Hi!
I am happy to see a forum like this at least after 15 yrs, since i finished, my Graduation in Biotech MKU, i have drifted my career in different directions, to tell you the truth, i have not had any career in particular, I was running family business for 6 years in India, and during that time  I found new interest in IT and i took some courses but  i did not nail any job, everything was half done, i had landed in Toronto during the same time, and i  taught the IT courses  i learned for a short time, however, i have not landed in any IT job, then i was again busy in this part of the world for 6 yrs with the hotel business, but i kept my interest in my sciences, in fact i took DAT and i did quite well, but again of no use, and i wanted to get into Nursing, i thought it should, be smooth, it is different, and i could not clear all the papers in first semester,  the passing grade is 80%, i just had to leave the way it is, and i continued on taking courses in Accounting and IT, Just finished 2 certificate courses in this December from community college, I am planning to  get into job market. Are there any avenues that can utilize my skills.

Hey, I'm in high school and I've recently grown interested in biotech. I want to go into this field as a career and I really want to start doing things now. I would like to build my own lab in my bedroom or garage and start doing experiments, but I have very little knowledge in this topic and I have no clue where to start!

I have zero experience and zero equipment can someone give me some specific things I can do to get started and begin doing experiments please? What would be some good first-time experiments?

conversion of lactic acid and glycolic acid to polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid respectively any help please ????
can some one describe simple steps for conversion or polymerisation process          

Hii, I have completed my BSc in biotechnology and I am further planning to pursue MS in biotech in US. I wanted to learn about the job opportunities there in this field. Can you please guide me with the job profiles after an MS in biotechnology and is it worth pursuing further MS?
Thanks.

I want to know the best BSc.Biotech Colleges ranking in India and scope of study in this regard.

Best Biotech/Life Science Companies to work for (UK)

There are many large and smaller Biotech/Life Science companies based in the UK who offer opportunities to develop a rewarding career. According to the University of Oxford career service: “There are over 900 pharmaceutically related biotech companies in the UK which employ nearly 26,000 people, although the majority of them have fewer than 50 employees. Many of the UK’s biotech companies originate from universities as ‘spin-outs’ and are located around Oxford, Cambridge and in Scotland.” Below I summarise a few of the available options. I include useful links for those who would like to seek more detailed information. In all cases, qualifications and application processes will vary depending on the company and the specific position. Full instructions and information can be found on the company websites.

Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK)
GSK, whose focus is on small Molecules, vaccines and biologics, have a range of opportunities from internships, graduate positions or next career moves for experienced professionals. Their headquarters are in London, but have other UK bases for example in Hounslow and Irvine, and they employ over 99,000 people in 150 countries. Detailed information about all aspects on GSK operations and products can be found on their website: http://www.gsk.com/en-gb/home/. They run programmes including the Future Leaders Programme for graduates which requires for you to be on track for a 2.1 degree or have achieved this already. Recruitment takes place annually from September onwards.
To find out about current career opportunities with GSK in the UK follow this link: http://uk.gsk.com/en-gb/careers/
 
Astra Zeneca
Astra Zeneca, whose focus is on small molecules and biologics, have their main campus in the UK in Cambridge but they also have operations in, for example, London, Edinburgh and Macclesfield. According to their website http://www.astrazeneca.com/Home they currently have 73 positions available in the UK, including for example Senior Principle Scientist in Molecular and Cellular Biology (Cambridge), Team Manager (CPUT team) in Chemical Development (Macclesfield) or VP Regulatory RIA (Cambridge). Qualifications needed vary depending on the position being applied for.
To find out about current career opportunities with Astra Zeneca in the UK follow this link:
http://www.astrazeneca.com/Careers
Astra Zeneca is only one of many options in Cambridge. The city is also home to many smaller “spin-out” Biotech/Life sciences companies, as well as larger multinationals and is at the centre of the Cambridge Biotechnology Cluster. An example of a smaller Cambridge-based company is F-Star, which focuses on novel bispecific antibodies and was named a by FierceBiotech as one of the Fierce 15 winners in 2011 (http://www.f-star.com/about.php).
For more information on the Cambridge Biotechnology Cluster and the opportunities it offers, as well as other clusters centred on London, Oxford and Stevenage, visit the Lifestream website: http://www.liftstream.com/
 
