Introducing Journal of Biological Engineering

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Grand challenges for biological engineering

Biological engineering will play a significant role in solving many of the world's problems in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. Recently the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) released a document "Grand Challenges in Engineering," covering broad realms of human concern from sustainability, health, vulnerability and the joy of living. Biological engineers, having tools and techniques at the interface between living and non-living entities, will play a prominent role in forging a better future. The 2010 Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) conference in Cambridge, MA, USA will address, in part, the roles of biological engineering in solving the challenges presented by the NAE. This letter presents a brief outline of how biological engineers are working to solve these large scale and integrated problems of our society

Biological approaches for addressing the grand challenge of providing access to clean drinking water

The U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) recently published a document presenting "Grand Challenges for Engineering". This list was proposed by leading engineers and scientists from around the world at the request of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Fourteen topics were selected for these grand challenges, and at least seven can be addressed using the tools and methods of biological engineering. Here we describe how biological engineers can address the challenge of providing access to clean drinking water. This issue must be addressed in part by removing or inactivating microbial and chemical contaminants in order to properly deliver water safe for human consumption. Despite many advances in technologies this challenge is expanding due to increased pressure on fresh water supplies and to new opportunities for growth of potentially pathogenic organisms

Ectopic synthesis of high-Mr calcitonin by the BEN lung carcinoma cell line reflects aberrant proteolytic processing

AbstractCloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the human calcitonin mRNA from the BEN lung carcinoma cell line, a cell line known to secrete high-Mr forms of calcitonin, showed no difference in the Coding region at the nucleotide level compared with calcitonin mRNA isolated from medullary thyroid carcinoma which secretes calcitonin monomer. Therefore, the secretion of high-Mr forms of calcitonin reflects the absence or limited activity of proteolytic processing enzymes within the secretory pathway of this cell line. In all other respects, as judged by RNA blotting and S1 mapping, calcitonin/α-CGRP expression was identical to that found in medullary thyroid carcinoma, including the differential use of an alternative splice donor site within intron 1. The BEN cell line also produces low levels of α-CGRP mRNA and secretes CGRP antigenic determinants. Analysis of plasma CGRP levels in 12 patients with anaplastic lung carcinoma showed elevated levels in 11 of these, suggesting that CGRP may be an important diagnostic marker for this disease

Flocculation of wall-deficient cells of \u3ci\u3eChlamydomonas reinhardtii\u3c/i\u3e mutant cw15 by calcium and methanol

Flocculation is a common and inexpensive method for harvesting algae from solution. After nitrogen starvation, it was shown that 83 + 3% of the wall-deficient cells of the cw 15 mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flocculated from 12 mL samples within 15 min after the addition of 15 mM calcium chloride at pH 8.4. Only 24 2% of the wildtype strain flocculated under these conditions, thus demonstrating how a simple mutation might facilitate process design. The data suggested that algae grown in waters with similar calcium concentrations (e.g. certain wastewaters) might be harvested through simple pH adjustment. It was also discovered that the addition of small amounts (\u3c5% v/v) of methanol could significantly reduce the calcium needed to achieve flocculation. Within 15 min after addition of 12 mM calcium chloride and 4.6% (v/v) methanol, 83 + 4% of cw15 cells flocculated. Methanol is fully recoverable by distillation, and its use might enable flocculation without further water salinization when media calcium concentrations fall short of 15 mM. It was further shown that substrates for and/or products of cellular growth affected flocculation adversely. Nearly 81% of cells flocculated from fresh medium compared to only 54% in spent medium

Detection and quantification of poliovirus infection using FTIR spectroscopy and cell culture

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In a globalized word, prevention of infectious diseases is a major challenge. Rapid detection of viable virus particles in water and other environmental samples is essential to public health risk assessment, homeland security and environmental protection. Current virus detection methods, especially assessing viral infectivity, are complex and time-consuming, making point-of-care detection a challenge. Faster, more sensitive, highly specific methods are needed to quantify potentially hazardous viral pathogens and to determine if suspected materials contain viable viral particles. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with cellular-based sensing, may offer a precise way to detect specific viruses. This approach utilizes infrared light to monitor changes in molecular components of cells by tracking changes in absorbance patterns produced following virus infection. In this work poliovirus (PV1) was used to evaluate the utility of FTIR spectroscopy with cell culture for rapid detection of infective virus particles.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Buffalo green monkey kidney (BGMK) cells infected with different virus titers were studied at 1 - 12 hours post-infection (h.p.i.). A partial least squares (PLS) regression method was used to analyze and model cellular responses to different infection titers and times post-infection. The model performs best at 8 h.p.i., resulting in an estimated root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV) of 17 plaque forming units (PFU)/ml when using low titers of infection of 10 and 100 PFU/ml. Higher titers, from 10³to 10⁶PFU/ml, could also be reliably detected.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This approach to poliovirus detection and quantification using FTIR spectroscopy and cell culture could potentially be extended to compare biochemical cell responses to infection with different viruses. This virus detection method could feasibly be adapted to an automated scheme for use in areas such as water safety monitoring and medical diagnostics.</p

