Bahamas and iguanas | News – The Bulletin

Posted on by

Every other December, a handful of students visit the home of the San Salvador Rock Iguana with David McKenzie, biology professor, to experience field ecology. During the last trip, one of the iguanas was killed.

There are about five hundred left in the world, said Scott Romeiser, senior biochemistry major. They are endemic to San Salvador island, however none of them really live there; they live on caysThe feral dogs and cats have essentially killed them off. One of the feral dogs got into a breeding enclosure that was on campus, which is essentially two lives lost for what is a critically endangered species.

Romeiser was one of 13 students who participated in the ten-day course over winter break alongside McKenzie and Marshall Sundberg, biology professor.

I didnt think about it too much just seeing them straight out, said Calder Klink, senior biology major. It may seem a bit insensitive, but they were just another animal.

According to Klink and Romesier, the students were all instructed not to tamper with native wildlife, given how fragile some of the ecosystems are.

I really learned to appreciate and embrace the diversity of nature and that you dont have to go to the Bahamas to appreciate biodiversity, Romesier said. We saw this squid, and it inked so that was coolThe class really enriched that experience because we had to pay attention to what we were looking at, the ecology of the living things and how they all work together.

While it was Romesier and Klinks first trip to the Bahamas, it is a routine expedition for McKenzie.

The guy I took it over from, Dr. Dwight Moore, said that he had been teaching the course for over 20 years, McKenzie said. The class is called Tropical Field EcologyI love it. Its probably my favorite class to teach because you get to go out there and see the biology rather than just reading about it.

McKenzie said the class has existed for over 35 years and is something he is excited to continue given the diversity the islands have to offer.

The iguana is a subspecies of the green iguana, so that main island and a few of the cays are the only places on Earth youll find them, McKenzie said. There is a pupfish which is just a little fish that seems to be going through rapid evolution on the islandIts found nowhere else on Earth.

According to McKenzie, there are plenty of benefits to field work that students cant get at home.

I love not having the class be research-focused but instead focusing on the field learning and having them ask why they see what they do, McKenzie said. Its so different than any of the other classes we offerEach trip is different but there are so many unique chances for immersion that students of all backgrounds can prosper from that exposure.

The class is open to all students who can afford the approximately $2,000 it costs to attend. Interested students should contact McKenzie ahead of time to get their spots for the 2021 trip at dmckenz1@emporia.edu.

Read more from the original source:
Bahamas and iguanas | News - The Bulletin

Strange New Organelle That Helps Prevent Cancer Discovered in Our Cells – SciTechDaily

Posted on by

P. Todd Stukenberg, PhD, of UVAs Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and the UVA Cancer Center, works in his lab. Credit: Dan Addison | UVA

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered a strange new organelle inside our cells that helps to prevent cancer by ensuring that genetic material is sorted correctly as cells divide.

The researchers have connected problems with the organelle to a subset of breast cancer tumors that make lots of mistakes when segregating chromosomes. Excitingly, they found their analysis offered a new way for doctors to sort patient tumors as they choose therapies. They hope these insights will allow doctors to better personalize treatments to best benefit patients sparing up to 40 percent of patients with breast cancer, for example, a taxing treatment that wont be effective.

Some percentage of women get chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer that are not very effective. They are poisoned, in pain and their hair falls out, so if it isnt curing their disease, then thats tragic, said researcher P. Todd Stukenberg, PhD, of UVAs Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and the UVA Cancer Center. One of our goals is to develop new tests to determine whether a patient will respond to a chemotherapeutic treatment, so they can find an effective treatment right away.

The organelle Stukenberg and his team have discovered is essential but ephemeral. It forms only when needed to ensure chromosomes are sorted correctly and disappears when its work is done. Thats one reason scientists havent discovered it before now. Another reason is its mind-bending nature: Stukenberg likens it to a droplet of liquid that condenses within other liquid. That was the big wow moment, when I saw that on the microscope, he said.

These droplets act as mixing bowls, concentrating certain cellular ingredients to allow biochemical reactions to occur in a specific location. Whats exciting is that cells have this new organelle and certain things will be recruited into it and other things will be excluded, Stukenberg said. The cells enrich things inside the droplet and, all of a sudden, new biochemical reactions appear only in that location. Its amazing.

P. Todd Stukenberg, PhD, of UVAs Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and the UVA Cancer Center, discovered an unknown organelle in our cells that helps ensure genetic material is sorted correctly when cells divide. Credit: Dan Addison | UVA

Its tempting to think of the droplet like oil in water, but its really the opposite of that. Oil is hydrophobic it repels water. This new organelle, however, is more sophisticated. Its more of a gel, where cellular components can still go in and out but it contains binding sites that concentrate a small set of the cells contents, Stukenberg explained. Our data suggests this concentration of proteins is really important. I can get complex biochemical reactions to occur inside a droplet that Ive been failing to reconstitute in a test tube for years. This is the secret sauce Ive been missing.

While its been known for about eight years that cells make such droplets for other processes, but it was unknown that they make them on chromosomes during cell division. Stukenberg believes these droplets are very common and more important than previously realized. I think this is a general paradigm, he said. Cells are using these non-membranous organelles to regulate much of their work.

In addition to helping us understand mitosis how cells divide Stukenbergs new discovery also sheds light on cancer and how it occurs. The organelles main function is to fix mistakes in tiny microtubules that pull apart chromosomes when cells are dividing. That ensures each cell winds up with the correct genetic material. In cancer, though, this repair process is defective, which can drive cancer cells to get more aggressive.

He has also developed tests to measure the amount of chromosome mis-segregation in tumors, and he hopes that this might allow doctors to pick the proper treatment to give cancer patients. We have a way to identify the tumors where the cells are mis-segregating chromosomes at a higher rate, he said. My hope is to identify the patients where treatments such as paclitaxel are going to the most effective.

Having looked at breast cancer already, he next plans to examine the strange organelles role in colorectal cancer.

###

Stukenberg and his colleagues have described their discovery in the scientific journal Nature Cell Biology. The research team consisted of Prasad Trivedi, Francesco Palomba, Ewa Niedzialkowska, Michelle A. Digman, Enrico Gratton and Stukenberg.

Reference: The inner centromere is a biomolecular condensate scaffolded by the chromosomal passenger complex by Prasad Trivedi, Francesco Palomba, Ewa Niedzialkowska, Michelle A. Digman, Enrico Gratton and P. Todd Stukenberg, 3 September 2019, Nature Cell Biology.DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0376-4

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants R01GM124042, R24OD023697 and P41-GM103540; and the National Science Foundation, grant MCB-1615701.

Read this article:
Strange New Organelle That Helps Prevent Cancer Discovered in Our Cells - SciTechDaily

A new method to study nanoparticles – ChemEngOnline

Posted on by

By Paul Grad | January 1, 2020

Researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Singapore; https://smart.mit.edu) have discovered a way to study the properties of a nanoparticle without damaging it, which has not been possible so far. The work was led by Michael Strano, a professor at MIT (Cambridge, Mass.; http://www.mit.edu), and a principal investigator of DiSTAP the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision Interdisciplinary Research Group which is a part of Smart. DiSTAP develops new technologies to enable Singapore to improve its agriculture yield to reduce its dependence on imported food and produce.

The researchers method, called molecular probe adsorption (MPA), is based on a non-invasive adsorption of a fluorescent probe on the surface of colloidal nanoparticles in aqueous phase.

The corona phase the adsorbed layer of polymer, surfactant, or stabilizer molecules around a nanoparticle is typically used to disperse nanoparticles into a solution or solid phase. However, this phase also controls molecular access to the nanoparticle surface. The MPA method allows measuring the accessible nanoparticle surface using a titration of a quenchable fluorescent molecule.

A material balance on the titration yields certain surface coverage parameters, including the ratio of the surface area (q) to the dissociation constant (Kd) of the fluorophore, q/Kd, as well as Kd itself. Using MPA across a series of corona phases, the researchers found that the Gibbs free energy of probe binding scales inversely with the cubic root of the surface area, q.

The researchers say MPA is the only technique to date capable of discerning critical structure-property relationships for such nanoparticle surface phases. They say the MPA method is also able to characterize a nanoparticle within minutes compared with several hours that the best chemical methods require today. Because it uses only fluorescent light, the MPA method is also substantially cheaper than other methods.

DiSTAP is using the MPA method for nanoparticle sensors in plants and nanocarriers for delivery of molecular cargo into plants. Strano says with better data and insight into plant biochemistry, we can provide optimal nutrient levels for healthier plants and higher yields.

