A Guide to Collagen Sources, Applications and Current Advancements

The increase in use of collagen products in almost every sector of utility has stipulated the rising demand for collagen. It is an essential fibrous glycoprotein, which is abundantly present in the extracellular matrix and connective tissues in many living organisms. Owing to its unique characteristics such as biocompatibility, bioavailability and weak antigenicity it has gained major interest in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biomedical and leather industries. The collagen-based composites possess an enhanced capacity to dissipate mechanical energy, strength and stiffness making it the most promising biomolecule for its multifaceted applications. Recently, synthetic biology platforms are getting wide attention for the production of non-native collagen alternatives to meet the rising demand for collagen worldwide. In the initial part, this review aims to explain different sources, structures, biosynthesis of collagen and its types followed by the emerging applications of collagen as a next-generation biomaterial in the later part. The article emphasises the synthesis of non-native collagen using novel expression systems like plant and algae in addition to bacteria and yeast with industrial consideration. In the conclusion section, challenges and opportunities of using synthetic biology tools are described.

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Societal impact of synthetic biology: responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Essays in Biochemistry ◽

10.1042/ebc20160039 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 60 (4) ◽

pp. 371-379 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Daniel Gregorowius ◽

Anna Deplazes-Zemp

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Technology Assessment ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Responsible Research And Innovation ◽

Societal Impact ◽

Biotechnological Applications ◽

Research And Innovation ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Living Organisms ◽

Responsible Research

Synthetic biology is an emerging field at the interface between biology and engineering, which has generated many expectations for beneficial biomedical and biotechnological applications. At the same time, however, it has also raised concerns about risks or the aim of producing new forms of living organisms. Researchers from different disciplines as well as policymakers and the general public have expressed the need for a form of technology assessment that not only deals with technical aspects, but also includes societal and ethical issues. A recent and very influential model of technology assessment that tries to implement these aims is known as RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation). In this paper, we introduce this model and its historical precursor strategies. Based on the societal and ethical issues which are presented in the current literature, we discuss challenges and opportunities of applying the RRI model for the assessment of synthetic biology.

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Banded Structures in the Connective Tissue of Meningioma

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100091159 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 234-235

Author(s):

C. N. Sun ◽

H. J. White

Keyword(s):

Connective Tissue ◽

Osmium Tetroxide ◽

Uranyl Acetate ◽

Collagen Fibrils ◽

Lead Citrate ◽

Connective Tissues ◽

Native Collagen ◽

Routine Procedures

Previously, we have reported on extracellular cross-striated banded structures in human connective tissues of a variety of organs (1). Since then, more material has been examined and other techniques applied. Recently, we studied a fibrocytic meningioma of the falx. After the specimen was fixed in 4% buffered glutaraldehyde and post-fixed in 1% buffered osmium tetroxide, other routine procedures were followed for embedding in Epon 812. Sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. There were numerous cross striated banded structures in aggregated bundle forms found in the connecfive tissue of the tumor. The banded material has a periodicity of about 450 Å and where it assumes a filamentous arrangement, appears to be about 800 Å in diameter. In comparison with the vicinal native collagen fibrils, the banded material Is sometimes about twice the diameter of native collagen.

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Energy absorption at lower limb joints in different foot contact strategies while descending stairs

Technology and Health Care ◽

10.3233/thc-218041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 433-440

Author(s):

Hyeong-Min Jeon ◽

Ki-Kwang Lee ◽

Jun-Young Lee ◽

Ju-Hwan Shin ◽

Gwang-Moon Eom

Keyword(s):

Knee Joint ◽

Potential Energy ◽

Energy Absorption ◽

Lower Limb ◽

Mechanical Energy ◽

Connective Tissues ◽

Stair Descent ◽

Young Subjects ◽

Power And Energy ◽

Joint Loads

BACKGROUND: Joint loads in different walking strategies during stair descent have been investigated in terms of the joint moment in association with the risk of osteoarthritis. However, the absorption mechanisms of the potential energy loss are not known. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the mechanical energy absorptions in lower limb joints in different initial foot contact strategies. METHODS: Nineteen young subjects walked down on instrumented stairs with two different strategies, i.e., forefoot and rearfoot strike. Power and energy at lower limb joints during stance phase were compared between strategies. RESULTS: Lower limb joints absorbed 73 ± 11% of the potential energy released by descending stairs and there was no difference between strategies. Rearfoot strategy absorbed less energy than forefoot strategy at the ankle joint in the 1st phase, which was compensated mainly by more energy absorption at the knee in the 2nd phase and less energy generation at the hip joints in the 3rd phase. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a leg absorbs most of the potential energy while descending stairs irrespective of the walking strategies and that any reduction of energy absorption at one joint is compensated by other joints. Greater energy absorption at the knee joint compared to the other joints suggests high burden of knee joint muscles and connective tissues during stair-descent, which is even more significant for the rearfoot strike strategy.

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The first 10 years of the international coordination network for standards in systems and synthetic biology (COMBINE)

Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics ◽

10.1515/jib-2020-0005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (2-3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dagmar Waltemath ◽

Martin Golebiewski ◽

Michael L Blinov ◽

Padraig Gleeson ◽

Henning Hermjakob ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Data Model ◽

Computational Models ◽

Life Sciences ◽

The Past ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Stakeholder Workshop ◽

Software Engineers ◽

Future Work ◽

Modeling In Biology

AbstractThis paper presents a report on outcomes of the 10th Computational Modeling in Biology Network (COMBINE) meeting that was held in Heidelberg, Germany, in July of 2019. The annual event brings together researchers, biocurators and software engineers to present recent results and discuss future work in the area of standards for systems and synthetic biology. The COMBINE initiative coordinates the development of various community standards and formats for computational models in the life sciences. Over the past 10 years, COMBINE has brought together standard communities that have further developed and harmonized their standards for better interoperability of models and data. COMBINE 2019 was co-located with a stakeholder workshop of the European EU-STANDS4PM initiative that aims at harmonized data and model standardization for in silico models in the field of personalized medicine, as well as with the FAIRDOM PALs meeting to discuss findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) data sharing. This report briefly describes the work discussed in invited and contributed talks as well as during breakout sessions. It also highlights recent advancements in data, model, and annotation standardization efforts. Finally, this report concludes with some challenges and opportunities that this community will face during the next 10 years.

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Synthetic biology in biofilms: Tools, challenges, and opportunities

Biotechnology Progress ◽

10.1002/btpr.3123 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Tran ◽

Arthur Prindle

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Challenges And Opportunities

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The Hidden Charm of Life

Life ◽

10.3390/life9010005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Manuel Porcar

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Genetic Engineering ◽

Complex Systems ◽

Bacterial Cells ◽

Living Organisms

Synthetic biology is an engineering view on biotechnology, which has revolutionized genetic engineering. The field has seen a constant development of metaphors that tend to highlight the similarities of cells with machines. I argue here that living organisms, particularly bacterial cells, are not machine-like, engineerable entities, but, instead, factory-like complex systems shaped by evolution. A change of the comparative paradigm in synthetic biology from machines to factories, from hardware to software, and from informatics to economy is discussed.

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Eukaryotic systems broaden the scope of synthetic biology

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.200908138 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 187 (5) ◽

pp. 589-596 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Karmella A. Haynes ◽

Pamela A. Silver

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Cell Biology ◽

Cell Behavior ◽

Cellular Functions ◽

Complex Cells ◽

Cellular Processes ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Foundational Work ◽

Biology Research

Synthetic biology aims to engineer novel cellular functions by assembling well-characterized molecular parts (i.e., nucleic acids and proteins) into biological “devices” that exhibit predictable behavior. Recently, efforts in eukaryotic synthetic biology have sprung from foundational work in bacteria. Designing synthetic circuits to operate reliably in the context of differentiating and morphologically complex cells presents unique challenges and opportunities for progress in the field. This review surveys recent advances in eukaryotic synthetic biology and describes how synthetic systems can be linked to natural cellular processes in order to manipulate cell behavior and to foster new discoveries in cell biology research.

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Playing God? Synthetic Biology from a Protestant Perspective

Worldviews Global Religions Culture and Ecology ◽

10.1163/15685357-01701005 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 48-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christina Aus der Au

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Biology ◽

Third Way ◽

Playing God ◽

Living Organisms

Living organisms can be seen from two different perspectives: From an observer’s perspective, the researcher is looking to find and describe properties that characterize them, and from a participant’s perspective, a human recognizes its vis-à-vis as an equally living and intention pursuing subject. From a Protestant perspective, a third way of looking at it is introduced. Believing in God as the primordial “I,” Christians confess to “You-ness” as their primordial and existential condition, enabling them not only to enter a relationship to other’ you-ness’, but to recognize God’s great “I” in every drop of creation. The ethics of dealing with living organisms, including the human-made organisms of synthetic biology, then is a question of norms and principles but of an attitude of responsiveness, respect and love.

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