#bionanotechnology

[bpod-bpod]

Dances with Neurons

Like nervous performers, our nerve cells or neurons start out immature – they’re nurtured during development and perhaps ‘trained’ by interacting with other cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) – the swirling troupe of chemicals that surrounds our young cells. Trying to encourage lab-grown neurons to mature from a type of stem cell, researchers find it’s not enough just to have the ECM chemicals present, they have to move in rhythm with the neurons. Grown here surrounded by ‘dancing’ ECM chemicals (highlighted in green), this neuron (red) thrives. Researchers find the fastest jiving molecules work best, perhaps because they match up with the neurons’ chemical receptors, tiny arm-like proteins on the cell surface that move with the intensity of a flamenco flourish (although a billion times smaller and 1000 times faster). In the future, maturing neurons in this way may be several quick steps towards transplants to treat ageing-related illnesses like ALS.

Written by John Ankers

Image from work by Zaida Álvarez, J. Alberto Ortega and Kohei Sato, and colleagues

Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

Image copyright held by the original authors

Research published in Cell Stem Cell, February 2023

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[jcmarchi]

Decorated nanoparticles prevent allergic reactions - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/decorated-nanoparticles-prevent-allergic-reactions-technology-org/

Decorated nanoparticles prevent allergic reactions - Technology Org

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first selective therapy to prevent allergic reactions, ranging in severity from itchy hives and watery eyes to trouble breathing and even death.

A scanning electron microscope image of nanoparticles (colorized in purple) that have successfully entered a mast cell

To develop the new therapy, researchers decorated nanoparticles with antibodies capable of shutting down specific immune cells (called mast cells) responsible for allergic responses. The nanoparticle also carries an allergen corresponding to the patient’s allergy. If a person is allergic to peanuts, for example, then the nanoparticle carries a peanut protein.

In this two-step approach, the allergen engages the precise mast cells responsible for the specific allergy, and then the antibodies shut down only those cells. This highly targeted approach enables the therapy to selectively prevent specific allergies without suppressing the entire immune system.

In a mouse study, the therapy demonstrated 100% success in preventing allergic responses without causing noticeable side effects.

The research was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. It marks the first nanotherapy for inhibiting mast cells, thus preventing an allergic response to a specific allergen.

“Currently, there are no methods available to target mast cells specifically,” said Northwestern’s Evan A. Scott, who led the study. “All we have are medications like antihistamines to treat symptoms, and those don’t prevent allergies. They counteract effects of histamines after the mast cells already have been activated. If we had a way to inactivate the mast cells that respond to specific allergens, then we could stop dangerous immune responses in severe situations like anaphylaxis as well as less serious responses like seasonal allergies.”

“The biggest unmet need is in anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening,” said Northwestern’s Dr. Bruce Bochner, an allergy expert and study co-author. “Certain forms of oral immunotherapy might be helpful in some cases, but we currently don’t have any FDA-approved treatment options that consistently prevent such reactions other than avoiding the offending food or agent. Otherwise, treatments like epinephrine are given to treat severe reactions — not prevent them. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a safe and effective treatment for food allergy that consistently made it possible to reintroduce a food into the diet that you used to have to strictly avoid?”

Scott is the Kay Davis Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and a member of the Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute. Bochner is the Samuel M. Feinberg Emeritus Professor of Medicine (allergy and immunology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The paper’s first author is Fanfan Du, a postdoctoral fellow in Scott’s laboratory, who worked closely with co-first authors Clayton Rische, a Ph.D. candidate co-mentored by both Bochner and Scott, and Yang Li, a Ph.D. candidate in the Scott lab.

Tricky target

Located in nearly all tissues throughout the human body, mast cells are best known for being primarily responsible for allergic responses. But they also play several other important roles, including regulation of blood flow and fighting parasites. Therefore, fully eliminating mast cells to prevent allergic reactions could be damaging to other useful, healthy responses.

“Although some drugs are under development, there are currently no FDA-approved drugs that inhibit, or eliminate, mast cells,” Bochner said. “This has been difficult mainly because drugs that can affect mast cell activation or survival also target cells other than mast cells, and thus tend to have unwanted side effects due to influences on other cells.”

In previous work, Bochner identified Siglec-6, a unique inhibitory receptor that is highly and selectively found on mast cells. If researchers could target that receptor with an antibody, then they could selectively inhibit mast cells to prevent allergy. But introducing this antibody by itself fell short.

“It was difficult to get a high-enough concentration of the antibody to have an effect,” Scott said. “We wondered if we could enhance this concentration using a nanoparticle. If we could pack a high density of antibodies onto a nanoparticle, then we could make it practical for use.”

Sticking antibodies onto a particle

To pack the antibodies onto a nanoparticle, Scott and his team had to overcome another challenge. For proteins (like antibodies) to stick to a nanoparticle, they typically must form a chemical bond that unfolds (or denatures) the protein, affecting its biological activity. To bypass this challenge, Scott turned to a nanoparticle previously developed in his laboratory.

Unlike more standard nanoparticles that have stable surfaces, Scott’s newly developed nanoparticle comprises dynamic polymer chains, which can independently flip their orientation upon exposure to different solvents and proteins. When put into liquid solutions, the chains orient themselves to achieve favorable electrostatic interactions with water molecules. But when a protein touches the nanoparticle surface, the specific tiny polymer chains at the interface flip their orientations to stably hold onto the protein without covalently bonding to it. Scott’s team also found that water-repelling pockets on protein surfaces were key to the stable interaction.