SAFC (Sigma Aldrich)
SAFC, whose focus is on chemicals, services and APIs, is the custom manufacturing and services business unit of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. It is a top 10 global specialty chemicals and biologics supplier. Full details of their UK operations can be found here: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/united-kingdom.html.  They have various operations including in Irvine and Manchester. They claim to offer “challenging and rewarding positions across the life science and high technology industry”. To begin the process of applying for opportunities in this company follow this link to the online expression of interest/application forms: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/site-level/career-opportunites/apply.html Some examples of the types of positions available in the UK can be viewed by following this link: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/united-kingdom/Careers_and_Culture.html
 
Abbvie
Abbvie, whose focus is on diagnostics and devices, is a global biopharmaceutical company with a UK operation in Maidenhead. Full details of their UK operations can be found at: http://www.abbvie.co.uk/?trackingSelection=Yes
To find out about current career opportunities with Abbvie in the UK follow this link:
http://www.abbvie.co.uk/careers/home.html?trackingSelection=Yes

Axis Shield
Axis Shield, whose focus is on in vitro diagnostic tests, is located in Dundee in Scotland. They are an expanding company and recommend contacting their HR department for further information on career opportunities; email shield@axis-shield.com. A full description of their operations and products can be found on their website: http://www.axis-shield.com/
Axis Shield are one of a range of companies with career opportunities based in Dundee, that also include for example CXR Biosciences http://www.cxrbiosciences.com/jobs/ and Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals http://www.cyclacel.com/careers.shtml

Prosonix
Prosonix is based in Oxford and is an innovative speciality pharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of inhaled respiratory medicines by design. Full details of their operations and products can be found at: http://www.prosonix.co.uk/about-prosonix/
To find out more about a career at Prosonix, follow this link and you will find relevant contact details: http://www.prosonix.co.uk/careers/
 
Useful links
The UK Biotech database is a portal that provides information and statistics about Biotech, Pharma and Medtech companies in the UK. It can be accessed by following this link: http://www.ukbiotech.com/uk/db/index.php
The Lifestream website life sciences recruitment website gives details on the Biotechology Clusters in the UK and details on available opportunities: http://www.liftstream.com/
The following link gives a very comprehensive list of many Biotech/Life Sciences companies throughout the UK, with summaries of the areas of main interest and links to their websites: http://biopharmguy.com/links/country-unitedkingdom.php
The career advice sections of UK university websites are also very useful sources of information, for example the University of Oxford Careers Service has a useful section on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology that can be found here: http://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/options-and-occupations/sectors-and-occupations/pharmaceuticals-biotechnology/
 
 
 

I have completed my 12th standard and wanted to know that is there is a scope of B.Tech in biotechnology or BSC in biotech.

Which is a better option for my career and job future job prospects. In which industry there is a scope for me.

Some colleges give B.Tech biotech + MBA  degree, is this a good option in terms of job. Please provide good college names for both of them, and i also wanted to know how vast of a career option does it give.

I am really confused  please reply soon.

heartiest regards
thank you

Hi Everyone,
Any advice on what resources or journals to follow to build my subject. I am interested in medical biotechnology but confused to choose between tons of publications. Please Help!!!

Hello all,
I am Pushkar Bhojane studying MSc Part 2 in Biotechnology. Can any of you guys suggest me a easy and quick protocol for detecting phosphorous content from soil/compost. We have a protocol which employs use of molybdate reagent and then adding of Stannous chloride. But there is some problem with the protocol. I have tried to search methods for the same. If any you can help please let me know.
Thank you.