More here:
A new method to study nanoparticles - ChemEngOnline

Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market 2019 Analysis & Forecast To 2025 By Key Players, Share, Trend, Segmentation – Food & Beverage Herald

Posted on by

Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market primary data collection was achieved by interviewing the retailers and the consumers. The interviews were conducted through one to one structured questionnaire supervision.

Global Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market report provides an in-depth analysis of all market dynamics including drivers and restraints, and trends and opportunities. Important factors supporting growth across various is also provided. Using the industrial figures, the market finds growth figures between the forecast timespan.

In order to present an executive-level model of the market and its future perspectives, Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market report presents a clear segmentation based on different parameters. The factors that affect these segments are also discussed in detail in the report.

Request Exclusive Free Sample PDF Of This Report At https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/53939

Major Players included in this report are as follows Beckman CoulterHitachiRocheKHBThermo ScientificDiruiToshibaGaomi CaihongSunostikUritMindray MedicalAbbottSenloTecom ScienceSiemens HealthcareRayto

Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market can be segmented into Product Types as Floor-standingBench-top

Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market can be segmented into Applications as Primary HospitalPrefectural HospitalProvincial Hospital

Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market: Regional analysis includes:Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)North America (United States, Mexico, and Canada.)South America (Brazil etc.)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt.)

Buy This Report with Full Access & Complete ToC At https://www.upmarketresearch.com/buy/automated-biochemical-analyzers-market-research-2019

The research provides answers to the following key questions: What is the global (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, China, Japan) production, production value, consumption, consumption value, import and export of Automated Biochemical Analyzers? Who are the global key manufacturers of Automated Biochemical Analyzers industry? How are their operating situation (capacity, production, price, cost, gross and revenue)? What are the types and applications of Automated Biochemical Analyzers? What is the market share of each type and application? What are the upstream raw materials and manufacturing equipment of Automated Biochemical Analyzers? What is the manufacturing process of Automated Biochemical Analyzers? Economic impact on Automated Biochemical Analyzers industry and development trend of Automated Biochemical Analyzers industry. What will the Automated Biochemical Analyzers market size and the growth rate be in 2025? What are the key factors driving the global Automated Biochemical Analyzers industry? What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Automated Biochemical Analyzers market? What is the Automated Biochemical Analyzers market challenges to market growth? What are the Automated Biochemical Analyzers market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Automated Biochemical Analyzers market?

For More Information on this report, Request Inquiry At https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/53939

Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, research and developments, with respect to the current market size and future prospective.

For Best Discount on purchasing this report, Visit https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/53939

About UpMarketResearch:Up Market Research (https://www.upmarketresearch.com) is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.

Contact Info UpMarketResearchName Alex MathewsEmail [emailprotected]Organization UpMarketResearchAddress 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States.

This post was originally published on Food and Beverage Herald

Read more:
Automated Biochemical Analyzers Market 2019 Analysis & Forecast To 2025 By Key Players, Share, Trend, Segmentation - Food & Beverage Herald

The promise of terpenoids in human health – Varsity

Posted on by

Mangoes contain high quantities of Vitamin A, which is a type of terpenoid. BRIGITTE TOHM/UNSPLASH | IMAGE HAS BEEN CROPPED

The word terpenoid is not only limited to rhyming with words such as meteoroid, avoid, and steroid it also symbolizes organic compounds produced by plants that offer significant medicinal and pharmacological benefits to humans.

In a review paper, U of T scientists explored the vast role that these chemicals play in our everyday lives.

Co-authors Dr. Michael Phillips, an assistant professor at UTMs Department of Biology; and Matthew Bergman, a graduate student at the same department, discussed thefindings of this review with The Varsity.

Relevance of terpenoids

The presence of terpenoids can be found all around us. Vitamin A is an example, along with the chemical that is key to the unique smell of pine.

The review explained that terpenoids can attract pollinators, repel herbivores, or attract herbivore predators. This has broad impacts on fields such as agriculture.

Terpenoids also feature heavily in cannabis. Specialized terpenoids include well-known compounds such as cannabidiol also known as CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol THC.The compounds have been used for their psychoactive, anxiolytic and anesthetic effects for thousands of years, according to the co-authors.

The ability to make these terpenoids evolved as a result of selective pressures imposed by animals on plants. A great sense of irony lies in the fact that these chemical compounds, which often serve as plant defence compounds against herbivorous insects, possess fortuitous uses in medicine.

The reason that these compounds are biologically active in humans is in part due to the fact that our proteins are made up of exactly the same amino acids as the plant proteins, noted Phillips.

Applications of the review

Phillips hopes to use his review partly as a teaching tool but also [to] summarize the literature that is important for [his] field.

Bergman also spoke aboutthe implications that his research would have on non-specialists in biology. Theres a lot of interest right now in medicinal plants and theres a lot of confusion surrounding what are the active constituents, he said.

By conducting the review, Bergman hopes to eliminate some of this confusion.This is important because theres a connection between [our research] and what [consumers] find in the grocery store, added Phillips.

The future of terpenoid research

In many cases, terpenoid-based medications could hold promise in health care, by virtue of the fact of how much common ancestry we share with herbivores that terpenoids evolved to affect, noted Phillips.

While many terpenoids represent potentially beneficial compounds for humans, the testing process is painstaking and resource intensive, according to the review. This process is further obstructed by the fact that many [terpenoids] are produced in small amounts, and only in response to elicitation.

Additionally, while the amount of plant terpenoids that can be screened for therapeutic applications is still unknown, it likely surpasses over 100,000 variants, according to the co-authors. With a review of terpenoids completed, researchers now have a tool to develop plans for further research in the field of plant biochemistry.

Tags: Biochemistry, botany, Chemistry, medicine, organic chemistry, Science

See original here:
The promise of terpenoids in human health - Varsity

Semester in the sun – Gazette

Posted on by

Part of a special feature highlighting the student voice, student experience and the range of student supports and opportunities available at Memorial.

Nov. 22, 2019

Amelia Lacey will likely spend some time studying on an Aloha State beach during the winter 2020 semester.

The fourth-year biochemistry (nutrition) major and St. Johns resident will study at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa as one of 20 top Canadian students receiving a Killam Fellowship from Fulbright Canada this year.

The scholarship program allows exceptional undergraduate students to participate in a bi-national academic exchange between Canada and the United States.

I wont be able to come home for a visit while Im there, and Ive never lived away from home for that long before, so its definitely going to be a new experience for me, said Ms. Lacey about the upcoming experience.

But, Im looking forward to all of the adventurous activities there and I hope to explore the islands of Hawaii as much as I can.

Ms. Lacey says her success in receiving the fellowship is an example of what can happen when you dont give up. She applied for the Killam Fellowship twice before being successful this year let alone in the highly coveted Paradise of the Pacific spot.

You have to choose the university that best matches the courses you need to take for your degree, and Hawaii has a great nutrition program, said Ms. Lacey. I recognized that and highlighted it in my application. They also offer a lot of courses we dont have at Memorial, so Im hoping to take a few courses I wouldnt otherwise get to take.

Photo: Submitted

In September she travelled to Ottawa, Ont., for an orientation session. There, she met the other Canadian and American Killam fellows, along with the American Fulbright students and scholars who are studying and conducting research in Canada this year. This spring Ms. Lacey will gather with them once again for a seminar in Washington, D.C.

It was great to meet people who were very different from me, but who also had similar values, she continued. I only spent three days with them, but were still talking regularly. I know well be keeping in touch.

It showed her, as many past Memorial fellowship recipients have found, that the Killam network is a strong one.

Once you get a Killam, youre considered a Killam fellow for life. So, you will continue to get emails, event invitations and other opportunities from them. It certainly opens up doors, thats for sure.

A focus on health and well-being has guided Ms. Laceys academic and personal pursuits.

She has been awarded several research awards, including three MUCEPs, a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Award and a Faculty of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Award.

A Deans List student for the past three years, she has also been supported by several generous scholarships. Currently, she is the vice-president (social) for the Biochemistry Society, executive director of communications with the Women in Science and Engineering Undergraduate Society and a member of the Quintessential Vocal Ensemble. Past volunteer work with Global Brigades in Honduras also inspired Ms. Lacey to become more involved in global health.

Kelly Foss is a communications advisor with the Faculty of Science. She can be reached at kfoss@mun.ca.

