Category Archives: Cell Biology

Cell Biology

S2 Genomics and the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Collaborate on Single-Cell Genomics on Solid Tissues – Business Wire

LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--S2 Genomics, a manufacturer and provider of automated tissue sample preparation systems, and the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), a leading genomics research institute, today announced that RIKEN IMS has joined the S2 Genomics Early Technology Access Program to evaluate and further develop single cell sequencing applications on the S2 Genomics Singulator tissue preparation system.

Achieving high-quality single cell data from solid tissues relies upon consistent and reproducible cell or nuclei dissociation procedures. To overcome the challenges often seen with manual cell dissociation methods, S2 Genomics has developed the automated Singulator system to process solid tissue samples into suspensions of cells or nuclei for single-cell analysis.

Current methods of cell isolation are a significant bottleneck for researchers and can lead to inconsistencies in their data. The Singulator automates and standardizes the dissociation of solid tissues and can improve the quality of single-cell and single-nuclei data from a variety of solid tissue types, said Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of S2 Genomics. We are excited to work with the RIKEN IMS to evaluate the performance of the system and to develop new applications for the Singulator platform.

Dr. Aki Minoda, Unit Leader of the Epigenome Technology Exploration Unit, commented on the collaboration: We are delighted to collaborate with S2 Genomics and incorporate the Singulator into our workflow for single-cell analyses.

About S2 Genomics, Inc.

S2 Genomics, founded in 2016, is a leading developer of laboratory automation solutions to process solid tissue for life science applications. S2 Genomics technology platforms integrate advanced fluidics, optics, and biochemistry capabilities to produce sample preparation solutions for the next generation sequencing (NGS) and cell biology markets. For more information, visit http://www.s2genomics.com.

S2 Genomics, the S2 Genomics logo, and Singulator are trademarks of S2 Genomics, Inc.

About the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences

The RIKEN IMS aims to elucidate the pathogenesis of human diseases and establish new therapeutic methodologies by conducting cutting-edge research on human genome and immune function. To that end, we have established four Divisions: (1) Division of Genomic Medicine, (2) Division of Human Immunology, (3) Division of Disease Systems Biology, and (4) Division of Next Generation Cancer Immunology. These groups work together to promote state-of-the-art research.

For more information, visit https://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/ims/index.html.

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S2 Genomics and the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Collaborate on Single-Cell Genomics on Solid Tissues - Business Wire

Cell Biology

Live-cell imaging provides new insights into dynamic structure of mitochondria – News-Medical.net

As power plants and energy stores, mitochondria are essential components of almost all cells in plants, fungi and animals. Until now, it has been assumed that these functions underlie a static structure of mitochondrial membranes. Researchers at the Heinrich Heine University Dsseldorf (HHU) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), supported also by the Center for Advanced Imaging (CAi) of HHU, and have now discovered that the inner membranes of mitochondria are by no means static, but rather constantly change their structure every few seconds in living cells. This dynamic adaptation process further increases the performance of our cellular power plants.

In our opinion, this finding fundamentally changes the way our cellular power plants work and will probably change the textbooks."

Prof. Dr. Andreas Reichert, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I at the HHU

The results are described in a publication in EMBO Reports.

Mitochondria are extremely important components in cells performing vital functions including the regulated conversion of energy from food into chemical energy in the form of ATP. ATP is the energy currency of cells and an adult human being produces (and consumes) approximately 75 kilograms of ATP per day. One molecule of ATP is produced about 20,000 times a day and then consumed again for energy utilization. This immense synthesis capacity takes place in the inner membrane of the mitochondria, which has numerous folds called cristae. It was previously assumed that a specific static structure of the cristae ensured the synthesis of ATP. Whether and to what extent cristae membranes are able to dynamically adapt or alter their structure in living cells and which proteins are required to do so, was unknown.

The research team of Prof. Dr. Andreas Reichert with Dr. Arun Kondadi and Dr. Ruchika Anand from the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I of the HHU in collaboration with the research team of Prof. Dr. Orian Shirihai and Prof. Dr. Marc Liesa from UCLA (USA) succeeded for the first time in showing that cristae membranes in living cells continuously change their structure dynamically within seconds within mitochondria. This showed that the cristae membrane dynamics requires a recently identified protein complex, the MICOS complex. Malfunctions of the MICOS complex can lead to various serious diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and a form of mitochondrial encephalopathy with liver damage. After the identification of the first protein component of this complex (Fcj1/Mic60) about ten years ago by Prof. Andreas Reichert and his research group, this is another important step to elucidate the function of the MICOS complex.

