biotechnology-related inventions in the United

States. The Supreme Court decision in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, that a living organism was patentable, along with action by Congress and the executive branch changing Federal policy to increase opportunities for patenting products and processes resulting from federally funded research have spurred biotechnology- related patent activity. Internationally,several agreements (e.g., the Paris Union Convention,the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Budapest

Treaty, the Union for the Protection of New Varietiesof Plants, and the European Patent Convention) provide substantive and procedural protection for inventions created through the use of biotechnology.

Despite a generally favorable international climate,a number of elements affect U.S. competitivenessin protecting intellectual property. The patent application backlog at the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), domestic and international uncertainties regarding what constitutes patentable subject matter, procedural distinctions in U.S. law (e.g.,first-to-invent versus frost-to-file, priority dates, grace periods, secrecy of patent applications, and deposit considerations), uncertainties in interpreting process patent protection, and the spate of patent infringement litigation, all constitute unsettled areas that could affect incentives for developing new inventions.

The backlog of patent applications at PTO is frequently cited as the primary impediment to commercialization of biotechnology-related processes and products. Recent studies reveal that

the pendency period for biotechnology patent applications is longer than that of any other technology.

What are the barriers to Efficient Gene Transfer?

2010-10-25T19:55:00.001-07:00

DNA, the common carrier of the genetic information for all living entities on this planet, is omnipresent and we are daily exposed to large quantities of foreign DNA (e.g., by food or bacterial infections). Under these circumstances, nature had to provide powerful barriers against the spontaneous insertion of foreign DNA sequences into the genomic DNA of cells. Barriers are the plasma membrane of the cell, the envelope of the cell’s nucleus, but also the possibility for DNA degradation in lysosomes and the cytoplasm. These protective mechanisms work rather well and even under optimized conditions it is by no means easy to genetically modify an eukaryotic cell (the terminus usually employed for this modification is to “transfect” the cell). However, the necessity to transfect cells for research purposes, the discovery of new and efficient reporter systems to verify the success of a transfection experiment (luciferase, green fluorescent protein) as well as the availability of powerful transfection reagents have spurred research in the area for many years. Several methods to transfer genes into cells have been developed during the last 30 years. However, considerable efforts to develop new techniques or to improve the efficiency of old ones are still being made.

Transfection reagents help to overcome the natural barriers to gene transfer by various strategies.

The steps involved in the transfer of a “gene” from the outside into the genome of the cell comprise of the following:

1. Compaction of the DNA,

2. Attachment to the cell surface,

3. Transport into the cytoplasm,

4. Import into the nucleus and

5. Insertion into the chromosomal DNA.

The mechanism by which a certain barrier is overcome is an important feature of the respective transfection reagent. In order to elucidate the difficulties in optimizing the genetic engineering of mammalian cells, the major steps of transfection as well as putative agents for reaching this goal will be discussed in detail in the following sections. The mechanisms for many of the above-mentioned five steps of transfection are still under discussion. This is especially the case for the later steps taking place inside the cell, i.e., transport into the cell and most importantly into the nucleus. The earlier stages of compaction and interaction with the cell surface are better understood. This has important consequences for our current ability to engineer transfection agents and procedures. It should be noted that man-made transfection procedures are still orders of magnitude less efficient than nature’s transfection agents, the viruses are. One to five infectious particles, i.e., viruses, per cell are sufficient in that case, compared to the 105– 106 plasmid molecules needed in most nonviral transfection methods.

Understanding the Process of compaction of DNA

2010-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Pure (“naked”) DNA has little chance to enter a cell. DNA is a huge, negatively charged and hence highly hydrophilic molecule. Cells are surrounded by a hydrophobic plasma membrane and, in addition, bear a negative surface charge. The plasma membrane contains several highly selective transporter units, which allow for the well-controlled introduction and excretion of certain molecules. Foreign DNA is normally not amongst the molecules allowed to enter the cell.

The first and best-understood step of transfection is therefore the necessity for “compaction” of the large, negatively charged DNA molecule. A suitable compacting agent is a positively charged molecule able to interact with the DNA and to neutralize or even overcompensate the negative charges. During compaction, the DNA forms stable complexes with the compaction agent, which either stay in solution or form a precipitate. In a typical transfection experiment, the complexes are formed in a reaction mixture containing the given amounts of purified DNA as well as the compaction agent under defined pH and salt conditions. The complex formation occurs spontaneously upon mixing. Within the next 30 minutes the complexes are added to the target cells. Usually, cells are exposed for several hours to the complexed DNA. Subsequently, the medium is exchanged in order to minimize possible toxic effects.

Two groups of molecules are currently investigated as compaction agents: cationic lipids and cationic polymers. Protonated amino groups provide the required positive charges in both cases. Amino groups are also found in some of the naturally occurring compaction agents such as spermine and spermidine. They are clearly the group of choice, since they allow the generation of a positive charge at physiological (neutral) pH. In addition, eukaryotic cells developed over eons of evolution special proteins (nucleosomes) with a high affinity to DNA, which also can complex DNA. The structure of these nucleosomes may in the future inspire the design of novel compaction agents. Prominent representatives are histones or protamines, naturally occurring ubiquitous DNA binding (compacting) proteins.

Cationic lipids are usually fairly small molecules, which mimic the structure of the cell’s plasma membrane and hence facilitate the passage of DNA into the cell by increasing the solubility of the DNA in the plasma membrane. These molecules consist of a hydrophobic (hydrocarbon) tail and a positively charged head-group. The hydrophobic tail promotes in aqueous solutions self-aggregation into larger structures (micelles, double layers) capable of interaction or even fusion with the cellular membrane.

The cationic polymers (such as polyethyleneimine, polyvinyl pyrrolidone) commonly used for transfection are fairly large molecules (up to 1,000,000 g/mol). They are soluble in water at neutral pH due to their positive charges. Linear as well as branched molecules are employed for transfection. In contrast to the cationic lipids, which usually were developed as dedicated transfection reagents, most cationic polymers have been developed for other applications and purposes. They are therefore available from several suppliers in a wide variety of purity and chemical homogeneity.

Government Regulations Biotechnology

2010-07-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Governments impose regulations to avert the costs associated with mitigating adverse effects expected to result from the use of the technology. But, developing regulations is difficult when a technology is new and the risks associated with it are uncertain or poorly understood. Because there have been no examples of adverse effects caused by biotechnology, projecting potential hazards rests on extrapolations from problems that have arisen using naturally occurring organisms. The consensus among scientists is that risks associated with genetically engineered organisms are similar to those associated with nonengineered organisms or organisms genetically modified by traditional methods, and that they may be assessed in the same way. Where similar technologies have been used extensively, past experience can be an important guide for risk assessment.

Many countries, in addition to the United States, have adapted existing laws and institutions to accommodate advances in biotechnology. However, it is no simple matter to base scientifically sound biotechnology regulation on legislation written for other purposes. The differences in approach from nation to nation, particularly through their effects on investment and innovation, will influence the ability of the United States to remain competitive in biotechnology on the international scene.

Industrial Policy Biotechnology

2010-07-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Industrial policy is the deliberate attempt by a government to influence the level and composition of a nation’s industrial output. Industrial policies can be implemented through measures such as allocation of R&D funds, subsidies, tax incentives, industry regulation, protection of intellectual property, and trade actions. Industrial policies in the United States are complex, fragmented, continually evolving, and rarely targeted comprehensively at a specific industry. There is no industrial policy pertaining to biotechnology per se, but rather, a series of policies formulated by various agencies to encourage growth, innovation, and capital formation in various hightechnology industries. And, just as there is no biotechnology policy in the United States, biotechnology companies tend to behave not as an industry but rather, as agrichemical firms, diagnostic firms, or human therapeutic firms. Biotechnology companies have been built on a unique system of financing, but they largely confront the same regulatory, intellectual property, and trade policies faced by other U.S. high-technology firms. There may be a need for the Federal bureaucracy to fine-tune its policies as biotechnology moves through the system, but, to date, Federal agencies have not seen the need to revolutionize their practices for biotechnology.

Environmental Applications Biotechnology

2010-07-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Although biotechnology has several potential environmental applications-including pollution control, crop enhancement, pest control, mining, and microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR)— commercial activity to date is minuscule compared to other industrial sectors. Bioremediation, efforts to use biotechnology for waste cleanup, has received public attention recently because of the use of naturally occurring micro-organisms in oil-spill cleanups. The U.S. bioremediation industry includes more than 130 firms, but it is the focus of few DBCs. Nevertheless, though small, the size of the commercial bioremediation sector in the United States far exceeds activity in other nations. Although bioremediation offers several advantages over more conventional waste treatment technologies, several factors hinder its widespread use.

Relatively little is known about the effects of micro-organisms in various ecosystems. Research data are not disseminated as well as research in other industrial sectors because of limited Federal funding of basic research and the proprietary nature of business relationships under which bioremediation is most often used. Regulations provide a market for bioremediation by dictating what must be cleaned up, how clean it must be, and which cleanup methods may be used; but regulations also hinder commercial development, due to their sheer volume and lack of standards governing biological waste treatment.

Chemical Industry Biotechnology

2010-07-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

The chemical industry is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States and Europe. Currently, over 50,000 chemicals and formulations are produced in the United States. The consumption of chemical products by industry gives these products a degree of anonymity as they usually reach consumers in altered forms or as parts of other goods.

Biotechnology has a limited, though varied, role in chemical production. The production of some chemicals now produced by fermentation, such as amino acids and industrial enzymes, may be improved using biotechnology. Similarly, biotechnology can be used to produce enzymes with altered characteristics (e.g., greater” stability in harsh solvents or greater heat resistance). In many instances, biotechnology products will probably be developed and introduced by major firms without the fanfare that has accompanied other biotechnology developments and, like much of chemical production, will remain unknown to those outside the industry.

In the very long run, biotechnology may have a major impact in shifting the production of fuel and bulk chemicals away from reliance on nonrenewable resources (e.g., oil) and toward renewable resources (e.g., biomass). However, current work in this field appears to be limited, in part, because the international price of oil has remained too low to encourage investment in alternatives, and, in part, because the chemical industry throughout the world has restructured during the last 10 years, moving away from bulk chemical production and toward the production of specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products.

Agriculture Biotechnology

2010-06-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Biotechnology has the potential to be the latest in a series of technologies that have led to astonishing increases in the productivity of world agriculture in recent decades. Biotechnology can increase food production by contributing to further gains in yield, by lowering the cost of agricultural inputs;and by contributing to the development of new high-value-added products to meet the needs of consumers and food processors. These potential products include agricultural input (e.g., seeds and pesticides), veterinary diagnostics and therapeutics, food additives and food processing enzymes, more nutritious foods, and crops with improved food processing qualities. Thus far, R&D has focused on crops and traits that are easiest to manipulate, particularly single-gene traits in certain vegetable crops. As technical roadblocks are lifted, research is likely to increase and spread to other crops and other traits.

In the United States, DBCs are applying biotechnology to agriculture, and well-established firms are adapting biotechnology to their existing research programs. The ability to profit from new products depends on a variety of factors, such as the potential size of the market for these products, the existence of substitutes, the rate at which new products and technologies are adopted, the potential for repeat sales using patent or technical protection, the existence of regulatory hurdles, and the prospect for consumer acceptance of these new foods.

Biotechnology : Threat to bio-diversity?

2010-04-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Biotechnology is a "important tool" to ensure food security, but should ensure that there were no adverse effects on human health and animal biodiversity, parliament was informed Monday.

"There is general agreement within the relevant ministries that biotechnology is an important tool for increasing productivity of agriculture and ensuring food security," said Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh during question hour in Rajya Sabha.

"At the same time, ensure that there were no adverse effects on human and animal health and biodiversity," he said.

He said that the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) calls attention to resolving all issues related to Bt eggplant scientific "address.

Answering a question on whether the two members and a special guest to the GEAC was in disagreement with the approval given for the commercial production of Bt eggplant in the country.

Ramesh admitted it was true.

In this regard, noted that "the concern that the Bt eggplant could contaminate conventional crops and reduce crop genetic diversity of eggplant, because of gene flow.

However, Ramesh said, environmental safety studies conducted have not shown adverse effects of Bt eggplant

At the same time said that based on the opinions of various stakeholders during the public consultations organized by the Ministry established a moratorium on the commercialization of Bt eggplant by independent scientific studies on the safety of the product to determine from Given the point of their long-term effects on human health and the environment, including the genetic wealth of the rich eggplant that exist in our country. "

Norwegian Biotechnology Research Initiative

2010-04-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Challenges for society, the international focus, quality and cooperation at the national level are important considerations for the Council for Research and R & D community in planning a new initiative of biotechnology research in Norway.

Research groups are preparing for the next step in biotechnological research activities as the National Programme for Research in Functional Genomics in Norway (Fugue) reaches its end in 2011. In recent months the Research Council has sought the support of universities, institutes and industry to identify future research priorities.

Addressing the major challenges of society

"The main focus of the flight program on the technological aspects of research. In the next phase which will focus to a greater extent in how technology can meet the challenges facing society," says Seth Berg Steinar Hoc Advisory Council Research in Norway. He cites the climate and environment, health, food and nutrition, and population aging as examples of areas for research in this initiative. Mr. Seth Berg also emphasizes that the Norwegian biotechnology research, social problems from a global perspective.

Øystein RØNNINGEN, Special Adviser to the Council biofabricación Research Department, International Cooperation and Marketing, emphasized that research must fit into the current international approach. In his opinion, the EU Declaration of Lund in 2009 and the position of Biotechnology of the OECD as a major force behind the transition to an economy based on bio-economy here in 2030 to provide good guidance to further improve Norway's initiative in biotechnology.

High quality is essential for the international impact

Norway has high aspirations for participation in international research activities in biotechnology.

"The quality is critical if you want to succeed in international competition for research funding," said Ole-Jan Iversen, chairman of the board Fuge program.

Many points in the right direction: eight of the 21 Centers of Excellence • Excel Norway (SFF) research related to biotechnology, making the area around one of the strongest areas of research in terms of quality.

Biotechnology and life sciences?

If the drain followed by a program initiative that focuses more generally, what is known in international forums such as life sciences? This is a central theme in the current debate on biotechnology research in Norway.

A large number of actors of R & D agreement that this is a good direction to follow and I think that would help change the focus of the technology as the search for solutions to the challenges and reap the benefits of social resources already invested Norwegian biotechnology research. Moreover, there is a general consensus in the research community that Norway needs a special program for this type of research that have not been included in the existing thematic programs such as Food Program and of Aquaculture Program (Havbruk).

National strategy launched

Efforts to develop a national biotechnology strategy will be launched shortly under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Research. Admission Council for Research on the development of new biotechnology initiative is part of the basis of a strategy.

Mesothelioma Cancer Prognosis

2010-04-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

Generally, the most important variable in determining the prognosis and life expectancy of a patient mesothelioma cancer stage at diagnosis. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is more difficult to "stage" than other cancers. This is true for two reasons:

1) because its quite rare, and
2) because its initial symptoms are subtle, it is often advanced when diagnosed, it is difficult to stage.

Peritoneal mesothelioma in particular can be difficult to stage because, while pleural mesothelioma has multiple classification systems, pathologists have not yet developed a system of staging for peritoneal mesothelioma. Both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma are very serious conditions and are not good prospects.

Since mesothelioma is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, the statistics of five-year survival for early stage mesothelioma are generally unreliable. He also can not say with certainty which of the two types is a bad diagnostic peritoneal mesothelioma or pleural mesothelioma. Numerous studies show that peritoneal is more deadly and rapidly spreading mesothelioma pleural mesothelioma, but these studies are often contradicted by scholars who argue pleural mesothelioma is the most dangerous and difficult to deal with both. Usually, patients diagnosed with mesothelioma is peritoneal or pleural said they may have less than a year to live. However, according to researchers at major research centers around the world this is not necessarily the case. More recent studies indicate that patients with mesothelioma may, in some cases, have a better appearance than previously thought.

These studies suggest that about 10% of all mesothelioma patients will be alive 3 years later and about 5% will be alive 5 years later. However, if mesothelioma is detected early and treated, 50% survive 2 years and 20% of people survive 5 years.

In a clinical trial involving 120 patients with different types of pleural mesothelioma, all patients underwent pleural pneumonectomy (removal of the lung and pleura), followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. 45% were alive two years later and 20% were still alive five years later.

In the same study, patients with sarcomatoid and mixed mesothelioma was not as well. Only 20% of these patients were alive two years later, and none of them have survived five years.

However, patients who had no cancer in the lymph nodes and tumors of epithelioid type is much better. Nearly 75% survived more than two years and nearly 40% were alive after five years.

Another larger study conducted in Italy examined the records of 4.5 million people diagnosed with mesothelioma. The survival rates were as follows: 24% of people with pleural mesothelioma and 34% diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma were still alive one year after diagnosis. Two other important studies, in addition to examination of comparable populations, also revealed similar results.

Another variable that is extremely important for a patient is seeing his general health at the time of diagnosis. In general, the health of a patient, the better he or she will react to treatments against cancer, and the chances of longer survival. Doctor's have a method of classifying patients' health and to give each patient a score at diagnosis. This method of classification is called a patient's condition "performance" (PS). The best score is 0 and indicates a patient can normally take care of himself or with the help of. A performance index of 1 indicates that the patient can do things, but may need assistance. The more deteriorated health of the patient, the higher the number.

The patient must always keep in mind that statistics such as those mentioned here are by no means definitive. Survival has much to do with a number of different factors, including health, the type of mesothelioma, the choice of treatment, and even a moral patient. The statistics listed here are too general for patients to get an accurate idea of their own look.

Patients should consider taking part in clinical trials. Although nobody can say exactly why patients who are treated in clinical trials do better on average than those treated conventionally. Maybe with all the testing and monitoring that is done, patients become more confident that everything that can possibly be done is done.

Cancer genes switched off in humans

2010-03-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

For the first time, researchers have used short sequences of RNA that can effectively treat skin cancer in people by silencing specific genes behind tumour production.

Mark Davis from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and his colleagues have used the technique, called RNA interference (RNAi), to deliver particles containing such sequences to patients with the skin cancer melanoma.

When analysing biopsies of the tumours after treatment, they found that the particles had inhibited expression of a key gene, called RRM2, needed for the cancer cells to multiply.

The researchers created the particles from two polymers plus a protein that binds to receptors on the surface of cancer cells and pieces of RNA called small-interfering RNA, or siRNA, designed to stop the RRM2 gene from being translated into protein.

The siRNA works by sticking to the messenger RNA (mRNA) that carries the gene's code to the cell's protein-making machinery and ensuring that enzymes cut the mRNA at a specific spot.

When the components are mixed together in water, they assemble into particles about 70 nanometres in diameter. The researchers can then administer the nanoparticles into the bloodstream of patients, where the particles circulate until they encounter 'leaky' blood vessels that supply the tumours with blood.

The particles then pass through the vessels to the tumour, where they bind to the cell and are then absorbed. Once inside the cell, the nanoparticles fall apart, releasing the siRNA. The other parts of the nanoparticle are so small, they pass out of the body in urine.

"It sneaks in, evades the immune system, delivers the siRNA, and the disassembled components exit out," Nature quoted Davis as saying.

When researchers analysed tumour samples from three of the patients who volunteered samples, they found fragments of the mRNA in exactly the length and sequence they would expect from the design of their siRNA.

And in at least one patient, the levels of the protein were lower than they were in samples of the tumours taken before treatment.

They also found that patients who were given higher doses had higher levels of siRNA in their tumours. "The more we put in, the more ends up where they are supposed to be, in tumour cells," said Davis.

Davis says that by targeting specific genes he hopes these treatments will not have major side effects. "My hope is to make tumours melt away while maintaining a high quality of life for the patients. We're moving another step closer to being able to do that now," he said.

The study has been published in Nature.

Mesothelioma: Burn pits contained asbestos

2010-03-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

The US military's largest contractor, KBR, has testified in court that it burned hazardous materials (including asbestos) in so-called "burn pits" in Iraq and Afghanistan at the behest of military officials. The company is hoping to avoid being held accountable for the burn pits, which may have exposed US military personnel overseas to toxic materials that could ultimately cause cancer later in life.

For example, asbestos burned in the pits could have become airborne. If inhaled or ingested, these airborne asbestos particles can lead to the development of mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lungs and other major organs and tissues.

A class action suit was filed in October of last year against KBR and other companies. Combining 22 lawsuits from 43 states, the class action case was filed in US District Court in Maryland against KBR, Halliburton, and other military contractors. The plaintiffs are seeking damages after developing health issues that were allegedly caused by being in close proximity to these burn pits overseas, which were used for trash disposal.

KBR is not denying that the burn pits they operated did contain hazardous materials such as batteries, petroleum, asbestos, and medical waste. Instead the company hopes to challenge the idea that they should be held accountable for the items burned in the pits, as KBR was allegedly just following orders from high-ranking military officials.

According to one military reporter: "Though military officials say there are no known long-term effects from exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 100 service members have come forward to Military Times [a newspaper] and Disabled American Veterans with strikingly similar symptoms: chronic bronchitis, asthma, sleep apnea, chronic coughs and allergy-like symptoms. Several also have cited heart problems, lymphoma and leukemia."

KBR is also being sued by a group of veterans who were exposed to hexavalent chromium while protecting KBR employees at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant. The men have since suffered from a variety of symptoms, including difficulty breathing. A recent blog post on our Veterans Blog highlights the issue of hexavalent chromium and veteran exposure.

Mesothelioma diagnosed into Pleura

2010-02-28T03:56:00.000-08:00

To the asbestos. mesotheliooma is not ant contagious and cancer and cannot also be passed from to one person or to another . Mesothelioma is diagnosed by the pathological examination from biopsy.

this diseases is basic also a malignant cancer and also more common .
Mesothelioma is also a form type of a cancer that is also almost always and baric also caused by the previous exposure.

Than what is it cancer all about?
Mesothelioma cancer is a tyoe of cancer like no other ones. Mewsothelioma is also nothing but also a cancer of all the mesothelium.
Mesothelkioma is also basic a type of a cancer that also attacks many mesothelial all the cells of the boby .

Mesothelioma is more and
Common in the men than in women . this diseas is also very similar to also other cancers in the respect to the treatments .

this diseases usually also develops in only one lung this disease normally also begins in the lungs and also spread to abdominal lining , which also worsens condition . Mesothelioma is basic also a rare of cancer. Cases of the diseases have been also found in the people whose only
Exposure breathing in the air through the ventilation systems .

how long does it takes after exposure for a mesothelioma cancer to show up? .
Is thete also any promising research on this?or are thre any promising drugs for mesothelioma ?.

This diseases is also cased by the breathing in the asbestos dust. this diseases is also basic divided into the three main types.

Once this diseases is suspected through the imaging tests , it is also confirmed by the pathological examinatioon . The most common type of the disease is basic the type pleural Mesothelioma.

Diagnosis diagnosing this disease is also often basic very dificult, because the symptoms are basicalso very similar to those of any number of other coundisions.

The medical and the informartion are also contained and was compiled as a importnant service to all the pationts whit this kind of the disease and also their families and has also never not been endored by the physicians or any licensed medical professionals out there.

Stages of the disease. Once the diseases basic is found , more and more tests will also be done to find out if the cance cells have been spread to any other parts of the body . The histologic and the variants of the malignant.

this disease are also basic epithelial and also ibrous sarcomatous. six to also 80% of all the patients with the malignant whit this type disease report also a hi soy very time of the asbestos exposure.

The scholarly Information. Mesotheliomas are also primary tumors arising from also the surface lining of pleura 80% of all the case or peritoneum 20% of all these case. Experts opinion are also varies from times to time just how much the actual exposure is and nesessary to the develop of the type Malign at Mesothelioma Cancer.

The primary are a vary risk factors for the diseases and its asbestos exposure . Swallowed asbestos fires can also move fast through the stomach and wall and also case mesothelioma to also develop in peritoneum this cancer disease may also present itself also in many froms . This is also because there is also basic a vary long time gap between that exposure and also the onset of this type kind of disease.

MESOTHELIOMA PROGNOSIS

2010-02-28T03:47:00.000-08:00

Pleural mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to treat because it can spread so extensively and it is generally not diagnosed until it is in the more advanced sages , maling surgical removal of all the cancer difficult or impossible . Because it is a relatively rare cance, mesothelioma has been studied as much as more common forms of cancer . The stage at which treatment for meothelioma is begun has a tremendous impact on the patient"s prospects for long -term survival .

The American Cance Society reportsthat some pleural mesothelioma patents in stage i have had their mesothelioma successfully removed through an involved surgical procedure calledextraoleural pneumonectomy . Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a grueling surgery only ofered to patients in otherwise good health. The entire affected lung plus the pleural lining of the chest wal, diaphragm, and pericardim on the affected side are removed. Srgeons then reconstuct the diaphragm and the percardium .

This procedure works best for patients with eitelioid ceel mesothelioma.

Some patients who ave had a successful extrapleural pneumonectomy are now enjoying long remissions . A study of 120 patients, who underwent extraplural pneumonectomy at the dana-Farber cancer lnstitute in Boston between the years 1980 and 1995, revealed that 22 persent of these patients suvvied five years or longer. The surgery for these patients had beemn ollowed by chemotherapy and radation (cancer help UK,2008).

removing most o the mesothelioma from patient in stage 111 in a procedure called pleurectomy / decortication may also incrase apatient"s life expectancy. The aim of this prcedure is palliative, as it can cntrl fluid buildup and relieve pain and pressure. Factors lnfluencing the Prognosis
The patient"s overall health status ans age affect the prognosis.

The Ameican cancer sociely reports that 75 percent of those diagnosed with mesothelioma are 65 years old or older . Men are five times more likely to have mesothelioma than women are .

When mesothelioma is dagnosed , the doctors look at how far the cancer has spread and several health factors . Pleural mesothelioma patients have a poorer prgosis if they are experiencing chest pain , shortness of breath , inablity to perfrm daily tasks , weight loos , a low red blood cell count , a high white blood cell count , and hig blood levels of a substance called LDH. American cancer society , most mesothelioma patients who have all these factors present pa away within six months of theri diagnosis . It is rere mesothelioma survival rate .

The percent of cancer patients who live five years or more ater heir diagnosis for cancer is called the five year survival rate. In 2006, the five years for mesothelioma was estimated at around 10present .The American cancer society reminds people that this rate is slowly improving and that it is based on people who were diagnosed and teated more than five years ago.Patients who are newly diagnosed may have a higher survival rate because treatment for mesothelioma is continuing to improve.

GATA-1: A Protein That Regulates Proteins

2010-02-28T03:40:00.001-08:00

Proteins are the cell’s special machines that perform a variety of tasks. Some of them help to regulate the production levels of other proteins by influencing the transcribing of the DNA genes that code for the proteins. New research is investigating how one such transcription factor, GATA-1, works and, as usual, it isn’t simple.

Looking at baby red blood cells in mice, the research found the genes that GATA-1 influences are positioned together along the DNA molecule. GATA-1 binds to specific locations along the DNA molecule and genes that cluster around those locations tend to be induced or repressed by the binding of GATA-1. Genes not in these clusters are relatively unaffected. So if GATA-1 is to influence the production of certain proteins, then the corresponding genes need to be positioned in these regulatory clusters.

But why are some genes induced while others are repressed? One factor is how close the gene is to the GATA-1 protein. The closer genes tend to be induced whereas the more distant genes tend to be repressed. So the positioning of the genes is even more fine-tuned. Not only are the genes to be influenced found in the regulatory clusters, but their position within the cluster is important.

There are other factors as well. For instance, TAL1 is another transcription factor and when it is absent the nearby genes are usually repressed. This is usually accompanied by a modification of one of the histone proteins around which the DNA is wrapped. Specifically, the 27th amino acid in histone H3, a lysine, is trimethylated (three methyl groups are added to the side chain).

These and other factors help to explain how GATA-1 works to regulate protein production, and why some genes are induced while others repressed. But the observed factors do not fully explain the patterns of protein production. For instance, many repressed genes do not lack the TAL1 transcription factor. There is still more to be learned.

Evolutionists believe these protein regulation mechanisms and factors arose from molecular mishaps that were passed on. Those mishaps that luckily helped out persisted. The gene positionings, GATA-1 design, production and binding sites, TAL1, histone trimethylation machine, and other intricacies just happened to arise by happenstance. And they worked. Religion drives science and it matters.

Yeast Ribosomal RNA Genes Boost Genome Stability

2010-02-28T03:22:00.000-08:00

Genes coding for ribosomal RNA help to maintain the stability of yeast genomes, according to a study appearing online today in Science.

By comparing four Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with different ribosomal RNA gene copy numbers, a Japanese research team found that that the strains with fewer ribosomal genes or rDNA were more sensitive to DNA damage caused by chemicals or ultraviolet light. This sensitivity seems to be due to a role for rDNA genes in recombination repair and sister chromatid cohesion. As such, the findings suggest rDNA amplification systems may have evolved in eukaryotic cells to maintain genome stability.

"The extra rDNA copies facilitate condensin association and sister-chromatid cohesion, thereby facilitating recombinatorial repair" senior author Takehiko Kobayashi, a researcher affiliated with Japan's Graduate University for Advanced Studies and the National Institute of Genetics, and co-authors wrote.

Organisms often have multiple sequences coding for rRNA and other RNA products, the researchers explained. In yeast, for example, tandem repeat sequences of rDNA genes are often found in clusters along chromosomes — past research suggests chromosome 12 houses some 150 copies of rDNA genes.

A gene amplification system in yeast and other eukaryotes seems to prop up the number of rDNA genes, despite gene loss through recombination. And although some rDNA is transcribed into rRNA, at least half of the copies of yeast rDNA aren't. A similar pattern has been reported in other organisms, including plants, the team noted, which seem to have thousands of untranscribed rDNA copies.

In an effort to explore what extra copies of rDNA genes are doing in the yeast genome, the researchers examined four S. cerevisiae strains that had 20, 40, 80, or 110 copies of rDNA genes.

