Click here if you want to start an unforgettable tour around the amazing world of jazz music:
Have fun!
Laura Cipollina - IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
domenica 31 agosto 2008
IBIOCAT Musical Entertainment: A tour around the amazing world of Jazz
Jazz has been called the purest expression of American democracy; a music built on individualism and compromise, indipendence and cooperation. Click here for an eploration of jazz, America's greatest cultural achievement.
In the videoclip available at http://www.pbs.org/jazz/about/jazz56.html jazz musicians and writers describe in poetic terms the unbreakable bond between the spirit of jazz and the spirit of America.
And now...five ways to say "Round Midnight" :
1) Oscar Peterson:
2) Thelonius Monk Quartet:
3) Miles Davis Quintet:
4) Michael Brecker:
5) Bobby McFerrin:
I hope you'll enjoy my music choice!
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
Green Thought for Today August 31, 2008
"If only one idea had to be passed to the next generation,
it is the concept of Atoms and Molecules, and that everything
is made of them".
Richard P. Feynman
Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) was an American physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as work in particle physics (the parton model was proposed by him). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, together with Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga. Feynman developed a widely-used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In addition to his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology (creation of devices at the molecular scale). He held the Richard Chace Tolman professorship in theoretical physics at Caltech. Richard Feynman's interest in biology was more than casual. He was a friend of Esther Lederberg, the geneticist and microbiologist who developed replica plating and discovered bacteriophage lambda (though often others received credit for her work). It is not surprising that both these engaging people should be friends, as they also shared other scientists as friends. These included physicists in nuclear research who for moral reasons switched to genetics (such as Leó Szilárd, Guido Pontecorvo, Aaron Novick, and Carl Sagan).
(Source: Wikipedia)
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
giovedì 28 agosto 2008
IBIOCAT Humor- A musical parody for you: "The brain chemicals"
"The Brain Chemicals"
sung to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm ("Nella vecchia fattoria" for Italy)
sung to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm ("Nella vecchia fattoria" for Italy)
Lyrics by Julie Jeppesen, Sean J. Weinberg, Rhonda Waggoner, Marcie E. Ball, Beth Cowman, Sharon LeaTrea - all Illinois teachers
Acetylcholine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Acetylcholine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
It's most abundant -- aids in memory and thought
abundant, abundant, memory and thought
Acetylcholine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Norepinephrine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Norepinephrine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Short term to long term - improves mood
short term, long term improves mood
Norepinephrine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Dopamine is in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Dopamine is in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Physical movement, improves mood
Physical movement, improves mood
Dopamine is in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Serotonin in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Serotonin in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
smooth muscle movement - improves mood
smooth muscle movement - improves mood
Serotonin in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
There is GABA in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
There is GABA in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Keeps us calm; neurons don't fire at once
Keeps us calm; neurons don't fire at once
There is GABA in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Endorphins are in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Endorphins are in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Makes one feel good; helps one concentrate
feels good - concentrate
feels good - concentrate
Endorphins are in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
martedì 26 agosto 2008
COOL SITE August 27, 2008 - "The Delights of Chemistry "
Cool site: August 27, 2008 http://www.chem.leeds.ac.uk/delights/
Enjoy the
from Department of Chemistry, University of Leeds, UK
"Chemistry lies right at the heart of all science. Chemistry controls the way our bodies work, it controls our atmosphere and environment and is the driving force for much that is successful in British industry today. Chemistry impacts on all aspects of our lives."
Professor Philip Kocienski, Head of Chemistry, University of Leeds.
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
THE IBIOCAT'S BOOK CORNER- Biocatalysis and Bioenergy
Biocatalysis and Bioenergy
Publisher: Wiley-Interscience
ISBN: 978-0-470-13404-7
Hardcover
608 pages
September 2008
£78.95 / €100.00
This price is valid for Italy
An up-to-date overview of diverse findings and accomplishments in biocatalysis and bioenergy.
With the high price of petroleum and researchers worldwide seeking new means of producing energy, this comprehensive book on biocatalysis for bioenergy and biofuel applications is very timely. It combines information on state-of-the-art advances and in-depth reviews of the latest achievements in biocatalysis and bioenergy, emphasizing biodiesel, bioethanol, and industrial products. The advantages of biocatalysis include high specificity, efficiency, energy conservation, and pollution reduction. Biocatalysis and Bioenergy details advances in the field, with:
With the high price of petroleum and researchers worldwide seeking new means of producing energy, this comprehensive book on biocatalysis for bioenergy and biofuel applications is very timely. It combines information on state-of-the-art advances and in-depth reviews of the latest achievements in biocatalysis and bioenergy, emphasizing biodiesel, bioethanol, and industrial products. The advantages of biocatalysis include high specificity, efficiency, energy conservation, and pollution reduction. Biocatalysis and Bioenergy details advances in the field, with:
Three primary sections, covering biodiesel research, bioethanol, and industrial products;
Information on enzyme catalysis, biotransformation, bioconversion, fermentation, genetic engineering, and product recovery;
Information on enzyme catalysis, biotransformation, bioconversion, fermentation, genetic engineering, and product recovery;
Contributions from leading experts worldwide who share their research and findings.
