From time to time, the CDC committee that makes recommendations about vaccines (ACIP) decides to “change their minds” about the use of a particular vaccine, even though we might have been using it for a long time. Each time they do this, there is something about the “old” vaccine they didn’t like, and something about the “new” vaccine that fixes the problem. For each of the following, explain (1) the difference between how the old and the new vaccines function, and (2) how the new vaccine avoids some problem with the old one. If the new vaccine introduces some problem of its own, describe that, too.

A. In 1983 a 23-valent pneumonia vaccine was developed using the polysaccharide capsules from 23 different Strep pneumoniae strains, and was used for elderly people. But in 2015 the ACIP recommended switching to a 13-valent polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (Prevnar-13).

B. In 1997 the recommendation was made to switch from a whole-cell Pertussis vaccine, which had been in use since 1949, to an acellular subunit vaccine.

C. In 1961 we switched from an inactivated Polio vaccine (developed in 1955) to a live attenuated one. Then in 2000 we switched back to the inactivated one. Explain both ACIP decisions. D. In the near future, the decision may be made to switch from the current Flu vaccine (either the live attenuated or the inactivated one) to a DNA-based flu vaccine.

2. Match the following descriptions with the intertidal zone that exhibits the characteristic: A, B, or C: Highest risk of desiccation, highest species diversity, and shallowest area where red, green and brown algae grow.

A) lower intertidal zone B) middle intertidal zone C) upper intertidal zone

3. Which of the following does not determine an estuary's mixing pattern: A) depth of the river upstream B) water density C) nearshore currents

Scenario 2.
Normally viruses infect a host cell, replicate themselves inside it and burst the host cell so that they can go on infecting other cells. In this viral infection, the virus has stopped the normal apoptotic pathway to allow themselves to stay within the cell indefinitely – a phenomenon known as latency. Further studies on this virus has shown that the virus encodes inhibitors of caspase 8 activation.

Scenario 2 describes the development and maintenance of a latent viral infection, allowing the virus to persist in the host cell. If we assume that the infection has already developed latency in the patient (i.e. the person is already infected and the virus is persisting in the cell), which of the following methods would be the MOST APPROPRIATE method to eradicate the virus from the host cell and stop the latent infection?

Select one:
a. Develop a vaccine against the virus, which enhances apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway
b. Block viruses from inserting their nucleic acids into a host cell
c. Upregulate the expression of DISC assembly proteins
d. Promote the release of cytochrome C in all cells

Scenario 3. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterised by uncontrollable tremors and muscle rigidity. Studies have linked Parkinsons disease with mutations in several different genes, one of which is PINK1. Studies have shown that in PINK1 deficient human and mouse neurons there was an increase in cytochrome C release from the mitochondrion.

Scenario 3 describes the development of Parkinson's disease in neurons due to the accumulation of mutations in PINK1 (as well as other genes). Based on your knowledge of cell death, the function of PINK1 is most similar to that of...?

Select one:

a. Puma

b. Bcl-2

c. IAPs

d. p53

e. Bak

Why is it viral diseases are more difficult to treat compared to bacterial diseases

A biochemist replaces the DNA‐binding domain of the yeast Gal4 protein with the DNA‐binding domain of the Lac repressor and finds that the engineered protein no longer regulates transcription of the GAL genes in yeast.

A. Draw a diagram of the different functional domains you would expect to find in the Gal4 protein and in the engineered protein.

B. What might be done to the DNA‐binding site recognised by this chimeric protein to make it functional in activating transcription of the GAL genes?

Make a discussion of 1-2 paragraphs about atherosclerosis. Make sure to you answer the follow questions in your discussion:

What is atherosclerosis and its etiology?

In atherosclerosis, blood levels of which bad protein are high? Which protein in the blood causes atherosclerosis?

What kind of blood protein reduces the risk of atherosclerosis?

What factors can increase and decrease the risk of atherosclerosis?

Explain in detail what is the process of bacterial growth with the aid of the growth curve?

What type of research is multiple sclerosis and what type of laboratory would you do it in (e.g. cancer research lab or stem cell research lab or plant cell biology lab or some other lab)?

Compare how the inflammatory response is initiated by each of the following.

A. A Type IV hypersensitivity reaction

B. Endotoxin

C. A superantigen toxin

D. A Type III hypersensitivity response

Compare and contrast the energy consumption and pro/con of C3 carbon fixation (via Calvin cycle) vs C4 carbon fixation (via C4 pathway+Calvin cycle)

Why would some tissue cultures require different formulations of nutrients to what other would? ( i.e why would there be a higher need to be % of a particular nutrient in the media growing one particular plant to what should be in the media growing another type of plant?)

With two examples explain how you would motivate the general population to improve on their nutrition and hence health.