"Our now published observations lead to the model that cristae, after membrane fission, can exist for a short time as isolated vesicles within mitochondria and then re-fuse with the inner membrane. This enables an optimal and extremely rapid adaptation to the energetic requirements in a cell," said Prof. Andreas Reichert.

Source:

Journal reference:

Kondadi, A.K., et al. (2020) Cristae undergo continuous cycles of membrane remodelling in a MICOSdependent manner. EMBO Reports. doi.org/10.15252/embr.201949776.

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Live-cell imaging provides new insights into dynamic structure of mitochondria - News-Medical.net

Cell Biology

Cultivating co-existence and community: The Eritrean and Ethiopian Students’ Association – The Gateway Online

A University of Alberta student group is setting an example for their communities by creating solidarity between Eritrean and Ethiopian students on campus.

The Eritrean and Ethiopian Students Association (EESA) began in 2017 to address a growing Eritrean and Ethiopian student body. Jostina Johannes, fifth-year criminology student and EESA co-president, said the group was also created as a result of the self-love and celebration of blackness movements happening at the time.

There was a general consciousness around embracing yourself and it aligned with the natural hair movement too, she said. There was this general societal celebration of self and in the wake of those times, EESA was born.

In embracing their culture and identity, Johannes said starting the group also served to undermine a negative stigma surrounding Ethiopia and Eritrea resulting from the 1980s Ethiopian famine.

To the public, some people still view [Ethiopia and Eritrea] through that negative stigma of the hut and the flies, she said. Yes there was a drought, but were more than that.

Bethel Seyoum, fifth-year psychology and vice-president (secretary) added the group was created to allow first-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean students space to discuss navigating their culture with their Canadian identity.

Were kind of in a weird as first-generation kids, so creating a space where we all understand ourselves in our communities, theres not really a space like that, Seyoum said. [The EESA] is our way of creating that.

Creating a combined Eritrean and Ethiopian association may seem like a small decision, but in the context of the two countries histories, creating the EESA was a large step forward.

As EESA explained, Ethiopia and Eritrea were once the same country, but split after conflict. This separation, however, has created a lot of friction between the two communities. In spite of this, the EESSA wanted to put their older generations disputes to bed.

In our parents generation there were a lot of animosities between the two countries but for us, I think were much more open-minded because we see similarities between each other, Seyoum said.

I remember going to Heritage [Festival] as a kid and there was an Eritrean Pavillion, she continued. I was so confused because it was the same clothes and the same food as [Ethiopians]. [The division] wasnt really talked about much, I didnt even know [Eritrea] existed.

Despite the tension in the older generations, Elfas Johannes, third-year civil engineering student and EESA event planner and community outreach coordinator, finds that a major bonding site for the group is discovering how similar their parents actually are.

It seems like all of our parents are more-or-less the same and you can connect over it, laugh over it, Elfas Johannes said. Its a nice space to allow people to open up.

As the first group in Edmonton to join members from the two communities, EESA often finds that a majority of their event attendees are not only from the U of A, but also come from NAIT, MacEwan University, and even high schools in the city.

There are definitely movements [for reconciliation] online, but in Edmonton we are revolutionary, Jostina Johannes said. There isnt anything like this in the city, so its a safe space for anyone.

Divisions, however, go beyond just the two countries. According to the ESSA, politics, cultural groups, religion can also be very divisive issues in the greater Eritrean and Ethiopian communities.

For Natnael Abate, third-year cell biology student and the other co-president of EESA, leaving these kinds of labels at the door is a key tenet of the group.

The main goal is to appreciate both cultures, share knowledge and explore the similarities between [all of us], he said. Its about bonding without certain barriers.

In fostering co-existence and unity, the EESA holds various events throughout the year, open to anyone who wants to learn more about Ethiopian and Eritrean culture.

The event Injera and Chill is a cornerstone event for the group. This annual event centres around showcasing Eritrea and Ethiopias traditional dish injera, alongside games, dancing, and performances.

Its an opportunity to get a literal and metaphorical taste of our Eritrean and Ethiopian culture, Elfas Johannes said.

Beyond that, the EESA also collaborates with the Teddy Outreach Foundation to create a mentorship program for Eritrean and Ethiopian youth in the city. The group is also planning to create an Edmonton version of the popular Eritrean and Ethiopian meme account BunaTime and a Valentines Day matchmaking event called Habaesha, a play on the colloquial term Habesha.

For Natnael Abate and Elfas Johannes, participating in the EESA provides them with the opportunity to learn more about their culture and themselves.

You dont feel alone, there are familiar faces out there that you can interact with, Abate said.In the past few years I havent been following up on my culture, but [being in EESA] gives your initiative to start learning more about it.

Ive been gaining a better understanding of myself, where I come from and where I want to go, Elfas Johannes said. I think its rooting me Im embracing my culture, Im identifying with it, Im learning more about my culture with every single interaction I have.

I need to learn about where I came from because ultimately, I need to know where I came from to know where Im going.

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Cultivating co-existence and community: The Eritrean and Ethiopian Students' Association - The Gateway Online

Cell Biology

MicroRNA Exhibit Unexpected Function in Driving Cancer – Newswise

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Newswise PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers long thought that only one strand of a double-stranded microRNA can silence genes. Though recent evidence has challenged that dogma, its unclear what the other strand does, and how the two may be involved in cancer. New research from Thomas Jefferson University has revealed that both strands of some microRNA coordinate to act on the same cancer pathways, across multiple cancers, to drive aggressiveness and growth two hallmarks of poor prognosis for cancer patients.

This coordination of activity is really surprising, says senior author Christine M. Eischen, PhD, professor and Vice Chair of the department of Cancer Biology at Jefferson and co-leader of the Molecular Biology and Genetics program at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) Jefferson Health. We know that the strands dont hit the same target sequences. But despite that fact, we see that they are working together.

Researchers have not paid much attention to the both sides of microRNA, in part because reagents created to probe microRNAs were aimed at only one strand, so as a field, we werent looking at the whole picture, says Dr. Eischen.

The work was published in Nature Communications, February 20th, 2020.

First author Ramkrishna Mitra, PhD, a Research Instructor in Dr. Eischens lab, started by using a computational approach that allowed him to search for both strands of the microRNA. Our data showed that one strand of many of the pairs were not degraded as previously thought. We saw large numbers of both pairs in many cancers, says Dr. Mitra.

Looking at data from 5200 cancer patient samples from 14 cancer types, the researchers found 26 microRNA pairs that both appeared either more active and abundant or less active and abundant across multiple cancers.

We then narrowed our search for the biggest effects, says Eischen. Dr. Mitra developed a new computational biology approach, in part, through the analysis of the genes essential for cancer cell survival and growth across 290 cancer cell lines to identify the pathways both microRNA pairs impacted across multiple cancer types. The researchers also determined which microRNA pairs had a bigger impact on driving or suppressing cancer growth together than either strand alone.

They found two pairs, named miR-30a and miR-145 that fit the bill. Each pair has different target genes, but the targets hit the same cancer pathways, says Dr. Eischen. These microRNAs help keep cancers in check as seen both in patient data and in tumor cell lines. As a result, many cancers, such as kidney, lung, breast, become more aggressive when they lose these microRNAs and this impacts patient survival.

To validate the findings of their computational work, the researchers replicated what they found using an experimental approach. They forced expression of miR-145 and miR-30a in lung cancer cell lines, which reduced the cancers aggressive traits, specifically its growth and migration.

The SKCC has a longstanding history of discovery related to small RNA function in cancer, and Dr. Eischens breakthroughs have significant potential for understanding both tumor development and tumor progression, says Karen Knudsen, PhD, Executive Vice President of Oncology Services at Jefferson Health, and the Enterprise Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Jefferson Health, one of only 71 NCI-designated cancer centers in the US.

Support for this study was provided by NCI R01CA177786, the Pellini Foundation, the Herbert A. Rosenthal endowed chair, NCI Cancer Center core grant P30CA056036 that supports the MetaOmics core facility and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.

Article Reference: Ramkrishna Mitra, Clare M. Adams, Wei Jiang, Evan Greenawalt, and Christine M. Eischen, Pan-cancer analysis reveals cooperativity of both strands of microRNA that regulate tumorigenesis and patient survival, Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14713-2, 2020.

Media Contact: Edyta Zielinska, 215-955-7359, edyta.zielinska@jefferson.edu.

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MicroRNA Exhibit Unexpected Function in Driving Cancer - Newswise

Cell Biology

Caribou Biosciences and ProMab Biotechnologies Announce Sale and Assignment Agreement for Humanized scFv Targeting BCMA – BioSpace

Feb. 19, 2020 13:00 UTC

BERKELEY, Calif. & RICHMOND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., a leading CRISPR genome editing company, and ProMab Biotechnologies, Inc., a biotechnology CRO/CDMO specializing in antibody engineering and CAR-T development, today announced a sale and assignment agreement under which Caribou gains access to a ProMab humanized single-chain variable fragment (scFv) targeting the B Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) for use in allogeneic engineered cell therapies. Caribou intends to utilize this scFv in the development of its CB-011 program, an allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting BCMA-positive tumors including multiple myeloma.

