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Tallasee Dog Undergoes Stem Cell Procedure – Alabama News

Posted: December 30, 2016 at 12:41 am

Posted: Dec 22, 2016 6:17 PM CST

by Jalea Brooks

Weve seen medical advancements using stem cells in humans, but one Tallasee dog is reaping the benefits of a relatively new procedure using her own stem cells.

Dr. Michelle J Mitchell says were using the pets own adult stem cells and were giving them back to the pet in such a way as to elicit healing, promote healing, decrease pain, decrease inflammation, it actually has been shown to rebuild some cartilage in damaged joints, it is an amazing technology that has improved the quality of life in numerous pets.

Mitchell is one of 3 veterinarians in Alabama, that perform this stem cell therapy procedure. Katie is a 5-year-old Coon-hound Mix with severe hip dysplasia and premature degenerative joint disease, making her a perfect candidate for stem cell therapy.

Mitchell says that this pet has been suffering from a pretty significant amount of degenerative joint disease and pain for sometime and as you know there are medications we can use to increase their comfort but again its a progressive condition so therefore it just keeps getting.it doesnt do anything to heal it just manages the pain so theyre more comfortable

According to Mitchell, the procedure itself is relatively simple.

She explains were gonna be harvesting her stem cells from the fat, gonna go inside the abdomenthen were gonna mix those stems cells with her own platelet rich plasma and then were gonna inject it back onto her hips knees her shoulders and any site of energy.

She and her staff only operate on the pet for about 30 minutes and the longest part is processing the fat and extracting the stem cells to be injected, which can take about 4 hours.

She says that once those cells are in those joints, they start working immediately, any site of inflammation is a magnet for stem cells.

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Best Masters of Science (MScs) in Biotechnology 2017

Posted: December 27, 2016 at 2:41 pm

A Master of Science or MSc is a graduate degree with a focus in science, medicine, or engineering. The MSc in Biotechnology combines two of these disciplines, focusing on biology and chemistry along with principles of design and engineering.

Exactly what is an MSc in Biotechnology? The field of biotechnology uses living organisms to generate controlled processes or even final products. Students pursuing this degree learn about a wide range of topics. On the biological side, focuses may include genetics, microbiology, cellular biology, and biochemistry. On the design and engineering side, students may learn about subjects such as process design and genetic engineering. Some programs also allow students to focus on a subdiscipline, such as the role of bioengineering and bioscience in healthcare or food production.

This degree program prepares students for biotechnology careers by encompassing a broad range of subjects that many degree programs do not. Besides providing students with necessary knowledge, the degree coursework fosters problem solving and critical thinking skills that prepare students to take on various design and engineering challenges. Additionally, earning the degree can improve likelihood of employment as science and engineering employers often prefer candidates with graduate degrees.

The cost of a masters degree program can vary significantly, depending on the educational institution, region, and country. Anyone who is considering pursuing a Master of Science should compare various options to find a program that is financially reasonable.

Someone who has earned the MSc in Biotechnology can work in research or development in a variety of bioengineering fields. These include pharmaceutical or medical design, genetic engineering, biofuel production, and industrial biotechnology systems. Potential employers include universities, research institutions, and private companies.

Today, even advanced Master of Science degrees can be earned online. Online degrees can be a convenient option for people with busy schedules or limited access to in-person education. The online application process is streamlined, and learning about your potential options is easy. Search for your program below and contact directly the admissions office of the school of your choice by filling in the lead form.

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Best Masters of Science (MScs) in Biotechnology 2017

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Biotechnology Journals | Open Access – omicsonline.org

Posted: December 26, 2016 at 3:46 am

Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials is a peer reviewed journal which publishes high quality articles reporting original research, review, commentary, opinion, rapid communication, case report etc. on all aspects of Biotechnology and Biomaterials. Content areas include Plant/Animal/Microbial Biotechnology, Applied Biotechnology, Red/Medical Biotechnology, Green/Agricultural Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology, Blue/Marine Biotechnology, White/Industrial Biotechnology, Food Biotechnology, Orthopedic and Dental Biomaterials, Cardiovascular Biomaterials, Ophthalmologic Biomaterials, Bioelectrodes and Biosensors, Burn Dressings and Skin Substitutes, Sutures, Drug Delivery Systems etc. This Biotechnology Journal with highest impact factor offers Open Access option to meet the needs of authors and maximize article visibility.

The journal is an academic journal providing an opportunity to researchers and scientists to explore the advanced and latest research developments in the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology and medicine. The Journal of Biotechnology and Biomaterials is of highest standards in terms of quality and provides a collaborative open access platform to the scientists throughout the world in the field of Biotechnology and Biomaterials. Journal of Biotechnology and Biomaterials is a scholarly Open Access journal and aims to publish the most complete and reliable source of information on the advanced and very latest research topics.

The journal is using the Editorial Manager System for quality in the peer-review process. Editorial Manager System is an online submission and review system, where authors can submit manuscripts and track their progress. Reviewers can download manuscripts and submit their opinions. Editors can manage the whole submission, review, revise & publish process. Publishers can see what manuscripts are in the pipeline awaiting publication.

The Journal assures a 21 days rapid review process with international peer-review standards and with quality reviewers. E-mail is sent automatically to concerned persons when significant events occur. After publishing, articles are freely available through online without any restrictions or any other subscriptions to researchers worldwide.

Applied Biotechnology is gives the major opportunity to study science on the edge of technology, innovation and even science itself. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology focusses on prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells, relevant enzymes and proteins; applied genetics and molecular biotechnology; genomics and proteomics; applied microbial and cell physiology; environmental biotechnology; process and products and more.

Related Journals of Applied Biotechnology

Current Opinion in Biotechnology, Biotechnology Advances, Biotechnology for Biofuels, Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense, Molecular Biology, Biology and Medicine, Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology, Applied Mycology and Biotechnology, Asian Biotechnology and Development Review, Biotechnology applications Journals, Journal of Applied Biomaterials & Fundamental Materials.

Biomaterials are commonly used in various medical devices and systems such as drug delivery systems, hybrid organs, tissue cultures, synthetic skin, synthetic blood vessels, artificial hearts, screws, plates, cardiac pacemakers, wires and pins for bone treatments, total artificial joint implants, skull reconstruction, and dental and maxillofacial applications. Among various applications, the application of biomaterials in cardiovascular system is most significant. The use of cardiovascular biomaterials (CB) is subjected to its blood compatibility and its integration with the surrounding environment where it is implanted.

Related Journals of Cardiovascular biomaterials

Journal of Biomimetics Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Journal of Advanced Chemical Engineering, Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition, Journal of Biomaterials Applications, Trends in Biomaterials and Artificial Organs, International Journal of Biomaterials and Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Cardiovascular biomaterials Journals.

Biomaterials are used daily in surgery, dental applications and drug delivery. Biomaterial implant is a construct with impregnated pharmaceutical products which can be placed into the body, that permits the prolonged release of a drug over an extended period of time. A biomaterial may also be an autograft, allograft or xenograft used as a transplant material.

Related journals of Biomaterial implants

Advanced Functional Materials, Biomaterials, Advanced healthcare materials, Journal of Biomimetics Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology, Clinical Oral Implants Research, International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, Journal of Long-Term Effects of Medical Implants and Cochlear Implants International, Biomaterials Journals, Biomaterial implants Journals.

Animal Biotechnology covers the identification and manipulation of genes and their products, stressing applications in domesticated animals. Animals are used in many ways in biotechnology. Biotechnology provides new tools for improving human health and animal health and welfare and increasing livestock productivity. Biotechnology improves the food we eat - meat, milk and eggs. Biotechnology can improve an animals impact on the environment.

Related Journals of Animal biotechnology

Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Biology and Medicine, Journal of Advanced Chemical Engineering, Animal Biotechnology, African Journal of Biotechnology, Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology and Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, Asian Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences.

A biomaterial is any surface, matter, or construct that interacts with biological systems. The biomaterial science is the study of biomaterials. Biomaterials science encloses elements of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering and materials science. Biomaterials derived from either nature or synthesized in the laboratory using a different typrs of chemicals utilizing metallic components, polymers, ceramics or composite materials. They are oftenly used for a medical application.

Related Journals of Biomaterials

Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers, Journal of Tissue Engineering, Journal of Biomimetics Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense, Fermentation Technology, Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology, International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, Journal of Biomimetics, Biomaterials, and Tissue Engineering, Journal of Applied Biomaterials and Fundamental Materials, Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and International Journal of Biomaterials.

Nanobiotechnology, nanobiology and bionanotechnology are terms that refer to the intersection of nanotechnology and biology. Bionanotechnology and nanobiotechnology serve as blanket terms for various related technologies. This discipline helps to indicate the merger of biological research with various fields of nanotechnology. Concepts enhanced through nanobiology are nanodevices, nanoparticles, and nanoscale phenomena. Nanotechnology uses biological systems as the biological inspirations.

Related Journals of Nano biotechnology

Biopolymers, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense, Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Journal of Advanced Chemical Engineering, Journal of Nanobiotechnology, Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology, IET Nanobiotechnology and Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, Australian journal of biotechnology, International Journal of Nano & Biomaterials, Nano biotechnology Journals.

Biocatalysis are used as natural catalysts, like protein enzymes, to perform chemical transformations on organic compounds. Both enzymes that have been more or less isolated and enzymes still residing inside living cells are employed for this task. Since biocatalysis deals with enzymes and microorganisms, it is historically classified separately from "homogeneous catalysis" and "heterogeneous catalysis". However, biocatalysis is simply a heterogeneous catalysis.

Related Journals of Biocatalysis

Biology and Medicine, Fermentation Technology, Journal of Advanced Chemical Engineering, Biocatalysis and Biotransformation and Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology.

Agricultural biotechnology is a collection of scientific techniques used to improve plants, animals and microorganisms. Based on an structure and characteristics of DNA, scientists have developed solutions to increase agricultural productivity. Scientists have learned how to move genes from one organism to another. This has been called genetic modification (GM), genetic engineering (GE) or genetic improvement (GI). Regardless of the name, the process allows the transfer of useful characteristics (such as resistance to a disease) into a plant, animal or microorganism by inserting genes from another organism.

