Category Archives: Molecular Genetics

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NASDAQ:REGN) today announced the winners of the 10th annual Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation, a competition designed to recognize excellence and creativity in biomedical research conducted by postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Each year, Regeneron invites the country's leading research universities to nominate early career scientists. Applicants present their "dream projects" within the field of biomedical science to a committee of Regeneron scientists and leaders, describing and designing the research they would pursue if they had access to any resource or technology, to compete for the Regeneron Prize and an award of $50,000.

This year's winners are Ryan Emenecker, Ph.D., of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, in the postdoctoral fellow category, and Venkata (Sai) Chaluvadi of the University of Pennsylvania in the graduate student category. Meagan Esbin, a graduate student from theUniversity of California at Berkeley, received a $10,000 prize as an honorable mention. Seven other finalists received awards of$5,000each. In total,$155,000in prize money and donations was awarded to winners, finalists and institutions to advance innovative scientific research. The finalists were selected by a committee of senior Regeneron leaders and scientists.

"The Regeneron Prize celebrates the ingenuity of young scientists who are early in their careers but already on the cusp of the next big scientific breakthroughs," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. "Creativity is the engine that drives cutting-edge science, and both Ryan's and Sai's creativity shone brightly in their presentations. I was impressed by this year's winners for their determination to push the boundaries of science and demonstrate scientific courage."

Dr. Emenecker is a molecular biologist with a strong interest in the relationship between sequence composition and encoded function of intrinsically disordered proteins, which can impact aging and neurodegenerative disease. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Alex Holehouse, Ph.D., at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. A prolific researcher, Dr. Emenecker has been a part of over a dozen publications on topics ranging from biomolecular condensate function, to computational tool development, to organismic development.

Mr. Chaluvadi first developed an interest in immunology during his time in Dr. Susan Schwab's lab at New York University where he helped discover the roles of S1P in immune cell trafficking and function, which resulted in publications in Nature and Nature Immunology. He began exploring the intersections between immunology and other fields such as oncology and neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine. Work during rotations resulted in manuscripts related to tumor immunology and microglial replacement therapy that are in preparation. Currently, he is a member of the Bennett Lab, studying the contributions of diseased immune cells to the progression of Krabbe diseasea fatal neurodegenerative condition with limited available therapies.

Ms. Esbin studies transcriptional regulation, with her thesis work probing the human SAGA complex, an important regulator of gene expression. Ms. Esbin's most recent work in this area studied the structure of the SAGA complex and appeared last year in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Esbin took additional work helping to develop open-source methods for COVID-19 detection, illustrating her commitment to applying science to biomedical innovation.

"The Regeneron Prize encourages early career scientists to prioritize independent thinking and creative ingenuity as core components of their future work," saidDavid Glass, M.D., Vice President of Research and Chair of the Postdoctoral Program at Regeneron. "When it comes to the impact these young scientists will have on the world, the work they have presented this year is just the beginning. We applaud their innovative thinking and look forward to seeing what they accomplish next."

Requests for applications are distributed to academic institutions each December. Regeneron asks institutions to nominate two graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows. In addition to the dream project proposals, submissions must include a curriculum vitae and samples of publications that enable the selection committee to review each nominee's scholarly productivity. For more information, please email[emailprotected].

About RegeneronRegeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led for nearly 35 years by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to nine FDA-approved treatments and numerous product candidates in development, almost all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, pain, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through our proprietaryVelociSuitetechnologies, such asVelocImmune, which uses unique genetically humanized mice to produce optimized fully human antibodies and bispecific antibodies, and through ambitious research initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center, which is conducting one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world.

Regeneron believes that operating as a good corporate citizen is crucial to delivering on our mission. We approach corporate responsibility with three goals in mind: to improve the lives of people with serious diseases, to foster a culture of integrityandexcellence,and tobuild sustainable communities. Regeneron is proud to be included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Civic 50 list of the most "community-minded" companies in the United States. Throughout the year, Regeneron empowers and supports employees to give back through our volunteering, pro bono, and matching gift programs. Our most significant philanthropic commitments are in the area of science education, including theRegeneron Science Talent Search and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

For additional information about the company, please visitwww.regeneron.comor follow@Regeneronon Twitter.

Regeneron Media RelationsElla CampbellTel: +1 914-572-4003[emailprotected]

SOURCE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Link:
Regeneron Announces the 2022 Winners of the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation - PR Newswire

Replay Launches with $55 Million Seed to Reprogram Biology by Writing and Delivering Big DNA

San Diego, California and London, UK, 25 July 2022 Replay, a genome writing company reprogramming biology by writing and delivering big DNA, today announced its launch with $55 million in seed financing. The round was led by KKR and OMX Ventures, with additional participation from ARTIS Ventures and Lansdowne Partners, SALT, DeciBio Ventures, and Axial.

Replays portfolio of next-generation genomic medicine technologies aims to solve the key challenges currently limiting clinical progress, including the need for increased payload capacity and off-the-shelf cell therapies that substantially reduce cost of goods, improve production speed, volume and consistency, and expand the potential for genome engineering.

Replays genomic medicine toolkit comprises several synergistic technology platforms, including:

Replays innovative corporate structure separates technology development from therapeutic product development within disease area-specific product companies. Each product company is co-founded by seasoned entrepreneurs in conjunction with global thought leaders in each therapeutic area. To date, Replay has established four synHSV gene therapy product companies, aimed at bringing big DNA therapies to monogenic diseases affecting the skin, eye, brain and muscle, and an enzyme writing product company using LASR and DropSynth to optimize enzyme functionality.

Replay was co-founded by Dr. Adrian Woolfson BM BCh PhD, formerly Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development at Sangamo Therapeutics, Chief Medical Officer at Nouscom, Global Clinical Leader of Early and Late Stage Immuno-Oncology/Hematology at Pfizer and Global Medical Lead in Oncology at Bristol Myers Squibb; Lachlan MacKinnon, a member of the founding team at Oxford Science Enterprises (formerly OSI) and founding investor in Base Genomics, ONI and OMass Therapeutics; Professor David Knipe PhD, a world-renowned virologist and pioneer of HSV research; and Professor Ron Weiss PhD, one of the pioneers of synthetic biology and Professor of Biological Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Adrian Woolfson, Executive Chairman, President, and Co-founder of Replay, commented: Genomic medicine has the potential to transform the future of clinical therapeutics. Over my three decades of experience working in clinical medicine, academia, and the biopharmaceutical industry, it has become clear that we require a more robust and comprehensive toolkit of molecular genetic platform technologies to solve biologys most complex problems and realize its full therapeutic potential. In Replay we have assembled a world-class team of entrepreneurs, subject matter experts, and cutting-edge genomic medicine and synthetic biology technologies into a coherent structure that will enable us to address medicines greatest challenges, including solid tumors and polygenic diseases.

