RECENT ADVANCES IN BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH.pptx

Overview of developments in biological research.

1. RECENT ADVANCES IN BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH: Applications of rDNA Franco G. Teves , PhD Fellow, Phil. Acad. Microbiology National Research Forum on Fractal Modelling & Theory Development

2. Outline Introduction The new integrative biological sciences Frontier research achievements and trends in integrative biology Selected advances in Philippine biological research Future prospects

3. Biology – Science of the Millennium “Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe” - Robert Lanza , MD “How biology is central to constructing a more complete and unified theory of the Universe ”.

4. One of the Greatest Problems in Physics –the Grand Unification Theory GUT – “A theory of elementary forces that unites the weak, strong, electromagnetic, and gravitational interactions as low-energy manifestations of a single unified interaction.” Biocentrism claims to be able to unify these interactions with life as framework.

5. Biology – the Study of Life How do we look at the mechanism of life? EVOLUTION OR CREATION? BY CHANCE OR BY DESIGN?

6. “The discovery of pervasive HGT and the overall dynamics of the genetic universe destroys not only the tree of life  as we knew it but also another central tenet of the modern synthesis inherited from Darwin, namely gradualism . In a world dominated by HGT, gene duplication, gene loss and such momentous events as endosymbiosis , the idea of evolution being driven primarily by infinitesimal heritable changes in the Darwinian tradition has become untenable” . Eugene Koonin , American Biologist Evolution has a lot of problems

7. “We now know how God wrote the book of life.” Bill Clinton

8. Now we have a glimpse of how God created the universe. Peter Higgs first predicted the existence of the Higgs boson 50 years ago, 2013 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics

9. “Scientific questions are growing more complex and interconnected. We know that the greatest excitement in research often occurs at the borders of disciplines , where they interface with each other.” Michael M. Crow, Executive Vice Provost, Columbia University

10. Genomics and Its Impact on Science and Society: The Human Genome Project and Beyond U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs http://doegenomes.org

11. Human Genome Project Goals:  ■ identify all the approximate 30,000 genes in human DNA, ■ determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, ■ store this information in databases, ■ improve tools for data analysis, ■ transfer related technologies to the private sector, and ■ address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.  

12. Milestones: ■ 1990: Project initiated as joint effort of U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health ■ June 2000: Completion of a working draft of the entire human genome ■ February 2001: Analyses of the working draft are published ■ April 2003: HGP sequencing is completed and Project is declared finished two years ahead of schedule Human Genome Project

13. DNA Sequencing 1980-1990 1990-2005 > 2005 Radio - gel Fluorescent - capillary Next generation Thousand bp / day Million bp / day Billion bp / day

14. High Through-Put Systems Needed to Study Whole Genomes

15. But do we know how to read the book ?

16. Current Applications of the HGP

17. 1. Molecular Diagnostics Diagnosis of infectious diseases Genetic identification Diagnosis of genetic diseases

18. Diagnosis of infectious diseases HPV Chlamydia Hepatitis HIV Toxoplasmosis

19. Genetic Identification - Paternity Testing - Forensics

20. Using DNA Fingerprinting in Forensics A murder victim is found to have human tissue under his fingernails having, during the course of struggle, managed to scratch his murderer Two suspects have been identified as having a motive and suspicious scratches on their faces: Suspect 1 - The victim’s wife Suspect 2 - The wife’s boyfriend Under Nails Suspect 1 Victim Suspect 2 A VNTR Probe was used to make this DNA fingerprint

21. DNA Fingerprinting Can Show Relationships During the 1970s and 80s a “dirty war” was fought in Chile directed by General Pinochet Many people disappeared and their children were adopted by innocent people These children have been reunited with their grandparents using DNA fingerprinting Maternal Grandmother Paternal Grandmother Father Paternal Grandfath er Maternal Grandfather Child Mother

22. Somatic rearrangements in cancer Genetic risk factors Pharmacogenetics Mutations in monogenic diseases Diagnosis of genetic diseases

23. Pharmacogenetic tests Drug specificity Drug efficacy - toxicity

24. 2. Agriculture, Livestock Breeding, and Bio-processing • grow disease-, insect-, and drought- resistant crops (Bt corn) • breed healthier, more productive, disease- resistant farm animals • grow more nutritious produce ( eg . “golden rice”) • develop biopesticides • incorporate edible vaccines incorporated into food products ( eg . “ plantibodies ”) • develop new environmental cleanup uses for plants like tobacco ( phytoremediation )

25. The Asian Corn Borer (ACB): No. 1 Insect Pest of Corn in the Philippines, Reason for the Bt Corn

26. 3. Environmental Biotechnology • develop new energy sources ( biofuels ) • monitor environments to detect pollutants ( eg . use of bioluminescent bacteria) • protect citizenry from biological and chemical warfare • clean up toxic waste safely and efficiently (bioremediation)

27. Biofuel Production

28. Bioremediation

29. Environmental Monitoring Using Bioluminescent Bacteria

30. Current Challenges of the Human Genome Project

31. • Non-coding DNA types, amount, distribution, information content, and functions • Coordination of gene expression, protein synthesis, and post-translational events • Interaction of proteins in complex molecular machines • Predicted vs. experimentally determined gene function • Proteomes (total protein content and function) in organisms Future Challenges: What We Still Don’t Know U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs, Genomics and Its Impact on Science and Society, 2003

32. Future Challenges: What We Still Don’t Know • Correlation of SNPs (single-base DNA variations among individuals) with health and disease • Disease-susceptibility prediction based on gene sequence variation • Complex systems biology including microbial consortia useful for environmental restoration

33. Beyond the HGP: What’s Next? HapMap Systems Biology Exploring Microbial Genomes for Energy and the Environment Chart genetic variation within the human genome

34. Genomes to Life: A DOE Systems Biology Program Exploring Microbial Genomes for Energy and the Environment Goals • identify the protein machines that carry out critical life functions • characterize the gene regulatory networks that control these machines • characterize the functional repertoire of complex microbial communities in their natural environments • develop the computational capabilities to integrate and understand these data and begin to model complex biological systems

35. GTL Applications in Energy Security and Global Climate Change

36. Welcome to The Nano World (Nanotechnology) “ Nanotechnology is science, engineering and technology conducted at the nanoscale which is 1 to 100 nanometers .”

37. Nanotech Elements as Components in Common Market Products

38. Nanobiotechnology / Bionanotechnology Biotechnology – “ generally refers to the application of a wide range of scientific techniques to the modification and improvement of plants, animals and microorganisms that are of economic importance” Nanobiotechnology – “refers to ways that nanotechnology is used to create devices to study biological systems” ( eg . use of nanoparticles as delivery systems or sensors)

39. Bionanotechnology – specific application of nanotechnology in studying biological “machines” at the nanoscale ( eg . DNA nanotechnology or cellular engineering )

40. Applications of Nanotechnology in Medicine