Related Journals of Agricultural biotechnology

Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology, Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Molecular Biology, Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology and Chinese Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology, Plant Biotechnology Journal, Plant Biotechnology Journals.

A biomolecule is any molecule which is present in living organisms, entails large macromolecules like proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids, as well as small molecules include primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, and natural products. A common name for this class of material is biological materials. Nucleosides are molecules formed by attaching a nucleobase to a ribose or deoxyribose ring. Nucleosides can be phosphorylated by specific kinases in the cell, producing nucleotides.

Related Journals of Bio-molecules

Molecular Biology, Biology and Medicine, Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology, Biomolecules and Therapeutics, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Part B Molecular Biotechnology, Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bio-molecules Journals.

In developing countries, application of biotechnology to food processing is an issue of argument and discussions for a long time. Biotechnological study focuse development and improvement of customary fermentation processes. The application of Biotechnology to solve the environmental problems in the environment and in the ecosystems is called Environmental Biotechnology. It is applied and used to study the natural environment.

Related Journals of Biotechnology applications

NatureBiotechnology, Trends inBiotechnology, MetabolicEngineering, Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques,Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology, Journal ofAdvanced Chemical Engineering, Applied Microbiology andBiotechnology, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - PartA Enzyme Engineering and Biotechnology, Biotechnology and AppliedBiochemistry, Applied Biotechnology Journals, Applied Microbiologyand Biotechnology, Systems and Synthetic Biology and IET SyntheticBiology.

Industrial or white biotechnology uses enzymes and micro-organisms to make biobased products in sectors like chemicals, food and feed, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles and bioenergy (such as biofuels or biogas). It uses renewable raw materials and is one of the most promising, newest approaches towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial biotechnology application has been proven to make significant contributions towards mitigating the impacts of climate change in these and other sectors.

Related Journals of White/industrial biotechnology

Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Microbial Biotechnology, Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense, Fermentation Technology, Molecular Biology, Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology, Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Chemical Sciences Journal, Industrial Biotechnology and Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, White/industrial biotechnology Journals.

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Biotechnology Conferences | USA Biotech events …

Posted: December 26, 2016 at 3:46 am

Session & Tracks

Track 1:Molecular Biotechnology

Molecular biotechnology is the use of laboratory techniques to study and modify nucleic acids and proteins for applications in areas such as human and animal health, agriculture, and the environment.Molecular biotechnologyresults from the convergence of many areas of research, such as molecular biology, microbiology,biochemistry, immunology, genetics, and cell biology. It is an exciting field fueled by the ability to transfer genetic information between organisms with the goal of understanding important biological processes or creating a useful product.

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech IndustriesMeet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA; GlobalBiotechnology Congress2016, May 11th-14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;BIO Investor Forum, October 20-21, 2015, San Francisco, USA;BIO Latin America Conference, October 14-16, 2015, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;Bio Pharm America 20158th Annual International Partnering Conference, September 15-17, 2015, Boston, MA, USA.

Track 2:Environmental Biotechnology

The biotechnology is applied and used to study the natural environment. Environmental biotechnology could also imply that one try to harness biological process for commercial uses and exploitation. It is "the development, use and regulation of biological systems for remediation of contaminated environment and forenvironment-friendly processes(green manufacturing technologies and sustainable development). Environmental biotechnology can simply be described as "the optimal use of nature, in the form of plants, animals, bacteria, fungi and algae, to producerenewable energy, food and nutrients in a synergistic integrated cycle of profit making processes where the waste of each process becomes the feedstock for another process".

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech IndustriesMeet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA; GlobalBiotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;Biomarker Summit2016, March 21-23, 2016 San Diego, CA, USA; 14thVaccines Research & Development, July 7-8, Boston, USA;Pharmaceutical & BiotechPatent Litigation Forum, Mar 14 - 15, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Track 3:Animal Biotechnology

It improves the food we eat - meat, milk and eggs. Biotechnology can improve an animals impact on the environment. Animalbiotechnologyis the use of science and engineering to modify living organisms. The goal is to make products, to improve animals and to developmicroorganismsfor specific agricultural uses. It enhances the ability to detect, treat and prevent diseases, include creating transgenic animals (animals with one or more genes introduced by human intervention), using gene knock out technology to make animals with a specific inactivated gene and producing nearly identical animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer (or cloning).

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech Industries Meet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Global Biotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;Biomarker Summit2016, March 21-23, 2016 San Diego, CA, USA; 14thVaccines Research & Development, July 7-8, Boston, USA;Pharmaceutical & BiotechPatent Litigation Forum, Mar 14 - 15, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4thBiomarkers in Diagnostics, Oct 07-08, 2015 Berlin, Germany, DEU.

Track 4:Medical Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering

Medicine is by means of biotechnology techniques so much in diagnosing and treating dissimilar diseases. It also gives opportunity for the population to defend themselves from hazardous diseases. The pasture of biotechnology, genetic engineering, has introduced techniques like gene therapy, recombinant DNA technologyand polymerase chain retort which employ genes and DNA molecules to make adiagnosis diseasesand put in new and strong genes in the body which put back the injured cells. There are some applications of biotechnology which are live their part in the turf of medicine and giving good results.

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech Industries Meet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Global Biotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;Biomarker Summit2016, March 21-23, 2016 San Diego, CA, USA; 14thVaccines Research & Development, July 7-8, Boston, USA;Pharmaceutical & Biotech Patent Litigation Forum, Mar 14 - 15, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4thBiomarkers in Diagnostics, Oct 07-08, 2015 Berlin, Germany, DEU.

Track 5:Agricultural Biotechnology

Biotechnology is being used to address problems in all areas of agricultural production and processing. This includesplant breedingto raise and stabilize yields; to improve resistance to pests, diseases and abiotic stresses such as drought and cold; and to enhance the nutritional content of foods. Modern agricultural biotechnology improves crops in more targeted ways. The best known technique is genetic modification, but the term agricultural biotechnology (or green biotechnology) also covers such techniques asMarker Assisted Breeding, which increases the effectiveness of conventional breeding.

Related Conferences

3rd GlobalFood Safety Conference, September 01-03, 2016, Atlanta USA; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 12thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 14-15, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Biologically Active Compoundsin Food, October 15-16 2015 Lodz, Poland; World Conference onInnovative Animal Nutrition and Feeding, October 15-17, 2015 Budapest, Hungary; 18th International Conference onFood Science and Biotechnology, November 28 - 29, 2016, Istanbul, Turkey; 18th International Conference on Agricultural Science, Biotechnology,Food and Animal Science, January 7 - 8, 2016, Singapore; International IndonesiaSeafood and Meat, 1517 October 2016, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Track 6:Industrial Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for industrial purposes, includingindustrial fermentation. The practice of using cells such as micro-organisms, or components of cells like enzymes, to generate industrially useful products in sectors such as chemicals, food and feed, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles andbiofuels. Industrial Biotechnology offers a premier forum bridging basic research and R&D with later-stage commercialization for sustainable bio based industrial and environmental applications.

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech Industries Meet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA; GlobalBiotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;Biomarker Summit2016, March 21-23, 2016 San Diego, CA, USA; 14thVaccines Research & Development, July 7-8, Boston, USA;Pharmaceutical & BiotechPatent Litigation Forum, Mar 14 - 15, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4thBiomarkers in Diagnostics, Oct 07-08, 2015 Berlin, Germany, DEU.

Track 8:Microbial and Biochemical Technology

Microorganisms have been exploited for their specific biochemical and physiological properties from the earliest times for baking, brewing, and food preservation and more recently for producingantibiotics, solvents, amino acids, feed supplements, and chemical feedstuffs. Over time, there has been continuous selection by scientists of special strains ofmicroorganisms, based on their efficiency to perform a desired function. Progress, however, has been slow, often difficult to explain, and hard to repeat. Recent developments inmolecular biologyand genetic engineering could provide novel solutions to long-standing problems. Over the past decade, scientists have developed the techniques to move a gene from one organism to another, based on discoveries of how cells store, duplicate, and transfer genetic information.

Related conferences

3rdGlobal Food Safety Conference, September 01-03, 2016, Atlanta USA; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 12thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 14-15, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Biologically Active Compoundsin Food, October 15-16 2015 Lodz, Poland; World Conference onInnovative Animal Nutrition and Feeding, October 15-17, 2015 Budapest, Hungary; 18th International Conference onFood Science and Biotechnology, November 28 - 29, 2016, Istanbul, Turkey; 18th International Conference on Agricultural Science, Biotechnology,Food and Animal Science, January 7 - 8, 2016, Singapore; International IndonesiaSeafood and Meat, 1517 October 2016, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Track 9:Food Processing and Technology

Food processing is a process by which non-palatable and easily perishable raw materials are converted to edible and potable foods and beverages, which have a longer shelf life. Biotechnology helps in improving the edibility, texture, and storage of the food; in preventing the attack of the food, mainly dairy, by the virus likebacteriophage producing antimicrobial effect to destroy the unwanted microorganisms in food that cause toxicity to prevent the formation and degradation of other toxins andanti-nutritionalelements present naturally in food.

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech Industries Meet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Global Biotechnology Congress 2016, May 11th-14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;BIO Investor Forum, October 20-21, 2015, San Francisco, USA;BIO Latin America Conference, October 14-16, 2015, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;Bio Pharm America 20158th Annual International Partnering Conference, September 15-17, 2015, Boston, MA, USA.

Track 10:Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology

One kind of biotechnology is gene technology, sometimes called 'genetic engineering' or'genetic modification', where the genetic material of living things is deliberately altered to enhance or remove a particular trait and allow the organism to perform new functions. Genes within a species can be modified, or genes can be moved from one species to another. Genetic engineering has applications inmedicine, research, agriculture and can be used on a wide range of plants, animals and microorganisms. It resulted in a series of medical products. The first two commercially prepared products from recombinant DNA technology were insulin andhuman growth hormone, both of which were cultured in the E. coli bacteria.

The field of molecular biology overlaps with biology and chemistry and in particular, genetics and biochemistry. A key area of molecular biology concerns understanding how various cellular systems interact in terms of the way DNA, RNA and protein synthesis function.