Lachlan MacKinnon, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-founder of Replay, added: Technology and product development have different talent requirements, timelines, costs and cultures. By separating technology development from product development, we have generated a model to accommodate these differences. Our ability to write and deliver big DNA has the potential to disrupt many areas of genomic medicine. We have the right team, corporate structure, portfolio of technology platforms, and financial backing to build an enduring company that shapes the future of the industry.

Kugan Sathiyanandarajah, Managing Director at KKR and Board Member at Replay, said: Replays mission is to create a world-leading company that develops and owns the tools to reprogram biology by writing and delivering big DNA; we believe these capabilities will unlock the largest untapped opportunity in medicine. Replay has tremendous entrepreneurial experience within the Company, as well as a team of seasoned industry players to guide the development of the platform technologies and product companies to bring new treatments to patients.

Nick Haft, Managing Director at OMX Ventures and Board Observer at Replay, added: Replay has assembled an impressive portfolio of step-change technologies to propel the field of genomic medicine forward. We are excited to support these technologies, Replays creative business model and the excellent team of entrepreneurs and investors that brings it all together.

Errik Anderson, CEO of Alloy Therapeutics and Independent Board Member at Replay, stated: Substantial technological advances in biotechnology often create opportunities for new business models. I am very excited to partner with Replays ambitious founders and investors who have devised a new structure around the significant opportunity space afforded by synHSV, uCell, and Replays related genomic medicine and synthetic biology technologies.

Alongside a highly experienced management team and board, which includes serial entrepreneur Errik Anderson, Replay is supported by a distinguished team of entrepreneurs and international experts including product company co-founders: Professor Joe Glorioso PhD, inventor of Replays synHSV technology and Senior Advisor for Gene Therapy Programs at Replay, Co-founder of Oncorus, and Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh; Mark Blumenkranz, MD, MMS, the HJ Smead Professor of Ophthalmology, Emeritus, at the Stanford School of Medcine, Co-Director of the Stanford Opthalmology Innovation Program, and former Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of Adverum Biotechnologies; Professor Howard Federoff MD PhD, Co-Founder of Brain Neurotherapy Bio, and former CEO of Aspen Neuroscience and Brooklyn Immunotherapeutics; and Professor David Schaffer PhD, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Bioengineering and Neuroscience at University of California, Berkeley, and Co-founder of 4D Molecular Therapeutics.

KKR is investing in Replay through KKR Health Care Strategic Growth Fund II, a $4.0 billion fund focused on investing in high-growth health care companies.

Ends

About Replay

Replay is a genome writing company, which aims to define the future of genomic medicine through reprogramming biology by writing and delivering big DNA. The Company has assembled a toolkit of disruptive platform technologies including a high payload capacity HSV platform, a hypoimmunogenic platform, and a genome writing platform to address the scientific challenges currently limiting clinical progress and preventing genomic medicine from realising its full potential. The Companys hub-and-spoke business model separates technology development within Replay from therapeutic development in product companies, which leverage the technology platforms. For example, Replays synHSV technology, a high payload capacity HSV vector capable of delivering up to 30 times the payload of AAV, is utilized by Replays four gene therapy product companies, bringing big DNA treatments to diseases affecting the skin, eye, brain, and muscle. The Company has, additionally, established an enzyme writing product company engaging its evolutionary inference machine learning and genome writing technology to optimize functionality. Replay is led by a world-class team of academics, entrepreneurs and industry experts.

The Company has raised $55 million in seed financing and is supported by an international syndicate of investors that includes KKR, OMX Ventures, ARTIS Ventures, and Lansdowne Partners.

Replay is headquartered in San Diego, CA and London, UK. For further information please visit http://www.replay.bio and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKRs insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management ofGlobal Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKRs investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information aboutKKR & Co. Inc.(NYSE: KKR), please visit KKRs website atwww.kkr.com and on Twitter.

About OMX Ventures

OMX Ventures is an early stage, tech-bio focused venture capital fund a force multiplier for scientists and innovators pushing the boundaries of whats possible in biology and beyond. Visit OMX Ventures website at OMX.VC and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contacts:

ReplayDr. Adrian Woolfson/Lachlan MacKinnoninfo@replay.bio

Consilium Strategic Communications Media relationsAmber Fennell/Tracy Cheung/Jessica Hodgsonreplay@consilium-comms.com

KKRAlastair Elwen/Sophia JohnstonFinsbury Glover HeringKKR-LON@fgh.com+44 20 7251 3801

Go here to see the original:
Replay Launches with $55 Million Seed to Reprogram Biology by Writing and Delivering Big DNA - GlobeNewswire