We are excited for the opportunity to have access to this highly advanced, humanized molecule and believe it will significantly advance our promising CB-011 CAR-T program, said Steven Kanner, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Caribou.

We anticipate that our humanized BCMA scFv will aid greatly in Caribous efforts to further its allogeneic CAR-T program, and hope our technology continues to improve the field of preclinical and clinical stage immunotherapy research by providing broad choices of validated antibodies, said John Wu, MD, Chief Executive Officer of ProMab.

Under the terms of the agreement, ProMab received an upfront payment and is eligible for royalties on net sales of licensed products containing the BCMA scFv.

About Caribou Biosciences, Inc. Caribou is a leading company in CRISPR genome editing founded by pioneers of CRISPR-Cas9 biology. The company is developing an internal pipeline of off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapies, other gene-edited cell therapies, and engineered gut microbes. Additionally, Caribou offers licenses to its CRISPR-Cas9 foundational IP in multiple fields including research tools, internal research use, diagnostics, and industrial biotechnology. Interested companies may contact Caribou at licensing@cariboubio.com. For more information about Caribou, visit http://www.cariboubio.com and follow the Company @CaribouBio. Caribou Biosciences and the Caribou logo are registered trademarks of Caribou Biosciences, Inc.

About ProMab Biotechnologies, Inc. ProMab Biotechnologies focuses on developing and commercializing mouse, rabbit, and human monoclonal antibodies as well as chimeric antigen receptor-T Cell (CAR-T) products. ProMabs CAR-T platform covers both hematological and solid cancers with intensive in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical validation designed for safer and better treatment. As a CRO in the immunology field for 19 years, ProMab offers standard laboratory procedures and animal studies for antibody discovery through the integration of the newest techniques in antibody library construction, next generation sequencing, unique humanization modeling, high-throughput screening, and artificial intelligence analysis systems. ProMab aims to out-license antibodies validated in CAR-T therapy in the preclinical stage or to bring CAR-T technologies to the early stage market of clinical study. ProMab has partnered with top biotechnology startups, medical institutions, and pharmaceutical companies to advance the development of cell therapies as well as bispecific antibodies targeting multiple cancers. For more information, visit http://www.promab.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200219005112/en/

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Caribou Biosciences and ProMab Biotechnologies Announce Sale and Assignment Agreement for Humanized scFv Targeting BCMA - BioSpace

Cell Biology

Journal of Cell Biology | Rockefeller University Press

Matthus Mittasch, Vanna M. Tran, Manolo U. Rios, Anatol W. Fritsch, Stephen J. Enos, Beatriz Ferreira Gomes, Alec Bond, Moritz Kreysing, Jeffrey B. Woodruff

Centrosomes withstand microtubule-mediated forces during spindle assembly, yet they are disassembled by similar forces during mitotic exit. Mittasch et al. use nanorheology to probe the material properties of centrosomes and how they change during the cell cycle. In anaphase, the centrosome scaffold becomes weak and brittle, thus allowing force-induced disassembly.

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Journal of Cell Biology | Rockefeller University Press

Cell Biology

Synthetic Biology Market to Witness a CAGR of 23.9% Through 2020-2025 – Increasing Demand for Protein Therapeutics & Personalized Medicine,…

DUBLIN, Feb. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Synthetic Biology Market by Tools (Oligonucleotides, Enzymes, Synthetic Cells), by Technology (Gene Synthesis, Bioinformatics), by Application (Tissue Regeneration, Biofuel, Renewable Energy, Food & Agriculture, Bioremediation) - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

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The global synthetic biology market is projected to reach USD 19.8 billion by 2025 from USD 6.8 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 23.9%.

This report analyzes the market for various synthetic biology market and their adoption patterns. It aims at estimating the market size and future growth potential of the synthetic biology market and its subsegments. The report also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in this market, along with their company profiles, product offerings, and recent developments.

Factors such as the increasing demand for synthetic genes and synthetic cells, wide range of applications of synthetic biology, declining cost of DNA sequencing and synthesizing, increasing R&D funding and initiatives in synthetic biology, and increasing investments in the market are propelling the growth of this market. However, rising biosafety, biosecurity, and ethical concerns related to synthetic biology are likely to hamper the growth of this market.