The prospect of using biocatalysis for the production of energy has great potential due to its cost-effectiveness, the fact that it does not require a limited resource such as oil, and its potential universality of application and use globally. This is the definitive reference for biochemists and biochemical engineers, bioprocess and bioenergy scientists, physical and oil chemists (oleochemists), microbiologists, industrial microbiologists, molecular biologists, metabolic engineers working in biocatalysis, bioethanol, and biodiesel fuels, DOE scientists working on renewable energy, and other professionals in related fields.
The prospect of using biocatalysis for the production of energy has great potential due to its cost-effectiveness, the fact that it does not require a limited resource such as oil, and its potential universality of application and use globally. This is the definitive reference for biochemists and biochemical engineers, bioprocess and bioenergy scientists, physical and oil chemists (oleochemists), microbiologists, industrial microbiologists, molecular biologists, metabolic engineers working in biocatalysis, bioethanol, and biodiesel fuels, DOE scientists working on renewable energy, and other professionals in related fields.
For further information visit the Publisher's website
View here the TABLE OF CONTENTS
Laura Cipollina - IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
sabato 23 agosto 2008
IBIOCAT Humor - A musical parody for you: "Metabolise" by Aimee Hartnell
METABOLISE
To be sung to the tune of "I Will Survive"
Original Words and Music by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perrin
Original Words and Music by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perrin
"Two pyruvates are made from glycolysis:
First glucose gains phosphate from ATP hydrolysis
Then it's isomerised, and then turned into fructose bisphosphate
Which then relates
To two 3C carbohydrates
Each gains phosphate (with phosphorylase),
They're oxidised by NAD+ (with a dehydrogenase)
And in the last three steps they're made into pyruvate, finally,
And there's a net gain of two molecules of lovely ATP…
It's aerobic respiration
(Not as efficient - but more controlled than combustion)
It's got to get all twelve hydrogens oxidised,
To turn six carbons into six carbon dioxides;
To oxidise! Metabolise!
Oh it starts off in the cytosol, where sugar's glycolysed
The TCA cycle goes on
In a mitochondrion
Metabolise - metabolise…!!
(musical bit)
Pyruvate loses CO2 (forms NADH)
Its ethanoyl group forms acetyl coenzyme A
4C oxaloacetate joins on to make 6C citrate,
Eight steps go round;
And two more CO2 are found;
One ATP each cycle gains,
Reduced coenzymes make more in the electron transport chain:
Four from two FADH2, ten NADH - and each yields three:
Altogether from one glucose that's 38 ATP
It's aerobic respiration
(Not as efficient - but more controlled than combustion)
It's got to get all twelve hydrogens oxidised,
To turn six carbons into six carbon dioxides;
To oxidise! Metabolise!
Oh it starts off in the cytosol, where sugar's glycolysed
The TCA cycle goes on
In a mitochondrion
Metabolise - metabolise….!!! "
(repeat till bored...!)
First glucose gains phosphate from ATP hydrolysis
Then it's isomerised, and then turned into fructose bisphosphate
Which then relates
To two 3C carbohydrates
Each gains phosphate (with phosphorylase),
They're oxidised by NAD+ (with a dehydrogenase)
And in the last three steps they're made into pyruvate, finally,
And there's a net gain of two molecules of lovely ATP…
It's aerobic respiration
(Not as efficient - but more controlled than combustion)
It's got to get all twelve hydrogens oxidised,
To turn six carbons into six carbon dioxides;
To oxidise! Metabolise!
Oh it starts off in the cytosol, where sugar's glycolysed
The TCA cycle goes on
In a mitochondrion
Metabolise - metabolise…!!
(musical bit)
Pyruvate loses CO2 (forms NADH)
Its ethanoyl group forms acetyl coenzyme A
4C oxaloacetate joins on to make 6C citrate,
Eight steps go round;
And two more CO2 are found;
One ATP each cycle gains,
Reduced coenzymes make more in the electron transport chain:
Four from two FADH2, ten NADH - and each yields three:
Altogether from one glucose that's 38 ATP
It's aerobic respiration
(Not as efficient - but more controlled than combustion)
It's got to get all twelve hydrogens oxidised,
To turn six carbons into six carbon dioxides;
To oxidise! Metabolise!
Oh it starts off in the cytosol, where sugar's glycolysed
The TCA cycle goes on
In a mitochondrion
Metabolise - metabolise….!!! "
(repeat till bored...!)
