Download or read book Spontaneous Cooperative Assembly of Replicative Catalytic RNA Systems written by Nilesh Vaidya and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The RNA World hypothesis proposes a period of time during the origins of life in which RNA molecules were the only source of both genotypes and phenotypes. Although a vast amount of evidence has been obtained in support of this hypothesis, a few critical demonstrations are lacking. A most crucial one is a demonstration of self-replication of RNA molecule from prebiotic soup. Previously in the Lehman laboratory, it has been demonstrated that a 198-nucleotide molecule derived from the Azoarcus group I intron can self-assemble from up to four fragments of RNA via recombination. Furthermore, the covalent full-length molecules are catalytically active and can make copies of themselves from the remaining pieces in the solution leading to their autocatalytic growth. I was able to demonstrate how this recombination system can overcome different obstacles and evolve to be an efficient replicating system. I discovered the ability of a single RNA fragment to be multifunctional in a single reaction pathway during RNA recombination events that avoids the necessity of multiple genotypes. I also confirmed the capacity of self-replicating ribozymes to form cooperative catalytic cycles and networks that would potentially prevent informational decay. Finally, I have discovered a recycling phenomenon in the RNA recombination system that exploits dynamic covalent chemistry. Recycling provides the earliest replicating system with adequate concentrations of reagents and ability to explore sequence space. Together these findings have improved our understanding of RNA recombination and bolstered the plausibility of the RNA World.
Download or read book Handbook of Astrobiology written by Vera M. Kolb and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-12-07 with total page 1484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Choice Recommended Title, August 2019 Read an exclusive interview with Professor Vera Kolb here. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth. This exciting and significant field of research also investigates the potential existence and search for extra-terrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond. This is the first handbook in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field. Edited by Vera Kolb, a highly respected astrobiologist, this comprehensive resource captures the history and current state of the field. Rich in information and easy to use, it assumes basic knowledge and provides answers to questions from practitioners and specialists in the field, as well as providing key references for further study. Features: Fills an important gap in the market, providing a comprehensive overview of the field Edited by an authority in the subject, with chapters written by experts in the many diverse areas that comprise astrobiology Contains in-depth and broad coverage of an exciting field that will only grow in importance in the decades ahead
Download or read book Genome Invading RNA Networks written by Guenther Witzany and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2018-05-11 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new paradigmatic understanding of evolution, genetic novelty, code-generating, genome-formatting factors, infectious RNA Networks, viruses and other natural genetic content operators.
Download or read book Ribozymes written by Sabine Müller and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-07-09 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ribozymes Provides comprehensive coverage of a core field in the molecular biosciences, bringing together decades of knowledge from the world’s top professionals in the field Timely and unique in its breadth of content, this all-encompassing and authoritative reference on ribozymes documents the great diversity of nucleic acid-based catalysis. It integrates the knowledge gained over the past 35 years in the field and features contributions from virtually every leading expert on the subject. Ribozymes is organized into six major parts. It starts by describing general principles and strategies of nucleic acid catalysis. It then introduces naturally occurring ribozymes and includes the search for new catalytic motifs or novel genomic locations of known motifs. Next, it covers the development and design of engineered ribozymes, before moving on to DNAzymes as a close relative of ribozymes. The next part examines the use of ribozymes for medicinal and environmental diagnostics, as well as for therapeutic tools. It finishes with a look at the tools and methods in ribozyme research, including the techniques and assays for structural and functional characterization of nucleic acid catalysts. The first reference to tie together all aspects of the multi-faceted field of ribozymes Features more than 30 comprehensive chapters in two volumes Covers the chemical principles of RNA catalysis; naturally occurring ribozymes, engineered ribozymes; DNAzymes; ribozymes as tools in diagnostics and therapy, and tools and methods to study ribozymes Includes first-hand accounts of concepts, techniques, and applications by a team of top international experts from leading academic institutions Dedicates half of its content to methods and practical applications, ranging from bioanalytical tools to medical diagnostics to therapeutics Ribozymes is an unmatched resource for all biochemists, biotechnologists, molecular biologists, and bioengineers interested in the topic.