Of late, biotechnology is fast becoming an integral part of human existence. A multidisciplinary science with a foundation in many fields including cell and molecular biology, physiology, immunology, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, and chemical engineering, application of biotechnology is revolutionising the fields of agriculture and the food industry.Over the years, biotechnology helped evolve newer and viable methods of production of various food items and improved their quality by adding more nutritional value. The changing aspect of food via biotechnology is called food biotechnology.Biotechnology is part of applied biology, which can be defined as using living organisms or their products for commercial purposes. Rayan Benthencourt, a famous American scientist, says, Our world is built on biology and once we begin to understand it, it then becomes technology.The history of biotechnology dates back to ancient times starting from 1150 AD when wine production started. Later in the 14th century, vinegar was manufactured, fermentation of yeast was done in 1818, fermentation enzymes were detected in 1897, and penicillin was discovered in 1928 and 1929. But Biotechnology rose to its peak when humans discovered the recombinant DNA technique and of various vaccines for life-threatening diseases and their uses in the food and beverage industry.How biotechnology is used in the food and beverage industry?Feeding the world will be one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. It will be impossible without using scientific advancements and biotechnology, said Mike Pompeo, an American politician.We cannot imagine our lives without technology and in todays scenario Biotechnology is what the world needs.According to Prof. SR Kale of Department of Food Microbiology and Safety and KK Wagh of the Department of Food and Technology, Nasik, the main objectives of biotechnology in the food and food processing sector are to improve the processing, control, yielding, and efficiency, as well as the quality, safety, and consistency of bio-processed products.Following are the examples of the biotechnologically processed items:AlcoholYeast or microscopic single-cell fungi that help in the fermentation of grape juice by converting them into ethanol, carbon dioxide, and other end products that contribute to the chemical composition and taste of wine.BreadIn the process of making bread, fermentation takes place when the dough is rising in a high-temperature oven. During this time, the fermented sugar that is naturally present in flour is converted into glucose, which is then fermented by yeast to create carbon dioxide and alcohol.YogurtYogurt is a milk product made by using bacterial culture. It is originated from the West Asia and Eastern Europe and now is eaten all over the world. In the process of making yogurt, whole or skimmed milk is fermented by harmless lactic acid bacteria, like lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. These bacteria ferment the lactose, producing lactic acid, which curdles the milk and gives yogurt its characteristic tangy taste and texture.Bio yogurtIt is a recently invented dairy product containing extra bacteria that are not found naturally in the digestive system. It is milder and premier than conventional yogurt.CheeseAs we all know cheese is one of the major products of food biotechnology. Making different cheeses by fermentation is very common. Different flavours and textures are improved with the help of microorganisms. Apart from the normal process of yogurt making, another important player in cheese making is the enzyme named chymosin or rennin, which is required to set or ready the milk for the process to occur. Nowadays vegetarian cheese is also available and is made from genetic modification.Monitoring and controlling milk qualityIn any industrial process, the quality of raw materials is critical to determining the quality of the product. The raw material of dairy fermentation is, of course, milk, and, being a biological secretion of high nutritional potential, it is subject to spoilage, principally by contaminating bacteria from the cows environment.The reduction of the root cause of milks potential to be spoiled has not been a target of biotechnological interest, rather is one of husbandry, antisepsis, and engineering. However, there have been developments in enzyme technology and nucleic acid technology which are relevant to the monitoring and controlling of milk contamination by bacteria and pathogens.Fruit and vegetable juicesThe application of biotechnology in making fruit and vegetable juices is very common as it helps suppress and increase various flavours and textures of the juices. Certain citrus fruits which have bitter flavour can be eliminated with the help of microbial actions. It helps in increase the yield and improve quantity.Biotechnology is not only used in the making of different products via fermentation but also helps in improving the nutritional value of different food products.Transgenic crops like soyabean which has higher protein content and potatoes with higher starch content and different amino acids and rice which has the ability to produce beta carotene improves the quality of food and provides better nutrition in less quantity.Speaking to The Statesman correspondent, Vipasha Thakur Research scholar, Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, said that the potential benefits of biotechnology are enormous. Food producers can use new biotechnology to produce newer products with desirable characteristics, including disease and drought-resistant plants, leaner meat, enhanced flavours, and addition to nutritional qualities of the food products.This technology has also been used for the development of life-saving vaccines, insulin, cancer treatment, and other pharmaceuticals to improve quality of life.She added that with the population growing by the day there will be more difficulties in providing food to people with proper quality and quantity. But with the help of biotechnology, we can expect to have better and more food in the coming years.

See more here:
How is Biotechnology revolutionising food and beverage industry? - The Statesman

1. ACP offers guidance on the ethical use of genetic testing and precision medicine

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0743

URLs go live when the embargo lifts

A new position paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP) offers guidance regarding ethical decision-making for the integration of precision medicine and genetic testing into internal medicine. ACP's advice is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The paper was developed by ACPs Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee in response to the issue of rapid advances in genome sequencing technology that have generated a range of genetic testing technologies that can contribute to precision medicine. Like many new technologies, these testing approaches have the potential to improve health care but can pose ethical questions. The position paper states that:

The position paper is intended to complement and provide more specificity to the guidance outlined in the ACP Ethics Manual, which identifies a number of issues associated with precision medicine including the broad implications of genetic testing including for family members, incidental findings, education for physicians and patients, counseling needs, privacy and confidentiality concerns, costs and possible consequences such as the discovery of unwanted information or discrimination. Precision medicine, defined as individualized care based on knowledge of a persons genetics, lifestyle, and environment, encompasses a wide spectrum of uses of genetic information including predictive risk testing, risk assessment, diagnostic testing, pharmacogenomics, molecular profiling of tumors, population screening, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with someone from ACP, please contact Andrew Hachadorian at ahachadorian@acponline.org.

-------------------------------------------------

2. Atrial fibrillation after non-cardiac surgery is common and not benign

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0434

URLs go live when the embargo lifts

A cohort study of persons with incident atrial fibrillation (AF) has found that AF after noncardiac surgery is common and comprises 13 percent of all new AF diagnoses. Postoperative AF is also associated with similar risk for stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and death as AF unrelated to surgery. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

AF occurring after noncardiac surgery may be triggered by perioperative stress and systemic inflammation in patients with predisposing comorbidities. For those who develop AF within 30 days of surgery, AF often recurs during subsequent follow-up and carries increased risks for thromboembolism and death compared with patients who had surgery but did not develop AF. It is less clear how postoperative AF compares with AF occurring outside of the operative setting for risk of both nonfatal and fatal outcomes.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinics Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine and Quantitative Health Sciences studied data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) for 4,231 patients with incident AF to compare the risks for ischemic stroke or TIA and other outcomes in patients with postoperative AF versus those with incident AF not associated with surgery. They found that 550 patients, or 13%, had postoperative AF as their first-ever documented AF presentation. Most of these incidents occurred within one week after surgery and the cumulative incidence of subsequent documented AF was approximately 21% at 1 year after the index periprocedural AF episode. The authors also found that compared to AF unrelated to a surgical procedure, postoperative AF was associated with similar risks for stroke or TIA and death. According to the authors, their results suggest that patients with postoperative AF may require ongoing surveillance for the arrhythmia and its complications. They also suggest that the underuse of anticoagulation in these patients may reflect the perception that postoperative AF is an isolated, provoked arrhythmia after noncardiac surgery that carries less severe implications than other forms of AF, but their data show that this perception may be erroneous and underscores a therapeutic gap with direct clinical relevance.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, or the first author, Konstantinos C. Siontis, MD, please contact Teresa Malloy at malloy.teresa@mayo.edu.

-------------------------------------------------

3. Telehealth-delivered maternal care yields similar results to in-person visits

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0737

URL goes live when the embargo lifts

A rapid systematic review of published research found that when telehealth-delivered care was used to supplement or replace in-person maternal care services, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction were similar, and sometimes better, compared to in-person care. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Access to high-quality maternal health care is associated with reduced maternal morbidity and mortality

because it facilitates identification of conditions that increase the risk for poor outcomes and enables timely prevention or treatment. Maternal morbidity and mortality are unacceptably high in the United States and significant health disparities exist. The use of telehealth services to deliver maternal care is a possible strategy towards improving delivery of maternity care, increasing patient satisfaction, and reducing health disparities.

