Category Archives: Biochemistry

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

Biochemistry

Plant Stem Cell Market is anticipated to experience significant growth 2023-2030|Aidan Products LLC,Mibelle – EIN News

Plant Stem Cell Market Analysis

The new report from Coherent Market Insights, titled Plant Stem Cell Market Size, Share, Price, Trends, Growth, Report and Forecast 2023-2030, offers a detailed analysis of the Plant Stem Cell market. The report evaluates the market based on demand, application information, price trends, historical and projected market data, and company shares of the top industries by geography. The study looks at the most recent changes in the market and how they may affect other industries. Along with analyzing market dynamics, significant demand and price indicators, and the SWOT and Porters Five Forces models, it also conducts a market analysis.

Plant stem cells are undifferentiated cells within the meristems of plants. Plant stem cells serve as the origin of plant vitality as they maintain themselves and provide a steady supply of precursor cells to form various tissues and organs in plants. Plant stem cells are characterized by two distinctive properties namely its ability to create differentiated cell types and to self-renew such that the number of stem cells remain stable.

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In order to provide a feasibility assessment, industrial cost structures, and service offerings, this new global Plant Stem Cell market study uses in-depth industry intelligence. We have highly skilled researchers and analysts that are committed to providing superior analyses and plans to hasten the Plant Stem Cell industrys expansion on a global scale. Major players active in the global Plant Stem Cell market are also covered in this study along with company information, latest developments, revenue, mergers and acquisitions, and expansion plans. Segmentation of the market by product type, application, and geographic location is also covered in research reports, along with regional market sizes for each kind and application.

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The Plant Stem Cell market report offers an in-depth analysis of market size at the global, regional, and national levels, market growth by segment, share, competitive landscape, sales analysis, the effects of domestic and international market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunity analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, regional marketplace expansion, and technological innovations over the course of the forecast period. A complete cost analysis and supplier chain are also included in the report. The products performance will be further enhanced through technology, enabling it to be used in more downstream applications. Additionally, a detailed understanding of consumer behavior and market dynamics is necessary to comprehend the Plant Stem Cell industry (drivers, restraints, and opportunities).

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Oriflame Holding AG, MyChelle Dermaceuticals, LLC, Natura Therapeutics Inc, Aidan Products LLC, Mibelle Biochemistry, Phyto Science SDN BHD, and Renature Skin Care Inc.

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: United States, Canada, and Mexico

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: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, BeNeLux, Russia, NORDIC Nations and Rest of Europe.

-: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and Rest of APAC.

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The research methodology employs a combination of primary and secondary studies as well as expert panel reviews. Press releases, yearly reports, and academic articles are examples of sources used for secondary research in the sector. Trade periodicals, official blogs, and business magazines are other sources. Porters Five Factors analysis, which outlines the five forces in the global market (bargaining power of the buyer, supplier, new competitors, substitutes, and degree of competition), is included in the study. The financial statements of all the major players are examined, together with their important trends, product benchmarking, and SWOT analysis, by analysts.

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In which appropriate, authenticated market size information and data in terms of value and volume with statistically validated analyses of historical, current, and projected industry trends. The industrys primary and indirect influencing factors, as well as anticipated future industry-related rationales. Historical and Current Demand (Consumption) and Supply (Production) Scenarios as well as Projected Supply-Demand Scenario Analysis. A thorough list of important customers and consumers, broken down by regions and applications. Supply chain and value chain analysis, as well as scenarios for horizontal and vertical integration. Overview of the most important marketing tactics and sales channels used in the market. Analysis of the manufacturing and production cost structure, including labor cost, raw material costs, and other manufacturing expenses, where applicable.

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What is the projected market size & growth rate of the Plant Stem Cell Market?

What are the main driving forces behind the Plant Stem Cell Markets expansion?

What are the leading companies present in the Plant Stem Cell Market?

Which market segments does the Plant Stem Cell Market cover?

During the forecast period, which region or sub-segment is anticipated to lead the market?

