CELL BIO 311 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027 | COMPLETE
EXAM REVIEW
Why is mRNA good for the COVID-19 vaccine? - ✔✔-production is quicker
-Quick administration (injection)
-serves as instructions for the body to make microbial proteins
What is a problem of mRNA in the COVID vaccine? What is the solution? - ✔✔Problem: mRNA
causes an immune reaction and could be degrading to the body.
Solution: change a few of the protein? bases, AKA modified mRNA
nano-thylakoid units (NTU) - ✔✔-engineered mini chloroplasts
-could be inserted into degenerating cells of humans creating photosynthetic human cells
(tested on mice)
-NTUs produce ATP and NADPH and can prevent aging and diseases
Anitmitotic drug - ✔✔-easily synthesized and can inhibit the growth of tumor cells by halting
cells in mitosis
-not toxic to normal cells
Tissue engineering - ✔✔-a sub-discipline of regenerative medicine
-building tissue in the lab that can use adult stem cells, somatic cells or human embryonic stem
cells
-artificial organs and tissues
"paneth" cells (in tissue engineering) - ✔✔-defend the intestine from pathogens with secreted
proteins called "defensins"
, Cardiac organoids - ✔✔-could be used in the future as "bandaids" following a cardiac trauma
or could be used for drug discovery
-we have a lab in bing doing this now!
"self-boosting vaccines" - ✔✔-a process in which micro-particles containing a vaccine are
implanted under the skin and "time-tuned" to release several "shots"
-can be more useful in places where people do not have frequent access to medicine
Nanomedicine - ✔✔-The use of nanoparticles to treat disease.
-suicide genes have been packaged into biodegradable nanoparticles that can be taken into
cancer cells to kill them from the activation of these suicide genes.
CRISPER-Cas9 - ✔✔a unique technology that enables geneticists and medical researchers to
edit parts of the genome by removing, adding or altering sections of the DNA sequence
CRISPER-Cas9 misuse - ✔✔-Chinese scientists tried to correct diseases in human embryos
-germline-editied babies
-deemed unethical: jail time
VERVE-101 - ✔✔-a base editor mRNA that makes a single adenine to guanine change in the
DNA genetic sequence
-increases the number of LDL receptors, thus, lowering cholesterol
Synthetic Biology - ✔✔the engineering discipline that encompasses the synthesis or creation
of complex, biologically based or inspired systems which display function that do not exist in
nature using cell/molecular biology tools with techniques
bispecific, trifunctional antibodies - ✔✔they bring tumor cells together with killer T cells and
Accessory cells so that the T cells can kill the cancer cells
EXAM REVIEW
Why is mRNA good for the COVID-19 vaccine? - ✔✔-production is quicker
-Quick administration (injection)
-serves as instructions for the body to make microbial proteins
What is a problem of mRNA in the COVID vaccine? What is the solution? - ✔✔Problem: mRNA
causes an immune reaction and could be degrading to the body.
Solution: change a few of the protein? bases, AKA modified mRNA
nano-thylakoid units (NTU) - ✔✔-engineered mini chloroplasts
-could be inserted into degenerating cells of humans creating photosynthetic human cells
(tested on mice)
-NTUs produce ATP and NADPH and can prevent aging and diseases
Anitmitotic drug - ✔✔-easily synthesized and can inhibit the growth of tumor cells by halting
cells in mitosis
-not toxic to normal cells
Tissue engineering - ✔✔-a sub-discipline of regenerative medicine
-building tissue in the lab that can use adult stem cells, somatic cells or human embryonic stem
cells
-artificial organs and tissues
"paneth" cells (in tissue engineering) - ✔✔-defend the intestine from pathogens with secreted
proteins called "defensins"
, Cardiac organoids - ✔✔-could be used in the future as "bandaids" following a cardiac trauma
or could be used for drug discovery
-we have a lab in bing doing this now!
"self-boosting vaccines" - ✔✔-a process in which micro-particles containing a vaccine are
implanted under the skin and "time-tuned" to release several "shots"
-can be more useful in places where people do not have frequent access to medicine
Nanomedicine - ✔✔-The use of nanoparticles to treat disease.
-suicide genes have been packaged into biodegradable nanoparticles that can be taken into
cancer cells to kill them from the activation of these suicide genes.
CRISPER-Cas9 - ✔✔a unique technology that enables geneticists and medical researchers to
edit parts of the genome by removing, adding or altering sections of the DNA sequence
CRISPER-Cas9 misuse - ✔✔-Chinese scientists tried to correct diseases in human embryos
-germline-editied babies
-deemed unethical: jail time
VERVE-101 - ✔✔-a base editor mRNA that makes a single adenine to guanine change in the
DNA genetic sequence
-increases the number of LDL receptors, thus, lowering cholesterol
Synthetic Biology - ✔✔the engineering discipline that encompasses the synthesis or creation
of complex, biologically based or inspired systems which display function that do not exist in
nature using cell/molecular biology tools with techniques
bispecific, trifunctional antibodies - ✔✔they bring tumor cells together with killer T cells and
Accessory cells so that the T cells can kill the cancer cells
