• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.783-788
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• 2004

Marker proteins of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) and their antibodies were prepared and characterized as major components of an analytical system. We selected two GMO markers, neomycin phosphotransferase II and 5- enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, and produced them from E. coli employing genetic recombination technology. After purification, their structural conformation and binding affinities to the respective antibodies were characterized. The results showed that the recombinant proteins were identical with commercially obtained reference proteins. We further used them as immunogens to raise polyclonal antibodies capable of discriminating GMO containing protein from non-GMO. Well-characterized marker proteins and antibodies will be valuable as immunoreagents in constructing analytical systems such as biosensors and biochips to measure quantities of GMO.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.861-882
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• 2013

This study analyses interorganizational innovation networks empirically in the Korean biotechnology industry, based on systems of innovation approach. Empirical findings of this study are as follows. Innovation networks have not been well developed in the Korean biotechnology industry. Main agents who participate in innovation networks are workers at venture firms, university professors, researchers at government-sponsored research institutions. They all recognize the positive effects of innovation networks. The enhancement of participation willingness and competency of agents, the enrichment of trust and control among agents, and the effective acquisition of the useful technology and resources in innovation networks will largely contribute to development of innovation networks in the Korean biotechnology industry.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.292-304
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• 2010

High value-added therapeutic proteins have been leading the biologics industry and occupied major portion of the market. More than 60% of the currently available protein therapeutics are glycoproteins attached with glycans which play crucial roles for the protein folding, therapeutic efficacy, in vivo half-life and immunogenecity. This review introduces the process of glycosylation and the impacts of glycans in the aspects of therapeutics. The important glycan structures in therapeutic performances were also summarized focusing on three representative categories of glycoproteins, cytokines, therapeutic antibody and enzyme. Currently, mammalian expression systems such as Chinese hamster ovary cells are preferred for the production of therapeutic glycoproteins due to their ability to synthesize glycans having similar structures with human type glycans. However, recent advances of plant glycoengineering to overcome the limitation originating from different glycan structures will soon allow to develop more efficient and economic plant-based production systems for therapeutic glycoproteins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.349-356
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• 2020

Mass spectrometry (MS) is an ideal tool for analyzing multiple types of (bio)molecular information simultaneously in complex biological systems. In addition, MS provides structural information on targets, and can easily discriminate between true analytes and background. Therefore, imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) enables not only visualization of tissues to give positional information on targets but also allows for molecular analysis of targets by affording the molecular weights. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS is particularly effective and is generally used for IMS. However, the requirement for an organic matrix raises several limitations that get in the way of accurate and reliable images and hampers imaging of small molecules such as drugs and their metabolites. To overcome these problems, various organic matrix-free LDI IMS systems have been developed, mostly utilizing nanostructured surfaces and inorganic nanoparticles as an alternative to the organic matrix. This minireview highlights and focuses on the progress in organic matrix-free LDI IMS and briefly discusses the use of other IMS techniques such as desorption electrospray ionization, laser ablation electrospray ionization, and secondary ion mass spectrometry.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2014

Plant-based vaccines possess some advantages over other types of vaccine biotechnology such as safety, low cost of mass vaccination programs, and wider use of vaccines for medicine. This study was undertaken to develop the transgenic maize as edible vaccine candidates for humans. The immature embryos of HiII genotype were inoculated with A. tumefaciens strain C58C1 containing the binary vectors (V662 or V663). The vectors carrying nptII gene as selection marker and scEDIII (V662) or wCTB-scEDIII (V663) target gene, which code EIII proteins inhibite viral adsorption by cells. In total, 721 maize immature embryos were transformed and twenty-two putative transgenic plants were regenerated after 12 weeks selection regime. Of them, two- and six-plants were proved to be integrated with scEDIII and wCTB-scEDIII genes, respectively, by Southern blot analysis. However, only one plant (V662-29-3864) can express the gene of interest confirmed by Northern blot analysis. These results demonstrated that this plant could be used as a candidated source of the vaccine production.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2021