The oligonucleotides and synthetic DNA segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

Based on tools, the market has been segmented into oligonucleotides and synthetic DNA, enzymes, cloning technology kits, chassis organisms, xeno-nucleic acids, and synthetic cells. In 2019, the oligonucleotides and synthetic DNA segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

This can be attributed to factors such as the rising demand for synthetic DNA, synthetic RNA, and synthetic genes, which are used in a wide range of applications, such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, personal care, flavors and fragrances, probiotics, green chemicals, and industrial enzymes.

The genome engineering segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into gene synthesis, genome engineering, cloning, sequencing, site-directed mutagenesis, measurement and modeling, microfluidics, nanotechnology, bioinformatics technologies.

The genome engineering segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to factors such as the increasing use of engineering technologies for manipulating complex genomes, growing therapeutics development for cancer and other diseases, and the increasing technological advances in CRISPR-toolbox and DNA synthesis technologies.

The industrial applications segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on application, the synthetic biology market is segmented into medical, industrial, food & agricultural, and environmental applications. The industrial applications segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR owing to the rising applications of synthetic biology in producing renewable energy, biomaterials & green chemicals, and enzymes.

The Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period

The synthetic biology market is divided into North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2019, North America accounted for the largest share of the synthetic biology market.

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However, the APAC region is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period owing to the growth in the number of pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, the increasing number of healthcare & life science facilities, and increasing requirements for regulatory compliance in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, growing number of international alliances, heavy funding for synthetic biology research, and strong government support.

Furthermore, the increasing focus on the Asia Pacific markets due to their low-cost manufacturing advantage also provides growth opportunities for manufacturers.

Key Topics Covered

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights 4.1 Market Overview4.2 Asia Pacific: Market, By Application4.3 Market: Geographic Growth Opportunities4.4 Market, By Region (2018-2025)4.5 Market: Developed vs. Developing Markets

5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction5.2 Market Dynamics5.2.1 Drivers5.2.1.1 Wide Range of Applications of Synthetic Biology5.2.1.2 Rising R&D Funding and Growing Initiatives in Synthetic Biology5.2.1.3 Declining Cost of DNA Sequencing and Synthesizing5.2.1.4 Increasing Investments in the Market5.2.2 Restraints5.2.2.1 Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Ethical Concerns5.2.3 Opportunities5.2.3.1 Rising Need for Fuel Alternatives5.2.3.2 Increasing Demand for Protein Therapeutics and Personalized Medicine5.2.3.3 Increasing Research in Synthetic Drugs and Vaccines5.2.4 Challenges5.2.4.1 Standardization of Biological Parts

6 Synthetic Biology Market, By Tool 6.1 Introduction6.2 Oligonucleotides & Synthetic DNA6.2.1 Oligonucleotides and Synthetic Dna to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period6.3 Enzymes6.3.1 Development of Enzymes has Helped in Evolving New Therapies for A Range of Diseases6.4 Cloning Technology Kits6.4.1 Need for the Creation of Artificial Dna Along With Their Assembly is Driving the Growth of the Segment6.5 Synthetic Cells6.5.1 Synthetic Cells Will Allow Tailoring Biologics and Its Adoption is Expected to Grow in the Coming Years6.6 Chassis Organisms6.6.1 Increasing Demand for Fossil Fuels is Likely to Propel the Demand for Chassis Organisms6.7 Xeno-Nucleic Acids6.7.1 Xnas are Increasingly Researched With the Growing Demand for Breakthrough Medicine

7 Synthetic Biology Market, By Technology 7.1 Introduction7.2 Gene Synthesis7.2.1 Gene Synthesis to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period7.3 Genome Engineering7.3.1 Increasing Demand for Synthetic Dna and Genes is Expected to Drive Market Growth7.4 Sequencing7.4.1 Ngs Technology is Rapidly Becoming an Indispensable and Universal Tool for Biological Research7.5 Bioinformatics7.5.1 Use of Bioinformatics Technologies is Increasing With the Rising Need for Data Management and Curation7.6 Cloning7.6.1 Cloning Aids in Building New Genetic Modules/Pathways, Enabling Rapid Advances in Research Across Various Industries7.7 Site-Directed Mutagenesis7.7.1 Wide Applications in Genetic Engineering, Dna Assembly, and Cloning Technologies is Driving This Segment7.8 Measurement & Modeling7.8.1 Computational Modeling is Aiding the Growth of the Segment During the Forecast Period7.9 Microfluidics7.9.1 Droplet Microfluidics is Gaining Wide Recognition in the Field of Synthetic Biology7.1 Nanotechnology7.10.1 Convergence Between Synthetic Biology and Nanotechnologies Aid in Building Complex Bodies