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Biochips Market -https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/biochips-market-1146

Flow Cytometry Market -https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/flow-cytometry-market-1152

Wound Care Biologics Market -https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/wound-care-biologics-market-1506

Anti-body Coupled T Receptor Therapy Market -https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/anti-body-coupled-t-receptor-therapy-1600

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Plant Stem Cell Market is anticipated to experience significant growth 2023-2030|Aidan Products LLC,Mibelle - EIN News

Biochemistry

How the ASBMB shaped my career – ASBMB Today

When we take a moment to reflect, we always can find a few moments, people or connections that took our lives in directions we never had imagined. In my case, two factors significantly shaped my career transition from science to science policy: the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a draft 2017 tax bill.

As a Ph.D. student at the University of Kansas Medical Center, I joined my first-choice lab with a vibrant new assistant professor, Bret Freudenthal. Under his mentorship, I studied the mechanisms by which DNA polymerases process DNA damage using X-ray crystallography and enzyme kinetics.

I passed my qualification exams and was progressing in my dissertation project when I heard that lawmakers had proposed a provision in the federal tax law that would make graduate students tuition waivers qualify as income. This meant a student would pay income taxes on any tuition that was paid or waived as part of their employment or research program. I would have owed another $750 or so a year in federal taxes. The proposal could have cost grad students in other programs upwards of $10,000 per year.

Such a change would burden all graduate students across the nation and likely cause many to drop out of their programs. Those without other financial resources to fall back on would be hit the hardest that is, disproportionately first-generation students, students without familial or spousal support, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

I felt compelled to act. Organizations and schools were speaking out on social media, but I wanted to tell the lawmakers themselves about the devastating effect this law would have on my peers and my financial security. But I didnt know the first thing about policymaking and governance.

With an ignited passion to learn about advocacy and be a voice for my peers, I applied to be part of the 2018 ASBMB Capitol Hill Day.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASBMB public affairs department brought trainees to Washington, D.C., each spring to speak to lawmakers about the importance of supporting basic science and its workforce. In 2018, I was one of 20 trainees who came to Capitol Hill, where ASBMB public affairs staff trained us and then split us into small groups to advocate at nearly 100 congressional offices collectively.

Through Capitol Hill Day, I learned how to communicate effectively to lawmakers by tailoring my science to be relevant to issues they are concerned about. I also met peers from across the nation who were interested in science policy and the ASBMB public affairs staff who organized everything.

I gained extremely valuable skills, but I was even more influenced by the energy I felt being in D.C.

I sat next to the ASBMB president, Natalie Ahn, and chair of the Public Affairs Advisory Committee, Matthew Gentry, who spoke with the excitement and conviction that comes with being experienced advocates. I felt a strong sense of purpose when it was my turn to advocate for what was important to me: basic science and brilliant scientists.

Courtesy of Natalie Ahn

Natalie Ahn, Mallory Smith and Matthew Gentry in front of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology office during the 2018 Capitol Hill Day.

Gentry moonlighted as our tour guide. He shared interesting stories and detailed knowledge of the events held on Capitol Hill that day, and he recognized many of the people we passed. He insisted that we ride the underground train between the House and Senate buildings; Im still not sure whether it was actually a shortcut.

On the plane ride home, I was overwhelmed by my gut feeling that this was just the beginning. I didnt know how or when, but Id be back one day.

Over the next year, I pursued science advocacy and outreach activities in my community; I organized the Kansas City March for Science festival, hosted science cafes, served on research and student councils at KUMC, and more. I also pushed my dissertation project forward, published my first first-author paper and made good progress on my second one.

Noting my progress in both science and policy, my adviser offered to send me to the annual ASBMB meeting rather than the field-specific meeting our lab typically attended.

I was intimidated to attend a conference alone. Then I got a huge confidence boost when the ASBMB selected my abstract for a travel award and an oral presentation at a session my first national presentation!