When binding to surfaces, proteins typically denature, losing their bioactivity. A unique aspect of Scott’s nanoparticles is that they can stably bind enzymes and antibodies while maintaining their 3D structure and biological functions. This means the anti-Siglec-6 antibodies maintained their strong affinity for the mast cell receptors — even when attached to the nanoparticle surfaces.

“This is a uniquely dynamic surface,” Scott said. “Instead of a standard stable surface, it can switch its surface chemistry. It’s made of tiny polymer chains of compounds, which can flip their orientation to maximize favorable interactions with both water and proteins as necessary.”

When Scott’s team mixed the nanoparticles with antibodies, close to 100% of the antibodies successfully attached to the nanoparticles without losing their ability to bind to their specific targets. This resulted in a nanoparticle-based therapy employing surfaces with densely packed and highly controllable amounts of multiple distinct antibodies to target mast cells. 

Selective shut down

In order for someone to become allergic, their mast cells capture and display antibodies, specifically immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, for that specific allergen. This enables the mast cells to recognize — and react to — the same allergen upon re-exposure.

“If you have a peanut allergy and have had a response to peanuts in the past, then your immune cells made IgE antibodies against peanut proteins, and the mast cells collected them,” Scott said. “Now, they are waiting for you to eat another peanut. When you do, they can respond within minutes, and if the response is strong enough, it can result in anaphylaxis.”

To selectively target mast cells to respond to a particular allergen, the researchers designed their therapy to engage only mast cells carrying IgE antibodies for that allergen. The nanoparticle uses a protein allergen to engage with IgE antibodies on the mast cells and then uses an antibody to engage the Siglec-6 receptor to shut down the mast cell’s ability to react. And because only mast cells display Siglec-6 receptors, the nanoparticle cannot bind to other cell types — a strategy that effectively limits side effects.

“You can use any allergen that you want, and you will selectively shut down the response to that allergen,” Scott said. “The allergen would normally activate the mast cell. But at the same time the allergen binds, the antibody on the nanoparticle also engages the inhibitory Siglec-6 receptor. Given these two contradictory signals, the mast cell decides that it shouldn’t activate and should leave that allergen alone. It selectively stops a response to a specific allergen. The beauty of this approach is that it does not require killing or eliminating all the mast cells. And, from a safety standpoint, if the nanoparticle accidentally attaches to the wrong cell type, that cell just won’t respond.”

Preventing anaphylaxis in mice

After demonstrating success in cellular cultures using human tissue-derived mast cells, the researchers moved their therapy into a humanized mouse model. Because mast cells in mice do not have the Siglec-6 receptor, Bochner’s team developed a mouse model with human mast cells in their tissues. The researchers exposed the mice to an allergen and delivered the nanotherapy at the same time.

No mice experienced anaphylactic shock and all survived.

“The simplest way to monitor an allergic response is to track changes in body temperature,” Scott said. “We saw no changes in temperature. There was no response. Also, the mice remained healthy and did not display any outward signs of an allergic reaction.”

“Mouse mast cells do not have Siglec-6 on their surface like in humans, but we got as close as we could for now to actual human studies by testing these nanoparticles in special mice that had human mast cells in their tissues,” Bochner said. “We were able to show that these humanized mice were protected from anaphylaxis.”

Next, the researchers plan to explore their nanotherapy for treating other mast cell-related diseases, including mastocytosis, a rare form of mast cell cancer. They also are investigating approaches to loading drugs inside the nanoparticles to selectively kill mast cells in mastocytosis without injuring other cell types.

Source: Northwestern University

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[jimi-rawlings]

Mechanical engineering - Wikipedia

It also overlaps with aerospace engineering, metallurgical engineering, civil engineering, structural engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and other engineering disciplines to varying amounts. Mechanical engineers may also work in the field of biomedical engineering, specifically with biomechanics, transport phenomena, biomechatronics, bionanotechnology, and modelling of biological systems.

I already do Biology Engineering Athletics (Biomechanics); Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering Goes hand in hand for Drift Racing; Solvent Levelling Effect is Chemical Reaction Engineering.

Félix Hernendez

[echovilled]

— the star.

→ characters: selina liu (featuring asteria hsu and zetian yu). → word count: 2,436 → song(s): vava - boss, franz gordon- the art teacher. → description: selina meets her idol and future mentor for the first time.

Everything had to be perfect.

Selina sits at her desk, the cramped but organized living space providing enough room to document her work for her science fair project. She slides her science notebook onto her desktop organizer with the rest of her school supplies set neatly by color and metric. Her gaze turns back to the computer screen showcasing the detailed captioned logs that date back to six months, twenty-seven files deep, with twenty-eight loading to join ranks. Her loud, hardcore Chinese rap music blasts from the open window as it clashes with Mr. Huang's Guoyue playing downstairs. The intoxicating smell of Hong Shao Rou travels through her slightly cracked door, signaling that her grandma will call her to dinner soon. The familiarity could nearly put her at ease, almost.