Originally posted here:
Semester in the sun - Gazette

pabmb – Panamerican Association for Biochemistry and …

Posted on by

MINUTES OF THE PABMB COUNCIL MEETING

July 20, 2016

Vancouver (Canada)

PABMB officers and delegates met for the Council Meeting on Wednesday 20, July 2016 at 2:00 PM in Vancouver Convention Center during the joint XVI IUBMB Conference / XIII PABMB Congress / 59th CSMB Congress, in Vancouver (Canada).PABMB Chairman, Hugo Maccioni, chaired the meeting.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Hugo Maccioni (Chairman PABMB); Sergio Grinstein (Vice-Chairman PABMB), Jorge Babul (Past Chairman PABMB), Carlos Argaraa (Treasurer PABMB), Bianca Zingales (Secretary General PABMB), Jos Luis Daniotti (Delegate of Sociedad Argentina de Investigacin en Bioqumica y Biologa Molecular), Sergio Lavandero (Past President of Sociedad de Bioqumica y Biologa Molecular de Chile), Alicia Kowaltowski (Delegate of Sociedade Brasileira de Bioqumica e Biologa Molecular), Ana Cristina Rego (Delegate of Sociedad Portuguesa de Bioqumica) and Federico Mayor Menndez (President of Sociedad Espaola de Bioquimica y Biologa Molecular).

MEMBERS ABSENT:

Representatives of the Canadian Society for Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology; Sociedad Mexicana de Bioqumica; Asociacin Panamea de Bioqumica y Biologa Molecular; Sociedad Qumica del Per; American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; American Chemical Society/Division of Biological Chemistry; Sociedad Uruguaya de Bioqumica y Biologa Molecular; Seccin Cubana de Bioqumica y Biologia Molecular; Sociedad Cubana de Qumica.

The Committee Meeting Agenda was informed on April 25, 2016 (see ANNEX I).

MEETING:

Bianca Zingales presented the initiatives undertaken by the PABMB Executive Committee in the period November 2013 December 2014, under the presidency of Jorge Babul and in the period January 2015 June 2016, under the presidency of Hugo Maccioni.

The support to PABMB Plenary lectures held in annual meetings of PABMB Constituent and Adherent Societies and in IUBMB and FEBS meetings was discriminated as well as support to fellowships for young scientists to attend meetings, courses and workshops (see ANNEX II).

In the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 PABMB participated together with IUBMB and ASBMB in the PROLAB (Promoting Research Opportunities for Latin American Biochemists) program aimed at fostering interactions among biochemists in Latin America, Portugal and Spain with those in the United States. The specific objective of PROLAB is the support of graduate and post-doctoral students and young investigators from countries active in the PABMB, to spend short stays (1-6 months) in the laboratory of a scientist affiliated with ASBMB (average stipend 5,000 USD/fellowship). The list of 2016 fellowships winners is given in ANNEX III.

Additional actions in the period:

The participants commended the activities and asked additional information on some topics.

Carlos Argaraa presented (ANNEX IV) the Financial Report of PABMB (December 2013 June 2016).

The Chairman commented that some PABMB Constituent Societies such as Sociedad Mexicana de Bioqumica; Asociacin Panamea de Bioqumica y Biologa Molecular and Sociedad Qumica of Per, and the Associated Society Seccin Cubana de Bioqumica y Biologia Molecular and Sociedad Cubana de Qumica have a low participation in PABMB activities. He pointed out the need of promoting greater engagement of these Societies as well as the enrolment of additional Latin American Societies of Biochemistry and related sciences in PABMB. The attendants agreed with the suggestions and Jorge Babul offered to collaborate in these activities.

The Chairman inquired the attendants if the Societies they represent had suggested candidates for this position. Given the negative response, the Chairman informed that the Sociedad Uruguaya de Bioqumica y Biologa Molecular had indicated Dr. Jos Sotelo Silveira (Instituto de Investigaciones Biolgicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay), former president of this Society, as a candidate for PABMB Secretary General. The election was opened and Dr. Sotelo was elected by unanimous vote of the delegates present.

The Chairman summarized the proposal and comments and suggestions that were provided by the attendees of IUBMB Executive Committee Meeting.

ANNEX 1

ANNEX II

PABMB Lecturers

Year 2013

Year 2014

Year 2015

Year 2016 (Forthcoming Lecturers)

Travel Fellowships for young scientists

Year 2013

Year 2014

Year 2015

ANNEX III

2016 PROLAB Fellowship Winners

ANNEX IV

Originally posted here:
pabmb - Panamerican Association for Biochemistry and ...

Fulcrum Therapeutics to Host Key Opinion Leader Breakfast Symposium on Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy (FSHD), on November 7, 2019 – GlobeNewswire

Posted on by

CAMBRIDGE,Mass., Oct. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc.(Nasdaq: FULC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of patients with genetically defined rare diseases, today announced that it will host a key opinion leader (KOL) breakfast symposium focused on understanding Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy (FSHD) genetics, biology, and clinical implications, on Thursday, November 7, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET in New York, NY. Fulcrum is currently conducting Phase 2 trials investigating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of losmapimod to treat the root cause of FSHD.

Guest speakers scheduled to present at the event include:

A live webcast of the presentation will be available through the investor relations section of the Company's website at https://ir.fulcrumtx.com/events-and-presentations. Following the live webcast, an archived replay will also be available.

About FSHDFSHD is characterized by progressive skeletal muscle loss that initially causes weakness in muscles in the face, shoulders, arms and trunk, and progresses to weakness throughout the lower body. Skeletal muscle weakness results in significant physical limitations, including an inability to smile and difficulty using arms for activities, with many patients ultimately becoming dependent upon the use of a wheelchair for daily mobility.

FSHD is caused by mis-expression of DUX4 in skeletal muscle, resulting in the presence of DUX4 proteins that are toxic to muscle tissue. Normally, DUX4-driven gene expression is limited to early embryonic development, after which time the DUX4 gene is silenced. In people with FSHD, the DUX4 gene is turned on as a result of a genetic mutation. The result is death of muscle and its replacement by fat, leading to skeletal muscle weakness and progressive disability. There are no approved therapies for FSHD, one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, with an estimated patient population of 16,000 to 38,000 in the United States alone.

About LosmapimodLosmapimod is a selective p38/ mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor that was exclusively in-licensed by Fulcrum Therapeutics following Fulcrums discovery of the role of p38/ inhibitors in the reduction of DUX4 expression and an extensive review of known compounds. Utilizing its internal product engine, Fulcrum discovered that inhibition of p38/ reduced expression of the DUX4 gene in muscle cells derived from patients with FSHD. Although losmapimod has never previously been explored in muscular dystrophies, it has been evaluated in more than 3,500 subjects in clinical trials across multiple other indications, including in several Phase 2 trials and a Phase 3 trial. No safety signals were attributed to losmapimod in any of these trials. Fulcrum is currently conducting Phase 2 trials investigating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of losmapimod to treat the root cause of FSHD.

About Fulcrum TherapeuticsFulcrum Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of patients with genetically defined diseases in areas of high unmet medical need, with an initial focus on rare diseases. Fulcrums proprietary product engine identifies drug targets which can modulate gene expression to treat the known root cause of gene mis-expression. Please visit http://www.fulcrumtx.com.

Investor Contact:Christina TartagliaStern Investor Relations, Inc.212.362.1200christina@sternir.com

Media Contact: Lynn GranitoBerry & Company Public Relationslgranito@berrypr.com212-253-8881

Excerpt from:
Fulcrum Therapeutics to Host Key Opinion Leader Breakfast Symposium on Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy (FSHD), on November 7, 2019 - GlobeNewswire

UGA scientist revolutionized biochemical research – Online Athens

Posted on by

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of a series, called Georgia Groundbreakers, that celebrates innovative and visionary faculty, students, alumni and leaders throughout the history of the University of Georgiaand their profound, enduring impact on our state, our nation and the world.

Biochemist Marion Bradford spent most of his career developing new ways to use a common item found in kitchens and nurseries around the world cornstarch.

For decades, Bradford worked to convert cornstarch into a renewable energy source that could replace fossil fuels and produce everyday products ranging from food, feed and fiber to chemicals and industrial fuels.

He was part of a team recognized in 2003 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Chemical Society for creating an organic compound from corn sugar used in carpet fibers, cosmetics and liquid detergents that helped reduce the global economys reliance on petroleum-based materials. The organizations praised the teams contributions to the welfare and progress of humanity.

But it is his research on the seventh floor of the Boyd Graduate Studies Research Center at the University of Georgia in the 1970s that will be his legacy. A theory he pursued because he thought it would save scientists time in the laboratory turned part of his doctoral dissertation into one of the most cited scientific papers in history and invented an analytic process that revolutionized biochemical research.

I look back and say, yep, that is what I am known for, said Bradford, 72, who developed the Bradford protein assay, a process that is still being used in laboratories around the world to detect proteins in tissue samples. It made life a lot simpler.

