Your body needs the right vitamins to do its job of keeping your skin fresh and healthy.
Ensuring that your skin gets enough vitamins can keep your skin looking youthful and healthy. This could mean your skin is dark spots free, and there’s no redness, wrinkles, excessive dryness, and rough patches on your skin.
We’ve all heard “you need your vitamins” at least once in our life. But do we ever think about the reason behind it? Well, vitamins majorly shape our health, including the skin.
When you meet a medical professional and ask them what you need to do to keep your skin healthy, they’ll first say to limit your exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and always put on a protective sunscreen when you’re exposed to sunlight.
Come to think of it, the sun isn’t all bad. Daily sunlight for about 10 to 15 minutes helps give the skin vitamin D. One of the best vitamins for the skin is vitamin D, along with others such as vitamins E, C, and K.
There are different types of vitamins, with each having its benefits. While some help to keep your nerves healthy, some fight against infections and others regenerate your skin.
This piece reveals the best five vitamins for your skin, how it benefits your skin, and the food that contains each vitamin.
A debate has been going on as to whether using a sunscreen every day or not can cause Vitamin D deficiency. But the thing is, your body produces Vitamin D when sun rays penetrate through your skin.
Notwithstanding, deficiency is not as severe as the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause to your skin. Ten minutes of exposure to the early morning sun is enough to get your daily dose of Vitamin D. Steer clear from the sun during its peak hours (10 am to 2 pm).
How does Vitamin D benefit your skin?
When Vitamin D is absorbed through your skin, cholesterol will convert to Vitamin D. This is then taken up by the liver and kidneys and transported throughout the body to create healthy cells, including skin cells. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in skin tone and may also help treat psoriasis.
Foods that contain Vitamin D
Vitamin D can also be gotten from certain foods and supplements. Some foods are eggs, fatty fish, dairy products, soy products, and cereals.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that contributes to several functions to keep up with healthy skin.
How does Vitamin E benefit your skin?
Using a skin care product containing Vitamin E benefits your skin by reducing the risk of sun damage via UV rays absorption from the sun. It will give you glowing skin; conditioned and moisturised, and prevent it from feeling irritated.
The body also produces vitamin E naturally through an oil known as sebum. Sebum is vital to maintaining glowing skin. For better efficacy, it is recommended that you consume foods containing vitamin E.
Foods that contain Vitamin E
Though vitamin E is obtainable in many skin care products, the issue is that any effects could be insignificant upon sun exposure. Thus, getting sufficient vitamin E in your diet is more desirable. Some foods you can get vitamin E from are; vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, green vegetables, and certain cereals and juices.
Vitamin C can be found in the epidermis (topmost layer of skin) and the dermis (inner layer of skin). It has antioxidant (cancer-fighting) properties. In addition, its role in collagen production helps to keep your skin healthy. This is why vitamin C is a significant ingredient in many anti-ageing skin care products.
How does Vitamin C benefit your skin?
Vitamin C commonly treats various skin problems, including acne, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots.
In addition, it enhances collagen (a protein fibre that gives the skin strength and keeps it firm) production in the skin. As you age, the production of collagen cuts down naturally, and the years of exposure to the sun can also break down collagen in the skin.
But the topical application of vitamin C can increase collagen production, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also lightens pigmentation spots and reduces tan by altering the activity of the enzyme tyrosinase, which involves the production of melanin (skin pigment).
The consumption of vitamin C orally can help enhance your sunscreen’s efficacy by speeding up the body’s healing process as a result of reducing cell damage.
Foods that contain Vitamin C
Vitamin C deficiency is very rare due to the generality of dietary supplements, over-the-counter products, and foods we eat. However, if you find that you’re not getting enough, you can take foods like; broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum, and sprouts. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, and other vitamin C-rich fruits like papaya and strawberries also have substantial amounts of nutrients.
Vitamin K plays the utmost role in treating a host of skin issues and conditions. The deficiency of Vitamin K has been known to be rare since it can be found in almost all varieties of food.
How does Vitamin K benefit your skin?
Vitamin K’s major benefits are fading of scars, stretch marks, spider veins, and dark spots. It also aids the body’s healing process, effectively treating bruises and wounds.
Foods that contain Vitamin K
You can increase your vitamin K intake by eating; green leafy vegetables (such as kale, spinach, romaine, and lettuce), fish, sprouts, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Vitamin A is widely used in a number of skincare products due to its antioxidant properties. Your sunscreen, serums, and moisturisers may contain this magic ingredient.
How does Vitamin A benefit your skin?
Retinoids are a form of Vitamin A that is popularly used in oral and anti-acne medicines because they have anti-inflammatory properties that help to improve acne symptoms.
Foods that contain Vitamin A
Good sources of vitamin A include; cod liver oil, cereals, fortified skimmed milk, eggs, green vegetables, and orange fruits.
In conclusion, Vitamin supplements are easy to get these days; therefore speak with a doctor to start a regimen for your health. While vitamins are necessary for glowing skin, you might already be getting enough through your daily diet. But a blood test can help determine if you have any vitamin deficiencies.
You should only take vitamins under the direction of a medical specialist to prevent overdose.


Here we are debunking yet another inaccurate Instagram post. Recent research suggests that the endogenous cannabinoids (“endocannabinoids”) and the cannabinoid (CB) receptors have a major influence during pre- and post-natal development. But you can find several posts throughout social media making inaccurate claims regarding the type of cannabinoids that have been found in breast milk. The following post found on Instagram claims the following...
"Study confirms Cannabinoids Occur Naturally in Human Breast Milk ...According to the findings of several major scientific studies, human breast milk naturally contains of the same cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, which are vital for proper human development."
While most informed scientists cringe at the inaccuracy of this post, with a simple Google search you can find several articles inaccurately claiming that human breast milk naturally contains the SAME cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.
In order to debunk this widespread inaccuracy, it is important to explain the difference between phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids.
"Phyto" is a prefix meaning "of a plant" and is used in the formation of compound words. Thus, the term phytocannabinoid is used to describe cannabinoids derived from a plant.
"Endo" is a prefix from the Greek word endon (ἔνδον) meaning "within, inner, absorbing, or containing" and is often used in the formation of medical compound words referencing nomenclature defining compounds with origins from within a biological body. Thus, the term endocannabinoid is used to describe cannabinoids synthesized from within a biological body.
Because phytocannabinoids are NOT the same as endocannabinoids, we decided to recreate the Instagram post to reflect an accurate statement derived from current scientific research.
"According to scientific research, endocannabinoids are present in breast milk, 2-AG levels being much higher than those of anandamide, suggesting that the endocannabinoid system plays a major role in human development."
For those unfamiliar with endocannabinoids, two of the most studied endocannabinoids are 2-AG and anandamide (anandamide being nicknamed "the bliss molecule"). Subsequently, two of the most studied phytocannabinoids are CBD and delta-9 THC.
While anandamide structurally resembles delta-9 THC, they are two completely different molecules, having different effects on the body. Additionally, CBD does not resemble any endocannabinoid found in the human body. In fact, it doesn't even bind directly to the cannabinoid (CB) receptors. Instead, CBD changes the shape of the receptors, increasing the binding affinity of endogenous molecules found inside our bodies.
Anandamide acts as a chemical messenger between the embryo and uterus during implantation in the uterine wall. Therefore, anandamide is one of the first communications that occurs between mother and child. Due to the structural similarity between delta-9 THC and anandamide, scientists have raised the possibility that delta-9 THC may interfere with signaling between the uterus and the embryo. Experiments involving mouse embryos exposed to THC-like compounds have shown them to have a significantly lower survival rate than normal, as well as exhibit a number of abnormalities. Thus, consumption of cannabis during pregnancy is strongly advised against.
In women accordingly, an association has been reported between fatty acid amide hydrolase (the enzyme that breaks down anandamide) in human lymphocytes and the occurrence of miscarriages. It is important to note that a reported association is not sufficient evidence to make any scientific conclusions. Additionally activation of CB1 receptors appears to be critical for milk sucking by newborn mice, apparently activating oral–motor musculature. This animal study observation has not yet been conducted in humans to see if the correlation translates from animals to humans.
While the medical implications of these novel observations suggest a promising future for cannabinoids in medicine for a variety of conditions, it is important that misinformation does not become misperceived as common knowledge.
Have a Cannabis post you'd like for us to debunk? Send it to us at email@example.com!


An important mechanism by which IFN-γ primes macrophages for enhanced innate immune responses is abrogation of feedback inhibitory pathways. Accordingly, IFN-γ abrogates endotoxin tolerance, a major negative feedback loop that silences expression of inflammatory cytokine genes in macrophages previously exposed to endotoxin/Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands. Mechanisms by which IFN-γ inhibits endotoxin tolerance have not been elucidated. Here, we show that pretreatment with IFN-γ prevented tolerization of primary human monocytes and restored TLR4-mediated induction of various proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNFα. Surprisingly, IFN-γ did not alter proximal TLR4 signaling defects in tolerized monocytes. Instead, IFN-γ blocked tolerance-associated down-regulation of IL6 and TNF transcription, RNA polymerase II recruitment, and NF-κB and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β transcription factor binding to the IL6 and TNF promoters in tolerized monocytes. The mechanism by which IFN-γ restored IL6 expression was by facilitating TLR4-induced recruitment of chromatin remodeling machinery to the IL6 promoter and promoting IL6 locus accessibility in tolerized monocytes. Our results suggest that IFN-γ overcomes endotoxin tolerance by facilitating TLR-induced chromatin remodeling to allow expression of proinflammatory genes. These results identify a mechanism by which IFN-γ promotes activation of macrophages and highlight the importance of chromatin remodeling and transcriptional control in the regulation of inflammatory cytokine production in tolerant and activated macrophages.


Supplementary MaterialsS1 Text message: Endoplasmic reticulum construction
Supplementary MaterialsS1 Text message: Endoplasmic reticulum construction. 20 simulation replicates had been performed.(PNG) pcbi.1007717.s005.png (271K) GUID:?A1562B6F-0FC2-456D-B293-A53F3FF0D7DC S1 Desk: Parameters found in the mobile automata program order PTC124 to generate practical ER. (TEX) pcbi.1007717.s006.tformer mate (484 bytes) GUID:?A3D3311F-28FE-48F7-9E66-66485CA32A5C S2 Desk: Diffusion coefficients for species involved with splicing particles formation. Abbreviations are: nucleus (N), NPC (P), Cajal physiques (J), nuclear speckles (S) and cytoplasm (C).(TEX) pcbi.1007717.s007.tformer mate (1.3K) GUID:?8B07CA27-71FD-41EA-A4B5-74A11F4E5DC6 S3 Desk: Diffusion coefficients of spliceosomal contaminants. Abbreviations are: nucleus (N) and nuclear speckles (S).(TEX) pcbi.1007717.s008.tformer mate (584 bytes) GUID:?54858274-F880-481F-B609-98082C1C0524 S4 Desk: The outcomes from the simulations models having a network-like morphology from the mitochondria when compared with the fragmented-mitochondria which were reported in the primary text message. (TEX) pcbi.1007717.s009.tformer mate (670 bytes) order PTC124 GUID:?2A1E09B6-B38E-4D84-96EF-27859908C1AC S5 Desk: The p-values of data from different simulation models. (TEX) pcbi.1007717.s010.tformer mate (414 bytes) GUID:?ECE4C6AF-CE9B-426A-9BC1-F6BFF142B620 Connection: Submitted filename: spatially-resolved style of a HeLa cell from a library of experimental data such as for example cryo-electron tomography , mass spectrometry , fluorescence order PTC124 live-cell and microscopy imaging [11, 14C16], and -omics data [17, 18]. We develop kinetic versions to spell it out the response network of RNA splicing relative to the known natural occasions. The kinetic versions were integrated into our spatially-resolved eukaryotic cell model, filled with organelles, biomacromolecules and compartments. We FLNA after that perform simulations using stochastic reaction-diffusion get better at equations (RDME) with this previously-developed order PTC124 cell simulation software program, Lattice Microbes (LM) [19, 20] for to quarter-hour of natural period up. Interfacing our model using the LM [19, 20], distinctively enables us to review the kinetics order PTC124 of mobile activity on the relevant biological time scale up to hours. LM takes advantage of multiple-GPU processors, and therefore benchmarks much faster than similar softwares (e.g., Virtual Cell), as we have shown previously [21, 22]. Therefore, simulating 15 minutes of biological time on multiple-GPU processors, for nuclear processes and entire human cell, takes 20 minutes and 15 hours of walltime, respectively. The utilized GPU architecture which is also available to other research groups (through supercomputers and GPU cloud computing) and the details of the working principles of LM are explained in the Methods section. The assumptions of constructing the spatial model of the human cell and the reaction schemes include: 1. Our study aims to investigate the RNA splicing process and the main organelles that are directly associated with this process including: the nucleus, nuclear speckles, Cajal bodies and parts of the cytoplasm (ER, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus). Therefore, our spatial model of the human cell mainly includes these organelles/ compartments. 2. Because the average protein half-life in human being cells can be 9 hours , a quasi-steady cell condition is assumed on the quarter-hour of natural period that was simulated. Consequently, processes such as for example transcription and translation from the genes encoding the protein concerning in the RNA splicing procedure weren’t explicitly modeled. 3. We centered on building the groundwork for an versatile platform for building and simulation of spatial types of human being cells. Therefore, the mobile organelles/compartments which have not really yet been contained in the current edition from the model could be easily added through the offered Python code. We believe that any needed response or spatial parts will become added from the analysts of our community. Our simulations, offering quarter-hour of natural period of the 1st spatially-resolved human being cell model, explore how mobile organization impacts the effectiveness of spliceosomal particle development and pre-mRNA splicing. We discover that obvious adjustments in the amount of nuclear pore complexes influence the amount of constructed splicing contaminants, an impact that remains constant for different nuclear sizes; and quantitatively, the forming of correctly-assembled splicing contaminants in multiple compartments can be better. We also display that a good slight upsurge in the comparative localization of splicing contaminants in nuclear speckles concurrently enhances mRNA creation and reduces sound in the generated mRNA. We’re able to rationalize how the properties of nuclear speckles progressed while at the mercy of physical constraints, such as for example their number and size. Finally, we forecast that the business of energetic genes around nuclear speckles impacts mRNA production. Outcomes Spatially-resolved style of a HeLa.


6 Things You Can Do to Boost Your Immune System Right Now
It’s the start of autumn, so either you’ve already caught the common cold or you're probably going to. (And are desperately avoiding the co-worker who came in sick in an attempt to avoid it.) Instead of dancing around the sniffles, why not take action and use these all natural immune system boosters to ward off nasty germs?
While there is no sure-fire way to prevent the common cold from wreaking havoc on our systems, they have yet to create a magical pill to do away with nasal drip and coughing. In the meantime, you can boost your immunity with these six simple and all natural steps. From properly washing your hands and preventing the spread of bacteria to getting your daily sweat on and improving overall health, we’ve rounded up the easiest and most effective ways to prevent falling ill. For more tips on how to avoid the common cold and boost your immune system this season, keep on reading.
Well + Good
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a healthy immune system functions best when it’s been fed a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals over time. So instead of ingesting a quick burst of vitamin C when you feel a cold coming on, plan ahead and include immune-boosting foods packed with plenty of vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, and iron in your daily diet to help your immune system perform at optimal levels.
Culturelle Probiotic All Natural Dairy & Gluten Free Vegetable Capsules ($21)
According to a study in the European Journal of Nutrition, certain probiotics can boost the body's immune function and reduce the risk of infection from the common cold. So what type of probiotic should you be taking? According to Dr. Frank Lipman, you should look for a probiotic with 10-20 billion organisms, and take one every day.
The Chriselle Factor
When it comes to staying healthy, we have just one word for you: breathe. According to a study conducted by Sheldon Cohen, psychological stress effects the body's ability to regulate inflammation and can thus lead to disease. To prevent a case of the sniffles or the stuck-in-bed-for-five-days flu, try reducing your stress levels. While that is easier said than done, we have some suggestions that might make it easier for you.
We all know that washing our hands keeps germs at bay—but make sure to rinse with regular soap and water, says Dr. Lipman. The recent popularity of antibacterial soap has created harsher products, which are loaded with toxins that can actually increase the risk of creating resistant bacteria. These soaps also tend to over-dry and crack the skin, making the transmission of viruses that much easier. So, stock-up on non-drying soaps like the one above, and keep them on hand throughout the season.
Yoga Design Lab Combo Geo Mat ($108)
Regular exercise helps expel toxins from your body. Plus, Dr. David Williams explains that the heat you generate while exercising can kill pathogens, while at the same time energising your cells and metabolism for improved health. So whether it’s your weekly sweat session at yoga or a quick at-home workout, make exercise a priority!
We all know that sleep is essential to, well, anything, but it really applies to a healthy immune system as well. According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, people who don't get enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus like a nasty cold. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick, so it's absolutely essential to get enough rest, especially when you are experiencing a busier social life than normal. Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Try this quick trick for falling asleep in less than one minute.
Looking for more immunity-boosting tips? Check out these 5 immune-boosting supplements.
This story was originally published December 29, 2015.