I want to create a Useful online BioInformatics tool, to hopefully help you solve a very difficult problem or set of problems. I'm thinking about tools in a more general sense that can help you overcome any challenge you face whether it's technical, biological, mathematical, or anything etc. Anything that takes you lots of time, energy or irritation or is repetitive can be considered a problem or challenge. I want to help you solve your biggest problems.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your day to day work?
Are there tools or capabilities that you wish existed, but don't?

thank you for your time,
Pascal

Below I summarise some courses available from five highly respected institutions. I also include useful links for those who want to find out more about individual courses or seek out further courses not included here.

University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is considered to be one of the top ten UK research universities and offers two MSc programmes with relevance to Biotechnology as follows:
M.Sc. Plant Science and Biotechnology; Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds:
This programme is delivered full-time over one year on campus, in English, and fees are € 10,895 / Year (EEA) or € 22,751 / Year (Non-EEA). The programme begins in September each year.

Full details for this programme can be found by following these links: http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/46876/plant-science-and-biotechnology.html
http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/gradschool/plants/index.php
M.Sc. Biotechnology; Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds
This programme is delivered full-time over one year on campus, in English, and fees are € 10,895 / Year (EEA) or € 22,751 / Year (Non-EEA). The programme begins in September each year.
According to the University this programme “integrates biological sciences with biochemical engineering to provide training for the modern biotechnology industry. In particular, it focuses on the applications of biotechnology in medicine and agriculture.”
Full details for this programme can be found by following these links: http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/46872/biotechnology.html
http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/gradschool/biotech/index.php
 
 
University of Essex
Grad.Dip. Biotechnology with English for Academic Purposes; University of Essex
This programme is delivered full-time over nine months on campus, in English, and fees are € 5,640 / Year (EEA) or € 11,471 / Year (International). The programme begins in October each year. You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test such as IELTS.
According to the University, This Graduate Diploma course is “designed for those who need to improve their language and academic skills, as well as their subject knowledge in biological sciences, before going onto a Masters course. Successful completion of the Graduate Diploma, at the required level, will normally qualify you for entry to an appropriate Masters-level course in our Department of Biological Sciences.”
Full details of this programme can be found by following this link:
http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/17111/biotechnology-with-english-for-academic-purposes.html
 
University of East London
The University of East London is a relatively new university (designated in 1992) ranked number 201 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
It offers two MSc programmes with relevance to Biotechnology:
M.Sc. Biotechnology ; University of East London
This programme is delivered full-time or part-time on campus (full-time duration one year), in English, and fees are € 6,580 / Year (EEA) or € 11,960 / Year (Non-EEA). The programme begins in February or September each year. You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test such as IELTS.

Full details of the programme can be found by following these links:
http://www.uel.ac.uk/postgraduate/specs/biotechnology/
http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/6093/biotechnology.html
M.Sc. Biotechnology and Management; University of East London
This programme is delivered full-time or part-time over one year on campus (full-time duration one year), in English, and fees are € 7,050 / Year (EEA) or € 10,792 / Year (Non-EEA) The programme begins in February or September each year. You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test such as IELTS.

Full details of the programme can be found by following these links:
http://www.uel.ac.uk/postgraduate/specs/biotechnologymanagement/
http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/6094/biotechnology-and-management.html
 
University of Westminster
Located in London, this university has one of the largest and most diverse overseas student bodies of any university in the world, from over 150 countries. It has a student body of 400,000 students.
The University of Westminster offers one MSc programme with relevance to Biotechnology:
M.Sc. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; University of Westminster
This programme is delivered full-time over one year or part-time over two years on campus, in English, and fees are £ 8,000 / Year (EEA) or £ 12,500 / Year (Non-EEA). The programme begins in September each year. You should have an Honours degree in biological sciences, biotechnology or a related discipline, or an equivalent qualification. If your first language is not English you should have an IELTS score of at least 6.5, with the written component at a minimum of 6.5 (or equivalent). During the induction stage of the course, if you do not have English as your first language, you will need to complete Academic English screening and any resulting recommended Academic English support activity.
Full details of the programme can be found by following these links:
http://www.westminster.ac.uk/courses/subjects/biosciences/postgraduate-courses/full-time/p09fpamb-msc-applied-microbiology-and-biotechnology
http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/6749/applied-microbiology-and-biotechnology.html
 