During a project aiming to comprehensively investigate indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 20 bacterial strains phylogenetically belonging to the the class Bacilli of the phylum Firmicutes were isolated from various environmental sources such as soil, air, tidal flat, sea water, grain, wetland, breast milk and healthy human urine. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 20 bacterial strains showed the high sequence similarities (≥98.7%) to the closest type strains and formed robust phylogenetic clades with closely related species of validly published names in the class Bacilli of the phylum Firmicutes. In the present study, we report 20 species of 13 genera of seven families of two orders of one class in the phylum Firmicutes, which have not been previously reported in Korea. Morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics, isolation sources, and NIBR deposit numbers of these unrecorded bacterial species are described in the species descriptions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.262-267
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• 2004

This study was done to observe the occurrence of heterotrophic bacteria in terms of free chlorine residuals in two different water distribution systems, which belongs to both K and Y water treatment plant of S city in Korea. The data analyzed in the distribution systems show that the free chlorine residuals decreased from 0.10 to 0.56 mg/l for K, and 0.51 to 0.78 mg/l for Y. The decay of free chlorine is clearly higher in both March and August than in January. The HPC in the distribution systems are ranged from 0 to 40 cfu/ml for K, 0 to 270 cfu/ml for Y, on $R_2$A medium. In particular, its level is relatively high at the consumer's ground storage tanks, taps, and the point-of-end area of Y. The predominant genera that were studied in the distribution systems were Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas (branch of Pseudomonas), Micrococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus. The diversity of heterotrophic bacteria increases in the end-point area. Most of them are either encapsulated cells or of Gram-positve cocci. In conclusion, the point-of-end area in distribution systems shows the longer flow distance from the water treatment plants, along with a greater diversity and a higher level of heterotrophic bacteria, due to the significant decay of free chlorine residuals.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13.1-13.14
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• 2020

Currently, the systems for culturing buffalo spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in vitro are varied, and their effects are still inconclusive. In this study, we compared the effects of culture systems with undefined (foetal bovine serum) and defined (KnockOut Serum Replacement) materials on the in vitro culture of buffalo SSC-like cells. Significantly more DDX4- and UCHL1-positive cells (cultured for 2 days at passage 2) were observed in the defined materials culture system than in the undefined materials system (p < 0.01), and these cells were maintained for a longer period than those in the culture system with undefined materials (10 days vs. 6 days). Furthermore, NANOS2 (p < 0.05), DDX4 (p < 0.01) and UCHL1 (p < 0.05) were expressed at significantly higher levels in the culture system with defined materials than in that with undefined materials. Induction with retinoic acid was used to verify that the cultured cells maintained SSC characteristics, revealing an SCP3+ subset in the cells cultured in the defined materials system. The expression levels of Stra8 (p < 0.05) and Rec8 (p < 0.01) were significantly increased, and the expression levels of ZBTB16 (p < 0.01) and DDX4 (p < 0.05) were significantly decreased. These findings provided a clearer research platform for exploring the mechanism of buffalo SSCs in vitro.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.845-855
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• 2019

Synthetic biology builds programmed biological systems for a wide range of purposes such as improving human health, remedying the environment, and boosting the production of valuable chemical substances. In recent years, the rapid development of synthetic biology has enabled synthetic bacterium-based diagnoses and therapeutics superior to traditional methodologies by engaging bacterial sensing of and response to environmental signals inherent in these complex biological systems. Biosynthetic systems have opened a new avenue of disease diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we introduce designed synthetic bacterial systems acting as living therapeutics in the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases. We also discuss the safety and robustness of genetically modified synthetic bacteria inside the human body.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.187-195
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• 2018

Nano-delivery systems, such as nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and nanoliposomes, are carriers that have been used to enhance the chemical as well as physical stability and bioavailability of bioactive compound. Food-grade nano-delivery system can be produced with edible biopolymers including proteins and carbohydrates. In addition to the low-toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of these biopolymers, their functional characteristics, such as their ability to bind hydrophobic bioactive compounds and form a gel, make them potential and ideal candidates for the fortification of bioactive compounds in functional dairy foods. This review focuses on different types of nano-delivery systems and edible biopolymers as delivery materials. In addition, the applications of food-grade nano-delivery systems to dairy foods are also described.