One of the most cited research papers in history

According to an article published in Nature in 2014, if you put a printout of the first page of every paper listed on Thomson Reuters Web of Science that cited Bradfords research paper and stacked them up, the pile would almost reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Five years ago, Bradfords paper had been cited by other scientists 157,683 times and was one of only three to achieve more than 100,000 citations. Today, it has jumped to 206,088 citations and counting, which makes Bradford one of only a few scientists in the world whose work has been recognized at this rate and used by others in the evolution of science to provide credibility for their research and scientific knowledge.

Looking back more than 40 years, Bradford, who is retired and living in Hendersonville, North Carolina, talks matter-of-factly about how the discovery which is done in a test tube in one simple step came about. His friend, a postdoc working next to him, was reading a published paper on a dye, Coomassie Brilliant Blue, and how it changes colors when it binds to a protein.

He asked me what I thought it would be good for, Bradford said. I said I thought it would be an instant protein assay.

At the time, an assay that could provide an instantaneous reading on proteins seemed out of reach. Proteins are important because they do most of the work in cells and can either help fight infection and keep people healthy or cause damage and serious illness.

The method being used at the time was a multi-step chemical reaction, Bradford said, and it took up to two hours to complete.

But, he thought, if Coomassie Brilliant Blue first developed for use in the textile industry could be used to stain wool sweaters instantly, it should be able to stain proteins in a solution as well.

I took the concept that was being used and changed it to a liquid form, came up with a new formulation that would allow it to stay in the solution, bind to the protein, and change colors instantaneously, he said.

The discovery led to a patent

Bradfords discovery using Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 was patented in 1976. The professor working with Bradford told him that he could be the sole author on the research paper since he was doing it outside of his fieldwork of reproductive biochemistry -- but the professor wanted to be included on any patent.

Christopher West, who chairs the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at UGAs Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology when Bradford developed his assay. Suzanne Barbour, dean of the graduate school at the University of North Carolina and a professor of biochemistry and biophysics, was in junior high school.

Barbour calls the Bradford assay the gold standard. West says it is a critical research tool that provides scientists with a quick reading on the concentration of proteins in any sample a necessary procedure for researchers, whether using it to detect illness, for drug development or to study the relationship between plant protein and human nutrition.

Anytime you do an experiment, you need to know how many proteins you have, West said. Its like looking at the fuel gauge before going on a trip or deciding how much flour to buy before baking a cake. There are things you need to do first before you move on to what comes next.

Both scientists suspect that Bradford didnt realize the impact his discovery would have when he published his paper in 1976.

For him it was probably a means to an end, said Barbour, a former dean of UGAs Graduate School. I dont think he realized that a gazillion scientists would be using this assay every day and that it would be something that revolutionized the way we do molecular biochemistry.

Research was always his passion

Bradford always wanted to be a researcher, but it didnt happen right away. After obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, in 1967, he taught middle school science and math for a few years. He also worked for the Georgia Department of Public Health in its clinical tuberculosis laboratory.

What Bradford realized during his time outside the lab was that pure scientific research was his passion. And he knew that to move forward, graduate school was a must.

The research I wanted to do could have been in almost anything, said Bradford. But I knew that for the work that I wanted to do, I first needed a graduate degree. It was like getting a permission slip.

So Bradford left public school teaching behind and spent his first wedding anniversary in 1972 standing in line at UGA signing up for graduate courses in foreign languages and biochemistry an area of study in which he had never taken a single course as an undergraduate.

After Bradford received his doctoral degree in 1975, he stayed at UGA as a research biochemist until 1981 when the postdoc who first asked him about his thoughts on the use of Coomassie Blue told him that A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co. in Decatur, Illinois, was looking to hire.

Bradford got the job and worked for A.E. Staley one of the largest processors of corn in the United States that merged with the British company Tate & Lyle in 1988 for the next 21 years. Afterward, he spent 17 years as a consultant with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board developing new uses and improving the sustainable production of corn.

He was part of the green, or sustainable, chemistry movement and patented new methods of converting carbohydrates from corn into materials that would replace the petrochemicals being used to develop drugs, preserve foods, create plastics, resins and fibers, and make pesticides and fertilizers.

His last hurrah, he said, was being part of that Tate & Lyle and DuPont team that discovered the renewably sourced plant-based textiles.

Still, it is the Bradford assay, he knows, that will be at the top of his scientific accomplishments long after he is gone.

Well, gee, Bradford said. Its nice to have made an impact.

View original post here:
UGA scientist revolutionized biochemical research - Online Athens

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry – OMICS International

Posted on by

Index Copernicus Value: 85.79

Journal of Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry is an academic journal providing an opportunity to researchers and scientist to explore the advanced and latest research developments in the field of Biochemistry. Journal of Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry is of highest standards in terms of quality and concentrates on the biological chemistry that are prevalent in unique chemical processes. This Journal covers all areas of the life sciences from botany to medicine that are engaged in biochemical research. Biochemistry deals with the structures, functions and interactions of biological macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids, which provide the structure of cells and perform many of the functions associated with life.

Journal of Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry is a scholarly Open Access journal and aims to publish the most complete and reliable source of information on the advanced and very latest research topics.

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry is a peer reviewed scientific journal known for rapid dissemination of high-quality research. This Biochemistry Journal with high impact factor offers an open access platform to the authors in academia and industry to publish their novel research. It serves the International Scientific Community with its standard research publications.

The journal is using Editorial Manager System for quality in review process. Editorial Manager is an online manuscript submission, review and tracking systems. Review process is performed by the editorial board members of Journal of Biochemistry and Analytical Biochemistry or outside experts; at least two independent reviewers approval followed by editor approval is required for acceptance of any citable manuscript. Authors may submit manuscripts and track their progress through the system, hopefully to publication. Reviewers can download manuscripts and submit their opinions to the editor. Editors can manage the whole submission/review/revise/publish process.

Biochemistry is for everyone. It is the central science to both fish biology and fish processing. Fishery biochemistry is considered a branch under veterinary biochemistry providing Proper knowledge on the biochemical composition of fish finds application in several The Biochemistry of Fish - Annual Reviews,The Journal of Fish Biology - fsbi.org.uk, Fish Physiology and Biochemistry,areas. Fish is an easily perishable commodity and deterioration in quality is due to the changes taking place to the various constituents likeproteins, lipids etc.

Related journals toFishery biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Poultry, Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences,Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal,Journal of Fisheries & Livestock Production,Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, The Biochemistry of Fish - Annual Reviews, The Journal of Fish Biology , Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, Archive of Fishery and Marine Research, Aquaculture Journals.

Preparative biochemistry deals with all aspects of preparative techniques in biochemistry, including synthetic methods, production or manufacturing, separation,isolation, and purification of materials of biochemical at the laboratory, pilot, and production scale levels.

Related Journals ofPreparative Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism,Biomolecular Research & Therapeutics,Biochemistry & Physiology: Open Access,Preparative biochemistry, Preparative Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology (Prep Biochem Biotechnol), Journal of Chromatography A, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology: Genomics and Proteomics.

Soil Biochemistry is the branch of soil science which ceals with formation and decomposition of soil organic matter, biochemical reactions of Carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, Phosphorous, metals andxenobioticsin soils, and biochemistry of the plant-root rhizosphere. Soil Biochemical reactions mainly concern on the organic fraction, though it is made up of 55 of total soil volume.

Related Journals of Soil Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Environmental & Analytical Toxicology,Journal of Pollution Effects & Control,Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Physiology,Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Biology and Fertility of Soils, Soil Biology and Biochemistry - SciRev, Indian Journal of Agricultural Biochemistry, Journal of soil science and plant nutrition.

Biochemistry of the blood gives us an indication of what is happening with in the body. When different tissues are damaged the damaged cells release specific enzymes which our equipment detects as abnormal levels. This then helps localise the problem. Also if certain organs are not eliminating certain waste products this can tell us they are not functioning properly.

Related Journals ofBlood Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Leukemia,Journal of Bone Marrow Research,Journal of Blood Disorders & Transfusion,Blood Journal, The Ukrainian Biochemical Journal, Journal of Blood Disorders & Transfusion, Journal of Blood Medicine, Open Journal of Blood Diseases, Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

The Food Biochemistry gathering plans to enhance understanding of detailed composition of foods, especially food components that have beneficial effects on human health.The Food Biochemistry include utilization of modern chemical and biochemical analytical methods offoodcomponents and their reactions, model systems to study their reactions and efficient statistical tools for data analysis to get the maximum informative value.

