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Anatomy

The anatomy of ad copy relevance: The new Google standard – Search Engine Land

Recently, enterprise-focused Google representatives have been encouraging a metric called Relevance, which is believed to be one of the three main factors that make upQuality Score. Relevance is a metric which evaluates how pertinent your ad creative is to your account structure and keywords.

At AdBasis, we have spent Q1 speaking with enterprise-level advertisers about changes being implemented to account structures and to ad units (creative) in order to improve their relevancy scores as recommended by Google. This often means that advertisers need to implement hyper-specific ads to every ad group in their accounts.

As a result, we have seen the demand for scaled ad implementations, ad unit management and creative optimization grow dramatically. This article is designed to give you a standard for what your creative should look like within every ad group. Im going to dissect the anatomy of ad structure, showcase some best practices and provide some additional commentary.

AdWords accounts are growing larger and larger. I am not talking about overall spend I am talking about the number of campaigns and ad groups within a single AdWords account.Whether youre using Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) or something close to it, chances are the number of ad groups in your account has grown significantly. SEMs everywhere are hit with a new set ofchallenges related to this shift.

If your account has been evolving, chances are your existing creative is fragmented and unmeasurable; this is a major problem. One of the biggest challenges is the management, implementation, measurement and optimization of the associated ad units. And now, with Googles new push for extremely granular ad copy relevance, your generic ad copy will no longer work.

So, what does a high-quality search ad look like?

Just as the human body can be dissected and understood, so can your search ads. Here we will evaluate the different organs that make up a search ad and how they can be altered to improve performance. Understanding how Google will evaluate your ad copy based on keyword + search term is vital to understanding how to structure your creative in bulk.

The elements of a search ad that are most vital to determining relevance are as follows:

In order to combat the problem of fragmented and differing creative at the ad group level, standardization through dynamic ad templates across similarly behaving ad groups is a great technique.

What does that mean? It means designing ad copy templatessuch that the search term can be inserted based on the ad group, but the ad copy surrounding your search term is relevant, flexible and testable.This can be achievedusing feed-based technologies to dynamically insert ad content based on ad group or campaign.

(Im notgoing to get into tech setup since thats beyond the scope of this article, but you can learn more about generating feeds and feed-based technologies here.)

Okay, so what should your dynamic ad templates look like?

In the examples below, I willshowcase how feeds can be used to dynamically insert unique creative based on the ad group or campaign (ad group and campaign are the two levels of hierarchy to which creative can be mapped).

The highlighted text in the examplesbelow represents ad copy that is not static; it is written in a way that can be swapped out orchanged based on the needs of the advertiser and how the account is set up. Imagine the highlighted elements are changing based on your ad group.

The goal of these templates is to map search terms to specific ad groups in ways that make sense in ad copy.

The company in the examplebelow has ad groups for specific action verbs (Browse, Search, Find and so on) and Makes/Models of vehicles (e.g., Toyota, Honda, Mercedes). From this, they could create a feed of action verbs by ad group, a list of Makes by ad group, and a list of Models by ad group. These variables would change dynamically based on the content in their feeds.

As you can see, this particular ad copy template would work across hundreds or thousands of ad groups which are geared toward different keywords and Makes/Models. Youd keep the quality of your ad copy relevance and be able to measure the performance of this creative template.

Through the use of dynamic templates, e-commerce brands can implement, manage and measure ad copy in bulk. Knowing if BOGO vs. 50% Off works best for particular audiences or product categories is vital information. But often, this is very difficult to execute at scale without sacrificing ad relevance.

Here is an example of a scaled ad template that can be used by e-commerce brands. The makeup of this ad template includes an audience variable (Men or Women), product category variable (Shoes, Shirts, Pants) and discount percentage (mapped to the product category).

These elements can be shifted throughout the ad and tested across ad groups/campaigns dynamically. Generating a feed of your dynamic elements and mapping them to campaigns or ad groups is crucial to standardization and measurement of ad creative at scale.

SaaS companies are unique because often, they only offer a single product. In many instances, SaaS companies will position the same product in different ways and will segment campaigns by the value proposition someone is searching for.

This provides a unique set of challenges. Another approach to dynamic ad copy templates isnt inserting a search term, but rather entire Headlines, Pathways, Descriptions and so on.

Below, this SaaS company is dynamically inserting the Headline 1 and Description based on the ad group. This gives them the opportunity to test Pathways and Headline 2 without sacrificing the customized Headline 1 and Description theyve written.