8 Synthetic Biology Market, By Application 8.1 Introduction8.2 Medical Applications8.2.1 Pharmaceuticals8.2.1.1 In 2019, the Pharmaceuticals Segment Accounted for the Largest Share of the Medical Applications Market8.2.2 Drug Discovery and Therapeutics8.2.2.1 Cancer Detection & Diagnostics8.2.2.1.1 With Rising Investments for Cancer Research, the Market for Synthetic Biology is Expected to Grow for This Segment8.2.2.2 Other Drug Discovery and Therapeutic Applications8.2.3 Artificial Tissue & Tissue Regeneration8.2.3.1 Bio-Synthesis8.2.3.1.1 Bio-Synthesis is Dominating the Market With Its Increasing Adoption in Creating Artificial Genomes8.2.3.2 Stem Cell Regulation8.2.3.2.1 Use of Synthetic Biology in Stem Cell Regeneration and Reprogramming Somatic Cells is Expected to Drive Market Growth8.2.3.3 Other Artificial Tissue and Tissue Regeneration Applications8.3 Industrial Applications8.3.1 Biofuel and Renewable Energy8.3.1.1 Advantages of Using Genetically Engineered Organisms for the Synthetic Production of Biofuels is Driving Market Growth8.3.2 Industrial Enzymes8.3.2.1 Textile Industry8.3.2.1.1 Synthetic Biology is Being Applied in the Textile Industry to Replace Traditional Raw Materials8.3.2.2 Paper Industry8.3.2.2.1 Enzymes are Being Increasingly Used in the Pulp and Paper Industry8.3.2.3 Other Industries8.3.3 Biomaterials & Green Chemicals8.3.3.1 Silk-Based Proteins are A Type of Biomaterial Prepared Through Synthetic Biology8.4 Food & Agriculture8.4.1 Synthetic Biology Techniques are Applied in the Food and Agriculture Industry to Produce Metabolites, Health Products, and Processing Aids8.5 Environmental Applications8.5.1 Bioremediation8.5.1.1 Owing to the Growing Severity of Environmental Problems, It has Become Necessary to Develop Cost-Effective, On-Site Methods for Environmental Monitoring and Bioremediation8.5.2 Biosensing8.5.2.1 Biosensor Applications Commonly Make Use of Microalgae Owing to Their High Reproductive Rates and Ease of Culturing Due to Their Microscopic Size

9 Synthetic Biology Market, By Region 9.1 Introduction9.2 North America9.2.1 US9.2.1.1 The US Dominates the North American Market9.2.2 Canada9.2.2.1 Strong Research Infrastructure and Availability of Funding Will Support Market Growth9.3 Europe9.3.1 UK9.3.1.1 The UK Holds the Largest Share of the European Market9.3.2 Germany9.3.2.1 The Rapidly Growing Pharmaceutical Market is Expected to Drive Market Growth9.3.3 France9.3.3.1 Research Across All Industries is Strongly Supported By the Government9.3.4 Denmark9.3.4.1 Denmark has the Third-Largest Commercial Drug-Development Pipeline in Europe9.3.5 Switzerland9.3.5.1 Market Growth is Primarily Driven By the Well-Established Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Industry in the Country9.3.6 Spain9.3.6.1 Spain has A Well-Established Network of Research Centers, Universities, and Hospitals, Which Form an Ideal Environment for Research9.3.7 Italy9.3.7.1 Growth in This Market is Mainly Driven By Increasing Life Science R&D in the Country, Funded By Both Public and Private Organizations9.3.8 Rest of Europe9.4 Asia Pacific9.4.1 Japan9.4.1.1 Large Number of Research Initiatives Towards the Development of Precision Medicine Supporting Market Growth9.4.2 China9.4.2.1 Growth in R&D to Enhance the Technological Capabilities in the Country, Thereby Driving the Demand for High-Quality Research Tools9.4.3 Australia9.4.3.1 Increasing Focus of the Healthcare System on Precision Medicine to Offer Significant Growth Opportunities9.4.4 India9.4.4.1 Increasing Pharma R&D and Government Funding in the Biotechnology Industry are the Major Factors Driving Market Growth9.4.5 Rest of Asia Pacific9.5 Latin America9.5.1 Strong Pharmaceutical Industry in the Region to Provide Significant Growth Opportunities9.6 Middle East and Africa9.6.1 Increasing Partnerships Among Global Players With Government Organizations in the Region to Support Growth

10 Competitive Landscape 10.1 Overview10.2 Market Share Analysis10.2.1 Synthetic Biology Market, By Key Players, 201810.3 Competitive Leadership Mapping10.3.1 Visionary Leaders10.3.2 Innovators10.3.3 Dynamic Differentiators10.3.4 Emerging Companies10.4 Competitive Situation and Trends10.4.1 Product Launches10.4.2 Expansions10.4.3 Acquisitions10.4.4 Other Strategies