Related Journals of Food Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Microbial & Biochemical Technology,Journal of Molecular Pharmaceutics & Organic Process Research,Journal of Food & Nutritional Disorders,Natural Products Chemistry & Research,Journal of Food Biochemistry, Food Chemistry, Food Science And Technology, Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Carbohydrates are carbon compounds that contain large quantities of hydroxyl groups. Carbohydrates also can combine with lipid to form glycolipids or with protein to form glycoproteins. Carbohydrates are made up of a 1:2:1 ratio of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen (CH2O)n. carbohydrates are for structural purposes, such ascellulose(which composes plants' cell walls) and chitin (a major component of insect exoskeletons).

Related Journals ofCarbohydrates Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Molecular Pharmaceutics & Organic Process Research,Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Physiology,Biochemistry & Physiology: Open Access,Carbohydrate Research, Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry, International Journal of Carbohydrate Research, Chemistry of the Carbohydrates - Annual Reviews, Carbohydrate Research Journal.

Proteins are composed of a linear polymer of amino acids. Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group (NH3), a carboxylic acid group(R-C=O-OH) and a side-chain (usually denoted as R) that varies between different amino acids. They are particularly important in biochemistry, where the term usually refers to alpha-amino acids. Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form in a biologically functional way.

Related Journals of Protein Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Glycobiology,Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Physiology,Fermentation Technology,Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism,Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques,The Protein Journal, Protein & Cell - a Springer Open journal, Current Advances in Protein Biochemistry, International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Pesticide Biochemistry deals with the mode of action of plant protection agents such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and similar compounds, including nonlethal pest control agents, biosynthesis of pheromones, hormones, and plant resistance agents. It mainly emphasizes on Biochemistry and Physiology of Comparative toxicity, Mode of action,Pathophysiology, Plant growth regulators, Resistance, Other effects of pesticides on both parasites and hosts.

Related Journals ofPesticides Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Physiology,Journal of Food Processing & Technology,Journal of Food & Nutritional Disorders,Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology - Journal - Elsevier, Biochemistry Journals, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology - SciRev, Pesticide Research Journal, Journal of Pesticide Sciences. Journal of Pest Science.

Cellular and Molecular Biology Biochemistry is the study of the molecular nature of living organisms leading to an understanding of the biochemical control of life processes. It mainly focuses on the rapid changes in cytoskeletal proteins, protein kinases, membrane lipids, and small ions that accompany extracellular signals. This includes a wide range of topics from the structure and function of single molecules to the integrated molecular control of entire cells and organisms.

Related Journals ofCellular and molecular Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Clinical & Medical Biochemistry: Open Access,Molecular Biology,Biochemistry & Pharmacology: Open Access,Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine,Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Sub-Cellular Biochemistry.

The membranes form the barriers that separate the inside from the outside of living cells and that define organelles within cells. It focuses simplified self-assembled model membranes of lipids and proteins to membranes of living cells, and by using different complementary approaches, including molecular biology, chemical synthesis, analytical tools and advanced biophysical methods.

Related Journals ofMembrane Biochemistry

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Physiology,Clinical & Medical Biochemistry: Open Access,Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine,Molecular Membrane Biology, Membranes And Separation Technology - Journals, Membrane biochemistry Journal, Journal of Biochemical Technology, Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research.

Abiomoleculeis any molecule that is present in living organisms, including large macromolecules such as proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and nucleic acids, as well as small molecules such as primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, and natural products. There are thousands of different types of molecules in a cell. A diverse range of biomolecules exist, including Small molecules Monomers, oligomers and polymers.

Related Journals of Biomolecules

Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry,Oceanography: Open Access,Journal of Molecular Pharmaceutics & Organic Process Research,Natural Products Chemistry & Research,Biomolecules and Therapeutics, International Journal of Biochemistry and Biomolecules, Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Journal, Theoretical Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics.

Visit link:
Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry - OMICS International

Stumping for science: Rock Falls grad student takes her passion to the Hill – SaukValley.com

Posted on by

BY MAGGIE ROTERMUD Media Relations Specialist Medical Center Communications Saint Louis University

A Saint Louis University student researcher and one of Rock Falls' brainiest natives recently spent a day on Capitol Hill, advocating for the importance of biomedical research.

Celine Hartman, 24, is a fourth-year graduate student at Saint Louis University, working in its Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

On April 6, she and the rest of a team of student researchers from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology took their passion for their science out of the lab and did their best to use it to convey to federal legislators the importance of continuing to fund agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Hartman, who is a 2010 Rock Falls High School graduate and the daughter of Jim and Dawn Hartman, took part in the society's Hill Day, meeting with lawmakers and congressional staff to talk about the work they are doing.

Celine had the initiative to apply for this wonderful program, said David Ford, who runs the department's lab. Beyond performing exciting and cutting-edge research, it is great that this opportunity is available to students, which allows themto understand the importance of science as an important investment by our government and to advocate science to politicians.

She and the other participants emphasized the critical role that federal investments in research plays in supporting the nations scientific enterprise and how those investments lead to improvements in Americans' quality of life and well-being.

I think people may not realize how cutting the NIH will affect the general public, Hartman said. By cutting basic biomedical research funding, pharmaceutical companies will now have to perform the same fundamental research we are working on, instead of finding drugs to push through to clinical trials. This will, in turn, increase the price of the pharmaceutical drugs even more.

Hartman came to SLU in 2013 after graduating cum laude from Bradley University in Peoria with a biology degree.Herthesis project is focusing on determining the biochemical mechanisms that a pro-inflammatory family of lipids, chlorinated lipids, cause endothelial dysfunction leading to multi-organ failure during sepsis.

She joined the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology last year.

Why this field of research?

Ive always had an interest in cardiovascular research, after having some heart problems when I was a kid. My mom (and many other family members) is a nurse (in the cath lab at CGH Medical Center), so Ive been exposed to the medical field all my life.

I knew I didnt want to become a medical doctor, but I wanted to continue my education after Bradley to have more job options. After meeting and talking to Dr. Ford about the research in his lab, it was an easy decision to join his lab.

What do you do in the lab?

Our lab studies biochemical mediators of sepsis and cardiovascular disease. Specifically, we study a class of lipids (fats) which are chlorinated. We are working on utilizing these lipids as a new diagnostic marker to identify these inflammatory diseases sooner, as well as finding new targets for drug therapies.

As a graduate student in the lab, I design, perform, and analyze the results of experiments, so every day is a new adventure.

Why was it important for you to do this?

With the recent political events in our country, conversations with policymakers regarding the importance of STEM research (science, technology, engineering and math) are more important than ever.

The proposed 20 percent cut to the NIH budget in FY18 is shocking. The proposed cut would essentially prevent any new grants from being funded, which would be devastating to all biomedical research.

As a young scientist preparing to enter the work force in the next 1 to 2 years, I wanted the opportunity to tell policymakers my story and why we need sustainable funding to the NIH. I was able to advocate on behalf of all young scientists in Missouri and beyond.

What did you do on Capitol Hill?

In preparation for Hill Day, we had a webinar training where we discussed the basics of the federal budget, how NIH/NSF are funded, and what the proposed budget cuts could mean.

We also received a lot of information about each member of Congress that we would be meeting with. We prepared by reviewing each persons story, voting history and participation in committees.

On Hill Day, we were paired into groups with one other student and one faculty member who is on the Public Affairs Advisory Committee. My group met with Congressional members (both senators and representatives) from Missouri, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

What was your main message to legislators?

During each meeting, we discussed our own research and why we participated in the Hill Day.

The main message that we wanted to discuss was about the proposed budget cuts.

We would reiterate that we greatly appreciate the support to the NIH thus far, as all of our research progress is possible due to the federal funding of the NIH. We also discussed how we hoped to continue to see sustainable funding over the next few years and how detrimental the proposed budget cuts would be to our own research.

What did you learn on the Hill?

It was very interesting to see the other side of research funding that we dont think of normally. Funding the NIH has strong bipartisan support, so the conversations were very supportive of our research and the potential implications.

Moving forward, I believe conversations like the ones that I had will help support NIH funding and continue to provide jobs for young scientists like myself.

MORE ONLINE

Founded in 1906, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members.Go to http://www.asbmb.org to learn more.

Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health care on a local, national and international level. Research at the school seeks new cures and treatments in five key areas: infectious disease, liver disease, cancer, heart/lung disease, and aging and brain disorders.

Go to http://www.slu.edu to learn more about the school and all it has to offer.

