Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that have high affinity and selectivity to bind to specific targets.Compared to antibodies,aptamers are easy to in vitro synthesize with low cost,and exhibit excellent...Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that have high affinity and selectivity to bind to specific targets.Compared to antibodies,aptamers are easy to in vitro synthesize with low cost,and exhibit excellent thermal stability and programmability.With these features,aptamers have been widely used in biology and medicine-related fields.In the meantime,a variety of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment(SELEX)technologies have been developed to screen aptamers for various targets.According to the characteristics of targets,customizing appropriate SELEX technology and post-SELEX optimization helps to obtain ideal aptamers with high affinity and specificity.In this review,we first summarize the latest research on the systematic bio-fabrication of aptamers,including various SELEX technologies,post-SELEX optimization,and aptamer modification technology.These procedures not only help to gain the aptamer sequences but also provide insights into the relationship between structure and function of the aptamers.The latter provides a new perspective for the systems bio-fabrication of aptamers.Furthermore,on this basis,we review the applications of aptamers,particularly in the fields of engineering biology,including industrial biotechnology,medical and health engineering,and environmental and food safety monitoring.And the encountered challenges and prospects are discussed,providing an outlook for the future development of aptamers.展开更多
Examples are presented showing the way in which biological systems produce a range of functions which can be implemented in engineering, such as feedback-control of stiffness （muscles and nervous system）, the design...Examples are presented showing the way in which biological systems produce a range of functions which can be implemented in engineering, such as feedback-control of stiffness （muscles and nervous system）, the design of fault-free structures （trees） and damage-tolerant materials （wood） and high performance insulation （penguin feathers） and shock absorbers （hedgehog spines）.展开更多
Ideas from engineering have helped the understanding of biological organisms for thousands of years. However, the mechanical aspects of biological materials and structures can, if properly interpreted and analysed, le...Ideas from engineering have helped the understanding of biological organisms for thousands of years. However, the mechanical aspects of biological materials and structures can, if properly interpreted and analysed, lead to a deeper understanding of the biology of organisms. Such an approach, although always current in some form, is nevertheless subject to the vagaries of fashion and the availability of analytical techniques. At present we are in a period of upturn. Areas of interest are deployable structures （applications in aerospace）, palaeontology （how little do we need to know in order to create a credible biosphere） and food science （we need a rational approach to the mechanics of food）.展开更多
One of the reasons behind failed engineering surfaces and mechanical components is particle erosion wear;thus,to mitigate its happening,biomimetic engineering is the current state-of-the-art being applied.Hence,this p...One of the reasons behind failed engineering surfaces and mechanical components is particle erosion wear;thus,to mitigate its happening,biomimetic engineering is the current state-of-the-art being applied.Hence,this paper reviews the literature and the development trends on erosive wear resistance that employ biomimetic methods as well as analyze the bio-inspired surface,the bio-inspired structure,the bio-based materials,the associated challenges,and the future trends.Furthermore,the feasibility of the multi-biological and perspective on the coupling biomimetic method for anti-erosion wear are studied.It is concluded that the design of anti-erosion materials or structures by the bio-inspired methods is of great significance in the development of engineering applications.展开更多
Synthetic biology is capable of delivering new solutions to key challenges spanning the bioeconomy,both nationally and internationally.Recognising this significant potential and the associated need to facilitate its t...Synthetic biology is capable of delivering new solutions to key challenges spanning the bioeconomy,both nationally and internationally.Recognising this significant potential and the associated need to facilitate its translation and commercialisation the UK government commissioned the production of a national Synthetic Biology Roadmap in 2011,and subsequently provided crucial support to assist its implementation.Critical infrastructural investments have been made,and important strides made towards the development of an effectively connected community of practitioners and interest groups.A number of Synthetic Biology Research Centres,DNA Synthesis Foundries,a Centre for Doctoral Training,and an Innovation Knowledge Centre have been established,creating a nationally distributed and integrated network of complementary facilities and expertise.The UK Synthetic Biology Leadership Council published a UK Synthetic Biology Strategic Plan in 2016,increasing focus on the processes of translation and commercialisation.Over 50 start-ups,SMEs and larger companies are actively engaged in synthetic biology in the UK,and inward investments are starting to flow.Together these initiatives provide an important foundation for stimulating innovation,actively contributing to international research and development partnerships,and helping deliver useful benefits from synthetic biology in response to local and global needs and challenges.展开更多
基金This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42177212,21877054)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(JUSRP121013).