Each of the strains produced typical levels of rRNA and grew well under normal conditions. But when the yeast strains were exposed to ultraviolet light or to the chemical methyl methanesulfonate, the strains with fewer rDNA copies were more sensitive to these DNA damaging agents.

By curbing rDNA transcription in the strain with the greatest number of rDNA copies by removing RNA polymerase I genes, the team showed that they could make this strain as sensitive to DNA damage as the low copy strain.

Their subsequent experiments suggest the S. cerevisiae strain with just 20 copies of rDNA apparently undergoes increased rDNA recombination following DNA damage compared with strains that had more rDNA copies.

And, the team noted, this strain also had more chromosomal damage and replication problems — particularly involving chromosome 12 — than the high copy strain.

When they screened yeast mutants looking for mutations that eliminated the rDNA copy number-related sensitivity to DNA damage, the researchers identified several genes involved in recombination repair.

Based on such findings, they propose that yeast stains with fewer rDNA copies may be less able to repair recombination changes to rDNA because so many of the genes are tied up in the process of transcription.

In addition, their experiments suggest low copy rDNA strains have problems with cohesion between sister chromatids, adding to their DNA damage sensitivity.

"Our results suggest that multiple copies of rDNA are required to reduce rDNA transcription and allow efficient replication-coupled recombination repair by facilitating condensin association and sister-chromatid cohesion," the team wrote.

And because bacteria have far fewer rDNA copies than eukaryotic cells — and lack the rDNA amplification system found in these cells — they argued that rDNA copy number evolution might correspond to the advent of organisms with larger cells.

"Bigger cells needed more ribosomes and rDNA transcription," the researchers concluded. "This increased rDNA transcription would have been toxic due to greater sensitivity to DNA damage caused by environmental factors … selecting for cells that can maintain multiple rDNA copies, and resulting in the evolution of the rDNA amplification system."

THE POWER OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

2009-04-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

The power of biotechnology is no longer fantasy. Biotechnology—the use of technologies based on living systems to develop commercial processes and products—now includes the techniques of recombinant DNA, gene transfer, embryo manipulation and transfer, plant regeneration, cell culture, monoclonal antibodies, and bioprocess engineering.

Using these techniques, we have begun to transform ideas into practical applications. For instance, scientists have learned to genetically alter certain crops to increase their tolerance to certainherbicides. Biotechnology has also been used to develop safer vaccines against viral and bacterial diseases such as pseudorabies, enteric colibacillosis (scours), and foot-and-mouth disease. Yet we have barely scratched the surface of the many potential benefits the tools of biotechnology will bring.

Biotechnology offers new ideas and techniques applicable to agriculture. It offers tools to develop a better understanding of living systems, of our environment, and of ourselves. Yet continued advances will take a serious commitment of talent and funds. Biotechnology offers tremendous potential for improving crop production, animal agriculture, and bioprocessing.

It can provide scientists with new approaches to develop higher yielding and more nutritious crop varieties, improve resistance to diseases and adverse conditions, or reduce the need for fertilizers and other expensive agricultural chemicals. In animal agriculture, its greatest immediate potential lies in therapeutics and vaccines for disease control. Bioprocessing—the use of living systems or their components to create useful products—offers opportunities to manufacture new products and foods, treat and use wastes, and use renewable resources for fuel. Biotechnology could also improve forestry and its products, fiber crops, and chemical feed stocks.

Genetic Testing

2009-01-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

This last century has seen an escalation in advancement of technology. In about one hundred years, man has gone from the horse and buggy to super sonic flight. These advancements have also been implanted in the health industry as seen in the almost doubling of the life expectancy of man.It also appears as though this escalation will only continue. One field where these advancements are moving at a very high speed is the field of genetics and biotechnology. The last ten years have seen some of the greatest landmarks in genetic genealogy research. The pattern in this field indicates that the discoveries and applications of those discoveries will continue to grow at an exponential rate.

With the increase in genetic knowledge there has also been an increase in the variety and ease of genetic testing available. Genetic testing refers to any sort of test which involves the study of the genome. When genetics was in its infancy, tests were expensive and took a long period of time to perform. Recent advances have significantly decreased the costs and time needed to perform genetic testing. This decrease in cost and time has made genetic testing available to more of the general public.

Genetic testing has also been used for determining family relationships. The simplest relationship to determine with a genetic test is a paternal or a maternal relationship. Today, genetic testing can also be used to determine other, more distant relationships. Genetic testing is available for full siblings, half siblings, grandparents and cousins. This allows family relationships to be determined even if one or more of the family members is deceased. As research continues, the ability to dive deeper into your family tree is becoming possible. With the use of Y-chromosome and mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) testing more can be learned. The use of these genetic tests has allowed genealogists to verify their family trees and in some cases discover new branches that were not previously known. Genetic testing is even being used to understand the roots of family trees. This includes the use of genetic tests to look for Native American ancestry, and ancestry from different parts of Europe and Asia.

As knowledge and research in the area of genetics and biotechnology continue to advance, genetic testing will become even more accessible. This increase in use of genetic tests will give people more access to information. This information can be used to help solve crimes, increase the quality of health care, and provide information into your personal or family history.

Genetic Savings and Clone Forced to Shut Down

2009-01-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

For the modest fee of only $50,000, grieving cat owners used to be able to have little Fluffy recreated. Alas, they will no longer have that option, at least for the time being.

The company that offered the cloning service, Genetic Savings and Clone, was launched in 2000 by billionaire and University of Phoenix founder John Sperling. Sperling had hoped to have his hunting dog Missy cloned, but scientists were never able to accomplish that feat. Nonetheless, Sperling decided to go into the business of trying to help others recreate their dearly departed pets.

Unfortunately, even for the most devoted of pet owners, there’s a limit to how much they’ll pay to have their dearly departed feline recreated. Genetic Savings and Clone’s hefty $50,000 price tag was just too much to generate much interest in their services. The company recently reduced the price to $32,000, but still there were no takers. The company sent letters to its customers last month letting them know that they will have to close at the end of the year. The letters said that Genetic Savings and Clone has been "unable to develop the technology to the point that cloning pets is commercially viable."

The company’s telephone answering system now contains a message saying that it is no longer taking orders, and it refers customers interested in having their pets’ genetic material frozen to ViaGen, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Austin, Texas.

The first cat that was cloned for commercial purposes was Little Nicky, who was requested by a woman in Texas who was saddened by the loss of her cat Nicky, who had died the previous year at age 17. Little Nicky was created from the original Nicky’s DNA, and cost the woman $50,000.

Since the company began, it was able to successfully clone five cats, but only two of them were sold to paying customers. Reproductive cycles of pets are too unpredictable for consistent and inexpensive cloning, according to Bonnie Beaver, past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The ethical and scientific debate over cloning technology has become more and more heated since the sale of Little Nicky, with animal rights activists complaining that cloning cats isn’t necessary because there are thousands of stray cats euthanized each year because they don’t have homes. Those groups were thrilled to hear about Genetic Savings and Clones having to close its doors. Activists say that because cloning techniques are still primitive, the procedures fail more often than they succeed. "For every successful clone, dozens fail and die prematurely, have physical deformities, and face chronic pain and suffering," said Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States.

Animal rights activists believe that cloning is at odds with basic animal welfare considerations. "It's no surprise the demand for cloned pets is basically nonexistent, and we're very pleased that Genetics Savings & Clone's attempt to run a cloning pet store was a spectacular flop," said Pacelle. "It's not just a bad business venture, but also an operation grounded on the misuse of animals."

Cuba Approves First Therapeutic Vaccine for Lung Cancer

2009-01-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

Cuba has approved what is believed to be the world's first registered lung cancer vaccine and is offering it to Cuban and foreign patients in its hospitals.

The therapeutic vaccine CimaVax EGF extends life with few side effects, and is another step in Cuba's expertise in biotechnology. It was unveiled on Monday at Havana's center of molecular immunology.

It has been shown to boost survival rates by an average of four to five months, and in some cases much longer. It does not prevent lung cancer. Unlike chemotherapy, CimaVax EGF is said to have few side effects because it is a modified protein which attacks only cancer cells.

"It's the first such vaccine registered in the world," said Gisela González, who headed the project begun in 1992. The drug is in various clinical trials, some in Canada and Britain, and is expected to be approved next in Peru.

Several companies had been licensed to market the vaccine, but it will be made in Cuba, said González. It has been approved for trial in the United States but use there is at least two years away, she added.

The vaccine triggers an immune response which, in addition to extending life, can ease symptoms such as difficulty breathing and lack of appetite. The idea was to "maintain or consolidate" the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Tania Crombet, the centre's director of clinical investigations, said foreigners were welcome for treatment, though its cost had not yet been set. "It's possible to provide this vaccine to any patient. Because it's available in Cuba, it's approved by the Cuban drug agency, so we can receive patients from outside."

As well as helping the health services of other countries with its abundance of doctors, Cuba has used its clinics to draw thousands of overseas patients each year. Its scientists are respected by foreign peers as producing good results on tiny budgets. Fidel Castro championed biotechnology in the 1980s; by the 1990s Cuba had produced and marketed vaccines for meningitis B and hepatitis B.

GM Damages Environment But Not Pests, Says Study

2009-01-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

Scientists were yesterday embroiled in an international row over genetically modified cotton after a study in China suggested for the first time that the crop was permanently damaging the environment and that insects were building up resistance to it.

The study by the Nanjing institute of environmental sciences, part of the Chinese government's environmental protection administration, draws together laboratory and field work undertaken by four scientific institutions in China over several years.

It suggests that GM cotton, which incorporates a gene isolated from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), harms the natural parasitic enemies of the cotton bollworm, the pest that it is designed to control. It also indicates that populations of pests other than cotton bollworm had increased in Bt cotton fields and some had replaced it as primary pests.

However, the leading GM company Monsanto, which controls more than 80% of the Bt cotton grown worldwide, dismissed the research. The industry has always cited GM cotton as its biggest success, because it can increase yields by up to 60% and reduce the need for pesticides by 80%.

But worryingly for the industry, the scientists also found that the resistance of Bt cotton to bollworm decreased significantly over time. GM cotton, they said, will require increasing amounts of traditional chemicals to control pests within a few years.