Download or read book Molecular Biology of The Cell written by Bruce Alberts and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book RNA Based Regulation in Human Health and Disease written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-08-19 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: RNA-based Regulation in Human Health and Disease offers an in-depth exploration of RNA mediated genome regulation at different hierarchies. Beginning with multitude of canonical and non-canonical RNA populations, especially noncoding RNA in human physiology and evolution, further sections examine the various classes of RNAs (from small to large noncoding and extracellular RNAs), functional categories of RNA regulation (RNA-binding proteins, alternative splicing, RNA editing, antisense transcripts and RNA G-quadruplexes), dynamic aspects of RNA regulation modulating physiological homeostasis (aging), role of RNA beyond humans, tools and technologies for RNA research (wet lab and computational) and future prospects for RNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics. One of the core strengths of the book includes spectrum of disease-specific chapters from experts in the field highlighting RNA-based regulation in metabolic & neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, inflammatory disease, viral and bacterial infections. We hope the book helps researchers, students and clinicians appreciate the role of RNA-based regulation in genome regulation, aiding the development of useful biomarkers for prognosis, diagnosis, and novel RNA-based therapeutics. Comprehensive information of non-canonical RNA-based genome regulation modulating human health and disease Defines RNA classes with special emphasis on unexplored world of noncoding RNA at different hierarchies Disease specific role of RNA - causal, prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic Features contributions from leading experts in the field
Download or read book Self sustained Replication of an RNA Enzyme written by Tracey Ann Lincoln and published by ProQuest. This book was released on 2009 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: RNA enzymes based on the R3C ligase ribozyme motif were previously shown to undergo both self- and cross-catalytic replication, albeit very inefficiently. In an attempt to develop efficient cross-replicating RNA enzymes that can undergo self-sustained exponential amplification in the absence of proteins, in vitro evolution was carried out to optimize their catalytic activity. Two enzymes, E and E, ́ were selected for their ability to catalyze each other's synthesis from a total of four component substrates (A, B and A, ́ B)́. The optimized cross-replicating RNA enzymes were able to undergo self-sustained exponential amplification at a constant temperature in the absence of proteins or other biological materials. Amplification occurs with a doubling time of about one hour, and can be continued indefinitely, provided the system is replenished with substrates. Populations of various cross-replicating enzymes were constructed and allowed to compete for a common pool of substrates. This was demonstrated through serial transfer experiments which employed 5 [muM of each type of A, A, ́ B, and B ́and initiated with 0.1 [muM of each type of E and E.́ After 5 h incubation, 5% of the reaction mixture was removed and transferred to a separate reaction vessel that contained a fresh supply of substrates. This process was repeated for up to 20 transfers, during which recombinant replicators arose and grew to dominate the population. These replicating RNA enzymes can serve as an experimental model of a genetic system. Many such model systems could be constructed, allowing different selective outcomes to be related to the underlying properties of the genetic system.
Download or read book Out of Equilibrium Supra molecular Systems and Materials written by Nicolas Giuseppone and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A must-have resource that covers everything from out-of-equilibrium chemical systems and materials to dissipative self-assemblies Out-of-Equilibrium Supramolecular Systems and Materials presents a comprehensive overview of the synthetic approaches that use supramolecular bonds in various out-of-thermodynamic equilibrium situations. With contributions from noted experts on the topic, the text contains information on the design of dissipative self-assemblies that maintain their structures when fueled by an external source of energy. The contributors also examine molecules and nanoscale objects and materials that can produce mechanical work based on molecular machines. Additionally, the book explores non-equilibrium supramolecular polymers that can be trapped in kinetically stable states, as well as out-of-equilibrium chemical systems and oscillators that are important to understand the emergence of complex behaviors and, in particular, the origin of life. This important book: Offers comprehensive coverage of fields from design of dissipative self-assemblies to non-equilibrium supramolecular polymers Presents information on a highly emerging and interdisciplinary topic Includes contributions from internationally renowned scientists Written for chemists, physical chemists, biochemists, material scientists, Out-of-Equilibrium Supramolecular Systems and Materials is an indispensable resource written by top scientists in the field.
Download or read book Nanozymes Next Wave of Artificial Enzymes written by Xiaoyu Wang and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the fundamental concepts, the latest developments and the outlook of the field of nanozymes (i.e., the catalytic nanomaterials with enzymatic characteristics). As one of today’s most exciting fields, nanozyme research lies at the interface of chemistry, biology, materials science and nanotechnology. Each of the book’s six chapters explores advances in nanozymes. Following an introduction to the rise of nanozymes research in the course of research on natural enzymes and artificial enzymes in Chapter 1, Chapters 2 through 5 discuss different nanomaterials used to mimic various natural enzymes, from carbon-based and metal-based nanomaterials to metal oxide-based nanomaterials and other nanomaterials. In each of these chapters, the nanomaterials’ enzyme mimetic activities, catalytic mechanisms and key applications are covered. In closing, Chapter 6 addresses the current challenges and outlines further directions for nanozymes. Presenting extensive information on nanozymes and supplemented with a wealth of color illustrations and tables, the book offers an ideal guide for readers from disparate areas, including analytical chemistry, materials science, nanoscience and nanotechnology, biomedical and clinical engineering, environmental science and engineering, green chemistry, and novel catalysis.