Her project involves creating a ventilator using solely Shenzhen hardware products, with a blood oxygen sensing factor and an additional detection mechanism. She sought advice from her Olympiad coach, who informed her that this project was challenging and beyond her age and level. Despite being intended for Zhaunke-level students, she convinced him with charm, determination, and hard work that she could do it. She had also been curious about what he considered "challenging." For she always believed that her opinion held much more significance in being the judge of that.

It took her nearly two months to prepare everything. Every outsourced material was brand new while she had personally crafted each customization. Everything had to be slow, methodical, and precise, especially when the main objective was to impress those with rank, specifically Dr. Asteria Hsu.

Dr. Hsu was one of the judges of the science fair and one of Tria's leading biomedical engineers. Her appearance at school tomorrow would be considered as significant as Mao Zedong rising from his grave. It could elicit either enlightenment or disappointment, reflecting the current state of a science wing that once curated her talents. Furthermore, she hasn't been at Shuchang No. 4 High School for over five years. Her comeback is mainly being hyped up because she's scouting mentees for the Zhaunke level students, for she only takes mentees as young as eighteen.

This doesn't even compare to the list of achievements she has obtained, which would intimidate even someone like Fung Yuan-Cheng. With a biomedical engineering, medical, and research degree and a track record of accomplishments in bionanotechnology, systems biology, and biomechatronics, it's no wonder that the two biomedical engineers she has mentored have gone on to achieve great things. And she is determined to be the third, despite the challenges she currently faces.

She grabs a stray white fabric sheet from her closet to protect her project from any invading particles of dust.

Tomorrow will be perfect.

…

She stands beside her presentation, wearing a fake smile as she explains her project to nearly every interested instructor she encounters. None of them are Dr. Hsu, and none of them are engaging enough to justify having this mindless conversation over and over again. With total disrespect, she sees them every day. Dr. Hsu, on the other hand, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she can't afford to miss at this very moment.

She's starting to get nervous and hypervigilant, believing she may have missed her.

"Did she pick someone else?"

"Did she grow tired of the consistent waves of cardboard paper, makeshift planetariums and shoddy machinery?"

"Am I losing my mind?"

"Did she even come? I need to speak to the conductor about why she chose today of all days to put us in alphabetical order."

Questions plagued her mind as she stretched her neck, almost standing on tiptoes to search for the now mysterious Dr. Hsu. However, she couldn't find her anywhere, and the fair would end soon. She had two options: either ask a teacher to help locate the missing woman, upon whom she had unfortunately entrusted her future with, or haul ass with her ventilator and find her herself, ensuring that Dr. Hsu knew her name before leaving

…

After completing one of the two tasks she had assigned herself, she reached the seventeenth floor of the parking lot, hoping Dr. Hsu had yet to leave. She was also grateful she didn't have to run up those seventeen flights of stairs, even though she had to squeeze into the elevator between the sweaty and towering basketball team.

Just a minute after stepping off the elevator, she sees a medium-height, slender woman standing near the trunk of her car on her phone. The woman's poise, posture, and the fact that she memorized every detail from the countless articles she has bookmarked about her confirmed that this is Dr. Hsu.

She stops in her tracks, suddenly even more aware that she is now face to side-profile with the woman she's idolized for the better half of a year.

She quickly observes her appearance before approaching. She's dressed in dark blue slacks with a light blue button-down and rolled-up sleeves. Her hair is in a low chignon bun, giving off this relatable and lack-of-effort approach. It pales compared to Selina's structured white and dark blue sleeves uniform with matching skirt and knee-length tube socks, wispy but strategically placed bangs with a matching bow that she put in her hair for appeal. Not only did Dr. Hsu know her way around biomedicine, but she also knew her way around a closet.

Unwilling to waste another minute of future opportunities due to admiration, she walks up to her, immediately gaining attention and an eyebrow raised from Dr. Hsu.

"Dr. Hsu, my name is Selina Liu. I apologize for my candor, but I noticed that you were not present at today's science fair. I was hoping to personally share my science project with you before you departed." She feels her hands sweaty as the heavy ventilator covering her entire torso becomes slightly loose from her grip. She hoped that she overlooked the mishap.

She sees Dr. Hsu slip her phone back into her front pocket and address her calmly.

"Well, Ms. Liu I was present but I didn't stick around. One woman can only come across so many displays of science projects before the boredom starts to kick in. Plus, I was initially here for the Zhaunke students…" Selina sees her eyes linger on the ventilator before they land back on hers. "Do you need help with that? It looks heavy."

She immediately shakes her head no, willing for her fingers to strain due to the weight. "It's fine, I have it." She shifts her weight while holding the machine in tow.

"I said you were absent because you didn't specifically see my project, and that was the main objective for me, personally…" She pauses, suddenly becoming more nervous than she already is. Still, in a clear and demanding tone, she forces her words out. "I was also hoping you considered becoming my mentor for my upcoming senior year. I want to become a biomedical engineer, and you're the best there is, and I want to be mentored by the best. I made my own curriculum sheet that details the specializations that I see myself being the most successful in, and I am a shoo-in for the prestigious University of Tsinghua." she says proudly.

Dr. Hsu remains silent for slightly longer than usual, leaving Selina to shift her weight again in the awkward silence. Her mind begins to wonder if she may be coming on too strong once she sees Dr. Hsu's gaze on her machine again.

Is she considering letting me on?

Is this entire thing a fluke?

