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OUTLINE
● Biomaterials
MODULE - IV ●
●
Bioinformatics
Biosensors and Bioelectronics (BiologicalSensors-Ear& Eye)
APPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES IN ENGINEERING ● Synthetic Biology,
● Nanobiotechnology
INTRODUCTION
● The substance or material that are designed to interact with biological
systems for medicinal purpose either therapeutic or diagnostic. Such as,
metals, ceramics,glass,polymer etc.
BIOMATERIALS ● Various applications in medical applications such as–Medical implants, tissue
regeneration, molecular probes and nanoparticles, as Biosensors, drug
delivery etc.
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TYPES OF BIOMATERIALS KEY PROPERTIES OF BIOMATERIALS
● Natural Biomaterials: These are derived from biological material, these ● Biocompatibility
include proteins such as collagen, polysaccharides such as cellulose etc
● Medicinal Strength
● Synthetic Biomaterials: These are engineered materials designed to meet
● Biodegradability
specific criteria.
● Biodegradable Biomaterials: These are designed to breakdown safely ● Processability
within the body after their intended use. Such as some surgical sutures and ● Sterilizability
drug delivery systems. Lessen the risk of foreign body presence
APPLICATIONS OF BIOMATERIALS
● Medical Implants
○ Such as heart valves, stents, and dental implants.
● Tissue Engineering
○ Using scaffolds made from biomaterials to support the growth of new tissue, eg. lab-
grown bladders.
● Wound Healing
○ Materials that can facilitate healing by promoting skin growth and providing barriers to BIOINFORMATICS
infection
● Drug Delivery Systems
○ Biomaterials used to transport medications to specific sites in the body, exdrug-coated
vascular stents.
● Biosensors and Probes
○ These materials can detect biological signals.
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BIOINFORMATICS MAJOR TASKS
• Developing the tools to manage and interpret the information present in the
● Definition: “Application of Information technology to Biology using biological data.
mathematical and statistical principles” • Comparing newly sequenced DNA/PROTEIN against a large database for
● It provides computational solutions to biological problems.
functional assignment.
● For example: Predicting genes in the genome. • Searching for existing patterns (Motifs/Domains) in newly discovered
biological sequence. The crucial functional motifs tend to be conservative.
● It explores the hidden biological information and interpret it in some
• Phylogenetic analysis based upon biological sequences.
meaningful way using IT.
● For eg. Converting Raw X-ray crystallographic data into beautiful 3D image of a
• Deciphering the pathways and biological networks through systems biology.
protein. • Predicting three-dimensional molecular structure from one-dimensional
sequence data.
Alignment & Databases & Molecular
Comparison Searching Visualization
MSA: Motifs, Patterns
Phylogenetics Structure Molecular Docking
Fundamental Problems in Prediction
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics Molecular
Spectrum
Computer Aided
Biological Genome Mapping Simulation & Drug Design
Biological Networks 2D, 3D Structure
Pathways
Prediction
Dynamics
Drug Design
Gene Expression Metabolomics & Genomics &
Analysis: Microarray Systems Biology Proteomics (NGS)
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Personalized Preventive Gene Therapy BIOLOGICAL DATA
medicines Medicines
• Nucleotide Sequence
• Protein Sequence
Crop Improvement Drug Development
by Comparative Genomic • DNA and RNA Structure
Protein Structure
Applications •
• Motifs
Drought resistance Antibiotic
varieties Development Resistance • Gene Expression
• Protein Expression
• Metabolic Pathway
Molecular based
Improve Nutritional Metabolic Evolutionary Studies • …
Quality Engineering
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATABASES
NUCLEOTIDE REPOSITORY
● Depends upon the source of information, the databases are categorized into two types: Primary &
Secondary Databases. • EMBL- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, at Cambridge, UK.
● Researchers around the world submit their research data into international databanks which is publicly • GENBANK- at NCBI, a division at NIH campus, USA.
available to scientists. • DDBJ- DNA Data Bank of Japan, Mishima, Japan
● Since 1982 Work in collaboration.
PRIMARY DATABASES SECONDARY DATABASES ● Collect information from their region.
● Automatically update each other every 24 hours. To organize huge amount of information,
• These databases are primary source of information • These databases derives the information by
the database has been split into numerous divisions (17) and each division has specific 3-
and can be consider as reservoir of sequence resolving the primary databases.
• They express any particular attribute of the primary letter code.
information.
databases. ( like motif, pattern etc) ● For example:
• These are the primary repository centre for the newly
discovered sequence. • They add the value to the information present in the ● Human HUM
• Eg., Genbank at NCBI, EMBL, DDBJ primary databases. ● Virus VRL
• Eg., pfam, BLOCK, prints etc.
● Fungi FUN
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PROTEIN REPOSITORIES
• Protein Sequence
○ PIR – Protein Information Resource
○ SwissProt- at SIB Switzerland
○ TrEMBL
• Protein Structure
○ PDB- Protein Data Bank
○ NDB BIOSENSOR AND BIOELECTRONICS
○ MMDB
• Unlike nucleotide databases, they are not mirror of one another.
• All protein databanks are cross-referenced with the nucleotide
databases by Acc. No. and PID.