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech Industries Meet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Global Biotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;Biomarker Summit2016, March 21-23, 2016 San Diego, CA, USA; 14thVaccines Research & Development, July 7-8, Boston, USA;Pharmaceutical & BiotechPatent Litigation Forum, Mar 14 - 15, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4thBiomarkers in Diagnostics, Oct 07-http://world.biotechnologycongress.com/08, 2015 Berlin, Germany, DEU.

Track 11:Tissue Science and Engineering

Tissue engineering is emerging as a significant potential alternative or complementary solution, whereby tissue and organ failure is addressed by implanting natural, synthetic, orsemisynthetic tissueand organ mimics that are fully functional from the start or that grow into the required functionality. Initial efforts have focused on skin equivalents for treating burns, but an increasing number of tissue types are now being engineered, as well as biomaterials and scaffolds used as delivery systems. A variety of approaches are used to coax differentiated or undifferentiated cells, such as stem cells, into the desired cell type. Notable results includetissue-engineeredbone, blood vessels, liver, muscle, and even nerve conduits. As a result of the medical and market potential, there is significant academic and corporate interest in this technology.

Related Conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech Industries Meet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 13thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 28-30, 2016, San Francisco, USA;Global Biotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA;Biomarker Summit2016, March 21-23, 2016 San Diego, CA, USA; 14thVaccines Research & Development, July 7-8, Boston, USA;Pharmaceutical & BiotechPatent Litigation Forum, Mar 14 - 15, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4thBiomarkers in Diagnostics, Oct 07-08, 2015 Berlin, Germany, DEU.

Track 12:Nano Biotechnology

Nano biotechnology, bio nanotechnology, and Nano biology are terms that refer to the intersection of nanotechnology and biology. Bio nanotechnology and Nano biotechnology serve as blanket terms for various related technologies. The most important objectives that are frequently found inNano biologyinvolve applying Nano tools to relevantmedical/biologicalproblems and refining these applications. Developing new tools, such as peptide Nano sheets, for medical and biological purposes is another primary objective in nanotechnology.

Related Conferences

8thWorldMedicalNanotechnologyCongress& Expo during June 9-11, Dallas, USA; 6thGlobal Experts Meeting and Expo onNanomaterialsand Nanotechnology, April 21-23, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 12thNanotechnologyProductsExpo, Nov 10-12, 2016 at Melbourne, Australia; 5thInternationalConference onNanotechand Expo, November 16-18, 2015 at San Antonio, USA; 11thInternational Conference and Expo onNano scienceandMolecular Nanotechnology, September 26-28 2016, London, UK; 18thInternational Conference onNanotechnologyand Biotechnology, February 4 - 5, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia; 16thInternational Conference onNanotechnology, August 22-25, 2016 in Sendai, Japan; International Conference onNano scienceand Nanotechnology, 7-11 Feb 2016 in Canberra, Australia; 18thInternational Conference onNano scienceand Nanotechnology, February 15 - 16, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalNanotechnologyConference& Expo, April 4-6, 2016 in Baltimore, USA.

Track 13:Bioinformatics and Biosensors

Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. Computers are used to gather, store, analyze and integrate biological and genetic information which can then be applied to gene-based drug discovery and development. The science of Bioinformatics, which is the melding of molecular biology with computer science, is essential to the use of genomic information in understanding human diseases and in the identification of newmolecular targetsfor drug discovery. This interesting field of science has many applications and research areas where it can be applied. It plays an essential role in today's plant science. As the amount of data grows exponentially, there is a parallel growth in the demand for tools and methods indata management, visualization, integration, analysis, modeling, and prediction.

Related conferences

11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech IndustriesMeet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, Thailand; 11thEuro Biotechnology Congress, November 07-09,2016, Alicante Spain; 12thBiotechnology Congress, Nov 14-15, 2016, San Francisco, USA;BIO IPCC Conference, Cary, North Carolina, USA; World Congress onIndustrial Biotechnology, April 17-20, 2016, San Diego, CA; 6thBio based Chemicals: Commercialization & Partnering, November 16-17, 2015, San Francisco, CA, USA; The European Forum forIndustrial Biotechnology and Bio economy, 27-29 October 2015, Brussels, Belgium; 4thBiotechnology World Congress, February 15th-18th, 2016, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; International Conference on Advances inBioprocess Engineering and Technology, 20th to 22nd January 2016,Kolkata, India; GlobalBiotechnology Congress2016, May 11th - 14th 2016, Boston, MA, USA

Track 14:Biotechnology investments and Biotech grants

Every new business needs some startup capital, for research, product development and production, permits and licensing and other overhead costs, in addition to what is needed to pay your staff, if you have any. Biotechnology products arise from successfulbiotechcompanies. These companies are built by talented individuals in possession of a scientific breakthrough that is translated into a product or service idea, which is ultimately brought into commercialization. At the heart of this effort is the biotech entrepreneur, who forms the company with a vision they believe will benefit the lives and health of countless individuals. Entrepreneurs start biotechnology companies for various reasons, but creatingrevolutionary productsand tools that impact the lives of potentially millions of people is one of the fundamental reasons why all entrepreneurs start biotechnology companies.

10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok; 11thEuroBiotechnologyCongress, November 7-9, 2016 Alicante, Spain; 11th World Congress onBiotechnology and Biotech IndustriesMeet, July 28-29, 2016, Berlin, Germany; 13thBiotechnologyCongress, November 28-30, 2016 San Francisco, USA; 10thAsia Pacific Biotech CongressJuly 25-27, 2016, Bangkok, UAE;BioInternational Convention, June 6-9, 2016 | San Francisco, CA;BiotechJapan, May 11-13, 2016, Tokyo, Japan;NANO BIOEXPO 2016, Jan. 27 - 29, 2016, Tokyo, Japan;ArabLabExpo2016, March 20-23, Dubai; 14thInternational exhibition for laboratory technology,chemical analysis, biotechnology and diagnostics, 12-14 Apr 2016, Moscow, Russia

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Biotechnology | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University)

Posted: December 26, 2016 at 3:46 am

Amrita School of Biotechnology, with qualified faculty including several Ph. D.s recruited from academia and industry around the world, is perfectly poised to offer students an opportunity to develop expertise and succeed in building a career in the exciting areas of biotechnology and related fields. Our cutting-edge curricula with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research will provide a solid foundation in the biological sciences. With a vibrant academic environment and a unique approach to learning that involves thought-provoking discussions and constant interaction among students and faculty,...Read More

The School offers three postgraduate and two undergraduate programs in biotechnology, microbiology and bioinformatics as well as research programs.Read more

The faculty, well-known and highly respected in their respective academic fraternities, is really what distinguishes School of Biotechnology. They are drawn from among the best minds in the world. This affords the school an extensive network of contacts which are instrumental in getting collaborative researches, live student projects and industry inputs so essential to quality biotechnology education. The faculty includes acclaimed scholars and award winning professors drawn from all life sciences disciplines. The eclectic blend of faculty, academicians, researchers, and professionals drawn from India and abroad...Read more

Over the years Amrita School of Biotechnology has developed working relationships with many of the best universities in the world. Strong collaboration with national and international organizations is the hallmark of all research carried out at Amrita School of Biotechnology and to this extent we have developed a broad range of international partnerships around the world. We, at Amrita, give tremendous significance to research and development of new products and technologies and with more than a hundred research projects aiming to benefit society...Read more

The School of Biotechnology is nestled in a serene campus located adjacent to the scenic backwaters of Kerala and the Arabian Sea. Despite the rigors of a life devoted to excellence in technology, creativity blossoms naturally and the spirit of selfless service adds fragrance to every event. The School has separate boarding and mess facilities... Read more

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Masters in Biotechnology Programs and … – Masters PhD Degrees

Posted: December 26, 2016 at 3:46 am

Considering a Masters in Biotechnology Program or reviewing options for Masters Degrees in Biotechnology? A Masters in Biotechnology can openupexciting

Biotechnology is a challenging field that can involve a number of facets of both science and business or law. Many biotechnology master's degree programs focus on aspects of biology, cell biology, chemistry, or biological or chemical engineering. In general, biotechnology degrees involve research whether they are at a Masters or PhD level.

Scientific understanding is rapidly evolving, particularly in areas of cellular and molecular systems. Biotechnology master's students can therefore enjoy rich study opportunities particularly in fields such as genetic engineering, the Human Genome project, the production of new medicinal products, and research into the relationship between genetic malfunction and the origin of disease. These are just a few of the many areas that biotechnology students have the opportunity to explore today.

Another focus of biotechnology masters programs may be to equip students with the combination of science and business knowledge they need to help produce products and move them toward production. Today's complex business environment and government regulations require many steps and people with the ability to both understand and help produce new scientific technologies as well as get them approved and be able to market them.

Master degrees in biotechnology might prepare students to pursue careers in a variety of industries. While many students go on to further research or academic positions, there may also be some demand for biotechnologists outside of academia, both in the government and private sectors. Biotechnologists might pursue careers in anything from research to applied science and manufacturing. Those with specializations in business aspects of biotechnology may be qualified to pursue management positions within organizations attempting to produce and market new biotechnology.

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Masters in Biotechnology Programs and ... - Masters PhD Degrees

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Induced pluripotent stem cell – Wikipedia

Posted: December 12, 2016 at 5:42 pm

Induced pluripotent stem cells (also known as iPS cells or iPSCs) are a type of pluripotent stem cell that can be generated directly from adult cells. The iPSC technology was pioneered by Shinya Yamanakas lab in Kyoto, Japan, who showed in 2006 that the introduction of four specific genes encoding transcription factors could convert adult cells into pluripotent stem cells.[1] He was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize along with Sir John Gurdon "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent." [2]

Pluripotent stem cells hold great promise in the field of regenerative medicine. Because they can propagate indefinitely, as well as give rise to every other cell type in the body (such as neurons, heart, pancreatic, and liver cells), they represent a single source of cells that could be used to replace those lost to damage or disease.

The most well-known type of pluripotent stem cell is the embryonic stem cell. However, since the generation of embryonic stem cells involves destruction (or at least manipulation) [3] of the pre-implantation stage embryo, there has been much controversy surrounding their use. Further, because embryonic stem cells can only be derived from embryos, it has so far not been feasible to create patient-matched embryonic stem cell lines.