The report, which was published by Greenpeace International, says bollworm control is no longer complete by the third and fourth generations of the pest, and control falls to 30% after 17 generations. The scientists concluded that Bt cotton would probably lose all its resistance to bollworm after being planted continuously for 8-10 years.

Zhu Xinquan, the chairman of the Chinese society of agro-biotechnology, said new GM organisms and products would benefit agriculture and other industries, but people should always beware of the long-term and underlying impacts on the environment.

China is the largest grower of GM cotton after the US, with about 1.5m hectares (3.7m acres) under cultivation, the great majority by small farmers. An estimated two thirds of the plantings are Monsanto cotton, the rest domestically developed strains. The Chinese government has heavily backed GM crop research and plans to quadruple budgets within three years.

Yesterday the report was dismissed by both US and other Chinese scientists. Monsanto said: "It lies outside the broad scientific view of Bt cotton as well as the practical experience by millions of farmers in eight countries where Bt cotton is growing. The report serves as another example of baseless claims made by anti-GM activists like Greenpeace."

The Chinese academy of sciences is understood to be preparing a paper for China's leadership that refutes the allegations in the Nanjing study, and chastises the state environment protection agency for working with Greenpeace. Its findings were also disputed by Professor Guo Sandui, the inventor of Chinese Bt cotton. "Greenpeace is absolutely ignorant about genetically modified cotton and doesn't know how to protect the environment," he said.

However, in India, the forum for biotechnology and food security, a collective of agricultural scientists, farmers and others, used the report to urge an inquiry into the role of Indian government's department of biotechnology in supporting applications by Monsanto to grow GM cotton.

The Indian government controversially authorised commercial plantings of GM cotton in April, following disputed environmental testing.

Sowing the seeds of a better future

2009-01-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

While we in the west continue in our narcissistic obsession with our own genome and the futuristic possibilities of human cloning, scientists in the developing world are more interested in the crops that put food in hungry mouths. This month a group of them laid bare the complete genome sequence of rice in what may prove to be a turning point for science in the developing world.

Rice is the staple crop for 3 billion people, mostly in Asia, so it was no surprise when Japan fired the starting gun for the genome race in 1991. But big markets generate big profits, so the major agrochemical corporations were soon among the runners. In the end, the Swiss-based multinational biotechnology giant, Syngenta, was a fairly predictable winner. But before environmentalists or globalisation demonstrators protest at yet more science in the pockets of big business, they should note that the other winner was the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI).

Only four years ago, the BGI was an empty brick building. But through the dynamism of its director, geneticist Yang Huanming, and with seed money from the state, Yang's hometown municipal government, and even loans from employees, family and friends, it became a world-class research institute. Soon, several hundred employees were working two 12-hour shifts to keep the sequencing machines running 24 hours a day. With little more than ping-pong to distract them from decoding the rice genome, science in the developing world took on multinational biotechnology, and won - or at least drew.

But the rice genome is far more than a David versus Goliath story. More than a billion people live on less than $1 a day and that usually buys rice. The crop is prone to many diseases and much of it ends up in the belly of an insect. An outbreak of brown plant-hoppers disease cost Java 70% of its rice crop in the 1970s. Climate change is a major worry in marginal lands. Droughts brought by the 1997-98 El Nino inflicted losses across Asia.

Genetic engineering to generate varieties resistant to disease, pests, drought or salinity could revolutionise third world farming. The release of the sequence will help researchers eager to improve crop yields.

Many aid organisations - often influenced by western green campaigns - say GM technology does little to address the real causes of world poverty and hunger. They said the same decades ago when famine was predicted to follow population explosion. The population explosion materialised but the famine didn't. While others argued for social reform, pioneering plant breeders, such as Norman Borlaug, developed high-yielding varieties of maize, wheat and rice. Global harvests soared and have continued to rise at a rate of 2% per year. The green revolution saved millions from starvation, but is grinding to a halt as plant breeders run out of natural genetic variation. To keep pace with population growth, breeders need to tinker with genes. That is why China spent $100m on GM technology in 1999.

Biotechnology is more appropriate for the developing world than most high technologies. At the click of a mouse, a researcher in Addis Ababa or Kuala Lumpur can download the fruits of billion-dollar research projects. And although western manufacturers charge prohibitive prices for their gene-cloning reagents, local manufacturers can often produce the same products cheaply and efficiently. Yang Huanming found a local glass-maker who could make a piece of sequencing kit for a fraction of the price of the import. Unable to acquire US-made supercomputers, BGI scien tists bought locally and developed their own software.

China's ratio of six researchers or engineers for every 10,000 population may seem puny against the 70 or so in the United States, but it is more than 10 times the typical ratio for the poorest countries in Africa or Asia. But China isn't alone in its interest in biotechnology. A coalition of laboratories from Sao Paolo in Brazil has completed the DNA sequence of a bacterium that causes disease in citrus fruits. Researchers from Brazil, India and Mexico are involved in a global consortium to sequence the banana genome. The UN-commissioned human development report 2001 concluded "many developing countries might reap great benefits from genetically modified food crops and other organisms".

GM technology can benefit the poor, but the western anti-technology lobby is busy trying to prevent its use. Publication of the rice gene genome shows how science, in the hands of developing world scientists, can be a liberating influence formankind. It's about time western lobbyists let them get on with it.

Fantastic Voyage : Live Long Enough to Live Forever

2009-01-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

One of the most respected scientists and futurists in America teams up with an expert on human longevity, to show how we can tap today's revolution in biotechnology and nanotechnology to virtually live forever.

Startling discoveries in the areas of genomics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology are occurring every day. The rewards of this research, some of it as spectacular as what was once thought of as science fiction, are practically in our grasp. Already it is possible to analyze our individual genetic makeups and evaluate our predisposition for breast cancer or other deadly diseases on a case-by-case basis. And once we've isolated these genes, the ability to repress or enhance them through biotechnology is just around the corner. Soon, for example, it will be feasible for 10% of our red blood cells to be replaced by artificial cells, radically extending our life expectancy and enhancing our physical and even mental abilities beyond what is humanly possible today. In Fantastic Voyage, Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman will show us how amazingly advanced we are in our medical technology, and how incredibly far each of us can go toward living as long as we dare imagine.

With today's mind-bending array of scientific knowledge, it is possible to prevent nearly 90% of the maladies that kill us, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and liver disease. Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman start the reader on a fantastic journey to undreamed-of vitality with a comprehensive investigation into the cutting-edge science on diet, metabolism, genetics, toxins and detoxification, the hormones involved with aging and youth, exercise, stress reduction, and more. By following their program, which includes such simple recommendations as drinking alkaline water and taking specific nutritional supplements to enhance your immune system and slow the aging process on a cellular level, anyone will be able to immediately add years of healthy, active living to his life.

Playing the High-Stakes Biotech Game

2009-01-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

Shares of biotechnology companies have declined, after the much anticipated American Society of Clinical Oncologists meeting in early June in New Orleans. This sector has been on a roll ever since Genentech (NYSE: DNA) vaulted 45% on May 19, 2003 following positive news from Phase III trials of Avastin in colorectal cancer patients. Is the recent correction a good time to fish or cut-bait?

Before you decide to dump or load up on biotech stocks, it is worthwhile to look at the 3C's driving this sector: Cancer, Cycle-time, and Consolidation.

Cancer

A hot-bed of activity, cancer research has attracted lot of attention. The buzzword is 'targeted drugs'. Unlike traditional forms of cancer treatment which do not discriminate between healthy and malignant cells, targeted drugs act more like smart weapons. They take on the molecular mechanisms involved in the growth of cancer without hurting the surrounding healthy tissue, and offer the possibility of making the disease a manageable, chronic condition.

Tarceva, an experimental drug developed by OSI Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: OSIP) and licensed to Genentech and Roche (ROG.VX) is one of the more highly profiled targeted drugs. The drug shows promise in extending the lives of lung cancer patients when used in combination with Avastin. Tarceva’s efficacy against pancreatic cancer is being investigated in a Phase III trial and results are due in the second half of 2004.

ImClone's (Nasdaq: IMCL) Erbitux, that is already approved for treating colon cancer, is another targeted drug that is in the limelight. According to data presented at the ASCO meeting, head and neck cancer patients treated with Erbitux and radiation had a median survival rate nearly twice as much as those who received radiation alone.

Cycle-time

Thanks to an efficient Food and Drug Administration, the time required for FDA review has shortened. With priority review having been granted by the FDA to Gilead Sciences' (Nasdaq: GILD) Viread/Emtriva combination anti-HIV pill, a decision is expected in September, four months earlier than the originally expected January 2005.

Companies for their part are also aggressive in reducing cycle-time. Genentech, for example, was ready to launch Avastin literally within hours of getting FDA approval. Helped by favorable test results, Elan (NYSE: ELN) and Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB) filed for their multiple sclerosis drug, Antegren, in May 2004, a year earlier than expected.

Consolidation

The organic growth of biotechnology companies has proven to be a long and uncertain process. While biotechnology firms seek to merge between themselves, pharmaceutical companies are also targeting biotechnology companies.

Last year Biogen and Idec, merged to form Biogen Idec. The Biogen Idec merger was driven by the need to reduce risks, derive scale advantages, and enhance domain expertise. This year, Amgen (Nadsaq: AMGN) has announced its intent to buy 79% of Tularik (Nasdaq: TLRK) it does not already own. Tularik shores up Amgen’s pipeline by bringing in five products in various stages of clinical testing with T67, the liver cancer drug, in Phase III trials. Recently, QLT (Nasdaq: QLTI) and Atrix (Nasdaq: ATRX) have agreed to merge to move closer to becoming a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company.

Major pharmaceutical firms faced with the double whammy of weak drug development pipelines and upcoming patent expirations are looking to purchase biotech firms to rev up their growth engines. Recently, Belgium based UCB (UCBBt.BR) has offered to buy U.K.’s largest biotech firm, Celltech (NYSE: CLL).

The potential of targeted drugs, shortening of cycle-times, and possibilities of buyout provide a powerful case for investing in the biotechnology sector. So how does one play the biotech cycle?

