How The Technology Works

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Type: Portfolio

Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Due Date: 

Weight: 15%

Task Description:

For each lecture from weeks 2 to 6 inclusive (a total of 5 lectures), students must collect one peer reviewed scientific publication relevant to the lecture content AND demonstrating an application of the technology described in the lecture. The papers must be collected into a folder or bound together.  Each paper must be accompanied by three A 4 pages maximum  (1.5 spaced,  12 point Times New Roman, 2 cm margin all round)  explaining: 1) how the technology works,  2) how it was applied to solve a particular problem and 3) what are the strenghs AND weaknesses of the new technology relative to one other technology that is currently used to address the same problem.  The folder must be presented with a contents page listing each publication in a standard citation format.  The summary pages for each paper  and the contents page must  be submitted as an electronic document through turn-it-in on Blackboard for BIOT7009. The hard copy portfolio will be submitted under coversheet at the SCMB Administration Office, Level 3, Chemistry Building (68).  Coversheets will be sent to student email accounts approximately 1 week prior to due date.

Trial evaluation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation in revival of spermatogenesis in testicular torsion

How the technology works

Sterm cell therapy recently has become a potential innovation in treating a vast of diseases. This is due to their flexible feature of differentiation into many cell types and Self-renewal ability. Sterm cells include several types ; such as induced pluripotent sterm cell, adult sterm cells and embryonic sterm cells. In three types of sterm cells ; embryonic sterm cells are early identified in human and it has been a target for new cell based therapy for organism regeneration and revival. ( Guierrez…,2011).

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) – are one of adult sterm cell type ; play a vital role in biological process of a living organism, such as the regulation of the body's internal environment, immune responses, tissue maintenance and repair; these cells are widespread present in adult organism (1,2). MSCs derive from bone marrow, have ability to differentiate into many cell lineage such as mesodermal lineage; lung, skin, liver and muscle lineages (3–5). In addition MSCs also be able to trans-differentiate into epithelial cells and neuroectodermal lineages ; these cell can move to the sites of inflammation, tumors and injury to take part in a biological process. This feature of MSCs become a remarkable attention to apply in regenerative medicine (23,24).

There has been demonstrated that adult sterm cell and embryonic sterm cell have an ability to mature gametes and differentiate into primordial germ cells. These germ cells came to the basement membrane of tubules and form spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) after 6 day of birth. These sterm cells play a vital role in maintaining the spermatogenesis process throughout the life time (11–13).

How it was applied to solve a particular problem

Testicular torsion is a phenomenon of the twisting of the spermatic cord, thus the testicle and surrounding structures within the scrotum are suffering from the loss of the blood supply. This disease is needed to be distinguished with other complaints of testicular pain, because the treatment of this disease is largely dependent on the early in diagnosis and management. Surgery is usually carried out in early stage of testicular torsion and it has been demonstrated that most testicules can be revived within 6 hours of performed surgery.

First MSCs were collect from bone marrow of 4-6 male rats and culture in mixed DMEM, FBS, penicillin, streptomycin. After the isolation and culture step, MSCs rat were labeled by CM-DiI. Finally, CM-DiI labeled bone marrow derived-mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) implanted into the torsion rat testis. The regenerative potency of BM-MSCs then was analyzed by immunohistochemistry analysis and was monitored by using specific markers of germ cell including c-Kit Vasa and Oct4.

In this study, the authors detected that CM-DiI labeled MSCs still remaind after 95 days of post-transplantation and these thansplanted cells also moved to the membrane of the tubules at 45 days of after transplantation and maintain for 95 days of transplantation. The differentiation of labeled BM-MSCs also was examined by detected Oct4 at protein level. This result suggested that labeled MSCs commit to differentiate toward germ cell lineages.

What are the strenghs AND weaknesses of the new technology relative to one other technology that is currently used to address the same problem

Surgery and drugs are common method to treat testicular torsion. The using of drug can has some negative effects on treated testicular torsion. Sterm cell transplantation can be seen as an innovation and a promising method to cue testicular torsion. The benefits of sterm cell transplantation are:

- Sterm cell are safety and non toxic chemical and can avoid many negative effect, compared with using drug

- Sterm cell transplantation for disease therapy can reduce treatment costs and extend long lives

Sterm cell transplantation also has some disadvantages, such as it can be rejected by the activity of immune system. In addition, it is difficult to identify sterm cells in accurate tissue culture. Finally, stem cell un-differentiation can cause a high risk for treatment

Power generation from wastewater using single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with platinum-free cathodes and pre-colonized anodes

How the technology works

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) includes electrolyte (waste) and electrodes, which compose of anode and cathode. The anaerobic electrolyte solution, such as wastewater, contains the anodic electrode. A biofilm was form by bacteria. The activity of bacteria is colonizing on the surface of anode. This process causes a degradation of organic compounds in wastewater, and release carbon dioxide, protons in the solution and electrons.

C12H22O11 + 13H2O ---> 12CO2 + 48H+ + 48e-

Then electrons move from the external circuit to the surface of cathodic site and react with oxygen. This is result in the electrical generation.