Since iPSCs can be derived directly from adult tissues, they not only bypass the need for embryos, but can be made in a patient-matched manner, which means that each individual could have their own pluripotent stem cell line. These unlimited supplies of autologous cells could be used to generate transplants without the risk of immune rejection. While the iPSC technology has not yet advanced to a stage where therapeutic transplants have been deemed safe, iPSCs are readily being used in personalized drug discovery efforts and understanding the patient-specific basis of disease.[4]

iPSCs are typically derived by introducing products of specific set of pluripotency-associated genes, or reprogramming factors, into a given cell type. The original set of reprogramming factors (also dubbed Yamanaka factors) are the transcription factors Oct4 (Pou5f1), Sox2, cMyc, and Klf4. While this combination is most conventional in producing iPSCs, each of the factors can be functionally replaced by related transcription factors, miRNAs, small molecules, or even non-related genes such as lineage specifiers.

iPSC derivation is typically a slow and inefficient process, taking 12 weeks for mouse cells and 34 weeks for human cells, with efficiencies around 0.01%0.1%. However, considerable advances have been made in improving the efficiency and the time it takes to obtain iPSCs. Upon introduction of reprogramming factors, cells begin to form colonies that resemble pluripotent stem cells, which can be isolated based on their morphology, conditions that select for their growth, or through expression of surface markers or reporter genes.

Induced pluripotent stem cells were first generated by Shinya Yamanaka's team at Kyoto University, Japan, in 2006.[1] They hypothesized that genes important to embryonic stem cell (ESC) function might be able to induce an embryonic state in adult cells. They chose twenty-four genes previously identified as important in ESCs and used retroviruses to deliver these genes to mouse fibroblasts. The fibroblasts were engineered so that any cells reactivating the ESC-specific gene, Fbx15, could be isolated using antibiotic selection.

Upon delivery of all twenty-four factors, ESC-like colonies emerged that reactivated the Fbx15 reporter and could propagate indefinitely. To identify the genes necessary for reprogramming, the researchers removed one factor at a time from the pool of twenty-four. By this process, they identified four factors, Oct4, Sox2, cMyc, and Klf4, which were each necessary and together sufficient to generate ESC-like colonies under selection for reactivation of Fbx15.

Similar to ESCs, these iPSCs had unlimited self-renewal and were pluripotent, contributing to lineages from all three germ layers in the context of embryoid bodies, teratomas, and fetal chimeras. However, the molecular makeup of these cells, including gene expression and epigenetic marks, was somewhere between that of a fibroblast and an ESC, and the cells failed to produce viable chimeras when injected into developing embryos.

In June 2007, three separate research groups, including that of Yamanaka's, a Harvard/University of California, Los Angeles collaboration, and a group at MIT, published studies that substantially improved on the reprogramming approach, giving rise to iPSCs that were indistinguishable from ESCs. Unlike the first generation of iPSCs, these second generation iPSCs produced viable chimeric mice and contributed to the mouse germline, thereby achieving the 'gold standard' for pluripotent stem cells.

These second-generation iPSCs were derived from mouse fibroblasts by retroviral-mediated expression of the same four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, cMyc, Klf4). However, instead of using Fbx15 to select for pluripotent cells, the researchers used Nanog, a gene that is functionally important in ESCs. By using this different strategy, the researchers created iPSCs that were functionally identical to ESCs.[5][6][7][8]

Reprogramming of human cells to iPSCs was reported in November 2007 by two independent research groups: Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, Japan, who pioneered the original iPSC method, and James Thomson of University of Wisconsin-Madison who was the first to derive human embryonic stem cells. With the same principle used in mouse reprogramming, Yamanaka's group successfully transformed human fibroblasts into iPSCs with the same four pivotal genes, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and C-MYC, using a retroviral system,[9] while Thomson and colleagues used a different set of factors, OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and LIN28, using a lentiviral system.[10]

Obtaining fibroblasts to produce iPSCs involves a skin biopsy, and there has been a push towards identifying cell types that are more easily accessible.[11][12] In 2008, iPSCs were derived from human keratinocytes, which could be obtained from a single hair pluck.[13][14] In 2010, iPSCs were derived from peripheral blood cells,[15][16] and in 2012, iPSCs were made from renal epithelial cells in the urine.[17]

Other considerations for starting cell type include mutational load (for example, skin cells may harbor more mutations due to UV exposure),[11][12] time it takes to expand the population of starting cells,[11] and the ability to differentiate into a given cell type.[18]

[citation needed]

The generation of iPS cells is crucially dependent on the transcription factors used for the induction.

Oct-3/4 and certain products of the Sox gene family (Sox1, Sox2, Sox3, and Sox15) have been identified as crucial transcriptional regulators involved in the induction process whose absence makes induction impossible. Additional genes, however, including certain members of the Klf family (Klf1, Klf2, Klf4, and Klf5), the Myc family (c-myc, L-myc, and N-myc), Nanog, and LIN28, have been identified to increase the induction efficiency.

Although the methods pioneered by Yamanaka and others have demonstrated that adult cells can be reprogrammed to iPS cells, there are still challenges associated with this technology:

The table at right summarizes the key strategies and techniques used to develop iPS cells over the past half-decade. Rows of similar colors represents studies that used similar strategies for reprogramming.

One of the main strategies for avoiding problems (1) and (2) has been to use small compounds that can mimic the effects of transcription factors. These molecule compounds can compensate for a reprogramming factor that does not effectively target the genome or fails at reprogramming for another reason; thus they raise reprogramming efficiency. They also avoid the problem of genomic integration, which in some cases contributes to tumor genesis. Key studies using such strategy were conducted in 2008. Melton et al. studied the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproic acid. They found that it increased reprogramming efficiency 100-fold (compared to Yamanakas traditional transcription factor method).[32] The researchers proposed that this compound was mimicking the signaling that is usually caused by the transcription factor c-Myc. A similar type of compensation mechanism was proposed to mimic the effects of Sox2. In 2008, Ding et al. used the inhibition of histone methyl transferase (HMT) with BIX-01294 in combination with the activation of calcium channels in the plasma membrane in order to increase reprogramming efficiency.[33] Deng et al. of Beijing University reported on July 2013 that induced pluripotent stem cells can be created without any genetic modification. They used a cocktail of seven small-molecule compounds including DZNep to induce the mouse somatic cells into stem cells which they called CiPS cells with the efficiency at 0.2% comparable to those using standard iPSC production techniques. The CiPS cells were introduced into developing mouse embryos and were found to contribute to all major cells types, proving its pluripotency.[34][35]

Ding et al. demonstrated an alternative to transcription factor reprogramming through the use of drug-like chemicals. By studying the MET (mesenchymal-epithelial transition) process in which fibroblasts are pushed to a stem-cell like state, Dings group identified two chemicals ALK5 inhibitor SB431412 and MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitor PD0325901 which was found to increase the efficiency of the classical genetic method by 100 fold. Adding a third compound known to be involved in the cell survival pathway, Thiazovivin further increases the efficiency by 200 fold. Using the combination of these three compounds also decreased the reprogramming process of the human fibroblasts from four weeks to two weeks. [36][37]

In April 2009, it was demonstrated that generation of iPS cells is possible without any genetic alteration of the adult cell: a repeated treatment of the cells with certain proteins channeled into the cells via poly-arginine anchors was sufficient to induce pluripotency.[38] The acronym given for those iPSCs is piPSCs (protein-induced pluripotent stem cells).

Another key strategy for avoiding problems such as tumor genesis and low throughput has been to use alternate forms of vectors: adenovirus, plasmids, and naked DNA and/or protein compounds.

In 2008, Hochedlinger et al. used an adenovirus to transport the requisite four transcription factors into the DNA of skin and liver cells of mice, resulting in cells identical to ESCs. The adenovirus is unique from other vectors like viruses and retroviruses because it does not incorporate any of its own genes into the targeted host and avoids the potential for insertional mutagenesis.[39] In 2009, Freed et al. demonstrated successful reprogramming of human fibroblasts to iPS cells.[40] Another advantage of using adenoviruses is that they only need to present for a brief amount of time in order for effective reprogramming to take place.

Also in 2008, Yamanaka et al. found that they could transfer the four necessary genes with a plasmid.[41] The Yamanaka group successfully reprogrammed mouse cells by transfection with two plasmid constructs carrying the reprogramming factors; the first plasmid expressed c-Myc, while the second expressed the other three factors (Oct4, Klf4, and Sox2). Although the plasmid methods avoid viruses, they still require cancer-promoting genes to accomplish reprogramming. The other main issue with these methods is that they tend to be much less efficient compared to retroviral methods. Furthermore, transfected plasmids have been shown to integrate into the host genome and therefore they still pose the risk of insertional mutagenesis. Because non-retroviral approaches have demonstrated such low efficiency levels, researchers have attempted to effectively rescue the technique with what is known as the PiggyBac Transposon System. Several studies have demonstrated that this system can effectively deliver the key reprogramming factors without leaving footprint mutations in the host cell genome. The PiggyBac Transposon System involves the re-excision of exogenous genes, which eliminates the issue of insertional mutagenesis. [42]

In January 2014, two articles were published claiming that a type of pluripotent stem cell can be generated by subjecting the cells to certain types of stress (bacterial toxin, a low pH of 5.7, or physical squeezing); the resulting cells were called STAP cells, for stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency.[43]

In light of difficulties that other labs had replicating the results of the surprising study, in March 2014, one of the co-authors has called for the articles to be retracted.[44] On 4 June 2014, the lead author, Obokata agreed to retract both the papers [45] after she was found to have committed research misconduct as concluded in an investigation by RIKEN on 1 April 2014.[46]

MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules that bind to complementary sequences on messenger RNA and block expression of a gene. Measuring variations in microRNA expression in iPS cells can be used to predict their differentiation potential.[47] Addition of microRNAs can also be used to enhance iPS potential. Several mechanisms have been proposed.[47] ES cell-specific microRNA molecules (such as miR-291, miR-294 and miR-295) enhance the efficiency of induced pluripotency by acting downstream of c-Myc.[48]microRNAs can also block expression of repressors of Yamanakas four transcription factors, and there may be additional mechanisms induce reprogramming even in the absence of added exogenous transcription factors.[47]