|Tested species reactivity||Human, Mouse|
|Host / Isotype||Rabbit / IgG|
|Immunogen||KLH conjugated synthetic peptide between 187-214 amino acids from the central region of human SUV4-20H2|
|Purification||Ammonium sulfate precipitation, Size-exclusion - Dialysis|
|Contains||0.09% sodium azide|
|Storage Conditions||-20° C, Avoid Freeze/Thaw Cycles|
|Tested Applications||Dilution *|
|Flow Cytometry (Flow)||1:10-1:50|
|Western Blot (WB)||1:1000|
* Suggested working dilutions are given as a guide only. It is recommended that the user titrate the product for use in their own experiment using appropriate negative and positive controls.
This antibody is predicted to react with rat based on sequence homology.
SUV420H2 is a histone methyltransferase that specifically trimethylates 'Lys-20' of histone H4. H4 'Lys-20' trimethylation represents a specific tag for epigenetic transcriptional repression. The protein mainly functions in pericentric heterochromatin regions, thereby playing a central role in the establishment of constitutive heterochromatin in these regions. SUV420H1 is targeted to histone H3 via its interaction with RB1 family proteins (RB1, RBL1 and RBL2).
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Not for resale without express authorization.


A DEXA scan is a bone density scan. DEXA stands for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. It is used to see if there are any signs of osteopenia, osteoporosis or other bone problems. An X-ray technician performs the procedure. A DEXA scan is also useful for determining the severity of an already diagnosed bone problem or for seeing if treatment for a bone problem is working.
People who are at risk of osteoporosis undergo routine DEXA scans. If a doctor suspects that a patient may have osteoporosis, he or she may order a DEXA scan. People who have osteoporosis may be scanned regularly to see if the disease has worsened. People who are currently being treated for osteoporosis may also be scanned to determine if their treatment is working or if the disease is progressing.
Patients will not be asked to do anything to prepare for the exam. Doctors may talk to them about the exam to prepare them mentally and help them understand the process and the results. Doctors may also ask their patients to avoid certain things in the weeks leading up to a DEXA scan and on the day of the test. Those things may include,
•No prior radionuclide studies for two weeks
•No barium contrast studies for two weeks
•No metal in clothing
The scan only takes about 15 minutes. The patient will be asked to lie down on a table. An X-ray scans the hips and the spine. The doctor will print out photos of the X-rays and will look at them to determine if there are any signs of osteoporosis or other bone diseases, or if a diagnosed disease has improved or worsened. Doctors do this by comparing the amount of calcium that appears in the X-rays of the patient’s bones with the amount of calcium found in the bones of a healthy person.
DEXA scans are non-invasive, so there is no recovery time. Doctors will normally inform the patient about what to do next and how to deal with their diagnosis. Patients who have a hard time lying down for long periods may feel stiff after the procedure, but that should wear off quickly once the patient moves around.
Doctors will receive results from the scan within a few days; some may even get them the same day. The results are reported as a T-score. A T score of -1 to -2.5 is considered osteopenia, and T-score of less than -2.5 is considered osteoporosis. Doctors use this scale to determine the severity of the bone disease and to come up with the right treatment. Most doctors will recommend that their patients begin treatment as soon as possible to stop the disease from progressing even more. They may continue to order regular DEXA scans to check on the patient’s progress and to decide if there are any other issues that may need treatment.


Synthesizing spider thread—which is stronger than nylon and even some metals—has been a vexing problem. Until now.
A Japanese startup claims it has cracked the knotty problem of commercializing the production of spider thread, which, gram for gram, is stronger than nylon and even many metals. As one of nature’s super-substances — tougher than Kevlar yet significantly more elastic — scientists have been trying to recreate it in significant quantities in labs but failed for over a decade.
By using synthetic biology techniques and a new spinning technology, Spiber Inc. says it is now able to produce many hundreds of grams of synthetic spider silk protein where past efforts have produced less than a few grams over a day. One gram of the special protein produces about 9,000 meters (29,527 feet) of silk.
The breakthrough, says the inventor and Spiber’s president, Kazuhide Sekiyama, is that unlike other attempts to synthesize spider thread the Japanese researchers did not try to copy the spider’s little-understood spinning action. Using duct-like spinnerets, spiders rearrange a simple protein to turn it into silk. “We make fibers using a totally artificial process,” he told Fortune.
In the world of biomimicry, or biomimetics, where cutting edge analytical techniques are helping put some of nature’s better ideas to work in industry, spider silk is something of a holy grail.
Engineers have been adept up to now at synthesizing a range of extremely useful materials. But they could do better. Kevlar, for example, is a remarkably strong fiber used in aeronautics and bullet-proof vests. Made by heating petroleum products to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, then applying substantial pressure, the fiber is teased out to make the final fabric.
To a spider, the process would seem a tad hyperactive. Without using anything like that kind of heat, spiders produce a material that’s many times stronger than Kevlar, not to mention biodegradable. Clearly, a synthetic equivalent of spider thread would be of enormous benefit. Biomimetics and synthetic biology helps scientists create spider thread not by copying it exactly but by incorporating some of nature’s design aspects. It also shows the potential of such synthetic biology — breaking down nature into spare parts and then rebuilding them back up as desired.
This can take inventors down some strange avenues. Ten years ago, U.S. researchers came up with the idea of creating “Spider goats” that had their milk genes altered with spider DNA. The resultant animal’s milk contained the spider silk protein which was then extracted following milking. After that the task got harder.
So far, what has held scientists back, says Michelle Oyen, professor of Mechanics of Biological Materials at the University of Cambridge, is understanding the natural materials well enough to mimic them. “In the case of spider silk, we can copy the gene sequences responsible for silk and transfer them elsewhere, as with the goat’s milk case,” she says. “But we then have to mimic the spider’s silk spinneret in order to form the proteins into fibers, and that’s tricky and has been one of the limitations to date.”
Spiber, capitalized at 780 million yen, is now capable of producing up to 1 kg of the silk protein a day and is confident enough to form a joint venture with a Toyota (TM) subsidiary to commercialize production.
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- Are Hydrogen Cars Still Happening?on June 15, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Potentially coming to a service station near you. In every comment section, there’s always one. No matter the electric vehicle, no matter how far the technology has come, there’s always one.
- 30 Years Later TED Finds His Voice: A Commodore Story Part Ion June 14, 2021 at 5:01 pm
This office was unlike any other office. This office had a large collection of spider plants. I felt blessed to be working at Commodore and even more so sitting in the only office with green ...
- First Synthetic Spider Silk Developed That’s Suitable for Industrial Useon June 5, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Spider silk long has been a coveted material for scientists to synthesize because it is at the same time ... Institutet now has found success in fabricating kilometer-long threads of synthetic spider ...
- It’s time to consign the “selfish gene” to the history bookson May 30, 2021 at 5:12 pm
The same is true for spiders, whose reliance on web construction favors offspring who can produce sticky threads and react to vibrations on the web. Plants are equally effective in producing their ...
- Mass Effect: Who Made the Reapers? Answeredon May 26, 2021 at 11:00 am
When any form of organic life reached a certain stage of evolution, it’d send the Reapers in to eliminate it or synthesize it into new Reapers. They’d use their indoctrination ability to ...
- 5. Final Fantasy IX Village of Dali to Gargan Rooon April 23, 2021 at 12:47 pm
Enter the church, climb up the ladder to find a Leather Plate. Synthesize items here as much as you like but keep one gear item of any kind so you do not miss any Abilities to learn. Take the ...
- 20. KINGDOM HEARTS - HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX KH1: Synthesis Guideon January 8, 2021 at 1:01 am
The following list contains all synthesis items, organized alphabetically by name. It shows the minimum quantity Sora needs to synthesize all items once. "Enemy Drop?" tells you what enemies will ...
- Billions of Dollars Are Being Spent to Perfect the Engineering of Lifeon May 10, 2017 at 4:13 pm
The burgeoning field combines genomics and the chemical synthesis of DNA ... but in drawing investment. Bolt Threads of California recently debuted yeast-derived spider’s silk in the form ...
- Bridges Conference: Marlboro graduate students building connection through languageon August 24, 2016 at 7:28 pm
We went around the circle and physically tied threads between presenters and named the links we saw between their work. Slowly we formed what looked like the spokes of a wheel or a spider web. Kara ...
- Synthetic biology inches toward the mainstreamon October 17, 2008 at 5:00 am
"Spiders make threads that are stronger than steel ... launched on the gene synthesis market just a few years before the completion of the 13-year Human Genome Project (which consisted primarily ...
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- 'Ballooning' spiders leave behind sea of silk after flood in Australiaon June 16, 2021 at 11:01 am
Using a behavior called "ballooning," spiders clambered atop vegetation and flung fine silk threads into the wind; as the threads caught air, the spiders got plucked from their perches and lifted to ...
- Spider-inspired Silk Company, Spintex, Awarded $100,000 Ray of Hope Prizeon June 16, 2021 at 8:45 am
By mimicking how a spider spins silk at room temperature, Spintex creates high performance, sustainable textiles that are 1,000 times more efficient than an equivalent synthetic fiber.
- University of Cambridge Funds Vegan Spider Silk to Replace Single-Use Plastic Packagingon June 16, 2021 at 8:07 am
What is vegan spider silk? Packaging is one of the leading contributors to planet Earth's waste, so scientists are looking to this sustainable material.
- Scientists say spider silk could teach us how to replace plasticon June 16, 2021 at 4:00 am
Chemists and engineers have studied spider silk for years to figure out if it could be adapted in developing novel materials. Now, an intriguing new paper has a remarkable proposal: use a ...
- We’ve got a plastic problem — and spider silk may be the solutionon June 15, 2021 at 5:10 am
Producing sustainable packaging materials, using natural resources and less energy consumption could reduce the amount of plastic going into landfill.
- This 'Vegan Spider Silk' Could Replace Most Single-Use Plasticson June 14, 2021 at 1:28 pm
Researchers from the University of Cambridge may have a viable solution to the single-use plastic dilemma: spider silk. Or, more accurately, a plant-based synthetic polymer that m ...
- Plant-Based “Vegan Spider Silk” Provides Sustainable Alternative to Single-Use Plasticson June 12, 2021 at 1:24 am
Researchers have created a plant-based, sustainable, scalable material that could replace single-use plastics in many consumer products. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, created a ...
- New material inspired by spider silk could help solve our plastic problemon June 11, 2021 at 6:30 am
Plastics are very useful materials. They've contributed significant benefits to modern society. But the unprecedented amount of plastics produced over the past few decades has caused serious ...
- "Vegan spider silk" offers a plant-based replacement for common plasticon June 10, 2021 at 7:46 pm
By mimicking the self-assembling microstructures that give spider silk its incredible strength, scientists at the University of Cambridge have produced a plant-based film with the strength of common ...
- Eensy Weensy Spider Silk Takes the Temperature of a Single Cellon June 10, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Even though he works with spiders regularly, Yao Zhang, a physicist at Jinan University in China, admits he's afraid of them. In fact, most of the people in his lab are, except for graduate student ...