Investing in biotech stocks has never been for the faint-hearted. News from clinical trials can make or break a company’s share price. One needs to only look at the 'Slim-Jim' type one-day moves in OSI Pharmaceuticals to the upside and Genta (Nasdaq: GNTA) to the downside, to get the picture.

Many biotech companies have high cash burn rates. Even the profitable ones have relatively few marketed products. For companies in this universe, the value is predicated on cash flows that are forecasted to come through several years out. As such, it makes sense to invest in a basket of biotech companies rather than one single entity.

Today's marketplace offers several opportunities for investing in the biotechnology sector. First, there is Fidelity Select Biotechnology (Nasdaq: FBIOX), an actively managed, no load sector fund. With over $2 billion in assets, this is by far the largest open ended mutual fund that focuses on biotechnology. From April 30, 2003 through May 31, 2004, FBIOX has advanced 36.6%. As of March 31, 2004, FBIOX held 60 stocks with the top 10 holdings accounting for about 64% of the portfolio. Top holdings in this fund included names like Genentech, Biogen Idec, Gilead Sciences, Cephalon (Nasdaq: CEPH), and Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: MLNM). A noticeable absentee among the fund’s top 10 holdings was industry heavy weight, Amgen.

There are two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that focus on the biotechnology industry as well: iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology (AMEX: IBB) and Biotech HOLDRs (AMEX: BBH). There are some subtle, yet important differences to consider between the two exchange-traded funds. From April 30, 2003 through May 31, 2004, the IBB has advanced only 31.9% compared to the 45.3% gain for the BBH.

The iShares are designed to track the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index and include over 100 biotech companies that trade on the Nasdaq. As of March 31, 2004, the top 10 holdings in the iShares had a combined weighting of about 36% with Amgen by itself having a 17% weighting. A notable absentee in the iShares is Genentech whose shares trade on the NYSE.

The Biotech HOLDRS, on the other hand, are Depositary Receipts that represent an undivided beneficial ownership in the common stock of 18 biotech companies. This ETF is concentrated; as of June 10, 2004, the top 5 industry heavyweights, Amgen, Genentech, Biogen Idec, Gilead Sciences, and Chiron (Nasdaq: CHIR) had a combined weighting of about 79%. One twist of the HOLDRs is that they have to be traded in round lots of 100 shares; one lot of the BBH at about $140 per share takes a cool $14,000.

In sum, while bottoms are hard to pick, there is a case to be made for being long this sector. Among the options available, Fidelity Select Biotechnology and iShares appear more attractive. For one, they offer better diversification. Further, exposure to development stage companies is higher. Some of the development stage companies have appeal as takeover candidates whereas the industry leaders in the HOLDRS are more likely to be buyers than sellers.

Biochemistry Degrees an Ultimate Course in online Science Degrees

2009-01-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

Biochemistry specialization is into four distinct sections - macromolecular metabolism, nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology, and physical biochemistry. After graduating in these programs, you can look forward to work in the field of healthcare and medicine.

The biotechnology sector is in great demand in online science degrees Program. The article gives you information about various degrees and its career prospects.

Through online biochemistry degrees, you can learn about the molecular makeup of the living world. The degree helps in studying the effects of chemical and biological reactions on biological systems, practices for obtaining, studying and recovering information, and the role and arrangement of molecules and biological systems.

You can start your program by beginning a survey of subjects like physiology, cell and molecular biology, and microbiology. Later, you can study advanced areas like enzyme actions, gene regulation, metabolism, and cell communication. You can then specialize in one or more of these areas of study. The programs help students to understand the cell as a functioning chemical system. It examines the communication between cells and the internal chemistry of cells.

Biochemistry specialization is into four distinct sections - macromolecular metabolism, nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology, and physical biochemistry. After graduating in these programs, you can look forward to work in the field of healthcare and medicine. You can also pursue graduate degrees or advanced studies in various biochemistry fields. There is also a high demand for jobs in biotechnology firms, scientific publishing, medicine, molecular biochemistry, pharmacology, or veterinary medicine.

Biochemistry degree involves research and study in chemistry, physics, and biology. The curriculum include plant biotechnology, molecular evolution, bioorganic chemistry, the plant genome, signal transduction and biochemical regulation, general biochemistry, genome maintenance and stability, methods in gene regulation, neuroscience, and physical biochemistry.

Ashford University offers General Biology Degrees. Berdan Institute, Illinois Institute of Technology, Keiser University, and Medix offer biochemistry degrees too. Lehigh University offers online degrees like Master of Science in Molecular Biology. You can learn about molecular biology, evolutionary microbial, and animal and plants molecular heredity. The courses also teach you about cells biology, regulating of genes expressions, development of genetics, and virology.

At Saint Joseph, you can get a Masters in Biology. The courses are taught through CD-ROM’s which feature image, video, and audio lecturing material. The University of Maryland offers Master's in Life Science. University of Nebraska at Kearney offers Master's in the Science of Biology along with credit time programs.

At University of Maryland University College, you can pursue Bioinformatics, Biotechnology Management, BTPS in Biotechnology, and MS in Biotechnology Studies. The MS in biotechnology studies program gives you a thorough foundation in management and policy issues which are unique to the biotechnology industry. You will have a greater understanding of the technologies in use in the biotechnology industry. Stanford University offers Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics, Certificate in Bioinformatics, and Computational Genomics Certificate Program. Read more on Online Science Degrees.

Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies Borrow From Limited IT Resource Pool

2009-01-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

The onset of technologically advanced software and hardware platforms for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries has resulted in more than a few drug manufacturers enlisting the talents of information technology professionals. Systems management issues between various protocols as well as the operating system functionality of cutting edge software have created an atmosphere where laboratory technicians spend a large portion of their time managing biotechnology infrastructures. While many larger firms already have information technology personnel that work exclusively on corporate related networks, few if any were called upon to bridge the gap between scientific software and traditional hardware. Most software manufacturers who offer genetic modeling or chemical composition software rarely consider the cross platform restrictions of their products, hence the need for well trained information technology professionals.

Throwing another wrench into the works is the development and widespread use of open source software. Open source software protocols are expansive and easily altered by nature. Many open source software developments carry no licensing restrictions. While the software itself can be extremely beneficial to biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, the havoc it can wreak on hardware systems leaves much to be desired. While information technology professionals aren't likely to write or alter code for unilateral workability, they can be called upon to structure data transfers between open sources programs that will allow the information garnered from one to be placed into another without damage to the overall system.

Many educational providers are starting to offer IT degree programs dedicated to information technology development for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. These programs train information technology personnel for the industry specific needs that often arise when dealing with cross platform data evaluation systems. As the complexities of software increase, so likely will the need for qualified IT professionals to make it run smoothly. Those who are already firmly entrenched in the IT world as well as those who plan to make a career of IT would do well to pay attention to the growing need for specialized technical personnel in this expanding market.

Career In Biotechnology

2009-01-03T23:49:00.000-08:00

Biotechnology is the integration of engineering and technology to the life sciences.

Biotechnologists frequently use microorganisms or biological substances to perform specific processes or for manufacturing. Examples include the production of drugs, hormones, foods and converting waste products.

There are many sub-branches involved in the biotech industry. A few of the more common branches include; molecular biology, genetic engineering, and cell biology.

A new and exciting sub-branch requiring biotechnologists is the field of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology gives us the capability to engineer the tiniest of objects, things at the molecular level. Nano means a billionth of a specific unit in Greek. Nanotechnology includes the study and manipulation of materials between 1 and 100 nanometers.

To give you an idea, DNA is approximately 2.5 nanometers. Red blood cells are 2.5 micrometers (1,000 times larger). And a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick!

As you can imagine, it is very difficult to scale and mass produce objects within the realm of nanotechnology. Their minute size makes them nearly impossible to manipulate. But scientists and engineers have teamed up to make the seemingly impossible a reality.

Which means those with the proper training will be highly sought after in the future. The National Science Foundation estimates that the U.S. alone will need up to 1 million nanotechnology researchers. It is estimated that the need for nanotechnology workers will reach 2 million by 2015.

Therefore, if you're considering getting into the field of biotech, you may want to gear your background in nanotechnology if your school offers it or seek employment in this exciting new career field after graduating.

No matter what sub-branch you wind up specializing in, biotechnologists often collaborate with others in the laboratory and bounce ideas off one another. This can create a pleasant work environment; one that involves sharing with others and working together to achieve a great goal.

Why You Should Buy Organic Foods

2009-01-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

Organic fruits are products that are free of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation, and biotechnology. They are more nutritional because plants produce more vitamins and antioxidants when grown without using pesticides and fertilizers.
Organic farmers usually conserve energy and help to protect the environment by growing their foods organic. Not using fertilizers and pesticides reduce pollution of groundwater. Organic agriculture reduces the greenhouse effect and global warming. Organic meat comes from animals that were raised without being fed antibiotics or growth hormones.

When you are shopping for organic foods you should look for the USDA seal. On meat and dairy products, this seal tells you that you are buying antibiotic and hormone-free products.

Noncoding RNA gene detection using comparative sequence analysis

2009-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Background

Noncoding RNA genes produce transcripts that exert their function without ever producing proteins. Noncoding RNA gene sequences do not have strong statistical signals, unlike protein coding genes. A reliable general purpose computational genefinder for noncoding RNA genes has been elusive.

Results

We describe a comparative sequence analysis algorithm for detecting novel structural RNA genes. The key idea is to test the pattern of substitutions observed in a pairwise alignment of two homologous sequences. A conserved coding region tends to show a pattern of synonymous substitutions, whereas a conserved structural RNA tends to show a pattern of compensatory mutations consistent with some base-paired secondary structure. We formalize this intuition using three probabilistic "pair-grammars": a pair stochastic context free grammar modeling alignments constrained by structural RNA evolution, a pair hidden Markov model modeling alignments constrained by coding sequence evolution, and a pair hidden Markov model modeling a null hypothesis of position-independent evolution. Given an input pairwise sequence alignment (e.g. from a BLASTN comparison of two related genomes) we classify the alignment into the coding, RNA, or null class according to the posterior probability of each class.
Conclusions

We have implemented this approach as a program, QRNA, which we consider to be a prototype structural noncoding RNA genefinder. Tests suggest that this approach detects noncoding RNA genes with a fair degree of reliability.