Induced pluripotent stem cells are similar to natural pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells, in many aspects, such as the expression of certain stem cell genes and proteins, chromatin methylation patterns, doubling time, embryoid body formation, teratoma formation, viable chimera formation, and potency and differentiability, but the full extent of their relation to natural pluripotent stem cells is still being assessed.[49]

Gene expression and genome-wide H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 were found to be extremely similar between ES and iPS cells.[50][citation needed] The generated iPSCs were remarkably similar to naturally isolated pluripotent stem cells (such as mouse and human embryonic stem cells, mESCs and hESCs, respectively) in the following respects, thus confirming the identity, authenticity, and pluripotency of iPSCs to naturally isolated pluripotent stem cells:

Recent achievements and future tasks for safe iPSC-based cell therapy are collected in the review of Okano et al.[62]

The task of producing iPS cells continues to be challenging due to the six problems mentioned above. A key tradeoff to overcome is that between efficiency and genomic integration. Most methods that do not rely on the integration of transgenes are inefficient, while those that do rely on the integration of transgenes face the problems of incomplete reprogramming and tumor genesis, although a vast number of techniques and methods have been attempted. Another large set of strategies is to perform a proteomic characterization of iPS cells.[63] Further studies and new strategies should generate optimal solutions to the five main challenges. One approach might attempt to combine the positive attributes of these strategies into an ultimately effective technique for reprogramming cells to iPS cells.

Another approach is the use of iPS cells derived from patients to identify therapeutic drugs able to rescue a phenotype. For instance, iPS cell lines derived from patients affected by ectodermal dysplasia syndrome (EEC), in which the p63 gene is mutated, display abnormal epithelial commitment that could be partially rescued by a small compound[64]

An attractive feature of human iPS cells is the ability to derive them from adult patients to study the cellular basis of human disease. Since iPS cells are self-renewing and pluripotent, they represent a theoretically unlimited source of patient-derived cells which can be turned into any type of cell in the body. This is particularly important because many other types of human cells derived from patients tend to stop growing after a few passages in laboratory culture. iPS cells have been generated for a wide variety of human genetic diseases, including common disorders such as Down syndrome and polycystic kidney disease.[65][66] In many instances, the patient-derived iPS cells exhibit cellular defects not observed in iPS cells from healthy patients, providing insight into the pathophysiology of the disease.[67] An international collaborated project, StemBANCC, was formed in 2012 to build a collection of iPS cell lines for drug screening for a variety of disease. Managed by the University of Oxford, the effort pooled funds and resources from 10 pharmaceutical companies and 23 universities. The goal is to generate a library of 1,500 iPS cell lines which will be used in early drug testing by providing a simulated human disease environment.[68] Furthermore, combining hiPSC technology and genetically-encoded voltage and calcium indicators provided a large-scale and high-throughput platform for cardiovascular drug safety screening.[69]

A proof-of-concept of using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate human organ for transplantation was reported by researchers from Japan. Human liver buds (iPSC-LBs) were grown from a mixture of three different kinds of stem cells: hepatocytes (for liver function) coaxed from iPSCs; endothelial stem cells (to form lining of blood vessels) from umbilical cord blood; and mesenchymal stem cells (to form connective tissue). This new approach allows different cell types to self-organize into a complex organ, mimicking the process in fetal development. After growing in vitro for a few days, the liver buds were transplanted into mice where the liver quickly connected with the host blood vessels and continued to grow. Most importantly, it performed regular liver functions including metabolizing drugs and producing liver-specific proteins. Further studies will monitor the longevity of the transplanted organ in the host body (ability to integrate or avoid rejection) and whether it will transform into tumors.[70][71] Using this method, cells from one mouse could be used to test 1,000 drug compounds to treat liver disease, and reduce animal use by up to 50,000.[72]

Embryonic cord-blood cells were induced into pluripotent stem cells using plasmid DNA. Using cell surface endothelial/pericytic markers CD31 and CD146, researchers identified 'vascular progenitor', the high-quality, multipotent vascular stem cells. After the iPS cells were injected directly into the vitreous of the damaged retina of mice, the stem cells engrafted into the retina, grew and repaired the vascular vessels.[73][74]

Labelled iPSCs-derived NSCs injected into laboratory animals with brain lesions were shown to migrate to the lesions and some motor function improvement was observed.[75]

Although a pint of donated blood contains about two trillion red blood cells and over 107 million blood donations are collected globally, there is still a critical need for blood for transfusion. In 2014, type O red blood cells were synthesized at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service from iPSC. The cells were induced to become a mesoderm and then blood cells and then red blood cells. The final step was to make them eject their nuclei and mature properly. Type O can be transfused into all patients. Human clinical trials were not expected to begin before 2016.[76]

The first human clinical trial using autologous iPSCs was approved by the Japan Ministry Health and was to be conducted in 2014 in Kobe. However the trial was suspended after Japan's new regenerative medicine laws came into effect last November.[77] iPSCs derived from skin cells from six patients suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration were to be reprogrammed to differentiate into retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The cell sheet would be transplanted into the affected retina where the degenerated RPE tissue was excised. Safety and vision restoration monitoring would last one to three years.[78][79] The benefits of using autologous iPSCs are that there is theoretically no risk of rejection and it eliminates the need to use embryonic stem cells.[79]

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Induced pluripotent stem cell - Wikipedia

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Cloning – Wikipedia

Posted: December 7, 2016 at 5:44 am

In biology, cloning is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms. The term also refers to the production of multiple copies of a product such as digital media or software.

The term clone, invented by J. B. S. Haldane, is derived from the Ancient Greek word kln, "twig", referring to the process whereby a new plant can be created from a twig. In horticulture, the spelling clon was used until the twentieth century; the final e came into use to indicate the vowel is a "long o" instead of a "short o".[1][2] Since the term entered the popular lexicon in a more general context, the spelling clone has been used exclusively.

In botany, the term lusus was traditionally used.[3]:21, 43

Cloning is a natural form of reproduction that has allowed life forms to spread for more than 50 thousand years. It is the reproduction method used by plants, fungi, and bacteria, and is also the way that clonal colonies reproduce themselves.[4][5] Examples of these organisms include blueberry plants, hazel trees, the Pando trees,[6][7] the Kentucky coffeetree, Myricas, and the American sweetgum.

Molecular cloning refers to the process of making multiple molecules. Cloning is commonly used to amplify DNA fragments containing whole genes, but it can also be used to amplify any DNA sequence such as promoters, non-coding sequences and randomly fragmented DNA. It is used in a wide array of biological experiments and practical applications ranging from genetic fingerprinting to large scale protein production. Occasionally, the term cloning is misleadingly used to refer to the identification of the chromosomal location of a gene associated with a particular phenotype of interest, such as in positional cloning. In practice, localization of the gene to a chromosome or genomic region does not necessarily enable one to isolate or amplify the relevant genomic sequence. To amplify any DNA sequence in a living organism, that sequence must be linked to an origin of replication, which is a sequence of DNA capable of directing the propagation of itself and any linked sequence. However, a number of other features are needed, and a variety of specialised cloning vectors (small piece of DNA into which a foreign DNA fragment can be inserted) exist that allow protein production, affinity tagging, single stranded RNA or DNA production and a host of other molecular biology tools.

Cloning of any DNA fragment essentially involves four steps[8]

Although these steps are invariable among cloning procedures a number of alternative routes can be selected; these are summarized as a cloning strategy.

Initially, the DNA of interest needs to be isolated to provide a DNA segment of suitable size. Subsequently, a ligation procedure is used where the amplified fragment is inserted into a vector (piece of DNA). The vector (which is frequently circular) is linearised using restriction enzymes, and incubated with the fragment of interest under appropriate conditions with an enzyme called DNA ligase. Following ligation the vector with the insert of interest is transfected into cells. A number of alternative techniques are available, such as chemical sensitivation of cells, electroporation, optical injection and biolistics. Finally, the transfected cells are cultured. As the aforementioned procedures are of particularly low efficiency, there is a need to identify the cells that have been successfully transfected with the vector construct containing the desired insertion sequence in the required orientation. Modern cloning vectors include selectable antibiotic resistance markers, which allow only cells in which the vector has been transfected, to grow. Additionally, the cloning vectors may contain colour selection markers, which provide blue/white screening (alpha-factor complementation) on X-gal medium. Nevertheless, these selection steps do not absolutely guarantee that the DNA insert is present in the cells obtained. Further investigation of the resulting colonies must be required to confirm that cloning was successful. This may be accomplished by means of PCR, restriction fragment analysis and/or DNA sequencing.

Cloning a cell means to derive a population of cells from a single cell. In the case of unicellular organisms such as bacteria and yeast, this process is remarkably simple and essentially only requires the inoculation of the appropriate medium. However, in the case of cell cultures from multi-cellular organisms, cell cloning is an arduous task as these cells will not readily grow in standard media.

A useful tissue culture technique used to clone distinct lineages of cell lines involves the use of cloning rings (cylinders).[9] In this technique a single-cell suspension of cells that have been exposed to a mutagenic agent or drug used to drive selection is plated at high dilution to create isolated colonies, each arising from a single and potentially clonal distinct cell. At an early growth stage when colonies consist of only a few cells, sterile polystyrene rings (cloning rings), which have been dipped in grease, are placed over an individual colony and a small amount of trypsin is added. Cloned cells are collected from inside the ring and transferred to a new vessel for further growth.