En route to Orlando, I nervously posted a tweet tagging the ASBMB public affairs team. To my surprise, they responded and even offered to meet with me to discuss my science policy efforts and how they could help.

At the meeting, I networked with an array of interesting professionals (and made a new friend) at the career programming event for travel awardees, explored science both inside and outside my field, and reconnected with the public affairs department between sessions. As a result, the director at the time, Benjamin Corb, donated 75 advocacy toolkits for an event I was co-organizing to teach advocacy to scientists in my community.

(Authors note: If youre interested in science policy and attending #DiscoverBMB please come find our team! Were hosting several events and would love to chat with you. Connect with us at our Advocacy Town Hall at 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 27, and our panel titled How to engage in advocacy as a scientist at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28.)

By the time I was setting a date to defend my Ph.D., I had the best of both worlds: a solid scientific CV and a strong track record of leadership and advocacy activities.

I wasnt sure whether I was ready to jump into science policy right after graduation. Most science policy professionals who start out as scientists participate in fellowship programs a majority of which I was ineligible for until after graduation. I also had to navigate the decision while the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding and we all were working remotely.

I landed at the National Institutes of Healths Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as a postdoctoral fellow. I worked a shifted Thursday-through-Sunday schedule to comply with COVID-19 occupancy restrictions.

I didnt meet the other half of our lab until six months after I started the position, and I had no formal opportunities to meet other postdocs or people outside of my lab.

Not wanting to let up on advocacy, I contacted the ASBMB public affairs office. The director was excited to hear I was in the area and told me that the ASBMB staff was busy but still working from home.

I joined the NIH Science Policy Discussion Group (virtually), which led me to co-author a policy memo in the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. I also was elected to the NIH Fellows Committee, which connected me to the National Postdoctoral Association.

Next, I was appointed to the NPAs advocacy committee to help lead its national public policy efforts. This timing was fortuitous. The committee was being restructured for more action-oriented activities in support of well-defined goals in the NPAs strategic plan, and that gave me a crash course in grassroots advocacy on a national scale.

The NPA leaders, my committee co-leader and the committee members all work in different environments and in varying levels of academia, including postdocs, postdoc administrators and graduate deans. I saw the strength of bringing together a diverse community with common interests, the important role media plays in instigating change, and the value of a strategic plan in the ever-changing advocacy landscape.

I also learned how to balance my science and my advocacy. Most scientists do advocacy off the clock or squeeze it in between experiments. I realized I was burning the candle at both ends. I took stock of all the positions I held and efforts I contributed to, and then I started cutting roles that were not helping me learn, grow or move into science policy full time. I became more focused and productive, improved my mental health and, in general, was a better advocate and scientist.

In 2020, the ASBMB public affairs department had openings for new science policy managers. Ben Corb remembered me from our chats and interactions on Twitter and suggested I apply. I got the job.

After joining the team, I realized how the ASBMB had shaped my career by showing me the power of Capitol Hill, helping to build my confidence as an advocate, and now giving me a job to pursue science policy full time, supporting the community that helped shape me.

Although the ASBMB currently is not bringing trainees to D.C. for Capitol Hill Day, they can get dedicated training and participation in a virtual Hill Day through the ASBMB Advocacy Training Program. Applications are being accepted until April 21.

Wonder what we do in the ASBMB public affairs department? We advocate to stakeholders (federal science agencies, lawmakers and other organizations); write position statements and comment letters to raise awareness and provide recommendations; organize events; communicate with our members and the public; and much more. I also advocate on issues affecting student and postdoctoral communities, which Im particularly driven to address, and I manage the Advocacy Training Program.

The ASBMB ATP is a summer externship certificate program that provides science policy and advocacy training for ASBMB members. Participants learn the skills to become effective advocates, and each of them develops materials for an independent project addressing an issue in science policy or in their individual community. By providing the ATP delegates with tools to be independent advocates, Im arming them with the knowledge and confidence to take action when they see injustice. Im teaching them how to use their voices something I wish Id had back in 2017 to oppose the draft tax bill.

I was helpless to influence that 2017 bill, but it led me to my niche between science and policy, supporting the community that shaped me and fighting for better policies for our future.

To stay up to date with the ASBMBs advocacy efforts and find pertinent articles, funding announcements and other helpful trainings or resources, sign up for our monthly Advocacy Newsletter here.

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How the ASBMB shaped my career - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

Biological network helps body adapt to stresses on health – Utah Business

An analysis of 33 human proteins involved in converting carbohydrates into fuel found 830 interactions with metabolites.

Werediscovering how nature has evolved to drug its own proteins and pathways, saysJared Rutter, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Department of Biochemistry at University of Utah and the studys corresponding author.By following natures lead, were learning how to make better therapeutics.

These findingsand the technology that made them possiblehas become the basis for the biotechnology companyAtavistik Bio, co-founded by Rutter. The company is leveraging this new understanding to accelerate drug discovery for metabolic diseases and cancer.

At a more fundamental level, Rutter says, the advance deepens knowledge about how cells and our bodies work.

A New Frontier

The network described in the study represents an underappreciated layer of regulation in cells that comes from an unexpected source. For nearly 20 years, Rutters lab has researched metabolism, the chemical reactions that produce energy and build essential components to keep cells running smoothly. Their new research finds that intermediate products of those chemical reactions are more than passive building blocks and sources of fuel for cells, as had long been thought.

Instead, these intermediate products, along with other metabolites, make up an expansive web of sentries that monitor the environment and prompt cells to adapt when needed. They do this by interacting with proteins and modifying how they work. Does a big meal pump too many carbs in the body? Or too much fat? Like a railroad switch that guides a train onto a new track, these protein-metabolite interactions shift metabolic operations to break down those nutrients and steady the course.

The studys first author Kevin Hicks, Ph.D., developed a new technology, termed MIDAS, that reveals the enormity of the regulatory network that acts as an interface between environmental cues and cell metabolism, called the protein-metabolite interactome. The highly sensitive technique identified interactions that had never been seen. An analysis of 33 human proteins involved in converting carbohydrates into fuel found 830 interactions with metabolites. Given that there are thousands of proteins in the cell, the full scale of the network is predicted to be much larger.

Its surprising how little we knowabout the extent of these interactions, Hicks says. We are pushing our understanding of the biological

network in new directions.

Metabolic processes that become derailed can lead to illness and disease. Rutter and Hicks say that shedding light on additional interactions in the network will lead to a better understanding of root causes of diseasesand the development of new therapeutic approaches for getting things back on track.

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Biological network helps body adapt to stresses on health - Utah Business

Biochemistry

Researchers develop a drug effective in a rar – EurekAlert

BEER-SHEVA, Israel, March 21, 2023 Statins are the most commonly used medication in lowering blood cholesterol, prescribed to tens of millions in the Western world. Statins act through inhibition of the enzyme HMG CoA reductase. Nearly 20% of statin users develop muscle symptoms (statin myopathy) including weakness and pain. In about 1%, this myopathy is severe and does not subside months after cessation of statin treatment.

A research team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center discovered a severe hereditary muscle disease that develops around the age of 40 years, progressing by the early 50s to complete immobility of the limbs and the chest muscles, necessitating full-time artificial ventilation and eventually culminating in death. They went on to demonstrate that the disease is caused by a mutation in the gene encoding HMG CoA reductase, inhibiting the enzymes activity.

Attempting to cure the severe hereditary disease, the research group synthesized and purified Methylmevalonolactone, the normal product of HMG CoA reductase, which is lacking in those patients. Following testing for safety in mice, the team got an exceptional compassionate use permit to give the novel medication, never given to humans before, to the most severely affected patient, who was near death - completely immobile and fully dependent on artificial ventilation. The patient has now been treated with the medication (orally, 3 times a week) for more than a year, with no side effects.

Not only did she stop deteriorating, she has improved dramatically: she can breathe without support for hours at a time, move her arms and legs extensively and even feed her grandchild. Other patients, some of whom are already in late stages of the disease, are awaiting treatment. The researchers estimate that there are dozens to hundreds of people affected by this hereditary disease that could benefit from this effective life-saving treatment.

Based on the successful treatment of the hereditary disease, the research group went on to test whether the medication can be effective in the treatment of the non-remitting muscle problems occurring in ~1% of statin users. Indeed, they showed that the medication was extremely effective in a mouse model system mimicking the human statin myopathy. This is the first study to link muscle pain and weakness to statin use.

The entire research from the human genetics and biochemistry studies to generation and purification of the medication, to the human and mouse trials were done as part of the PhD thesis of Dr. Yuval Yogev, guided by Prof. Ohad Birk, head of the Morris Kahn Laboratory of Human Genetics at Ben-Gurion University and director of the clinical genetics institute at Soroka Medical Center. Prof. Birk is also a member of the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN).

The study, published last monthin the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), was supported by the Israel Science Foundation.

Based on the findings, the research team are now seeking financial support / collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry to push forward standardized production and licensing of the medication, to save the lives of many individuals worldwide suffering from this hereditary disorder, as well as enabling treatment of tens of thousands of statin-myopathy patients. It should be noted that the FDA procedures are more lenient in licensing medications for rare diseases, thus rapid progress is expected in this regard.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Experimental study

People

Limb girdle muscular disease caused by HMGCR mutation and statin myopathy treatable with mevalonolactone

6-Feb-2023

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Researchers develop a drug effective in a rar - EurekAlert

Biochemistry

Co-infection with superbug bacteria increases SARS-CoV-2 replication up to 15 times – Newswise

Newswise Global data shows nearly 10 per cent of severe COVID-19 cases involve a secondary bacterial co-infection with Staphylococcus aureus, also known as Staph A., being the most common organism responsible for co-existing infections with SARS-CoV-2. Researchers at Western have found if you add a superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) into the mix, the COVID-19 outcome could be even more deadly.

The mystery of how and why these two pathogens, when combined, contribute to the severity of the disease remains unsolved. However, a team of Western researchers has made significant progress toward solving this whodunit.

New research byMariya Goncheva,Richard M. Gibson, Ainslie C. Shouldice,Jimmy D. DikeakosandDavid E. Heinrichs, has revealed that IsdA, a protein found in all strains of Staph A., enhanced SARS-CoV-2 replication by 10- to 15-fold. The findings of this study are significant and could help inform the development of new therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 patients with bacterial co-infections.

Interestingly, the study, which was recently published iniScience, also showed that SARS-CoV-2 did not affect the bacterias growth. This was contrary to what the researchers had initially expected.

We started with an assumption that SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalization due to COVID-19 possibly caused patients to be more susceptible to bacterial infections which eventually resulted in worse outcomes, said Goncheva, who is a former postdoctoral associate, previously with the department of microbiology and immunology at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Goncheva said bacterial infections are most commonly acquired in hospital settings and hospitalization increases the risk of co-infection. Bacterial infections are one of the most significant complications of respiratory viral infections such as COVID-19 and Influenza A. Despite the use of antibiotics, 25 per cent of patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 and bacteria, die as a result. This is especially true for patients who are hospitalized, and even more so for those in intensive care units. We were interested in finding why this happens, said Goncheva, lead investigator of the study.

Goncheva, currently Canada Research Chair in virology and professor of biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Victoria, studied the pathogenesis of multi-drug resistant bacteria (such as MRSA) supervised by Heinrichs, professor of microbiology and immunology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she pivoted to study interactions between MRSA and SARS-CoV-2.

For this study, conducted at Westerns level 3 biocontainment lab, Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation (ImPaKT), Gonchevas work created an out-of-organism laboratory model to study the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and MRSA, a difficult-to-treat multi-drug resistant bacteria.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the then newly opened ImPaKT facility made it possible for us to study the interactions between live SARS-CoV-2 virus and MRSA. We were able to get these insights into molecular-level interactions due to the technology at ImPaKT, said Heinrichs, whose lab focuses on MRSA and finding drugs to treat MRSA infections. The next step would be to replicate this study in relevant animal models.

Read the full text of the studyhere.

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Co-infection with superbug bacteria increases SARS-CoV-2 replication up to 15 times - Newswise

Biochemistry

CD Formulation Provides Pharmaceutical Testing on Tablet Fragility … – Digital Journal

PRESS RELEASE

Published March 22, 2023

New York, USA - March 22, 2023 - Pharmaceutical testing is a must to ensure that all medications meet the top quality, safety, and performance requirements before they enter the market. CD Formulation's cGMP-compliant laboratory is well-equipped to identify both the chemical and structural composition of each drug substance. More recently, the company announced to broaden its service range to tablet fragility test, dissolution test, and disintegration test.

"Staffed with a group of pharmaceutical experts specialized in chemistry, biochemistry, and engineering, CD Formulation has grown to be one of the finest contract service organizations. Our testing laboratories have both expertise and experience to handle the most complex formulation problems," said the Marketing Chief of CD Formulation. "Our analysis and testing services will support pharmaceutical companies at every step and phase of the drug development lifecycle, making sure the entire drug development process complies with the latest regulatory standards and requirements."

Below are some of the testing services newly introduced by CD Formulation:

Tablet Fragility Test

The tablet fragility test is purposed to determine the resistance of tablets against mechanical stress, both shaking and erosion. Theoretically speaking, the higher the percentage of fragility, the greater the loss of tablet life. The physical and chemical properties and stability of API have a great influence on the friability of tablets. Other factors such as excipients and the production process will influence tablet fragility as well. CD Formulation's experienced analysis experts can perform tablet fragility tests by pharmacopeia methods, helping clients to conduct an appropriate risk assessment of the finished drug.

Dissolution Test

Drug dissolution test is a standardized method for measuring the release rate of a drug from a given dosage form, which helps to evaluate the performance of a drug. CD Formulation's dissolution testing is performed under specified conditions according to specific applicable pharmacopoeial standards, such as Four Dissolution Apparatuses Standardized, USP Dissolution Apparatus 1 - Basket (37 C 0.5C), USP Dissolution Apparatus 2 - Paddle (37C 0.5C), USP Dissolution Apparatus 3 - Reciprocating Cylinder (37 C 0.5C), and USP Dissolution Apparatus 4 - Flow-Through Cell (37 C 0.5C).

Disintegration Test

The disintegration test is to evaluate the ability of a sample, mostly tablets, capsules, and enteric-coated tablets, to break into smaller particles under standard conditions. The results will provide critical safety data on the bioavailability of drugs in vivo without the use of in vivo methods. At CD Formulation, a series of methods such as the test-tube method, sieve method with shaker, sieve method, and pharmacopoeial method are used to test disintegration for drugs.

Please visit the website https://www.formulationbio.com/analytical.html to learn more.

About

Successfully solving drug formulation and delivery issues for its global customers is always the goal of CD Formulation. Equipped with advanced facilities that comply with GMP regulations, CD Formulation is of great help to pharmaceutical companies during the progress of formulation, from initial pre-formulation trials to commercial manufacturing. Moreover, after years of untiring efforts, the company has also extended its product lines to pharmaceutical excipients, cosmetic ingredients, food ingredients, offering almost 1,000 excipients or raw materials across the globe.

Media ContactCompany Name: CD FormulationContact Person: Helen SmithEmail: Send EmailPhone: 1-631-372-1052Country: United StatesWebsite: https://www.formulationbio.com

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CD Formulation Provides Pharmaceutical Testing on Tablet Fragility ... - Digital Journal

Biochemistry

UTEP Joins Project to 3D Print Batteries from Lunar and Martian Soil – The University of Texas at El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (March 22, 2023) The University of Texas at El Paso has joined a project led by NASA to leverage 3D-printing processes with the aim of manufacturing rechargeable batteries using lunar and Martian regolith, which is the top layer of materials that covers the surface of the moon and Mars.

UTEP has joined a project led by NASA to leverage 3D-printing processes with the aim of manufacturing rechargeable batteries using lunar and Martian regolith, which is the top layer of materials that covers the surface of the moon and Mars. Photo by JR Hernandez / UTEP Marketing and Communications

UTEP is a national leader in additive manufacturing for space applications, said Kenith Meissner, Ph.D., dean of the UTEP College of Engineering. I congratulate the team of UTEP researchers involved in this important work. I am confident their work will add significant value to this project, getting us closer to a return to the moon and our first forays beyond.

UTEPs $615,000 grant is part of a $2.5 million project that includes Youngstown State University (YSU), 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs, as well as ICON, the private sector company currently leading the NASA Mars Dune Alpha project aiming to 3D print future habitats on Mars.

The long-term goal of the project is to maximize the sustainability of astronauts' future lunar and Martian missions by reducing payload weight and dead volume. The utilization of local resources widely available on the moon or Mars is crucial to develop infrastructure such as habitation modules, power generation and energy storage facilities.

UTEP is a seminal partner in this NASA-led project with our long and deep heritage in additive manufacturing, said Eric MacDonald, Ph.D., professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering and associate dean in the UTEP College of Engineering. UTEPs reputation in 3D printing, material science and our state-of-the-art facilities were important factors in convincing our NASA partners to pursue this potentially transformative research for space exploration but for terrestrial applications of batteries as well.

ACS Energy Letters, a peer-reviewed journal from the American Chemical Society, published an article titled What Would Battery Manufacturing on the Moon and Mars Look Like? in January, detailing the progress UTEP and NASA researchers have already made on this project.

The published work highlights two types of 3D-printing processes material extrusion (ME) and vat photopolymerization (VPP) to produce shape-conformable batteries on the moon and Mars.

Shape-conformable batteries are complex 3D battery designs that outperform existing commercial batteries because of their ability to fill the dimensions of objects. Such tailored batteries are especially well-suited for applications in small spacecraft, portable power devices, robots, and large-scale power systems for moon and Mars habitat missions.

Another potential outcome of this work is the development of shape-conformable batteries that can be used on Earth. These batteries could be embedded in 3D-printed concrete walls and connected to solar power generation to create compact, self-sustaining homes for disaster response and in developing countries.

While commercial lithium-ion batteries can be found in most of todays applications, manufacturing lithium-ion batteries from lunar and Martian soil is not a viable option since lithium is scarcely available on the moon. For this project, the UTEP research team is currently focusing their work on sodium-ion battery chemistry, based on the greater abundance of sodium.

This project with NASA is an opportunity to demonstrate UTEPs expertise in both energy storage and 3D printing, said Alexis Maurel, Ph.D., French Fulbright Scholar in the UTEP Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. Additive manufacturing appears as a unique approach to manufacture shape-conformable batteries to support human operations in space and on the surface of the moon or Mars, where cargo resupply is not as readily available.

In addition to MacDonald and Maurel, the UTEP team also includes Ana C. Martinez, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher in the UTEP Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Sreeprasad Sreenivasan, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

In the projects initial phase, NASA, UTEP and YSU will identify and work on the extraction of battery materials and precursors from lunar and Martian regolith. The UTEP/YSU team has already developed and VPP 3D printed composite resin feedstocks for each part of the sodium-ion battery (i.e., electrodes, electrolyte, current collector). The team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center developed and ME 3D printed composite inks for the different battery components. UTEP and NASAs Glenn Research Center are then electrochemically testing the completed 3D-printed sodium-ion battery components.

About the University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso is Americas leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 169 bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

Last Updated on March 22, 2023 at 12:00 AM | Originally published March 22, 2023

By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications

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UTEP Joins Project to 3D Print Batteries from Lunar and Martian Soil - The University of Texas at El Paso