A voice that she hasn't physically heard in years starts coming in echoes.

She holds her project tightly to her torso to keep it at bay; it can't come for her today, not when she's so close.

The self-doubt, the shame.

We were so confident and we will remain confident. Everything else has to be put at a distance.

She pleads with her mind to at least let her have this moment, please.

She is startled into reality as she hears Dr. Hsu break into a small laughter. "You pursue me with a machine that is too big for you to carry, with no explanation on what it can do in hopes for me to become your mentor? All because I was one measly judge who didn't stick around for the rest of the projects? How old are you anyway? fourteen?"

"I'm sixteen, doctor. I'm just really short," she says, straightening her shoulders. An insulted tinge creeps into her voice, causing Dr. Hsu to chuckle even louder out of the slight ridiculousness of the situation.

"Believe me, Ms. Liu. I'm not laughing at you," Dr. Hsu assures. "I just find your approach familiar, strikingly similar to my own. You're like a little baby tiger being held by the claws of it's mother and I like it, and I'm starting to like you." Selina feels her features relax as she realizes she had unknowingly tightened them, a smile creeping on her face. "This little stunt you pulled has been the highlight of my afternoon so yes, I'll see your machine."

She clasps her hands to contain her excitement as Dr. Hsu props the machine on the trunk of her car with ease. Without missing a beat, Selina starts to present her presentation with the vigor and passion that was left out of the former presentations at the fair.

"This is project Li Hai-"

"You titled your project difficult to deal with?"

"Yes, ma'am," she responds, her tone flat as Dr. Hsu mouths a barely audible okay through her chuckle.

"Project Li Hai involves a ventilator using hardware products from the Shenzhen hardware store. It has a blood oxygen-sensing factor with a disease-detection mechanism." She puts the attached mask on and presses the green button with the calculated information appearing on the light green screen panel. Dr. Hsu peers through the machine, her eyebrows slightly raised. After a certain amount of time, Selina removes the breather mask and straightens her hair.

"And you're telling me you did this by yourself?"

She nods, patting her machine proudly. "My baba was an electrical design engineer, so I learned how to mainly build machinery from him-" she stops herself, that information slipping out so quickly. So easily. "Or through him, I suppose."

Dr. Hsu nods, thankfully not interested or willing to answer any follow-up questions to her strange statement. The last thing she wants is to rehash anything she doesn't want to, not when things are so close to moving forward. Not now.

"Well, color me impressed. Now your wiring could use just a tad bit of refinement but this is incredibly impressive for a sixteen-year-old." she slips the business card into her hand before Selina retrieves the machine from the top of her trunk. The ventilator felt oddly lighter in her arms.

"So…you're saying you'll take me on?"

"Ah, patience Ms. Liu. I want you to contact me, and we'll see where we go from there. Since you're significantly younger than the students that I usually mentor then I would need an adult present."

Selina feels slightly dejected from not gaining a clear answer before she feels Dr. Hsu's hand on her shoulder. "I see immense potential in you; there's just some things that should be ironed out first so do not take this as a no. Are we clear?" Selina nods, feeling slightly exposed that she may be reading her mind or body language-

It doesn't matter; none of this matters; Dr. Hsu wants to see her again. Selina bites her lip, feeling a wave of emotions washing over her. It's as if she could feel herself floating.

"Well, I hate to say goodbye because I thoroughly enjoyed this but it is getting late. Do you have a ride home? I could take you."Selina shakes her head, refusing the offer immediately. "I'll be fine; I live just a mile away."

Dr. Hsu nods before turning back to her car and getting inside. She pulls out, but before she leaves, she rolls down the window. "You have a good night, Ms. Liu, and remember to contact me, okay? I don't want you missing any lifetime opportunities because you simply forgot."

"I'll make sure of it, Dr. Hsu." She can envision scribbling her number in her digital planner with golden star stickers surrounding Dr. Hsu's name.

She gives her a small wave before rolling up her window and speeding. Selina watches her leave as the weight of conversation makes the air feel much lighter. She sets the machine down on the floor and stares at the card. An immense pressure that she didn't notice building in her chest suddenly bursts as tears begin to fall.

She slightly nudges her machine with her foot. "You stupid, stupid machine…somebody other than Nainai, someone other than me can finally see our worth." she laughs warmly through her tears before she feels her phone buzz in her blazer's pocket. She wipes her face vigorously with her sleeve as she picks it up, showing little to almost no signs that she has been crying before.

"Mei Mei, you were supposed to be home an hour ago, tiānkōng hé tiāntáng!" Zetian's voice crackles through the speaker. She can't help but be giddy at the news that would soften the blow of any punishment Zetian could threaten her with.

" Nainai, I'm sorry. I'm coming home now because remember the doctor I wanted for a mentorship?"

"Yes, you've been driving me up the wall about it for a year!"

"Well..." she trails off for dramatic effect, knowing Zetian is probably on the edge of her faded seating chair waiting for the outcome. "She wants me to contact her soon!" she shrieks as she jumps up and down from excitement."She gave me her card! I have Dr. Asteria Hsu's card!"

There's a high-pitched squealing that could rival her own coming from the other side of the phone.

"That's my girl! I knew you could do it! Tell me everything!"

[realtalk-tj]

Is Bionanotechnology still offered? How is the course structured?