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University conducted a rapid review of 28 RCTs and 14 observational studies of 44,894 women to determine the effectiveness and harms of telehealth strategies for maternal health care in response to the recent expansion of telehealth arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and produced an evidence map to display research gaps. Many of the telehealth strategies included in the review were studied to treat postpartum depression, monitor diabetes or hypertension during pregnancy, or as an alternative to general maternity care for low-risk pregnancies. The authors found that telehealth strategies resulted in mostly similar, or sometimes better, maternal clinical, obstetric, or patient-reported outcomes compared with in-person care. More specifically, they noted that telehealth may have a role as a supplement to usual care for postpartum depression, as telehealth interventions were more likely to improve mood symptoms in the short term compared to in-person care alone, although effects may not be sustained. According to the authors, maternity care is particularly ripe for innovation, given the limited evidence supporting traditional approaches to prenatal care that rely on multiple in-person visits. They add that their findings highlight an ongoing need to incorporate methods to evaluate and improve health equity, an important element lacking in these telehealth studies.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Amy G. Cantor, MD, MPH, please contact please contact the OHSU newsroom at news@ohsu.edu.

------------------------------------------------

Annals of Internal Medicine

Literature review

People

Ethical Considerations in Precision Medicine and Genetic Testing in Internal Medicine Practice: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians

26-Jul-2022

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Original post:
ACP offers guidance on the ethical use of genetic testing and precision medicine - EurekAlert

Over the next five years, the University of Cincinnatis College of Medicine is creating a cool cutting-edge space to study the images of life.

The way the Center for Advanced Structural Biology (CASB) will do that is through cryo-EM, or electric microscopy. This structural biology methodology gained a lot of attention following the 2017 Nobel Prize awards for chemistry. Cryo-EM is valuable for studying any kind of proteins that are related to any kind of human disease.

Announcement of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017

Researchers can prepare and image samples at very cold temperatures to visualize them in a near-native hydrated state. This helps them get a look at proteins at the atomic level.

Were actually visualizing a single protein, says Rhett Kovall, Ph.d., of the Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, who has helped get the funding and plan the cryo-EM facility in the CASB. This is quite different from other structural techniques where you dont get this direct visualization.

For research scientist and facility manager Desiree Benefield, Ph.d., its valuable for studying any kind of proteins that are related to human disease. She first learned about cryo-EM in graduate school.

I just fell in love with it because you could actually see the science, she says. It wasnt a clear liquid in a tube or a band on a gel you were looking at your question, which is really exciting to me.

The samples are flash-frozen with a Vitrobot (specimen preparation unit) and then scientists study them on the Talos L120C Transmission Electron Microscope. In this video, Benefield shows how it all works.

The $1.5 million to buy the equipment came from Research 2030 as part of a JobsOhio grant.

Eventually, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, the University of Kentucky and Miami University will have access to UCs equipment.

View post:
UC scientists are deep-freezing molecules. Here's why they're so excited about it - WVXU

Suzanne Barbour, a biochemist and national leader in graduate education, has been appointed dean of The Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education, Provost Sally Kornbluth announced Monday. Barbour will also hold a faculty appointment in the Duke University School of Medicine.

Barbour will be responsible for ensuring the excellence of Dukes graduate programs, leading long-term strategic planning for graduate studies, and managing The Graduate Schools work that supports students and faculty throughout the university.

The Graduate School oversees Dukes 55 Ph.D. programs, 29 of the universitys masters programs, and a number of graduate certificates and dual and joint degrees. It collaborates with Dukes other schools, academic departments, and various campus services to support about 3,500 graduate students in areas such as academics, admissions, financial aid, professional development, and wellbeing.

Barbour will join Duke Sept. 15, succeeding Paula D. McClain, who has served as dean and vice provost for graduate education since 2012.

Suzanne has a tremendous record of advancing graduate education and graduate student success, and I am delighted to welcome her to Duke, Kornbluth said.

Barbour has been at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 2019, serving as dean of The Graduate School and professor of biochemistry and biophysics. At UNC, she has led efforts to increase student access and inclusion, foster experiential professional development opportunities for students pursuing non-academic career paths and improve mentoring for graduate students. Under her leadership, The Graduate School has surpassed its goal of raising $10 million as part of the Campaign for Carolina.

In addition to serving students, faculty and staff on campus, Dukes Graduate School has made many important contributions that have impacted graduate education at the national level, Barbour said. I am grateful for the opportunity to join the talented, innovative and committed team that has made this possible, and I look forward to collaborating with Dukes faculty, staff and students to further this important work.

Prior to her appointment at UNC, Barbour served as dean of the University of Georgia Graduate School for four years, overseeing 250 graduate programs. She has also held appointments as a program director at the National Science Foundation and as a faculty member and graduate program director at Virginia Commonwealth University. Barbours research in the field of lipid biochemistry has focused on the role of iPLA2 and lipids generated downstream of the enzyme in cellular signaling, in mammalian cell models.

Suzanne has distinguished herself through her leadership of the graduate schools at UNC and the University of Georgia, and through her sustained commitment toexcellence in all aspects ofgraduate education, including a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the graduate student population, Kornbluth noted. I look forward to working with her to support graduate education and graduate students.

Barbours appointment follows a national search chaired by Craig Henriquez, professor of biomedical engineering, and conducted by a committee of Duke faculty and representatives of the Graduate School Board of Visitors and graduate student body.

I am grateful to the search committee for their work throughout this process, as well as to Craig Henriquez for his service as chair, Kornbluth said.

Barbour is active nationally as a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools, the National Science Foundations Committee for Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering and its Directorate for Biological Sciences Advisory Committee, the governing council of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Graduate Education Advisory Council of the Educational Testing Service.

In 2021, she was selected in the first class of fellows of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Barbour earned her Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics at Johns Hopkins University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. She received her bachelors degree in chemistry from Rutgers University.

Read this article:
Barbour Appointed Dean of The Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education - Duke Today

When the virus that causes COVID-19 enters the body, it hijacks cellular proteins and suppresses the human inflammatory response, allowing the virus to spread. University of Florida researchers have discovered a novel way in the lab to fight rapidly evolving strains of coronaviruses by breaking that cycle.

The group created a molecular decoy that blocks two proteins coronaviruses use to evade a normal immune system response. Blocking these proteins prevents the virus from taking hold within human cells, the researchers found. During early tests, short chains of amino acids, known as peptides, inhibited the replication and release of two coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2. The findings werepublished recently in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

The UF teams compounds dont attack coronaviruses directly, said Alfred S. Lewin, Ph.D., a professor ofmolecular genetics and microbiology in the UF College of Medicine.

These peptides have the potential to allow our immune system to fight off the virus more effectively, Lewin said.

To establish their findings, the researchers focused on two coronaviruses. One is a seasonal virus that causes upper-respiratory infections like the common cold. Researchers at UF and elsewhere already knew that people with antibodies to it were less likely to develop serious COVID-19 infections.

That potential benefit intrigued Chulbul M. Ahmed, Ph.D., a research assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology. Their team developed a peptide known as pJAK2. During testing on human cells, the compound significantly reduced the viruses concentrations and ability to replicate. In SARS-CoV2, the peptide reduced the viruss replication more than tenfold, the researchers found. The cell-penetrating peptides work by acting as a decoy and suppressing two proteins that would otherwise allow invading viruses to thrive.