The use of dynamic ad templates across ad groups and campaigns affords you the opportunity to test your ads in two main ways:

This approach is designed to provide SEMs with an approach that is flexible enough to test across ad groups/campaigns (implement at scale) but specific enough to deliver extremely relevant ads to all searchers. Its not an easy task, but hopefully, this article will get the creative juices flowing on what technology options are out there to help improve your ad copy relevance.

Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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The anatomy of ad copy relevance: The new Google standard - Search Engine Land

Anatomy

Anatomy of an Upfront: Behind the Scenes of NBCU’s Road to Radio City – AdAge.com

Every spring the big TV networks mount elaborate stage shows to promote their new seasons to ad buyers, trying to establish the best possible position before beginning talks for all the upcoming commercial time. Some buyers may just as soon skip the spectacle, but networks still consider them a key tool for framing their offering.

For NBC Universal, the stakes are some $6 billion in ad commitments that Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships, will negotiate in the weeks following the presentation.

NBC's show at Radio City Music Hall ultimately included 10 confetti cannons, six pyrotechnics cannons and over 100 hours of rehearsal. It left out the planned dancing football players and trampoline artists when John Shea, creative director of the event, cut them at 10 p.m. the night before.

Ad Age followed NBC Universal's team for the three months leading up to the annual pitch to see firsthand what it takes to pull it all off. Watch the video for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look.

By Jeanine Poggi, Nate Skid and David Hall.

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Anatomy of an Upfront: Behind the Scenes of NBCU's Road to Radio City - AdAge.com

Genetics

Thanks to Genetic Testing, Everyone Could Soon Have a Pre-Existing Condition – Slate Magazine

A quick cheek swab and youre well on your way to learning quite a bit about your genetic risk factors.

fotoquique/iStock

As currently written, the American Health Care Act allows states to opt out of the popular Obamacare provision that bans insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. Twenty-seven percent of adult Americans under the age of 65 have a declinable pre-existing condition, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and if the AHCA becomes law, any number of them could become uninsured. The guiding GOP arithmetic takes as a given that people should pre-emptively pony up for conditions beyond their controlincluding, yes, having a second X chromosome. Millions more have conditionsfrom asthma to the ever-inconvenient urinary tract infectionthat could also jack up the rate of coverage, making insurance prohibitively expensive.

What their calculations dont yet consider are the could-be conditions embedded in our DNA. Our genomes provide a window into scores of genetic risk factors that have yet to present as full-fledged pre-existing conditions. If the GOP insists that people can be charged differently depending on their current health, whats to say theyll stop short of asserting that we could be charged according to our genomes?

The personal genetics revolution is well-underway. More Americans than ever have access to the information contained in their genetic material. When the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, the cost of sequencing the 3 billion As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that comprise the human genome rang in at $50,000. Today, that price tag has plummeted to $1,000 with promises of a $100 genome in the near future. Already a mere $99 and a dab of spittle will give consumers a good sense of their genetic risk factors from private genetic testing company 23andMe. Last month, the company received Food and Drug Administration approval to test for predispositions to 10 medical conditions. And even before that came through, customers could upload the raw DNA data generated by 23andMe into interpretation only services like Promethease for a DIY disease risk assessment.

And thats just personal use of genetic informationthe current $1,000 price tag means its already accessible in many medical settings. The question now turns to how the data deluge brought on by the genomics age will be used. Personal genetics can empower patients, doctors, and researchers to make more informed decisions around health care. But while this information could help us make better medical choices, it could also be used to fine-tune insurance algorithms, calculating premiums on a sliding scale of genetic risk.

Americans saw this trade-off coming. The Human Genome Project spurred concerns around genetic discrimination in the 1990s. Over a decade before Obamacares pre-existing conditions protections, patient and civil rights organizations came together to press for protections against genetic discrimination. Thirteen years of advocacy efforts led to the bipartisan passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. GINA prohibits employers and health insurers from using genetics to influence hiring decisions and insurance coverage.

The legislation was celebrated as the first major civil-rights bill of the century. It eased concerns around genetic discrimination to ultimately encourage people to take advantage of emerging genetic technologies and therapies. GINAs protections helped advance genome research, and today millions of Americans have submitted genetic samples for testing. A government-funded $215 million Precision Medicine Initiative is now underway with the goal of collecting genetic and health data from over 1 million Americans to better inform biomedical research.

That means millions of genotypes that can be used by clinicians and researchers to home in on and characterize genes linked to specific diseases. That also means millions of genotypes that could be factored into the underwriting calculus that prioritizes profits over patients.

