Estilos socio-técnicos de producción de tecnologías conocimiento-intensivas : La conformación de una empresa de biotecnología en el campo de la salud humana en Argentina (1980-2006)

Este trabajo realiza una reconstrucción de la trayectoria socio-técnica de la conformación de una empresa de biotecnología en el campo de la salud humana en la Argentina. En este marco, se analizan en particular las tensiones entre los diferentes estilos socio-técnicos de producción de tecnologías intensivas en conocimientos identificados en la firma. Se proponen algunas relaciones explicativas del caso y se reflexiona sobre la aplicación del concepto de estilo socio-técnico para comprender la dinámica del cambio tecnológico en las firmas que producen tecnologías intensivas en conocimiento

Estilos socio-técnicos de producción de tecnologías conocimiento-intensivas : La conformación de una empresa de biotecnología en el campo de la salud humana en Argentina (1980-2006)

Este trabajo realiza una reconstrucción de la trayectoria socio-técnica de la conformación de una empresa de biotecnología en el campo de la salud humana en la Argentina. En este marco, se analizan en particular las tensiones entre los diferentes estilos socio-técnicos de producción de tecnologías intensivas en conocimientos identificados en la firma. Se proponen algunas relaciones explicativas del caso y se reflexiona sobre la aplicación del concepto de estilo socio-técnico para comprender la dinámica del cambio tecnológico en las firmas que producen tecnologías intensivas en conocimiento

Estilos socio-técnicos de producción de tecnologías conocimiento-intensivas : La conformación de una empresa de biotecnología en el campo de la salud humana en Argentina (1980-2006)

Este trabajo realiza una reconstrucción de la trayectoria socio-técnica de la conformación de una empresa de biotecnología en el campo de la salud humana en la Argentina. En este marco, se analizan en particular las tensiones entre los diferentes estilos socio-técnicos de producción de tecnologías intensivas en conocimientos identificados en la firma. Se proponen algunas relaciones explicativas del caso y se reflexiona sobre la aplicación del concepto de estilo socio-técnico para comprender la dinámica del cambio tecnológico en las firmas que producen tecnologías intensivas en conocimiento

Innnovation and new business models for the regional development: travel and transportation

Regional development could present different strategies: •Relocation of industry clusters •Foreign Direct Investment attraction •Innovation based on new business models The Regional Government of Madrid (3rd largest GDP in the EU) selected strategic industries to compete & innovate: •Travel & Transportation •Aerospace •Nanotech. & •Biotech. •ICTs. •Energy

Determination of pH dependent antioxidant activity of Palm (Borassus flabellifer) Polyphenol compounds by Photoluminol and DPPH methods -A Comparison redox-reaction Sensitivity

Palm juice (Borassus flabellifer) is one of the most common and cheap natural juices. Fermented palm juice contains various phytochemical compounds that exhibit antioxidant activity. In the present study, we examined the effects of pH on the production of phytochemicals and their antioxidant activity during the fermentation process. The concentration of total phenolics and flavonoid compounds of fermented palm juice and their antioxidant activity were investigated at various pH. The results showed that total phenolics concentration and antioxidant activity of palm wine and palm vinegar increase as pH increases: 3.54.55.5. Maximum flavonoid concentration was obtained at pH 6.5. Measurements of antioxidant activity by conventional DPPH method and Photochem antioxidant analyzer technique were highly correlated, with a corresponding R2 value of 0.94.

STRBase: a short tandem repeat DNA database for the human identity testing community

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has compiled and maintained a Short Tandem Repeat DNA Internet Database (http://www.cstl.nist.gov/biotech/strbase/) since 1997 commonly referred to as STRBase. This database is an information resource for the forensic DNA typing community with details on commonly used short tandem repeat (STR) DNA markers. STRBase consolidates and organizes the abundant literature on this subject to facilitate on-going efforts in DNA typing. Observed alleles and annotated sequence for each STR locus are described along with a review of STR analysis technologies. Additionally, commercially available STR multiplex kits are described, published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer sequences are reported, and validation studies conducted by a number of forensic laboratories are listed. To supplement the technical information, addresses for scientists and hyperlinks to organizations working in this area are available, along with the comprehensive reference list of over 1300 publications on STRs used for DNA typing purposes.

Biotechnology: Enhancing human nutrition in developing and developed worlds

While the last 50 years of agriculture have focused on meeting the food, feed, and fiber needs of humans, the challenges for the next 50 years go far beyond simply addressing the needs of an ever-growing global population. In addition to producing more food, agriculture will have to deal with declining resources like water and arable land, need to enhance nutrient density of crops, and achieve these and other goals in a way that does not degrade the environment. Biotechnology and other emerging life sciences technologies offer valuable tools to help meet these multidimensional challenges. This paper explores the possibilities afforded through biotechnology in providing improved agronomic “input” traits, differentiated crops that impart more desirable “output” traits, and using plants as green factories to fortify foods with valuable nutrients naturally rather than externally during food processing. The concept of leveraging agriculture as green factories is expected to have tremendous positive implications for harnessing solar energy to meet fiber and fuel needs as well. Widespread adaptation of biotech-derived products of agriculture should lay the foundation for transformation of our society from a production-driven system to a quality and utility-enhanced system.

Purification and Characterization of NAD-Isocitrate Dehydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii1

NAD-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH) from the eukaryotic microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by successive chromatography steps on Phenyl-Sepharose, Blue-Sepharose, diethylaminoethyl-Sephacel, and Sephacryl S-300 (all Pharmacia Biotech). The 320-kD enzyme was found to be an octamer composed of 45-kD subunits. The presence of isocitrate plus Mn2+ protected the enzyme against thermal inactivation or inhibition by specific reagents for arginine or lysine. NADH was a competitive inhibitor (Ki, 0.14 mm) and NADPH was a noncompetitive inhibitor (Ki, 0.42 mm) with respect to NAD+. Citrate and adenine nucleotides at concentrations less than 1 mm had no effect on the activity, but 10 mm citrate, ATP, or ADP had an inhibitory effect. In addition, NAD-IDH was inhibited by inorganic monovalent anions, but l-amino acids and intermediates of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle had no significant effect. These data support the idea that NAD-IDH from photosynthetic organisms may be a key regulatory enzyme within the tricarboxylic acid cycle.

Microsatellite genotypic data of Euptelea pleiospermum in STRUCTURE format

We sampled leaves from 678 individuals in 21 natural populations (30-36 individuals per population), covering the entire distribution of Euptelea pleiospermum in China.Total DNA was isolated from about 50 mg powdered leaf tissue following the protocol of a DNA extraction kit (Tiangen Biotech Co., LTD., Beijing, China). We used seven fluorescence-labeled microsatellite loci (EP036, EP059, EP081, EP087, EP091, EP278 and EP294; Zhang et al., 2008) to genotype our 678 DNA samples.

Kinetic model for selective cultivation of microfungi in a microscreen process for food processing wastewater treatment and biomass production

The research was aimed at developing a technology to combine the production of useful microfungi with the treatment of wastewater from food processing. A recycle bioreactor equipped with a micro-screen was developed as a wastewater treatment system on a laboratory scale to contain a Rhizopus culture and maintain its dominance under non-aseptic conditions. Competitive growth of bacteria was observed, but this was minimised by manipulation of the solids retention time and the hydraulic retention time. Removal of about 90% of the waste organic material (as BOD) from the wastewater was achieved simultaneously. Since essentially all fungi are retained behind the 100 mum aperture screen, the solids retention time could be controlled by the rate of harvesting. The hydraulic retention time was employed to control the bacterial growth as the bacteria were washed through the screen at a short HRT. A steady state model was developed to determine these two parameters. This model predicts the effluent quality. Experimental work is still needed to determine the growth characteristics of the selected fungal species under optimum conditions (pH and temperature).

The changing nature of innovation networks in Taiwan: From imitation to innovation?

Taiwan is embarking on a new phase in its approach to building its national innovative capacity, through building the infrastructure for a biotechnology industry. Rather than acting as a “fast follower” of trends developed elsewhere, Taiwan is seeking to evolve the elements of a national innovation system, including upgrading the role of universities in providing fundamental R&D, in providing incubators for new, knowledge-based firms, in developing new funding models, and in establishing new biotech-focused science parks. This paper reviews the progress achieved to date, and the prospects for this new phase in Taiwan’s transition from imitation to innovation

The development of a model system and high throughput assay for the study of interactions between zinc finger proteins and DNA

It has been recognised for some time that a full code of amino acid-based recognition of DNA sequences would be useful. Several approaches, which utilise small DNA binding motifs called zinc fingers, are presently employed. None of the current approaches successfully combine a combinatorial approach to the elucidation of a code with a single stage high throughput screening assay. The work outlined here describes the development of a model system for the study of DNA protein interactions and the development of a high throughput assay for detection of such interactions. A zinc finger protein was designed which will bind with high affinity and specificity to a known DNA sequence. For future work it is possible to mutate the region of the zinc finger responsible for the specificity of binding, in order to observe the effect on the DNA / protein interactions. The zinc finger protein was initially synthesised as a His tagged product. It was not possible however to develop a high throughput assay using the His tagged zinc finger protein. The gene encoding the zinc finger protein was altered and the protein synthesised as a Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) fusion product. A successful assay was developed using the GST protein and Scintillation Proximity Assay technology (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech). The scintillation proximity assay is a dynamic assay that allows the DNA protein interactions to be studied in "real time". This assay not only provides a high throughput method of screening zinc finger proteins for potential ligands but also allows the effect of addition of reagents or competitor ligands to be monitored.

The application of 3D printing to study microfluidic architecture for 'on-chip' mixing systems for SRCD and UV spectroscopy

This paper details methodologies that have been explored for the fast proofing of on-chip architectures for Circular Dichroism techniques. Flow-cell devices fabricated from UV transparent Quartz are used for these experiments. The complexity of flow-cell production typically results in lead times of six months from order to delivery. Only at that point can the on-chip architecture be tested empirically and any required modifications determined ready for the next six month iteration phase. By using the proposed 3D printing and PDMS moulding techniques for fast proofing on-chip architectures the optimum design can be determined within a matter of hours prior to commitment to quartz chip production.