Among the important principles in biology that should be taught in biological engineering educational programs is the principle of optimization, what it means, why it is important, and how it comes about. This material can be presented at numerous levels throughout the curriculum. Understanding of this principle can lead biological engineers to expect it in many, if not all, biological system a...

This paper presents a label-free biosensor for the detection of single-stranded pathogen DNA through the target-enhanced gelation between gold nanowires (AuNW) and the primer DNAs branched on AuNW. The target DNA enables circularization of the linear DNA template, and the primer DNA is elongated continuously via rolling circle amplification. As a result, in the presence of the target DNA, a mac...

Historical milestones in neuroscience have come in diverse forms, ranging from the resolution of specific biological mysteries via creative experimentation to broad technological advances allowing neuroscientists to ask new kinds of questions. The continuous development of tools is driven with a special necessity by the complexity, fragility, and inaccessibility of intact nervous systems, such ...

Lignin is one of the most abundant aromatic biopolymers and a major component of plant cell walls. It occurs via oxidative coupling of monolignols, which are synthesized from the phenylpropanoid pathway. Lignin is the primary material responsible for biomass recalcitrance, has almost no industrial utility, and cannot be simply removed from growing plants without causing serious developmental de...