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[Ed Xavier Gonzalez]

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>NASA Tech Briefs INSIDER 06/14/07
>
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>* Scientists Develop Tiny Implantable Biocomputers
>* Computerized Matching System Enables National Kidney Exchange
>* New Reference Material for Peptide Analysis
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>
>BIOCOMPUTERS
>Researchers at Harvard University and Princeton University have made 
>a crucial step toward building biological computers, tiny 
>implantable devices that can monitor the activities and 
>characteristics of human cells. The information provided by these 
>devices -- constructed entirely of DNA, RNA, and proteins -- could 
>eventually revolutionize medicine by directing therapies only to
>diseased cells or tissues.
>
>"Each human cell already has all of the tools required to build 
>these biocomputers on its own," said Harvard's Yaakov (Kobi) 
>Benenson, a Bauer Fellow in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences' Center 
>for Systems Biology. "All that must be provided is a genetic 
>blueprint of the machine and our own biology will do the rest."
>
>Evaluating Boolean logic equations inside cells, these molecular 
>automata will detect anything from the presence of a mutated gene to 
>the activity of genes within the cell. The biocomputers' "input" is 
>RNA, proteins, and chemicals found in the cytoplasm; "output" 
>molecules indicating the presence of the telltale signals are easily 
>discernable with basic laboratory equipment.
>
>For more information, visit: http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20070614A2
>
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>
>DONOR ALGORITHM
>Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have developed an 
>algorithm that could significantly boost the efficiency of kidney 
>exchanges, a mechanism for matching live donors with unrelated recipients.
>
>The algorithm makes it possible to create matches for three- and 
>four-way exchanges -- that is, three or four donors matched to three 
>or four recipients -- as well as two-way exchanges. According to the 
>researchers, it is the first that is scalable so it can be used for 
>a national pool of donors and recipients.
>
>For example, in a match run recently, the algorithm identified four 
>potential two-way exchanges, three three-way exchanges, and one 
>four-way exchange among about 100 donor-patient pairs and seven 
>altruistic donors (donors without specified recipients). With the 
>same set of donor-patient pairs and without altruistic donors, the 
>matching method previously used by the Alliance for Paired Donation 
>-- a kidney exchange program for 50 transplant centers in 15 states 
>-- would have identified only one two-way exchange.
>
>For more information, visit: http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20070614A6
>
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>
>PEPTIDE REFERENCE MATERIAL
>The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued 
>its first-ever reference material designed to improve the 
>performance and reliability of experiments to measure the masses and 
>concentrations of peptides in biomolecular samples. The new 
>reference material is expected to be an important tool in the 
>analysis of proteins, both for disease diagnosis and drug discovery.
>
>The need for the reference material has been long recognized by the
>Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF), a non-profit 
>standards organization created by representatives from industry 
>firms, universities, and government agencies. In collaboration with 
>NIST, the ABRF created a Peptide Standards Project Committee to 
>design and characterize three synthetic peptides to serve as the 
>basis for a NIST peptide reference material.
>
>For more information, visit: http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20070614A8
>
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<The right to Free Speech does not diminish the value of remaining silent>

Ed Xavier Gonzalez
Oak Hill Laser
ohlaser at swbell.net
(512) 288-5243