Metabolic engineering challenges in the post-genomic era

Metabolic engineering is a young field, just over ten-years old. During this period, it has developed a well-defined methodology and a focused research portfolio of rich intellectual content and particular relevance to biotechnology and biological engineering. New and diverse opportunities for metabolic engineering emerge quickly in this genomic era. Although the focus (e.g. improving cells) and central components (e.g. assessing cell physiology) of metabolic engineering remain the same, new tools are required to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the availability of whole-genome sequence information. Cellular phenotype is a manifestation of gene expression levels, metabolic demand, resource availability, and cellular stresses. Above all, metabolic function is constrained by the stoichiometry and individual reaction kinetics of the reaction network. To understand the behavior of these systems, the well-established framework of reaction engineering must be complemented with new experimental methods specifically designed for the elucidation of metabolic pathways and bioreaction networks. Most of all, a combination of rational and combinatorial approaches is required to effectively sample and map as much of the metabolic space as possible.The above framework along with important tools of metabolic engineering will be reviewed in this article. We will then show their application to case studies of industrial and medical interest while emphasizing the strong influence and links of metabolic engineering to chemical reaction engineering.     

Galvani's frog: Harbinger of a new era

On 30 October 1786 Luigi Galvani gave the first account, at the Academy of Sciences of Bologna, about his experiments on animal electricity, of which he thought to have obtained evidence from the convulsions shown by a dissected frog, as soon as its hind-limbs were connected with the spinal cord by means of a metallic conductor. The publication of these experiments gave rise to Galvani's controversy with Volta, who denied the existence of animal electricity after discovering that there exists a potential difference between any couple of dissimilar conductors. This was a preliminary step that led Volta to the invention of the voltaic pile. Evidence of animal electricity was given about 1840 by Carlo Matteucci, using the astatic galvanometer invented by Leopoldo Nobili. This fundamental property of living organisms is now a well-advanced field of investigation by electrophysiology and bioelectrochemistry.     

新时代的开启之年

冬去春回,在希望和企盼中,我们迎来了又一个新年。 回首走过的道路,刚刚过去的＂十一五＂,是改革开放以来最为波澜壮阔、跌宕曲折的5年。 改革开放30年的巨大成就在这5年彰显,30年快速发展所积累的矛盾和问题也在这5年凸现。     

新时代研发角色转化与工程师成长之路

随着互联网5G时代的到来,近年来我国化妆品市场进入了一个新时代,发生了巨大变化,主要体现在以下几点:1)新媒体当今时代,已经不是信奉央视权威广告和时尚美妆杂志的时代,化妆品品牌越来越多的出现在以抖音、快手为代表的短视频平台,以及以小红书、微信为代表的社交平台上,这些新媒体正在成为消费者获取信息的最大平台。     

WTO过渡期结束后中国石油和化工建设的机遇与挑战

入世三年了,我国石油石化业度过了入世三年过渡期的不平凡岁月,内外环境发生了巨大深刻而又不可逆转的变化,在应对、调整、做强、发展等方面取得了阶段性的成果。挑战与机遇并存,是入世三年的真实写照。以中国石油、中国石化和中国海油为代表的中国石油石化行业抓住机遇,积极应对,以做大做强、深化改革、持续重组、抓紧结构调整、大力提高国际竞争力、实施“走出去”战略为重点大做文章,成效显著,初战告捷。一.油气勘探方面东部油田稳中有降,西部油田产能增加;五大气区格局并举,输气干线东西贯通在油气勘探开发领域,我国三大石油石化公司利…     

Effective health and safety management

Since the introduction of COSHH, textile manufacturers have energetically set up new health and safety policies. But how much of this has been relevant? John Laird looks at the progress made so far and calls for better health and safety management in the future.     

热玻璃安全常识小讲座

有关由热玻璃制作引起的死亡的记录并不多见，但是由热玻璃的制作引起的割伤、烧伤甚至更严重的安全问题事有发生。