The tick was fat with blood before it died, having just feasted on a monkey. But searching fingers likely found the bug nestled in its host's fur during a grooming ritual.
Primates bond by picking at each other to look for parasites. That practice is good for the health of a monkey community, but it was very bad for the ancient tick that ended up flung aside and caught in tree sap.
Engorged with blood and strained from being plucked roughly from its host, the bug's body burst. As it died, two small holes in its back leaked monkey blood into the sticky grave.
That bit of tree sap hardened into amber over the next 20 to 30 million years, and recently emerged from a mine in the Dominican Republic. It has now made its way to a laboratory at Oregon State University.
Under a microscope, those squirts of blood were found to be the first fossilized red blood cells from a mammal ever discovered — and they give key insights into life in the ancient Hispaniolan forest.
The biologist George Poinar Jr. examined the fossil, filing down the amber down so that the ancient arachnid was just five-hundredths of a millimeter from the surface. The blood that leaked from those two holes on its back was spread out and naturally stained in the congealed sap, almost as if prepared for examination in a lab. Poinar could tell the blood came from a monkey based on the shape and diameter of the cells.
But mixed into the blood was another parasite even smaller than the tick: Babesia microti, a protozoan parasite that's still around today.
B. microti still travels in ticks, and infects primates when its host sucks their blood. In humans, it causes a malaria-like disease called babesiosis.
When Poinar cracked the tick fossil open after thoroughly studying the intact bug, he found b. microti at all of its several life stages in the tick's gut.
The discovery of this ancient b. microti, beautifully preserved in amber, gives researchers a new minimum earliest date for the emergence of the parasite. And the whole fossil, tiny as it is, therefore tells a complex story about the life cycles of creatures living in the Caribbean islands millions of years ago.


Fatigue associated with an emotional shock can lead to reactional hair loss, known as “acute telogen effluvium”. It usually appears three to four months after a triggering factor. The hair cycle is thus disrupted, triggering an abrupt, diffuse and simultaneous loss of hair in the telogen phase.
Can you lose hair from lack of sleep?
A lack of sleep can also create stress on your body which increases your chance of telogen effluvium, a significant, albeit potentially temporary, loss of hair on your scalp.
Why am I suddenly losing so much hair?
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
How can I stop my hair from falling out due to stress?
Stress and Hair Loss: Potential Ways to Cope
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques (such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga) regularly.
- Get regular exercise, which helps manage stress and its effects.
- Spend time with positive people — isolating yourself can make stress worse.
- Seek professional help from a therapist.
Can dehydration cause hair loss?
Severe dehydration may even accelerate hair loss. If you notice your hair beginning to thin or fall out in larger quantities than usual, increasing your daily water and vitamin intake should help. It’s also beneficial to use a moisturizing conditioner and avoid blow drying your hair until its moisture content improves.
Will hair loss from stress grow back?
Excessive hair loss from stress typically stops when the stress stops. Hair will likely regrow to its normal fullness in 6 to 9 months without any treatment.
What illness causes hairloss?
Medical conditions that can cause hair loss include: thyroid disease. alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles) scalp infections like ringworm.
Hair loss can also be due to medications used to treat:
- high blood pressure.
- heart problems.
What lack of vitamin causes hair loss?
Research shows that a lack of vitamin D in your body can lead to hair loss. One role vitamin D plays is stimulating new and old hair follicles. When there isn’t enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted.
Can anxiety cause hair shedding?
Although the hair will grow back, continued anxiety and stress can cause the hair loss to continue leading to different patches of hair and baldness. Telogen Effluvium (TE). This is the second most common form of hair loss. In essence, it occurs when there is a change in the number of hair follicles growing hair.
What does stress hair loss look like?
Patchy hair loss or widening of the part line is generally suggestive of other diagnoses, like alopecia areata or female pattern hair loss. Individuals experiencing telogen effluvium may notice a thinner ponytail, or a sudden increase of shed hairs in the shower, on the pillowcase, or around the house.
What vitamin should you take for hair loss?
One of the best known vitamins for hair growth is a B vitamin called biotin. Studies link biotin deficiency with hair loss in humans ( 5 ). Although biotin is used as an alternative hair loss treatment, those who are deficient have the best results.
Can drinking water stop hair loss?
Drinking water helps hair health by preventing many hair problems. Drinking enough water keeps your hair hydrated. As such, one can truly avoid hair loss, hair fall, dry hair, brittle hair and itchiness. Your scalp remains hydrated and healthy by having the correct amount of water in the diet.
Does drinking water increase hair growth?
Water is a key ingredient that supports vitamins, which contribute to your hair growth. Believe it or not, but water makes up almost 25% of the weight of a single strand of hair. Drinking at least two liters of water a day will help the strength of your hair, increasing growth.
Can drinking water reverse hair loss?
Water hydrates the hair cells, makes them work the way they are supposed to and this helps your hair grow long and strong. Not just that, it stays in place too. And with hydration, you help keep away hair loss. Staying hydrated thus has huge hair benefits.


Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New Safe Chemicals Act Mandates Reduced Animal Testing
The new Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 (SCA), introduced recently by Senator Frank Lautenberg with a companion bill in the House, includes several concepts that are not currently part of the Toxic Substances Chemical Act (TSCA) that it seeks to reform. One of those differences is the inclusion of a mandate to reduce animal testing.
Section 31 of the SCA states that EPA "shall take action to minimize the use of animals in testing of chemical substances and mixtures." This includes:
1) Encouraging and facilitating a) use of existing data of sufficient scientific quality, b) use of test methods that eliminate or reduce the use of animals but provide data of high scientific quality, c) grouping of two or more chemicals into scientifically appropriate categories where data on one substance will provide reliable and useful data on others, d) formation of industry consortia to jointly conduct testing to avoid unnecessary duplication, and e) parallel submission of testing from animal based studies and from emerging methods and models.
Those familiar with REACH might recognize a similar approach. The idea is to provide scientifically defensible data in the most efficient manner, so that modeling, read-across, alternative testing, and other methods can be used to meet the data requirements. The bottom line means less animal testing. The consortium idea also comes from the HPV Challenge days.
In addition, the section also authorizes:
2) the funding of research and validation of studies to reduce, refine, and replace (i.e., the "3 Rs") the use of animal tests.
The section also goes into some detail about an "Interagency Science Advisory Board on Alternative Testing Methods" that EPA shall establish within 90 days after enactment. The Board would consist of representatives from several key programs such as the NIEHS, CDC, NTP, NCI, NTSC and others. [Sorry for the acronyms, but I can define them if anyone doesn't already know what they mean.] The EPA, with input from the Board, would have one year to publish a list of testing methods that reduce the use of animals in testing. EPA and the Board would also promote the development of new testing methods that are not animal based. Finally, the section gives EPA some flexibility to waive testing requirements if there is sufficient weight-of-evidence from other sources.
So all in all there is an effort to reduce animal testing. That said, it is highly likely that animal testing will remain a key tool in the evaluation of hazard and risk. At least until sufficient non-animal methods have been developed and validated, a process that will likely take a long, long time.


Odorants are volatile and largely hydrophobic organic compounds possessing odors while
odorless compounds are chemicals which do not possess or are associated with any odor.
OlfactionBase comprises of 3985 odorant molecules representing an array of odors and 1124
odorless compounds. Odorant molecules are classified by 30 functional groups such as (acid,
alcohol, aldehyde, alkane, cyclic, ether, ester, ketone, thiol, etc.). Each molecule entry
includes detail information about physicochemical properties, odor profile, pharmacokinetic
profile and drug likeness and cross-references to other biological databases. Among 3985
odorant molecules, 197 molecules are associated with 156 Olfactory receptors belonging to
two species (Human and Mus musculus). The user-friendly interface of Olfactionbase
facilitates exploration of chemicals in various ways: search chemical compounds with CAS
No., odor and sub-odors, functional group, SMILES notation and molecular weight.


4% chlorhexidine soapy gel
Hygiene, antisepsis and skin care.
BactiScrub is an antiseptic gel of 4% soapy chlorhexidine for hygiene and antisepsis. The gel format ensures greater dermal absorption of chlorhexidine.
It is a solution for both antiseptic washing of the patient’s skin (surgical, intensive and colonized) and pre-surgical antiseptic cleansing of hands and forearms of the healthcare personnel.
Antiseptic patient’s body wash. Hands and forearms pre-surgical scrub for healthcare personnel.


Arguments for advantages of genetically modified foods various countries such as philippines and china began manufacturing genetically modified foods to help in solving the food crisis in the world gmos can be produced to mature faster compared to natural foods. The number of genetically modified animals used in agriculture has increased significantly in recent years researchers have genetically engineered a number of mammals, from laboratory animals to farm animals, as well as birds, fish and insects. Importance of technology in agriculture: they are used to harvest the crops in the production of genetically modified crops new varieties of fertilizers and pests can be produced. The food and agriculture organization of the united nations also says that farmers can grow more food on less land with genetically modified crops genetically modified animals have certain genes inserted into their genomes so that they can produce 'better' milk, eggs, and meat.
This purpose of this essay is to discuss the most likely advantages and problems that arise from the introduction of genetically modified (gm) agricultural crops this will be done by comparing the main arguments and issues for and against. No genetically modified microorganism is currently used in foods although some are used to produce food ingredients the safety evaluation of gmm-derived food additives and processing aids should place special emphasis on the detection of possible unintended effects. Benefits of genetically modified organisms genetically modified organisms (gmo) refers to plants or crops that have been modified using molecular biology techniques these plants are modified in labs or research centers with the intention of enhancing its desired traits such as pest resistance, enhancing nutrition, etc. Gmo's, or genetically modified organisms, is a form of scientific farming where crops are pumped full of chemicals to increase yield and size of crops it is highly debated and becoming more and more common in everyday foods.
Genetically modified (gm) crops have many potential advantages in terms of raising agricultural productivity and reducing the need for (environmentally harmful) pesticides they might also pose hazards to human health, from toxicity and increased risk of allergies, for example. The un food and agricultural organization notes that rice, genetically modified to produce high levels of vitamin a, have helped to reduce global vitamin deficiencies 3 genetically modified foods can have a longer shelf life. Genetically modified (or gm) plants have attracted a large amount of media attention in recent years and continue to do so despite this, the general public remains largely unaware of what a gm plant actually is or what advantages and disadvantages the technology has to offer, particularly with.
Genetically modified produce can be harvested when ripe, and the ripening process stops, giving them a longer shelf life these genetic modifications also increase a plant's resistance to disease, pests, insecticides, herbicides and even extreme weather conditions. Genetically modified foods, which are often referred to in a general classification called gmos, have changed the grocery marketplace genetic modifications are a natural component of evolution even in the past, before technologies allowed for specific modifications, agricultural workers. Advantages and problems of genetically modified agricultural crops 681 words 3 pages genetically modified food (gm) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption, using the latest molecular biology techniques.
Gm crops and the environment the debate over the environmental impact of genetically modified (gm) crops is growing increasingly complex, intense, and extremely emotional it is further complicated as new research is published. Advantages and problems of genetically modified agricultural crops genetically modified food (gm) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption, using the latest. The benefits of genetically modified crops should be compared to those of other means of agricultural intensification such as organic farming, integrated pest management and agricultural policy reform.
Those in support of genetically modified foods have noted the significant role that gm foods could play in fighting malnutrition in the developing world which, according to the united nations food and agriculture organization, affects nearly one out of eight people on earth. List of cons of genetically modified crops 1 they are not entirely believed to be safe truth is, there are also a number of independent studies of the health effects of genetically modified crops that do not have confidence in their safety. - advantages and problems of genetically modified agricultural crops genetically modified food (gm) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption, using the latest molecular biology techniques.


People face a number of health issues and the number of such issues reported only seems to be increasing by the day. One cannot decide if the numbers are increasing due to changing lifestyle and more issues being identified or is it just the awareness created, that makes people come forward.
What Is A Disease
A disease is something one develops at any point in their life. It is caused by some factor the body is unable to control. There are cures for many diseased and many diseases are yet to have an effective cure.
Cancer and AIDS are diseases like plague or small pox. The intensity of any disease varies based on where it originates and how soon an antibody is found. Diseases can be cured, thanks to the advancement in science and technology. Today, one only has to report a few symptoms and the systems are so updated and fast, that they can find or at least narrow down the search for the disease.
What Is Disorder
A disorder is caused due to the malfunctioning or lack of functioning of some parts in the body. When the human body does not go through the formation process as it should, it leads to disorders. When a fetus does not get the sufficient nutrients or chromosomes as it should, it results in disorders.
Diabetes is a disorder caused due to the malfunctioning of the pancreas that is supposed to produce the insulin for the body. In most cases, disorders don’t have a permanent solution. They have remedies that can help the situation but no solution that can remove the entire disorder. Though one can undergo treatment and reduce the symptoms of Down syndrome, there is not permanent cure for it.
In many cases, people confuse disorders with diseases and think they are equally treatable. A search online about disorders and diseases will give you many results and information.


Do cranberry capsules reduce the consumption of antibiotics for symptoms of acute uncomplicated urinary tract infections? A feasibility study.
- Principal Investigator: Kome Gbinigie
- 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2020
- Project No: 413
- Funding round: FR 16
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the commonest bacterial infections affecting women, and are usually treated with antibiotics. Because of frequent and sometimes inappropriate use of antibiotics, many bacteria have adapted so that they are no longer killed by antibiotics (antibiotic resistance). As a result, there has been increasing interest in using non-antibiotic treatments, such as cranberry extract. The sugars in cranberries are believed to prevent bacteria from sticking to the wall of the bladder, thus reducing the ability of bacteria to cause and sustain a UTI. Cranberries might also make it easier for antibiotics to surround and kill bacteria.We will conduct a study to assess whether cranberries can treat UTIs in women and safely reduce antibiotic use. Women with a UTI will be invited to take part. We will not include women with complicated UTIs (e.g. feverish, back pain, vomiting).
Women will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:
1) Usual treatment with antibiotics.
2) Treatment with antibiotics AND cranberry capsules.
3) Initial treatment with cranberry capsules, but also with an antibiotic prescription that they can take to the chemist at a later date if they don’t get better with cranberry alone (‘back-up antibiotics’).
Participants will complete a diary daily for up to two weeks about their symptoms (e.g. pain on passing urine), how bad the symptoms are, how long they last, and whether or not they take antibiotics.The main aim of this small-scale study is to test whether the study design described works and is acceptable to participants (called a feasibility study). This will help in the planning of a subsequent, similar, but much larger study. By comparing the information from different treatment groups on a larger scale, we will be able to tell whether cranberries actually treat UTIs and help reduce the need for antibiotics.


