Biopolymers are natural polymers produced by the cells of living organisms. Like other polymers,biopolymers consist of monomeric units that are covalently bonded in chains to form larger molecules. There are three main classes of biopolymers,classified according to the monomers used and the structure of the biopolymer formed:polynucleotides,polypeptides,and polysaccharides. The Polynucleotides,RNA and DNA,are long polymers of nucleotides. Polypeptides include proteins and shorter polymers of amino acids;some major examples include collagen,actin,and fibrin. Polysaccharides are linear or branched chains of sugar carbohydrates;examples include starch,cellulose,and alginate. Other examples of biopolymers include natural rubbers,suberin and lignin,cutin and cutan,melanin,and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).
Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications,including a substance's origin,composition,pharmacokinetics,pharmacodynamics,therapeutic use,and toxicology. More specifically,it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties,they are considered pharmaceuticals.
Silk is a natural protein fiber,some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre,which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles,thus producing different colors.
Bombyx mori,commonly known as the domestic silk moth,is a moth species belonging to the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of Bombyx mandarina,the wild silk moth. Silkworms are the larvae of silk moths. The silkworm is of particular economic value,being a primary producer of silk. The silkworm's preferred food are the leaves of white mulberry,though they may eat other species of mulberry,and even leaves of other plants like the osage orange. Domestic silk moths are entirely dependent on humans for reproduction,as a result of millennia of selective breeding. Wild silk moths,which are other species of Bombyx,are not as commercially viable in the production of silk.
Chitin (C8H13O5N)n ( KY-tin) is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine,an amide derivative of glucose. Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (behind only cellulose);an estimated 1 billion tons of chitin are produced each year in the biosphere. It is a primary component of cell walls in fungi (especially filamentous and mushroom-forming fungi),the exoskeletons of arthropods such as crustaceans and insects,the radulae,cephalopod beaks and gladii of molluscs and in some nematodes and diatoms. It is also synthesised by at least some fish and lissamphibians. Commercially,chitin is extracted from the shells of crabs,shrimps,shellfish and lobsters,which are major by-products of the seafood industry. The structure of chitin is comparable to cellulose,forming crystalline nanofibrils or whiskers. It is functionally comparable to the protein keratin. Chitin has proved useful for several medicinal,industrial and biotechnological purposes.
Chulalongkorn University,nicknamed Chula,is a public autonomous research university in Bangkok,Thailand. The university was originally founded during King Chulalongkorn's reign as a school for training royal pages and civil servants in 1899 at the Grand Palace. It was later established as a national university in 1917,making it the oldest institute of higher education in Thailand.
Mahidol University is an autonomous public research university in Thailand. The university was founded as part of Siriraj Hospital in 1888. It was first called the University of Medical Science in 1943,and has been recognized as Thailand's fourth public university. The university was renamed in 1969 by King Bhumibol Adulyadej for his father,Prince Mahidol of Songkhla,known as the "Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health in Thailand".
Natural fibers or natural fibres are fibers that are produced by geological processes,or from the bodies of plants or animals. They can be used as a component of composite materials,where the orientation of fibers impacts the properties. Natural fibers can also be matted into sheets to make paper or felt.
Fibroin is an insoluble protein present in silk produced by numerous insects,such as the larvae of Bombyx mori,and other moth genera such as Antheraea,Cricula,Samia and Gonometa. Silk in its raw state consists of two main proteins,sericin and fibroin,with a glue-like layer of sericin coating two singular filaments of fibroin called brins. Silk fibroin is considered a β-keratin related to proteins that form hair,skin,nails and connective tissues.
Professor Theraphan Luangthongkum is a Thai linguist,specializing in phonetics,linguistic fieldwork,lexicography and minority languages of Southeast Asia. She is currently a faculty member of the Department of Linguistics,the Faculty of Arts,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,Chulalongkorn University is the first Pharmacy school in Thailand,located in Bangkok. The faculty was founded by Prince Rangsit Prayurasakdi on December 8,1913 as a department of Doctor for Compounding in the Royal Medical College,commonly called "Rong Rean Prung Ya" which means "School of Compounding Medicine". After the establishment of Chulalongkorn University in 1916,the Royal Medical College became the Faculty of Medicine under the university. The department of Compounding Medicine also had been renamed to "Panak Phat Pasom Ya" or "Doctor for Compounding Medicine Department" since April 6,1917. It is the first time that Pharmacy Education in Thailand has been elevated in higher educational system.
Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch is an Austrian scientist and entrepreneur,who is Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology in the Institute of Pharmacy at the University of Innsbruck.
Christine Allen is a Canadian professor and the first associate vice-president and vice-provost for strategic initiatives at the University of Toronto. She served formerly as interim dean of the university's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. She is co-founder of Nanovista,a company focused on imaging of tumors. She also works as the associate editor of Molecular Pharmaceutics.
Hamid Ghandehari is an Iranian-American drug delivery research scientist,and a professor in the Departments of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah. His research is focused in recombinant polymers for drug and gene delivery,nanotoxicology of dendritic and inorganic constructs,water-soluble polymers for targeted delivery and poly(amidoamine) dendrimers for oral delivery.
Chulalongkorn University in Thailand comprises nineteen constituent faculties,as well as six schools and colleges,which form the university's teaching units. Together,they offer 76 undergraduate and 375 postgraduate programmes,and host the university's 25,940 undergraduate and 11,424 postgraduate students. Each of the faculties is focused on a specific subject area. All undergraduate and most postgraduate students will apply for a programme of study under a specific faculty,and will belong with that faculty throughout the duration of their studies.
Drew Weissman is an American physician and immunologist known for his contributions to RNA biology. Weissman is the inaugural Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research,director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation,and professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn).
Helen M. Burt is a British-Canadian pharmaceutical scientist who is the Angiotech Professor of Drug Delivery at the University of British Columbia. She serves as Associate Vice President of Research and Innovation at UBC. Her research considers novel therapeutics based on nanotechnology,including drug delivery systems for the treatment of bladder cancer and coronary artery disease.
Kishor M. Wasan is a Canadian pharmacologist,pharmacist and professor. He was the dean of the University of Saskatchewan's College of Pharmacy and Nutrition from 2014 to 2019 and associate dean of research and graduate studies at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) from 2011 to 2014. Previously at UBC,he was chair of pharmaceutics and national director of the Canadian Summer Student Research Program after first joining the faculty in 1995. Wasan's research focuses on lipid-based drug delivery and the interaction between lipoprotein and pharmaceuticals. He has published more than 550 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts. He is a founding member and co-director of UBC's Neglected Global Diseases Initiative.
Natcha Thawesaengskulthai is an academic,author,and technology and innovation management expert who has co-founded several education models in Thailand,including the Chulalongkorn University Innovation Hub,the Siam Innovation District,CU Enterprise,and the Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation under Chulalongkorn University. She also chairs the ASEAN University Innovation and Enterprise.
Supawan Tantayanon is a Thai chemist who is a professor at the Chulalongkorn University. She has previously served as President of the Science Society of Thailand,Council of Science and Technology Professionals of Thailand,and Federation of Asian Chemical Societies.