When the peptide was combined with a second virus-inhibiting protein, viral activity was inhibited even further than with either peptide treatment alone.

A future COVID-19 therapy based on pJAK2 intrigues the researchers for several reasons. It can be synthesized easily and in large quantities at a reasonable cost, Ahmed said. And it has natural origins as a cell-penetrating form of 13 amino acids already found in humans.

The case to be made here is that were not dealing with a foreign substance. Its something that the human body already produces in some form, Ahmed said.

The researchers believe pJAK2 would be most useful as an early-stage therapy that fights the SARS-CoV-2 virus by stimulating an immune response. Several antiviral drugs to treat COVID-19 in its early stages are already on the market, including the well-known remdesivir.

This would be a potentially useful treatment for someone with an early or intermediate-stage infection but certainly not for someone who already has a serious inflammatory response to the virus, Lewin said.

The discovery may also prove to be a preventive treatment for COVID-19, Ahmed said. Testing on the influenza virus revealed both therapeutic and preventive qualities. Ahmed said its reasonable to believe those same characteristics could apply to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants as well as other viruses that lead to herpes, Ebola, the flu and monkeypox.

For influenza, we have shown that it acts both as a prophylactic as well as a therapeutic compound. So this could potentially be given to uninfected family members and primary contacts of the affected individuals to protect them from getting a more serious form of SARS-CoV-2, Ahmed said.

Next, the researchers want to fully test their findings in primary human lung cells before moving to experiments in mouse models and eventually human clinical trials.

Research collaborators included Tristan R. Grams, Ph.D., a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences; David C. Bloom, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the College of Medicines department of molecular genetics and microbiology; and Howard M. Johnson, Ph.D., an emeritus faculty member of the UF department of microbiology and cell science. Research funding was provided by the Shaler Richardson Professorship endowment, Research to Prevent Blindness and multiple National Institutes of Health grants.

Doug Bennett July 13, 2022

See original here:
UF researchers discover new way to inhibit virus that causes COVID-19 - University of Florida

Job Description

The successful candidate(s) will play key hands-on role(s) in the laboratorys use of a wide variety of proteomic, molecular biology and protein purification techniques in support of the characterization of allergenic components and evaluation of allergic diseases. They will partner closely with other members of the R&D team who specialize in Epidemiology, Genetics, Immunology and Clinical Medicine. Understanding of coding (R) and Statistical Handling of big-data would be appreciated.

Qualifications

PhD with experience in Molecular Biology/Recombinant Protein Production and Purification and the ability to co-supervise undergraduates and graduates students.

Covid-19 Message

At NUS, the health and safety of our staff and students are one of our utmost priorities, and COVID-vaccination supports our commitment to ensure the safety of our community and to make NUS as safe and welcoming as possible. Many of our roles require a significant amount of physical interactions with students/staff/public members. Even for job roles that may be performed remotely, there will be instances where on-campus presence is required.

Taking into consideration the health and well-being of our staff and students and to better protect everyone in the campus, applicants are strongly encouraged to have themselves fully COVID-19 vaccinated to secure successful employment with NUS.

More Information

Location: [[Kent Ridge Campus]]Organization: [[National University of Singapore]]Department : [[Department of Biological Sciences]]Employee Referral Eligible: [[No]]Job requisition ID : 16431

See the original post here:
Research Fellow, Molecular Biology / Recombinant Protein Production and Purification (Biol Sci) job with NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE | 301436 -...

Genetic testing has afforded oncologists with the opportunity to identify patients who may have a higher risk of developing cancer at some point in their life, especially for patients with a predisposition for certain cancers and patients who may have family members with cancer. Additionally, genetic testing to identify actionable mutations has allowed patients to receive targeted therapy and have their long-term treatment plan mapped out at diagnosis, according to Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP.

However, this testing has created a vast amount of information to digest for each patient, and streamlining platforms to pull more relevant information together will be important as the genetic testing field continues to grow, Schwartzberg said.

Linking the germline genetics with outcomes, like the ancestry data, is becoming increasingly interesting, Schwartzberg said. We want to know if patients who have a specific ancestry might have a predisposition for multiple genes interacting to get a cancer, or, more importantly, how the outcome [of] that cancer might differ.

In an interview with OncLive, Schwartzberg, the chief of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the Renown Institute for Cancer, and a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Nevada, discussed barriers to genetic testing in oncology, the role of a molecular tumor board, and the expanding number of platforms available to perform testing.

Schwartzberg: When discussing genetic testing in oncology, were talking about 2 broad themes. The first is germline testing, which has been available for about 25 years and should be considered for patients who typically have family history [of cancer] or meet the criteria for germline testing. These criteria have evolved dramatically over time to multi-panel testing. We usually test multiple genes that we now know increase the susceptibility to cancer. We test individuals with a diagnosis of cancer and potentially their family members if an alteration, a pathogenic variant, or a probable pathogenic variant [is found] in the germline. We also test high-risk individuals when they dont have cancer.

The barriers include finding the right patients to test. It is easy for oncologists, if you have a patient with a cancer diagnosis, to determine, based on their family history or the type of cancer they have, or both, whether germline testing should be considered. Those guidelines have evolved dramatically over the past few years and include patients that have strong family histories. We have therapeutic drugs for patients with certain germline alterations, namely PARP inhibitors, particularly in patients with breast cancer. That has led to a broader discussion of testing where we believe that the majority of patients with breast cancer should be tested and not miss an opportunity to receive a PARP inhibitor in the adjuvant setting if they have higher-stage disease.

One of the barriers in the space can be insurance in some cases, [when it needs to be determined] whether patients fall into NCCN [testing] guidelines. Making sure that the high-risk patients are identified by their primary care physicians for testing [is necessary]. Many times, oncologists end up doing the testing or arrange with a genetic counselor to do testing. But we can only do the testing if were aware of those patients.

There is still a gap in access to patients who may benefit from testing [even though] there may be a strategy of drug therapy, imaging, or more intensive surveillance, which can be an issue. The second issue with germline testing is interpretation of the results. In other words, not finding the patients is one issue, but finding patients to test and misinterpreting the results is another issue. We see this frequently, particularly with people with too much to do, such as primary care doctors. Its too much to stay [up-to-date] on everything with the vast breath of what they see.

Particularly when patients get a variant of unknown significance in a cancer susceptibility gene, occasionally, those patients will be counseled to undergo prophylactic surgery or increased surveillance. That is not the recommendation for a variant of unknown significance. Understanding the difference between a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant vs a variant of unknown significance [is important], and we need to get the word out. Primary care doctors, oncologists, and surgeons [need to be educated].

