Fabrication of DNA microarray

Systems immunology of human malaria

Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a global public health threat. Optimism that a highly effective malaria vaccine can be developed stems in part from the observation that humans can acquire immunity to malaria through experimental and natural P. falciparum infection. Recent advances in systems immunology could accelerate efforts to unravel the mechanisms of acquired immunity to malaria. Here, we review the tools of systems immunology, their current limitations in the context of human malaria research, and the human 'models' of malaria immunity to which these tools can be applied.

Microarray-Based Gene Expression Studies in Ovarian Cancer

Background

DNA microarray technology is a powerful genomic tool that has the potential to elucidate the relationship between clinical features of cancers and their underlying biological alterations.

Methods

We performed a systemic search in PubMed and Medline databases for recently published articles. The search terms used included “genome-wide,” “microarrays,” “ovarian cancer,” “prognosis” “gene expression profiling,” “molecular marker,” and “molecular biomarker.”

Results

Genome-wide expression profiling using DNA microarray technology has enhanced our understanding of the genes that influence ovarian cancer development, histopathologic subtype, progression, response to therapy, and overall survival.

Conclusions

Gene expression profiling has demonstrated its utility in ovarian cancer research. It is hoped that with technologic, statistical, and bioinformatic advances, the reliability and reproducibility of this technique will increase, spawning clinical applications that may enhance our understanding of the disease and our ability to care for patients in the future.

Impact of yeast systems biology on industrial biotechnology

Systems biology is yet an emerging discipline that aims to quantitatively describe and predict the functioning of a biological system. This nascent discipline relies on the recent advances in the analytical technology (such as DNA microarrays, mass spectromety, etc.) to quantify cellular characteristics (such as gene expression, protein and metabolite abundance, etc.) and computational methods to integrate information from these measurements. The model eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has played a pivotal role in the development of many of these analytical and computational methods and consequently is the biological system of choice for testing new hypotheses. The knowledge gained from such studies in S. cerevisiae is proving to be extremely useful in designing metabolism that is targeted to specific industrial applications. As a result, the portfolio of products that are being produced using this yeast is expanding rapidly. We review the recent developments in yeast systems biology and how they relate to industrial biotechnology.