Whats to say the GOP will stop short of asserting that we could be charged according to our genomes?

Life, disability, and long-term care insurance, which are not covered under GINAs provisions, already use genetic testing results to deny coverage to otherwise healthy individuals. And when it comes to health insurance, GINA isnt perfect. The legislation only protects people who are genetically predisposed to a disease if they are asymptomatic. Once a person begins showing symptoms, GINA no longer matters. But for a while, Obamacare closed that loophole. When it was enacted, personal genetics was still in its infancy23andMe had less than 50,000 customers at a price tag of $999, and AncestryDNA had yet to launch. So in the years since the ACAs passage, shoring up protections against genetic discrimination has received little legislative attention.

Obamacare repeal reopens the gray area between genetic predisposition and a pre-existing condition. The AHCAs MacArthur amendment would require that states opting out of Obamacares pre-existing conditions rule set up high-risk pools for sick people who incur higher medical costs. But what sick actually means is increasingly up for debate. Does a BRCA1 mutation, which portends a 55 percent to 65 percent risk of developing breast cancer by the age of 70, count as a pre-existing condition when youre 30? When youre 60?

DNA doesnt encode certain destiny: Carrying the BRCA1 mutation offers no more clarity than the percentage given above. But without the ACA, GINA is the only thing stopping insurance companies from practicing genetic determinism when they decide what conditions warrant higher premiums or coverage denial. Republicans, who control every branch of government, have shown that they believe different people should be required to pay different amounts on the basis of what essentially amounts to dumb luck. And we already know they have little interest in regulating corporate interests. Besides, nobody dies because they don't have access to health care, remember?

Even with GINA and Obamacare protections still in place, Americans remain wary of participating in whole-genome sequencing studies, citing fears of discrimination from life insurance companies. Their skepticism is warranted: For all its attributes, the ACA paradoxically opened a GINA loophole by encouraging employer health care plans to offer discounts for participating in workplace wellness programs. GOP lawmakers recently seized on this idea, introducing legislation to compel employees to share genetic test results with their employers.

We already know the current government is not much interested in sciencebut if that science involves calculating maximizing profit margins at the expense of patient empowerment, they just might perk up.

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Thanks to Genetic Testing, Everyone Could Soon Have a Pre-Existing Condition - Slate Magazine

Genetics

Genetic Health Information Network Summit Will Address Precision Medicine Challenges – PR Newswire (press release)

Unique in both its broad engagement of healthcare stakeholders and its focus on practical solutions to real-world challenges in precision medicine, the invitation-only event will convene leading health plans, clinicians, hospital systems, researchers, policy makers, laboratories, technology vendors and pharmaceutical companies, as well as patients and advocates.

Together, these stakeholders will work to develop action plans to:

"This event is not about simplistic answers, nor debate for its own sake. The goal is to engage in an open, honest dialog that produces clear action plans to improve the Genetic Health Information Network together," said Gillian Hooker, PhD, Concert's vice president of clinical development. "Ultimately, we all want a healthcare system that delivers on the promise of precision medicine to every patient who needs it. In order to do that, we need to work together. We're committed to doing our part to make that happen, both in preparation for the summit, and in facilitating action that will follow it."

The event's organizing committee includes members from across the healthcare landscape. They include:

"Despite the tremendous promise of precision medicine to improve human health, the field suffers from a dearth of data and the digital infrastructure to effectively study the impact of precision diagnostics, drugs and other interventions on healthcare outcomes," said Carlos Bustamante, PhD. "The collaboration represented by this summit is exactly what's needed to change that."

More information on the Summit can be found at http://www.geneticnetworksummit.com.

To advance the industry-wide discussion about improving the Genetic Health Information Network, Concert Genetics published a white paper earlier this year on the state of the Genetic Health Information Network and top opportunities to connect and enhance the network to better integrate precision medicine into the healthcare system. More on that document can be found here: http://www.concertgenetics.com/network.

About Concert GeneticsConcert Genetics provides software and analytic tools to connect, simplify and unify the world of genetic testing for hospital and health systems, clinicians, health plans, labs and governing organizations. Concert's unique applications are built on a market-leading database that combines its index of the entire U.S.-based clinical genetic testing market today more than 70,000 testing products with other enriched data, such as genetic testing claims data from more than 100 million insured members. This data powers the leading genetic test search tool, specialized industry benchmarking and nuanced analysis of market dynamics. Concert aims to connect the disparate stakeholders in the healthcare community to help unlock the full potential of genetic testing for delivering precision medicine. Learn more at http://www.ConcertGenetics.com.

