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Medical Humanities Dec 2021
Topics: Biotechnology; Humans
PubMed: 34819393
DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2021-012348 -
Nature Biomedical Engineering Jun 2018The achievements of cell-based therapeutics have galvanized efforts to bring cell therapies to the market. To address the demands of the clinical and eventual... (Review)
Review
The achievements of cell-based therapeutics have galvanized efforts to bring cell therapies to the market. To address the demands of the clinical and eventual commercial-scale production of cells, and with the increasing generation of large clinical datasets from chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy, from transplants of engineered haematopoietic stem cells and from other promising cell therapies, an emphasis on biomanufacturing requirements becomes necessary. Robust infrastructure should address current limitations in cell harvesting, expansion, manipulation, purification, preservation and formulation, ultimately leading to successful therapy administration to patients at an acceptable cost. In this Review, we highlight case examples of cutting-edge bioprocessing technologies that improve biomanufacturing efficiency for cell therapies approaching clinical use.
Topics: Biotechnology; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; Humans; Immunotherapy
PubMed: 31011198
DOI: 10.1038/s41551-018-0246-6 -
Trends in Biotechnology Oct 2020Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are phospholipid bilayer membrane-enclosed structures containing RNAs, proteins, lipids, metabolites, and other molecules, secreted by... (Review)
Review
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are phospholipid bilayer membrane-enclosed structures containing RNAs, proteins, lipids, metabolites, and other molecules, secreted by various cells into physiological fluids. EV-mediated transfer of biomolecules is a critical component of a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Potential applications of EVs in novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have brought increasing attention. However, EV research remains highly challenging due to the inherently complex biogenesis of EVs and their vast heterogeneity in size, composition, and origin. There is a need for the establishment of standardized methods that address EV heterogeneity and sources of pre-analytical and analytical variability in EV studies. Here, we review technologies developed for EV isolation and characterization and discuss paths toward standardization in EV research.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Biomedical Research; Biotechnology; Extracellular Vesicles; Humans
PubMed: 32564882
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.05.012 -
Medscape Journal of Medicine Jul 2008
Topics: Biotechnology; Conservation of Natural Resources; Delivery of Health Care; Health Care Sector; United States
PubMed: 18769696
DOI: No ID Found -
Microbial Biotechnology Jul 2019Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) produced by aerobic bacteria is a biopolymer with sophisticated technical properties. Although the potential for economically relevant... (Review)
Review
Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) produced by aerobic bacteria is a biopolymer with sophisticated technical properties. Although the potential for economically relevant applications is huge, the cost of BNC still limits its application to a few biomedical devices and the edible product Nata de Coco, made available by traditional fermentation methods in Asian countries. Thus, a wider economic relevance of BNC is still dependent on breakthrough developments on the production technology. On the other hand, the development of modified strains able to overproduce BNC with new properties - e.g. porosity, density of fibres crosslinking, mechanical properties, etc. - will certainly allow to overcome investment and cost production issues and enlarge the scope of BNC applications. This review discusses current knowledge about the molecular basis of BNC biosynthesis, its regulations and, finally, presents a perspective on the genetic modification of BNC producers made possible by the new tools available for genetic engineering.
Topics: Bacteria, Aerobic; Biotechnology; Cellulose; Metabolic Engineering; Nanostructures
PubMed: 30883026
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13386 -
Trends in Biotechnology May 2021Depending on how the future will unfold, today's progress in biotechnology research has greater or lesser potential to be the basis of subsequent innovation. Tracking... (Review)
Review
Depending on how the future will unfold, today's progress in biotechnology research has greater or lesser potential to be the basis of subsequent innovation. Tracking progress against indicators for different future scenarios will help to focus, emphasize, or de-emphasize discovery research in a timely manner and to maximize the chance for successful innovation. In this paper, we show how learning scenarios with a 2050 time horizon help to recognize the implications of political and societal developments on the innovation potential of ongoing biotechnological research. We also propose a model to further increase open innovation between academia and the biotechnology value chain to help fundamental research explore discovery fields that have a greater chance to be valuable for applied research.
