Social Enterprises in Asia: An Introductory Guide

Over the decades, social enterprises (SEs) have gained increased recognition for their ability to bring about fair and equitable social transformations. Their unique models provide an additional mode of engagement for individuals and institutions interested in addressing social issues.Social enterprises (SEs) take the form of a non-profit or for-profit and vary in size and structure but what unites all SEs is their business approach to social change. Instead of maximizing profits, SEs apply market practices to maximizing impact and strive to optimize finances in support of their social or environmental missions. SEs form an integral role in a larger social innovation sector -- they act as on-the-ground implementers of social solutions.Early social entrepreneurs in Asia tended to be foreigners or returning patriates, but homegrown Asian social entrepreneurs are now more common. Some of the world's largest and most well known SEs, like Grameen Bank and BRAC Enterprises, got their start in Asia.It is difficult to state the number of SEs there are in Asia since SEs are so diverse in their nature and scope of activities. Because of the relatively recent introduction of the term, many organizations may not even self-identify as a social enterprise even though they function as one.As Asia continues to undergo drastic social, demographic, and economic changes, SEs can play a role to ensure that future Asian growth is inclusive and sustainable. SEs reach underserved communities, linking them to products and services that enhance their quality of life and income generation ability. However, a number of issues must be addressed before SEs can become a part of mainstream Asian economies and societies

Using Magnetically Responsive Tea Waste to Remove Lead in Waters under Environmentally Relevant Conditions

We report the use of a simple yet highly effective magnetite-waste tea composite to remove lead(II) (Pb[superscript 2+]) ions from water. Magnetite-waste tea composites were dispersed in four different types of water–deionized (DI), artificial rainwater, artificial groundwater and artificial freshwater–that mimic actual environmental conditions. The water samples had varying initial concentrations (0.16–5.55 ppm) of Pb[superscript 2+] ions and were mixed with the magnetite-waste tea composite for at least 24 hours to allow adsorption of the Pb[superscript 2+] ions to reach equilibrium. The magnetite-waste tea composites were stable in all the water samples for at least 3 months and could be easily removed from the aqueous media via the use of permanent magnets. We detected no significant leaching of iron (Fe) ions into the water from the magnetite-waste tea composites. The percentage of Pb adsorbed onto the magnetite-waste tea composite ranged from ~70% to 100%; the composites were as effective as activated carbon (AC) in removing the Pb[superscript 2+] ions from water, depending on the initial Pb concentration. Our prepared magnetite-waste tea composites show promise as a green, inexpensive and highly effective sorbent for removal of Pb in water under environmentally realistic conditions.SUTD-MIT International Design Center (Research Grant IDG11200105/IDD11200109)Singapore-MIT Allianc

Chemical Stabilization of Unnatural Nucleotide Triphosphates for the in Vivo Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet

We have developed an unnatural base pair (UBP) and a semisynthetic organism (SSO) that imports the constituent unnatural nucleoside triphosphates and uses them to replicate DNA containing the UBP. However, propagation of the UBP is at least in part limited by the stability of the unnatural triphosphates, which are degraded by cellular and secreted phosphatases. To circumvent this problem, we now report the synthesis and evaluation of unnatural triphosphates with their β,γ-bridging oxygen replaced with a difluoromethylene moiety, yielding d<b>NaM</b>TP^CF2 and d<b>TPT3</b>TP^CF2. We find that although d<b>NaM</b>TP^CF2 cannot support in vivo replication, likely due to poor polymerase recognition, d<b>TPT3</b>TP^CF2 can, and moreover, its increased stability can contribute to increased UBP retention. The data demonstrate the promise of this chemical approach to SSO optimization, and suggest that other modifications should be sought that confer phosphatase resistance without interfering with polymerase recognition

CalFluors: A Universal Motif for Fluorogenic Azide Probes across the Visible Spectrum

Fluorescent bioorthogonal smart probes across the visible spectrum will enable sensitive visualization of metabolically labeled molecules in biological systems. Here we present a unified design, based on the principle of photoinduced electron transfer, to access a panel of highly fluorogenic azide probes that are activated by conversion to the corresponding triazoles via click chemistry. Termed the CalFluors, these probes possess emission maxima that range from green to far red wavelengths, and enable sensitive biomolecule detection under no-wash conditions. We used the CalFluor probes to image various alkyne-labeled biomolecules (glycans, DNA, RNA, and proteins) in cells, developing zebrafish, and mouse brain tissue slices

Draft genome sequence of Yarrowia lipolytica NRRL Y-64008, an oleaginous yeast capable of growing on lignocellulosic hydrolysates.

Yarrowia lipolytica is an oleaginous yeast that produces high titers of fatty acid-derived biofuels and biochemicals. It can grow on hydrophobic carbon sources and lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The genome sequence of Y. lipolytica NRRL Y-64008 is reported to aid in its development as a biotechnological chassis for producing biofuels and bioproducts

Concentrations of main electrolytes and dissolved organic content in the artificial waters used in the experiments.

<p>Concentrations of main electrolytes and dissolved organic content in the artificial waters used in the experiments.</p

Testing the magnetic stability of magnetite-waste tea composite after 8 days in water.

<p>Testing the magnetic stability of magnetite-waste tea composite after 8 days in water.</p

Amount of Fe leached out into the four waters from uncoated tea (A) and magnetite-waste tea composite (B).

<p>Amount of Fe leached out into the four waters from uncoated tea (A) and magnetite-waste tea composite (B).</p