Media Contact:Erin George erin@lovell.com 615-946-9914

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genetic-health-information-network-summit-will-address-precision-medicine-challenges-300459834.html

SOURCE Concert Genetics

http://www.ConcertGenetics.com

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Genetic Health Information Network Summit Will Address Precision Medicine Challenges - PR Newswire (press release)

Genetics

Data from Clinical Study of NewLink Genetics’ IDO Pathway Inhibitor … – GlobeNewswire (press release)

May 18, 2017 06:00 ET | Source: NewLink Genetics Corporation Updated NewLink Infographic for ASCO and EHA.pdf

AMES, Iowa, May 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLink Genetics Corporation (NASDAQ:NLNK) today announced that an abstract describing data from a clinical study of its IDO pathway inhibitor, indoximod, in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for patients with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), is now available on the website of the European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress.

An infographic accompanying this announcement is available athttp://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a3b562f-28b3-4526-baaf-95974cd8eb4f

These data to be presented at the EHA Congress further highlight clinical results presented at AACR in April and to be presented at ASCO in June, supporting the hypothesis that the IDO pathway is central to immune suppression in cancer, said Charles J. Link, Jr., M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. NewLink Genetics has two separate and distinct types of IDO pathway inhibitors in clinical development. Indoximod, which is wholly owned by NewLink Genetics, has a proposed differentiated mechanism within the IDO pathway and acts as a tryptophan mimetic having a direct effect on immune cells to reverse immune suppression used by cancer to protect itself.

Indoximod in combination with chemotherapeutic agents

Initial results from the Phase 1b portion of a Phase 1b/randomized Phase 2a trial of indoximod in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, idarubicin and cytarabine, for patients with newly diagnosed AML will be presented as an e-poster (Abstract number E-912) by Ashkan Emadi, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, at EHA in Madrid on Friday, June 23, 2017, 9:30 AM to Saturday, June 24, 7:00 PM CET and is titled: Indoximod in Combination with Idarubicin and Cytarabine for Upfront Treatment of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): Phase 1 Report.

This study uses a conventional remission induction and consolidation protocol for patients with newly diagnosed AML. Indoximod is given orally starting on day 8 of induction onward. The Phase 1 portion evaluated three dose levels of indoximod (600 mg, 1000 mg, 1200 mg) in combination with the standard of care 7+3 chemotherapy. Twelve patients were enrolled, as of March 1, 2017. The results indicate indoximod does not appear to add significant toxicity to standard remission induction and consolidation therapy for patients with newly diagnosed AML. Initial data suggest a low rate of minimal residual disease (MRD-neg) after one cycle of induction chemotherapy.

Nicholas N. Vahanian, M.D., President and Chief Medical Officer added, Importantly, these data support further clinical investigation of our IDO pathway inhibitors in combination with currently available therapies, such as chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

Key findings presented from the study include:

About Indoximod Indoximod is an investigational, orally available small molecule targeting the IDO pathway. The IDO pathway is one of the key immuno-oncology targets involved in regulating the tumor microenvironment and immune escape.

NewLink Genetics is currently evaluating indoximod in multiple combination studies for patients with various types of cancer including melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.

About NewLink Genetics Corporation NewLink Geneticsis a biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of discovering, developing and commercializing novel immuno-oncology product candidates to improve the lives of patients with cancer.NewLink Genetics'product candidates are designed to harness multiple components of the immune system to combat cancer.For more information, please visit http://www.newlinkgenetics.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements of NewLink Genetics that involve substantial risks and uncertainties.All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "target," "potential," "will," "could," "should," "seek" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about results of its clinical trials for product candidates; its timing of release of data from ongoing clinical studies; its plans related to moving additional indications into clinical development; and any other statements other than statements of historical fact.Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that NewLink Genetics makes due to a number of important factors, including those risks discussed in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in NewLink Genetics Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2016and other reports filed with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC).The forward-looking statements in this press release represent NewLink Genetics views as of the date of this press release. NewLink Genetics anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change.However, while it may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing NewLink Genetics' views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

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Embryology

Human genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9: South African legal perspective – Lexology (registration)

Background

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has been a topical subject since the Chinese research group led by Junjiu Huang at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou used this technology to eliminate the human -globulin (HBB) gene from the germline of a non-viable human embryo. Naturally occurring mutations in HBB cause the blood disorder -thalassaemia, which can be fatal. The group's research article was rejected by both Nature and Science on ethical grounds and was eventually published in the journal Protein and Cell. Subsequently, in a groundbreaking decision, regulatory approval for a research study using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in viable human embryo cells was provided in the United Kingdom by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to Kathy Niakan's team at the Francis Crick Institute.