Response from Padma:

I haven't heard of anyone taking it this year, but I'm pretty sure Dr. Morrow is the one who usually teaches it, so shoot her a email! She's super friendly and will definitely answer any questions you have :)

[horrormike]

HORROR ANTHOLOGY MOVIE VOL. 1 DVD On sale NOW approx 2 hours of original indie sci-fi and horror tales. https://www.ebay.com/itm/202908788533

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[donpue]

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[veratrance]

What are you studying? Your writing is immaculate! -curious fan

I'm studying bioscience engineering! And more specifically, I'm doing my masters in Bionanotechnology and Cellular&genetic engineering 🧬. Pretty nerdy stuff

also omg tHANK YOU!!❤️❤️

[willow-trees-are-beautiful]

today i found out that bionanotechnology is a thing.

[bpod-bpod]

Nervous Dancers

Transported to the site of a spinal injury, here artificial chemicals aim to heal damaged cells. But, like new arrivals at a school disco, the molecules fail to make an impact until they’re encouraged to move – jiving about on a scaffold of nanofibres, they match the rhythms of natural molecules that dance around receptors in the cells’ surface, triggering growth and repair. Fine-tuning these bioactive chemicals makes them more mobile and 'sociable' – in this stretch of mouse spine (highlighted in green and blue) their frolicking signals limit the growth of scar tissue and encourage new blood vessels to develop. Eventually, neuron cells grow new branches or axons (red). In the future, coaxing molecules to move to different biological rhythms may help to encourage repair, and, hopefully, keep human bodies moving.

Written by John Ankers

Image from the Stupp Laboratory, Northwestern University

Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

Image copyright held by the original authors

Research by Z. Álvarez and colleagues, Northwestern University, published in Science, November 2021

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[ixalit]

hi max! what kind of engineering are you studying right now? and do you think you’ll want to do that type of engineering for the rest of your life or is it more of a stepping-off point?

Hi froggie!

I’m studying Biomedical Engineering. It’s the field of science that does cool shit like designing artificial organs and prosthetic limbs, improving genomic testing, using nanoparticles to treat cancer, and a bunch of other stuff!

Within BME there are a focus areas of biomedical electronics, biomechatronics, bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, biomechanics, bionics, cellular/tissue/genetic engineering, clinical engineering, medical imaging, orthopedic bioengineering, rehabilitation engineering, systems physiology, bionanotechnology, and neural engineering (and the field as a whole is always expanding).

I’m mostly interested in the places where technology, materials, and biology come together. Namely biomechatronics, biomechanics, bionics, rehabilitation, and bionanotech.

In terms of if I’ll do it for the rest of my life... I don’t know! I’ve been really interested in it for six years now, and for the most part everything I learn makes me want to learn more. The nice thing is that this field is constantly changing, new research coming out, new discoveries being made... so I don’t think I’ll ever get bored 😆

I’m thinking I’ll probably go into R&D after I graduate, which won’t be for at least a couple years, and from there I’ll see where it takes me. What’s nice is that a STEM degree can usually get you a bunch of positions, even if they’re not in the field you studied.

I’m still in my “pre-reqs” phase of college and, and I’m most likely going to take a break year next year (I’ve been under a lot of stress with family, pandemic, health, and then school on top of that), so that I can save up some money and get to a better place with my physical/mental health stability. But from there... we’ll see! 🤷‍♂️

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 212

A Well-designed On/Off Switch for the Cellular Pathways

In living cells, ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a key molecule, which is transcribed from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and was known to function in the protein synthesis, since its new properties such as RNA processing and gene regulation have been discovered in the last decade. RNA is a structurally and functionally sophisticated biomolecule. It is a single-stranded nucleotide chain, and each nucleotide is composed of a nitrogenous base (adenine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil), a five-carbon sugar (ribose), and a phosphate group. There are many types of RNAs with important roles such as messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries information from DNA to ribosomes for protein synthesis. There are also some RNAs that do not code for a protein therefore they are called non-coding RNAs. Most of these non coding RNAs play critical roles as a fine tuner of various gene regulation processes. Recent genome-wide studies have shown many thousands of regulatory non-coding RNAs including transfer RNA (tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), microRNAs, small interfering RNAs (siRNA), ribozymes and riboswitches.

A particularly interesting class of all these non-coding RNAs comprises riboswitches. Riboswitches are structured mRNA elements that regulate gene expression upon binding of a specific small metabolite. These biosensors were first discovered in 2002 in bacteria. Later, it was shown that plants, green algae and fungi also posses riboswitches. Although, only one type of riboswitch is found in plants and none has beeen detected in mammals yet, metabolite-sensing riboswitches are commonly used for the regulation of fundamental biochemical pathways in bacteria. Riboswitches help cells monitor the environmental conditions and determine if a compound is present at sufficient levels or not. Based on this decision, production, degradation or transport of the related metabolite is either turned on or off.

Architecture of a Riboswitch

A standard riboswitch is divided into two parts: a ligand-binding domain and a gene expression domain (Figure 1). Small molecular metabolites bind to the ligand-binding domain, which is called aptamer, of riboswitches with astonishing specificity. For instance, purine riboswitches differentiate guanine from adenine by at least 10,000-fold based on the identity of a single pyrimidine (thymine or cytosine) that binds to the ligand (1). When a ligand binds to aptamer, conformational changes of the RNA's structure occur at the gene expression domain. Eventually, this leads to the modulation of gene expression. Some of the riboswitch mechanisms to regulate the expression of genes include formation of stem-loops, lollipop-like RNA structures, which lead to the blocking of transcription or translation, which are the processes where proteins are synthesized using the mature mRNA, self cleavage or mRNA destabilization (Figure 2).

