UV-Vis Applications and Solutions in Biopharma and Biosciences Research

Microvolume UV-Vis analysis in RNA assessment to research sex differences in lung disease

Abstract: Asthma is a lung disease caused by exaggerated lung inflammation leading to airway obstruction and compromised airflow. Despite significant advances in its diagnosis and treatment, asthma continues to be a significant health problem affecting more than 25 million patients in the US, and over 300 million around the world.

Epidemiological studies have indicated that starting around puberty and peaking during mid-life, women have an increased prevalence of asthma compared to men, and adult women have a higher rate of asthma exacerbations than men. The causes of these disparities remain unclear; however, studies have shown that sex-specific inflammatory mechanisms regulated by hormones contribute to differences in airway reactivity in response to allergens and environmental stimuli.

The speaker's laboratory at Indiana University uses experimental models of allergic asthma to explore the contributions of sex hormones to inflammatory mechanisms. In this talk, the speaker will show results from studies using mouse models showing sex differences in allergic asthma phenotypes, and in lung inflammatory responses to air pollution exposure, as well as contributions of the estrous cycle stage, gonadectomy, and circulating estradiol levels to lung inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness.

Run time: 42 minutes

Dr. Patricia Silveyra is an Associate Professor at Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health. Her research focuses on sex differences and the role of sex hormones and steroid hormone receptors in inflammatory lung disease.

Dr. Silveyra earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and her PhD in Biochemistry, from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and did her postdoctoral training at Penn State College of Medicine. In 2013, she established her independent research program as an Assistant Professor at Penn State with an NIH K12 BIRCWH award, and later received K01 and R03 awards from NHLBI. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018, prior to joining the School of Nursing at UNC Chapel Hill, where she led the Biobehavioral Laboratory as a Beerstecher-Blackwell Associate Professor for 2 years. In 2021, she joined the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Indiana University School of Public Health and received an R01 from NHLBI.

Dr. Silveyra has received numerous awards for her research, mentoring, and efforts to promote diversity in STEM. She is an advocate for underrepresented and international trainees, and she serves in various national organizations and committees, including the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), where she is a member of the Board on Higher Education and Workforce and co-chair for the New Voices in Science, Engineering and Medicine group.

Measuring DNA, RNA, Protein Concentration and Bacterial Growth via Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometry

Abstract: The speaker will cover measuring DNA, RNA, protein concentration and bacterial growth in the study of protein transporters and development of plasmids for gene and cellular therapy. Binding of protein to its substrates, protein-protein interaction, and the protein dynamics are studied using spectroscopic techniques. Plasmids are part of many cells as carriers of genetic information. They play an important role in cell and gene therapy and serve as the starting point for many different modalities. In such processes, measurement is key for nucleic acids, proteins, and cell growth.

Run time: 30 minutes

Dr. Smriti Mishra is currently a Senior Scientist at the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility in St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is unique because it is a hospital with its own GMP facility and an academic research center. The GMP facility plays a critical role in moving promising discoveries that are manufactured in accordance with strict federal regulations from St. Jude laboratories to the hospital environment for patient use.

Prior to joining St. Jude, Dr. Mishra was a research faculty and lab manager at the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University. There, she worked on multidrug membrane transporters and heat shock proteins in vitro and in zebrafish live systems using biophysical, spectroscopic, and molecular biological techniques. Her research led to 20+ scientific articles and a deeper understanding of the structure and function of several drug transporters.

Dr. Mishra received her Ph.D. in Life Sciences from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, India, and she completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University.

Revealing the next advancement for NanoDrop Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometer - NanoDrop Eight

Abstract: Scientists trust Thermo Scientific NanoDrop Spectrophotometers for accurate DNA, RNA and protein quantitation with only 1–2 µL of sample in seconds. That saves days of troubleshooting and accelerates the research. Over time, the pioneering sample-retention technology has evolved providing labs with even more knowledge about their samples.

This session reveals the latest advancement in microvolume UV-Vis technology from the name that started it all 20 years ago…NanoDrop.

Run time: 18 minutes

Patrick Brown is the Product Marketing Specialist for NanoDrop Microvolume UV-Vis spectrophotometers. In this role, Patrick collects user feedback, integrates feedback into software and hardware updates, and works with marketing teams to communicate these benefits to end users. The NanoDrop spectrophotometer product line is used by scientists around the world to quantify and qualify DNA, RNA, protein, and other molecules.

Before joining Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2015, Patrick earned a master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from Pennsylvania State University.

Revealing the next advancement for Evolution UV-Vis Spectrophotometers - Evolution One/One Plus/Pro

Abstract: Many life sciences labs use Thermo Scientific Evolution UV-Vis Spectrophotometers to go from samples to results quickly and easily, including regulated labs concerned about compliance. Whether focusing on routine measurements or higher performance, there are exciting new solutions in the quest for even more streamlined analysis and reliable, accurate results. This session reveals the latest evolution in Thermo Scientific UV-Vis technology for routine and advanced analysis.

Run time: 18 minutes

Dr. Naimish Sardesai has more than 10 years of experience in the field of spectroscopy and joined Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2020 as a product manager for UV/Vis and NMR Spectroscopy. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry.