Dr. Robert L. Searls died on Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin, the fifth of six children of Edward and Anne Searls. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1953, and served in the U.S. Army for two years. In 1960, Robert received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley. He served as a post-doctoral fellow at Brandeis University in 1961 where he met and married his wife, Ellen Donovan of Arlington, Massachusetts. Robert did research in embryology and taught biology for four years at the University of Virginia and then for thirty years at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., retiring in 1998. Robert and Ellen returned to Charlottesville, Va. where they have spent the last 19 years. Robert is survived by his wife, Ellen to whom he was married for 55 years; his four children, Timothy, David, Paul, and Anne; six grandchildren and four siblings. He was a beloved husband, father, brother and grandfather. He was a spiritual man with a voracious love of reading, history, and music. He enjoyed fishing and sitting back reading a good book. He will be truly missed for the love, laughter and great knowledge he brought to all of our lives!!
Biological Industries USA to Support Training Programs for Young Scientists through Partnership with Non-Profit … – Business Wire (press release)
CROMWELL, Conn. & MONROVIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biological Industries USA (BI-USA) is proud to announce an exciting partnership designed to support real-world laboratory skills training in regenerative medicine for early career scientists (high school to college level and beyond). As part of their commitment to help support and train the future generation of scientists in the field of stem cell biology, BI-USA has partnered with the non-profit institute Pathways to Stem Cell Science to help aspiring scientists gain hands-on experience culturing human pluripotent stem cells in state-of-the-art facilities in Southern California. As a part of this agreement, BI-USA will provide stem cell product and technology support through program scholarships for the Pathways to Stem Cell Science training programs.
Featuring both classroom and laboratory-based courses, students participating in the Pathways to Stem Cell Science programs are equipped with unique skills to help them gain a competitive edge in pursuing future educational and professional goals.
Despite the growth and availability of bioscience jobs, many college graduates still find it difficult to transition from university degree programs into the right bioscience career, said Victoria Fox, Ph.D., President and Founder of Pathways to Stem Cell Science. This situation exists in part because graduating students lack the real-world experience needed to navigate the biosciences jobs and gain work-specific or specialized laboratory skills, which are required for many bioscience professions. We launched Pathways to Stem Cell Science to provide more opportunities for early career scientists to gain this valuable hands-on training and laboratory experience.
Every great scientist started as a student, said Tanya Potcova, CEO of BI-USA. We are proud to play a role in supporting science education for young students. By sharing our knowledge and experience in the field of stem cell research, we hope to help empower the next generation of scientists.
To kick off this new partnership, BI-USA will host a webinar presented by Dr. Victoria Fox on Wednesday, May 17 at 2:00 PM ET. Dr. Fox will discuss the benefits of STEM exposure to early career scientists and present an overview of the Pathways to Stem Cell Science training programs. To learn more and register for this free webinar, please visit bioind.com/support/webinars
About Biological Industries (BI)
Biological Industries (www.bioind.com) is one of the worlds leading and trusted suppliers to the life sciences industry, with over 35 years experience in cell culture media development and GMP manufacturing. BIs products range from classical cell culture media to supplements and reagents for stem cell research and potential cell therapy applications, to serum-free media and many other products for animal cell culture and molecular biology. BI is committed to a Culture of Excellence through advanced manufacturing and quality-control systems, regulatory expertise, in-depth market knowledge, and extensive technical customer-support, training, and R&D capabilities.
Biological Industries USA (BI-USA) is the US commercialization arm of BI, with facilities in Cromwell, Connecticut. Members of the BI-USA team share a history and expertise of innovation and success in the development of leading-edge technologies in stem cell research, cellular reprogramming, and regenerative medicine.
To receive ongoing BI communications, please join our email list or connect with the company on LinkedIn,Twitter, andFacebook.