The way to avoid the pitfall is to have a high-risk clinic for patients who might be susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, for example. Increasingly, we recognize that there are other patients [who may benefit from testing]. The simple thing is to acknowledge that a comprehensive family history is taken. For people who dont have cancer, thats where you find the gold. If you have families that have multiple cancers that fall into a pattern of potentially suggesting a hereditary predisposition gene, thats where you make that recognition and send them to the appropriate person if youre not equipped to do the testing. That can be for primary care physicians, but it can be for oncologists, as well. Taking that family history is really important.

[It is important to have] electronic platforms that help on the genetic side and hereditary side to complete the family history and clinical decision support that will highlight and identify a patient who might be a good candidate for multi-gene panel testing in the germline. We are also seeing that the awareness of clinical decision support and the integration of results into the electronic record is important for patients who have cancer where we do a comprehensive genomic profile.

For about 10 years, weve had the ability to do multi-gene panels that have grown in size, and they now typically run anywhere from several hundred genes to whole exome and whole transcriptome sequencing. This includes both DNA and RNA at one end, and, at the very least now, we have the ability to do genomic profiling of multiple genes, including the actionable genes. That delivers a tremendous amount of information.

A barrier there includes reimbursement. There are large payers who are not yet convinced of the broad-scale benefit of doing comprehensive genomic profiling in advanced cancers across the board. [For example], in many of the guidelines, including nonsmall cell lung cancer [NSCLC], comprehensive genomic profiling is recommended, as opposed to doing individual tests for the actionable genes. Given the fact that [NSCLC] now has upward of 10 actionable alterations, even in the first-line setting, its critical to know that information up front. Payers are still requiring that the sequential single-gene approach be taken. I believe thats wrong.

Going beyond to other diseases like breast cancer, where you might not make a treatment decision in the first line based on a comprehensive genomic profile, I strongly believe in having that information at hand when starting to plot out the different courses of therapy that a patient may have during their lifetime with advanced breast cancer. Its good to have that information before you have to make the decision in a situation when a patient progresses. There are also many rare cancers that have specific alterations, and they should be tested, which can have a huge effect on outcome.

I recommend doing comprehensive genomic profiling on patients at their diagnosis of advanced disease. Today, we can even follow them with liquid biopsies on a regular basis, although thats still in evolution in terms of the most valuable and impactful way to do that [in terms of improving] clinical outcome.

Another barrier is awareness [of knowing] if we should do comprehensive genomic profiling on all patients. Not all oncologists are doing that yet, even in NSCLC. Although it is ironclad that we should do it in all patients, only about 70% of patients with advanced NSCLC, up until the past year, receive comprehensive genomic profiling at diagnosis. That number should be closer to 90%. Although weve made steady progress over time, were not yet at the optimal level because of some of the other barriers.

Another barrier for genomic profiling is interpreting the results. We get a wealth of information, typically a 30- or 40-page report, when we do comprehensive genomic profiling from a blood or tissue sample. The amount of information is huge. The problem is, no one has the time to sit and read a 30-page report, word for word, so it does get summarized. However, many of the nuances can be lost in the summary. One way to get around that barrier is to have a molecular tumor board with a group of people that have familiarity with comprehensive genomic profiling, including genetic counselors, pathologists, molecular pathologists, clinical oncologists, and imagers, to go through the report.

If you get genes that look like you can do something with in terms of a therapy, it is important to present those in a real-time fashion and get the input of a tumor board, just like we would with a standard case without the genomics or the molecular findings. That can be done in a disease-specific tumor board, although it gets complicated there. Utilizing the molecular tumor board with the most impactful cases presented on a regular basis can be very useful for changing patients to the right therapy, for agreeing with the therapy, and, importantly, for [enrollment in] clinical trials. For directing patients to clinical trials, a molecular tumor board is fantastic. Whether its right at the time the patient gets testing or as a clinical decision support tool, every time a patient progresses and changes therapy, oncologists are reminded that this patient has a molecular alteration, and they may be a candidate for these current trials that are available. We are not quite yet at the sophistication of clinical decision support to do that, but we are getting closer. The idea that you can surface an alteration that would prompt the clinician to look for a clinical trial at the time of progression is coming along nicely. Its a great use of technology to avoid that barrier to best care.

Myriad Genetics is going in multiple directions to improve care through the combination of genetics, genomics, and developing new tools. The homologous recombination deficiency [HRD] score is something thats had a lot of attention. In this case, were looking at a variety of different genomic alterations, individual genes, and broader genome-wide [factors] such as loss of heterozygosity. In pulling those all together into an HRD score, we use that to make clinical decisions. This is most notably [applied] in ovarian cancer, but its starting to extend out into other diseases. Having that information in hand is really going to be critical in the future for making the right decision for therapy for these patients.

Another group of genomic testing includes genomic profiling, genomic expression, or genomic classifiers, which look at the pattern of expression of certain genes, then pulling them together into a model that predicts either prognosis or response to types of therapies. EndoPredict is a good example of that, with good data showing prognosis of patients, low to high, based on EndoPredict score. You can have a patient with a clinically high-risk tumor that has a genomically low-risk tumor, and you would treat that patient differently. Thats what the study gets at: How often do you use that kind of data to make a decision, or how does the test affect your decision making? That is important when you have genomic classifier tests that will tell you information thats both prognostic and predictive.

[Research is also being done with genetics and ancestry.] For example, Black women with triple-negative breast cancer have a worse outcome. Is any of that due to their ancestry in the sense of inheriting multiple genes? Not genes that are single actors, like BRCA, which has, as an individual gene, influenced the risk and outcomes of breast cancer, but how groups of genes that are inherited over generations might also affect that. That is an area of active discovery and research.

We are at the dawn of the age of how to best use liquid biopsies. One of the benefits of a liquid biopsy is that its simple, minimally invasive, and it can be repeated. As opposed to using tissue, liquid biopsy is a repetitive source of information about how a cancer is acting. The use of liquid biopsy is extremely wide ranging. On one end, were at the dawn of using liquid biopsy to do multi-cancer early detection, and the first test just rolled out where a tube of blood may be able to identify early-stage patients with a variety of different cancers. These tests are now out commercially, and much more research will be done to improve the sensitivity and specificity for the accuracy of these tests.

For the first time, we can think about screening patients for cancer beyond their traditional screening technologies. We can do it broadly, although the question remains if we can afford it as a society, and if insurance will pay to screen broad populations. The way its going to go, in my opinion, is the higher-risk populations will get access to these tests. There will be more impact in terms of the number of positives that are found, as opposed to the lower-risk groups.