BIOSENSORS BIOELECTRONICS
● Biosensors are analytical devices designed for detection of specific chemical
● Bioelectronics is a branch of biomedical engineering that explores
substances, which combine biological components with a physiochemical
the interface between biological materials and electronic systems.
detector.
● It focuses on utilizing biological systems and processes to develop
● They concert a biological response into an electronic signal for
measurement and interpretation. advanced electronic devices for medical and therapeutic applications
● Sensitive Biological elements tailored to recognize the target analyate . ● Neural interfaces, biological fuel cells,and implantable systems.
● Transducers: Electrochemical,optical,piezoelectric. ● Biocompatabile materials polymers and flexible electronics designed
● An Electronic system. to adapt to body movements
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TYPES OF BIOSENSORS
APPLICATIONS
● Electrochemical Biosensors: Utilize electrochemical techniques like
● Biosensors
potentiometry, amperometry and conductometry to detect analytes. ○ In Health care.
● Optical Biosensors: Employ optical techniques, such as fluorescence, ○ Environmental Monitoring
chemiluminescence, and surface plasmon resonance, to measure analyte ○ Food Safety,
concentrations. ○ Quality assurance
● Piezoelectric Biosensors: Utilize piezoelectric materials that change their ○ Biodefense
resonant frequency upon mass changes, allowing for the detection of analytes. ● Bioelectronics
○ Neural Interfaces.
● Thermal Biosensors: Measure changes in temperature caused by biological
○ Drug delivery system
reactions to detect analytes
○ Wearable sensors
○ Altternative to traditional pharmaceuticals
INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY:
● Definition:
○ Field that merges engineering principles with biology to design and construct new
biological systems. It involves manipulating genetic material to create organisms with
novel functions or to redesign existing ones
● Key Concepts
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ○ Biobricks: Standard biological parts, such as genes or promoters, that can be
combined like Lego bricks to construct new genetic circuits.
○ Genetic Circuits: These circuits are designed to perform specific tasks within a
cell, such as sensing environmental signals or producing specific proteins.
○ Genome Engineering: Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 allow precise editing of the
genetic code, enabling the creation of organisms with desired traits.
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APPLICATIONS
● Medicine
○ New drugs and vaccines
○ Engineering cells to treat diseases
○ Artificial organs.
● Agriculture
○
○
Improving crop yields and resistance to pests and diseases
Developing biofuels NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
● Environmental Remediation
○ Engineering bacteria to clean up pollution. Creating organisms that can capture carbon dioxide.
● Industrial Biotechnology
○ Producing biofuels, chemicals, and materials. Developing sustainable manufacturing processes.
NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY : INTRODUCTION TYPES OF NANOMATERIALS USED IN NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
● An interdisciplinary field that merges principles of nanotechnology with biological sciences,
focusing on the manipulation and application of biological molecules and systems at the ● Carbon-based Materials
nanoscale (typically between 1 to 100 nanometers).
● Metal-based Nanoparticles
● It focuses on using nanoscale tools and techniques to solve biological and medical
[Link] field has applications in areas like drug delivery, gene therapy, diagnostics, ● Liposomes
and even environmental remediation
● Dendrimers
● For example, nanobiotechnology enables the creation of nanoparticles that can target
specific cells in the body, such as cancer cells, for more effective treatments. It also includes
innovations like nanorobots, which could one day perform precise medical procedures at
the cellular level
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APPLICATIONS
CHALLENGES IN NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
● Medicine:
● Drug Delivery: Nanoparticles are used to deliver drugs directly to targeted cells, improving treatment efficacy and reducing side effects.
● Diagnostics: Nanoscale imaging agents and biosensors help in early and accurate disease detection. ● Nanobiotechnology research faces several challenges that researchers are actively working to address:
● Regenerative Medicine: Nanomaterials are used to create scaffolds for tissue engineering and repair.
○ Toxicity and Biocompatibility: Ensuring that nanomaterials are safe for human use and do not cause adverse
● Agriculture
reactions is a significant hurdle. Long-term effects of exposure to nanoparticles are still not fully understood.
● Pesticides and Fertilizers: Nanoparticles enhance the efficiency of agrochemicals, reducing environmental impact.
● Disease Detection: Biosensors detect plant diseases at an early stage, improving crop health. ○ Scalability: Producing nanomaterials on a large scale while maintaining quality and consistency is complex and
● Environmental science costly.
● Water Purification: Nanomaterials are used to remove contaminants from water. ○ Regulatory and Ethical Issues: The rapid pace of innovation often outstrips the development of regulations,
● Pollution Control: Nanotechnology aids in detecting and neutralizing environmental pollutants. leading to uncertainties in approval processes. Ethical concerns, such as privacy in medical applications, also arise.
● Energy: ○ Environmental Impact: The potential for nanoparticles to accumulate in the environment and their effects on
● Biofuel Production: Nanobiotechnology improves the efficiency of biofuel production processes. ecosystems are areas of concern.
● Energy Storage: Nanomaterials are used in batteries and supercapacitors for better energy storage. ○ Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Nanobiotechnology requires expertise from multiple fields, such as biology,
● Food Industry chemistry, physics, and engineering. Coordinating efforts across disciplines can be challenging.
● Food Safety: Nanosensors detect pathogens and contaminants in food. ○ High Costs: Research and development in this field often require advanced equipment and materials, making it
● Packaging: Nanomaterials enhance the durability and safety of food packaging. expensive.
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