Biochemistry: A Very Short Introduction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Lorch
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Chemical Reactions ◽  
Biochemical Reactions ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Living Things ◽  
Historical Figures ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Current Science

Biochemistry: A Very Short Introduction discusses the key concepts of biochemistry, as well as the historical figures in the field and the molecules they studied. From bacteria to humans, all living things are composed of cells of one type or another, all of which have fundamentally the same chemistry. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical reactions within these cells; the molecules that are created, manipulated, and destroyed as a result of them; and the chemical structures such as DNA on which these biochemical reactions take place. This VSI considers the current science and innovations in the field. It also looks at the interaction between biochemistry, biotechnology, and synthetic biology.

Biotransformation of Coumarins by Filamentous Fungi: An Alternative Way for Achievement of Bioactive Analogs

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 568-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jainara Santos do Nascimento ◽  
João Carlos Silva Conceição ◽  
Eliane de Oliveira Silva
Keyword(s):  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Chemical Reactions ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Chemical Transformations ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Pattern Structures ◽  
Pharmacological Interest ◽  
Aspergillus Sp ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Related Compounds

Coumarins are natural 1,2-benzopyrones, present in remarkable amounts as secondary metabolites in edible and medicinal plants. The low yield in the coumarins isolation from natural sources, along with the difficulties faced by the total synthesis, make them attractive for biotechnological studies. The current literature contains several reports on the biotransformation of coumarins by fungi, which can generate chemical analogs with high selectivity, using mild and eco-friendly conditions. Prompted by the enormous pharmacological interest in the coumarin-related compounds, their alimentary and chemical applications, this review covers the biotransformation of coumarins by filamentous fungi. The chemical structures of the analogs were presented and compared with those from the pattern structures. The main chemical reactions catalyzed the insertion of functional groups, and the impact on the biological activities caused by the chemical transformations were discussed. Several chemical reactions can be catalyzed by filamentous fungi in the coumarin scores, mainly lactone ring opening, C3-C4 reduction and hydroxylation. Chunninghamella sp. and Aspergillus sp. are the most common fungi used in these transformations. Concerning the substrates, the biotransformation of pyranocoumarins is a rarer process. Sometimes, the bioactivities were improved by the chemical modifications and coincidences with the mammalian metabolism were pointed out.

scholarly journals Chemical and biochemical thermodynamics reunification (IUPAC Technical Report)

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Sabatini ◽  
Marco Borsari ◽  
Gerard P. Moss ◽  
Stefano Iotti
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Reactions ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Joint Commission ◽  
Chemical Thermodynamics ◽  
Thermodynamic Quantities ◽  
Biochemical Reactions ◽  
Mathematical Transformation ◽  
Biochemical Nomenclature ◽  
Thermodynamic Potentials ◽  
Technical Report

AbstractAccording to the 1994 IUBMB-IUPAC Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature (JCBN) on chemical and biochemical reactions, two categories of thermodynamics, based on different concepts and different formalisms, are established: (i) chemical thermodynamics, which employ conventional thermodynamic potentials to deal with chemical reactions [1], [2], [3]; and (ii) biochemical thermodynamics, which employ transformed thermodynamic quantities to deal with biochemical reactions based on the formalism proposed by Alberty [4], [5], [6], [7]. We showed that the two worlds of chemical and biochemical thermodynamics, which so far have been treated separately, can be reunified within the same thermodynamic framework. The thermodynamics of chemical reactions, in which all species are explicitly considered with their atoms and charge balanced, are compared with the transformed thermodynamics generally used to treat biochemical reactions where atoms and charges are not balanced. The transformed thermodynamic quantities suggested by Alberty are obtained by a mathematical transformation of the usual thermodynamic quantities. The present analysis demonstrates that the transformed values for ΔrG′0 and ΔrH′0 can be obtained directly, without performing any transformation, by simply writing the chemical reactions with all the pseudoisomers explicitly included and the elements and charges balanced. The appropriate procedures for computing the stoichiometric coefficients for the pseudoisomers are fully explained by means of an example calculation for the biochemical ATP hydrolysis reaction. It is concluded that the analysis reunifies the “two separate worlds” of conventional thermodynamics and transformed thermodynamics.

scholarly journals Biosynthesis of Nature-Inspired Unnatural Cannabinoids

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 2914
Author(s):  
Kevin J. H. Lim ◽  
Yan Ping Lim ◽  
Yossa D. Hartono ◽  
Maybelle K. Go ◽  
Hao Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Orphan Receptors ◽  
Complex Chemical ◽  
Biological Targets ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Commercial Use ◽  
Wide Range

Natural products make up a large proportion of medicine available today. Cannabinoids from the plant Cannabis sativa is one unique class of meroterpenoids that have shown a wide range of bioactivities and recently seen significant developments in their status as therapeutic agents for various indications. Their complex chemical structures make it difficult to chemically synthesize them in efficient yields. Synthetic biology has presented a solution to this through metabolic engineering in heterologous hosts. Through genetic manipulation, rare phytocannabinoids that are produced in low yields in the plant can now be synthesized in larger quantities for therapeutic and commercial use. Additionally, an exciting avenue of exploring new chemical spaces is made available as novel derivatized compounds can be produced and investigated for their bioactivities. In this review, we summarized the biosynthetic pathways of phytocannabinoids and synthetic biology efforts in producing them in heterologous hosts. Detailed mechanistic insights are discussed in each part of the pathway in order to explore strategies for creating novel cannabinoids. Lastly, we discussed studies conducted on biological targets such as CB1, CB2 and orphan receptors along with their affinities to these cannabinoid ligands with a view to inform upstream diversification efforts.

scholarly journals Artificial Biosynthetic Pathway for an Unnatural Terpenoid with an Iridiumcontaining P450

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Huang ◽  
Zhennan Liu ◽  
brandon bloomer ◽  
Douglas Clark ◽  
Aindrila Mukhopadhyay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Chemical Reactions ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Metabolic Networks ◽  
Complex Molecules ◽  
Whole Cells ◽  
Porphyrin Complex ◽  
Heme Transport ◽  
Artificial Metalloenzymes

<div>Synthetic biology enables microbial hosts to produce complex molecules that are</div><div>otherwise produced by organisms that are rare or difficult to cultivate, but the structures of these</div><div>molecules are limited to chemical reactions catalyzed by natural enzymes. The integration of</div><div>artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) that catalyze abiotic reactions into metabolic networks could</div><div>broaden the cache of molecules produced biosynthetically by microorgansms. We report the</div><div>assembly of an ArM containing an iridium-porphyrin complex in the cytoplasm of a terpene</div><div>producing Escherichia coli by a heterologous heme transport machinery, and insertion of this ArM</div><div>into a natural biosynthetic pathway to produce an unnatural terpenoid. This work shows that</div><div>synthetic biology and synthetic chemistry, incorporated together in whole cells, can produce</div><div>molecules previously inaccessible to nature.</div>

scholarly journals Production of clusters and thin films of nitrides, oxides and carbides by pulsed laser ablation and deposition

2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Orlando ◽  
A. Paladini ◽  
A. Santagata ◽  
V. Marotta ◽  
G. P. Parisi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Laser Ablation ◽  
Chemical Reactions ◽  
Pulsed Laser ◽  
Pulsed Laser Ablation ◽  
Volatile Components ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Matter Interaction ◽  
Atomic Source

A short introduction on the principles of laser-matter interaction, material evaporation, plume formation, its reactivity with suitable gases and finally deposition are here illustrated. Experiments by mass spectrometry of formation of clusters, precursors of thin films and nanoparticles of oxides, nitrides and carbides by pulsed laser ablation (PLA) are reported. Pulsed laser ablation of targets combined with an intense atomic source produced by radiofrequency (RF), are discussed in terms of generating chemical reactions or supplying the loss of volatile components.

scholarly journals A tutorial on machine learning for 
interactive pedagogical systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-112
Author(s):  
Francisco S Melo ◽  
Samuel Mascarenhas ◽  
Ana Paiva
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring Systems ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Tutoring Systems ◽  
Key Concepts

This paper provides a short introduction to the field of machine learning for interactive pedagogical systems. Departing from different examples encountered in interactive pedagogical systems—such as intelligent tutoring systems or serious games—we go over several representative families of methods in machine learning, introducing key concepts in this field. We discuss common challenges in machine learning and how current methods address such challenges. Conversely, by anchoring our presentation on actual interactive pedagogical systems, highlight how machine learning can benefit the development of such systems.

Trigonometry: A Very Short Introduction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Van Brummelen
Keyword(s):  
Computer Graphics ◽  
Ancient Greece ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Curved Space ◽  
Islamic World ◽  
The World ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Medieval India ◽  
The Universe

Trigonometry: A Very Short Introduction draws together the full history of trigonometry, stretching across two millennia and several cultures such as ancient Greece, medieval India, and the Islamic world. It introduces the key concepts of trigonometry, drawing readers beyond the basic relationships first encountered in school to reveal the richness of the entire subject of trigonometry and ideas such as curved space. It also explores connections with genuine modern applications, including navigation, the analysis of music, computer graphics, and powerful modelling tools in science, and shows how trigonometry has participated in big questions about the world, including the shape of the universe and the nature of infinity.

Introductory Concepts

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domitilla Del Vecchio ◽  
Richard M. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Systems Biology ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Feedback Systems ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Modeling Analysis ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
And Control ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter provides a brief introduction to concepts from systems biology; tools from differential equations and control theory; and approaches to the modeling, analysis, and design of biomolecular feedback systems. It begins with a discussion of the role of modeling, analysis, and feedback in biological systems. This is followed by a short review of key concepts and tools from control and dynamical systems theory, which is intended to provide insight into the main methodology described in this volume. Finally, this chapter gives another brief introduction—this time to the field of synthetic biology, which is the primary topic of the latter portion of this book.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document