scholarly journals Are the biomedical sciences ready for synthetic biology?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31
Author(s):  
Maxwell S. DeNies ◽  
Allen P. Liu ◽  
Santiago Schnell
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Functional System ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Experimental Control ◽  
Discovery Science

AbstractThe ability to construct a functional system from its individual components is foundational to understanding how it works. Synthetic biology is a broad field that draws from principles of engineering and computer science to create new biological systems or parts with novel function. While this has drawn well-deserved acclaim within the biotechnology community, application of synthetic biology methodologies to study biological systems has potential to fundamentally change how biomedical research is conducted by providing researchers with improved experimental control. While the concepts behind synthetic biology are not new, we present evidence supporting why the current research environment is conducive for integration of synthetic biology approaches within biomedical research. In this perspective we explore the idea of synthetic biology as a discovery science research tool and provide examples of both top-down and bottom-up approaches that have already been used to answer important physiology questions at both the organismal and molecular level.

scholarly journals Independent control of amplitude and period in a synthetic oscillator circuit with modified repressilator

2022 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengyu Zhang ◽  
Yanhong Sun ◽  
Yihao Zhang ◽  
Wenting Shen ◽  
Shujing Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Reporter Genes ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Theoretical Level ◽  
Independent Control ◽  
Oscillator Circuit ◽  
Biological Circuits

AbstractSynthetic Biology aims to create predictable biological circuits and fully operational biological systems. Although there are methods to create more stable oscillators, such as repressilators, independently controlling the oscillation of reporter genes in terms of their amplitude and period is only on theoretical level. Here, we introduce a new oscillator circuit that can be independently controlled by two inducers in Escherichia coli. Some control components, including σECF11 and NahR, were added to the circuit. By systematically tuning the concentration of the inducers, salicylate and IPTG, the amplitude and period can be modulated independently. Furthermore, we constructed a quantitative model to forecast the regulation results. Under the guidance of the model, the expected oscillation can be regulated by choosing the proper concentration combinations of inducers. In summary, our work achieved independent control of the oscillator circuit, which allows the oscillator to be modularized and used in more complex circuit designs.

Welcome Note from Editor-in-Chief

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prof. Dr. Anna Maria Lavezzi
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Biomedical Science ◽  
Process Time ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
Science Domain

It is with great pleasure that I write this editorial to welcome you to the first issue of this new International journal, “Pakistan Biomedical Journal” (PBMJ). The topics covered by the journal are certainly broad and interesting. Biomedical science is a collection of applied sciences that help us understand, research, and innovate within the _eld of healthcare. It includes disciplines like molecular biology, clinical virology, bioinformatics, and biomedical engineering, among others. It's designed to apply the biological sciences to advance not only individual health but also the area of public health. Biomedical Research can help health professions better understand things like the human body and cell biology, making advances in our understanding of epidemics, health initiatives, and human health in the age of longer life expectancy. It aids our understanding of infectious disease and provides research opportunities into some of our most troubling health issues. The journal will continue to publish high quality clinical and biomedical research in health and disease later in life. Peer review will remain a vital component of our assessment of submitted articles. I am very happy to have a team of excellent editors and editorial board members from the top international league covering in depth the related topics. They will ensure the highest standards of quality for the published manuscripts and, at the same time, keep the process time as short as possible. We hope to bring best researches in the _eld of biomedical sciences that may serve as a guideline in health awareness, understanding the mechanisms and its management in future. We definitely look forward to receiving your excellent studies to making PBMJ synonymous with high quality in the biomedical science domain.

Integrative Data Analysis for Biological Discovery

2011 ◽  
pp. 1058-1065
Author(s):  
Sai Moturu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Biological System ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
John Muir ◽  
Complex Biological System ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Lofty Goal ◽  
Complex Relationships

As John Muir noted, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe” (Muir, 1911). In tune with Muir’s elegantly stated notion, research in molecular biology is progressing toward a systems level approach, with a goal of modeling biological systems at the molecular level. To achieve such a lofty goal, the analysis of multiple datasets is required to form a clearer picture of entire biological systems (Figure 1). Traditional molecular biology studies focus on a specific process in a complex biological system. The availability of high-throughput technologies allows us to sample tens of thousands of features of biological samples at the molecular level. Even so, these are limited to one particular view of a biological system governed by complex relationships and feedback mechanisms on a variety of levels. Integrated analysis of varied biological datasets from the genetic, translational, and protein levels promises more accurate and comprehensive results, which help discover concepts that cannot be found through separate, independent analyses. With this article, we attempt to provide a comprehensive review of the existing body of research in this domain.

Integrating the whole from the sum of the parts: vignettes in computational biology

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-243
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Skolnick
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Personalized Medicine ◽  
Computational Biology ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Biological Variables

As is typical of contemporary cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields, computational biology touches and impacts many disciplines ranging from fundamental studies in the areas of genomics, proteomics transcriptomics, lipidomics to practical applications such as personalized medicine, drug discovery, and synthetic biology. This editorial examines the multifaceted role computational biology plays. Using the tools of deep learning, it can make powerful predictions of many biological variables, which may not provide a deep understanding of what factors contribute to the phenomena. Alternatively, it can provide the how and the why of biological processes. Most importantly, it can help guide and interpret what experiments and biological systems to study.

Mössbauer Effect in Biomedical Research: Variations of Quadrupole Splitting in Relation to the Qualitative Changes of Biomolecules

1996 ◽  
Vol 51 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Oshtrakh
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Structure ◽  
Quadrupole Splitting ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Mössbauer Effect ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Mossbauer Effect ◽  
New Information ◽  
Mössbauer Parameters ◽  
Small Change ◽  
Qualitative Changes

Abstract This review deals with studies of the variations of quadrupole splitting, electronic structure and stereochemistry of iron associated with qualitative changes of biomolecules. The possibility to determine various iron containing species resulting from the destruction of biomolecules using Mössbauer parameters is shown. A small change of iron stereochemistry leads to a small change of the iron electronic structure which could be detected by small changes of quadrupole splitting. It is expected that quadrupole splitting of iron gives new information for biomedical research on a molecular level.

Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology: Engineering in a Tinkerer’s World

Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 333 (6047) ◽  
pp. 1252-1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Schwille
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Living Systems ◽  
Design Features ◽  
Literal Interpretation ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Systematic Construction ◽  
Science Discipline ◽  
Recent Developments

How synthetic can “synthetic biology” be? A literal interpretation of the name of this new life science discipline invokes expectations of the systematic construction of biological systems with cells being built module by module—from the bottom up. But can this possibly be achieved, taking into account the enormous complexity and redundancy of living systems, which distinguish them quite remarkably from design features that characterize human inventions? There are several recent developments in biology, in tight conjunction with quantitative disciplines, that may bring this literal perspective into the realm of the possible. However, such bottom-up engineering requires tools that were originally designed by nature’s greatest tinkerer: evolution.

scholarly journals Institutional Review Board and International Field Research in Conflict Zones

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (04) ◽  
pp. 840-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srobana Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Institutional Review Board ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
The Many

ABSTRACTResearch on political conflict can benefit immensely from fieldwork. However, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process is elaborate and daunting that discourages rather than encourages this type of research. Existing policies often are insensitive to the many uncertainties related to field research abroad, especially in conflict zones. Three reasons for this are identified in this article. First, the federal regulations to protect human subjects of social science research are most suitable for biomedical sciences. Second, there is huge gap between “procedural ethics” and “ethics in practice.” Third, there is a lack of communication or dialogue between researchers and IRBs. After discussing these reasons, I offer the following suggestions: bridging the gap between the researcher and the IRB; reducing delays in the IRB approval and revision process; encouraging collaboration and dialogue among researchers; and advocating a proactive stance by academic associations.

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