Despite the obvious potential benefits of this technology for the development of therapeutic treatment of otherwise incurable genetic and other diseases, ethical concerns over its therapeutic use are being debated around the globe. The biggest, but not the only, concerns over the use of this technology as a therapy are the possible off-target mutations that might arise during the use of the editing method, which would then be passed on to the patient's progeny.

In South Africa, gene editing techniques have and are being used in therapeutic research studies with adult human cells. However, the ethical concerns around somatic gene editing therapy are less controversial than with germline therapy. Any possible adverse effects in somatic cells would affect only the patient in question, and the treatment's risks can be assessed and weighed against the potential benefits. Conversely, germline mutations are transferred to all progeny cells and would be passed on to subsequent generations of children and form part of the human gene pool.

Patentability considerations

A number of patent applications relating to the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology have been filed in South Africa by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Broad Institute and the President and Fellows of Harvard College, among others. None have yet proceeded to grant.

The Patents Act (57/1978) does not preclude patenting of germline editing technology for human gametes or the products of such methods. However, certain inventions of this type may fall within the provisions of the Patents Act relating to offensive or immoral behaviour and may therefore be considered to be unpatentable. Since there is no substantive examination of patent applications in South Africa at present, it is questionable whether the registrar will ever refuse an application on such a ground. Another possible course of action for a third party wanting to challenge such a patent would be for it to apply for revocation of the patent once granted. One of the Patent Act's grounds for revocation of a granted patent is that it should not have been granted as it pertains to unpatentable subject matter. These provisions all hinge on a question of morality and whether the invention would generally be considered immoral by either the registrar or the courts, and such a consideration has yet to be made.

Legislative considerations

Obtaining a granted patent is not a guarantee that the patented technology may be freely used. The National Health Act (61/2004) and its regulations in particular, the Regulations relating to Control of Use of Blood, Blood Products, Tissue and Gametes in Humans, which were promulgated in 2012 regulate the removal and use of tissue, blood, blood products and gametes from living persons. The use of such materials in techniques involving germline editing, although not specifically referenced, would also be regulated by the National Health Act.

At present, removal of any such materials, apart from gametes, requires written consent from the subject if he or she is over the age of 18 or from the subject's parent or guardian if he or she is under the age of 18. In the case of gametes, such material may be removed only if the subject is over the age of 18 or ministerial approval is obtained. Additionally, the National Health Act places restrictions on the reproductive cloning of human beings which would be part of the process where germline editing is used on a viable human embryo.

The National Health Act prohibits the manipulation of genetic material of human gametes, zygotes or embryos and activities such as nuclear transfer or embryo splitting for the purpose of the reproductive cloning of a human being. The minister of health may permit research on stem cells and zygotes which are younger than 14 days old, on a written application for research purposes, so long as the applicant undertakes to document the research and the donor's prior written consent is obtained.

Any person who fails to comply with the National Health Act regulations will be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine, 10 years' imprisonment or both.

Comment

Members of the scientific community have argued for a moratorium to be called on human germline editing and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) has banned NIH-funded research into the genomic editing of human embryos. However, other members of the scientific community have argued that it is unethical to withhold technology that might be used to treat otherwise incurable diseases.

At present, the modification of a human embryo's germline for therapeutic purposes culminating in the reproduction of a human being is prohibited in South Africa. Germline editing for research purposes might be permitted, but would require conditional ministerial approval.

For further information on this topic please contact Joanne van Harmelen at ENSafrica by telephone (+27 21 410 2500) or email (jvanharmelen@ensafrica.com). The ENSafrica website can be accessed at http://www.ensafrica.com.

This article was first published by the International Law Office, a premium online legal update service for major companies and law firms worldwide.Register for a free subscription.

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Human genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9: South African legal perspective - Lexology (registration)

Cell Biology

New role in cells suggested for ATP – Chemical & Engineering News

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) performs many jobs in a cell. It carries energy, serves as a signaling molecule, and is the source of adenosine in DNA and RNA.

But cells contain far more ATPas much as 5 mM in the cytoplasmthan these known uses seem to require. That might be because ATP also can solubilize proteins, suggests a new study (Science 2017, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf6846).