This is exciting. Data that were presented at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting about minimal residual disease from liquid biopsy examined the sensitivity of liquid biopsies to pick up DNA or methylation patterns, [similar to] the multi-cancer early detection test. In patients who would be at risk after their initial tumor is removed, who are those patients that are destined to relapse? Can we intervene and do something about it early before they come in with symptoms or abnormal imaging? Thats a fascinating area, and its going to be one thats going to yield a lot of information over the next few years.

We can use liquid biopsies to monitor patients on therapy, to find early relapse, and [to detect] defined patterns of mutations that change over time. It gives us insight into the reasons for resistance. Sometimes, like in NSCLC, we can use liquid biopsies to see what the cause of resistance is and get patients on clinical trials for targeted therapies for new generations of treatments. That is a whole area that is exploding right now.

Read more:
Streamlined Genomic Testing Platforms Are Taking on A Bigger Role in Cancer Care - OncLive

Program Overview

Become equipped to stake your claim in the worlds of emerging diseases, genetic studies, physiology and biodiversity, threats to species and ecosystem functioning, and global population increase and sustainability with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. The vocational choices for BS in Biology degree holders are broad and fascinating. Careers include those in medical professions, genetics, molecular and cell biology, biotechnology, microbiology, conservation biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, animal and plant science, as well as science writing, editing, and education.

If youd like to include an interdisciplinary approach to your academic training, this degree allows for the integration of study in the life sciences, with coursework in the physical and earth sciences, as well as applied fields such as forensics. You can also consider the Bachelor of Science in Biology to Master of Forensic Science Transition program for your future.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredits public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

Preparation for the Major

Prerequisite:MTH12AandMTH12B, orAccuplacer test placement evaluation

An introduction to statistics and probability theory. Covers simple probability distributions, conditional probability (Bayes Rule), independence, expected value, binomial distributions, the Central Limit Theorem, hypothesis testing. Assignments may utilize the MiniTab software, or text-accompanying course-ware. Computers are available at the Universitys computer lab. Calculator with statistical functions is required.

Prerequisite:MTH12AandMTH12B, orAccuplacer test placement evaluation

Examines higher degree polynomials, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometry and matrix algebra needed for more specialized study in mathematics, computer science, engineering and other related fields. Computer and/or graphing calculator use is highly recommended.

Prerequisite:MTH12AandMTH12B, orAccuplacer test placement evaluation

The first part of a comprehensive two-month treatment of algebra and trigonometry preliminary to more specialized study in mathematics. The course covers higher degree polynomials, rational functions,exponential and logarithmic functions, transformations and the algebra of function, matrix algebra and basic arithmetic of complex numbers.

Prerequisite:MTH216A

The second month of a comprehensive two-month treatment of algebra and trigonometry; this course is a continuation of MTH 216A. Topics include trigonometric functions, analytic trigonometry and application, parametric equations, matrix algebra, sequences and series, and applied problems. Graphing calculator may be required.

Prerequisite:MTH215or equivalent

General chemistry topics important for higher level chemistry and science courses: thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and quantum mechanics. Successful completion of a college algebra course is required for enrollment in this course.

Prerequisite:CHE141

Second course of general chemistry, covering: bonding, solutions, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acids/bases, and thermodynamics.

Corequisite:CHE149A;Prerequisite:CHE142

Third course of general chemistry, covering: electro, nuclear, organic, bio, and coordination chemistry. Chemistry of metals and non-metals is also covered.

Fundamental concepts of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics. Concepts include important organic molecules, cell structure and function, metabolism and enzyme activity, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, DNA structure, meiosis and mitosis, Mendelian genetics. Intended for science majors.

Prerequisite:BIO161

Evolution, taxonomy, biodiversity, ecology. Concepts include evolutionary processes, taxonomy and phylogeny of the kingdoms of life, and ecological processes at the levels of the population, community and ecosystem. Intended for science majors.

Corequisite:BIO169A;Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162

Morphology and physiology of multicellular organisms, particularly plants and animals. Concepts include plant structure and physiology, and comparative animal morphology and physiology. Intended for science majors.

Prerequisite:MTH215, orMTH216AandMTH216B

Non-calculus based general physics course. Intended for Science majors. Study of one-dimensional and two dimensional kinematics, dynamics, statics, work, energy, linear momentum, circular motion and gravitation.

Prerequisite:PHS171

Non-calculus based general physics course for Science majors. Study of temperature, kinetic theory, gas laws, heat, oscillatory motion and waves, and electricity.

Corequisite:PHS179A;Prerequisite:PHS171;PHS172

Non-calculus based general physics course intended for Science majors. Extended study of magnetism, electromagnetic induction and waves, optics, relativity, quantum physics, nuclear reactions and elementary particles.

Prerequisite:CHE101andCHE101A, orCHE141andCHE142andCHE143andCHE149A

Introduction to the fundamentals of organic chemistry. This course covers the properties and reactions of hydrocarbons and their functional groups, aromatic compounds, and biological molecules. Special efforts are made in demonstrating the interrelationship between organic chemistry and other areas of science, particularly biological, health, and environmental sciences.

Corequisite:CHE150

This course is designed to introduce students to the practical aspects of organic chemistry. This course covers basic techniques for handling, analyzing, and identifying organic compounds. In addition, students will learn how to synthesize simple and practical small organic molecules.

Corequisite:BIO163;Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162

Laboratory course in general biology intended for science majors. Topics include the application of the scientific method, examination of cellular processes (eg. respiration, photosynthesis, mitosis, meiosis), Mendelian genetics, operation of basic laboratory equipment, taxonomic classification, and investigations of structure and function of prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.

Corequisite:CHE143

Augments student understanding of important concepts in chemistry through hands-on experiments. Students will become proficient in advanced chemistry laboratory techniques, will learn how to operate modern instruments, will acquire the necessary skills to collect data accurately and to perform error analyses.

Prerequisite:PHS171andPHS172andPHS173, orPHS104

General physics lab course for science majors. Includes lab practicum in major concepts of general physics: one and two-dimensional kinematics, work and energy, electric current, oscillations, and geometric optics.

*May be used to meet General Education requirements

Requirements for the Major

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A

A study of the relationship of plants and animals to their environment and to one another. Emphasizes populations, the population-community interface and community structure and interactions within the ecosystem.

Prerequisite:BIO163;BIO169A;CHE143;CHE149A

Principles of genetics and heredity. Topics include linkage and pedigree analysis, DNA replication and repair, gene expression and regulation, inheritance of traits, genetic engineering, relationship of genetics to human health, and application of genetics to understanding the evolution of species.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A

Evolutionary biology. Topics include the history of life, fossil record, causes of microevolution (including natural selection and mutation), macroevolutionary processes (including speciation and extinction), evolutionary genetics and developmental biology (evo-devo), phylogeny construction and taxonomy.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A;Corequisite:BIO406A

Introduction to cellular biology, including fundamentals of cell structure and function, inter- and intracellular communication through signaling and signal transduction, cell growth and energy generation through aerobic respiration and photosynthesis. Examination of cellular events and analysis of specific case studies in cell biology.