Follow this link:
Stumping for science: Rock Falls grad student takes her passion to the Hill - SaukValley.com

Doctor offers solution to biochem staff issue – Irish Examiner

Posted on by

A Dublin-based doctor has offered what he says is a solution to a staffing shortage at the biochemistry department in Cork University Hospital (CUH) which has led to the withdrawal of its clinical advisory service and a decision to voluntarily suspend accreditation.

Bill Tormey, a consultant chemical pathologist at Beaumont Hospital, said he and three colleagues are prepared to offer the clinical advisory service while CUH continues efforts to recruit consultant cover for the lab.

Professor Tormey said he is awaiting a response to his offer from the CEO of CUH. He said four chemical pathologists are willing, pro tem, to provide a comprehensive service to CUH.

His colleagues include Dr Vivion Crowley, biochemistry department, St James Hospital; Dr Gerard Boran of the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin and Dr Patrick Twomey, consultant chemical pathologist at St Vincents University Hospital.

Prof Tormey said by providing consultant cover, the lab would meet the requirements for accreditation. His offer would give CUH breathing space to continue its hunt for a new consultant following the retirement last year of biochemistry department chief, Dr John OMullane.

When asked about Prof Tormeys offer, a hospital spokesperson said they are looking at a number of options in relation to the provision of the service.

Prof Tormey said he is not offering a free service but would not be looking for agency rates.

Earlier this month, the HSE advertised for a locum consultant chemical pathologist. The hospital has said it is actively recruiting both a locum replacement and a permanent replacement but that as available candidates are not plentiful, it is difficult to put a timeframe on either competition.

A spokesperson said yesterday that a locum post was advertised pending the filling of the post on a permanent basis through the Public Appointments Service.

The hospital has advised GPs that its biochemistry department is currently unable to provide clinical advice and interpretation of lab results due to a lack of consultant cover.

The situation has also prompted the lab to seek voluntary suspension of its accreditation. Accreditation is an external, independent verification of the extent to which an organisation meets a pre-determined set of quality standards.

The hospital has said regardless of the lack of consultant cover, the same scientists will process patient specimens to a high quality standard, as before, and within the same timeframe. And while it cannot directly provide a clinical advisory service at this time, it can advise service users to seek appropriate advice from various other sources.

If a laboratory result appears to be discordant with the clinical situation, initial discussion with senior clinical laboratory personnel in biochemistry and/or with the patients consultant is warranted, it said.

The biochemistry department at CUH processed approximately eight million tests last year, including tests for liver function, renal function, cardiac function, hormones, and general chemistries.

Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

Read the original post:
Doctor offers solution to biochem staff issue - Irish Examiner

Hendrix Students Share Chemistry Research at National ACS Meeting – Hendrix College Events and News

Posted on by

CONWAY, Ark. (April 12, 2017) Twenty-three Hendrix College students recently presented their research at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

The students, accompanied by Hendrix chemistry faculty and staff members, prepared research posters and shared their research with conference attendees from throughout the world. Student research projects ranged from the chemical physics of protein folding to mechanisms of water adsorption on mineral dust.

Students and their presentations included:

About the American Chemical Society

With nearly 157,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the worlds largest scientific society and one of the worlds leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemical enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers, and related professions around the globe.

About Hendrix College

Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and value. For more information, visit http://www.hendrix.edu.

Read more from the original source:
Hendrix Students Share Chemistry Research at National ACS Meeting - Hendrix College Events and News

Job Dekker receives inaugural International Award from British … – News from the University of Massachusetts

Posted on by

Job Dekker, PhD

Job Dekker, PhD, has been recognized by the Biochemical Society, based in London, as the inaugural recipient of the International Award. One of 11 eminent scientists honored overall by the Biochemical Society, Dr. Dekker, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, professor of biochemistry & molecular pharmacology, and co-director of the Program in Systems Biology, was recognized for his distinguished and independent interdisciplinary research that illustrates the importance of the molecular biosciences in the advancement of life sciences research. Recipients of the International Award conduct research outside of the UK and Ireland and may be of any nationality.

I am extremely delighted to have been selected for this award, said Dekker. This really honors the work of my students, postdocs, collaborators and colleagues in this field that was started to uncover how cells fold their chromosomes.

Colin D Bingle, PhD, acting chair of the Biochemical Society award committee, said, The Biochemical Society awards are the perfect way to honor exceptional scientists within the bioscience community. As ever, the entry criteria are tough and the standards high and the awards are a real tribute to the talent within our community.

A pioneer in the study of the three-dimensional structure of the genome, Dekker developed the now widely used chromosome conformation technologies used to map the topography of the genome. Although DNA is comprised of a linear sequence of bases, it doesnt exist inside the cell nucleus in a simple, straight form. More like a ball of cooked spaghetti, the genome folds and loops back on itself so it can fit inside the tight confines of the nucleus. How the genome is packed inside the nucleus is tightly controlled and varies from cell type to cell type. And each unique shape has a profound influence on which genes in a cell are turned on or turned off.

Seeking tools and technology for mapping the three-dimensional structure of the genome in detail, Dekker developed a biochemical technique for determining how DNA segments interact and are linked to one another. The result, akin to a molecular microscope, can be used to detect physical interactions between DNA segments. The more interactions between segments, the more closely associated in space they are, due to chromosome folding. This breakthrough discovery was the genesis of what are now termed 3C, 5C and Hi-C tools, used by researchers worldwide interested in mapping the structure and organization of chromosomes inside cells.

Since joining UMMS, Dekker has refined and enhanced the initial chromosome conformation techniques to visualize whole genomes, combining it with next-generation sequencing to create high through put versions. A member of the UMMS faculty since 2003, Dekker received his doctoral degree in biochemistry from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University with Nancy Kleckner, PhD, studying chromosome structure and developing the techniques that led to the 3C technology.

Dekker was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014. In 2007, he was named a Keck Foundation Distinguished Young Scholar in Biomedical Research, and he received the 2011 Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The recipient of the International Award, which is new for 2018, will act as an ambassador for the Biochemical Societys international activities. The award aims to recognize the achievements of early to mid-career scientists who are within 20 years of PhD completion. Dekker is invited to deliver a lecture at the 24th International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/15th Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists Congress in Seoul, Korea, June 4 to 8, 2018, or at a society conference.

Related stories on UMassMedNow: Job Dekker explains DNA organization in New York Times article STAT: UMMS study of 3D genome may reveal hidden world of folding diseases Job Dekker becomes seventh Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at UMass Medical School Center for 3D Structure and Physics of the Genome established at UMMS

Read the rest here:
Job Dekker receives inaugural International Award from British ... - News from the University of Massachusetts

In an Industry Shaped by Decades of Decisions, Dala Wellness Seeks to Challenge the Status Quo: A Conversation With Founder Fahed Al Essa – Yahoo…

Posted on by

SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / February 2, 2020 / The crux of Dala's mission is to address rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from a holistic perspective. Traditionally, the US healthcare industry has sought to diagnose and prescribe as necessary. Consequently, it may be a source of global medical innovation but also is burdened with the highest costs globally that achieve mediocre to poor health outcomes.

We have grown to become a nation that is looking for quick fixes, bandaids, or a pill to solve a problem. This complements the healthcare system that addresses highly variable medical conditions with the conventional paradigm of biochemistry and medicine; we treat symptoms, not the underlying problem.

"America's health-care system focuses on curing acute problems but does far too little to support patients with chronic maladies" - Arthur Kleinman (WSJ article).

At Dala Wellness, founders have thoroughly researched current "fixes" for RA and developed their own solution via a modular program which includes a supplement, topical solution, and live community board so their members can receive support during their treatment. They are focused on the mind, body, and soul. Fahed Al Essa, founder of Dala Wellness, contributes to this conversation.

How Dala Wellness is challenging the status quo

While many self-focusing treatments leave a myriad of decisions up to the patient, Dala seeks to remove this burden and provide a gentle guide in his/her treatment. While empowering the patient is important, creating a vague, self-guided treatment can lead to decision paralysis and often results in unintended effects and/or no improvement. "Dala Wellness is not this type of company. We plan to complement the patient's medical journey, not replace it," Essa states.

"For example, outside of pharmaceutical interventions, we employ numerous evidence-based complementary therapies that can improve a patient's quality of life and ability to manage symptoms, from nutrition support and elimination diets for inflammation to mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy approaches that reframe pain and build resilience. This is in addition to our natural supplements."

Dala Wellness Pioneering an Industry

The short answer is: no, there are no comprehensive treatment programs like Dala that are currently in the market for RA. While the internet postulates the applications of herbal medicine to treat RA, there are no modules that combine natural medicine with mindfulness as specifically to the RA patient subset like Dala does. Dala provides a pathway for patients to combine various facets of integrative medicine to attack RA head-on.