About Pathways to Stem Cell Science
Pathways to Stem Cell Science is a non-profit institute and unique provider of real-world training in molecular cell biology, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine.We work collaboratively with both academic and industry partners to offer innovative programs for students of all ages to learn hands-on science with human stem cells. Our laboratory-based courses feature novel classes, designed and taught by publishing scientists who are also exceptional teachers.Equipped with unique skills, our graduates gain a competitive edge, attend top-tier universities, pursue professional science careers and make measurable contributions to the field of stem cell research.
For more information on the training programs provided by Pathways to Stem Cell Science, please visit stemcellpath.com
PHOTOS: Anatomy of a wave – WJLA
by World Entertainment News Network
Incredible images have revealed the anatomy of a wave after one brave photographer risked life and limb to slip under the waves and capture them from behind as they broke. (Don Hurzeler/mediadrumworld.com/WENN)
Incredible images have revealed the anatomy of a wave after one brave photographer risked life and limb to slip under the waves and capture them from behind as they broke.
The stunning underwater shots show violent vortices venting from the collapsing tube of a breaking wave, and the backside of a breaking wave, which can either look like a mirror or act as a window when the wave is very thin.
Other amazing pictures show the more traditional view of a breaking wave as the camera points down the tube while surfers and swimmers are pictured trying to ride or avoid the waves.
The spectacular snaps were taken at Kua Bay, Hawaii by author and photographer Don Hurzeler, 70, from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, who explained just how dangerous this type of photography can be.
I've been run over by surfers on boards, swept by currents onto the rocks, said Hurzeler.
Ive had run-ins with large sharks, had the camera and housing bounce off the sand so hard it broke everything, hurt my back repeatedly by being pounded into the sand and had to stop taking photos to rescue visitors to our island who had ventured out into the wrong spot at the wrong time.
Ive nearly bit through my tongue, broke ribs, toes, fingers, have been in surf so large I did not think I would ever make it back to the beach and have stepped on spiny sea urchins, sharp coral, sharp rocks and jellyfish, he added.
I have been run into by sizable turtles who got caught up in a wave - those shells turn out to be quite sharp when they run into you - and scared out of my mind by a 600-pound endangered monk seal that swam right under me just before sunup the other day. Other than that, no problems.
To take the photos Hurzeler swims out with his camera in one hand and swims in place, or stands if in shallow water, as a wave approaches.
He tries to duck down and slip under the oncoming wave. If hes not successful he gets dragged over the top of the wave, slammed into the sand or coral and then dragged underwater like a "rag doll in a spin cycle of a washer."
Shooting photos of the backside or underneath of a breaking wave allows me to share a sight that few people get to see directly, he said.
I feel that the images range from beautiful textures, shapes and colors to otherworldly captures.
The shot of a wave breaking is familiar to virtually everyone. An underwater shot of several vortices venting from the collapsing tube of a breaking wave is of a process most people never even knew exists.
And the shots of the underwater backside of the tube as it is breaking can range from nearly a mirror to a colorful textured cylinder.
Read more from the original source:
PHOTOS: Anatomy of a wave - WJLA
‘NCIS,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘SNL’ end seasons – Orlando Sentinel – Orlando Sentinel
The last full week of the 2016-17 TV season means a slew of season finales.
NCIS, TVs most-watched drama, closes its 14th season at 8 p.m. Tuesday on CBS. The story sends Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the newly married McGee (Sean Murray) and Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) off to Paraguay to hunt for a missing Navy SEAL.
Greys Anatomy wraps up its 13th season with the hospital in jeopardy. A trailer for the episode Ring of Fire, at 8 p.m. Thursday on ABC, resembles The Towering Inferno. The last episode suggested that Dr. Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton) is no longer with us after trying to stop a madman. We applaud her courage, but her methods were ill-advised.
Scandal closes its sixth season with two hours at 9 p.m. Thursday on ABC. President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) ends his presidency with a series of changes, and Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) prepares to become the first female president. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) works furiously to ensure the president-elects safety.
The Blacklist wraps up its fourth season with two hours at 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
Modern Family finishes its eighth season with the high-school graduations of Manny and Luke at 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.