MFC system is now being study in many areas such as MFC electrode material, microbial communities, the condition of operation and MFC configuration. To use MFC effectively, and reducing its high cost, a cheap electrode material should be identified, in order to replace expensive Pt (platinum)-based cathodes.

Some studies have been carried out on the use of biofilm on the surface of cathode in order to increase oxygen reaction of MFCs and reduce the cost of MFCs use. Almost studies are carried out in two chamber of microbial fuel cells, in which electrolyte as cation exchange membranes. The aim of using membrane is to separate the compartment of anode and cathode, thus reduce the loss of oxygen into cathode. However, using two chamber has a high internal resistances. There has been indicated that using mixed cultures in cathodic biofilm enhances power generation than by using pure cultures. However, there is no study has been implemented in using single chamber MFCs with no cation exchange membrane.

How it was applied to solve a particular problem

In this study the author determine the power generation efficiency and the effects of biofilm growth on anodic and cathodic sites in single chamber MFCs for wastewater treatment. The efficiency of single chamber MFCs with clean anodes was compared with pre-colonized biofilms –SCMFc ( anode with wastewater). The efficiency of the Pt-based cathodes SCMFCs compared with Pt-free cathodes SCMFCs. Also Pt-free cathodes SCMFCs were monitored during the growth of biofilm.

The result has showed that the pre-colonized biofilms –SCMFc result in a negative Open Circuit Potential (OCP) values and have a higher efficiency of power generation than the clean anodes-SCMFc. In addition Pt-based cathodes SCMFCs for biofilms growing have a lower power generation and OCP value, while a Pt-free cathode SMFCs enhances power generation. However the advantage of the pre-colonized anodes and platinum-based cathodes MFCs are disappeared after 3–5 weeks of operation, this is result from the thick biofilm growth on anodes and the aerobic biofilm formation on cathodes.

What are the strenghs AND weaknesses of the new technology relative to one other technology that is currently used to address the same problem

Compared with using plants to treat wastewater, using MFCs have some advantages are

This is a clean and safe method with high energy efficiency ease in operating.; low emissions; and quiet performance.

Pt-free cathodes MFCs can be apply in reality because this method have a high power generation, the stability of operation and the low cost.

The disadvantages of MFCs are the low of power density and the technology is still carried out in laboratory phase

Measuring asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in CKD: a comparison between enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and liquid chromatographyelectrospray tandem mass spectrometry

How the technology works

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is first introduced by 1971, this is a wide and common method of biochemtristry assay to analyze and detect the substance. This technique is based on the interaction of antigen and enzyme. The first step is immobilize an antigen to the surface of a solid and then a specific antibody, that links to an enzyme is applied over the solid surface in order to bind to antigen. The detection is processing by the assessment of conjugated enzyme activity through incubation with a substrate. Thus a measureable product was introduced. The vital success of the detection strategy is highly dependant on the highly specificity between antibody and antigen interaction

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a technique of chemistry that includes the capability of physical separation of liquid chromatography and the capability of the mass analysis of mass spectrometry. This powerful technique has been used for various applications with high selectivity and high sensitivity.

How it was applied to solve a particular problem

The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is used for independently predicting the incidence and death of cardiovascular complications and the reduction in kidney function in CKD patients.

There are many methods to measure ADMA such as High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS); gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS). These method highly estimate the methylarginines reliably and be seen as the gold standard. However, these methods have a high cost for instrumentation.

ELISA also has been used to measure ADMA in some studies. Some research demonstrated that this methods is proved high sensitively and precisely in comparing with GC-MS and LC-MS. Others found that ELISA increase the overestimation of ADMA with high level of methylarginine.

In this study, the author compares the measurement of ADMA levels by ELISA with LC-MS/MS in 26 predialysis stage 2-4 CKD patients, within a month of their first referral to the nephrologist. The result indicated that a commercially available ELISA is precise to estimate ADMA in CKD patients. However this method is proved to increase overestimation of ADMA at progressively higher levels of this methylarginine.

.What are the strenghs AND weaknesses of the new technology relative to one other technology that is currently used to address the same problem

Comparing with LC-MS/MS, ELISA method have some advantages such as easy to use, wide range of configurations, highly sensitive and precise determination; fast, reduction in number of steps, can be use in large scale.

A major disadvantage of ELISA is a method of antibody –immunoreactivity, is not specific and may have negative effects by labeled enzymes. Also this method may take long time and expensive.

Biosynthesis, structural characterization and antimicrobial activity of gold and silver nanoparticles

How the technology works

Nanomaterials have been seen as a promising material to use in electronic and in medical industry. This is because of their properties and organization can form a superstructures and being used in many applications, such as photo-electrochemical devices; optoelectronics; catalysis; single-electron transistors; reprography; nonlinear optical devices; biosensing recording media and light emitters

The nanomaterial manufacturing has two approaches:

The "top-down" approach is the process of producing rewuired nanostructures by breaking down a large material.. This method is particularly suitable for making interconnected and integrated structures such as in electronic circuitry.

The "bottom-up" approach is the process of the assembly of a single atom and a molecule to form a larger nanostructures. This is a very powerful method of creating identical structures with atomic precision, although to date, the man-made materials generated in this way are still much simpler than nature’s complex structures.