11 Company Profiles 11.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.11.1.1 Business Overview11.1.2 Products Offered11.1.3 Recent Developments11.2 Merck KGaA11.3 Agilent Technologies Inc.11.4 Novozymes A/S11.5 Ginkgo Bioworks11.6 Amyris Inc.11.7 Intrexon Corporation11.8 Genscript Biotech Corporation11.9 Twist Bioscience11.10 Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI)11.11 Codexis Inc.11.12 Synthego Corporation11.13 Creative Enzymes11.14 Eurofins Scientific11.15 Cyrus Biotechnology Inc.11.16 Other Major Companies11.16.1 Atum11.16.2 Teselagen11.16.3 Arzeda11.16.4 Integrated DNA Technologies Inc.11.16.5 New England Biolabs

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9yuhf0

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Cell Biology

Phosplatin Therapeutics Announces Publication in OncoImmunology – PRNewswire

NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phosplatin Therapeutics LLC, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on oncology drug development, announced its publication in OncoImmunology of in vitro and in vivo data demonstrating that PT-112 is a bona fide immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducer, and as a result can initiate anticancer immunity, as a monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibition.

PT-112 causes the release of so-called damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), a signature of ICD, by dying cancer cells. In addition, PT-112 synergizes with immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) in the context of superior immune infiltration. These findings are in line with preliminary clinical evidence on the use of PT-112 in patients with solid tumors, either as a monotherapy or in combination with anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade.

"As a stand-alone agent, PT-112 has been validated as a potent ICD inducer," said Lorenzo Galluzzi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology in Radiation Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College, and senior author of the article. "Our model systems are designed to isolate the immune effects of a given agent, and PT-112 showed positive results across all model systems deployed thus far." "We have been delighted with our collaboration with Dr. Galluzzi and his laboratory team at Weill Cornell," said Matthew R. Price, Executive Vice President & COO at Phosplatin Therapeutics. "This publication underscores PT-112's role within the emerging field of immunotherapy, and its potential as a best-in-class ICD inducer."

Along with ICD induction, PT-112 possesses a unique combination of factors, including safety in heavily pre-treated patients, single-agent activity in patients with lung cancers, prostate cancer and thymoma. In addition, the pyrophosphate component of the drug is believed to be responsible for bio-distribution that includes high drug concentrations in mineralized bone (osteotropism). PT-112's features make it a promising candidate for the treatment of cancers that frequently metastasize to bone and/or are not likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors.

Please refer to the OncoImmunology paper, "PT-112 induces immunogenic cell death and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockers in mouse tumor models," (Issue 9, Vol. 1) for the full description of the design and results of this work. The publication is available online here.

Further information on clinical trials with PT-112 that are currently open can be found at the clinicaltrials.gov registry under NCT 02266745, NCT 03409458, and NCT03288480.

About PT-112

PT-112 is a novel anti-cancer agent, the first cytotoxic small molecule conjugate of pyrophosphate developed in oncology therapeutics. PT-112 promotes immunogenic cell death (ICD), or the release of damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that lead to downstream immune effector cell recruitment in the tumor microenvironment. PT-112 represents a potential best-in-class small molecule inducer of this immunological form of cancer cell death. The first-in-human study of PT-112 demonstrated an attractive safety profile and evidence of long-lasting responses and tumor control among heavily pre-treated patients, and was presented at the ESMO 2018 Annual Congress, winning "Best Poster" among the Developmental Therapeutics category. The novelty of its pyrophosphate moiety also results in osteotropism, or the propensity of the drug to reach the mineralized bone. This property is of interest in cancer types that originate in bone, or frequently lead to metastatic bone involvement, such as metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer mCRPC. The first human clinical results in mCRPC were presented at the 2020 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium on February 13, 2020.

About Phosplatin Therapeutics

Phosplatin Therapeutics is a private, clinical stage pharmaceutical company that holds exclusive global license to phosphaplatins, a family of small molecules rationally designed to circumvent the mechanisms of drug resistance and toxicity commonly associated with chemotherapeutic regimens. The lead candidate, PT-112, is a novel chemical entity under clinical development that combines apoptotic and immunological properties in combating cancer. Clinical data generated to date across three studies have demonstrated single agent anti-cancer activity and an attractive tolerability profile. The company's research and development work to date has spanned fifteen countries and been funded by private investors and family investment offices in the United States, Europe and Asia, along with a sub-license agreement for the development, commercialization and use of PT-112 in Greater China.