Aimee Hartnell, April 2000
Gloria Gaynor sings "I will survive":
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
venerdì 22 agosto 2008
Biocatalysis in the News - "Microwave Activation of Enzymatic Catalysis"
US Researchers Discover Novel Method for Activating Enzymatic Reactions
Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered a new method for "switching on" enzymatic reactions with precise energy delivery, by using microwave radiation. Dr. Alex Deiters, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Bob Kelly, Alcoa Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, along with other NC State researchers, found that hyperthermophilic enzymes - proteins that thrive in extremely hot environments - could be activated at temperatures far below those normally required for biocatalysis, the process by which enzymes chemically transform organic compounds. Their findings appear in the online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.The use of enzymes as "biocatalysts" is nothing new - biocatalysis is important in everything from brewing beer to the creation of pharmaceutical components. Applying heat to the enzymes causes them to activate a chemical reaction; however, when temperatures become too high, the proteins can become "denatured," and the reaction can produce undesirable by-products. The researchers theorized that the unique properties of the hyperthermophiles and the use of microwave radiation as a heat source might help them avoid this pitfall."Using microwaves means that you are only heating up what you want to heat up," says Kelly. "You're focusing the energy much more specifically and rapidly, and the process can occur at a much lower temperature". Hyperthermophilic enzymes are particularly well-suited to the process, because they are less likely to denature when exposed to the rapid heating from the microwave radiation.The results bore out the researchers' expectations: the hyperthermophilic enzymes were activated when irradiated by microwaves, and at a much lower temperature than would normally be required to cause the reaction."The microwaves will allow us to be much more precise in our ability to induce these reactions, and to stop them quickly before denaturing occurs" Deiters says. "This is another tool we can use to maximize the utility of biocatalysis."Future work will show if using microwave radiation to activate enzymes below their typical reaction temperature will create energy-saving benefits for researchers using biocatalytic processes.
An abstract of the paper follows:
Douglas D. Young, Jason Nichols, Robert Kelly, and Alexander Deiters, "Microwave Activation of Enzymatic Catalysis". J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008; 130 (31 ): 10048 –10049 .
Douglas D. Young, Jason Nichols, Robert Kelly, and Alexander Deiters, "Microwave Activation of Enzymatic Catalysis". J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008; 130 (
Abstract: Microwave irradiation can be used to regulate biocatalysis. Herein, the utilization of hyperthermophilic enzymes in a microwave reactor is reported. While these enzymes are inactive at low temperatures, they can be activated with microwave irradiation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first illustration of a specific microwave effect in enzymatic catalysis.
Web Release Date: July 10, 2008.
Laura Cipollina -IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
giovedì 21 agosto 2008
Green Thought for Today August 21, 2008
"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve"
Max Planck
Karl Ernst Ludwig Marx Planck, better known as Max (Kiel, April 23, 1858 – Göttingen, October 4, 1947), was a German physicist. Although being a very gifted musician (he took singing lessons and played piano, organ and cello, and composed songs and operas), he chose to study physics and is now often considered to be the founder of quantum theory for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Several years after studying at the University of Munich, he became a professor at Berlin University where he developed his ideas and established a new professorship for Albert Einstein. The two scientists became friends and met frequently to play music.
Read more about Max Planck's: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Planck
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
mercoledì 20 agosto 2008
Save the date! September 7-10, 2008 - ESBES 7- 7th European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Science - Faro, Portugal
The 7th European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Science will take place in the beautiful town of Faro at the Algarve Coastline in Portugal from 7 - 10 September, 2008. The symposium is jointly organised by the IBB Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, the University of Algarve, and DECHEMA, Frankfurt.
The ESBES Symposium Series has developed to the leading platform for the community over the last years which provides the opportunity for biochemical scientists and engineers but also for researchers of adjacent fields to exchange their experiences.
Topics: Bioreaction Engineering, Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, Bioseparation; M3C Modelling, Monitoring, Measurement & Control; Solid State Bioprocession; Biomedical and Tissue Engineering; Engineering Challenges for Biotechnology Industry; Biofuel Engineering and Sustainability; Miniaturisation in Bioengineering and Nanobiotechnology; Biothermodynamics.
The ESBES Symposium Series has developed to the leading platform for the community over the last years which provides the opportunity for biochemical scientists and engineers but also for researchers of adjacent fields to exchange their experiences.
Topics: Bioreaction Engineering, Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, Bioseparation; M3C Modelling, Monitoring, Measurement & Control; Solid State Bioprocession; Biomedical and Tissue Engineering; Engineering Challenges for Biotechnology Industry; Biofuel Engineering and Sustainability; Miniaturisation in Bioengineering and Nanobiotechnology; Biothermodynamics.
For detailed information please visit http://www.esbes2008.org/
Download the Scientific programme
Laura Cipollina- IBIOCAT, Divisione Marketing e Commerciale
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