Category Archives: Biochemistry

Biochemistry

Protein Capture Innovation from WL Gore & Associates – BioProcess Insider

This interview features: William Barrett, PhD, Product Specialist, WL Gore & Associates.

William Barrett, PhD is a product specialist with WL Gore & Associates. He has over 20 years combined experience in biotechnology, chromatography, and the medical device industries. Most recently at WL Gore, Bills focused on affinity purification chromatography. Previously, Bill worked at Agilent on affinity depletion devices used in biomarker discovery and proteomics. He received a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Illinois and completed his fellowship in the Laboratory of Biochemistry at the National Heath, Lung, and Blood Institute at the NIH.

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Protein Capture Innovation from WL Gore & Associates - BioProcess Insider

Biochemistry

Exploring marine science at the cellular level – ASBMB Today

How do you end up studying how stingray venom affects cancer cells?

For Karlie Tischendorf, it all began when a high school English teacher assigned each student to learn about and present on any topic of their choice. Tischendorf saw this as a blank check to satisfy her curiosity about coral bleaching. After a deep dive into this process, she knew she had to get involved in marine biology.

Brooke Leuking

Now a senior at Purdue University, Tischendorf started her undergraduate career as an aquatic science major, but after a few classes, she was unsatisfied she wanted to understand marine life on the microscopic level. She shared her discontent with her mentor, and after reviewing the possible options and receiving additional guidance from her adviser, Tischendorf changed her major to biochemistry with a minor in aquatic science. She also has a second minor in Spanish.

Atlantic stingrayin an aquarium.

In 2022, Tischendorf spent 10 weeks as an intern at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida. Designed in partnership with the National Science Foundation, the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program gives undergraduates a concise and hands-on experience in real-world marine research. She worked with long-time Mote Labs researchers Cathy Walsh and Carl Luer on extracting venom from stingrays. Its a challenging process; in other organisms, venom is stored in a gland, but stingray venom is stored in tissue cells in the spine.

To learn about the therapeutic potential of compounds in the venom, Tischendorf used a variety of assays to determine how it would affect cells isolated from a mouse with fibrosarcoma, a malignant cancer. While this project still has a ways to go, Walsh said, The initial results are exciting and gave us the interest to want to continue going further.

This is one of five research projects Tischendorf has worked on as an undergraduate. Her advice to students interested in science is to find habits that work for them individually, be patient with themselves and beware of making unhealthy comparisons. She also advises, Say yes to opportunities as they come up because you really dont know where its going to lead you.

When her adviser encouraged Tischendorf to apply to be outreach co-chair in the biochemistry club even though shed never attended a meeting she followed her own advice. As a result, she met more peers and built meaningful relationships. To this day, she says it was one of the best things that could have ever happened.

Similarly, she said changing her major to biochemistry was a shot in the dark. But that shot led her to a plethora of experiences, each preparing her for her next opportunity. After her graduation in May, Tischendorf said shell take a gap year before applying to Ph.D. programs that allow her to delve deeper into marine ecotoxicology. Shes also been working toward her scuba certification so she can spend time diving around St. Kitts and Nevis as well as Turks and Caicos.

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Exploring marine science at the cellular level - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

Photosynthesis ‘hack’ could lead to new ways of generating renewable energy – Phys.org

Researchers have hacked the earliest stages of photosynthesis, the natural machine that powers the vast majority of life on Earth, and discovered new ways to extract energy from the process, a finding that could lead to new ways of generating clean fuel and renewable energy. Credit: Robin Horton

Researchers have 'hacked' the earliest stages of photosynthesis, the natural machine that powers the vast majority of life on Earth, and discovered new ways to extract energy from the process, a finding that could lead to new ways of generating clean fuel and renewable energy.

An international team of physicists, chemists and biologists, led by the University of Cambridge, was able to study photosynthesisthe process by which plants, algae and some bacteria convert sunlight into energyin live cells at an ultrafast timescale: a millionth of a millionth of a second.