Somatic-cell nuclear transfer, known as SCNT, can also be used to create embryos for research or therapeutic purposes. The most likely purpose for this is to produce embryos for use in stem cell research. This process is also called "research cloning" or "therapeutic cloning." The goal is not to create cloned human beings (called "reproductive cloning"), but rather to harvest stem cells that can be used to study human development and to potentially treat disease. While a clonal human blastocyst has been created, stem cell lines are yet to be isolated from a clonal source.[10]

Therapeutic cloning is achieved by creating embryonic stem cells in the hopes of treating diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's. The process begins by removing the nucleus (containing the DNA) from an egg cell and inserting a nucleus from the adult cell to be cloned.[11] In the case of someone with Alzheimer's disease, the nucleus from a skin cell of that patient is placed into an empty egg. The reprogrammed cell begins to develop into an embryo because the egg reacts with the transferred nucleus. The embryo will become genetically identical to the patient.[11] The embryo will then form a blastocyst which has the potential to form/become any cell in the body.[12]

The reason why SCNT is used for cloning is because somatic cells can be easily acquired and cultured in the lab. This process can either add or delete specific genomes of farm animals. A key point to remember is that cloning is achieved when the oocyte maintains its normal functions and instead of using sperm and egg genomes to replicate, the oocyte is inserted into the donors somatic cell nucleus.[13] The oocyte will react on the somatic cell nucleus, the same way it would on sperm cells.[13]

The process of cloning a particular farm animal using SCNT is relatively the same for all animals. The first step is to collect the somatic cells from the animal that will be cloned. The somatic cells could be used immediately or stored in the laboratory for later use.[13] The hardest part of SCNT is removing maternal DNA from an oocyte at metaphase II. Once this has been done, the somatic nucleus can be inserted into an egg cytoplasm.[13] This creates a one-cell embryo. The grouped somatic cell and egg cytoplasm are then introduced to an electrical current.[13] This energy will hopefully allow the cloned embryo to begin development. The successfully developed embryos are then placed in surrogate recipients, such as a cow or sheep in the case of farm animals.[13]

SCNT is seen as a good method for producing agriculture animals for food consumption. It successfully cloned sheep, cattle, goats, and pigs. Another benefit is SCNT is seen as a solution to clone endangered species that are on the verge of going extinct.[13] However, stresses placed on both the egg cell and the introduced nucleus can be enormous, which led to a high loss in resulting cells in early research. For example, the cloned sheep Dolly was born after 277 eggs were used for SCNT, which created 29 viable embryos. Only three of these embryos survived until birth, and only one survived to adulthood.[14] As the procedure could not be automated, and had to be performed manually under a microscope, SCNT was very resource intensive. The biochemistry involved in reprogramming the differentiated somatic cell nucleus and activating the recipient egg was also far from being well-understood. However, by 2014 researchers were reporting cloning success rates of seven to eight out of ten[15] and in 2016, a Korean Company Sooam Biotech was reported to be producing 500 cloned embryos per day.[16]

In SCNT, not all of the donor cell's genetic information is transferred, as the donor cell's mitochondria that contain their own mitochondrial DNA are left behind. The resulting hybrid cells retain those mitochondrial structures which originally belonged to the egg. As a consequence, clones such as Dolly that are born from SCNT are not perfect copies of the donor of the nucleus.

Organism cloning (also called reproductive cloning) refers to the procedure of creating a new multicellular organism, genetically identical to another. In essence this form of cloning is an asexual method of reproduction, where fertilization or inter-gamete contact does not take place. Asexual reproduction is a naturally occurring phenomenon in many species, including most plants (see vegetative reproduction) and some insects. Scientists have made some major achievements with cloning, including the asexual reproduction of sheep and cows. There is a lot of ethical debate over whether or not cloning should be used. However, cloning, or asexual propagation,[17] has been common practice in the horticultural world for hundreds of years.

The term clone is used in horticulture to refer to descendants of a single plant which were produced by vegetative reproduction or apomixis. Many horticultural plant cultivars are clones, having been derived from a single individual, multiplied by some process other than sexual reproduction.[18] As an example, some European cultivars of grapes represent clones that have been propagated for over two millennia. Other examples are potato and banana.[19]Grafting can be regarded as cloning, since all the shoots and branches coming from the graft are genetically a clone of a single individual, but this particular kind of cloning has not come under ethical scrutiny and is generally treated as an entirely different kind of operation.

Many trees, shrubs, vines, ferns and other herbaceous perennials form clonal colonies naturally. Parts of an individual plant may become detached by fragmentation and grow on to become separate clonal individuals. A common example is in the vegetative reproduction of moss and liverwort gametophyte clones by means of gemmae. Some vascular plants e.g. dandelion and certain viviparous grasses also form seeds asexually, termed apomixis, resulting in clonal populations of genetically identical individuals.

Clonal derivation exists in nature in some animal species and is referred to as parthenogenesis (reproduction of an organism by itself without a mate). This is an asexual form of reproduction that is only found in females of some insects, crustaceans, nematodes,[20] fish (for example the hammerhead shark[21]), the Komodo dragon[21] and lizards. The growth and development occurs without fertilization by a male. In plants, parthenogenesis means the development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg cell, and is a component process of apomixis. In species that use the XY sex-determination system, the offspring will always be female. An example is the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), which is native to Central and South America but has spread throughout many tropical environments.

Artificial cloning of organisms may also be called reproductive cloning.

Hans Spemann, a German embryologist was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1935 for his discovery of the effect now known as embryonic induction, exercised by various parts of the embryo, that directs the development of groups of cells into particular tissues and organs. In 1928 he and his student, Hilde Mangold, were the first to perform somatic-cell nuclear transfer using amphibian embryos one of the first moves towards cloning.[22]

Reproductive cloning generally uses "somatic cell nuclear transfer" (SCNT) to create animals that are genetically identical. This process entails the transfer of a nucleus from a donor adult cell (somatic cell) to an egg from which the nucleus has been removed, or to a cell from a blastocyst from which the nucleus has been removed.[23] If the egg begins to divide normally it is transferred into the uterus of the surrogate mother. Such clones are not strictly identical since the somatic cells may contain mutations in their nuclear DNA. Additionally, the mitochondria in the cytoplasm also contains DNA and during SCNT this mitochondrial DNA is wholly from the cytoplasmic donor's egg, thus the mitochondrial genome is not the same as that of the nucleus donor cell from which it was produced. This may have important implications for cross-species nuclear transfer in which nuclear-mitochondrial incompatibilities may lead to death.

Artificial embryo splitting or embryo twinning, a technique that creates monozygotic twins from a single embryo, is not considered in the same fashion as other methods of cloning. During that procedure, an donor embryo is split in two distinct embryos, that can then be transferred via embryo transfer. It is optimally performed at the 6- to 8-cell stage, where it can be used as an expansion of IVF to increase the number of available embryos.[24] If both embryos are successful, it gives rise to monozygotic (identical) twins.

Dolly, a Finn-Dorset ewe, was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell. Dolly was formed by taking a cell from the udder of her 6-year old biological mother.[25] Dolly's embryo was created by taking the cell and inserting it into a sheep ovum. It took 434 attempts before an embryo was successful.[26] The embryo was then placed inside a female sheep that went through a normal pregnancy.[27] She was cloned at the Roslin Institute in Scotland by British scientists Sir Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell and lived there from her birth in 1996 until her death in 2003 when she was six. She was born on 5 July 1996 but not announced to the world until 22 February 1997.[28] Her stuffed remains were placed at Edinburgh's Royal Museum, part of the National Museums of Scotland.[29]

Dolly was publicly significant because the effort showed that genetic material from a specific adult cell, programmed to express only a distinct subset of its genes, can be reprogrammed to grow an entirely new organism. Before this demonstration, it had been shown by John Gurdon that nuclei from differentiated cells could give rise to an entire organism after transplantation into an enucleated egg.[30] However, this concept was not yet demonstrated in a mammalian system.

The first mammalian cloning (resulting in Dolly the sheep) had a success rate of 29 embryos per 277 fertilized eggs, which produced three lambs at birth, one of which lived. In a bovine experiment involving 70 cloned calves, one-third of the calves died young. The first successfully cloned horse, Prometea, took 814 attempts. Notably, although the first[clarification needed] clones were frogs, no adult cloned frog has yet been produced from a somatic adult nucleus donor cell.

There were early claims that Dolly the sheep had pathologies resembling accelerated aging. Scientists speculated that Dolly's death in 2003 was related to the shortening of telomeres, DNA-protein complexes that protect the end of linear chromosomes. However, other researchers, including Ian Wilmut who led the team that successfully cloned Dolly, argue that Dolly's early death due to respiratory infection was unrelated to deficiencies with the cloning process. This idea that the nuclei have not irreversibly aged was shown in 2013 to be true for mice.[31]

Dolly was named after performer Dolly Parton because the cells cloned to make her were from a mammary gland cell, and Parton is known for her ample cleavage.[32]

The modern cloning techniques involving nuclear transfer have been successfully performed on several species. Notable experiments include:

Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning, which is the reproduction of human cells and tissues. It does not refer to the natural conception and delivery of identical twins. The possibility of human cloning has raised controversies. These ethical concerns have prompted several nations to pass legislature regarding human cloning and its legality.

Two commonly discussed types of theoretical human cloning are therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning would involve cloning cells from a human for use in medicine and transplants, and is an active area of research, but is not in medical practice anywhere in the world, as of 2014. Two common methods of therapeutic cloning that are being researched are somatic-cell nuclear transfer and, more recently, pluripotent stem cell induction. Reproductive cloning would involve making an entire cloned human, instead of just specific cells or tissues.[57]

There are a variety of ethical positions regarding the possibilities of cloning, especially human cloning. While many of these views are religious in origin, the questions raised by cloning are faced by secular perspectives as well. Perspectives on human cloning are theoretical, as human therapeutic and reproductive cloning are not commercially used; animals are currently cloned in laboratories and in livestock production.