Designated Survivor closes its first season with Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) trying to stop another attack by the terrorists. The White House drama airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.
More finales
Monday: Man With a Plan and Scorpion on ABC, Quantico on ABC.
Tuesday: NCIS: New Orleans on CBS, Chicago Fire on NBC, The Middle, American Housewife, Fresh Off the Boat on ABC.
Wednesday: Blindspot and Chicago P.D. on NBC.
Thursday: Supernatural on The CW.
Friday: Undercover Boss on CBS, The Toy Box on ABC.
Reality series: Dancing With the Stars and The Voice deliver their semifinals at 8 p.m. Monday. The final four couples each deliver two routines on DWTS before the field is reduced to the final three on ABC. The Voice delivers this weeks results at 8 p.m. Tuesday on NBC. Both high-rated series wrap up their seasons May 23.
Survivor continues its 34th season at 8 p.m. Wednesday on CBS. The finale will play out over three hours on May 24, the final night of the TV season.
More highlights
Antiques Roadshow starts its three episodes filmed last summer in Orlando at 8 p.m. Monday on PBS. The other episodes screen May 22 and 29.
If you enjoy colorized Lucy Ricardo, youre getting a new I Love Lucy special at 9 p.m. Friday on CBS. The episodes feature a singing-and-dancing Van Johnson (to How About You?) and a merry-making Harpo Marx.
Robert De Niro reminds you why hes considered one of the worlds greatest actors with a devastating performance as disgraced financier Bernie Madoff in The Wizard of Lies at 8 p.m. Saturday on HBO.
If youre not hearing enough politics, CNN offers a town hall with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at 9 p.m. Monday. A town hall debate between Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Gov. John Kasich, D-Ohio, follows at 9 p.m. Tuesday on CNN.
Saturday Night Live could turn those events into a skit for its season finale at 11:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC. Dwayne Johnson will host, and Katy Perry will be the musical guest. Ive got a hunch well hear Perrys "Chained to the Rhythm." And why not? Its a great song.
More:
'NCIS,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'SNL' end seasons - Orlando Sentinel - Orlando Sentinel
The neuroscience argument against living in the present – Quartz
There are plenty of advice columns, self-help books, and loosely spiritual twenty-somethings devoted to extolling the virtues of living in the present. The advice is intended as an antidote to life spent scrolling absentmindedly through twitter or planning next weekend, while failing to appreciate each momentary experience.
While its certainly well meaning, the catchphrase alone offers limited guidance. After all, a life spent entirely dedicated to making sure the present moment was enjoyable would never go anywhere; no one would subject themselves to New Yorks subway, for example. And neuroscience suggests that, while it may be unfashionable, humans ability to mentally transport ourselves into the future is one of the key distinguishing features of our species.
Dean Buonomano, behavioral neuroscience professor at UCLA and author of the recently-published Your Brain is a Time Machine, says that the human brain is an inherently temporal organ. Not only does it tell the time, it also allows us to mentally project ourselves into the past and the future, he says.
To a certain extent, all animals have a basic ability to predict and prepare for the future. Even worms have circadian rhythms and so instinctively know when its daylight and when predatory birds are more likely to be around. But humans have a far more sophisticated ability to conceive of the futureto sculpt and create futures that we imagine, says Buonomano.
Whats fairly unique about humans is this aspect of mentally projecting ourselves into the past or the futurethe degree to which humans can engage in what we call mental time travel, he explains.
Not all future-orientated activities rely on this projection; humans have hardwired habits just like all other animals. Sex, for example, has potentially significant future consequences; as Buonomano says, we engage in fairly complex behaviors without thinking about what will happen nine months from now.
But our more elaborate ability to envisage the future is key to most human successes. Building houses, cultivating agriculture, studying, and saving for retirement are all done with an eye to the future.
Thats a strange concept for anyone to plant the seed and come back years later. It uses our ability to link events that are separated by days, weeks, and months, says Buonomano. Without this skill, he says, homo sapiens (Latin for wise men) simply wouldnt be sapiensits what makes us wise.
