ACEEE-BTG Director: Dr. Ford Lumban Gaol (University of Indonesia)

Biotechnology is often used to refer to genetic engineering technology of the 21st century, however the term encompasses a wider range and history of procedures for modifying biological organisms according to the needs of humanity, going back to the initial modifications of native plants into improved food crops through artificial selection and hybridization. Bioengineering is the science upon which all biotechnological applications are based. With the development of new approaches and modern techniques, traditional biotechnology industries are also acquiring new horizons enabling them to improve the quality of their products and increase the productivity of their systems.

Biotechnology combines disciplines like genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology, and cell biology, which are in turn linked to practical disciplines like chemical engineering, information technology, and biorobotics. Patho-biotechnology describes the exploitation of pathogens or pathogen derived compounds for beneficial effect.

To enhance this tremendous research opportunities ACEEE-BTG (Bio Technology Group) has proposed a International Journal of Bio Technology (IJBT) to cover the following broad areas.

Genetic engineering

• Strategies for controlling gene expression
• Strategies for manipulating gene structure
• Strategies for gene containment

Large-scale approaches

• Technologies for analyzing gene function (e.g., arrays, SAGE)
• Technologies for analyzing gene structure/organization (e.g., molecular beacons)
• Chemogenomics or chemical genetics
• Pharmacogenomics/SNPs
• Computational analysis

Proteomics

• Technologies for analyzing/identifying protein structure/function (e.g., 2-D gels, mass spectrometry, yeast two-hybrid, SPR, NMR, arrays and chips)
• Structural genomics
• Computational analysis

Metabolomics

• Technologies for analyzing/profiling metabolites (chromatography, mass spectrometry)
• Computational analysis

Computational biology

• Bioinformatics; algorithms; data deconvolution
• Modeling and systems biology: kinetics-based models and constraints-based models

Molecular engineering

• Rational approaches for proteins/antibodies/enzymes/drugs
• Molecular evolution
• Molecular breeding approaches

Metabolic engineering

• Genetic manipulation of species of interest to modify or allow the production of a commercially or therapeutically relevant compound
• Computational analysis

Novel expression systems

• Mammalian cells
• Insect cells
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Plant cells

Delivery of genes, drugs, or cells

• Targeting strategies
• Viral and nonviral vector strategies

Imaging

• Reporter molecules
• Imaging approaches/technologies for visualizing whole animals, cells, or single molecules
• Computational analysis

Nucleic acid therapeutics

• Gene therapy (targeting, expression, integration, immunogenicity)
• Antisense
• RNAi
• DNAzymes and ribozymes
• Other (e.g., chimeric oligonucleotides/triple helix)

Nanobiotechnology

• Nanomaterials for use in drug delivery or as therapeutics
• Nanomaterials for use in industrial biotechnology
• Nanosensors
• Nanosystems for imaging molecules and cells

Vaccines and applied immunology

• Antibody engineering
• T-cell therapies
• Therapies exploiting innate immunity (e.g. complement)
• Antigen delivery vectors and approaches
• Nucleic acid vaccines
• Computational analysis

Regenerative medicine

• Stem cells
• Tissue engineering
• Therapeutic cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer)
• Xenotransplantation
• Biomaterials

Biosensors

• Approaches for detecting biological molecules
• Use of biological systems in detecting analytes

Assay systems

• Approaches for multiplexing and increasing throughput
• Selection/screening strategies for gene/proteins/drugs
• Microfluidics

Biomaterials

• Engineering materials for biological application
• Molecular imprinting
• Biomimetics
• Nanotechnology

Agbiotech and transgenic plants

• Crop improvement (resistance to stress, disease, pests)
• Nutraceuticals
• Forest biotechnology
• Plant vaccines
• Plants as bioreactors
• Gene-containment strategies

Pharming

• Transgenic animals
• Knockouts
• Reproductive cloning
• Biopharmaceutical and enzyme production
• Transgene targeting and expression strategies

Environmental

• Bioremediation
• Biomining
• Phytoremediation
• Monitoring

Original contributions are solicited on topics covered under the above broad areas (but not limited to). Prospective authors are invited to submit full papers electronically in PDF double column format to: aceee.btg AT engineersnetwork.org