Vollman lands NIH mentored scientist award
Michael Vollman, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor of Nursing, was recently awarded a three-year Mentored Research Scientist Award by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Nursing Research.
“Michael's passion for research is infectious,” said Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D., R.N., senior associate dean for Research at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. The $259,000 award will fund longitudinal research that focuses on the relationships among coping strategies, depressive symptoms, sympathetic nervous system activation and inflammatory cytokine activity as potential pathways affecting morbidity and mortality in adult patients diagnosed with heart failure.
Vollman's award will also fund advanced training in the measurement of biomarkers in clinical research, molecular and cellular immunology, and longitudinal data modeling techniques.


I know there are a lot of threads out there on this site and elsewhere, but I haven't been able to find anything that matches our situation and was hoping to get some advice based on what's going on. We have four ducks that are four months old now. A month ago, we bought three Buff hens that are about a year old. Everyone adjusted well and acted as though they had been a family all along. Although their food was changed as soon as they moved in to duck feed from the chicken feed they'd been getting, all three Buffs laid and egg almost every day for the first two weeks. At that point, one of them became very broody, to the point that we have to scoot her out of the house to get her to take a daily swim. She's sitting on a nest of 18 eggs and is in a very bad temper. Once she started sitting on the nest she'd made for the eggs, all three Buffs stopped laying. That's the only thing I can think of that coincided with them all stopping the laying. No changes in food, environment, routine. They all seem healthy and active, so I just don't know what to think. Many thanks in advance for any advice!


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Sea turtles are live witnesses of innumerable geological events in the history of our planet. These sea animals are descendants from relatives who existed more than 100 million years ago; since then they have survived massive extinctions, ice ages, and thaws.
These millennial beings have shared their space with humanity; however, now they are threatened or in danger of extinction and are protected by Mexican laws (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010).
Presently, sea turtles are facing threats including badly planned touristic development in their nest areas. Beach furniture, seawalls, and plastic garbage make it difficult for the females to nest and for the young to make their way to the sea. Plus, the turtles are very sensitive to light pollution: the female prefers to nest on dark beaches, and the light from hotels can illuminate long extensions of beach, forcing her to look for a less suitable place. Instinctively, as soon as the baby turtles leave the nest, they are guided by the light of the moon reflected in the shininess of the sea, to lead them to the ocean and the beginning of their journey. But with the bright lights of the hotels and streetlights, they become disoriented and move toward land where they die of dehydration or exhaustion, or they are eaten by predators or run over. If you live near or visit a nesting beach, you can help to protect the sea turtles and their babies by turning off exterior lights every night, and adding shades to your illumination to direct the light toward the the floor and not toward the beach. You can also remove furniture or any other physical obstacle on the beach every evening. If you are staying at a hotel you can ask them to follow these instructions.
The Península of Yucatán is an important nest area for three sea turtles species: loggerhead (Caretta caretta), white (Chelonia mydas) and tortoiseshell (Eretmochelys imbricata). Pronatura Península de Yucatán has been working on sea turtle conservation at the beaches of Celestún, Las Coloradas, El Cuyo and Holbox, with the collaboration of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP). Every year, the nesting season begins in April and lasts until September or October. The eclosion season, when the young ones begin leaving the nest, starts in June, and with a little luck you will be able to see some of them walking to the sea at dawn or dusk. If you would like to know more about the species, write to us at [email protected].
By Pronatura Península de Yucatán
Esta entrada también está disponible en: ES


If you are a regular on our podcasts/blog, then this is an article that would perhaps be of interest to you
Can the Brain Be Rebooted to Stop Drug Addiction?: Scientific American
Scientists for the first time have identified long-term changes in mice brains that may shed light on why addicts get hooked on drugs—in this case methamphetamines—and have such a tough time kicking the habit. The findings, reported in the journal Neuron, could set the stage for new ways to block cravings—and help addicts dry out.
Researchers, using fluorescent tracer dye, discovered that mice given methamphetamines for 10 days (roughly equivalent to a human using it for two years) had suppressed activity in a certain area of their brains. Much to their surprise, normal function did not return even when the drug was stopped, but did when they administered a single dose of it again after the mice had been in withdrawal.
Study co-author Nigel Bamford, a pediatric neurologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says that if similar changes occur in humans, it will indicate that an effective way to fight addiction may be to design therapies that target the affected area—the striatum, a forebrain region that controls movement but also has been linked to habit-forming behavior.


A gene expression database
for the molecular pharmacology of cancer, Nature Genet.
CIBEX: Center for Information Biology Gene Expression database
. C R Biol 326:1079-1082.
According to the 23 June 2003 edition of the online news source Bioinform, the planned internal gene expression database
will help educate FDA reviewers about the format, content, and context of microarray data submissions.
Thus, we anticipate that the object models built by MGED in the microarray gene expression database
arena also will be applicable to proteomics and metabonomics.
According to the notification, Javed Iqbal S/o Sheer Mohammad was granted degree in the subject of Persian after approval of his thesis entitled Editing and Analysis of Diwan-E-Mirza Mohammad Sadiq Medami while Shahid-ur-Rehman S/o Saif-ur-Rehman got degree in the subject of Molecular Biology after approval of his thesis entitled Development of Standardized Laboratory Information Management System Using DNA Microarray Plant Gene Expression Databases
Large gene expression databases
are available for human cells that have been treated with molecules extracted from existing drugs as well as drugs that are in development.
In creating the world's largest commercial gene expression databases
- BioExpress[R] and ToxExpress[R], we have developed expertise and capabilities that are unparalleled in the genomic services industry.
Micro-array and gene expression databases
Gene Logic provides gene expression databases
through its custom discovery research databases and its GeneExpress Suite of databases.
With considerable investment of resources, a few full-featured, relational gene expression databases
have been developed, but these are not available for public deposition of data (e.g., http://genome-www4.stanford.edu/MicroArray/ MDEV/index.html; http://www.
The license is exclusive for the creation of gene expression databases
, which will be licensed to others, but non-exclusive for other uses.
Technical and policy issues that need to be addressed include a) opportunities for shared learning in the public domain, b) accessibility to publicly held gene expression databases
, c) understanding of the predictive capabilities of the technologies before widespread application, d) availability of prevalence data, e) privacy and confidentiality concerns, f) security and discrimination issues, g) counseling for coping with genetic information, h) use and premature use of "omics" data, and i) defining the regulatory positions on "omics" data.