Classes of Riboswitches

The numerous distinct classes of riboswitches discovered so far are differentiated by their ligands and remarkably, the same class of riboswitches can control gene expression through different mechanisms in various organisms. For example, a riboswitch that recognizes and binds thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), a derivative of vitamin B1, is called as TPP riboswitch. In plant cells, when TPP levels are high, excess TPP binds to a TPP riboswitch located in one of the TPP biosynthesis genes. As a result of TPP binding, conformation of that RNA segment changes, which leads to the formation of an unstable mRNA product which degrades quickly. Although, a very little amount of stable mRNA is also produced, it is not enough for the protein synthesis of an important component of TPP biosynthesis. Therefore, TPP biosynthesis can not be completed and consequently TPP levels drop in the cell. On the other hand, when TPP levels are low in plants, more stable mRNA is formed because there is not enough TPP that can bind to the riboswitch and cause structural changes which will result in the formation of unstable mRNA. The stable mRNA produced in the absence of excess TPP is used for the protein biosynthesis of TPP metabolism successfully and thus TPP levels increase in the cell. Unlike plants in bacteria, when TPP concentration is high, riboswitches down-regulate expression of thiamin biosynthesis genes by either blocking the formation of any type of mRNA (both stable and unstable) or preventing the mRNA process rather than destabilizing the mRNA. Some of the other riboswitches that bind vitamin derived compounds are adenosylcobalamin, the coenzyme form of vitamin B12, and flavin mononucleotide, a biomolecule produced from vitamin B2, riboswitches. There are also riboswitches that can bind to amino acids such as lysine riboswitch. The cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) riboswitch is the first known example of an RNA that binds a second messenger, which carries signals from receptors on the cell surface to target molecules inside the cell. Purine riboswitches selectively recognize guanine or adenine and regulate purine biosynthesis and transport, which is important for DNA/RNA synthesis. Another interesting type of riboswitch is the glmS riboswitch. It modulates gene expression by undergoing self-cleavage when there is a sufficient concentration of glucosamine-6-phosphate, an important amino sugar. The spectrum of ligands that can be recognized by riboswitches also includes a metal ion, as well. Mg(2+) riboswitches control Mg(2+) transportation when cells are grown in high Mg(2+) environments. In brief, the growing list of studies on riboswitches shows how novel mechanisms are which they use to regulate the gene expression of many fundamental metabolic pathways.

Applications for Riboswitches as drug targets and chemosensors

Riboswitches are powerful and essential components in all three domains of life which are bacteria, archaea (a group of single-celled microorganisms) and eukaryotes ( organisms whose cells contain complex structures inside membranes such as plants and fungi) functioning as intracellular biosensors and regulators. They regulate gene expression in a highly efficient, precise and fast way. Therefore, they can be engineered for various applications.

First of all, riboswitches are excellent candidates as drug targets since they control many important bacterial and fungal genes. Chemical analogs that mimic the actual ligands of the riboswitches can be designed to silence or regulate the expression of defective genes responsible for disease development or even kill certain bacterial pathogens by turning off the genes that are involved in fundamental metabolic pathways. A great example of this strategy is presented by the Breaker laboratory at Yale University. The Breaker group chose guanine-binding riboswitches as targets for the development of novel antibacterial compounds. They have designed several guanine analogues and tested their ability to be bound by the riboswitch and repress bacterial growth. They have been able to inhibit the bacterial growth by inducing guanine riboswitch action. Their approach could be used to discover new antibacterial compounds that specifically target other riboswitch classes.

In addition to being drug targets, riboswitches can open new frontiers in bioremediation, bionanotechnology, and synthetic biology. In 2007 Shana Topp and Justin P. Gallivan from Emory University demonstrated that Escherichia coli can be reprogrammed to detect, follow, and precisely localize to a completely new chemical signal by using a synthetic riboswitch. They suggest that the bacteria with synthetic or mutated riboswitches could be used to follow and degrade pollutants in soil or target small-molecule signals of disease. Overall, their work to equip the bacteria which can autonomously follow chemical signals, degrade, synthesize or release compounds can help scientists invent new technologies in bioremediation, drug transport, and synthetic biology.

Furthermore, riboswitches are ideal candidates for use in analytical devices and techniques. Their binding features make them suitable in all specific analytical applications in which selective recognition is required. Therefore, these powerful molecular tools can be utilized in analytical chemistry, molecular biology and biosensor technology.

As a result, living systems utilize riboswitches to detect the concentrations of small-molecule metabolites and to modulate the expression of related genes via numerous elegant mechanisms. The use of genetic engineering of riboswitches holds enormous potential for inventing new applications to sense and destroy pathogens, deliver drugs, perform bioremediation, detect chemicals and many others that might have significant impacts on our lives. It is also remarkable that only a couple of decades ago most of the non-coding RNAs were assumed to be useless, and are called junks since they do not provide any information for protein synthesis. Yet riboswitches by themselves are enough to prove that God has created everything with a purpose. He is All-Wise and he does nothing in vain. Riboswitches are not useless at all. They are such complex, and perfectly working systems that they can serve humanity as well-designed on/off switches in numerous applications.

