Biology-Based Organizations

The chemical functioning of a cell is the main objective of Molecular Biology (MB). The isolation, identification, and purification of biomacromolecules could be seen as the first step, in fulfilling this objective. From the catalytic point of view, enzymes are the center of attention. However, the most important biomolecule in the cell is the DNA, in which the genetic code of each enzyme is enclosed, thus representing ultimate target for MB. The biochemical and molecular processes of replication, transcription, and translation become part of the objective. 

The Genetic Engineering (GE) tools and techniques are used to modify the genetic material of microorganisms, in very specific manners, to introduce or improve their capabilities towards a given industrial interest. From recombinant DNA techniques, new DNAs sequences are derived by the changes on other DNA strands. 

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The field of nanotechnology has captured the imagination of scientists, engineers, and policy makers, as a means of obtaining biology-based organization and self-assembly in application areas that are relevant to current and future technologies. 

Physiologically Based Phamiacokinetic (PBPK) Model—Comprised of a series of compartments representing organs or tissue groups with realistic weights and blood flows. These models require a variety of physiological information tissue volumes, blood flow rates to tissues, cardiac output, alveolar ventilation rates and, possibly membrane permeabilities. The models also utilize biochemical information such as air/blood partition coefficients, and metabolic parameters. PBPK models are also called biologically based tissue dosimetry models. 

The amino acids, basic building blocks of proteins, all share this dual acid-base character. See Chapter 13 for a description of the amino acids and their biological chemistry. Organic bases also have a long and varied history as painkillers and narcotics, as our Chemishy and Life Box on the next page describes. 

The American Conference on Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a member-based organization that advances occupational and environmental health (ACGIH 2007). An example of this includes the annual publication of the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEls) recommended for chemical substances. 

Biological-based assay destined to reduce the sacrifice of organisms (usually vertebrates), to reduce the cost and to replace old tests by more rapid and efficient ones. The use of fish cells is an example of an alternative for fish. Volume 1(14). 

The move toward catalytic reactions is reflected in the increase in the number of chapters in this book on the topic compared to the first edition. The trend has been observed by noted chemists in the previous decade. Professor Seebach, for example, in 1990 stated the primary center of attention for all synthetic methods will continue to shift toward catalytic and enantioselective variants indeed, it will not be long before such modifications will be available for every standard reaction. 6 Professor Trost in 1995 was a little more specific with catalysis by transition metal complexes has a major role to play in addressing the issue of atom economy—both from the point of view of improving existing processes, and, most importantly, from discovering new ones. 7 However, the concept can be extended to biological and organic catalysts and to those based on transition metals. 

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