Volume 1, Issue 1 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
BIO-ENGINEERING
2
A VAMPIRE MYTH
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FOSSIL FORENSICS
2
TICKLE UR BRAIN
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SCIENTIST COLUMN
3
GIVE A THOUGHT
3
COLLAGE
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Editorial Board Chief Editor Prashanth Kumar H P Associate Editors Rohit K C Vinutha moses
A newsletter from Department of BT, S.C.E
A
b u g g i n g
s u i c i d e
08 sep 2011
b o m b
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium that causes pneumonia and other illness. Drugs we use today against Pseudomonas are not quite successful since the bug has developed drug resistance. Scientists have engineered a suicide E.coli, to help fight against the invading Pseudomonas. It is against this backdrop that a team of biochemical engineers led by Drs.Chueh Loo Poh and Matthew Wook Chang in Singapore’s National Technological University have come out with a novel approach. They looked at what all P.aeruginosa has in its armor. 1. In order to compete and survive against many microbes, it makes a bacterial toxin or poison called Pyocin; 2. But this pyocin must kill other bacteria and not itself. So, it makes two chains of pyocinone to kill others and the second chain that offers itself immunity; and 3. It needs numbers- a contingent or group to work together against the enemy. To do so, it sends out small molecules which signal more P. aeruginosa to come over and aid in the fight. These small molecules are termed poetically as the quorum sensor. The group decided to hit out at all the three defence mechanisms at one go. In order to do so, they took a strain of E.coli that lives in harmony within us in our own body, and to engineer three new genes into it. The first gene is to produce a protein that binds to a quorum sensor of P.aeruginosa. Next they engineered the gene for the protein pyocin S5 which kills the intruder P.aeruginosa but does no harm to E.coli or humans. And finally added the third gene which produces a protein called Lysis E7, which actually bursts open the engineered E.coli itself. As it does all this, it also happily keeps multiplying, so that in a short time, we have millions of the transgenic E.coli within us to fight the invader. As each of the E.coli bursts open, it releases the molecules that stop the P.aeruginosa on track and eliminate it. In the process, the E.coli bombs itself out of existence. This new approach is termed synthetic biology, which this group defines as a new discipline that aims to engineer genetically modified biological systems which can perform novel functions that do not exist in nature, with reusable, standard interchangeable biological parts.
Sowmya C Student Editors Nirupama B V Madhushree K A Chaitra R Hegde Priyanka Gupta
Escherichia coli
Pseudomonas aeroginosa ………..Nirupama B V (VII sem)
“Action is the product of the qualities inherent in nature.” ……...Bhagavadgita.
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A newsletter from Department of BT,SCE
B i o - e n g i n e e r i n g : l a d d e r o f
a s t e p h i g h t e c h n o l o g y
i n
t h e
BIO-ENGINEERING Bio-engineering or Bio-medical engineering may be defined as the application of the principles of engineering to advancements in health care and medicine, Bio engineers use science and technology to solve health care problems, particularly through the design and developments of medical devices ( such as orthopedic, cardiovascular or dental implants) and bio-instrumentation for physiological monitoring and medical imaging. Bio-engineering also involves the study of tissues and tissue implant interactions. Recent advances in bio-engineering are in field of tissue engineering, cell and molecular mechanics and bio-informatics. Under Bio-engineering there are different topics which can be studied particularly, namely: 1. Soil engineering 2. Medical and Physical engineering 3. Orthopedic engineering 4. Genetic engineering 5. Protein engineering 6. Enzyme engineering 7. Bio-engineering about blood vessels 8. Tissue engineering
HOW CAN I STUDY IT ? Many people in the field of bio-engineering have studied mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering, or other disciplines such as medicine, bio-chemistry, anatomy, physiology, biotechnology or biomedical sciences. The most important attribute for some one working in the field is an interest in application of technology in medicine. Many bioengineers have followed a post MSc course after their primary degree.
WHERE ARE THE JOBS ? In Ireland there are over 80 companies involved in the design, manufacture and distribution of medical devices. Bioengineering industry in Ireland had grown to the level where the industry now directly employs over 12,000 people of which up to 20% are graduate engineers and scientists. Many bio-engineers are involved in applying science and engineering knowledge to the manufacture of medical products.
………...Madhushree K A A
V A M P I R E M Y T H A G E N E T I C D I S O R D E R ? ? ?