[seeds-of-the-garden]

My first ask to Seeds! Lance is Hotel Manager, Pidge is a Renowned Travel Journalist who frequents said Hotel. Lance wants her to write a feature on his Hotel, but for some reason, she refuses. Looking forward to what becomes of this idea.

This is a little off topic but imagine this as the beginning of the build up.

Checked Out:

Unspecified Research Trip 3: Week 1: Day 1

It’s a statistically beautiful day here in Varadero, Cuba.

“Varadero again?” You query. “I thought you hated humid weather and too much sun?”

Your observations are indeed correct.

However, if you take into account that the temperature fluctuates roughly 6-10 degrees between winter and summer, and there is a breeze that effectively cools the skin (or provides the illusion), you would begin to understand the appeal of returning to such a destination for research as one’s company tends to direct me.

No, you may not know what my company has me researching here. Yes I will strive to satisfy your every other curiosity regarding my current stay here.

Hotel Esquisita is unlike any other place I’ve been sent these last couple of years. I’m pleased to find you all seem to enjoy my time here as much as I do. For those of you reading my blog for the first time, let me explicate:

I have to dwell here for three months minimum each time I’m sent. This time may be a little longer as I will be leaving periodically to meet back up at the research lab in the States.

As stated before, the temperature is hardly the high end of warm. The breeze blows through my room easily as it faces the ocean. The food (when I remember to eat) is more than sufficient for quelling my hunger in the most satisfying manner. The beds are luxurious, and the couch (which I sleep on more often than not) is of significantly higher quality when compared with the other places I have travelled.

But it is the hotel staff that makes my stay here something to look forward to every time. They are attentive and prompt, anticipating my needs before I do. The hotel manager especially.

Last time I stayed here he provided me with this corner room (of which I am in again), showed up on his day off when he heard I was sick and brought his mom’s (he calls her Mami) farm style soup to cure what ails me. He lives at his family farm, but does stay at the hotel quite frequently, and has also fallen asleep (with my permission of course) in my room after I invited him for a movie watch party on the nights I felt especially homesick. He cannot stay awake through more than one movie no matter what. States he needs his beauty sleep, but I would not let him leave.

I will not go into further detail in the off chance he reads this blog (what is the statistical likelihood of him being into travel and bionanotechnology? That’s about as likely as Hunk double modulating the gendocams.) I will not describe how carmel his skin is or how he is so tall I need to tilt my head all the way back to look at him if we are standing in close proximity. I will not say he has eyes the same color as the ocean outside of my hotel window. I will not remind my readers about how affected I am when he takes his tie off and rolls up his dress shirt sleeves when we are playing a video game together. He is in hospitality and has been very hospitable to me.

I will return tomorrow with day two. However, a knock on the door has reminded me that the manager has offered to take me to dinner tonight off-site. A little hole-in-the-wall with live music and dancing. He said he’s going to teach me to cha-cha and tango if it’s the last thing he does. But first, he’ll show me the sunset from his favorite spot.

This is the outfit I have chosen to wear. Friends, was it a good choice? What will I look like being spun around by Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome? (Don’t tell him I said that).

****Photo***

I know this veered off wildly from the science portion of my travels, but I do believe I will have plenty to analyse with you tomorrow. My date is here. (Maybe I shouldn’t call it that?).

Nos Vemos.

[echovilled]

meet selina: an accomplished scientist, dr. selina liu embarks on a journey to discover a new planet to inhabit while learning more about herself and coming to terms with her past.

learn more about her here:

〢FULL LEGAL OR ASSIGNED NAME:

ENG: Selina Meihua Liu

CHI: Liu Meihua / 劉美華

〢DATE OF BIRTH OR CREATION:

24, December, 4001

〢RACE:

Asian

〢PRONOUNS:

She/Her/Hers

〢DOME IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:

TRIA-541713-927110

〢HERITAGE ORIGIN:

Chinese

〢HEIGHT:

165cm / 5’5”

〢WEIGHT:

58 kg / 130 lbs

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〢DISABILITIES:

Crew member was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at the age of 9 due to an accumulation of symptoms including being hostile, hypervigilance, disturbed sleep, irritability, and severe anxiety.

[ Operator Note: Diagnosis will not interfere with regular routine as showcased throughout employment history and examination. Has been prescribed the appropriate medication, Zoloft, to improve any ongoing symptoms. ]

▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬

〢MODIFICATIONS:

N/A

▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬

〢CREW IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:

5-0-0

〢SERIAL NUMBER [IF A.I.]:

N/A

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〢OCCUPATION:

Biomedical Engineer with specialty fields in: Bionanotechnology - subspeciality of nanotechnology and nanoscience. Biomechatronics - subspeciality of biology, mechatronics and mechanical engineering with applied Rehabilitation Engineering. Biomaterials - subspeciality of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering and materials science. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - subspeciality of biomaterials, organ regeneration and neurodegeneration.

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〢STRENGTHS:

Able to make well-thought out and practical decisions, analyzes the needs of patients to design appropriate solutions, is able to focus with intent and without any distractions.