The human body is like a magnificent, sweaty and other body fluid precision instrument that moves and mixes chemicals in a precise and coordinated way, making memories, thoughts, blood, nails… everything that is alive. Of course, maybe these “small secrets” will make you more interested.
Four-color mixed skin
The color of all races and ethnicities, the attention is all, in the beginning, it looks milky white, like a canvas that has not been dyed. The blood vessels close to the surface add a touch of red to this “canvas”. A special yellow “fuel” that comes with the gene will also color the canvas. Finally, due to the ultraviolet light, a large amount of brown melanin is produced on the surface of the skin. The skin turns black. The skin color of all the people on earth is a mixture of these four colors in different proportions, so the reason why there are no black people in Russia is probably that their ancestors in Siberia did not sunbathe every day like the indigenous tribes of the Cape of Good Hope.
Laughing can also infect
When the middle school period is the most arduous, the difficulty of class is the difficulty that every student must overcome. The yawning has become an infectious disease. The faint afternoon and a group of students with big mouths are the nightmare of each teacher. Just as you see someone yawning, you will immediately behave the same way as being infected. Recent research evidence suggests that laughter is also a social suggestion. Hearing laughter actually stimulates the relevant areas of the brain that control facial muscle activity, making people in a state of being ready to laugh, and imitation plays an irreplaceable role in human social interaction. The desire to establish social connections among groups, sneezing, laughing, weeping and yawning suggests that it may be the best “combination” scheme in human genes.
Give way to the brain for the development of the brain
Human beings have evolved from apes for millions of years, forming what they are now, and can be said to be the only miracle on earth. But evolution itself is not perfect, otherwise we may have wings instead of hateful wisdom teeth. In general, the reason that the useless features exist in one species may simply be that they have no harm. The wisdom teeth that make many modern people unbearable and useless are a very convenient set of teeth in our ancestors. Only the priority of our brain evolution is too high, leading to the continuous expansion of brain capacity and increasing importance. Over time, our jaw structure has changed, our mouths have become more and more crowded, and the original functions of wisdom teeth have been new. Replaced by other sharper teeth that developed.
Cells also have “hair”
In most of our cells, there is an organelle called cilia that helps us to perform functions from food digestion to music appreciation. In the case of a common cold, in the nasal cavity, cilia acts as a postman. It will transport the mucus produced in the nasal cavity to the throat, and the cause of your nasal congestion is not that the secretion of mucus is too much to block the nasal passage. The real reason is that the cold weather makes your nasal mucosa bigger than usual. Double, thus occupying the passage in the nasal cavity that was originally exchanged with the outside air. The role of cilia is to transfer as much as possible the odious nose, let your swollen nose smooth.
Adolescence is also the brain renewal period
When did we start to grow up? It may be because of something, or because of a particular moment, the probability of these factors occurring between 12 and 18 years old, sociology and psychology are called puberty. In such a period of rapid physical and mental growth, the body’s hormone levels are constantly changing. Of course, this is a good thing. It promotes our body growth and prepares for future fertility.
But it seems that teenagers all over the world will encounter problems of one kind or another. “Unhappy” has become the main theme of their emotions, which is of course the negative effect of hormone levels. Taking sex hormones such as testosterone as an example, they actually affect the development of brain neurons, and the consequences of brain changes in neuronal structure are emotional instability, indifference, and poor decision-making ability. From a psychological point of view, it is like a mature adult in a child’s body. Adolescent teenagers always think about problems in a more adult way, but the measures they take to deal with the problem are still the same as the children. Different, the mind and body derived from the brain renewal period have become the “pain point” of adolescence.
Burning my calories
The facts to be presented next may make people who are obese or obese obsessed, because in fact most of the nutrients we consume from food contribute to the brain rather than fat. Although the brain is only an electrochemical substance that accounts for 2% of the total weight of the human body, it requires the body to provide 20% of oxygen and heat. In order for the brain to get enough nutrients in time, the three major arteries continuously deliver oxygen through the red blood cells in the blood. Therefore, while maintaining the daily function of the body, our brain is also burning a lot of calories, which is called the “big stomach king” in the organs. Of course, this is by no means an excuse for turning off your treadmill and canceling your fitness program.
Body posture affects memory
“Is it coming to the wedding anniversary?” As a famous husband, in the face of his wife’s questioning, he must always keep a cool head, but unfortunately this time you really forgot the wedding anniversary is Which day. It doesn’t matter, trying to kneel down on your knees may help you remember the details at that time faster. Studies have found that when your body posture is similar to that presented in past activities, previous experiences and details are remembered faster and better.
In addition, biopsychologists also point out that memory is highly reflected in the senses of our bodies. A smell or sound can evoke a person’s memory of a long-term fragment of childhood, and the grandmother’s taste of slyness brings you an instant recall. From the small rice fields and the sloppy puppies on the roadside, these connections can be obvious, or they can be unrelated or even difficult to understand.
Your stomach will secrete dangerous liquids
Security personnel at the airport will check all the liquids you carry, and they are almost paranoid about the dangers. But there is a dangerous liquid that no security personnel can confiscate: it is in your stomach. Gastric cells secrete low levels of hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive compound. We know that high concentrations of hydrochloric acid are used in the industry to dissolve metals, but mucus on the stomach wall can safely store this toxic liquid in the digestive system to digest three meals a day and your diet pills.


Plant shoot systems give rise to characteristic above-ground plant architectures. Shoots are formed from axillary meristems and buds, whose growth and development is modulated by systemic and local signals. These cues convey information about nutrient and water availability, light quality, sink/source organ activity and other variables that determine the timeliness and competence to maintain development of new shoots. This information is translated into a local response, in meristems and buds, of growth or quiescence. Although some key genes involved in the onset of bud latency have been identified, the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) controlled by these genes are not well defined. Moreover, it has not been determined whether bud dormancy induced by environmental cues, such as a low red-to-far-red light ratio, shares genetic mechanisms with bud latency induced by other causes, such as apical dominance or a short-day photoperiod. Furthermore, the evolution and conservation of these GRNs throughout angiosperms is not well established. We have reanalyzed public transcriptomic datasets that compare quiescent and active axillary buds of Arabidopsis, with datasets of axillary buds of the woody species Vitis vinifera (grapevine) and apical buds of Populus tremula x Populus alba (poplar) during the bud growth-to-dormancy transition. Our aim was to identify potentially common GRNs induced during the process that leads to bud para-, eco- and endodormancy. In Arabidopsis buds that are entering eco- or paradormancy, we have identified four induced interrelated GRNs that correspond to a carbon (C) starvation syndrome, typical of tissues undergoing low C supply. This response is also detectable in poplar and grapevine buds before and during the transition to dormancy. In all eukaryotes, C-limiting conditions are coupled to growth arrest and latency like that observed in dormant axillary buds. Bud dormancy might thus be partly a consequence of the underlying C starvation syndrome triggered by environmental and endogenous cues that anticipate or signal conditions unfavorable for sustained shoot growth.
Tarancón, C., González-Grandío, E., Oliveros, J. C., Nicolas, M., & Cubas, P. (2017). A conserved carbon starvation response underlies bud dormancy in woody and herbaceous species. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00788


The story of how a little space probe slingshotted through space to visit the King of the Ice Dwarfs.
Is this technology really the best fit for patients who are mentally ill?
MatTek grows thousands of dime-sized pieces of skin in plastic dishes that add up, altogether, to about two whole adult humans’ worth.
Precision medicine---and two terabytes of genomic data---saved one man's life.
This fall, farmers are harvesting 50,000 acres of the cotton planted with a microbial spray designed to improve yields in low-water conditions.
No one has ever cut a giant hole in a bagel-shaped glass roof and dropped water nine stories in the ground. Until Singapore's Changi Airport called on a water design firm called WET.
By adding digestive juices, scientists have finally figured out how to grow norovirus in a petri dish—opening up a path for important health research.
Artists, activists, and journalists now see VR’s potential to be an empathy engine.
Counsyl is one of the first fully-automated genetic testing labs in the country.
Illumina, the world's largest DNA sequencer company, is incubating some new companies in an effort to broaden the base of genome research.