ATP has the general characteristics of a hydrotrope, an amphiphilic molecule that has both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic component but does not assemble into structures such as micelles. Hydrotropes are used industrially to solubilize hydrophobic species in aqueous solution. The hydrophobic portion of hydrotropessuch as ATPs adenosinelikely interacts with the hydrophobic species, while the hydrophilic partsuch as ATPs triphosphateallows the species to stay in solution.

In the new work, a team led by Yamuna Krishnan of the University of Chicago and Anthony A. Hyman of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics investigated the effects of ATP on the aggregation of several proteins. They found that ATP could prevent the aggregation of two proteins known to form amyloid clumps. For a third protein, ATP was further able to dissolve fibers of already aggregated protein. And ATP kept proteins in boiled egg white from aggregating.

Most healthy cell functions require that proteins remain soluble at enormous intracellular concentrations, without aggregating into pathogenic deposits, write Allyson M. Rice and Michael K. Rosen of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in a perspective accompanying the paper. The cell may exploit a natural hydrotrope to keep itself in a functioning, dynamic state.

ATP may have also played an important role in the origin and evolution of life, Krishnan, Hyman, and colleagues note in their paper. Aggregation would have been a problem even for early biological macromolecules. ATP may have been coopted early in evolution to prevent such aggregation, even before the molecule became an energy carrier, the researchers suggest.

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New role in cells suggested for ATP - Chemical & Engineering News

Cell Biology

Researchers probe a unique marine animal for insights into human vascular system – Phys.Org

May 18, 2017 by James Badham A light micrograph shows individuals of aBotryllus schlossericolony that have arranged themselves into a star-shaped structure called asystem. Credit:Delany Rodriguez

At first glance, Botryllus schlosseri is pretty nondescript.

The small, transparent marine organism, abundant along California's coast, spends its life colonizing submerged surfacesboats, docks and even other animals. But the star ascidian or golden star tunicate, as B. schlosseri is commonly known, is more than just a humble hanger-on.

As an invertebrate closely related to humans, it has characteristics that are about to make it the focus of a multicampus research project aimed at placing the University of California (UC) at the forefront of vascular mechanics andby extensioncardiovascular disease, which is responsible for one in four deaths in the state.

UC has awarded Megan Valentine, an associate professor in UCSB's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and partners at UCLA and UC Irvine with $300,000 for a pilot project that is part of the UC Multi-Campus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI). The awards provide two years of seed funding for collaborations that show promise in terms of launching pioneering cross-disciplinary research that strengthens UC's position as a leading public research university, supports innovative graduate student research, informs public policy and benefits California residents.

"This is a really strong area for UC and something we have a lot of pride of ownership in, but the campuses could be better linked," Valentine said. "These interdisciplinary initiatives from the UC Office of the President play an important role in cultivating relationships within and across campuses. We're very grateful for this opportunity to leverage system-wide resources and expertise."

Valentine, her key UCSB collaborator, Anthony De Tomaso, an associate professor in UCSB's Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and colleagues at the two other UC campuses will focus their research on the star ascidia's vascular mechanics and mechanobiology. The latter is an emerging field of science focused on how physical forces and changes in the mechanical properties of cells and tissues contribute to development, cell differentiation, physiology and disease.

The project focuses specifically on vascular mechanics, whichdespite the invertebrate's close evolutionary relationship to humanshas not been studied previously in this context. "A lot of the discoveries we've made in terms of what proteins are important for vasculature in humans appear also to be relevant in this model," Valentine said. "It has completely untapped potential for discovery."

"The biology of Botryllus is fascinating and allows novel approaches in a number of fields, from immunology to stem cell biology and regeneration," said De Tomasco, whose lab has studied the animal for HOW LONG. "However, this new project on vascular biology is potentially groundbreaking, as it joins the unique anatomy and accessibility of the blood vessels to powerful visualization techniques. That allows us to directly manipulate and characterize global responses at a resolution not available in other model organisms."

The star ascidian has a simple but unique anatomy, with the vasculature located externally. When it is treated with a drug that disrupts collagen crosslinkinganother of its valuable characteristics is that it responds to drugs that humans also respond toit retracts the vascular structure in a process clearly visible through an optical microscope and even to the naked eye.