Topics: Biotechnology
PubMed: 33162172
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.09.006 -
Trends in Biotechnology May 2017The traditional requirement for clean rooms and specialized skills has inhibited many biologists from pursuing new microfluidic innovations. Makerspaces provide a... (Review)
Review
The traditional requirement for clean rooms and specialized skills has inhibited many biologists from pursuing new microfluidic innovations. Makerspaces provide a growing alternative to clean rooms: they provide low-cost access to fabrication equipment such as laser cutters, plotter cutters, and 3D printers; use commercially available materials; and attract a diverse community of product designers. This Opinion discusses the materials, tools, and building methodologies particularly suited for developing novel microfluidic devices in these spaces, with insight into biological applications and leveraging the maker community. The lower barrier to access of makerspaces ameliorates the otherwise poor accessibility and scalability of microfluidic prototyping.
Topics: Biotechnology; Environment, Controlled; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Facility Design and Construction; Microfluidics
PubMed: 28162773
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.01.001 -
New Biotechnology Nov 2020Most of the initiatives to adapt, reduce and mitigate the effects of global challenges of our planet are currently dominated by the consequences of climate change. These... (Review)
Review
Most of the initiatives to adapt, reduce and mitigate the effects of global challenges of our planet are currently dominated by the consequences of climate change. These are unintentionally overshadowing others such as food security, increase of human population, preservation of natural ecosystems, water scarcity and reliability of energy supply, amongst others. This fact tends to obscure the reality that most, if not all the global challenges, are closely interdependent and need a holistic approach to deal with them in a coherent and effective way. Likewise, society at large must be made fully aware that there will not be an enduring solution unless there is a change in the level of consumption of goods and energy in affluent countries. There is an increasing perception, understanding and concern in academic circles as well as in other sectors of society that the unsustainable production and consumption of natural resources need to be tackled by novel approaches. These combined efforts should ensure that they will be enacted in policy initiatives and in the actions that pave the way to building a global biodiplomacy. This new biodiplomacy should have the courage to develop and act in the interests of the human population overall, and not be undone by the legitimate but narrower interests of any single national priority. This article concludes by highlighting some of the key elements needed to give a biodiplomacy a chance to address, effectively, responsibly and synergistically, the current global challenges that affect mankind.
Topics: Biotechnology; Climate Change; Ecosystem; Food Safety; Humans
PubMed: 32681887
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2020.07.001 -
Microbial Biotechnology May 2018
Topics: Biological Therapy; Biotechnology; Clostridioides difficile; Clostridium Infections; Humans; Microbiota
PubMed: 29578645
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13172 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2015On-line sensors for the detection of crucial process parameters are desirable for the monitoring, control and automation of processes in the biotechnology, food and... (Review)
Review
On-line sensors for the detection of crucial process parameters are desirable for the monitoring, control and automation of processes in the biotechnology, food and pharma industry. Fluorescence spectroscopy as a highly developed and non-invasive technique that enables the on-line measurements of substrate and product concentrations or the identification of characteristic process states. During a cultivation process significant changes occur in the fluorescence spectra. By means of chemometric modeling, prediction models can be calculated and applied for process supervision and control to provide increased quality and the productivity of bioprocesses. A range of applications for different microorganisms and analytes has been proposed during the last years. This contribution provides an overview of different analysis methods for the measured fluorescence spectra and the model-building chemometric methods used for various microbial cultivations. Most of these processes are observed using the BioView® Sensor, thanks to its robustness and insensitivity to adverse process conditions. Beyond that, the PLS-method is the most frequently used chemometric method for the calculation of process models and prediction of process variables.
Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Biotechnology; Spectrometry, Fluorescence
PubMed: 25942644
DOI: 10.3390/s150510271