Download or read book Self Production of Supramolecular Structures written by Gail R. Fleischaker and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1994-10-31 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did life begin on the Earth? The units of life are cells, which can be defined as bounded systems of molecules that capture energy and nutrients from the environment -- systems that expand, reproduce, and evolve over time, often into more complex systems. This book is the proceedings of a unique meeting, sponsored by NATO and held in Maratea, Italy, that brought together for the first time an international group of investigators who share an interest in how molecules self-assemble into supramolecular structures, and how those structures may have contributed to the origin of life. The book is written at a moderately technical level, appropriate for use by researchers and by students in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in biochemistry and molecular biology. The overall interest of its subject matter provides an excellent introduction for students who wish to understand how the foundational knowledge of chemistry and physics can be applied to one of the most fundamental questions now facing the scientific community. The editors are pioneers in defining what we mean by the living state, particularly the manner in which simple molecular systems can assume complex associations and functions, including the ability to reproduce. Each chapter of the book presents an up-to-date report of highly significant research. Two of the authors received medals from the National Academy of Science USA in 1994, and other research reported in the book has been featured in internationally recognized journals such Scientific American, Time, and Discover.
Download or read book Evolutionary Dynamics written by Martin A. Nowak and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2006-09-29 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time of unprecedented expansion in the life sciences, evolution is the one theory that transcends all of biology. Any observation of a living system must ultimately be interpreted in the context of its evolution. Evolutionary change is the consequence of mutation and natural selection, which are two concepts that can be described by mathematical equations. Evolutionary Dynamics is concerned with these equations of life. In this book, Martin A. Nowak draws on the languages of biology and mathematics to outline the mathematical principles according to which life evolves. His work introduces readers to the powerful yet simple laws that govern the evolution of living systems, no matter how complicated they might seem. Evolution has become a mathematical theory, Nowak suggests, and any idea of an evolutionary process or mechanism should be studied in the context of the mathematical equations of evolutionary dynamics. His book presents a range of analytical tools that can be used to this end: fitness landscapes, mutation matrices, genomic sequence space, random drift, quasispecies, replicators, the Prisoner’s Dilemma, games in finite and infinite populations, evolutionary graph theory, games on grids, evolutionary kaleidoscopes, fractals, and spatial chaos. Nowak then shows how evolutionary dynamics applies to critical real-world problems, including the progression of viral diseases such as AIDS, the virulence of infectious agents, the unpredictable mutations that lead to cancer, the evolution of altruism, and even the evolution of human language. His book makes a clear and compelling case for understanding every living system—and everything that arises as a consequence of living systems—in terms of evolutionary dynamics.
Download or read book Horizons in Biochemistry written by Albert Szent-Györgyi and published by . This book was released on 1962 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book RNA Nanotechnology written by Bin Wang and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2014-04-02 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past few decades there has been incredible growth in "bionano"-related research, which has been accompanied by numerous publications in this field. Although various compilations address topics related to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and protein, there are few books that focus on determining the structure of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and using RNA as building blocks to construct nanoarchitectures for biomedical and healthcare applications. RNA Nanotechnology is a comprehensive volume that details both the traditional approaches and the latest developments in the field of RNA-related technology. This book targets a wide audience: a broad introduction provides a solid academic background for students, researchers, and scientists who are unfamiliar with the subject, while the in-depth descriptions and discussions are useful for advanced professionals. The book opens with reviews on the basic aspects of RNA biology, computational approaches for predicting RNA structures, and traditional and emerging experimental approaches for probing RNA structures. This section is followed by explorations of the latest research and discoveries in RNA nanotechnology, including the design and construction of RNA-based nanostructures. The final segment of the book includes descriptions and discussions of the potential biological and therapeutic applications of small RNA molecules, such as small/short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), RNA aptamers, and ribozymes.
Download or read book Synthetic Aesthetics written by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2014-02-28 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As synthetic biology transforms living matter into a medium for making, what is the role of design and its associated values?