Biotechnology in Animals

2008-12-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

The most controversial applications of biotechnology involve the use of animals and the transfer of genes from animals to plants. The first animal-based application of biotechnology was the approval of the use of bacterially produced bovine somatotropin (bST) in dairy cows.

Bovine somatotropin, a naturally occurring hormone , increases milk production. This application has not been commercially successful, however, primarily because of its expense. The cloning of animals is another potential application of biotechnology. Most experts believe that animal applications of biotechnology will occur slowly because of the social and ethical concerns of consumers.

Concerns about Food Production

Some concerns about the use of biotechnology for food production include possible allergic reactions to the transferred protein . For example, if a gene from Brazil nuts that produces an allergen were transferred to soybeans, an individual who is allergic to Brazil nuts might now also be allergic to soybeans. As a result, companies in the United States that develop genetically engineered foods must demonstrate to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they did not transfer proteins that could result in food allergies . When, in fact, a company attempted to transfer a gene from Brazil nuts to soybeans, the company's tests revealed that they had transferred a gene for an allergen, and work on the project was halted. In 2000 a brand of taco shells was discovered to contain a variety of genetically engineered corn that had been approved by the FDA for use in animal feed, but not for human consumption. Although several antibiotechnology groups used this situation as an example of potential allergenicity stemming from the use of biotechnology, in this case the protein produced by the genetically modified gene was not an allergen. This incident also demonstrated the difficulties in keeping track of a genetically modified food that looks identical to the unmodified food. Other concerns about the use of recombinant DNA technology include potential losses of biodiversity and negative impacts on other aspects of the environment.

Safety and Labeling

In the United States, the FDA has ruled that foods produced though biotechnology require the same approval process as all other food, and that there is no inherent health risk in the use of biotechnology to develop plant food products. Therefore, no label is required simply to identify foods as products of biotechnology. Manufacturers bear the burden of proof for the safety of the food. To assist them with this, the FDA developed a decision-tree approach that allows food processors to anticipate safety concerns and know when to consult the FDA for guidance. The decision tree focuses on toxicants that are characteristic of each species involved; the potential for transferring food allergens from one food source to another; the concentration and bioavailability of nutrients in the food; and the safety and nutritional value of newly introduced proteins.

Identifying novel genes involved in both deer physiological and human pathological Osteoporosis

2008-12-27T03:44:00.000-08:00

Osteoporosis attacks 10% of the population worldwide. Humans or even the model animals of the disease cannot recover from porous bone. Regeneration in skeletal elements is the unique feature of our newly investigated osteoporosis model, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag.

Cyclic physiological osteoporosis is a consequence of the annual antler cycle. This phenomenon raises the possibility to identify genes involved in the regulation of bone mineral density on the basis of comparative genomics between deer and human. We compare gene expression activity of osteoporotic and regenerating rib bone samples versus autumn dwell control in red deer by microarray hybridization. Identified genes were tested on human femoral bone tissue from non-osteoporotic controls and patients affected with age-related osteoporosis.

Expression data were evaluated by Principal Components Analysis and Canonical Variates Analysis. Separation of patients into a normal and an affected group based on ten formerly known osteoporosis reference genes was significantly improved by expanding the data with newly identified genes. These genes include IGSF4, FABP3, FABP4, FKBP2, TIMP2, TMSB4X, TRIB, and members of the Wnt signaling. This study supports that extensive comparative genomic analyses, here deer and human, provide a novel approach to identify new targets for human diagnostics and therapy.

What Exactly Are Greenhouse Gases, and How Does Biofriendly Help?

2008-12-26T03:05:00.000-08:00

As per the U.S. Energy Information Administration web site, there are a number of chemical compounds found in the Earth's atmosphere that act as greenhouse gases. When sunlight strikes the Earth's surface, some of it is reflected back towards space as infrared radiation, or heat.

Over time, the amount of energy sent from the sun to the Earth's surface should be about the same as the amount of energy radiated back into space, leaving the temperature of the Earth's surface roughly constant, but greenhouse gases absorb this infrared radiation and trap it in the atmosphere, causing conditions such as climactic change. Biofriendly Corporation's Green Plus liquid fuel catalyst greatly assists in easing greenhouse gas emissions, and assists in restoring the proper balance.

"Carbon dioxide emissions, resulting from the use of petroleum, represent 42 percent of total U.S. human-made greenhouse gas emissions," says Robert W. Carroll, Chairman and CEO of Biofriendly Corporation. "We are very pleased to offer a product which reduces such emissions and contributes to restoring our atmosphere to a more natural state."

According to the U.S.I.A. web site, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are naturally regulated by numerous processes collectively known as the "carbon cycle." While these natural processes can absorb some of the net 6.1 billion metric tons of man-made carbon dioxide emissions produced each year, an estimated 3.2 billion metric tons is added to the atmosphere annually. The Earth's positive imbalance between emissions and absorption results in the continuing growth in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

A large percentage of carbon dioxide emissions come from automobiles, trucks and ships. The reason these vehicles create such a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions is that they only convert 30-40% of the fuel burned into energy, some of the wasted energy is converted into exhaust emissions such as carbon dioxide. Green Plus converts more fuel into energy with a "positive domino effect" - that is, a more complete burn, a more linear burn and a cooler burn. This in turn delivers more power, more torque, better fuel economy and fewer harmful emissions. The best way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to burn less fuel and Green Plus can help to do this.

How a New Database for Women Scientists Can Promote Agricultural Biotechnology

2008-12-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has come up with this online database of women scientists working in the field of agriculture.

The database’s objectives are:

* To promote activities such as diversity-positive recruitment.
* To promote international teamwork among women agriculturalists
* To promote cross-cultural communications among women scientists in the agricultural sector.
* Showcase women talent in the field of agriculture.
* Advance women’s interests by availing information on scholarships and agricultural-related training opportunities.

I am more interested in the last two objectives. CGIAR largely operates in developing countries that suffer chronic food shortages. Among its many programs, CGIAR uses modern agricultural biotechnology to solve poor countries’ food problems.

There is a whole gamut of women scientists working in the field of agricultural biotechnology. Many have, and continue to excel in their respective areas of specialization. Africa, for example, has Dr. Florence Wambugu who has distinguished herself as an ardent advocate of agricultural biotechnology as an affective tool to alleviate hunger and malnutrition.

There are more women scientists of Dr. Wambugu’s competence in the developing world, but they are hardly known beyond the borders of their countries. Existing societal biases makes it hard from them to explore opportunities for advancement. This makes it hard for them to grow both professionally and career wise. This database must elevate the profile of such women scientists. The agricultural world needs them.

The biotech industry is fast gaining prominence. Africa and other developing regions of the world would only benefit from the many potential applications of biotechnology not only by developing a mass of well trained biotechnologists, but also exposing them to the world. This database is an invaluable avenue for women scientists wishing to explore the world.

To ensure that this database better benefits women scientists, CGIAR should consider working closely with national and international scientific institutions because they well understand the needs of their women scientists.

Making RNA More Durable at Room Temperature

2008-12-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

Each year millions of biological samples are processed, distributed, and stored worldwide. Currently samples such as DNA, RNA, proteins, bacteria, viruses, tissues, and other biological molecules are stored cold to prevent or reduce the rate of degradation. Even for small labs maintaining these cold environments requires multiple expensive refrigeration and freezer units, all of which greedily consume energy and limited laboratory budgets.

Current methods of RNA genes sample transport are also problematic—as shipping frozen samples on dry ice is expensive, with shipments costing hundreds of dollars due to bulky containers and expedited delivery costs. Unfortunately for RNA genes, even under carefully monitored cold storage environments, repeated RNA freeze-thaw cycles and fluctuating temperatures only serve to promote degradation and compromise results.

All too often we are reminded that the RNA Genes power requirements necessary for a constant cold chain can be difficult to maintain through rolling blackouts, natural or man-made disasters, and the simple fact that only a small portion of the world can consistently supply power 24/7 for RNA.

Power outages can lead to extensive and even insurmountable sample loss for individual labs, or even entire institutions, bringing into sharp focus the precarious nature of archived biological specimens. If a back-up RNA genes freezer system is not available, precious samples are impossible to replace. The costs in economic terms are tangible for RNA, if not downright painful, to researchers who could use these resources more productively elsewhere.

Despite all the precautions taken to keep samples cold, preservation is still not perfect. The average DNA/RNA genes sample, one of Nature’s hardiest molecules, lasts for about a decade—not long enough if the sample is needed for future reference, as is the case for forensic samples.

Far more problematic are RNA samples, which are difficult to work with given their highly labile nature and tendency to degrade even under carefully controlled RNase-free conditions and cold storage. Even a short period of slightly elevated temperatures can compromise RNA integrity and detrimentally affect performance in downstream assays for RNA genes.

Interest in RNA is on the upswing due to its utility as a gene silencer and potential target for therapeutic drugs. A tremendous amount of research has also been devoted to its role in gene expression studies. Despite all of this, RNA remains decidedly scientist unfriendly. Once RNA genes is thawed, a certain anxiety overcomes the scientist to make sure everything is done quickly before it degrades. Current methodologies are limited to storing RNA, either purified or in tissue, in cold environments; until recently there were no products that stabilized RNA at room temperature.

Gene Wize Genetically Tailored Nutrition

2008-12-24T01:01:00.000-08:00

GeneWize Life Sciences is a 12 year old biotech publicly traded company that has developed thousands of products in the past years and continues delivering state of the art nutritional products developed through extensive research about genetic nutrition.

Genewize Life Sciences have opened a marketing division using the multilevel marketing approach, and we stand to benefit tremendously thanks to this decision. They hosted an exciting live launch event in Orlando and the main leaders and physicians in Gene Wize were all gathered to discuss the future of this company.

We lauched live from Orlando, Florida on August 1st 2008 from the Hilton Disney Resort.

The huge buzz from this company’s pre-launch filled the auditorium with over 1000 people!

Why? It’s simple…

Because people are attracted to the product, the science and an opportunity to earn amazing incomes by just sharing this much requested information with the masses.

Gene Wize Customized Products are the future of nutrition- Genetic Nutrition- custom tailored to your needs, and yours alone!!

