Statistical method for testing the neutral mutation hypothesis by DNA polymorphism.

There are currently intensive global research efforts aimed at increasing and modifying the accumulation of lipids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, polysaccharides, and other energy storage compounds in photosynthetic organisms, yeast, and bacteria through genetic engineering. Many improvements have been realized, including increased lipid and carbohydrate production, improved H2 yields, and the diversion of central metabolic intermediates into fungible biofuels. Photosynthetic microorganisms are attracting considerable interest within these efforts due to their relatively high photosynthetic conversion efficiencies, diverse metabolic capabilities, superior growth rates, and ability to store or secrete energy-rich hydrocarbons. Relative to cyanobacteria, eukaryotic microalgae possess several unique metabolic attributes of relevance to biofuel production, including the accumulation of significant quantities of triacylglycerol; the synthesis of storage starch (amylopectin and amylose), which is similar to that found in higher plants; and the ability to efficiently couple photosynthetic electron transport to H2 production. Although the application of genetic engineering to improve energy production phenotypes in eukaryotic microalgae is in its infancy, significant advances in the development of genetic manipulation tools have recently been achieved with microalgal model systems and are being used to manipulate central carbon metabolism in these organisms. It is likely that many of these advances can be extended to industrially relevant organisms. This review is focused on potential avenues of genetic engineering that may be undertaken in order to improve microalgae as a biofuel platform for the production of biohydrogen, starch-derived alcohols, diesel fuel surrogates, and/or alkanes.

Genetic Engineering of Algae for Enhanced Biofuel Production

Structures in Other Domains The methodology of structural analysis discussed in this article has been applied beyond the narrow realm of natural language syntax that we have discussed in this article. Within the study of language, similar methods of analysis have been pervasively applied to the study of sounds (phonology), words (morphology), and meanings (semantics), yielding a range of of abstract structural representations whose properties bear considerable explanatory burden. There are a wealth of cases in each of these domains analogous to those discussed here, though space prevents us from going in these (see Akmajian, Demers, Farmer and Harnish 1995 for a traditional overview, and Jackendo 1994 for one more focused on connections with cognitive science). Additionally, these representations have shed substantial light on the processes of language acquisition and language change. It has been found that variation in the types of sentences that are used, whether during the course of children's acquisition of their native languages or in the centuries-long periods of linguistic change, are best characterized not as super cial and haphazard alterations, but rather in terms of parametric modi cations to the fundamental underlying grammatical rules and constraints. Moving outside the domain of language, one application of these same methods has been in the study of music cognition. Just as the representations of linguistic theory arise out of an attempt to model speakers' intuitions about well-formedness and possible meanings of the sentences of their

Structural analysis

Classification of macroalgae as fuel and its thermochemical behaviour.

The last decade has witnessed enormous research focused on cationic polymers. Cationic polymers are the subject of intense research as non-viral gene delivery systems, due to their flexible properties, facile synthesis, robustness and proven gene delivery efficiency. Here, we review the most recent scientific advances in cationic polymers and their derivatives not only for gene delivery purposes but also for various alternative therapeutic applications. An overview of the synthesis and preparation of cationic polymers is provided along with their inherent bioactive and intrinsic therapeutic potential. In addition, cationic polymer based biomedical materials are covered. Major progress in the fields of drug and gene delivery as well as tissue engineering applications is summarized in the present review.

Cationic polymers and their therapeutic potential

Methyl jasmonate- or gibberellins A(3)-induced astaxanthin accumulation is associated with up-regulation of transcription of beta-carotene ketolase genes (bkts) in microalga Haematococcus pluvialis

MicroRNAs (miRNA) that are around 22 nucleotides long non-protein-coding RNAs, play key regulatory roles in plants. Recent research findings show that miRNAs are involved in plant defense and viral offense systems. Advances in understanding the mechanism of miRNA biogenesis and evolution are useful for elucidating the complicated roles they play in viral infection networks. In this paper a brief summary of evolution of plant anti-virus defense is given and the function of miRNAs involved in plant-virus competition is highlighted. It is believed that miRNAs have several advantages over homology-dependent and siRNA-mediated gene silencing when they are applied biotechnologically to promote plant anti-virus defense. miRNA-mediated anti-virus pathway is an ancient mechanism with a promising future. However, using miRNAs as a powerful anti-virus tool will be better realized only if miRNA genomics and functions in plant viral infection are fully understood.

http://ir.yic.ac.cn/bitstream/133337/3497/1/Roles%20of%20microRNA%20in%20plant%20defense%20and%20virus%20offense%20interaction.pdf

Roles of microRNA in plant defense and virus offense interaction.

http://ir.yic.ac.cn/bitstream/133337/3775/1/The%20hydroxyl%20radical%20scavenging%20activity%20of%20chitosan%2c%20hyaluronan%2c%20starch%20and%20their%20O-carboxymethylated%20derivatives.pdf

The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of chitosan, hyaluronan, starch and their O-carboxymethylated derivatives

Molecular analysis of green-tide-forming macroalgae in the Yellow Sea.

Using a Biolistic PDS 1000/He system, healthy thalli of Gracilaria changii were bombarded with gold particles coated with plasmid DNA containing the lacZ reporter gene Transient expression of lacZ was observed in bombarded thalli under the rupture-disc pressures of 4482, 6206, 7584 and 8963 KPa, two days after bombardment Although G changii exhibits a slight blue background, positive expression and the background colour can be clearly differentiated The results indicate that lacZ could be a useful reporter gene and that SV40 promoter could be an effective promoter for Gracilaria transformation

Song Qin

Papers

Methyl jasmonate- or gibberellins A(3)-induced astaxanthin accumulation is associated with up-regulation of transcription of beta-carotene ketolase genes (bkts) in microalga Haematococcus pluvialis

Roles of microRNA in plant defense and virus offense interaction.

The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of chitosan, hyaluronan, starch and their O-carboxymethylated derivatives

Molecular analysis of green-tide-forming macroalgae in the Yellow Sea.

Transient expression of lacZ in particle bombarded Gracilaria changii (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)