"So we get this immediate visual readout from a live organism," Valentine explained. "We can go in and manipulate the vessels: stretch them or apply forces with the goal of understanding what's happening mechanically. The drug does not affect the blood vessels directly; it affects the matrix in which they sit, softening it. And when the vasculature receives that softening signal, it retracts. We want to dig into the details of how organisms sense force and how they receive and process mechanical signals and turn that information into other cell functionsthat's not something that we understand. Then we need to connect that to the broader context of human vascular biology."

The long-term goal is to use the project to establish an infrastructure and then to secure longer-term funding and form a consortium of biologists and engineers to investigate how blood vessels know when to grow and shrink and how to control those decisions to fight human diseases such as cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration and cancer.

The project also seeks to understanding of the role of phagocytes, cells that protect an organism by ingesting harmful foreign entities, cells and tissues that are no longer needed. "In this case, as those vessels are retreating and you're losing all the blood vessel volume, those cells have to go somewhere, and phagocytes play a role in destroying them," Valentine explained. "There are a lot of open questions about exactly how that works. And because the vasculature is on the outside in this system, we have a lot of opportunities for imaging and for other analysis, so maybe we can get to the heart of that question."

Student training is another key component of the MRPI Awards, and UCSB undergraduate and graduate students who are trained in engineering will have the opportunity to work with colleagues at UCI and UCLA who have expertise in such areas as conventional animal model studies, as well as conducting human clinical trials.

Undergraduate students in a new class for summer 2017 will spend three weeks doing discovery-based research at UCSB and three weeks learning bioinformatics at UCLA. "The coolest thing about this system is that it is so accessible; you can touch the blood vessels with your fingers," De Tomaso said. "Because the retraction of the vasculature also occurs quicklytaking only 16 hoursstudents can rapidly learn many experimental processes. There is so much low-hanging fruit experimentally that they will actually be able to do brand-new science."

MRPI projects build connections among UC campuses while taking advantage of specific characteristics unique to each one. "In Santa Barbara, because of our location, we understand ocean resources and what we can learn from studying ocean organisms," Valentine said. "It will be powerful if we can share our ocean experience with the other campuses that don't have those resources. In a 10 campus system, you don't need every campus to have expertise in every area. We should be specialized, but then we should also recognize that as part of the UC system, we can leverage all of the other campuses in really unique ways."

Explore further: Regenerative stem cell active in human blood vessels could help patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease

The discovery of a regenerative stem cell active in human blood vessels could help patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

For the first time, researchers have followed the development of blood vessels in zebrafish embryos without using any labels or contrast agents, which may disturb the biological processes under study.

Whether building organs or maintaining healthy adult tissues, cells use biochemical and mechanical cues from their environment to make important decisions, such as becoming a neuron, a skin cell or a heart cell. Scientists ...

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare genetic condition that causes premature and accelerated aging. Recently, researchers have been able to generate induced pluripotent stem cells from patients ...

Cells of the vascular system of vertebrates can fuse with themselves. This process, which occurs when a blood vessel is no longer necessary and pruned, has now been described on the cellular level by Prof. Markus Affolter ...

(Phys.org) Botryllus schlosseri, a small sea creature, can regenerate its entire body from its blood vessels alone. Stanford researchers hope that sequencing its genome will lead to advances in regenerative and transplant ...

(Phys.org)A pair of researchers from Stanford University has studied the energy used by a type of small parrot as it hops from branch to branch during foraging. As they note in their paper uploaded to the open access site ...

A new Oxford University collaboration revealing the world's prime insect predation hotspots, achieved its landmark findings using an unusual aid: plasticine 'dummy caterpillars.'

Breeding in plants and animals typically involves straightforward addition. As beneficial new traits are discoveredlike resistance to drought or larger fruitsthey are added to existing prized varieties, delivered via ...

After decades of research aiming to understand how DNA is organized in human cells, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have shed new light on this mysterious field by discovering how a key protein helps control gene organization.

Researchers have successfully developed a novel method that allows for increased disease resistance in rice without decreasing yield. A team at Duke University, working in collaboration with scientists at Huazhong Agricultural ...

University of Chicago psychology professor Leslie Kay and her research group set out to resolve a 15-year-old scientific dispute about how rats process odors. What they found not only settles that argument, it suggests an ...

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Researchers probe a unique marine animal for insights into human vascular system - Phys.Org

Biochemistry

Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market Growth by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Analysis to 2022 – DailyNewsKs

Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market is expected to witness growth of international market with respect to advancements and innovations including development history, competitive analysis and regional development forecast.

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Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis: Manufacturing Cost Analysis-Raw Materials Analysis-Price Trend of Key Raw Materials-Key Suppliers of Raw Materials-Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials-Labour Cost.

