Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A human blood factor that promotes clotting. A deficiency of AT-III can be inherited, resulting from certain surgical procedures, certain illnesses, and sometimes use of certain oral contraceptives.  

An American trade association of companies involved in biotechnology and services to biotechnology companies (e.g., accounting, law, etc.). Formed in 1984, the ABC tended to consist of the smaller firms involved in biotechnology (and service firms that worked for all biotechnology companies). In 1993, the Association of Biotechnology Companies (ABC) was merged with the Industrial…

A sequence of DNA that will support autonomous replication (sequence, ARS).  

Single-celled life forms that can live at extreme ocean depths (i.e., high pressure) and in the absence of oxygen. Enzymes robust (i.e., sturdy) enough for industrial process utilization have been isolated by scientists from Archaea.  

A small weed plant possessing 70,000 kilobase pairs in its genome, with very little repetitive DNA. This makes it an ideal model for studying plant genetics. At least two genetic maps have been created fox Arabidopsis thaliana (one using yeast artificial chromosomes). Because of this a large base of knowledge about it has been accumulated…

Oligonucleotide molecules that bind (i.e., “stick to”) other, specific molecules (e.g., proteins). Aptamer is from the Latin aptus (“to fif). For example, in 1992, Louis Bock and John Toole isolated aptamers that bind and inhibit the blood-coagulation enzyme, thrombin. Since thrombin is crucial to the formation of blood clots (coagulation), such aptamers may be useful…

One of the final steps in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) review process for new pharmaceuticals. The letter precedes final FDA clearance for marketing of the new compound.  

A method ofreproduction used by scientists to propagate (hybrid) plants without having to utilize sexual fertilization. By combining apomixis with tissue culture technology, cai Detian, Ma Piugfij, and Yao Jialin were able to thus propagate rice varieties in 1994. By “fixing” hybrid dominance, the need for (sexual) breeding is eliminated and the hybrid vigor is…

An autoimmune disease of the bone marrow. A form of anemia in which the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of red blood cells. There are various types of anemias that differ in severity and etiology (e.g., aplastic, sickle cell, and Fanconi).  In general, aplastic anemia is the failure of bone marrow to reproduce…

Synthetic polymers (i.e., plastics) used to make medical devices that will be in contact with a patient’s blood (e.g., catheters) and thus must not initiate the coagulation process as synthetic polymers usually do. The natural anticoagulant heparin is incorporated into the polymer, and is gradually released into the bloodstream by the polymer, thus preventing blood…