Advocates support development of therapeutic cloning in order to generate tissues and whole organs to treat patients who otherwise cannot obtain transplants,[58] to avoid the need for immunosuppressive drugs,[57] and to stave off the effects of aging.[59] Advocates for reproductive cloning believe that parents who cannot otherwise procreate should have access to the technology.[60]

Opponents of cloning have concerns that technology is not yet developed enough to be safe[61] and that it could be prone to abuse (leading to the generation of humans from whom organs and tissues would be harvested),[62][63] as well as concerns about how cloned individuals could integrate with families and with society at large.[64][65]

Religious groups are divided, with some opposing the technology as usurping "God's place" and, to the extent embryos are used, destroying a human life; others support therapeutic cloning's potential life-saving benefits.[66][67]

Cloning of animals is opposed by animal-groups due to the number of cloned animals that suffer from malformations before they die,[68][69] and while food from cloned animals has been approved by the US FDA,[70][71] its use is opposed by groups concerned about food safety.[72][73][74]

Cloning, or more precisely, the reconstruction of functional DNA from extinct species has, for decades, been a dream. Possible implications of this were dramatized in the 1984 novel Carnosaur and the 1990 novel Jurassic Park.[75][76] The best current cloning techniques have an average success rate of 9.4 percent[77] (and as high as 25 percent[31]) when working with familiar species such as mice,[note 1] while cloning wild animals is usually less than 1 percent successful.[80] Several tissue banks have come into existence, including the "Frozen Zoo" at the San Diego Zoo, to store frozen tissue from the world's rarest and most endangered species.[75][81][82]

In 2001, a cow named Bessie gave birth to a cloned Asian gaur, an endangered species, but the calf died after two days. In 2003, a banteng was successfully cloned, followed by three African wildcats from a thawed frozen embryo. These successes provided hope that similar techniques (using surrogate mothers of another species) might be used to clone extinct species. Anticipating this possibility, tissue samples from the last bucardo (Pyrenean ibex) were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after it died in 2000. Researchers are also considering cloning endangered species such as the giant panda and cheetah.

In 2002, geneticists at the Australian Museum announced that they had replicated DNA of the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger), at the time extinct for about 65 years, using polymerase chain reaction.[83] However, on 15 February 2005 the museum announced that it was stopping the project after tests showed the specimens' DNA had been too badly degraded by the (ethanol) preservative. On 15 May 2005 it was announced that the thylacine project would be revived, with new participation from researchers in New South Wales and Victoria.

In January 2009, for the first time, an extinct animal, the Pyrenean ibex mentioned above was cloned, at the Centre of Food Technology and Research of Aragon, using the preserved frozen cell nucleus of the skin samples from 2001 and domestic goat egg-cells. The ibex died shortly after birth due to physical defects in its lungs.[84]

One of the most anticipated targets for cloning was once the woolly mammoth, but attempts to extract DNA from frozen mammoths have been unsuccessful, though a joint Russo-Japanese team is currently working toward this goal. In January 2011, it was reported by Yomiuri Shimbun that a team of scientists headed by Akira Iritani of Kyoto University had built upon research by Dr. Wakayama, saying that they will extract DNA from a mammoth carcass that had been preserved in a Russian laboratory and insert it into the egg cells of an African elephant in hopes of producing a mammoth embryo. The researchers said they hoped to produce a baby mammoth within six years.[85][86] It was noted, however that the result, if possible, would be an elephant-mammoth hybrid rather than a true mammoth.[87] Another problem is the survival of the reconstructed mammoth: ruminants rely on a symbiosis with specific microbiota in their stomachs for digestion.[87]

Scientists at the University of Newcastle and University of New South Wales announced in March 2013 that the very recently extinct gastric-brooding frog would be the subject of a cloning attempt to resurrect the species.[88]

Many such "de-extinction" projects are described in the Long Now Foundation's Revive and Restore Project.[89]

After an eight-year project involving the use of a pioneering cloning technique, Japanese researchers created 25 generations of healthy cloned mice with normal lifespans, demonstrating that clones are not intrinsically shorter-lived than naturally born animals.[31][90]

In a detailed study released in 2016 and less detailed studies by others suggest that once cloned animals get past the first month or two of life they are generally healthy. However, early pregnancy loss and neonatal losses are still greater with cloning than natural conception or assisted reproduction (IVF). Current research endeavors are attempting to overcome this problem.[32]

In an article in the 8 November 1993 article of Time, cloning was portrayed in a negative way, modifying Michelangelo's Creation of Adam to depict Adam with five identical hands. Newsweek's 10 March 1997 issue also critiqued the ethics of human cloning, and included a graphic depicting identical babies in beakers.

Cloning is a recurring theme in a wide variety of contemporary science fiction, ranging from action films such as Jurassic Park (1993), The 6th Day (2000), Resident Evil (2002), Star Wars (2002) and The Island (2005), to comedies such as Woody Allen's 1973 film Sleeper.[91]

Science fiction has used cloning, most commonly and specifically human cloning, due to the fact that it brings up controversial questions of identity.[92][93]A Number is a 2002 play by English playwright Caryl Churchill which addresses the subject of human cloning and identity, especially nature and nurture. The story, set in the near future, is structured around the conflict between a father (Salter) and his sons (Bernard 1, Bernard 2, and Michael Black) two of whom are clones of the first one. A Number was adapted by Caryl Churchill for television, in a co-production between the BBC and HBO Films.[94]

A recurring sub-theme of cloning fiction is the use of clones as a supply of organs for transplantation. The 2005 Kazuo Ishiguro novel Never Let Me Go and the 2010 film adaption[95] are set in an alternate history in which cloned humans are created for the sole purpose of providing organ donations to naturally born humans, despite the fact that they are fully sentient and self-aware. The 2005 film The Island[96] revolves around a similar plot, with the exception that the clones are unaware of the reason for their existence.

The use of human cloning for military purposes has also been explored in several works. Star Wars portrays human cloning in Clone Wars.[97]

The exploitation of human clones for dangerous and undesirable work was examined in the 2009 British science fiction film Moon.[98] In the futuristic novel Cloud Atlas and subsequent film, one of the story lines focuses on a genetically-engineered fabricant clone named Sonmi~451 who is one of millions raised in an artificial "wombtank," destined to serve from birth. She is one of thousands of clones created for manual and emotional labor; Sonmi herself works as a server in a restaurant. She later discovers that the sole source of food for clones, called 'Soap', is manufactured from the clones themselves.[99]

Cloning has been used in fiction as a way of recreating historical figures. In the 1976 Ira Levin novel The Boys from Brazil and its 1978 film adaptation, Josef Mengele uses cloning to create copies of Adolf Hitler.[100]

In 2012, a Japanese television show named "Bunshin" was created. The story's main character, Mariko, is a woman studying child welfare in Hokkaido. She grew up always doubtful about the love from her mother, who looked nothing like her and who died nine years before. One day, she finds some of her mother's belongings at a relative's house, and heads to Tokyo to seek out the truth behind her birth. She later discovered that she was a clone.[101]

In the 2013 television show Orphan Black, cloning is used as a scientific study on the behavioral adaptation of the clones.[102] In a similar vein, the book The Double by Nobel Prize winner Jos Saramago explores the emotional experience of a man who discovers that he is a clone.[103]

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Cloning - Wikipedia

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Welcome to The Visible Embryo

Posted: December 7, 2016 at 5:43 am

Dec 7, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Low vitamin D in newborns increases risk MS later Babies born with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life than babies with higher vitamin D levels.

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Toddlers can tell when others hold 'false beliefs' A new study finds 2.5 year-old children can answer questions about people acting on 'false beliefs', an ability most researchers believe will not develop until age 4.

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Protein that enables our brains and muscles to talk A huge colony of receptors must be correctly positioned and functioning on muscle cells in order to receive signals from our brains. Now a protein has been identified that helps anchor those receptors, ensuring receptor formation and function.

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Tracking development of individual blood stem cells Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers use a new cell-labeling technique to track development of adult blood cells to original stem cell in bone marrow advancing our understanding of blood development and blood diseases.

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Having last baby after 35? Mental sharpness increases A new study finds women have better brainpower after menopause if they had their last baby after 35, or used hormonal contraceptives for more than 10 years, or began their menstrual cycle before turning 13. The women were tested for their verbal memory, attention, concentration, and visual perception.

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Mouse embryos put in suspended animation for weeks Inhibiting a molecular path lets mouse blastocysts survive for weeks in the lab. Researchers have found a way to pause the development of early mouse embryos for up to a month in the lab. The finding has potential implications for assisted reproduction, regenerative medicine, aging, and even cancers.

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Tissue damage is key for a cell to reprogram Damaged cells will send signals to neighboring cells to reprogram them back to an embryonic state. This initiates tissue repair and could have implications for treating degenerative diseases.

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'Princess Leia' brainwaves help store memories Every night while you sleep, electrical waves of brain activity circle around each side of your brain, tracing a pattern that were it on the surface of your head might look like the twin hair buns of Star Wars' Princess Leia.

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Measuring the gaze between mom and autistic baby Mothers and children with autism spectrum disorder communicate through their gaze just as all parents do. However, a new tool measuring that gaze and its impact on an infant's neurologic development, reveals more.

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Lying face up pregnant could increase risk of stillbirth Researchers at the University of Auckland have found that pregnant women who lie on their backs in the third trimester, may be increasing their risk for stillbirth.

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Mom Rheumatoid Arthritis links to epilepsy in child A new study shows a link between mothers with rheumatoid arthritis and children with epilepsy. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease, causes our own immune system to attack our joints. It differs from osteoarthritis, caused by wear and tear on the joints.

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A protein that points cells in the right direction In animals, the stretching of skin tissue during the growth of an embryo requires the unique CDC-42 GTPase protein. It directs the movement of migrating cells.

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Genes for speech may not be limited to humans Vocal communication in mice is affected by the same gene needed for human speech..th.

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Insulin resistance reversed by removal of Gal3 protein By removing the protein galectin-3 (Gal3), a team of investigators were able to reverse diabetic insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in mice used as models of obesity and diabetes.

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B12 deficiency can increase risk for type 2 diabetes B12 deficiency during pregnancy may predispose baby into adulthood for metabolic problems such as type-2 diabetes.

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Non-invasive prenatal test at five weeks of pregnancy? The latest developments in prenatal technology may make it possible to test for genetic disorders one month into pregnancy.

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Heart disease, leukemia links to dysfunctional nucleus In cells, the nucleus keeps DNA protected and intact within an enveloping membrane. But a new study reveals that this containment influences how genes are expressed.

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Blood vessels control brain growth Blood vessels play a vital role in stem cell reproduction, enabling the brain to grow and develop in the womb, reveals new research in mice.

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Antibody protects developing fetus from Zika virusThe most devastating consequence of Zika virus is the development of microcephaly, an abnormally small head, in babies infected in utero. Now, research has identified a human antibody preventing pregnant mice, from infecting the fetus with Zika and damaging the placenta. It also protects adult mice from the Zika disease.