Download or read book At Home in the Universe written by Stuart Kauffman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1996-11-21 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major scientific revolution has begun, a new paradigm that rivals Darwin's theory in importance. At its heart is the discovery of the order that lies deep within the most complex of systems, from the origin of life, to the workings of giant corporations, to the rise and fall of great civilizations. And more than anyone else, this revolution is the work of one man, Stuart Kauffman, a MacArthur Fellow and visionary pioneer of the new science of complexity. Now, in At Home in the Universe, Kauffman brilliantly weaves together the excitement of intellectual discovery and a fertile mix of insights to give the general reader a fascinating look at this new science--and at the forces for order that lie at the edge of chaos. We all know of instances of spontaneous order in nature--an oil droplet in water forms a sphere, snowflakes have a six-fold symmetry. What we are only now discovering, Kauffman says, is that the range of spontaneous order is enormously greater than we had supposed. Indeed, self-organization is a great undiscovered principle of nature. But how does this spontaneous order arise? Kauffman contends that complexity itself triggers self-organization, or what he calls "order for free," that if enough different molecules pass a certain threshold of complexity, they begin to self-organize into a new entity--a living cell. Kauffman uses the analogy of a thousand buttons on a rug--join two buttons randomly with thread, then another two, and so on. At first, you have isolated pairs; later, small clusters; but suddenly at around the 500th repetition, a remarkable transformation occurs--much like the phase transition when water abruptly turns to ice--and the buttons link up in one giant network. Likewise, life may have originated when the mix of different molecules in the primordial soup passed a certain level of complexity and self-organized into living entities (if so, then life is not a highly improbable chance event, but almost inevitable). Kauffman uses the basic insight of "order for free" to illuminate a staggering range of phenomena. We see how a single-celled embryo can grow to a highly complex organism with over two hundred different cell types. We learn how the science of complexity extends Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection: that self-organization, selection, and chance are the engines of the biosphere. And we gain insights into biotechnology, the stunning magic of the new frontier of genetic engineering--generating trillions of novel molecules to find new drugs, vaccines, enzymes, biosensors, and more. Indeed, Kauffman shows that ecosystems, economic systems, and even cultural systems may all evolve according to similar general laws, that tissues and terra cotta evolve in similar ways. And finally, there is a profoundly spiritual element to Kauffman's thought. If, as he argues, life were bound to arise, not as an incalculably improbable accident, but as an expected fulfillment of the natural order, then we truly are at home in the universe. Kauffman's earlier volume, The Origins of Order, written for specialists, received lavish praise. Stephen Jay Gould called it "a landmark and a classic." And Nobel Laureate Philip Anderson wrote that "there are few people in this world who ever ask the right questions of science, and they are the ones who affect its future most profoundly. Stuart Kauffman is one of these." In At Home in the Universe, this visionary thinker takes you along as he explores new insights into the nature of life.
Download or read book From Stardust to First Cells written by Sankar Chatterjee and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-10-22 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a groundbreaking hypothesis to answer one of the greatest scientific mysteries: How did life begin? Like a detective piecing together seemingly disparate bits of evidence, Dr. Sankar Chatterjee combines the most recent discoveries in cosmology, geology, chemistry, information systems, and biology, weaving a vast tapestry from the threads of current research. Dr. Chatterjee convincingly argues that the odyssey of life first began when the fundamental building blocks were brought to Earth by meteorites. These cosmic compounds concentrated and simmered like a soup in hydrothermal crater-caldrons. Through a system of subterranean vent networks, a biosynthetic-rich variety of organic compounds mixed and matched into a recipe of rich biomolecules guided by prebiotic information systems. Through symbiosis, these complex biopolymers gradually assemble into membrane-bound protocells. At each stage of this evolutionary progression, through natural selection, they refined with increasing stability and complexity, ultimately leading to the emergence of the first cells about four billion years ago. In this book, Dr. Chatterjee tells this story in rigorous detail in language that is both accessible and engaging.
Download or read book Variation and Evolution in Plants and Microorganisms written by National Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-10-11 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The present book is intended as a progress report on [the] synthetic approach to evolution as it applies to the plant kingdom." With this simple statement, G. Ledyard Stebbins formulated the objectives of Variation and Evolution in Plants, published in 1950, setting forth for plants what became known as the "synthetic theory of evolution" or "the modern synthesis." The pervading conceit of the book was the molding of Darwin's evolution by natural selection within the framework of rapidly advancing genetic knowledge. At the time, Variation and Evolution in Plants significantly extended the scope of the science of plants. Plants, with their unique genetic, physiological, and evolutionary features, had all but been left completely out of the synthesis until that point. Fifty years later, the National Academy of Sciences convened a colloquium to update the advances made by Stebbins. This collection of 17 papers marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Stebbins' classic. Organized into five sections, the book covers: early evolution and the origin of cells, virus and bacterial models, protoctist models, population variation, and trends and patterns in plant evolution.