〢WEAKNESSES:

has difficulty adapting to unexpected circumstances, lacks tolerance in disagreeing with another’s actions, has the tendency to take control even when it is not crew member’s place.

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〢MBTI:

ESTJ-A - Crew member of this personality format possess great fortitude, emphatically following their own sensible judgment. They often serve as a stabilizing force among others, able to offer solid direction amid adversity.

〢ENNEAGRAM:

3w4 - Tend to be ambitious, focused, and serious in their behavior. They are very career-oriented, finding much of their identity in their work and are very task-focused.

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〢ALIGNMENT:

Neutral Good - Crew member typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against lawful precepts.

〢TEMPERAMENT:

Disposition appears to be unfazed by process, when prompted further, crew member can become irritable and evasive.

[Operator Note: During the interviewing process, crew members may have a tendency to stare pointedly as an attempt to display their disapproval of invasive questions.]

[Addition: Unnerving]

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〢BEST ATTRIBUTE:

Approaches all situations with logical and unbiased-thinking, their honesty makes the advice and critical feedback helpful.

〢FATAL FLAW:

Is prone to neglecting personal needs due to workaholism.

[Operator Note: Was told personally that sacrifices should always be made to achieve a successful end result.]

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〢HABITS:

When crew member is confronted with unconventional or uncomfortable situations, they tend to clench their jaw or clutch their arm. When in deep thought, their eyebrows knit together. When observing, they tilt their head to the side.

〢HOBBIES:

Painting, chess, photography, mahjong, weiqi, tai-chi, flying yoga, wushu, table tennis.

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〢LIKES:

Efficiency, competency, true crime, listening to music, cooking, weighted blankets, sweets, white tea, simulated thunderstorms.

〢DISLIKES:

Procrastination, inconsistency, disorganization, excessive information unloading, headaches, dairy, checkers.

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〢FEARS:

Why?

[Operator Note: The crew member was informed that it was necessary for examination and file. After expressing initial doubts, she was prompted further. Eventually, an appropriate answer was provided.]

Failure, worthlessness, physical and emotional helplessness, abandonment.

〢TRAUMAS:

N/A

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〢ALLERGIES:

Mild - Lactose Intolerant

Average - House Dust and Spider Mites

[ Operator Note: Provide Dairy Alternatives for diet.]

〢BLOOD TYPE:

AB Positive

〢ADDICTIONS:

N/A

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〢FAMILY HISTORY [MOTHER, FATHER, SIBLINGS, SIGNIFICANT OTHER, ETC.]:

Born to Geng Nuan, a former virtual high school biology teacher, and Aiden Liu, an electrical design engineer who divorced in 4004. Both mother and father were granted joint custody, resulting in crew member living with her mother and stepfather, Stephan Huang, during the weekdays, and with her father during the weekends and holidays. The mother's visits would begin to falter resulting in parental rights being relinquished in 4009 due to "extreme parental disinterest". The crew member stayed with their father and paternal grandmother until father's death in 4015 due to terminal brain cancer. The mother's parental rights were not reinstated although there were discussions of doing so. Guardianship would ultimately pass to the paternal grandmother, Zetian Yu. They would live together until Yu’s death of respiratory failure in 4022. There is currently no significant other. Biological mother, half-sister Aurora Huang, and stepfather are alive, but there is no contact between them.

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〢PERSONAL STATEMENT [EXPLAIN TO US HOW YOU WERE RECRUITED INTO THIS ROLE]:

Science, Technology, and Engineering are complementary factors in today's world. Together, they form a bridge to innovation, uncovering answers that typical physicians, tech entrepreneurs, and biological scientists may not see. I am proud to be one of one in this field, and you would not have approached me for recruitment if I were not. My team and I played an instrumental role in the clinical trial process for the stasis technology used on this trip. With my background in pathology and simulation testing for potential cures, there is no one else on this ship like me, nor can they come close to my expertise.

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〢PERSONAL HISTORY [WHO WERE YOU BEFORE US]:

Selina Meihua Liu, Crew #5-0-0.

Exemplified throughout personal statement, crew member’s arrogance levels with professional career. Personal work history indicates determination, resilience when presented with overcoming hurdles and dedication to patients and tasks. However she is prone to disagreements with bureaucracies if she views their actions as unfavorable. Reports from colleagues indicate that she is dynamic and has a brilliant mind, even taking a critical role in the clinical trial process for the anti-aging injection. They would describe her personally as both austere and reassuring, elusive but honest. Even so, she is liable to not accept inspiration-based or unvetted ideas unless there is a practical proposition; favoring mind over matter. The divide between work and personal life is nonexistent, seeing as they have coalesced into one entity. Leads an urban lifestyle, is low maintenance except for a few materialistic suggestions. Is firm on the decision that no familial or romantic ties would disrupt her decision to leave earth.

*SIDENOTE — this character is included in a roleplay set in the future. this data sheet contains an examination with the character's personal statements included.

[foxymuses]

--- listen I've been aimlessly scrolling Pinterest and somehow wound up in the spiderpool section and I'm just saying 1) yes pls give me a wade. but also 2) my Peter's thesis in college was on bionanotechnology that would reverse damage done to the body such as cancer or burns and heal people and he works/ specializes primarily in using tech in conjunction with biology to better humanity and I'm just saying he would overwork himself trying to find something to help wade (if he wanted it)