The aim of synthetic biology is to design artificial biological systems for novel applications. From an engineering perspective, construction of biological systems of defined functionality in a hierarchical way is fundamental to this emerging field. Here, we highlight some current advances on design of several basic building blocks in synthetic biology including the artificial gene control elements, synthetic circuits and their assemblies into devices and modules. Such engineered basic building blocks largely expand the synthetic toolbox and contribute to our understanding of the underlying design principles of living cells.
Gene Regulatory Networks ; Genes, Synthetic ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Models, Biological ; Proteins ; chemistry ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Synthetic Biology ; methods

The use of antiviral drugs such as influenza neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors is a critical strategy to prevent and control flu pandemic, but this strategy faces the challenge of emerging drug-resistant strains. For a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, biosafety restrictions have significantly limited the efforts to monitor its drug responses and mechanisms involved. In this study, a rapid and biosafe assay based on NA pseudovirus was developed to study the resistance of HPAI H5N1 virus to NA inhibitor drugs. The H5N1 NA pseudovirus was comprehensively tested using oseltamivir-sensitive strains and their resistant mutants. Results were consistent with those in previous studies, in which live H5N1 viruses were used. Several oseltamivir-resistant mutations reported in human H1N1 were also identified to cause decreased oseltamivir sensitivity in H5N1 NA by using the H5N1 NA pseudovirus. Thus, H5N1 NA pseudoviruses could be used to monitor HPAI H5N1 drug resistance rapidly and safely.
Animals ; Birds ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; genetics ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Influenza in Birds ; drug therapy ; genetics ; virology ; Influenza, Human ; drug therapy ; genetics ; virology ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Neuraminidase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Oseltamivir ; administration & dosage

Databases, Protein ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Proteins ; chemistry

Objective:To investigate the application effect of paper review combined with situational exercise in the standardized training and teaching of ophthalmology nurses.Methods:A total of 39 ophthalmology nurses who received standardized training from September 2019 to July 2020 were selected as control group, and 42 ophthalmology nurses who received standardized training from September 2020 to July 2021 were selected as study group. The nurses in the control group received traditional teaching, and those in the study group received teaching with paper review and situational exercise. The two groups were compared in terms of the scores of theoretical knowledge and operation skills, comprehensive qualities (autonomous learning ability, independent analysis and problem-solving ability, nurse-patient communication ability, organization and coordination ability, and comprehensive first aid ability) before and after teaching, and the degree of satisfaction with teaching. SPSS 26.0 was used to perform the independent samples t-test, the paired t-test, the chi-square test, and the rank sum test. Results:After standardized training, compared with the control group, the study group had significantly higher scores of theoretical knowledge (93.29±1.82 vs. 90.36±1.51, P<0.05) and operation skills (95.14±1.34 vs. 92.62±1.26, P<0.05). After standardized training, both groups had significant increases in the scores of autonomous learning ability, independent analysis and problem-solving ability, nurse-patient communication ability, organization and coordination ability, and comprehensive first aid ability, and the study group had significantly higher scores of these comprehensive qualities than the control group ( P<0.05). There was a significant difference in the distribution of the degree of satisfaction with teaching between the two groups ( P<0.05), and the study group had a significantly higher degree of satisfaction than the control group. Conclusion:Paper review combined with situational exercise can improve the specialized theoretical knowledge, technical operational level, and comprehensive qualities of ophthalmology nurses receiving standardized training and enhance the degree of satisfaction with teaching.

Dendritic cells (DCs) comprise two functionally distinct subsets: plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and myeloid DCs (mDCs). pDCs are specialized in rapid and massive secretion of type I interferon (IFN-I) in response to nucleic acids through Toll like receptor (TLR)-7 or TLR-9. In this report, we characterized a CD56(+) DC population that express typical pDC markers including CD123 and BDCA2 but produce much less IFN-I comparing with pDCs. In addition, CD56(+) DCs cluster together with mDCs but not pDCs by genome-wide transcriptional profiling. Accordingly, CD56(+) DCs functionally resemble mDCs by producing IL-12 upon TLR4 stimulation and priming naïve T cells without prior activation. These data suggest that the CD56(+) DCs represent a novel mDC subset mixed with some pDC features. A CD4(+)CD56(+) hematological malignancy was classified as blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) due to its expression of characteristic molecules of pDCs. However, we demonstrated that BPDCN is closer to CD56(+) DCs than pDCs by global gene-expression profiling. Thus, we propose that the CD4(+)CD56(+) neoplasm may be a tumor counterpart of CD56(+) mDCs but not pDCs.
Biomarkers ; metabolism ; CD56 Antigen ; genetics ; immunology ; Cell Lineage ; genetics ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Interferon Type I ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Interleukin-12 ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit ; genetics ; immunology ; Lectins, C-Type ; genetics ; immunology ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Myeloid Cells ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Immunologic ; genetics ; immunology ; Terminology as Topic ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; genetics ; immunology ; Toll-Like Receptor 7 ; genetics ; immunology ; Toll-Like Receptor 9 ; genetics ; immunology