Corequisite:BIO406;Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A

This course emphasizes techniques essential to cellular biology, including cell culturing, Western blotting, ELISA, and DNA, RNA, and protein extractions.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A;Corequisite:BIO407A;Prerequisite:BIO305

An introduction to molecular biology focusing on gene structure, organization, regulation and expression. Topics in genetic engineering and genome evolution are covered, as well as DNA replication, recombination, transcription and post-transcriptional mechanisms in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.

Corequisite:BIO407;Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A;BIO305

This course emphasizes techniques essential to molecular biology including DNA extraction, purification and quantification; polymerase chain reactions; and restriction enzyme digestion.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A;Corequisite:BIO414A

Comparative study of invertebrates: taxonomy, structure, physiology, reproduction, evolution, and behavior.

Corequisite:BIO414

Laboratory complement of invertebrate zoology, involving specimen investigations, demonstrations, and experiments. Contact hours (45.0) are based on a 3:1 ratio; i.e., 3 lab hours = 1 lecture hour equivalent.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A;Corequisite:BIO416A

Study of the life of Vertebrates integrating the anatomy, physiology, ecology, evolution and behavioral adaptations that enable them to survive effectively in their natural environment.

Corequisite:BIO416

Laboratory complement of vertebrate zoology, involving specimen investigations, anatomical examination, and live observations when feasible.

Prerequisite:BIO305, orBIO310, orBIO330

Examination of current topics in biology. Emphasis on evaluation, discussion, and analysis of peer-reviewed literature.

Upper-Division Electives

Students may select only 300, 400, or 500 level in the College of Letters and Sciences to complete the total of 76.5 quarter units of upper division for the degree. Suggested upper-division courses are given below.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO100A

Study of animal behavior, integrating genetic, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives.

Recommended Preparation:BIO203, orBIO406, orequivalent courses.

Examination of the structure and function of the immune components, including the complement system, innate and adaptive responses, and immune cell signaling. Analysis of fundamental concepts such as antibodies, antigens, antigen-antibody complexes, allergic reactions, lymphatic and hematopoietic systems, cancer, and autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO169A;CHE141;CHE142;CHE143;CHE149A

Plant biology, including structure, function, evolution, taxonomy, and diversity of major groups of plants.

Prerequisite:BIO161;BIO162;BIO163;BIO100A, orBIO100;BIO100A

Study of the flora, fauna, and biomes of California. This course includes field trips, with sites selected for each academic center within the University.

Prerequisite:BIO161with a minimum grade ofC.Student must have taken General Biology or equivalent;BIO162with a minimum grade ofC.Student must have taken General Biology or equivalent;BIO163with a minimum grade ofC.Student must have taken General Biology or equivalent

Global approach to the science of marine biology. Study of life in the marine environment and the structure and function of various marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves, and estuaries. Analysis and evaluation of the human impact on ocean ecology.

Recommended Preparation:BIO162with a minimum grade ofC.Student must have a grade of C or higher

Survey of marine habitats for fish species identification and quantification; survey of marine mammal (dolphins and manatees) ecology and behavior; identification of sea turtle species nesting and ecology; assessment of sea grass health and species identification; coral identification and health; ecosystem health and methods of monitoring. Species list composition, biopsying techniques, and basics of biological field work. Taught in a field laboratory in Turneffe Atoll, Belize; requires international travel. Contact instructor for approval and additional requirements.

Corequisite:BIO470A;Prerequisite:BIO161with a minimum grade ofC-.Student must have passed the class with a C- or better;BIO162with a minimum grade ofC-.Student must have passed the class with a C- or better;BIO163with a minimum grade ofC-.Student must have passed the class with a C- or better

Analysis of biotechnology-related information using software tools to store, manipulate, and extract information from protein and nucleic acid sequence data. Topics include genome annotation, gene and protein prediction, sequence alignment, and analysis of aligned sequences in the description of patterns of protein or species relationships and gene expression.

Corequisite:BIO470

Techniques essential to bioinformatics. Topics include practical knowledge of databases, basic commands in Unix and R, sequence alignment and annotation, and gene-expression quantification.

Project-based study in biology under the individual direction of the faculty. Topics and sites are specifically designed in collaboration with teachers and students. Units can be taken separately or cumulatively; this course can be repeated depending upon the needs of individual students.

Prerequisite:CHE142

Introduces students to the chemistry of carbon compounds and their properties, structures and reactions. It emphasizes the study of the properties and reactions of aliphatic, halides, alcohols, esters, thiols and sulfides, and aromatic compounds, which in conjunction with selected experiments, gives an understanding of the mechanisms of organic reactions.

Corequisite:CHE350Minimum C

Students will learn how to apply common laboratory techniques to determine the structure and the chemical properties of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, alkyl halides, acids and esters. The experiments will be done on a small scale approach or microscale. Contact hours for this laboratory course (45) are based on a 3:1 ratio, i.e. 3 Lab hours= 1 lecture hour equivalent.

Prerequisite:CHE350

Study of the properties and reactions of aromatic compounds, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, amines, and amides. In addition, students are introduced to the use of modern spectroscopic techniques to analyze and predict structures of organic molecules.

Corequisite:CHE351Minimum C

Students will apply laboratory techniques learned in CHE350A to synthesize , purify and identify organic compounds including alcohols, aldehydes, aromatics, ketones, ethers, esters, amides and amines. The experiments will be done on a small scale approach or microscale. Contact hours for this laboratory course (45) are based on a 3:1 ratio, i.e. 3 Lab hours= 1 lecture hour equivalent.

Prerequisite:CHE350;CHE350A;CHE351

Study of the structures and functions of important classes of biological molecules: proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids. A strong and current background in chemistry is required to successfully complete this course.

Prerequisite:CHE360

A continuation of CHE 360. This course concentrates on the principles of cellular regulatory processes and synthesis of biological molecules.

Examination of the interactions between oceanographic, geological and astronomical processes on the physical and living components of the worlds oceans. Includes interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere and how these interactions affect currents, weather and biological activity.

Prerequisite:MTH215, orMTH216AandMTH216BandMTH210

An introductory to mathematical modeling, utilizing a variety of diverse applications from physical, biological, business, social, and computer sciences. Discuss the limitations, as well as the capabilities, of mathematics as applied to understanding of our world. Teaches problem identification, models of solutions and model implementation. Graphing calculator is required.

See the rest here:
Bachelor of Science in Biology - National University