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Spring
2004 -- Vol. 57, No. 2
Biotechnology is a big word with a world of promise.
by Debbie Dalhouse and Peter Kent
Its process
can be as simple as adding yeast to dough to make bread or as sophisticated
as making artificial spider silk.
In other words,
biotechnology uses biological processes to solve problems
or make useful products. For example, Clemson scientists are developing
artificial spider silk that’s many times stronger than steel.
The new material has tremendous potential for use in medicine, textiles
and engineering.
Biotechnology begins with genomics, the study of genes and their functions.
This science is opening new doors to the way we understand our world.
The more we learn, the more we discover how interrelated all living
things are — that all life is more alike than different at
the molecular level.
Clemson scientists are making discoveries that were unimaginable only
a few years ago.
Research on glucose
and plant growth is providing insights into the role sugars play
in human diabetes and obesity. Research
on mammary
stem cells in dairy cattle holds the promise of preventing breast
cancer in humans. And a gene discovered in an orchid may protect
peach crops
from a fungus that kills thousands of fruit trees every year.
Each discovery is a step to improve human health, agricultural productivity
and the environment.
 Biotechnology research at Clemson began in the 1980s with plant genetics.
Today, the Clemson University Genomics Institute has developed an international
reputation for building DNA libraries of plants, animals and insects.
It offers more than 150 genetic libraries for use by scientists all
over the world.
With major funding from the National Science Foundation, the National
Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clemson’s
genomics institute ranks as a leading research and training center
for discovering and analyzing genes important to agriculture, human
health and the environment. Its home is in Clemson’s newest laboratory,
the Biosystems Research Complex.
The Biosystems Research Complex, which
opened last year and was dedicated this spring, is an imposing brick
and glass structure located near
the Hendrix Center and Newman Hall.
Built with the support of the S.C. General Assembly, the complex
includes 108,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratories; 40,000
square
feet of computerized, climate-controlled greenhouses; and a 16,000-square-foot
greenhouse support facility. The flexible laboratory space houses
a wide variety of researchers to encourage multidisciplinary cooperation.
The goal of the Biosystems Research Complex is to promote significant
research and attract research money.
Biotechnology is expected to have a major impact on the world economy
in the years to come. It requires a well-educated, highly paid work
force of research scientists, laboratory technicians and other employees.
Clemson is building expertise and research resources that can help
South Carolina claim a share of the expanding biotechnology industry.
“The life
sciences/agriculture industry presents a unique opportunity to match
the research capabilities of Clemson University with the economic
development benefits offered by this dynamic growth sector,” says
John Kelly, vice president for Public Service and Agriculture at Clemson.
The
University offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that
span agriculture, biological sciences, medicine and human genetics.
These programs draw strength from partnerships with other research
institutions, including the Geenwood Genetic Center and the Greenville
Hospital System.
Clemson has built
a strong and growing program in molecular biology. The University’s
extensive plant-based research resulted in a prestigious endowed
chair: the Robert and Lois Coker
Trustees Chair
in Plant Molecular Genetics in the Department of Genetics, Biochemistry
and Life Science Studies.
Other partnerships
focus on developing a skilled work force for the biotech industry.
One program links the University
with the state’s
technical college system; another collaborates with high schools to
provide biotechnology workshops for students and teachers.
Clemson is also partnering with industry organizations, as well as
with biotechnology, biomedical and nutraceutical companies, to develop
commercial applications through research and technology transfer programs.
Biotech research under way
These are a few of the biotechnology research projects already under
way at Clemson.
Human health
New weapons to combat disease, illness and aging are changing the
quality of life. For example, Clemson researchers are collaborating
with NASA to develop treatments for medical conditions here on
earth. The molecular study of bone loss from prolonged space
flight may lead to a treatment for osteoporosis.
Scientists
are studying the process of DNA repair at the molecular and cellular
level in an attempt to understand how the repair mechanism
works in response to disease. Their findings may lead to new
approaches
in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
A potential new treatment for breast cancer developed by Clemson
scientists is now awaiting approval to begin clinical trials.
The therapy is based on the discovery that prolactin, a hormone
normally
produced in the brain that controls mammary gland development,
may also contribute to breast cancer.
Researchers
are using electrochemical methods to develop new analytical techniques
to detect and identify
DNA. One application
might be
in a hand-held DNA analyzer that could allow scientists to
rapidly diagnose infectious diseases based on the genetic signature
of
the disease agent.
A molecule called Ap4A is being studied in an effort to characterize
its role in regulating blood pressure, particularly in stressful
situations.
Several studies are seeking the molecular keys used by parasites
to attack their hosts. One study focuses on the parasite that
causes sleeping sickness, another on toxoplasmosis and a third
on amoebic
dysentery.
Learn more
here. |
Agriculture
Clemson hosts the world’s leading laboratory for fruit tree
genomics. Scientists are seeking to identify and characterize genes
that give natural resistance to plum pox virus, one of the 10 most
dangerous threats of bioterrorism listed by the federal government.
Additional research focuses on genes that control peach bud dormancy.
Other research has led to the discovery of a gene in an orchid
that may offer natural protection against fungi that reduce peach
crop yields.
Another project investigates spider silk to understand the molecular
structure of the world’s strongest fiber and to develop a
way to mass-produce this substance in yeast bioreactors and in
crop plants such as tobacco.
Functional genomics and molecular genetics are helping unravel
how legumes interact with bacteria in the soil to generate their
own fertilizer by capturing nitrogen from the air in the plants’ nodules.
Scientists are using fluorescence microscopy and functional genomics
to discover how plant proteins sense the presence of glucose and
transmit the signal that activates genes to control plant growth
and development.
Other plant
protein investigations focus on the role of calcium sensors that
regulate growth, pathogen defense
and resistance to
environmental stresses such as drought, salinity or extreme temperatures.
Learn more here.
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Environment
As a land-grant university, Clemson has a century-old tradition
of putting science to practical use. Working to create a sustainable
future, University scientists are researching ways that renewable
resources can serve both socioeco-nomic and environmental goals.
Renewable energy sources such as ethanol offer an alternative to
dependence on foreign oil but are still costly to produce. Clemson
scientists are seeking to improve production efficiencies and reduce
the cost of biofuels by testing new strains of yeast for the fermentation
process.
Methane gas from landfills is another potential source of renewable
energy. Funded by the NSF, Clemson scientists are determining the
genetic blueprint of the microbe that produces methane and are
seeking to harness production of the gas in landfills.
Algae and other microorganisms are being studied as “bioprocessors” to
produce high-value compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and biofuels,
from agricultural residue. For example, algae can be used to
produce sulfolipids, which have anti-tumor and anti-viral properties,
while
ethanol fuel can be produced by fermenting sweet potato and
other agricultural waste.
Learn more
here. |
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