O R
Porphyrias are a group of genetic diseases that results from defects in enzymes of the biosynthetic pathway from glycine to porphyrins ;specific porphyrin precursors accumulate in erythrocytes, body fluids and the liver. One of the rarer porphyrias results in an accumulation of uroporphyrinogen 1,an abnormal isomer of a protoporphyrin precursor. This compound stains the urine red,causes the teeth to flouresce strongly in UV light,and makes the skin abnormally sensitive to sunlight. Many individuals with this porphyria are anemic because insufficient heme is synthesized. This genetic condition may have given rise to the vampire myths of folk legend.
Fossil Forensics Reveals How Wasps Populated Rotting Dinosaur Eggs The scientists discovered eggs of gigantic Titanosaur sauropod in 1989. Recently it was found that one of the eggs contained tiny sausage shaped structures,2-3 cm long and 1 cm wide which resembled fossilized insect cocoons (similar to modern wasps). It appears that the dinosaur egg was broken by force and subsequent fracture in the egg shell allowed scavenging creatures to feed on the contents. Other creatures appeared to feed not on the egg contents but on the initial scavengers. These scavengers also played an important role in cleaning up neat sites. This new discovery gives us an insight into the murky world on insect communities that thrived at the feet of gigantic dinosaurs. …….Adarsh D P
……. Namratha V S Shetty “We will either find a way, or make one” ……..Hannibal.
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A newsletter from Department of BT,SCE T i c k l e
y o u r
b r a i n … . ! ! ! !
1) The term "central dogma" was coined by a) Stanley
b) Crick
c) Miller
d) None of above
2) The hydrolysis of fat is accelerated by presence of which of the following ions: a) Mg++
b) Ca ++
c) Na ++
d) Fe++
3) The infectious particle of virus is called: a) Capsid
b) Nucleo capsid
c) Virion
d) Envelop
4) Regeneration of cartilage can occur from its: a) Matrix
b) Plasma
c) perichondrium
d) a piece without perichondrium
5) Vitamin K has been implicated in: a) Electron transport
b) Oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria
c) Photosynthetic phosphorylation in plants
d) All of the above …….. Chaitra R Hegde
FIRST INDIAN SCIENTIST TO WIN NOBEL PRIZE Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman) was the first Indian scientist to win Nobel Prize. C.V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the Raman effect, which is named after him. Raman effect relates to the inelastic scattering of a photon. When light is scattered from an atom or molecule, most photons are elastically scattered (Rayleigh scattering). The scattered photons have the same energy (frequency) and, therefore, wavelength, as the incident photons. However, a small fraction of scattered light (approximately 1 in 10 million photons) is scattered from excitations with optical frequencies different from, and usually lower than, the frequency of the incident photons. Raman effect is helpful in analyzing the composition of liquids, gases, and solids. ………. Roopa C INDIA INNOVATION INITIATIVE= I 3 2011 Are you an innovator ? Do you have an innovation ? Apply to join i3 2011. Agilent, DST and CII join hands to empower your dreams. I3 aims to support Innovation Ecosystem in the country by sensitizing, encouraging and promoting innovators and facilitating commercialization of innovations. FOCUS AREAS: Water, environment, assistive technology, internal security applications, transportation, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, agro/ food, education, space. WHERE TO APPLY: Register online @ www.innovationgrid.org/i3 CRITERIA: Novelty of innovation. Business potential. ELIGIBILITY: Indian individual above 18 Yrs. AWARDS: Cash prizes, Incubation support, Technology refinement & Marketing support. LAST DATE FOR ENTRIES— 25 SEPTEMBER 2011 “Natural abilities are like natural plans; they need pruning by study.” ……... Francis Bacon.
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A newsletter from Department of BT,SCE
Anveshana
Dear friends, We are presenting you with a Department newsletter, “ANVESHANA”. Our goal is to create a new forum to exchange the information on all aspects of Biotechnology. Future of the “ANVESHANA” is open to your valuable suggestions. I would like to appeal, all to submit original articles as well as opinions, technical reports related to the fields of Biotechnology. The Newsletter is supported by TEAM PARISHUDH and we are going to keep you informed on oncoming events of Parishudh, give you inside stories of recent developments in different fields of Biotechnology. I wish to see “ANVESHANA” develop into a scientific journal with the balance changing toward research communication rather than remain a bulletin. The success of this enterprise depends on your response & participation. I would appreciate your feedback in this regard. With warm regards, Editorial committee Department of BT,SCE
“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”
……...Buddha