Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2012-02-27"
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- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Proteomics: A Match for Success?Publication . Alexandre, Bruno; Penque, DeborahChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic airflow limitation that is not fully reversible even under bronchodilators effect, caused by a mixture of small airway disease and parenchymal destruction. COPD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adults, and it is now the fourth leading death cause in the world. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for COPD but not all smokers will suffer from COPD, suggesting that genetic and other environmental factors are involved in this pathology. Current diagnosis is based on spirometry, but there is recurrent debate on fixed spirometric thresholds in use that lead to misdiagnosis and/or classification of COPD. The available treatments are not effective to reduce or suppress the progression of COPD. Hence, there is an urgent need to better understand the molecular mechanisms of COPD pathogenesis to provide clinicians with reliable diagnosis and treatment tools for COPD. Proteomics, defined by the comprehensive study of the proteome, has the potential to respond to this need by providing protein profiles of a particular disease and, at the same time, by identifying specific biomarkers that can be used to better understand, diagnose and manage the disease. Here, we shortly review COPD history and pathology and how proteomics can match COPD for success.
- Técnicas de biologia molecular aplicadas a análises microbiológicas de alimentosPublication . Lia Duarte, SaraO objetivo do curso de “Técnicas de Biologia Molecular aplicadas a análises microbiológicas de alimentos” consistiu na transmissão de conhecimentos teóricos e práticos no sentido de formar técnicos de ensaio na deteção e caracterização de microrganismos por Biologia Molecular. O curso visava a aquisição de conhecimentos em técnicas de extração de DNA de bactérias, para posterior amplificação do DNA por PCR (Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase) e interpretação dos resultados após corrida em eletroforese em gel de agarose. Incluiu também formação na área de clonagem, desde a purificação de fragmentos de DNA a clonar, até à inserção do referido fragmento no vetor de clonagem e posterior crescimento em células hospedeiras. No final, procedeu-se à identificação de fragmentos sequenciados com recurso à bioinformática.