Despite the fact that it is one of the most well-known and well-studied processes on Earth, the researchers found that photosynthesis still has secrets to tell. Using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques to study the movement of energy, the researchers found the chemicals that can extract electrons from the molecular structures responsible for photosynthesis do so at the initial stages, rather than much later, as was previously thought. This 'rewiring' of photosynthesis could improve ways in which it deals with excess energy, and create new and more efficient ways of using its power. The results are reported in the journal Nature.

"We didn't know as much about photosynthesis as we thought we did, and the new electron transfer pathway we found here is completely surprising," said Dr. Jenny Zhang from Cambridge's Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who coordinated the research. Despite the fact that it is one of the most well-known and well-studied processes on Earth, researchers from the University of Cambridge have found that photosynthesis still has secrets to tell. Using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques to study the movement of energy, the researchers found the chemicals that can extract electrons from the molecular structures responsible for photosynthesis do so at the initial stages, rather than much later, as was previously thought. This rewiring of photosynthesis could improve ways in which it deals with excess energy, and create new and more efficient ways of using its power. Credit: Mairi Eyres

While photosynthesis is a natural process, scientists have also been studying how it could be used as to help address the climate crisis, by mimicking photosynthetic processes to generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, for example.

Zhang and her colleagues were originally trying to understand why a ring-shaped molecule called a quinone is able to 'steal' electrons from photosynthesis. Quinones are common in nature, and they can accept and give away electrons easily. The researchers used a technique called ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy to study how the quinones behave in photosynthetic cyanobacteria.

"No one had properly studied how this molecule interplays with photosynthetic machineries at such an early point of photosynthesis: we thought we were just using a new technique to confirm what we already knew," said Zhang. "Instead, we found a whole new pathway, and opened the black box of photosynthesis a bit further."

Using ultrafast spectroscopy to watch the electrons, the researchers found that the protein scaffold where the initial chemical reactions of photosynthesis take place is 'leaky', allowing electrons to escape. This leakiness could help plants protect themselves from damage from bright or rapidly changing light.

"The physics of photosynthesis is seriously impressive," said co-first author Tomi Baikie, from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory "Normally, we work on highly ordered materials, but observing charge transport through cells opens up remarkable opportunities for new discoveries on how nature operates."

"Since the electrons from photosynthesis are dispersed through the whole system, that means we can access them," said co-first author Dr. Laura Wey, who did the work in the Department of Biochemistry, and is now based at the University of Turku, Finland. "The fact that we didn't know this pathway existed is exciting, because we could be able to harness it to extract more energy for renewables." Researchers have hacked the earliest stages of photosynthesis, the natural machine that powers the vast majority of life on Earth, and discovered new ways to extract energy from the process, a finding that could lead to new ways of generating clean fuel and renewable energy. Credit: Tomi Baikie

The researchers say that being able to extract charges at an earlier point in the process of photosynthesis, could make the process more efficient when manipulating photosynthetic pathways to generate clean fuels from the Sun. In addition, the ability to regulate photosynthesis could mean that crops could be made more able to tolerate intense sunlight.

"Many scientists have tried to extract electrons from an earlier point in photosynthesis, but said it wasn't possible because the energy is so buried in the protein scaffold," said Zhang. "The fact that we can steal them at an earlier process is mind-blowing. At first, we thought we'd made a mistake: it took a while for us to convince ourselves that we'd done it."

Key to the discovery was the use of ultrafast spectroscopy, which allowed the researchers to follow the flow of energy in the living photosynthetic cells on a femtosecond scalea thousandth of a trillionth of a second.

"The use of these ultrafast methods has allowed us to understand more about the early events in photosynthesis, on which life on Earth depends," said co-author Professor Christopher Howe from the Department of Biochemistry.

More information: Jenny Zhang, Photosynthesis re-wired on the pico-second timescale, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05763-9. http://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05763-9

Journal information: Nature

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Photosynthesis 'hack' could lead to new ways of generating renewable energy - Phys.org

Biochemistry

The Winnemucca District Office welcomes a new district manager – Bureau of Land Management

WINNEMUCCA, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management, Nevada has selected Sam Burton as the new Winnemucca District Manager. Mr. Burton previously served as the Field Manager for Helium Operations in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico, Amarillo Field Office.