The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh has 32,591 students of whom 11,607 are international, from over 130 different nationalities. They were ranked first in Scotland and fifth in the UK in the most recent RAE, a UK-wide study of research excellence.
 The University of Edinburgh offers a distance learning MSc option relevant to biotechnology:
M.Sc. Drug Discovery and Protein Biotechnology (Online Distance Learning) (online study); The University of Edinburgh
This programme is delivered part-time online over two years and the fees are €6201 per year (EEA and non-EEA). The course begins each year in September. You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test such as IELTS.
According to the university, in this programme you will “study the design and potential uses of different families of proteins and will examine the experiences of successful entrepreneurs in the field who have been involved in the commercialisation of biopharmaceuticals. Your research project will focus on the early phases of an industrial biologics design programme…You will enhance your career prospects with marketable analytical and presentation skills.”
Full details of the programme can be found by following the links:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/biology/postgraduate/taught-programmes/online-programmes-drug-discovery?utm_source=Studyportals&utm_medium=Listing&utm_campaign=Drug%20Discovery%20%26%20Protein%20Biotechnology%20(ODL
http://www.mastersportal.eu/studies/46512/drug-discovery-and-protein-biotechnology.html
 

These are just examples of some the many excellent programmes available in the UK. For further information check out individual university websites and these useful links:
http://www.mastersportal.eu/search/?q=di-10|kw-biotechnology|lv-master
http://www.postgraduatesearch.com/postgraduate/biotechnology/uk/study/postgraduate-browse.htm
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/courses/life-sciences/biosciences-biotechnology/
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/our-courses/january-intake/?gclid=CO_Dj-LSk8MCFUSc2wodWiwANw
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/biosciences/molecular-biotechnology.aspx
 
 
 
 

What is the Scope of Biotechnology in not only India but in the World? Is it really worth it?

I am used to a common jokes in India about Biotechnology: 
"Dhoond kar lao us aadmi ko, jisne kaha tha Biotechnology le lo, aagey bahut scope hai! "
[' Translation: Find that **** person who had suggested that go for Biotechnology, there is great scope in future']

Your comments/suggestions are highly awaited!

career for M.Sc Animal Biotechnology...?

Hello everyone! My name is Revatti. I'm from Pune, India. This forum is amazing and thanks for all the valuable information shared  

Variants of two genes named catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), associated with dopamine and serotonin regulation respectively, have been linked to increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a new study. The study is published in the February 2015 edition of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Senior author Dr. Armen Goenjian, of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, explains that not everyone experiences PTSD after a traumatic event and that there may be a genetic basis to this difference: "Many people suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving a life-threatening ordeal like war, rape or a natural disaster. But not everyone who experiences trauma suffers from PTSD. We investigated whether PTSD has genetic underpinnings that make some people more vulnerable to the syndrome than others."

The study involved 200 Caucasian Armenian adults who were exposed to the 1988 Spitak earthquake. Individuals were from 12 multigenerational (3–5 generations) families. Dr Goenjian travelled to Armenia at the time of the earthquake and helped establish two psychiatric clinics, with support from the Armenian Relief Society. The clinics treated earthquake survivors for 21 years. The participants in the study were recruited from these clinics and donated blood samples for genetic analysis by Dr Goenjian and his colleagues in UCLA. A previous study by the team published in 2012 showed that PTSD was more common among individuals carrying two depression-associated gene variants.

The current study focused on COMT and TPH-2. COMT is an enzyme involved degradation of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which controls the reward and pleasure centres of the brain and is involved in regulation of mood, thinking, attention and behaviour. Imbalance in dopamine levels is critical in various neurological and psychological disorders. TPH-2 is involved in control of serotonin production. Serotonin is a brain hormone involved in regulation of processes including mood, sleep and alertness, which are affected by PTSD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are antidepressants which are now being used in other disorders, including PTSD. In the study, the researchers assessed both PTSD and depression using the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index based on DSM-5 criteria, and the Beck Depression Inventory.

Results of the study indicated that the COMT allele rs4633C and the TPH-2 allele rs11178997T were associated with variance in PTSD severity. Dr Goenjian explains: "We found a significant association between variants of COMT and TPH-2 with PTSD symptoms, suggesting that these genes contribute to the onset and persistence of the disorder. Our results indicate that people who carry these genetic variants may be at higher risk of developing PTSD."
Key to the study was the use of up-to-date DSM-5 criteria for assessment of PTSD and assessment of genes' role in predisposition to the disorder. Dr Goenjian says: "Assessments of patients based upon the latest diagnostic criteria may boost the field's chances of finding new genetic markers for PTSD. We hope our findings will lead to molecular methods for screening people at risk for this disorder and identify new drug therapies for prevention and treatment."

However, Dr Goenjian cautions that in common with other psychiatric disorders, this complex disease is likely to be influenced by the effects of multiple genes and that studies should continue to identify further gene candidates. He concludes: "A diagnostic tool based upon PTSD-linked genes would greatly help us in identifying people who are at high risk for developing the disorder. Our findings may also help scientists uncover more refined treatments, such as gene therapy or new drugs that regulate the chemicals associated with PTSD symptoms."

References:

Goenjian AK et al. Association of COMT and TPH-2 genes with DSM-5 based PTSD symptoms. Journal of Affective Disorders; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.034
Goenjian AK et al. Association of TPH1, TPH2, and 5HTTLPR with PTSD and depressive symptoms. Journal of Affective Disorders 140(3): 244-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.02.015

Press release: University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences; available at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-01/uoc--usi010615.php
 

[b]22nd International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference

[/b]
Organisers: Cambridge Healthtech Institute


Dates: 15[sup]th[/sup]-20[sup]th[/sup] February 2015


Location: Moscone North Convention Center, San Francisco CA


Website: http://www.triconference.com/
The website gives all the necessary information on abstract submission, fees, registration, conference agenda, hotel, exhibitions and other important facts. The attached document shows the agenda at a glance.


Purpose of the conference


The 22nd International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference is set up to be the industry's Preeminent Event on Molecular Medicine, focusing on Drug Discovery, Genomics, Diagnostics and Information Technology. It includes an expanded program that includes 6 symposia, over 20 short courses, and 17 conference programs.


Symposia:


On the website can be found details of all the speakers and a detailed agenda. The six main symposia are:

• New Frontiers in Gene Editing - NEW
  
  
• Circulating Cell-Free DNA
  
  
• Genomics in Medicine
  
  
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics
  
  
• Clinical Cancer Immunotherapy - NEW
  
  
• Genomics & Sequencing Data Integration, Analysis and Visualization
  

Features:

• Over 3000+ attendees from over 40 countries
  
  
• Over 500 speakers from across all industries, all research fields, and from all over the world
  
  
• Over 400 presentations and panel discussions
  
  
• New 2015 Programs focusing on Genomic Technologies for Patient Stratification and Technology-Driven Oncology Clinical Development
  
  
• Create Your Conference: choose from All Access or build your own program with the a-la-carte option
  
  
• Showcase your Research by Presenting a Scientific Poster
  
  
• Opportunity to participate in one of 40 Roundtable Discussions
  
  
• Book meetings with fellow attendees using Intro-Net
  
  
• View over 150 Scientific Posters
  
  
• Schedule your days' events using the Tri-Conference App
  
  
• Visit with over 200 companies in the exhibit hall
  
  
• Network with your peers during coffee breaks and receptions
  
  
• Attend Sponsored Luncheon Presentations
  
  
• Student Fellowships available for Grad Students and PhD Candidates
  

The growth of resistance of bacteria to antibiotics has outstripped the development and introduction of new antibiotic compounds, leading to a public health crisis with the rise of multidrug resistant ‘superbugs’. However, a study published this week in the journal Nature describes a new antibiotic called teixobactin, derived from growth of uncultured bacteria. The results of this study, from researchers in Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, the University of Bonn in Germany, NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Selcia Limited in the United Kingdom, offers hope of a new source of resistance-free antibiotics, as uncultured bacteria comprise approximately 99% of all bacterial species in external environments.

Most antibiotics currently available were produced by screening of cultivable soil microorganisms. However, this is a finite resource which according to the authors of the current study was essentially already over-exploited by the 1960s. Researchers on this study have been involved in developing novel methods for growing uncultured bacteria by cultivating them in situ or using specific growth factors. The work in this field by Northeastern University researchers and study authors Professor Kim Lewis and Professor Slava Epstein resulted in the founding of NovoBiotic. Their methods involve a miniature device called the iChip, which Prof Epstein's team created in order to isolate and help grow single cells in their natural environment. This has greatly improved the access of researchers to uncultured bacteria. The work has resulted in NovoBiotic assembling approximately 50,000 strains of uncultured bacteria and discovery of 25 new antibiotics. Prof Lewis says that teixobactin is the latest and most interesting of these.
In the current study, the researchers discovered that teixobactin inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to lipid II and lipid I, which are precursors of the bacterial cell wall components peptidoglycan and teichoic acid respectively. Testing of teixobactin on mutant Staphylococcus aureus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains did not reveal any mutants that were resistant to the antibiotic. Prof Lewis said: "Our impression is that nature produced a compound that evolved to be free of resistance. This challenges the dogma that we've operated under that bacteria will always develop resistance. Well, maybe not in this case." The team now hope to develop teixobactin into a drug.
According to Gerard Wright, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University who was not involved in this research, it may yet prove that as yet unidentified mechanisms of resistance to teixobactin exist in the environment. In a separate Nature article published alongside the research article Prof Wright comments that nevertheless, the team's work could lead to identifying "other 'resistance-light' antibiotics…(The researchers') work offers hope that innovation and creativity can combine to solve the antibiotics crisis."

References:
Ling LL et al. A new antibiotic kills pathogens without detectable resistance. Nature (2015); doi:10.1038/nature14098
Wright G. Antibiotics: An irresistible newcomer. Nature (2015); doi:10.1038/nature14193

Press release: Northeastern University; available at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-01/nu-nda010815.php

Exciting results from a new study suggest that an overactive gene called BCL11A drives the development and progression of the aggressive triple-negative breast cancer. The study, carried out in both human cells and in mice, is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Triple-negative breast cancer has a particularly poor prognosis, being associated with high incidence of recurrence and metastasis to sites including the brain and lung. Treatment is complicated by its lack of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and the HER2 protein, all of which are targets for therapy in other forms of breast cancer, and very few genomic aberrations have been identified for triple-negative breast cancer. This lack of effective therapies for triple-negative breast cancer makes identification of underlying mechanisms and tailored therapies all the more important. Approximately 20% of patients are affected by triple-negative breast cancer; the majority of triple-negative tumours are of the basal-like subtype.

In the current study, breast cancers from nearly 3000 patients were examined in order to identify genetic changes associated with behaviour of stem cells and developing tissues. Previous work by the same research team had suggested that mutations to such genes often drives cancer development. One of these genes was BCL11A. Senior author Dr Pentao Liu of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute explains further: "Our understanding of genes that drive stem cell development led us to search for consequences when these genes go wrong. BCL11A activity stood out because it is so active in triple-negative cancers. It had all the hallmarks of a novel breast cancer gene."

The results indicated that increased BCL11A activity occurred in approximately 8 out of every 10 patients with basal-like breast cancer and was associated with a more advanced grade of tumour. If the copy number of the BCL11A gene was increased, survival prospects for the patient were reduced.  In a mouse cancer model, inactivation of BCL11A resulted in no tumour development in the mammary glands, while all mice in which the gene was not inactivated developed mammary tumours.
Manipulation of BCL11A in human and mouse cells impacted on their cancer-like properties. Joint first author Dr Walid Khaled of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge says: "Our gene studies in human cells clearly marked BCL11A as a novel driver for triple-negative breast cancers. We also showed that adding an active human BCL11A gene to human or mouse breast cells in the lab drove them to behave as cancer cells. As important, when we reduced the activity of BCL11A in three samples of human triple-negative breast cancer cells, they lost some characteristics of cancer cells and became less tumorigenic when tested in mice. So by increasing BCL11A activity we increase cancer-like behaviour; by reducing it, we reduce cancer-like behaviour." The research team also established that BCL11A is needed for normal development of breast stem cells and their progenitor. It is thought that these are the cells which give rise to basal-like breast cancer upon mutation.

The research team have proposed that their results indicate BCL11A as a strong candidate for development of a possible targeted treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.

Reference: Khaled, WT, Lee SC et al. (2015) BLC11A is a triple-negative breast cancer gene with critical functions in stem and progenitor cells. Nature Communications, published online in advance of print publication; doi: 10.1038/ncomms6987

Binding of a bacterial protein by a white blood cell receptor at the site of wounds associated with chronic skin inflammation can tip the balance from wound healing to tumour formation. That is a major finding of a study published today in the journal Nature Communications from researchers in King's College London. The results of this mouse study may have important ramifications for therapies for patients suffering from chronic ulcers or skin blistering diseases.

It has been previously established that there is a link between chronic inflammation, tissue damage and tumour formation, however underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The current study is the first to show that bacteria on the skin could contribute to the formation of skin tumours. In the study, the researchers examined wounds in mice with chronic skin inflammation. They observed that tumours formed at the wound site, which depended on the presence of immune cells. The underlying signalling mechanism involved a pattern recognition receptor called Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR-5) on the surface of immune cells. TLR-5 recognises and binds to the bacterial flagellin protein, a protein monomer containing highly conserved regions which makes up the bacterial flagella, found on most motile bacteria.
The direct relevance of the findings to human skin cancer has yet to be investigated, however in an inherited chronic skin condition in humans called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a protein called High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which is a nuclear protein involved in transcriptional regulation, is increased. HMGB1 is also increased in mice with chronic skin inflammation and in the current study, removal of TLR-5 from immune cells caused a reduction in HMGB1 levels in mice. These results suggest that therapies involving reduction of bacterial flagellin protein on the skin surface or targeting of TLR-5 could be effective in prevention of tumours in patients with chronic skin conditions.
Lead author Professor Fiona Watt, Director of the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at King's College London, said: 'These findings have broad implications for various types of cancers and in particular for the treatment of tumours that arise in patients suffering from chronic ulcers or skin blistering diseases. In the context of chronic skin inflammation, the activity of a particular receptor in white blood cells, TLR-5, could tip the balance between normal wound repair and tumour formation…Our findings raise the possibility that the use of specific antibiotics targeting bacteria in wound-induced malignancies might present an interesting clinical avenue.'

Reference: Hoste E et al. Innate sensing of microbial products promotes wound-induced skin cancer. Nature Communications 6, Article number: 5932; doi:10.1038/ncomms6932

goodevening sir, this is mallika pandey. i am persuing B.tech biotechnology from invertis university bareilly. Sir, i am preparing for gate and i had read your articles about gate preparation , they are highly inspiring for gate aspirants.Sir , i have an doubt on one question of bioprocess engineering of gate 2014. Sir, please do me a favour in this.

Question) Consider a continuous culture provided with a sterile feed containing 10 mM glucose. The steady
state cell density and substrate concentration at three different dilution rates are given in the table
below.
Dilution rate (h-1)          Cell density (g L-1)        Substrate concentration (mM)
0.05                                     0.248                         0.067
0.5                                      0.208                         1.667
5                                           0                                10
The maximum specific growth rate µm (in h−1), will be _____.

Thanking you
with regards
mallika pandey