Focusing in on structural genomics : the University of Queensland structural biology pipeline

The flood of new genomic sequence information together with technological innovations in protein structure determination have led to worldwide structural genomics (SG) initiatives. The goals of SG initiatives are to accelerate the process of protein structure determination, to fill in protein fold space and to provide information about the function of uncharacterized proteins. In the long-term, these outcomes are likely to impact on medical biotechnology and drug discovery, leading to a better understanding of disease as well as the development of new therapeutics. Here we describe the high throughput pipeline established at the University of Queensland in Australia. In this focused pipeline, the targets for structure determination are proteins that are expressed in mouse macrophage cells and that are inferred to have a role in innate immunity. The aim is to characterize the molecular structure and the biochemical and cellular function of these targets by using a parallel processing pipeline. The pipeline is designed to work with tens to hundreds of target gene products and comprises target selection, cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and structure determination. The structures from this pipeline will provide insights into the function of previously uncharacterized macrophage proteins and could lead to the validation of new drug targets for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arthritis.

Applications of nanomedicine in antibacterial medical therapeutics and diagnostics

The need for new and effective/efficient antibacterial therapeutics and diagnostics is necessary if we want to be able to maintain and improve the protection against pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to traditionally used antibiotics and as a result are a major health concern. The number of deaths and hospitalizations due to bacteria is increasing. Current methods of bacterial diagnostics are inefficient as they lack speed and ultra sensitivity and cannot be performed on site. This is where nanomedicine is playing a vital role. The discovery of new and innovative materials through the improvement in fabrication techniques has seen the establishment of an influx of novel antibacterial therapeutics and diagnostics. The goal of this review is to highlight the research that has been done through the implementation of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for antibacterial medical therapeutic and diagnostic.

Australian and New Zealand untapped biotechnology opportunities

Focuses on biotechnology opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. Increase in investments into the Australian and New Zealand biotechnology sector; Rank of Australia among biomedical research and development cost-effective countries; Application of New Zealand's biotechnology research in fields such as forestry and human healthcare.

Survey commentaries and analysis on Singapore biotechnology international alliances and Singapore biotechnology boom in 2010

The article presents survey commentaries and analysis on biotechnology international alliances and biotechnology boom in Singapore in 2010. The survey revealed that the government and other key government industries are not keen in investing money in areas such as agricultural biotechnology, vaccine production, natural medicine, alternative therapeutics and plant biotechnology which have economic future globally. Most stakeholders expect international alliances and biopartnering with Singapore. They identified that the industry's strengths are biomedical and pharmaceuticals.

Survey commentaries and analysis on Singapore biotechnology venture capital, intellectual and property regulatory law

The article presents survey commentaries and analysis on biotechnology venture capital, intellectual and property regulatory law in Singapore as of April 2006. The survey revealed that the financial sector and venture capitalists lack the ability to evaluate and understand biotechnology. Some major concerns for stakeholders are the lack of experience in the litigation of cases by Singaporean law firms and the lack of strategic management of portfolios for biomedical and pharmaceutical companies and the government. Stakeholders cited the need for Singaporean laws to be amended to accommodate developments in medical devices, herbal medicine, some biological areas and pre-clinical and clinical trials.

Biosensors, types and applications

Biosensor has rapidly become essential analytical tools, since they offer higher performance in terms of sensitivity and selectively than any other currently available diagnostic device. The development of biosensor technology represents a crucial task for environmental pollution management, there is a considerable need to project and realize biosensors with the best features for commercialization, such as selectivity, sensitivity, stability, reproducibility and low cost. With appropriate progress testing and commercialization, biosensors will have an important impact on environmental monitoring, reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of certain applications. The same multiple approach might be used for development of biosensor platforms suitable for use in fields as diverse as environmental and agrifood to industry, research security and defence, medical and clinical. This review paper focussed on the various types of biosensors and applications in environmental monitoring.