Im happy to announce Sam Burton as the Winnemucca district manager. He is a proven leader and has a great understanding of our multiple-use mission that will be a great asset to one of the most important Districts in the agency, Jon Raby, BLM Nevada State Director, said.

The Winnemucca District Office manages around 8.2 million acres located in Humboldt and Pershing counties and portions of Washoe, Lyon and Churchill counties in the northwest corner of Nevada. Many of the District responsibilities encompass mine permitting, wild horse and burro management, special recreation permitting (SRP) including the Burning Man permit, which is the largest SRP in the BLM.

During his BLM career Mr. Burton has also served as the AFM for Minerals in BLM's Northeastern States Field Office in Milwaukee, WI. In this position he managed BLM's mineral resources and oil and gas programs in 20 northeastern states with oversight for lead, gold, coal, and dimension stone.

Mr. Burton was born in Eschwege, Germany and grew up traveling extensively around Europe in a military family (U.S. Army) serving overseas. He spent his high school and college years living in Sierra Vista, AZ and Tucson AZ. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona.

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The Winnemucca District Office welcomes a new district manager - Bureau of Land Management

Biochemistry

Obesity May Exacerbate Breast Cancer Risk in Women with BRCA … – Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom

Obesity may spur DNA damage in the breast tissue of women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, possibly contributing to breast cancer development in this already high-risk group, according to new multi-institutional translational research led by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists.

The study, published in the Feb. 22 issue of Science Translational Medicine, suggests that weight management and medications that impact metabolic health may be an important part of preventive care for women with these genetic mutations, although further research is needed.

Obesity and poor metabolic health are known breast cancer risk factors in the general population, but whether these modifiable risk factors contribute to breast cancer development in BRCA mutation carriers has been largely unknown, said senior study author Dr. Kristy A. Brown, the Emilie Lippmann and Janice Jacobs McCarthy Research Scholar in Breast Cancer and an associate professor of biochemistry in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Kristy Brown

Prior findings from epidemiological studies of the impact of body weight on breast cancer development in BRCA mutation carriers are unclear, said the papers first author Dr. Priya Bhardwaj, who was a doctoral candidate in the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences when the current research was being conducted. Our research provides clinicians with mechanistic evidence of the possible benefits of intervening on the metabolic side of the breast cancer disease process, she said.

The researchers analyzed noncancerous breast tissue samples from patients with either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who had undergone mastectomy. The study population included women who had a body mass index (BMI) in the lower range of below 25 kg/m2 and those with a BMI of 25 or higher, categorized as overweight or obese.

Using immunofluorescence, the researchers found that higher BMI in women with BRCA mutations was positively correlated with DNA damage in the milk glands. They determined that the metabolic hormones leptin and insulin, and the hormone estrogen, which is commonly linked with breast cancer growth, were drivers of this DNA damage.

Furthermore, the scientists found that they could reduce DNA damage in tissue samples in the lab by exposing them to metformin. This drug, commonly used to manage type 2 diabetes, is also known to suppress the expression of aromatasean enzyme that is responsible for estrogen biosynthesis.

Metformin is an attractive option to study because it has very limited side effects, and we can think about the possibility of using it in a risk reduction setting, Dr. Brown said. However, we still need to determine which biomarkers can be used as clear indications of risk reduction in this patient population, beyond closely following people for cancer development.

In addition to their tissue studies, the researchers assessed mice with BRCA1 mutations to better understand whether an increase in DNA damage is associated with cancerous tumor growth. The scientists found that obese mice with metabolic dysfunction had higher rates of tumor formation than lean mice. Not only did obese mice develop tumors earlier, but they also developed tumors at a higher incidence overall by the end of the study, Dr. Bhardwaj said.

Overall, this study contributes to a better appreciation of the effects of lifestyle, obesity and metabolic health on cancer development in high-risk populations, Dr. Brown said. The researchers plan to further study the mechanisms that drive DNA damage in the breast tissue of women withBRCA mutations and hope to encourage the clinical study of lifestyle changes or metformin in these patients.