US Expansion for Dala Wellness

The US, as a developed nation, has had notable rates of chronic condition prevalence. This has burdened the system with elevated healthcare costs, epidemics (e.g. opioid crisis in treating chronic pain), and inefficiencies in the healthcare chain. Dala is a pioneer in this realm, seeking to address life with chronic pain. As mentioned by founder Fahed Al Essa, "We're supporting the health system in the US rather than adding cost to it. We're hoping to line up efficiencies in care for the patient, which then leads to cost-effectiveness within the system."

The Future of Dala Wellness

"Ultimately, the future is providing access to care - whatever that means. We want to make our platform affordable and accessible to any RA patient. Wherever that path leads!" according to Essa.

Story continues

Read more:
In an Industry Shaped by Decades of Decisions, Dala Wellness Seeks to Challenge the Status Quo: A Conversation With Founder Fahed Al Essa - Yahoo...

Exploring the ‘Dark Matter’ of the Cell | Office of News & Media Relations – UMass News and Media Relations

Posted on by

There is a little-understood realm inside cells that cell biologist Tom Maresca likes to think of as the cells dark matter, something like the largely unknown stuff that is so abundant in space.

Maresca recently received a four-year, $1.3 million grant renewal from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to use specialized tools to learn more about this less-studied inner universe of the cell.

Its a pretty good metaphor, he says. We know theres a lot of it out there, but its difficult to study and defining its functions inside cells is complicated.

He explains that a foundational aspect of how scientists think about biology is called the structure-function paradigm, referring to how many proteins adopt specific and highly reproducible folded shapes that allow them to carry out their functions. For these, shape and function are inextricably linked. These would be analogous to regular matter and they can be studied with conventional biochemical methods and techniques like X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, Maresca says.

But there are also many proteins that are predicted to have no specific structure, and theyre not as easy to study as well-folded proteins. Theyre called intrinsically disordered proteins, which means they are unstructured, he adds.

Sometimes referred to as the Dark Proteome, these shapeless proteins appear to be very abundant, we just dont know much about them. Theres been tremendous progress in understanding structure-function; now we hope to make progress in this other important area of how unstructured proteins function.

For the new grant, Maresca and colleagues will collaborate with biophysicist Nathan Derr at Smith College to focus on unstructured proteins in an essential structure called the kinetochore. It ensures that chromosomes are evenly split between cells when they divide. Failure to achieve this, Maresca explains, leads to cells acquiring an incorrect number of chromosomes, which is known as aneuploidy a condition that causes miscarriage, genetic disorders, tumorigenesis and possibly cancer metastasis. The long-term goal is to identify basic cell processes that can be targeted by therapies to control aneuploidy.

We are going to be using some exciting methods to look at these things, Maresca says of their planned multi-pronged approach. Force sensors inserted into kinetochores in Marescas lab measure the amount of force being applied to them during cell division. Derruses techniques on single molecules, pulling on them to see how much they extend and whether pulling on them changes their ability to bind to other proteins, Maresca explains.

The kinetochore is a particularly interesting place to study these proteins, he adds, because there are many, very large, disordered proteins in it. An added layer of complexity is that disordered proteins are very likely subjected to forces that alter their properties in interesting ways, he notes.

Through evolution, whats been conserved are these really large proteins, and we dont know why. But we suspect their unstructured nature and the fact that they can adopt a range of possible conformations and lengths in response to forces is important. Somehow the very large, unstructured nature of these proteins is essential for their function, but we dont understand how yet.

Continued here:
Exploring the 'Dark Matter' of the Cell | Office of News & Media Relations - UMass News and Media Relations

UVic donates hand sanitizer – UVic The Ring

Posted on by

University of Victoria chemist David Leitch may be working from his home office, but that doesnt hamper his instinct to pursue scientific discovery to help produce and donate a potential life-saver in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

UVic on Tuesday delivered more than 200 litres of hand sanitizerenough for about 65,000 single dosesfor use by Island Health, whose front-line workers are in the thick of responding to the health crisis.

The ingredients are basic. Its pharmaceutical grade 190 to 200 proof ethanolmuch stronger than the spirits you get at the local liquor storehydrogen peroxide and a softening agent like glycerin to make sure your hands dont get dried out to the point of seriously cracking, says Leitch, who collaborated on the project with six other researchers.

The recipe is in line with World Health Organization guidelinesso its easy, safe, useful and potentially life-saving for someone in this current climate.

The UVic research community is pulling together to address the COVID-19 crisis including digital technologies, biomedical and biochemistry, genome research, proteomics, nursing, law, mathematics, social sciences, exercise science and 3D printing of supplies. To date, there are dozens of UVic research projects linked to the COVID-19 response.

Soap and water continue to be the best bet for hand hygiene. If that is not possible, using a hand sanitizer that is at least 60 per cent alcoholor 120 proofhelps avoid people getting sick or spreading germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Leitch, who led the UVic effort, was able to leverage his prior experience in the pharmaceutical industry to plan and execute a manufacturing campaign consistent with stringent Health Canada standards. He recalls discussing with his colleagues the opportunity with simple questions: Its not like we can just whip up a solution and hand it over to a health authority. What is the regulatory process around this, and can we pull this off in time to make a difference?

Researchers used supplies already on hand. From conception, licensing approval to manufacture, the process took less than two weeks, much faster than normal, says Leitch. He adds delivery would not have been possible without extremely rapid turnaround time for Health Canada approvals, a donation of kegs by a local microbrewery to mix the sanitizer and the incredibly hard work of UVic researchers.

UVic chemistry faculty and staffKatherine Elvira, Scott McIndoe, Jeremy Wulff, David Berry, and department chair, Neil Burfordalong with Heather Buckley, cross-appointed in chemistry and civil engineering, spent a recent morning mixing up the solutions.

In uncertain and different times, researchers are also doing everything they can to use their knowledge and experience as teachers to keep the UVic community engaged with science, despite the new remote working reality, says Elvira.

Science contributes vitally to some of the worlds toughest problems including the current COVID-19 response. We are allresearchers, students, UVicadapting as a community, she says. Throughout, we need to ensure we can support our students and their research and their experiences right now.

Burford adds he is inspired by the hard work of faculty, staff and students, and their efforts under these very challenging conditions to maintain consistency. We have to be in touch with our colleagues, our students, checking in often, however we can. I am especially impressed with the resolve of the students as they adapt to the COVID conditions. We will get through this together, says Burford.

In ongoing care for COVID-19 patients, Island Health welcomes donations of personal protective equipment and medical supplies through its website.

Read more:
UVic donates hand sanitizer - UVic The Ring

Back in the classroom, with eyes toward the future – Lewiston Morning Tribune

Posted on by

Chuck Staben has returned to his roots as a university professor, but its not where he wants to finish his career in higher education.

Staben, who served as president of the University of Idaho from 2014-19 before the State Board of Education opted not to renew his contract, took a semester off and recently started teaching again as a professor of biological sciences at UI.

He is enjoying spending time with students, but ultimately he believes he can do more good at the helm of a public university.

I am continuing to look for other opportunities as a president or perhaps other opportunities, Staben said. In fact, I was a ... finalist for the job recently at the University of North Dakota.

Craig Clohessy: What are you teaching this semester and how has the transition been from the presidents office back to the classroom?

Chuck Staben: Im teaching Biochemistry 2, which is Biology 454, and its cross-listed as a graduate course, 554 primarily a senior undergraduate course. Im also doing a little bit of teaching in education leadership.

The transition has been fine. I had a one-semester leave that allowed me to prepare as well as do a few other things during that time, and I enjoy being back in the classroom. I like the contact with students. I liked contact with students when I served as president as well.

CC: Do students and faculty treat you any differently now from when you were president?

CS: I have a different role, so in that respect students and faculty and others treat me somewhat differently. Generally, in a personal sense, no, I dont think they treat me differently. And I enjoy interacting with colleagues that I knew when I was president and, as I said, I enjoy interacting with students.

CC: In addition to teaching, are you doing any research work?

CS: Im not doing any sort of laboratory research. I participated on a report for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities on what their member universities universities like the University of Idaho are doing with respect to the opioid crisis and what opportunities they might have to do additional work on the opioid crisis. So more public impact research than what I would call traditional biological research.

CC: You continue to search out professional advancements. What are you looking for? What type of opportunities would appeal to you?

CS: What Im looking for is primarily the opportunity to contribute in higher education, and I have a particular love for public higher education, for ensuring that students of all types and backgrounds, socioeconomic status, etc., can access public higher education. I think I have more to contribute to higher education and can do more as a president than I can as a professor, although I know that I can also contribute in the classroom.