Marketing and Management in BioTechnology

2008-12-21T05:07:00.000-08:00

Drug development is not a simple process. The process is more comprehensible if an individual joins a project team at its inception rather than as a replacement team member, as is often the case. It is at the initial team meetings that the core development strategy is decided. Successful drug development depends on the quality of the development strategy.

Ultimately, successful drug development is about translating science into an optimal investment proposal that provides value to a variety of stakeholders and customers. This can be achieved only by establishing a strategy that recognizes who the customers for new medicines are and addresses their needs. This will mean moving increasingly from designing "for" to designing "with" the customer.

Most countries have experienced significant changes to health care in recent years, and change is expected to continue in the future. Probably the greatest challenge to be faced will be the expectation that new medicines will be not only safe and effective, but will also be cost effective in the overall context of disease management. The role of management and marketing is essential in achieving these objectives.

Our Management and Marketing course is intended to give both general and specific information and guidelines to help manage pharmaceutical projects in a biopharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing environment. This program is designed to provide a focused course of study for individuals seeking to position themselves in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry as project managers and marketing specialists. It will also provide knowledge and skills in Good Laboratory, Clinical and Manufacturing Practices.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the roles/responsibilities of both the pharmaceutical project manager and the marketing specialist in the pharmaceutical industry. This program was created to provide you with the key aspects, differences, challenges, job criteria and demands, and industry expectations in this field. Course content will focus on key concepts and information essential to effectively function in the pharmaceutical / biotechnological industrial arena. This course can open doors to new and exciting career opportunities in pharmaceutical management and marketing as the demand for qualified and trained specialists is still growing.

For example, Project Manager Functions in clinical trials project might include:

1. Clarification of requirements with the client.

2. Project Planning, to coordinate activities and organizational entities to keep projects on track

3. Evaluation of risks

4. Reporting of key stages to top management

5. Evaluation of patient numbers, data quality, GCP standards in Study Centers

6. IRBs / EC (centers covered and time scales)

7. Protocol approval, regulatory approval, appointment of CRAs

8. External suppliers: CRF printing, CROs, investigative drugs manufacturing, bulk, placebo manufacturing, drug packaging, central laboratory, contract biometrics

9. Financial management skills to estimate and monitor budgets.

10. Start project and monitor rigorously until completion

11. Mentor project team members with respect to project and program management

The responsibilities of a Marketing Manager might include:

1. Developing and implementing marketing strategies with the client;

2. Monitoring, analyzing and interpreting market trends;

3. Planning and executing marketing communications and promotional material; and

4. Working in a team environment to develop marketing strategies, tactics and activities.

Work Conditions

* Typical starting salaries range from $ 40,000 to $ 60,000 USD

* Typical salaries with 3 and more years of experience range from $60,000 to $ 90,000 USD

* Salaries vary quite widely from company to company. A car is generally provided and bonuses may be paid.
*

* Jobs are found in restricted locations. Some work is localized (company laboratory) and some are regionally based.

Entry Requirements

The relevant degree subject area for a career in clinical marketing and management is post-secondary education in marketing or commerce. A Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is beneficial, as is a degree in a life sciences area.

Skills employers generally seek for clinical marketing and management positions include:

· A strong business perspective, particularly in market strategy and product development;

· Demonstrated organizational and administrative skills;

· Conceptual and strategic thinking;

· Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills; and

· Ability to work in a team environment;

Typical Employers

You would either be employed directly by pharmaceutical companies or by contract research organizations (CRO - agencies which employ clinical research staff to contract out to pharmaceutical companies).

Biotechnology Careers Overview

2008-12-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

The rapid growth of the biotechnology industry has resulted in numerous attractive biotech jobs opportunities. The industry is responsible for new drugs, diagnostic tests and genetic engineering. Biotechnology is another industrial revolution.

Major biotechnology firms have set up operations in the USA, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Asia. The US biotechnology industry is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture.

A large number of biotechnology companies are start-ups and are largely dependant on venture capital to grow the firm. Small biotechs often enter into partnerships with big pharmaceutical firms that support their research programs and help them in the manufacturing and marketing of the final products.

Genentech is one of the oldest biotechnology companies in the world. Other major players in the biotechnology segment are Amgen, Genzyme, Celgene, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, and MedImmune.

Pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer are taking over smaller biotechnology firms in need of capital to further their research. The merger and acquisition activity in the biotechnology segment gains momentum with the rising interest of venture capitalists seeking exit strategies.

A New Way To Vanquish Biotechnology Products Deficit

2008-12-19T02:16:00.000-08:00

Nanotechnology researchers are often troubled by lack of availability of biotechnology products. However, now research itself is being claimed to have found a solution.

Nanotechnology research is an ever growing area of science, and scientists working in its realm use a variety of substances to build atomic scale structures.

To solve their problem of shortage of raw materials, scientists at the Arizona State University' Biodesign Institute plan to use cells as manufacturing units to make DNA based nanostructures in a living cell.

Historically, biotech products have been produced by biotechnology companies by chemically synthesizing all of the products from scratch. And much of the process entails using different toolboxes to make varied DNA nanostructures and get them to attach and organize with other molecules viz. nanoparticles and other biomolecules.

However, now it is has been found that artificial nanostructures can be replicated using the mechanisms already present in live cells. The best part is that, you don't have to manufacture cells, and also that nature itself has endowed them with the ability to making copies of double stranded DNA. The only thing scientists have to do is to get them to make complex DNA nanostructures like a copier machine does.

When going about brainstorming for the solution, scientists thought of using the cellular system as simple DNA can be easily replicated in a cell. But the problem was that they didn't know whether the cells' replicating mechanism would tolerate single stranded DNA nanostructures that house complex secondary structures or not? In the end it did.

Just the beginning though, this research appears to be quite exciting as in the future it may be used in synthetic biology applications. Perhaps as the technique is perfected, and when biotechnology companies and the biotech pharmaceutical industry implements the research full-on, there won't be any dearth of biotechnology products for scientists and the medical industry.

Structure of DNA model

2008-12-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

Although scientists as far back in history as Aristotle recognized that the features of one generation are passed on to the next (...like begets like...) it was not until the 1860's that the fundamental principles of genetic inheritance were described by Gregor Mendel. Mendel's work with common garden peas, pisum sativum, led him to hypothesize that phenotypic traits (physical characteristics) are the result of the interaction of discrete particles, which we now call genes, and that both parents provide particles which make up the characteristics of the offspring.

His theories were, however, widely disregarded by scientists of the time. In the last quarter of the 19th century, however, microscopists and cytologists, interested in the process of cell division, developed both the equipment and the methods needed to visualize chromosomes and their division in the processes of mitosis (A. Schneider, 1873) and of meiosis (E. Beneden, 1883).

As the 20th century began many scientists noticed similarities in the theoretical behavior of Mendel's particles, and the visible behavior of the newly discovered chromosomes. It wasn't long before most scientists were convinced that the hereditary material responsible for giving living things their characteristic traits, and chromosomes must be one in the same. Yet, questions still remained. Chemical analysis of chromosomes showed them to be composed of both protein and DNA. Which substance carried the hereditary information? For many years most scientists favored the hypothesis that protein was the responsible molecule because of its comparative complexity when compared with DNA. After all, DNA is composed of a mere 4 subunits while protein is composed of 20, and DNA molecules are linear while proteins range from linear to multiply branched to globular. It appeared clear that the relatively simple structure of a DNA molecule could not carry all of the genetic information needed to account for the richly varied life in the world around us!

It was not until the late 1940's and early 1950's that most biologists accepted the evidence showing that DNA must be the chromosomal component that carries hereditary information. One of the most convincing experiments was that of Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase who, in 1952, used radioactive labeling to reach this conclusion(See Graphics). This team of biologists grew a particular type of phage, known as T2, in the presence of two different radioactive labels so that the phage DNA incorporated radioactive phosphorus (32P), while the protein incorporated radioactive sulfur (35S). They then allowed the labeled phage particles to infect non-radioactive bacteria and asked a very simple question: which label would they find associated with the infected cell? Their analysis showed that most of the 32P-label was found inside of the cell, while most of the 35S was found outside. This suggested to them that the proteins of the T2 phage remained outside of the newly infected bacterium while the phage-derived DNA was injected into the cell. They then showed that the phage derived DNA caused the infected cells to produce new phage particles. This elegant work showed, conclusively, that DNA is the molecule which holds genetic information. Meanwhile, much of the scientific world was asking questions about the physical structure of the DNA molecule, and the relationship of that structure to its complex functioning.

Power of Biogenetics

2008-12-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

According to rough estimates from EPRI, corrosion costs the U.S. electric power industry between $5 billion and $10 billion each year. In steam generating plants, for example, EPRI estimates that half of all forced outages are caused by corrosion. Moreover, corrosion can increase the cost of electricity by more than 10 percent.

One way to solve the problem is simply to change your bacteria. Under normal circumstances, the metal surfaces at a power plant become colonized by microbes when the metal is exposed to process waters. Over time, these colonies merge to form a biofilm (well, slime), which is usually damaging: Sulfate-reducing bacteria can cause pitting in most alloys, even corrosion-resistant metals such as stainless steel and aluminum. But biofilms can be engineered to have a protective effect. Certain aerobic (oxygen-loving) bacteria can consume oxygen that would otherwise oxidize the metal, providing as much as a 35-fold decrease in the corrosion rate of mild steel and significant decreases in aluminum and copper corrosion rates.

On top of that, the bacteria can be genetically engineered to release antimicrobial substances to deter the colonization of sulfate-reducing bacteria.

"Wherever there is water, there are bacteria in the form of a biofilm, which is difficult to eliminate," said researcher Thomas Wood of the University of California at Irvine, an EPRI partner in the bacteria research. "Biofilms are not just slime-they have a distinct architecture, and the colonies signal one another. Why not have these biofilms work for us and be protective?"

A single type of engineered bacterium will not fit the bill, according to Wood. The most likely scenario is that researchers will take a sample of bacteria at a specific site, give them the genes to manufacture antimicrobials, and then reintroduce them.

The first testing site will be a cooled-water system on the Irvine campus, but several power plants are planning to participate in the study.