See: http://www.phosplatin.com.

Contact: info@phosplatin.com

SOURCE Phosplatin Therapeutics

http://phosplatin.com

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Phosplatin Therapeutics Announces Publication in OncoImmunology - PRNewswire

Cell Biology

Protein maintaining balance between protrusive and contractile machineries of cell identified – Mirage News

Tropomodulin maintains the fine balance between the protein machineries responsible for cell movement and morphogenesis. Disturbances in this balance are common in many diseases, for example, invasive cancers.

In a healthy cell, there is a fine balance between the protrusive structures that make the cell more migratory and the contractile structures that maintain the cells shape and its association with the environment. A disturbance in this balance leads to several diseases, such as invasive cancers.

The most important component of both protrusive and contractile machineries is a protein called actin. This means that the proper distribution of actin between these structures is essential for the normal function of the cell. Nevertheless, the mechanisms that ensure that actin is distributed correctly between the protrusive and contractile machineries have remained elusive.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, have now identified a protein called tropomodulin as a key player that maintains the balance between the protrusive and contractile actin-filament machineries within a cell.

The function of tropomodulin has previously been studied mainly in the context of muscles, where it maintains the architecture of actin filaments within the contractile fibers of muscle cells.

We have now revealed that tropomodulins stabilise the actin filaments of the contractile structures in non-muscle cells through interacting with specific proteins within these actin filament bundles. The depletion of tropomodulins led to a loss of contractile structures, accompanied by an excess of protrusive structures, and thus to severe problems in a cells shape and force production, says Academy Professor Pekka Lappalainen from the HiLiFE Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki.

Researchers were surprised to see that the depletion of one protein can have such drastic effects on the balance of the actin machinery.

Another exciting and unexpected finding of this study was the notion that the same protein can have a different function depending on the tissue or cell type. Our study also sheds light on why abnormal levels of tropomodulin are linked to the progression of various cancers, says PhD student Reena Kumari.

Kumari R, Jiu Y, Carman PJ, Tojkander S. Kogan K, Varjosalo M, Gunning PW, Dominguez R, Lappalainen P. Tropomodulins control the balance between protrusive and contractile structures by stabilizing actin-tropomyosin filaments. Current Biology (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.049

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Protein maintaining balance between protrusive and contractile machineries of cell identified - Mirage News

Cell Biology

Cell biology storm provides a view of the choreography of life – WLNS

New findings by the National Institutes of Health show a lack of assistance for young people battling opioid addiction.

Only 1 in 3 people aged 13-22 who survived an opioid overdose received any kind of follow-up addiction treatment.

The study of over 3,600 young people also showed that less than 2 percent received one of three approved medications for opioid use disorder.

The findings reported in JAMA Pediatrics come from Rachel Alinsky, an adolescent medicine and addiction medicine fellow at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center, Baltimore.

Alinsky used data on more than 4 million mostly low-income adolescents and young adults whod been enrolled in Medicaid for at least six months in 16 states. The sample included 3,606 individuals whod been seen by a doctor and diagnosed with opioid poisoning. A little over half of them were female and most were non-Hispanic whites.

Nationally more than 4,000 fatal opioid overdoses occurred in people between the ages of 15 and 24 in 2016.

Nonfatal opioid overdoses for teens and young adults lead to more than 7,000 hospitalizations and about 28,000 emergency department visits in 2015.

Heroin accounted for about a quarter of those overdoses. The rest involved other opioids, most often prescription painkillers.

Some overdoses from heroin might have been caused by fentanyl, according to researchers. The use of fentanyl, often mixed with heroin, was on the rise in the studys final years, but it was rarely included in drug tests at the time.

Opioid addiction rewires the brain so will power alone is simply not sufficient to achieve and sustain recovery, according to the NIH. After one overdose, the risk of dying from another one rises dramatically. So, it is critical to get those who survived an overdose into effective treatment right away, according to the NIH Director.

Less than 20 percent of young people in the sample received a diagnosis of opioid use disorder. 68.9 percent did not receive addiction treatment of any kind, while 29.3 percent received behavioral health services alone and only 1.9 percent received one of three approved medications for opioid use disorder. The three approved medications are buprenorphine, naltrexone, or methadone.

Researchers suggest pediatricians might be inexperienced in diagnosing and treating opioid addiction. Adding, even when a problem is recognized, doctors sometimes struggle to take the next step of connecting young people with the proper addiction treatment facilities.

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Cell biology storm provides a view of the choreography of life - WLNS