Asunto(s)
Contención de Riesgos Biológicos , Laboratorios , Animales , Humanos , Brasil , Contención de Riesgos Biológicos/economía , Contención de Riesgos Biológicos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Contención de Riesgos Biológicos/normas , Laboratorios/economía , Laboratorios/legislación & jurisprudencia , Laboratorios/normas , Arquitectura y Construcción de Instituciones de Salud/economía , Arquitectura y Construcción de Instituciones de Salud/legislación & jurisprudenciaRESUMEN
The accelerating pace of technological advancements necessitates specialised expertise and cutting-edge instruments to maintain competitive research in life sciences. Core facilities - collaborative laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art tools and staffed by expert personnel - are vital resources that support diverse scientific endeavours. However, their adoption in lower-income communities has been comparatively stagnant due to both financial and cultural challenges. This paper explores the perils of not supporting core facilities on national research enterprises, underscoring the need for balanced investments in discovery science and crucial infrastructure support. We explore the implications from the perspectives of funders, university leaders and lab heads. We advocate for a paradigm shift to recognise these facilities as essential components of national research efforts. Core facilities are positioned not as optional but as strategic investments that can catalyse breakthroughs, particularly in environments with limited resources.
Asunto(s)
Laboratorios , Investigación Biomédica , Laboratorios/economíaRESUMEN
Electroporation is a basic yet powerful method for delivering small molecules (RNA, DNA, drugs) across cell membranes by application of an electrical field. It is used for many diverse applications, from genetically engineering cells to drug- and DNA-based vaccine delivery. Despite this broad utility, the high cost of electroporators can keep this approach out of reach for many budget-conscious laboratories. To address this need, we develop a simple, inexpensive, and handheld electroporator inspired by and derived from a common household piezoelectric stove lighter. The proposed "ElectroPen" device can cost as little as 23 cents (US dollars) to manufacture, is portable (weighs 13 g and requires no electricity), can be easily fabricated using 3D printing, and delivers repeatable exponentially decaying pulses of about 2,000 V in 5 ms. We provide a proof-of-concept demonstration by genetically transforming plasmids into Escherichia coli cells, showing transformation efficiency comparable to commercial devices, but at a fraction of the cost. We also demonstrate the potential for rapid dissemination of this approach, with multiple research groups across the globe validating the ease of construction and functionality of our device, supporting the potential for democratization of science through frugal tools. Thus, the simplicity, accessibility, and affordability of our device holds potential for making modern synthetic biology accessible in high school, community, and resource-poor laboratories.
Asunto(s)
Electroporación/instrumentación , Técnicas de Transferencia de Gen/instrumentación , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Electricidad , Electroporación/economía , Diseño de Equipo/economía , Escherichia coli , Técnicas de Transferencia de Gen/economía , Humanos , Laboratorios/economía , Materiales Manufacturados/economía , Áreas de Pobreza , Impresión Tridimensional , Transformación Bacteriana , TransportesAsunto(s)
COVID-19 , Laboratorios/organización & administración , Pandemias , Investigadores , Investigación/organización & administración , Evolución Biológica , COVID-19/epidemiología , Biología Celular , Biología Computacional , Análisis de Datos , Educación de Postgrado , Alemania/epidemiología , Humanos , Japón/epidemiología , Kentucky , Laboratorios/economía , Liderazgo , Oncología Médica , Neurociencias , República de Corea/epidemiología , Investigación/economía , Investigadores/economía , Investigadores/educación , Investigadores/psicología , Investigadores/normas , Salarios y Beneficios , Conducta Social , Incertidumbre , Reino Unido/epidemiologíaAsunto(s)
Democracia , Ciencia/economía , Ciencia/instrumentación , Animales , Presupuestos , Países en Desarrollo/economía , Indicadores y Reactivos/economía , Indicadores y Reactivos/normas , Laboratorios/economía , Ratones , Microscopía Confocal/economía , Microscopía Confocal/instrumentación , Patología Molecular/economía , Impresión Tridimensional/economíaAsunto(s)
Conservación de los Recursos Naturales/métodos , Equipos y Suministros/provisión & distribución , Laboratorios , Proyectos de Investigación , Investigación/instrumentación , Administración de Residuos/métodos , Conservación de los Recursos Energéticos/economía , Conservación de los Recursos Energéticos/métodos , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales/economía , Electricidad , Emprendimiento , Ambiente , Equipos y Suministros/economía , Laboratorios/economía , Plásticos/economía , Plásticos/provisión & distribución , Reciclaje/economía , Reciclaje/estadística & datos numéricos , Reciclaje/tendencias , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Investigación/economía , Proyectos de Investigación/tendencias , Investigadores/economía , Administración de Residuos/economíaRESUMEN
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a promising immunotherapy with high acquisition costs, and it has raised concerns about affordability and sustainability in many countries. Furthermore, the current centralized production paradigm for the T cells is less than satisfactory. Therefore, several countries are exploring alternative T-cell production modes. Our study is based on the T-cell production experience in a nonprofit setting in Germany. We first identified the work steps and main activities in the production process. Then we determined the fixed costs and variable costs. Main cost components included personnel and technician salaries, expenditure on equipment, a clean room, as well as production materials. All costs were calculated in 2018 euros and converted into U.S. dollars. For a clean room with one machine for closed and automated manufacturing installed, annual fixed costs summed up to approximately 438 098 ($584 131). The variable cost per production was roughly 34 798 ($46 397). At the maximum capacity of one machine, total cost per product would be close to 60 000 ($78 849). As shown in the scenario analysis, if three machines were to be installed in the clean room, per production cost could be as low as 45 000 (roughly $59905). If a cheaper alternative to lentivirus was used, per production total cost could be further reduced to approximately 33 000 (roughly $44309). Decentralized T-cell production might be a less costly and more efficient alternative to the current centralized production mode that requires a high acquisition cost.
Asunto(s)
Técnicas de Cultivo de Célula/instrumentación , Laboratorios/economía , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos/metabolismo , Linfocitos T/citología , Centros Médicos Académicos , Técnicas de Cultivo de Célula/economía , Alemania , Humanos , Organizaciones sin Fines de Lucro , Linfocitos T/inmunologíaAsunto(s)
Prueba de COVID-19 , COVID-19/diagnóstico , Aprobación de Pruebas de Diagnóstico , Política de Salud , Laboratorios , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Aprobación de Pruebas de Diagnóstico/legislación & jurisprudencia , Financiación Gubernamental , Regulación Gubernamental , Humanos , Laboratorios/economía , Laboratorios/organización & administración , Pandemias , Apoyo a la Investigación como Asunto , Estados Unidos , United States Food and Drug AdministrationAsunto(s)
Salud Pública , Humanos , Salud Pública/economía , Acreditación , Laboratorios/economía , Laboratorios/normasRESUMEN
Peripheral neuropathy is a common neurological disorder, with high prevalence especially in the aged population. The general evaluative approach is to first identify the type of peripheral neuropathy prior to investigating for a possible underlying etiology, which is an increasingly important endeavor, as many causes of peripheral neuropathy are now recognized as treatable. To this end, laboratory testing plays an important adjunctive role to a detailed history and examination. This review will discuss possible diagnostic laboratory testing pathways for different types of peripheral neuropathy, with the goal of minimizing costs and false-positive results while maximizing the likelihood of identifying a potentially reversible etiology.