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Better treatments possible for child brain cancer More than 4,000 children and teens are diagnosed with brain cancer yearly, killing more children than any other cancer. Researchers targeted an aggressive pediatric brain tumor CNS-PNET using a zebrafish model. And, in about 80% of cases, eliminated the tumor using existing drugs.

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Autism linked to mutations in mitochondrial DNA Study of 903 affected children shows inherited, spontaneous mutations increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The children diagnosed with autism had greater numbers of harmful mutations in their mitochondrial DNA than other family members.

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Mother's blood test may predict birth complications DLK1 protein found in the blood of pregnant women could be developed to test the health of babies and aid in decisions on early elective deliveries, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London.

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Essential mouse genes give insight into human disease About a third of all genes in mammals are essential to life. Now an international, multi-institutional team, describes their discovery of which genes they are and what impact they make on human development and disease.

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Newborns given dextrose gel avoid hypoglycaemia A single dose of dextrose gel, rubbed inside a newborn baby's mouth an hour after birth, can lower the risk for developing neonatal hypoglycaemia, according to a randomized study.

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Mitochondria divide differently than once thought For the first time a study reveals how mitochondria, the power generators found in nearly all living cells, regularly divide and multiply.

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Customizing vitamin D may benefit pregnant women Individualized vitamin D supplements help protect pregnant women from its deficiency. Tailored doses may compensate for individual risk factors and even protect bones.

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Antibody breaks leukemia's hold In mouse models and patient cells, anti-CD98 antibody disrupts interactions between leukemia cells and surrounding blood vessels, inhibiting cancer's spread.

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Strong, steady forces needed for cell divisionBiologists studying cell division have long disagreed about how much force is needed to pull chromosomes apart in order to form two new cells. A question fundamental to how cells divide.

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"Fixing" energy signals to treat mitochondrial disease Restoring cellular energy signals may offset mitochondrial diseases in humans. Using existing drugs to treat lab animals, researchers have set the stage for clinical trials.

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How eggs get the wrong number of chromosomes Twentyfour hours before ovulation, human oocytes start to divide into what will become mature eggs. Ideally, eggs include a complete set of 23 chromosomes, but the process is prone to error especially as women age.

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Fatal preemie disease due to mitochondrial failure A life-threatening condition preventing gut development in premature infants may be triggered by a disruption in the way the body metabolizes energy from Mitochondria.

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Zika virus spread timed to brain growth spurts Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) are able to pinpoint timing of the most aggressive ZIKA attacks on newborn mouse brains information that could help treatments.

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Short jump from single-cell to multi-cell animals Our single-celled ancestors lived about 800 million years ago. Now, new evidence suggests their leap to multi-celled organisms was not quite as mysterious as once believed.

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Brainstem and visual cortex control our eyes A mouse study is illuminating how our brain quickly adapts and functions. Tracking mouse eye movements, researchers make an unexpected discovery the part of the brain known to process sensory information, our visual cortex, is also key to spontaneous eye movements.

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Embryos make sex cells in their first two weeks Producing the next generation of life is already occuring in an embryo in its own first weeks. Human primordial germ cells which give rise to sperm or egg cells are present in embryos by their second week of development.

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Mom's BMI may affect biological age of her baby Higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in a mother before pregnancy is associated with shorter telomere length a biomarker for biological age in her newborn. Her baby's short telomere length means the baby's cells have shorter lifespans.

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Two distinct cell types can initiate Crohn's disease A new discovery could lead to personalized treatment for the debilitating gastrointestinal disorder called Crohn's. There appear to be two distinct disease types. One expressed in normal colon tissue, the other in the small intestine. Detecting which type a patient has will assist her in her treatment and desire to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy.

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Potential treatment of newborns via amniotic fluid? A breakthrough study offers promise for therapeutic management of congenital diseases in utero using designer gene sequences.

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Infants use their prefrontal cortex to learn Researchers have always thought the prefrontal cortex (PFC) the brain region involved in some of the highest forms of cognition and reasoning was too underdeveloped in young children, especially infants, to participate in complex cognitive tasks. A new study suggests otherwise.

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'Amplifier' helps make connections in the fetal brain A special amplifier makes neural signals stronger in babies then stops once neural connections are fully strengthened. Oct 11, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Neurons migrate throughout infancy A previously unrecognized stage of brain development has just been recognized to continue long after birth. Neurons in the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, migrate into the cortex continuing growth throughout infancy.

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Calcium triggers stem cells to generate bone Calcium is the main constituent of bone, and now is found to play a major role in regulating its growth. This new finding may affect treatment of conditions caused by too much collagen, such as fibrosis which thickens and scars connective tissue, as well in diseases of too little bone growth, such as Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS).

Oct 7, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

How evolution has given us 5 fingers Have you ever wondered why our hands have exactly five fingers? Dr. Marie Kmita's team has. The researchers at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montral and Universit de Montral have uncovered a part of this mystery.

Oct 6, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly New links between genes and bigger brains A number of new links between genes and brain size have been identified by United Kingdom scientists, hopefully opening up whole new avenues of understanding brain development including diseases like dementia.

Oct 5, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Progesterone in contraceptives promotes flu healing Over 100 million women are on hormonal contraceptives. All contain some form of progesterone, either alone or in combination with estrogen. Researchers found treatment with progesterone protects female mice against influenza by reducing inflammation and improving pulmonary function.

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ZIKA in Men? "No procreation for 6 months" The Zika virus has largely spread via mosquitoes, but it can also be spread by sexual intercourse. Men who may have been exposed should wait at least six months before trying to conceive a child with a partner. Regardless whether they ever had any symptoms, say US federal health officials.

Oct 3, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Genetically modified baby boy - with 3 parents New, cheap and accurate DNA-editing techniques called CRISPR-Cas9 and SNT, or single nucleic targeting, are allowing for gene modification in humans. It is not science fiction anymore. In a first, a baby boy with modified DNA has been born in Mexico to overcome a mitochondrial disease that claimed the life of his two earlier sibblings

Sep 30, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Meet the world's largest bony fish For the first time, the genome of the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), the world's largest bony fish, has been sequenced. Researchers involved in the Genome 10K (G10K) project want to collect 10,000 nonmammalian vertebrate genomes for comparative analyses. The ocean sunfish genome has now revealed several altered genes that may explain its' fast growth, large size and unusual shape.

Sep 29, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Genetic variations that cause skull-fusion disorders During the first year of life, the human brain doubles in size, continuing to grow through adolescence. But sometimes, the loosely connected plates of a baby's skull fuse too early, a disorder known as craniosynostosis. It can also produce facial and skull deformities, potentially damaging a young brain.

Sep 28, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Heart defect genes both inside and outside the heart Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are a leading cause of birth defect-related deaths. How genetic alterations cause such defects is complicated by the fact that CHD's many critical genes are unknown. Those that are known often contribute only small increases in CHD risk.

Sep 27, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Cesarean baby 15% more likely to become obese Cesarean born babies are 15% more likely to become obese as children than individuals born by vaginal birth and 64% more likely to be obese than their siblings born by vaginal birth. The increased risk may persist through adulthood. All of this data is according to a large study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Sep 26, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Male primes female for reproduction - but at a cost Research has discovered that male worms, through an invisible chemical "essence," prime female worms for reproduction but with the unfortunate side effect of also hastening her aging. The results might lead to human therapies to delay puberty or prolong fertility.

Sep 23, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Why Tardigrades Are So Indestructible Tardigrades, or water bears, are microscopic animals capable of withstanding some of the most severe environmental conditions even being "dead" for 30 years, and then restored to life! Research from Japan has now created the most accurate picture yet of the tardigrade genome and why it matters to humans.

Sep 22, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Mouse bone marrow cells reduce miscarriage? Progenitor cells are like stem cells, but differentiated by a first step into one specific cell type. Research now finds the progenitor cells in bone marrow which replace worn out cells may help placental blood vessel growth and reduce abnormal placental development such as in pre-eclampsia.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Knees- Advanced Techniques

Posted: December 6, 2016 at 12:44 am

William Cimikoski, MD Medical Director of Utah Stem Cells, is a Medical Toxicologist that specializes in Stem Cell Joint Regeneration, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Medical Aesthetics, and Medial Weight Loss. With seven years of medical Residency and Fellowship specialty training, he is a foremost authority featured on HealthLine TV and ABCs Good 4 Utah.

Dr. Cimikoski was born and raised in Fairfield County, CT, in the suburbs of Manhattan. As a youth, he excelled in several contact sports, including hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. By the time he was 17-years-old he had suffered frequent sports related knee injuries (on both knees) and underwent numerous surgeries, ultimately culminating in major reconstructive knee surgery during his senior year in high school. This essentially ended his participation in competitive contact sports and he started to pursue his other passions in non-contact sports, including skiing and windsurfing. This is what brought him to the beautiful mountains of Utah where he could delight to his hearts content in the plentiful powdery snow.

He is a Medical Toxicologist who has completed seven years of specialty residency and fellowship training. He received his medical training at Brown University, where he did his Internship, followed by his Emergency Medicine Residency at Georgia Health Sciences University and Albany Medical Center. He also completed a Critical Care Fellowship in Medical Toxicology at Penn State University. To indulge his vice of windsurfing, he took a several year hiatus from the rat race and rigors of Emergency Medicine to work as a Ships Physician for Carnival Cruise Lines. While working for Carnival in 2004, he met his beautiful wife, Sarah (from Brazil), and they decided to settle in Utah in 2009 to start a family. They now have three young children under the age of five, two boys and a girl.

Dr. Cimikoski is keenly aware of the perils associated with osteoarthritis and orthopedic injuries, due to his own experiences and interest related to these debilitating processes. He is an exceptionally accomplished fitness and nutrition expert. This, coupled with his Medical Toxicology background, makes him uniquely qualified to provide the very best health care, and optimize his patients potential through the use of Bioidentical Hormones, Stem Cell Joint Regeneration, Medical Aesthetics, and Medical Weight Loss Management. He is pleased and eager to offer these cutting edge services with Utah Stem Cells, a new concept in medical healthcare wellness.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Knees- Advanced Techniques

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