Theme 1:Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology Flashcards
(234 cards)
What is biochemistry?
Biochemistry is the branch of science concerned with the chemical and physio-chemical processes and substances which occur within living organisms
What is studied in biochemistry?
Biochemistry is the study of chemical components of the body
It studied chemical reactions that govern living processes.
what did Feng Zhang do?
Zhang pioneered the development of CRISPR-cas9 as a genome editing tool and its use in eukaryotic cells
What is CRISPR?
CRISPR is a genetic system that conveys immunity to virus infection in bacteria.
Gives access to every single geno
It is a revolutionary experimental tool
What components are used as a molecular scalpel to cut DNA at a specific site?
- a guide RNA
- a CRISPR-associated endonuclease(Cas protien)
Cas9 RNA programmable endonuclease
what do Engineered CRISPR systems do?
Engineered CRISPR systems cut DNA at a specific site to edit a genome which can convey immunity to a virus infection in bacteria
What ethical problems arise with CRISPR in the clinic?
A chinese scientist used CRISPR to make the first genetically edited babies.He claims to have disabled a gene called CCR5, which encodes a protein that allows HIV to enter cells.But He might have inadvertently caused mutations in other parts of the genome, which could have unpredictable health consequences
What is CAR T-cell therapy?
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a way to get immune cells called T cells (a type of white blood cell) to fight cancer by changing them in the lab so they can find and destroy cancer cells
What are T-cells?
T-cells are specialised white blood cells of the immune system
T cells are engineered to express CARs that recognise cancer cells
How does CAR T-cell therapy work?
T-cells are specialised white blood cells of the immune system
They are isolated from a patient and a custom designed gene is introduced into the cells.
Cells containing the gene are grown in culture to prepare an inoculum
CAR T-cells are infused back into the patient
T-cells target cancer cells for killing
Is there any evidence of CAR T-cell therapy working?
yes- young girl (emily whitehead) went into remission and was giving low rate to survive. recieved cells age 7 and is now age 16.
How has biochemistry informed
our understanding of the virus and
our approach to managing it?
RNA sequence - determines the
functional genes of the virus
- Origin of the virus
- Possible drug targets
- Possible vaccine candidates
What is key to understanding how to target VIRUSES with drugs?
knowing how it mutates is key to understanding how to target with drugs?
Typically what do vaccines contain?
Typically vaccines contain either killed virus or a
protein fragment of the virus
What are antibodies?
Antibodies are specialized, Y-shaped proteins that bind like a lock-and-key to the body’s foreign invaders
How can antibodies work?
by binding to a viral protein and
preventing its function
What is leading to a potential arms race with the virus?
Some variants are less susceptible to monoclonal
antibodies
How does biochemistry underpin advances in life sciences and biotechnologies.
By providing a description of the chemical
components and mechanisms of living
cells,
How is monoclonal antibodies used today?
Currently over 75 monoclonal antibodies are approved
for a variety of conditions ranging from cancer to
autoimmune diseases to haemophilia and macular
degeneration
How is biochemistry involved in creating monocolonal antibodies?
Creating monoclonal antibodies involves
biochemistry at every level -
- Generating antibodies by immunisation
- Characterizing antibody reactivity
• Creating
monoclonal antibodies -
molecular cell biology
• Humanizing antibodies - adapting from
other species
• Purifying antibodies - for use in
patients
What are the main elements that compose the human body (and their %)
Oxygen (65%) carbon(18%) hydrogen(10%) Nitrogen (3%) Others (less than 1%)
What are some of the other eements that make up cless than 1% of the human body?
Calcium phosphorus sulfur sodium chlorine magnesium
structure
and functional groups in Carbon
tetravalent,
tetrahedral
geometry,
the backbone of
biomolecules,
low electronegativity
structure
and functional groups in Oxygen
- divalent,
highly
electronegative