CC: What did you learn during your time as president either success or failure that you think will help you in your next position?

CS: If Im fortunate enough to get another presidency, I think one of the things that became very clear to me as I served as (UI) president is just how important communication and consistency in communication are to being successful as a president. And I think that I would put even more emphasis ... on ensuring student success. That students can come to the university and access an education, but that they also will progress from freshman to sophomore to senior and on to a great career. And I think that we have to work very conscientiously on ensuring that sort of success.

CC: UI is facing serious budget challenges with a $22 million deficit, a freeze on tuition and declining state support. Do you feel fortunate not to have to be making those tough decisions that will be coming, or do you actually miss being part of finding those solutions?

CS: I think you phrased it well. I miss being part of finding those solutions. Ive never shied from tough decisions. I feel I am imaginative and capable and would be happy to be still in charge and facing these issues.

CC: Does the current president, Scott Green, seek out your advice?

CS: I met Scott when he was a member of the U of I Foundation Board early in my presidency, around 2015. And he and I had a number of conversations leading up to the time that he became president, and weve had a few conversations afterwards, but at this point we dont confer frequently. Im sure that he has assembled his leadership team and has his initiative and, you know, has the reins at this point and wants to keep moving the university forward.

CC: In your free time you love marbling paper. Explain what that is.

CS: Marbling is an old process for making unique patterns on things like paper or fabric. Basically what you do is ... take a big flat tray, and you put a viscus sort of gelatinous solution in it and you put paints on. ... You often draw through these with a stylus or with combs or other ways. But you put a unique pattern on the top of this bath, and then you take a piece of paper and you lift the pattern off the bath. Its a one-time-only printing process. It makes these beautiful patterns of colors.

Where you might have encountered it is if you have old books. The front and end papers were typically marbled papers. Thats what its used for in bookbinding. ... I think it was first devised in the 1300s in Turkey actually.

CC: How did you come to be interested in this process?

CS: I love old books. Ive always loved to be in a library and looking at the old books and journals that one has there. I spent a lot of time in libraries, especially as a young scientist, and I always wondered how these unique and beautiful patterns were made.

I read some craft books about how you did it. It seemed really hard and I never did it, and then one Christmas I decided Im going to investigate this more closely it was about 10 years ago.

I looked around on the internet, and I found some beautiful marbling examples and this guy who sold marbling supplies and the kits. Funny enough, you couldnt order them on the internet. ... There was a phone number, so I called him up. Turns out its a guy who is president of the American Marbling Association, and he wants to talk to everyone he sells a kit to, and thats why you cant find them over the internet.

The kids and I did it, and it turns out its terrifically easy to make something that is unique and beautiful. Im kind of a klutzy nonartistic guy, and so I thought, Wow, I mean its amazing that this process works so incredibly easily and well. To really control it and be a master of the process is a little different, but to make something that is cooler than you ever thought you could make is remarkably easy.

CC: You did this as a team-building exercise with your cabinet when you were president.

CS: I think it was the most popular cabinet meeting, hands down. I think you could call almost any member of the cabinet and ask them that question, and thats probably the one cabinet meeting they would remember.

CC: Anything else youd like to add?

CS: I have a deep love of higher education. I love students I like to see them succeed. Im enjoying teaching my biochemistry class. Biochemistry has changed quite a bit since the last time I taught it in 1982. Ive taught related courses, but it has been intellectually refreshing to think about what is it that todays student needs to know about biochemistry as opposed to how has biochemistry traditionally been taught.

Clohessy is managing editor of the Lewiston Tribune. He may be contacted at cclohessy@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2251.

Title/occupation: Professor of biological sciences; former president at the University of Idaho.

Family: Married to Mary Beth Staben, MD, a hospitalist practicing at St. Lukes, Boise; sons Mac Staben, an anesthesiology resident at University of Pennsylvania, and Cal Staben, emergency medicine resident, University of Louisville, who is married to Sarah Staben; daughter Rae is a medical student at Vanderbilt University.

Education: Grew up in Waukegan, Ill., and attended grade schools and public high school there; Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, University of Illinois in 1978; Ph.D. in biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 1984; postdoctoral research at Chiron Corp., 1985-86, on HIV virus sequence variation and at Stanford University, 1987-89, on fungal mating type genes.

Work history: Assistant professor, associate professor, professor of biology at University of Kentucky, 1989-2008; also served as chairman of the School of Biological Sciences, 2000-04, associate vice president for research, 2004-08, and as acting vice president for research, 2006-07; provost, University of South Dakota, 2008-14; president, University of Idaho, 2014-19; professor of biological sciences, UI, 2019-present.

Hobbies/interest: Family, skiing, biking, hiking, fitness, travel, bridge.

Hidden talents: I learned to marble paper and taught a couple of sessions on marbling for an arts class at the University of South Dakota and have used marbling as a group activity for the University of Idaho cabinet. I use the paper that I marble for bookbinding, gift wrapping, and for handmade notecards for our family and as special thank-you notes.

Originally posted here:
Back in the classroom, with eyes toward the future - Lewiston Morning Tribune

Metabolomic Profiling of Metoprolol-Induced Cardioprotection in a Murine Model of Acute Myocardial Ischemia – DocWire News

Posted on by

Metoprolol (Met) is widely applied in the treatment ofmyocardial infarctionand coronary heart disease in clinic. However, the metabolic network in vivo affected by Met manipulation is still unclear and its therapeutic molecular mechanisms were remained to be furthered elucidated except 1 adrenergic receptor.Myocardial infarction(MI) was induced by permanent CAL for 24 h in ICR mice.Myocardialinfarct size, biochemical indicators such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive Protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) and cardiac troponin I(cTn-I), cardiac function andmyocardialpathological changes were detected to ensure the improvement of Met on MI. Subsequently, the significantly changed endogenous metabolites and the network in both serum and urine were screened and constructed through metabolomics by using HPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Finally, the potential regulatory enzymes that could be the possible new therapeutic targets of Met were selected and validated by western blotting and immunohistochemistry based on the screened differential metabolites and the enrichment analysis.

Met effectively reduced the infarct size ofmyocardial infarctionmice, improved the biochemical indicators, and ameliorated the cardiac function and pathological conditions. Our study further found that Met could regulate the pathways of glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, purine and pyrimidine metabolism under the pathological conditions of MI. Moreover, several regulatory enzymes involved GATM, CSE and NT5E were demonstrated to be regulated by Met. This study constructed the regulatory metabolic network map of Met, elucidated the endogenous metabolic pathway regulated by Met, and validated the new potential therapeutic targets of Met in MI, which might provide a further reference for the clinical application of Met.

Go here to read the rest:
Metabolomic Profiling of Metoprolol-Induced Cardioprotection in a Murine Model of Acute Myocardial Ischemia - DocWire News

Second-year swimmer excited for new season – The Observer

Posted on by

Kate Ptashnik is a second-year distance free swimmer on the Case Western Reserve University swim team. With the season still young, she looks to improve on a stellar first year that featured an 18:21.88 in the 1,650 free. Swimming provides Ptashnik with countless memories, including getting punched in the face. Ptashnik is currently majoring in nutritional biochemistry and likes to spend time with her friends.

What is your favorite part of being on the swim team? Why?

My favorite part of being on the swim team is being surrounded by people who have similar work ethics, but different passions than I do. I enjoy hearing and seeing my teammates/friends being excited about things they are doing while we get to bond through something we all love.

Do you have any meets that you remember being particularly special? Why?

The Wooster Invitational meet last year, I was accidentally punched in the face by another athlete right before my race (the mile), but then proceeded to swim my best time of the season.

Aside from swimming, what other activities are you involved in on campus? Can you explain what you do in them?

I am the Greek Games chair and the executive assistant in Kappa Alpha Theta. I am also a tour guide at the CWRU Office of Admissions. Additionally, I am a part of research within the nutrition department, where we are trying to teach children with family members who have diabetes how to make healthy and nutritious foods.

Why are you majoring in nutritional biochemistry? What about it interests you?

I am majoring in nutritional biochemistry because I liked both biology and chemistry, and then got early exposure to a nutrition course my first semester here and absolutely loved it. I am interested in nutritional biochemistry because I think it is really applicable to a student athlete as well as just a person.

What are your favorite free time activities? Why?

Spending time with my friends, both on and not on the swim team, because we can always have fun no matter what else is happening in our stressful CWRU life.

What is your favorite quote or what inspires you?

Be the hammer Doug Milliken.

Read more:
Second-year swimmer excited for new season - The Observer