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Trade and Distribution Analysis: Marketing Channel-Direct Marketing-Indirect Marketing-Marketing Channel Development Trend-Market Positioning-Pricing Strategy-Brand Strategy-Distributors/Traders List.

This section of the Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers market report consists of marketing channel status and end buyer price analysis. It also provides contact information of the traders and distributors.

Market Effect Factors Analysis: Technology Progress/Risk-Substitutes Threat-Technology Progress in Related Industry-Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change-Economic/Political Environmental Change.

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The Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers industry research report is a valuable source of guidance and direction. It is helpful for established businesses, new entrants in the market as well as individuals interested in the market. The Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers market report provides important statistics on the existing state of the said market.

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Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market Growth by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Analysis to 2022 - DailyNewsKs

Biochemistry

Biochemist Peter Hinkle dies at 76 | Cornell Chronicle – Cornell Chronicle

Peter C. Hinkle, Cornell professor emeritus of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, died May 12 in Ithaca of pancreatic cancer. He was 76.

Widely acknowledged as a brilliant biochemist, Hinkle was an early adopter of a groundbreaking new approach to understanding the energy metabolism in cells. Though originally trained in classical biochemistry, Hinkle chose to do postdoctoral work in England with Peter Mitchell, who had postulated a new approach to how cells acquire the carbon and energy they need to grow, the chemiosmotic theory, for which Mitchell received the Nobel Prize in 1978.

The chemiosmotic mechanism postulated by Mitchell was not easily understood by those trained in classical biochemistry, but Peter Hinkle did understand and brought those ideas to Cornell where they took root, said Joseph Calvo, professor emeritus of molecular biology and genetics.

Hinkle received a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Harvard University in 1962 and a doctorate from New York University in 1967. His work with Mitchell at Glynn Research was supported by a National Institutes of Health fellowship. His scientific promise was also recognized early by a 1971 NIH Career Development Award.

After his work at Glynn, Hinkle came to Cornell as a postdoctoral fellow in 1969. He became an assistant professor in 1973, part of a cohort of new faculty hired to strengthen biology across the campus.

Peter was a valued member of our department for 44 years, said William Brown, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was at the forefront of elucidating how cells make ATP, the energy currency of life on this planet.

Hinkle and others, including Efraim Racker, Andre Jagendorf and Richard McCarty, provided convincing experimental evidence for the chemiosmotic theory.

Peter Hinkle made a number of very important contributions to the required paradigm shift, said Calvo. He was an exacting experimentalist who had a highly developed understanding of laboratory conditions that avoided artifacts. He was asked to review many research papers and invited to meetings throughout the developed world.

One of Hinkles most important contributions was to frame the chemiosmotic theory in a way that could be understood by the greater scientific community. He published, with McCarty, a seminal article in Scientific American that included state-of-the-art drawings of ATP synthesis in plant and animal cells, emphasizing the basic similarities in the two cases. Hinkles wife, Maija, played a major role in developing the drawings. Some version of those drawings is in every biochemistry text sold today, said Calvo.

Peter and his colleagues also made very important contributions toward the understanding of how molecules cross biological membranes, said McCarty, the W.D. Gill Professor Emeritus of Biology at John Hopkins University. His lab was the first to show that the membranes of animal cells contain an embedded protein that mediates the transport of glucose across the membranes.

Hinkle became a full professor at Cornell in 1983 and served as chair of what was then known as the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology from 1985 to 1988. He taught, said Brown, legions of students in his graduate courses in bioenergetics and undergraduate courses in biochemistry, as well as his course Ethical Issues and Professional Responsibilities. In 2003, he and senior lecturer Jim Blankenship received a Faculty Innovation in Teaching grant to add web-based activities that incorporated 3-D visualization of proteins as well as interactive animations to the auto-tutorial course, Biochemistry 330.

During 1988-89 Hinkle served as distinguished visiting scientist at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology in New Jersey. He served on numerous editorial boards, most recently for the Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes.

After his retirement in 2014, Hinkle pursued interests including electronic music; he incorporated bird songs into his compositions.

Hinkle is survived by his widow, three sons, four granddaughters and two brothers.

A celebration of Hinkles life will take place Saturday, May 20, at 11 a.m. in the Founders Room in Anabel Taylor Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or to the Norwood and Cornelia Scholarship Fund at The Putney School.

Linda B. Glaser is a staff writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Biochemist Peter Hinkle dies at 76 | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle