Biotechnology and Biochemistry

Biocatalysys and biopolimer as biotechnology applications

April 29, 2009 – 1:21 pm

The most important components of living cell, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids are polymers. Nature uses polymers as constructive elements and parts of complicated cell machinery. The salient feature of functional biopolymers is their all-or-nothing or at least highly nonlinear response to external stimuli. Small changes happen in response to varying parameters until the critical point is reached; then a transition occurs in the narrow range of the varied parameter, and after the transition is completed, there is no significant further response of the system.

Recent decades witnessed the appearance of synthetic functional polymers, which respond in some desired way to a change in temperature, pH, electric or magnetic fields, or some other parameters. These polymers were nicknamed stimuli-responsive. The name “smart polymers” was coined because of the similarity of the stimuli-responsive polymers to biopolymers.

Applications of polymers in biotechnology and medicine are discussed in this article. The highly nonlinear response of smart polymers to small changes in the external medium is of critical importance for the successful functioning of a system. Most applications of polymers in biotechnology and medicine include biorecognition and/or biocatalysis, which take place principally in aqueous solutions. Thus, only water-compatible smart polymers are considered; smart polymers in organic solvents or water/organic solvent mixtures are beyond the scope of the article.

One could define smart polymers used in biotechnology and medicine as macromolecules that undergo fast and reversible changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic microstructure triggered by small changes in their environments. These microscopic changes are apparent at the macroscopic level as precipitate formation in solutions of smart polymers or changes in the wettability of a surface to which a smart polymer is grafted. The changes are reversible, and the system returns to its initial state when the trigger is removed.

note: for further information, please read Encyclopedia of Polimer Science and Technology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2005)

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Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) in Indonesia

April 25, 2009 – 10:06 am

BPOM (Drug and Food Superintendant Agency) Indonesia never removed phenylpropanolamine or PPA which is contained in cough or flu drugs in Indonesia. To perceive this issue, BPOM said that drugs contain PPA were allowed to using and marketing in Indonesia. The dosis permitted is 15 mg for cough and flu drugs [1].

As we know, PPA was removed in America because it increase risk of hemorrhagic stroke since November 2000 [2]. This is based on the research which be held in Yale University School of Medicine that result bleeding into the brain or into tissue surrounding the brain (hemorrhagic stroke) in women. Medicines which contain phenylpropanolamine should not consume for longer than 7 days if the condition does not improve or if the symptoms are accompanied by a high fever [3].

There are many drugs in Indonesia which contain phenylpropanolamine. For our health in the future, we should becareful to consume cough or flu drugs which contain PPA. Maybe, seeing the ingredient of the drugs which is the best choiche for preventing the bad side effect in our helath.

[1] http://kesehatan.kompas.com
[2] http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/advisory.htm
[3] http://www.drugs.com/mtm/phenilpropanolamine.htm

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Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Hot Issue: Hoax or Fact?

April 25, 2009 – 10:05 am

Several days ago, there is an issue that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was issued a "Public Health Advisory" which take steps to remove phenylpropanolamine from all drug products and has requested that all drug companies discontinue marketing products containing it.

Based on the issue, FDA  was issued this advisory on March 1st 2009. So, everything which contains phenylpropanolamine, such as DECOLGEN, DECOLSIN, SINUTAB, ALLERIN, BODREXIN, CONTAC 500, COSYR, FLUCYL, FLUDANE, FLUGESIC, INZA, KOMIX, MIXAFLU, MIXAGRIP, NALGESTAN, NEOZEP FORTE, NODROF, PARASUTIN, PROCOLD, RHINOTUSSAL, SANAFLU, SILADEX, STOPCOLD, TRIAMIN. Is it true that they are contain phenylpropanolamine (PPA)? To answer this question, please check it at links.

After I search on Google, this issue is an hoax. Why? Because FDA is not issued a "Public Health Advisory" about PPA at 1 March 2009. That is true if the the date was on November 2000.

To study about phenylpropanolamine:
1. What is the phenylpropanolamine?
2. Is it harmful for our health?
3. Why FDA issued a "Public Health Advisory" about phenylpropanolamine?
4. How about drugs are usually we used to against cough or flu?

and many facts else? Please click this phenylpropanolamine article.

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Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) causing stroke?

April 25, 2009 – 10:01 am

What is phenylpropanolamine (PPA)?
Phenylpropanolamine is a drug ingredient of the phenethylamine family [1]. It used as a decongestant. It means that phenylpropanolamine used to treat the congestion associated with allergies, hay fever, sinus irritation, and the common cold [2]. It also causes a decrease in appetite and is used in some over-the-counter diet aids. In veterinary medicine, it is used to control urinary incontinence in dogs and is sold under brand names Propalin and Proin.

How phenylpropanolamine works?
Phenylpropanolamine will constric (shrink) blood vessels (veins and arteries) in the body. Constriction of blood vessels in sinuses, nose, and chest allows drainage of those areas, which decreases congestion.

Is phenylpropanolamine harmful for our health?
I has been associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding into the brain or into tissue surrounding the brain) in women [3]. Men may also be at risk. Although the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is low, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that consumers not use any products that contain phenylpropanolamine because of the seriousness of a stroke and the inability to predict who was at risk [4].

The public health advisory supported by the research of phenylpropanolamine at the Yale University School of Medicine in 1999  which was produced that PPA increased risk of hemmorrhagic stroke. This similar reports of cases had been circulating since the 1970s.

The sides effect of PPA.
Beside increased a hemorrhagic stroke, phenylpropanolamine also an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling lips, tongue, or face; or hives); seizures; unusual behavior or hallucinations; or an irregular or fast heartbeat. Also, less serious side effects maybe occured like dizziness, lightheadedness, or drowsiness; headache; insomnia; anxiety; tremor (shaking) or restlessness; nausea or vomiting; or sweating.

[1] Flavahan NA. 2005. Phenylpropanolamine constricts mouse and human blood vessels by preferentially activating alpha2-adrenoceptors. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 313 (1): 432–9.

[2] http://www.drugs.com/mtm/phenilpropanolamine.htm
[3] Kernan WN et al. 2000. Phenylpropanolamine and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. N. Engl. J. Med. 343 (25): 1826–32.
[4] http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/advisory.htm

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Molecular Methods

April 24, 2009 – 1:14 pm

The analysis and measurement of variation in molecular biology are important to be known. For example, molecular techniques that measure DNA variation are genetic fingerprinting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These techniques are continually being developed, and thus properly prepared and stored samples may be useful for analysis by these new methods [1].

Simply, molecular method is began with some basic steps. Basic steps in molecular method are:
1. Sample source for DNA
In this section, we should preserve any samples are used, so can be utilized. After ready to be analyzed, they must be extraxted by extracting DNA. DNA extraction used to get pure DNA with some essential methods extraction.

2. Enzyme used in molecular biology
Molecular methods need some enzymes to manipulate and modify DNA. Some of them are restriction enzyme (e.g: EcoRI, BamHI, PstI, HaeIII, Sau3A), polymerase enzyme (e.g: Taq polimerase, Pfu polimerase, T7, T3, SP6), ligase enzyme (e.g: T4 DNA ligase), and modifying enzime (e.g: phosphatases, kinases, proteases).

3. Separating restriction fragments by electrophoresis
This step includes gel properties, electrophoresis buffers, and running an agarose gel. Additional, in agarose preparation, we must prepare it so containing variable amounts of sulphated polysaccharide chains.

4. Detecting DNA
DNA is detected by using gels and some solutions. Silver staining and ethidium bromide are the most common stains for detecting DNA. Beside that, we can detect DNA with radioactive analysis.

5. Blotting
Blotting is a trasfering process of DNA fragments from the gel to the membrane hile faithfully retaininng their relative positions.

6. Fixing
The aim of this step is to protect DNA during subsequent hybridization steps. Subsequent hybridization procedures used baking in vacuum and washing that will cause damage DNA’s if they weren’t protected. Fixing, may be use different UV-cross-linking and alkaline fixation protocols.

7. Hbridization
This technique is to study gene structure and function. But, today was increasingly being applied for the diagnosis of heritable diseases, detection of viral and bacterial pathogens, and the analysis of genetic variation in ecology and evolution.

Hybridization includes probes, labels, and protocols. Beside those, it is also includes stabiliting, deprobing, detecting, and measuring matter in hybridizations. In this posting, we will not study these steps.

8. DNA sequensing
Two methods of sequencing DNA are used by molecular biologists. First, involves specific chemical cleavage of DNA chains [2]. Second, the synthesis of a DNA template that is specially terminated at individual residues [3]

9. Other recombinant DNA technologies
To express some specific function in molecular methods, it is often necessary to grow and maintain the bacteria harbouring the recombinant DNA under rigorously controlled selection conditions.

10. Safety
A molecular biology laboratory can pose hazards to human health and the environment. It because in molecular methods used some substances poisonous, for examples: acrylamide (neurotoxin), ethidium bromide (carcinogens), acids/bases (make chemical burns as an fenol).

Finish.

[1] Royston E. Carter. 2000. General Molecular Biology in Molecular Metods in Ecology. Allan J. Baker, Ed. London: Blackwell Science.
[2] Maxam & Gilbert. 1977. A new method for sequencing DNA. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences USA. [include in 1].
[3] Sanger et al. 1977. DNA sequencing with chain terminating inhibitors. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences USA. [include in 1].

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Methods for sample storage

April 24, 2009 – 1:07 pm

This posting is to describe the method to store a sample in molecular techique. There are four steps. I have taken it from General Molecular Biology (Royston 2000).

1. Frozen whole blood Whole blood is transferred to a sterile Eppendorf tube and froze as soon as possible (preferably at – 80°C, or – 20°C is suffice for most instances). Please pay your attention that if the samples are repeatedly thawed and re-frozen, some of DNA integruty will be loss.

2. Storage in extraction buffer If possible, appropriate-sized aliquots of fresh whole blood (routinely 15 µL of avian blood or 1-2 mL of mammalian blood) are resuspended in 500 µL (5 mL if mammalian) of 1xSET extraction buffer (sodium chloride/EDTA/Tris). Then, frozen at – 80°C. Individual tubes can then be removed and processed without thawing the stock sample.

3. Storage in lysis buffer It resuspended for long-term storage at ambient temperature. It contains SDS, which lyses cells, and EDTA, which chelates Ca2+ ions and therefore prevents nuclease activity.

4. Storage in ethanol An absolute ehtanol is a powerful dehydrating agent. If small volume of fresh whole blood are suspended, individual erythrocytes remain intact and separate. Nucleases and other degradative enzymes remain inactive ease. Usually, one drop (100 µL) of avian blood is suspended into 1 mL of ehtanol.

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Biotechnology: a short course to understanding

April 22, 2009 – 7:54 am

If we are asked what science was developed rapidly now adays, maybe we should said that was biotechnology. Biotechnology is kind of branch of sciences that study technology based on life science. If technology study everything without predict and know how were held in life cell, biotechnology will try to answer it.

Biotechnology is defined as integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, pasrts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services [1]. It also describes as a field of technological activity in hich biochemical, genetic, microbiological, and engineering techniques are combined for the pursuit of technical and applied aspects of research into biological materials, in particular, into biological processing. It includes traditional technologies such as fermentation process, antibiotic production, and sewage treatment, as well as newer ones such as biomolecular engineering, and single-cell protein production (SCP) [2].

In biochemistry, especially in molecular biochemistry we will study technique, genetic manipulation or genetic engineering, and any related else. Some of them are ELISA (enzyme linked immuno assay), DNA Characterization Assay, Thiobarbituric Acid Assay (TBA), Fermentation which is used to knowing in industrial nowadays, Single-Cell Protein Screening, and Biotoxicity Assay.

[1] European Federation of Biotechnology General Assembly 1989.
[2] include [1] Smith AD.2000.Oxford DIctionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. New York: Oxford University Press.

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What is the medical biochemistry?

April 22, 2009 – 7:53 am

At the previous posting we were known by that about biochemistry. Now, we will learn one of the branchs of Biochemistry as the object study. In this part, we learn that biochemistry is also related to the medical. It’s called medical biochemistry or clinical biochemistry.

As we know, health science is like medical that it close to the cell. And, the cell is close to the Biochemistry. In medical biochemistry, we will study how food that we eat everyday can be utilised by our body. Furthermore, how the process of this utilization in our body, especially in our cells.

Medical biochemistry also study the mechanism of what kind of symptomps hold in our body and caused illness or sickness. This is a good sounds, so we can predict how diseases spreads or something infects our body and then make the body illness. So, if we know the disease mechanisms, we will assume any hypotheses how to against the sickness caused factors.

These informations is supported with the facts. There are avian influenza (H5N1) cases, mutagenic avian influenza viruses, HIV viruses or AIDS viruses, and many more. When medical biochemistry is used in this cases, there will be known about what, why, and how these are occured. Furthermore, we also will know how to avoid and against the caused factor pr these diseases.

So, are you interest in medical biochemistry?

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Biochemistry: A Short Course

April 22, 2009 – 7:53 am

Biochemistry is the branch of science dealing with the chemical compounds, reactions, and other process that occur in living organism [1]. It is close to the almost of biophenomenons in our life. I called it biophenomenon to described what all things occured in a cell. The cell is the smallest structural unit of living systems. It has funcion like an organism.

The basic objective of biochemistry, like Murray’s was said, is the complete understanding at molecular level. To achieve this objective, biochemist have to isolate the numerous molecules found in cells, determine their structures, and analyze how they function [2]. Biochemistry is essentiall to all life sciences. It related ith physiology, immunology, medic, and the others.

Though as the new comer in the sciences, it developes rapidly. Since it was declared at new science, people who curious in molecular, genetic engineering, and biomedic more interested. In this web site, we will learn about biochemistry: what, how, and any else curious questions. We will study biochemistry with different way: make it easy and happy.

[1] Smith AD.2000.Oxford DIctionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. New York: Oxford University Press.
[2] Murray et al. 2003. Harper’s Illustrated Biochemistry 26th Edition. New York: McGra-Hill Co.

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