This line of research may go beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, Dr. Brown said. It may also have an impact on other hereditary cancers or cancer types.

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Biochemistry

Students win College of Science Catalyst Competition with idea to … – Clemson News

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023

When Clemson University first-year student Devin Casper had a wreck with his brother in the car, it scared him.

Caspers 2010 Suburu WRX STi wasnt equipped with a computer-assisted driver notification system commonly found in vehicles today that alerts drivers if they are about to hit something.

We were lucky. Neither of us was hurt. But it got me thinking of ways to improve the safety of older cars, said Casper, who is majoring in mechanical and computer engineering.

He and his roommate Soren Spina, a first-year biochemistry student, turned those concerns into the winning idea in the College of Sciences Catalyst Competition. The entrepreneurial challenge culminated on March 15 when student teams pitched their innovative ideas to a panel of judges in the Watt Family Innovation Center.

The pair won $2,500 for their Octasight Automotive Safety System, which is a wireless, interactive hub-based system of sensors that alerts drivers of obstacles before they hit them. In addition to the monetary prize, the winners get the chance to compete in the University-wide

Spiro Institutes University Pitch Smackdown on April 14.

We believe this product can go to market, Spina said.

Casper told the judges that basic computer-assisted driver notification systems started to appear in higher-end vehicles in 2015 and in economy cars in 2017.

He said 127 million of the 211 million cars on the road today are models older than 2014.

Sixty percent of Americans are driving without these features, he said. They said the primary audience for their product would be drivers of cars without sensor systems and parents of young drivers who want that extra layer of protection for their children.

Previous attempts to put computer-assisted driver notification systems in cars that werent factory-equipped required vehicular modification, were difficult to install, had limited features, were wired and were not reliable.

The pair came up with Octasight, a wireless, interactive hub-based system of eight lidar sensors one on each corner and side face of the vehicle. The device has an integrated charging dock. The main hub displays data and provides visual and tactile alerts to the driver.

Spina said other features could be integrated into Octasight in the future, including blind spot monitoring, thermal cameras and intruder detection.

Were going to continue to work on the product, even tomorrow. Well do more prototypes and further market research. Well be speaking to more experts, he said. We have a ton of ideas to expand the product and make it more versatile. Were looking forward to seeing where it can go.

Second place went to Susan Davis, a sophomore biological sciences student, for SafeStraws, which could detect substances in drinks, including common date rape drugs or even the amount of sugar. The straw would use litmus and pH paper and change colors if something was detected.

Sabrina Melendez-Rosales, a senior majoring in biology and genetics, won third place for Diaband, a skin-like product that would use Hirudin, a compound found in leech saliva, to promote wound healing in diabetics by helping to restore blood flow to the injured area.

College Connect by Liza Moise, a junior biology major; Elizabeth White, a junior language and international health major; and Simone Boles, an international health major; received honorable mention. College Connect is an online platform that provides college students with a place to share their mental health challenges and emotions anonymously.

The Catalyst Competition, which launched in 2021, is a two-semester program in which participating student teams receive support through entrepreneurial-related educational workshops, professional consultants and faculty advisers.

The College of Science pursues excellence in scientific discovery, learning, and engagement that is both locally relevant and globally impactful. The life, physical and mathematical sciences converge to tackle some of tomorrows scientific challenges, and our faculty are preparing the next generation of leading scientists. The College of Science offers high-impact transformational experiences such as research, internships and study abroad to help prepare our graduates for top industries, graduate programs and health professions. clemson.edu/science

Or email us at news@clemson.edu

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Students win College of Science Catalyst Competition with idea to ... - Clemson News

Biochemistry

Examining properties that allow moons to retain liquid water and possibly enable life – Phys.org

by Exzellenzcluster Origins

Liquid water is one of the most important ingredients for the emergence of life as we know it on Earth. Researchers of the ORIGINS Cluster from the fields of astrophysics, astrochemistry and biochemistry have now determined in a novel, interdisciplinary collaboration the necessary properties that allow moons around free-floating planets to retain liquid water for a sufficiently long time and thus enable life.

The study is published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.

For the emergence of life on Earth, liquid water was a crucial component. Since only one planet is known so far to have given rise to life, the scientists assume that also elsewhere the presence of liquid water plays a pivotal role in the chemical evolution that can lead to the emergence of life.

In and outside our solar system, the habitable zone defines an annular region around the central star in which planets are neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water. Moons can also be habitableeven if they belong to planets beyond the habitable zone. In that case, however, they must have a heat source other than stellar heat, such as changing tidal forces. Indeed, Saturn's moon Enceladus has an ocean of liquid water hidden beneath its ice crust thanks to tidal heating.

The discovery of dozens of free-flying planets (FFPs) in our galaxy has changed our understanding of the early evolution of planetary systems and theories of planet formation. These lonely wanderers were probably ejected from their planetary systems by dynamic instabilities and thus no longer have a parent star. However, if they have moons in tight orbits, they can gravitationally bind them. This works best for Jupiter-like planets with Earth-sized moons. In this way, new, unexpected places emerge where life could form.

In a previous study of liquid water on moons of starless planets, researchers from the ORIGINS cluster demonstrated that Earth-sized moons around Jupiter-like planets may indeed have liquid water. Their results suggested that the amount of water possible on the lunar surfaces is only a fraction of the total volume of all terrestrial oceans, which is still a hundred times the water content of Earth's atmosphere. This amount is already enough to enable the chemical processes that can lead to life. Local wet-dry cycles (evaporation and condensation), as recently shown in a study of the first stages in the evolution by ORIGINS scientists, provide the necessary chemical complexity that could promote the accumulation of molecules and the polymerization of RNA.

The orbit of exomoons around FFPs becomes less eccentric and thus more circular over time. This reduces the tidal forces and thus the heating efficiency. In a unique collaboration, Ph.D. student Giulia Roccetti (ESO, previously a Master's student at LMU), under the guidance of ORIGINS scientists, Prof. Barbara Ercolano (LMU, Astrophysics), Dr. Karan Molaverdikhani (LMU), Dr. Tommaso Grassi (MPE, Astrochemistry) and Prof. Dieter Braun (LMU, Biochemistry), developed a new, realistic model that can calculate the evolution of lunar orbits over long timescales. These are timescales of several billion years, as required for the evolution of life.

"In this way," Giulia Roccetti explains, "we found that exomoons with small orbital radii not only have the best chance of surviving their planet's ejection from its planetary system, but also remain eccentric for the longest period of time and thus can optimally produce tidal heat." In addition, dense atmospheres favor the preservation of liquid water. In summary, Earth-sized moons with Venus-like atmospheres in close orbits around their orphan planets are interesting new candidates for habitable worlds.

More information: Giulia Roccetti et al, Presence of liquid water during the evolution of exomoons orbiting ejected free-floating planets, International Journal of Astrobiology (2023). DOI: 10.1017/S1473550423000046

Journal information: International Journal of Astrobiology

Provided by Exzellenzcluster Origins

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Examining properties that allow moons to retain liquid water and possibly enable life - Phys.org

Biochemistry

Depression and inflammation: how to treat the patient and not the … – Chiropractic Economics

Our approach to mental health with depression and inflammation has been perverted by the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. According to a report released by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the rate of antidepressant use in this country among teens and adults (people ages 12 and older) increased by almost 400% between 198894 and 200508. In 2008, 11% of the population took them. In 2017 it was 17% of the population.

Selling selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is big business. The global sales of antidepressant medication is expected to be nearly $16 billion per year by 2023. Antidepressants are profitable, but maybe not as effective as those selling them would have you believe.

There are plenty of studies concerning the effectiveness of antidepressants, nearly 80% of which are funded by drug companies. In one study, only about 40-60 out of 100 people who took an antidepressant noticed an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks.1

According to the authors of that study, There is evidence showing there is unlikely to be a clinically important advantage for antidepressants over placebo in individuals with minor depression. For benzodiazepines, no evidence is available, and thus it is not possible to determine their potential therapeutic role in this condition. 2

Much of the information about the efficacy of antidepressants has been overstated. A report published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics states, Meta-analyses of FDA trials suggest that antidepressants are only marginally efficacious compared to placebos and document profound publication bias that inflates their apparent efficacy. These meta-analyses also document a second form of bias in which researchers fail to report the negative results for the pre-specified primary outcome measure submitted to the FDA, while highlighting in published studies positive results from a secondary or even a new measure as though it was their primary measure of interest. The STAR*D analysis found that the effectiveness of antidepressant therapies was probably even lower than the modest one reported by the study authors with an apparent progressively increasing dropout rate across each study phase. Conclusions: The reviewed findings argue for a reappraisal of the current recommended standard of care of depression. 1

So, if boosting serotonin and other neurotransmitter levels doesnt work, what does?

Inflammation affects all organs, including the brain. In fact, it can be argued that because of its lipid content, the brain is more susceptible to inflammation than other tissue.

Recent studies are showing a link between inflammation and depression. One study looked at CRP levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Researchers found that high CRP levels made patients less responsive to treatment. High levels were also associated with cognitive impairment (which the antidepressant treatment did not affect).3

The authors of another study also found an association between inflammatory markers and depression. They stated, In conclusion, the level of IL-6 and hsCRP was increased in depressed outpatients but was not associated to specific depressive symptoms. In terms of cognitive function, we found that higher hsCRP levels were associated to lower psychomotor speed both at baseline and at follow-up. 4

Researchers evaluated baseline data from 2,861 participants from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).

The Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to assess depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. For both scales somatic and cognitive symptoms scales were calculated. Baseline blood samples were collected to determine high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-5. The authors found a strong correlation between these inflammatory markers and depression and anxiety. They further stated that lifestyle may be the culprit. Another study found that inhibition of tumor necrosis factor improved sleep quality in depressed individuals. 6

The authors of yet another study state, Overall, inflammation causes disruptions in the blood brain barrier along with cellular and structural changes within the CNS. In vitro and in vivo animal models have shown that inflammation decreases neurogenesis in the hippocampus, induces glutamate release from microglia, and impairs LTP. Human MRI studies have shown that IFN and endotoxin treatments result in rapid changes in white matter structure, brain global connectivity, and functional activation, all of which are linked to depression and fatigue. 7

It should surprise no one that inflammation plays a role in depression. Higher rates of depression and fatigue have been shown across a broad range of conditions associated with activation of the immune system such as allergies, autoimmune diseases (type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis), and infections (sepsis).

Do not use curcumin and other natural anti-inflammatories as a treatment for depression. This is not much smarter than trying to bump up serotonin levels. Depression is a symptom, not its own disease.

Start with diet, which is probably the best way to start dealing with inflammation. Sugar, refined foods, chemical additives, too much starch and too much animal protein create inflammation. Seeds, nuts, brightly colored produce and essential fatty acids reduce inflammation.

George Goodheart exhorted us to fix what we find, and to not merely address symptoms. Addressing inflammation is a good start, but dont stop there. After all, you want to fix the patient who has the symptom and not merely treat the symptom. Nutrition is just like chiropractic in that it is all about balance.

If you go through the literature, you will find depression linked to problems with the thyroid, vitamin deficiency, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,8,9 inflammation,9,10,11 and even bowel ecology.10,12,13,14 The problem with looking at these issues is that it is impossible to find a single, patentable treatment so they are largely ignored.

If we look at depression as a symptom with many possible causes, we can come up with strategies to help these patients. Address inflammation, but also look at other things:

You get the idea depression does not have a single cause. Fixing the bodys infrastructure can work better than aggressively manipulating the bodys biochemistry with a drug.

There are many more references than are listed here. Also, other nutrients are useful. Low-dose lithium (see the Chiropractic Economics article about lithium as a trace mineral) and magnesium come to mind.

We are the profession that treats the patient and not the disease; we need to expand our focus. Going beyond manipulation and adding basic nutritional therapy can increase the number of patients we can effectively treat. Furthermore, we can be the answer to runaway medical costs, currently at $3 trillion a year and rising.

PAUL VARNAS, DC, DACBN, is a graduate of the National College of Chiropractic and has had a functional medicine practice for 34 years. He is the author of several books and has taught nutrition at the National University of Health Sciences. For a free PDF of Instantly Have a Functional Medicine Practice, email him at paulgvarnas@gmail.com, or for a patient handout on the anti-inflammatory diet.

Psychother Psychosom 2010;79:267279 Efficacy and Effectiveness of Antidepressants: Current Status of Research

British Medical Journal, (Br J Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;198(1):11-6, sup 1) Efficacy of antidepressants and benzodiazepines in minor depression: systematic review and meta-analysis

Brain Behav Immun. 2012 Jan;26(1):90-5 Treatment response and cognitive impairment in major depression: association with C-reactive protein

Brain Behav Immun. 2014 Jan;35:70-6 The association between depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and inflammation in major depression

Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013 Sep; 38(9): 1573-85 Differential association of somatic and cognitive symptoms of depression and anxiety with inflammation: findings from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA)

Brain Behav Immun. 2015 Jul;47:193-200 Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor improves sleep continuity in patients with treatment resistant depression and high inflammation

Front Immunol. 2019; 10: 1696. The Role of Inflammation in Depression and Fatigue

Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2001; 3(4): 151155. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Major Depressive Disorder: A Brief Primer for Primary Care Physicians

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2017 Jun;27(6):554-559 Why are depressed patients inflamed? A reflection on 20 years of research on depression, glucocorticoid resistance and inflammation

Brain Behav Immun. 2018 Mar;69:1-8 Effects of obesity on depression: A role for inflammation and the gut microbiota

J Neuroimmunol. 2017 Dec 15;313:92-98 Inflammation-induced depression: Its pathophysiology and therapeutic implications

Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2017 Sep;30(5):369-377 Depressed gut? The microbiota-diet-inflammation trialogue in depression

Neurotherapeutics 2018 Jan;15(1):36-59. Anxiety, Depression, and the Microbiome: A Role for Gut Peptides

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 19;23(9):4494 The Gut Microbiome in Depression and Potential Benefit of Prebiotics, Probiotics and Synbiotics: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials and Observational Studies

Psychosomatic Medicine October 2010 72:763-768 Dietary folate, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 and depressive symptoms in early adolescence: the Ryukyus Child Health Study

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2019;28(4):689-694. Vitamin D and depression: mechanisms, determination and application

British Journal of Psychiatry (Epublished ahead of print, July 12, 2012)

Biological Psychiatry (1 July 2007; Volume 62, Issue 1, Pages 17-24 Selective deficits in the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the postmortem orbitofrontal cortex of patients with major depressive disorder

Am J Prev Med. 2005 Jan;28(1):1-8 Exercise treatment for depression: efficacy and dose response

J Affect Disord. 2017 Feb;209:188-194 Exercise is an effective treatment for positive valence symptoms in major depression

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Depression and inflammation: how to treat the patient and not the ... - Chiropractic Economics

Biochemistry

Top Tips to Improve Reproducibility and Sensitivity in Solid Phase … – LCGC Chromatography Online

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) is a powerful sample preparation tool but is poorly understood and rarely optimized. As with all chromatographic techniques, a reproducible method is of great importance. Therefore, in this webcast, we investigate the parameters that affect SPE reproducibility and present tips and tricks to ensure the lowest possible variability in sample recovery.

Register Free: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/lcgc_w/solid-phase-extraction

Event Overview:

A robust and sensitive method is the product of meticulous method development. In this webcast, we will consider the most pertinent steps in SPE method development and how the decisions that are made can impact on reproducibility and sensitivity. We will also highlight best practices for ensuring optimum analyte recovery (sensitivity) and explain how to obtain lower detection limits even with generic SPE protocols.

Topics Covered:

Essential SPE method optimization

Speakers:

Dr. Doug RaynieAssociate Research Professor, Department of Chemistry and BiochemistrySouth Dakota State University

Dr. Doug Raynieis an associate research professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at South Dakota State University. Prior to joining SDSU, he was employed for eleven years as a senior scientist at Procter and Gamble's corporate research division. He earned his PhD at Brigham Young University under the direction of Dr. Milton L. Lee. His undergraduate degree is from Augustana (South Dakota) College, with majors in chemistry and biology. Dr. Raynies broad research interests are in the field of sustainability and green chemistry. His two major areas of research are bioprocessing using supercritical fluids and related technologies and analytical separations. Active projects in this area include transformations of lignocellulosic biomass using supercritical fluids and ionic liquids. Analytical separations research includes utilization of deep eutectic solvents, high-resolution chromatography (high-temperature LC and SFC), chromatographic sample preparation (ASE, SFE, SPME, and SPE), chromatography theory, green analytical chemistry, and problem-based learning in analytical chemistry. Dr. Raynie serves on the editorial advisory boards of the Encyclopedia of Separation Science and Pharmaceutical Formulation and Quality.

Tony TaylorChief Scientific OfficerElement

Tony comes from a pharmaceutical background and has many years of research and development experience in small- molecule analysis and bioanalysis using LC, GC, and hyphenated MS techniques. Tony is actively involved in method development within the analytical services laboratory at Element Manchester, which supplies contract research in chromatography and mass spectrometry. He continues to research in novel separation technologies, chromatographic method development, and structural characterisation, especially in the areas of extractable and leachable analysis and bio-chromatography. Tony is the technical director of CHROMacademy and has spent the past 22 years as a trainer and developing online education materials in analytical chemistry techniques.

Register Free: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/lcgc_w/solid-phase-extraction

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Top Tips to Improve Reproducibility and Sensitivity in Solid Phase ... - LCGC Chromatography Online

Biochemistry

Simpson College Meal Plan Next Year The Simpsonian – The Simpsonian

Will Kopp

Pfeiffer Hall is set to be the main venue for food service next academic year as Kent Campus Center receives its renovation and expansion.

Meal plans are set to rise in price at Simpson and take on a different structure while future renovations of Kent will force students to eat at Pfeiffer Hall next semester.

The new plan allows students to spend their allotted amount of boards and flex per week. There will be three different options for students to choose from. Nonapartment living students have the option to choose between 19 and 12-meal-per-week plans. Those plans will cost the same $2,611 per semester. Students that choose the 12 meals per week will have more flex to spend throughout the week.

Students that live in apartments on campus will have three meal plan choices. The third meal plan will be seven meals per week. This option will cost $1,637 per semester.

Vice President for Student Development and Planning Heidi Levine was excited to premiere this meal plan next semester to combat the issue of students being unable to eat on campus in the late fall or spring.

Weve had a problem with food insecurity, Levine said.

With the current block plan, it is easy to mismanage your boards and flex, and students are often left empty-handed nearing the end of the semester. Levine hopes to solve this food insecurity with the new meal plan and guarantee that students will have access to food on campus all semester long.

As were changing our dining facilities and dining program, it was the right time to transition the board program so that we have a board program that matches what our new dining program is going to look like, Levine said.

Students are not happy about the meal plan becoming more expensive, but as food and labor increase in price, it is something Simpson thought was necessary.

Emily Burns is a sophomore at Simpson and is majoring in biochemistry. As a student that will be attending the institution next year, she shared her frustrations.

If you dont use the meals for the week, you just lose them. I know students that go home often or dont eat three meals a day, Burns said

Kent is set to receive renovations next semester, which will make Pfeiffer the only location on campus to get food. Pfeiffer is going to be a continuous dining model from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to allow students to have some flexibility with their schedules. The dining staff will benefit by all being in one location at Pfeiffer instead of being split between two facilities.

There will be fewer places to be using flex next year, Levine said.

According to Levine, the Thursday after spring break between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the architects will host an open forum with visuals about what the renovations in Kent will look like.

Levine is excited that our meal plan is seeing changes next school year and believes that in the long run, with a few pinches along the way, the Kent renovations will all be worth it.

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Simpson College Meal Plan Next Year The Simpsonian - The Simpsonian