Its not clear exactly which parts of the brain enable this distinctly human activity. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for higher-level cognitive function, is certainly involved. But the thought process is so complexinvolving a conception of the past, imagining the future, and a sophisticated understanding of timethat it inevitably relies on many functions in the brain.
But while the ability to connect present activity with future outcomes is uniquely human, were not always good at this skill. In the 20th century, 100 million people died due to cigarette related causes, says Buonomano. If cigarettes caused cancer a week after people start smoking then that never would have happened. It would have been easy for people to believe that connection. The fallout from climate change is another major example of humans failing to adequately focus on the future.
Another downside, as those who focus on living in the present are well aware, is that our ability to mentally time travel can be draining. Spending too much time reliving the past, focusing on slights or reasons were angry, is not productive, says Buonomano.
The neuroscientist says there are certainly benefits to mindfulness (the meditative practice has a rich history that cannot be reduced to a simple slogan.) Living in the present, he says, can be a valuable call to focus on enjoying current activities, even when theyre done with an eye to future outcomes. And mindfulness should involve being mindful of our mental activities, so that were aware of when projecting ourselves into the future is productive and when its damaging.
In other words, its entirely healthy to focus on enjoying the present moment. But failing to invest in the future simply wouldnt be human.
See the original post:
The neuroscience argument against living in the present - Quartz
First genetic location found for anorexia nervosa – Medical News Today
Eating disorders affect millions of people in the United States, and anorexia nervosa is considered to have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric conditions. For the first time, new research identifies a genetic location that helps to shed more light on the causes of this illness.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that affects both genders. However, the disorder is two and a half times more likely to occur among women, with almost 1 percent of U.S. women being affected.
Moreover, anorexia - along with other eating disorders - is reported to hit the transgender community relatively hard; around 16 percent of transgender college students reportedly have an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are a serious mental health issue caused by a variety of complex factors, from psychosocial to genetic and biological issues.
Anorexia can be a deadly disease. Of all mental health disorders, anorexia is linked with the highest mortality rate. Death can be a consequence of not receiving treatment, but 1 in 5 anorexia-related deaths are a result of suicide.
New research identifies, for the first time, a significant genetic location that underpins anorexia. Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine in Chapel Hill conducted a genome-wide study in an effort to identify the genetic basis for this psychiatric condition.
The new research was carried out by the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium Eating Disorders Working Group - an international group of researchers from institutions all over the globe - and the team was led by Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D., founding director of the UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and a professor at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The research consisted of a genome-wide association study examining the DNA of 3,495 people with anorexia nervosa and 10,982 people without.
In genetics, the word "association" refers to a situation in which specific genetic variations - or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - are found more frequently in people with a certain disease.
Using standard association analysis, Bulik and team calculated the genetic correlations between anorexia nervosa and 159 psychiatric, education, and metabolic phenotypes. "Phenotypes" refer to the set of observable characteristics that are a result of the interaction between our genes and the environment.
Bulik defines genetic correlations as "the extent to which various traits and disorders are caused by the same genes."
Overall, the study looked at 10,641,224 SNPs.
The study revealed strong associations between anorexia and psychiatric as well as, surprisingly, metabolic conditions.
Bulik and colleagues uncovered a genetic locus on chromosome 12: rs4622308. This genetic area has previously been associated with type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disorders, report the authors.
"Anorexia nervosa was significantly genetically correlated with neuroticism and schizophrenia, supporting the idea that anorexia is indeed a psychiatric illness. But, unexpectedly, we also found strong genetic correlations with various metabolic features including body composition [...] and insulin-glucose metabolism. This finding encourages us to look more deeply at how metabolic factors increase the risk for anorexia nervosa."
Cynthia Bulik
Additionally, the study found positive genetic associations between anorexia and educational achievement, as well as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - that is, the "good" kind of cholesterol. They also revealed negative correlations with the phenotypes for body mass index (BMI), insulin, blood sugar, and lipids.