Figure 1: Biological synthesis nanoparticles

Biosynthesis of nanoparticle is belong to the bottom up approach, in which reduction/oxidation is the main reaction occurring. Silver and gold nanoparticle have their attractive physicochemical properties and have been received high attention. For example, silver nanoparticle have been demonstrated to possess potent HIV activity; Gold nanoparticle have been applied as chemotherapy, radiosensitizers, in targeting and imaging.

How it was applied to solve a particular problem

In this study, first, cell free extract were abtained from Candida albicans, then these cells were used to synthesis silver and gold nanoparticles, The biological synthesis gold and silver then are assessed by Xray diffraction; UV–visible spectroscopy and TEM . Secondly, TGA and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy are used to confirm the presence and the interaction between enzymes and proteins on the synthesized gold and silver nanoparticle surface. Finaly, the gold and silver nanoparticles are determined their antiviral activity, against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The result showed that gold and silver nanoparticle have a remarkable antimicrobial activities. The biocidal activity the silver nanoparticles is higher than gold nanoparticles.

The result also showed that E.coli a gram negative bacterium was high susceptible to silver and gold nanoparticles than the Staphylococcus aureus. This finding may be relevant to the difference in the cell wall structure of two bacteria. Thus the preparation of nanoparticles can be an important role to use as a medical devices and antimicrobial control systems.

What are the strenghs AND weaknesses of the new technology relative to one other technology that is currently used to address the same problem

Biological synthesis nanoparticles have some advantages as compared to chemical synthesis method:

The starting material used in chemical synthesis of nanoparticles is usually toxic and potentially exposed hazardous results (Sathyavathi eta al, 2010).

The advantages of biosynthesis nanoparticles are not use toxic chemicals and solvents, thus it avoids toxic and potentially hazardous. Biosycthesis of nanoparticles are able to use in the selected coatings of solar energy absorption, antimicrobial, optical receptors, bio-labelling, catalysts in chemical reactions.

The disadvantage of biological synthesis nanoparticles is time consuming and it requires culture preparation and control aseptic condition; material for electrical batteries;

Reference

Sathyavathi R, Krishna MB, Rao SV, Saritha R, Rao DN (2010) Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Coriandrum Sativum leaf extract and their application in nonlinear optics. Adv Sci Lett 3:1–6

Induction of Apoptosis Signaling by Glycoprotein of Capsosiphon fulvescens in Human Gastric Cancer (AGS) Cells

How the technology works

Glycoproteins play an important role in various biological functions. They promote the activity of different cells and complicated coordination of cellular responses to stimuli as well as activate cell to cell communication.

Apoptosis is the biological process of programmed cell death. It has been demonstrate that the mitochondrial pathway, which is control by Bcl-2 family proteins also regulates apoptosis. Bcl-2 family proteins include pro-apoptotic (Bax, Bak, and Bid) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) properties. The mitochondrial pathway alter mitochondrial membrane potentials and release cytochrome c into to the activation of procaspase-9 and -3 and the cytosol

Liu and Yamauchi (2009) indicated that controlling the cell cycle and regulating cell cycle deregulation and growth is the hallmark of cancer treatment. In addition cell cycle regulators are important in apoptosis. In this study, glycoprotein was extracted from L. japonica (named LJGP), which has an apoptotic impact on colon cancer cell HT-29.

How it was applied to solve a particular problem

Proapoptotic signaling is the major feature of the treatment AGS cells with C. fulvescens glycoprotein (Cf-GP). In this study the author use Western blotting to examine the expression of protein that associate with apoptosis. These observed components are the expression of Cf-GP-activated caspase-cascade and PARP, which is a substrate of caspase-3 and -8, and proteins of the Bcl-2 family. The result indicated that Cf-GP treatment promote the production of cytochrome C and apoptotic protease activating factor- 1 from mitochondria to the cytosol. . Cf-GP induces sub-G1 phase arrest, thus inhibit the AGS cell development. The sub-G1 phase arrest is relevant to the reduction in the expression of Cdk6; Cdk2; Cdk4; cyclin D and E; and the increase in the level of protein p27 and p21. In consequence, by increasing the ratio of sub-G1, the cell proliferation was be inhibited. Thus the apoptosis is happened in AGS cells.

What are the strenghs AND weaknesses of the new technology relative to one other technology that is currently used to address the same problem

Comparing with Chemotherapy, using Cf glycoprotein have some advantages:

Chemotherapy may result in some high negative effects such as hair loss, diarrhea, tingling hand and feet, infertility and fatigue.

CF Glycoprotein therapeutic can be seen as a promised treatment for Human Gastric Cancer. These advantage of this method may involved:

+ Plant based glycoprotein can be buil up in large scale in medical drug manufacture.

+ CF glycoprotein cancer therapy could reduce the cost in cancer treatment, this is due to the available CF glycoprotein sources as Capsosiphon fulvescens

CF Glycoprotein therapeutic disadvantages

+ This technology is not fully understood molecular structure, it need more time consuming

+ It is still a trial , need time consuming to indicate its component is safety to human