The highly resolved electronic spectrum of the square planar CuCl₄²⁻ ion

The low temperature magnetic circular dichroism(MCD) and electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR)spectra of Cu(II) dopedCs₂ZrCl₆ are reported. The Cu(II) ion is incorporated as the square planar copper tetrachloride ion, CuCl₄²⁻, which substitutes at the Zr(IV) site in the Cs₂ZrCl₆ lattice, with a complete absence of axial coordination. Both the EPR and MCD show highly resolved spectra from which it is possible to determine the superhyperfine coupling constants and excited state geometries respectively. The Franck–Condon intensity patterns suggest that there is a substantial relaxation of the host lattice about the impurity ion. For the lowest energy ²B1g(x²-y²)→²B2g(xy) transition, both the magnetic dipole allowed electronic origin as well as vibronic false origins are observed. The high resolution of the spectra allowed the accurate determination of the odd parity vibrations that are active in the spectra. The opposite sign of the MCD of the two components of the ²Eg(xz,yz)excited state allows this splitting to be determined for the first time. Accurate and unambiguous spectral parameters for the CuCl₄²⁻ ion are important as it has become a benchmark transition metal complex for theoretical electronic structure calculations

Efficient extraction method to collect sugar from sweet sorghum

Background: Sweet sorghum is a domesticated grass containing a sugar-rich juice that can be readily utilized for ethanol production. Most of the sugar is stored inside the cells of the stalk tissue and can be difficult to release, a necessary step before conventional fermentation. While this crop holds much promise as an arid land sugar source for biofuel production, a number of challenges must be overcome. One lies in the inherent labile nature of the sugars in the stalks leading to a short usable storage time. Also, collection of sugars from the sweet sorghum stalks is usually accomplished by mechanical squeezing, but generally does not collect all of the available sugars. Results: In this paper, we present two methods that address these challenges for utilization of sweet sorghum for biofuel production. The first method demonstrates a means to store sweet sorghum stalks in the field under semi-arid conditions. The second provides an efficient water extraction method that can collect as much of the available sugar as feasible. Operating parameters investigated include temperature, stalk size, and solid–liquid ratio that impact both the rate of sugar release and the maximal amount recovered with a goal of low water use. The most desirable conditions include 30°C, 0.6 ratio of solid to liquid (w/w), which collects 90 % of the available sugar. Variations in extraction methods did not alter the efficiency of the eventual ethanol fermentation. Conclusions: The water extraction method has the potential to be used for sugar extraction from both fresh sweet sorghum stalks and dried ones. When combined with current sugar extraction methods, the overall ethanol production efficiency would increase compared to current field practices

First trimester ultrasound measurements and maternal serum biomarkers as prognostic factors in monochorionic twins: a cohort study

Background: Monochorionic twin pregnancies are high-risk of adverse outcomes, but it is not possible to predict which pregnancies will develop complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate, in monochorionic twin pregnancies, whether first trimester ultrasound (nuchal translucency [NT], crown-rump length [CRL]) and maternal serum biomarkers (alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF)) are prognostic factors for fetal adverse outcome composite, twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), growth restriction, and intrauterine fetal death (IUFD). Methods: Cohort study of 177 monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies. Independent prognostic ability of each factor was assessed by multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for standard prognostic factors. Factors were analysed as continuous data, thus the reported ORs relate either 1% change in NT or CRL inter-twin percentage discordance, or one unit of measure in each serum biomarker. Results: The odds of the fetal adverse outcome composite was significantly associated with increased NT inter-twin percentage discordance (adjusted OR 1.03 [95%CI 1.01,1.06]), and CRL inter-twin percentage discordance (adjusted OR 1.17 [95%CI 1.07,1.29]). TTTS was significantly associated with increased NT discordance (adjusted OR 1.06 [95%CI 1.03,1.10]), and decreased PlGF (adjusted OR 0.42 [95%CI 0.19,0.93]). Antenatal growth restriction was significantly associated with increased CRL discordance (adjusted OR 1.20 [95%CI 1.08,1.34]). Single and double IUFD were associated with decreased PlGF (adjusted OR 0.34 [95%CI 0.12,0.98]) and (adjusted OR 0.18 [95%CI 0.05,0.58]) respectively. Conclusion(s): This study has identified potential individual prognostic factors in the first trimester (fetal biometric and maternal serum biomarkers) that show promise but require further robust evaluation in a larger, prospective series of MC twin pregnancies, so that their usefulness both individually and in combination can be defined. Trial registration: ISRCTN 13114861 (retrospectively registered