The authors note that the large scale of the study enabled them to come up with "the first genome-wide significant locus" for the disease.
"In the era of team science, we brought over 220 scientists and clinicians together to achieve this large sample size. Without this collaboration we would never have been able to discover that anorexia has both psychiatric and metabolic roots," notes co-author Gerome Breen, Ph.D., of King's College London in the United Kingdom.
Learn how deep brain stimulation may be an effective treatment for anorexia.
Originally posted here:
First genetic location found for anorexia nervosa - Medical News Today
Breaking: Finnish report prompts petunia genetics investigation in the US – Greenhouse Management
The USDA is working with breeders to move forward after the discovery of potentially genetically engineered petunias.
Following the news that orange-colored petunia varieties in Europe had been found to be genetically engineered (GE), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched an investigation into potentially affected varieties imported, distributed and grown in the U.S. without appropriate authorization.
Petunia breeders have been in contact with the USDA, which circulated a document dated May 11, 2017, listing some of the potentially affected implicated varieties, and instructions for how to destroy the seed and plants. The following plants are listed:
Pegasus Orange Morn Pegasus Orange Pegasus Table Orange Potunia Plus Papaya Go!Tunia Orange Bonnie Orange known as Starlet Orange in North America African Sunset Sanguna Patio Salmon Sanguna Salmon Trilogy Red Trilogy Deep Purple Trilogy Formula Mix Trilogy Liberty Mix Ray Salmon Perfectunia Orange Perfectunia Mandarin Confetti Garden Tangerine Tango Confetti Garden Twist KwikKombo Color My Sunset KwikKombo Orange Twist
According to the document, USDA is currently conducting genetic tests on implicated varieties for which we have obtained samples. These tests will confirm whether these petunias are genetically engineered. As we obtain results from the genetic tests, we will provide updated lists of confirmed GE petunia varieties.
Evira, the Finnish Food Safety Authority, released a statement on April 27, 2017, regarding the discovery of genetically engineered orange petunias. Evira noted in the statement that while genetically engineered plants are not authorised for cultivation in the [European Union], The orange petunias do not cause any risk to people or the environment. Evira has decided to remove from sale seeds and planting stock of the ornamental plant petunia characterised by the orange colour of the flowers which has been produced by means of genetic engineering.
According to initial conversations with breeders who have been in discussions with the USDA, the implicated plants were not properly registered with the USDA as GE plants because no one seemed to know that they contained or were bred with GE plant material.
Since the news broke at the end of April in Europe, petunia breeders have been working to conduct their own tests to determine which plants are affected after it was discovered it was not just orange petunias that may have been bred with a genetically engineered plant.
We were completely shocked by the findings, says Mike Huggett, national sales manager for American Takii. American Takii's African Sunset was the orange petunia that prompted the investigation initially. We sent out the recall through our broker network and instructed the growers to stop sales [on African Sunset], and following that, we conducted some other trials internally, and confirmed Trilogy Red and Deep Purple had foreign DNA in them, so we initiated a recall on those as well.
American Takii only breeds using conventional means, Huggett says.
Takiis reaction was just to reclaim as much as we could because as far as the company is concerned, we dont do any genetically modified plant material, we dont practice in it, we dont want to, he says. Im not as much worried about the flowers as I am the perception about the vegetables. Thats when consumers get worried. Takii only does things the conventional way, even if it takes 10 to 15 years of work, you ultimately come out with something your customer can count on being non-GMO and the best breeding thats available on the market. The petunia loss hurts, but in the bigger scheme of things, I think its the perception of what the company is doing. You dont want to be associated with a GMO.
The silver linings for American Takii are that the GE plant is an ornamental, not an edible, and therefore not harmful to consumers, and their recently released Evening Scentsation petunia tested negative for the GE material, says Steve Wiley, COO and general manager.