文摘Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that have high affinity and selectivity to bind to specific targets.Compared to antibodies,aptamers are easy to in vitro synthesize with low cost,and exhibit excellent thermal stability and programmability.With these features,aptamers have been widely used in biology and medicine-related fields.In the meantime,a variety of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment(SELEX)technologies have been developed to screen aptamers for various targets.According to the characteristics of targets,customizing appropriate SELEX technology and post-SELEX optimization helps to obtain ideal aptamers with high affinity and specificity.In this review,we first summarize the latest research on the systematic bio-fabrication of aptamers,including various SELEX technologies,post-SELEX optimization,and aptamer modification technology.These procedures not only help to gain the aptamer sequences but also provide insights into the relationship between structure and function of the aptamers.The latter provides a new perspective for the systems bio-fabrication of aptamers.Furthermore,on this basis,we review the applications of aptamers,particularly in the fields of engineering biology,including industrial biotechnology,medical and health engineering,and environmental and food safety monitoring.And the encountered challenges and prospects are discussed,providing an outlook for the future development of aptamers.
文摘Examples are presented showing the way in which biological systems produce a range of functions which can be implemented in engineering, such as feedback-control of stiffness （muscles and nervous system）, the design of fault-free structures （trees） and damage-tolerant materials （wood） and high performance insulation （penguin feathers） and shock absorbers （hedgehog spines）.
文摘Ideas from engineering have helped the understanding of biological organisms for thousands of years. However, the mechanical aspects of biological materials and structures can, if properly interpreted and analysed, lead to a deeper understanding of the biology of organisms. Such an approach, although always current in some form, is nevertheless subject to the vagaries of fashion and the availability of analytical techniques. At present we are in a period of upturn. Areas of interest are deployable structures （applications in aerospace）, palaeontology （how little do we need to know in order to create a credible biosphere） and food science （we need a rational approach to the mechanics of food）.
基金This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 51875113Natural Science Foundation of the Heilongjiang Province of China under Grant F2016003Natural Science Joint Guidance Foundation of the Heilongjiang Province of China under Grant LH2019E027.Also,we are grateful to Mr.Vishwanath Pooneeth for excellent language polishing.
文摘One of the reasons behind failed engineering surfaces and mechanical components is particle erosion wear;thus,to mitigate its happening,biomimetic engineering is the current state-of-the-art being applied.Hence,this paper reviews the literature and the development trends on erosive wear resistance that employ biomimetic methods as well as analyze the bio-inspired surface,the bio-inspired structure,the bio-based materials,the associated challenges,and the future trends.Furthermore,the feasibility of the multi-biological and perspective on the coupling biomimetic method for anti-erosion wear are studied.It is concluded that the design of anti-erosion materials or structures by the bio-inspired methods is of great significance in the development of engineering applications.
文摘Synthetic biology is capable of delivering new solutions to key challenges spanning the bioeconomy,both nationally and internationally.Recognising this significant potential and the associated need to facilitate its translation and commercialisation the UK government commissioned the production of a national Synthetic Biology Roadmap in 2011,and subsequently provided crucial support to assist its implementation.Critical infrastructural investments have been made,and important strides made towards the development of an effectively connected community of practitioners and interest groups.A number of Synthetic Biology Research Centres,DNA Synthesis Foundries,a Centre for Doctoral Training,and an Innovation Knowledge Centre have been established,creating a nationally distributed and integrated network of complementary facilities and expertise.The UK Synthetic Biology Leadership Council published a UK Synthetic Biology Strategic Plan in 2016,increasing focus on the processes of translation and commercialisation.Over 50 start-ups,SMEs and larger companies are actively engaged in synthetic biology in the UK,and inward investments are starting to flow.Together these initiatives provide an important foundation for stimulating innovation,actively contributing to international research and development partnerships,and helping deliver useful benefits from synthetic biology in response to local and global needs and challenges.
