Engineered Antimicrobial Peptides Developed To Kill Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

With antibiotic resistant bacteria becoming prevalent, reaching high levels, scientists are studying ways to counteract and address this serious problem. Using the drug resistant bacteria that causes Tuberculosis, researchers are testing a new therapy using antimicrobial peptides to overcome this. This research was presented at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The TB bacteria is slowly coming up with resistant strains that pose a real serious health risk. Scientists have developed a new way to destroy these organisms and similar ones that have built a resistance to antibiotics; drilling.

Using protein engineered antimicrobial peptides (AMP), the outer membrane of bacterial organisms are broken down removing its structural support and protection mechanism. Just like drill bits, the AMPs drill into the thick walls of the cells killing the bacteria. Using three synthesised strains of AMP, lab tests show that all three of these antimicrobial peptides were successful in killing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. smegmatis bacteria .

This is just the first generation of AMPs produced and scientists are also studying another class of AMPs, picidin a and 3, to improve and expand its arsenal against this deadly trend.

Cellular Reprogramming In Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy and other Myelin Disorders.

Researchers have successfully converted fibroblasts (a structural cell) into oligodendrocytes which could regenerate new myelin coatings around nerves. This treatment can be used in myelin related disorders such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.

Cellular Reprogramming is a technique that allows the conversion of one type of cell into another. Although it shares a similar concept with stem cell technolgy, unlike stem cell therapy, cellular reprogramming utilizes direct manipulation of the cell at a genetic level to convert it into another type of cell.

Stem cells naturally differentiate into another type of cell. In 2012, Doctor Shinya Yamanaka won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) through cellular reprogramming. iPS cells are pluripotent stem cells that are artificially derived from normal cells.

New Advancements In DNA Nanotechnology Lead To Development of Practical Applications

This 3-D print shows a DNA-based structure designed to test a critical assumption -- that such objects could be realized, as designed, with subnanometer precision. This object is a relatively large, three-dimensional DNA-based structure, asymmetrical to help determine the orientation, and incorporating distinctive design motifs. Subnanometer-resolution imaging with low-temperature electron microscopy enabled researchers to map the object -- which comprises more than 460,000 atoms -- with subnanometer-scale detail.
Credit: Dietz Lab, TU Muenchen

A breakthrough in the understanding of DNA nanotechnology may lead to faster and more efficient ways to manipulate DNA into artificial structures and molecules.

DNA nanotechnology is the science of manipulating nucleic acid like DNA and RNA to form artificial structures. DNA is responsible for storing, transmitting, and encoding genetic information. With DNA nanotechnology, it is used for bio-engineered applications.

DNA is known for its structure; the double helix. The structure is based on the binding of two base pairs of nucleic acid. Because the principle of the pairing of these strands, scientists can manipulate these pairings to form other more complex structures.

There are two studies in DNA nanotechnology; structural and dynamic. Structural DNA deals in building complex molecular structures which can be used as a base for more complex structures or as a shell for other components.

In dynamic dna, the principle is to build an artificial molecular strand or structure that can interact with other strands to achieve a predetermined outcome either structurally or chemically.

There are two ways to manipulate DNA, through molecular modelling or nucleic acid thermodynamics. Molecular modelling is based on understanding the behavior of these components at a molecular and even atomic level. By manipulating the interactions of these acids, the strands can be directed to form patterns or structures.

In nucleic acid thermodynamics, temperature (heat) is used to stimulate these strands to behave in a certain way.

Synthetic Biology Combined With Systems Biology Can Help Artificially Engineered Cells To Solve Environmental Problems

Transmission electron micrograph of metabolically engineered Escherichia coli cells accumulating poly(lactate-co-3hydroxybutyrate) copolymers

A new and emerging field in biology is synthetic biology. According to the synthetic biology community, synthetic biology can be defined as:

• The design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems, and;
• the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes.

Synthetic biology is split into two types or disciplines. One group looks at creating unnatural cells to copy or mimic natural molecules. This can be done by inserting man-made dna to a cell, for instance. Another group looks at using natural cells and molecules and placing them within a system which makes it behave unnaturally.

Combining this field of science with systems biology, which is the study of how cell structures behave as one whole system, scientists can construct a cell or group of cells to function in a way that can help solve a particular problem.

An example of this would be to artificially construct a cell or a system that can address an environmental problem such as an oil spill. A scientist can construct an organism that can convert petroleum polluting the ocean into a biodegradable product or even oxygen.

Another way would be to create a cell to produce a biodegradable fuel such as the ones used in manufacturing algae-based fuel. There are even microbes that can directly produce electricity (piezoelectricity).

Medical applications can also benefit this technology. Microbes and microbial systems such as cancer detecting molecules or even organisms that can target a specific harmful protein can be created.

Super-microbes engineered to solve world environmental problems

Environmental problems, such as depleting natural resources, highlight the need to establish a renewable chemical industry. Metabolic engineering enhances the production of chemicals made by microbes in so-called "cell factories". Next Monday, world class scientist Professor Sang Yup Lee of KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) will explain how metabolic engineering could lead to the development of solutions to these environmental problems.

For example, the polyester polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable material with a wide range of uses, from medical implants, to cups, bags, food packaging and disposable tableware. It and its co-polymer can be produced by direct fermentation of renewable resources using metabolically engineered Escherichia coli.