"It's an ever-expanding list," Wiley said of the GE petunias implicated by the USDA. "Its one of those things where I think [the genetically engineered plant] sprang up during an age of innocence and perpetuated itself because no one even knew to look for it or fathomed that it was in the germplasm chain."
Huggett credits the USDA and the American Seed Trade Association for their quick work and helping us navigate through this.
You cant plan for this because it wasnt our intention, he says. We have to start picking up the pieces.
This is a developing story that we will continue to update as more information becomes available. The USDA did not immediately respond to calls and emails for comment and clarification.
Conner Howard, assistant editor of Garden Center magazine, and Chris Manning, assistant editor of Greenhouse Management magazine, contributed to this report.
Here is the original post:
Breaking: Finnish report prompts petunia genetics investigation in the US - Greenhouse Management
Egg hatching helps kids learn about life – KYStandard.com
Bardstown Primary School second graders have been learning about life with a hands-on embryology project. For the past few weeks, the students in Allen Bests class have observed eggs in an incubator and have used lights to watch how the embryos develop.
By Wednesday night, several of the eggs had hatched and the students came to school surprised to find fuzzy chicks in their place.
Its one day theyll never forget, Best said.
This is the second year Best has done the hatching project, and based on its success and student interest, he plans to continue in the future.
They need to learn about life and where life comes from, he said. And the project also teaches responsibility, incorporates science and has the potential to instill a greater respect for living things.
Hatching eggs is something many students across the county have taken part in over the years. In addition to the hatching, the students also participated in an egg nutrition class at the Nelson County Cooperative Extension Office. The Extension Office supplied the class with the equipment to hatch the eggs.
Best said once the chicks are a little older, in a few weeks, a local farmer will take them.
Read and share your thoughts on this story
See original here:
Egg hatching helps kids learn about life - KYStandard.com
Cromwell’s Biological Industries inks stem-cell training pact with Calif. Institute – Hartford Business
PHOTO | Steve Laschever
Biological Industries has a distribution-storage depot in Cromwell for its line of cell-culture media in which human and animal stem cells are grown.
Cromwell-based Biological Industries USA is partnering with a Monrovia, Calif.-based nonprofit stem cell institute to provide training for aspiring young scientists.
Biological Industries' partner, the Pathways to Stem Cell Science institute, will host early career scientists ranging from high school to college-level students and beyond and provide hands-on experience in culturing human pluripotent stem cells. Biological Industries will provide stem cell product and technology support through program scholarships for the Pathways to Stem Cell Science training programs.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Biological Industries, which specializes in stem cell research, cellular reprogramming and regenerative medicine, is a division of Biological Industries Israel LTD. Pathways to Stem Cell Science programs provide classroom and laboratory-based courses in molecular cell biology, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine to equip students with the skills to help them gain a competitive edge in the industry.
Go here to see the original:
Cromwell's Biological Industries inks stem-cell training pact with Calif. Institute - Hartford Business
Cell-free synbio: a technology whose time has come – PLoS Blogs (blog)
By former Community Editor Steven Burgess
Its like instant noodles just add water exclaims Dr. Keith Pardee, now an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. He is describing a small black object developed during his postdoc in the Collins lab. This unassuming device is one of the most advanced biosensors ever built it is able to detect the presence of the Zika virus. This is achieved by using an RNA toehold switch which provides the molecular precision required to identify and outbreaks and help guide efforts to combat virus spread. But things get really interesting when you look at the transformative technology behind the sensor.
Rather than use the common approaches of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or a genetically modified bacteria to detect the virus, Keith decided to use a cell free system. The principle is simple: grow up bacteria, smash open the cells, and use the contents to perform reactions in a test tube or on paper (for a guide on how to make extracts see this JoVE article). This has a number of advantages over the alternatives: unlike PCR, the assay can be used in remote locations without the need for expensive lab equipment, thereby allowing instantaneous field testing, and unlike genetically modified bacteria, cell-free systems avoid concerns about uncontrolled escape of genetically modified organisms into the environment.
Once realized, the simplicity of the approach provides a host of possibilities. Keith followed up the Zika work by demonstrating the potential of cell-free systems for on demand biomanufacturing: producing antimicrobial peptides, vaccines, antibody conjugates and small molecules all in a test tube. He explains [we aim] to use cell-free synthetic biology to extend the reach of molecular tools beyond their current range to address needs into low and middle-income countries.
The success of these approaches has seen initiatives such as the Bakubung Workshop Report highlighting cell-free systems as a key component of capacity building in efforts to grow the African bioeconomy, sidestepping the need for investment in expensive facilities and biocontainment procedures and the potential to transform research. Additionally, development projects such as OpenDiagnostics have adopted the technology to develop low-cost, open-source crop, livestock and environmental biosensors.
Turbo charging the design-build-test cycle
The use of cell-extracts in biology goes back a long way. The first experiments were carried out in the 1960s, but ever since the dawn of synthetic biology the benefits of cell free systems for applied goals have also been getting scientists excited.
It is not just low cost applications that have been gaining traction, the potential advantages of cell free systems have also caught the attention of tech firms such as Sutro biopharma and Synvitrobio which are using them for the production of high value proteins that would otherwise be difficult to generate using conventional cell culture systems such as those that are toxic.
At Imperial College, Dr. Richard Kelwick has been exploring ways cell-free systems may contribute to speeding up the design-build test cycle during his postdoc in Prof. Paul Freemonts lab. He has been working on an improved cell-free system for B. subtilis, a bacterium which is often used in industrial fermentation for the production of products ranging from antibodies to washing powders. We think that cell-free systems can help researchers and companies to innovate explains Richard. In a recent publication he demonstrated the applicability of the technology for quickly screening DNA regulatory elements and a model enzyme getting results in hours rather than days.
An Idea whose Time Has Come
There is a growing sense that the use of cell-free systems is an idea whose time has come; 2017 has seen the 1st European Congress on Cell Free Synthetic Biology, call for papers to be included in a special issue in Synthetic Biology, workshops aimed at using cell free systems to bring biology to engineers.
There are, of course, some limitations to these methods. Batch variability is an ongoing concern in the field, though experienced cell-free biotechnologists can minimise these effects. Cost is also a potential issue, Richard Kelwick explains small scale reactions (e.g. for prototyping) have been quoted as low as 10-30 cents per reaction [not including sample preparation] but bringing costs down much further may involve using picoliter volumes on a high-throughput phenotyping platform.
These issues have slowly been addressed through years of hard slog through modification of energy production systems to removing proteases (reviewed in an excellent bioRxiv article), and standardization of preparation methods. Richard also pointed out the choice of strain is important, he explains [systems] may benefit from the unique biochemistries of specific organisms whether that is the presence of specific enzymes, or cofactor recycling systems. For example he found that by simply switching strains of B. subtilis used in his cell free system he was able to improve performance ~70 fold. As a result, the Freemont group has already begun to explore (test) the potential of cell extracts, from diverse organisms that have unique biochemistries in the hope of building more robust cell-free systems.
The result of these developments is that you can now buy extracts such as Mytxtl or PURExpress to perform cell free reactions without the need of preparing your own. So will we see cell-free systems commonly used anytime soon? In everyday labs costs will come down, and the performance will continue to be improved through better strains and development of standardized protocols. In regards to applied research Keith explains the challenges going forward include streamlining patient sample preparation and validation of the tools under field conditions, and he is currently looking to begin field trials of the Zika sensor in Latin America.
The technology is there, all it takes is your imagination to decide what to do with it. Note by the author: I want to thank Dr. Keith Pardee and Dr. Richard Kelwick for their input and email correspondence following presentations organised by the University of Cambridge Synthetic Biology Research Initiative on the 16th of March 2017.
Note by the editor: You can follow Steven on Twitter@sjb015
See the original post:
Cell-free synbio: a technology whose time has come - PLoS Blogs (blog)