Using NMR and molecular dynamics to link structure and dynamics effects of the universal base 8-aza, 7-deaza, N8 linked adenosine analog.
ABSTRACT: A truly universal nucleobase enables a host of novel applications such as simplified templates for PCR primers, randomized sequencing and DNA based devices. A universal base must pair indiscriminately to each of the canonical bases with little or preferably no destabilization of the overall duplex. In reality, many candidates either destabilize the duplex or do not base pair indiscriminatingly. The novel base 8-aza-7-deazaadenine (pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin- 4-amine) N8-(2'deoxyribonucleoside), a deoxyadenosine analog (UB), pairs with each of the natural DNA bases with little sequence preference. We have utilized NMR complemented with molecular dynamic calculations to characterize the structure and dynamics of a UB incorporated into a DNA duplex. The UB participates in base stacking with little to no perturbation of the local structure yet forms an unusual base pair that samples multiple conformations. These local dynamics result in the complete disappearance of a single UB proton resonance under native conditions. Accommodation of the UB is additionally stabilized via heightened backbone conformational sampling. NMR combined with various computational techniques has allowed for a comprehensive characterization of both structural and dynamic effects of the UB in a DNA duplex and underlines that the UB as a strong candidate for universal base applications.
Project description:Universal bases hybridize with all other natural DNA or RNA bases, and have applications in PCR and sequencing. We have analysed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy the structure and dynamics of three DNA oligonucleotides containing the universal base analogues 5-nitroindole and 5-nitroindole-3-carboxamide. In all systems studied, both the 5-nitroindole nucleotide and the opposing nucleotide adopt a standard anti conformation and are fully stacked within the DNA duplex. The 5-nitroindole bases do not base pair with the nucleotide opposite them, but intercalate between this base and an adjacent Watson-Crick pair. In spite of their smooth accommodation within the DNA double-helix, the 5-nitroindole-containing duplexes exist as a dynamic mixture of two different stacking configurations exchanging fast on the chemical shift timescale. These configurations depend on the relative intercalating positions of the universal base and the opposing base, and their exchange implies nucleotide opening motions on the millisecond time range. The structure of these nitroindole-containing duplexes explains the mechanism by which these artificial moieties behave as universal bases.
Project description:Helicases couple the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis to directional translocation along nucleic acids and transient duplex separation. Understanding helicase mechanism requires that the basic physicochemical process of base pair separation be understood. This necessitates monitoring helicase activity directly, at high spatio-temporal resolution. Using optical tweezers with single base pair (bp) resolution, we analyzed DNA unwinding by XPD helicase, a Superfamily 2 (SF2) DNA helicase involved in DNA repair and transcription initiation. We show that monomeric XPD unwinds duplex DNA in 1-bp steps, yet exhibits frequent backsteps and undergoes conformational transitions manifested in 5-bp backward and forward steps. Quantifying the sequence dependence of XPD stepping dynamics with near base pair resolution, we provide the strongest and most direct evidence thus far that forward, single-base pair stepping of a helicase utilizes the spontaneous opening of the duplex. The proposed unwinding mechanism may be a universal feature of DNA helicases that move along DNA phosphodiester backbones. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00334.001.
Project description:A cationic 7-aminomethyl-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine (7amG) was incorporated site-specifically into the self-complementary duplex d(G¹A²G³A?X?C?G?C?T?C¹?T¹¹C¹²)? (X = 7amG). This construct placed two positively charged amines adjacent to the major groove edges of two symmetry-related guanines, providing a model for probing how cation binding in the major groove modulates the structure and stability of DNA. Molecular dynamics calculations restrained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data revealed that the tethered cationic amines were in plane with the modified base pairs. The tethered amines did not form salt bridges to the phosphodiester backbone. There was also no indication of the amines being capable of hydrogen bonding to flanking DNA bases. NMR spectroscopy as a function of temperature revealed that the X? imino resonance remained sharp at 55 °C. Additionally, two 5'-neighboring base pairs, A?:T? and G³:C¹?, were stabilized with respect to the exchange of their imino protons with solvent. The equilibrium constant for base pair opening at the A?:T? base pair determined by magnetization transfer from water in the absence and presence of added ammonia base catalyst decreased for the modified duplex compared to that of the A?:T? base pair in the unmodified duplex, which confirmed that the overall fraction of the A?:T? base pair in the open state of the modified duplex decreased. This was also observed for the G³:C¹? base pair, where ?K(op) for the G³:C¹? base pair in the modified duplex was 3.0 × 10? versus 4.1 × 10? for the same base pair in the unmodified duplex. In contrast, equilibrium constants for base pair opening at the X?:C? and C?:G? base pairs did not change at 15 °C. These results argue against the notion that electrostatic interactions with DNA are entirely entropic and suggest that major groove cations can stabilize DNA via enthalpic contributions to the free energy of duplex formation.
Project description:Human genomic samples are complex and are considered difficult to assay directly without denaturation or PCR amplification. We report the use of a base-specific heteropolymeric triplex, formed by native duplex genomic target and an oligonucleotide third strand probe, to assay for low copy pathogen genomes present in a sample also containing human genomic duplex DNA, or to assay human genomic duplex DNA for Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP), without PCR amplification. Wild-type and mutant probes are used to identify triplexes containing FVL G1691A, MTHFR C677T and CFTR mutations. The specific triplex structure forms rapidly at room temperature in solution and may be detected without a separation step. YOYO-1, a fluorescent bis-intercalator, promotes and signals the formation of the specific triplex. Genomic duplexes may be assayed homogeneously with single base pair resolution. The specific triple-stranded structures of the assay may approximate homologous recombination intermediates, which various models suggest may form in either the major or minor groove of the duplex. The bases of the stable duplex target are rendered specifically reactive to the bases of the probe because of the activity of intercalated YOYO-1, which is known to decondense duplex locally 1.3 fold. This may approximate the local decondensation effected by recombination proteins such as RecA in vivo. Our assay, while involving triplex formation, is sui generis, as it is not homopurine sequence-dependent, as are "canonical triplexes". Rather, the base pair-specific heteropolymeric triplex of the assay is conformation-dependent. The highly sensitive diagnostic assay we present allows for the direct detection of base sequence in genomic duplex samples, including those containing human genomic duplex DNA, thereby bypassing the inherent problems and cost associated with conventional PCR based diagnostic assays.
Project description:Two novel DNA base surrogate phosphoramidites 1 and 2, based upon relatively electron-rich 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (DAN) and relatively electron-deficient 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NDI), respectively, were designed, synthesized, and incorporated into DNA oligonucleotide strands. The DAN and NDI artificial DNA bases were inserted within a three-base-pair region within the interior of a 12-mer oligonucleotide duplex in various sequential arrangements and investigated with CD spectroscopy and UV melting curve analysis. The CD spectra of the modified duplexes indicated B-form DNA topology. Melting curve analyses revealed trends in DNA duplex stability that correlate with the known association of DAN and NDI moieties in aqueous solution as well as the known favorable interactions between NDI and natural DNA base pairs. This demonstrates that DNA duplex stability and specificity can be driven by the electrostatic complementarity between DAN and NDI. In the most favorable case, an NDI-DAN-NDI arrangement in the middle of the DNA duplex was found to be approximately as stabilizing as three A-T base pairs.
Project description:Several cellular processes involve alignment of three nucleic acids strands, in which the third strand (DNA or RNA) is identical and in a parallel orientation to one of the DNA duplex strands. Earlier, using 2-aminopurine as a fluorescent reporter base, we demonstrated that a self-folding oligonucleotide forms a recombination-like structure consistent with the R-triplex. Here, we extended this approach, placing the reporter 2-aminopurine either in the 5'- or 3'-strand. We obtained direct evidence that the 3'-strand forms a stable duplex with the complementary central strand, while the 5'-strand participates in non-Watson-Crick interactions. Substituting 2,6-diaminopurine or 7-deazaadenine for adenine, we tested and confirmed the proposed hydrogen bonding scheme of the A*(T.A) R-type triplet. The adenine substitutions expected to provide additional H-bonds led to triplex structures with increased stability, whereas the substitutions consistent with a decrease in the number of H-bonds destabilized the triplex. The triplex formation enthalpies and free energies exhibited linear dependences on the number of H-bonds predicted from the A*(T.A) triplet scheme. The enthalpy of the 10 nt long intramolecular triplex of -100 kJ x mol(-1) demonstrates that the R-triplex is relatively unstable and thus an ideal candidate for a transient intermediate in homologous recombination, t-loop formation at the mammalian telomere ends, and short RNA invasion into a duplex. On the other hand, the impact of a single H-bond, 18 kJ x mol(-1), is high compared with the overall triplex formation enthalpy. The observed energy advantage of a 'correct' base in the third strand opposite the Watson-Crick base pair may be a powerful mechanism for securing selectivity of recognition between the single strand and the duplex.
Project description:A universal base that is capable of substituting for any of the four natural bases in DNA would be of great utility in both mutagenesis and recombinant DNA experiments. This paper describes the properties of oligonucleotides incorporating two degenerate bases, the pyrimidine base 6H,8H-3,4-dihydropyrimido[4,5-c][1,2]oxazin-7-one and the purine base N6-methoxy-2,6-diaminopurine, designated P and K, respectively. An equimolar mixture of the analogues P and K (called M) acts, in primers, as a universal base. The thermal stability of oligonucleotide duplexes were only slightly reduced when natural bases were replaced by P or K. Templates containing the modified bases were copied by Taq polymerase; P behaved as thymine in 60% of copying events and as cytosine in 40%, whereas K behaved as if it were guanine (13%) or adenine (87%). The dUTPase gene of Caenorhabditis elegans, which we have found to contain three nonidentical homologous repeats, was used as a model system to test the use of these bases in primers for DNA synthesis. A pair of oligodeoxyribonucleotides, each 20 residues long and containing an equimolar mixture of P and K at six positions, primed with high specificity both T7 DNA polymerase in sequencing reactions and Taq polymerase in PCRs; no nonspecific amplification was obtained on genomic DNA of C. elegans. Use of P and K can significantly reduce the complexity of degenerate oligonucleotide mixtures, and when used together, P and K can act as a universal base.
Project description:DNA damage that stalls replicative polymerases can be bypassed with the Y-family polymerases. These polymerases have more open active sites that can accommodate modified nucleotides. The lack of protein-DNA interactions that select for Watson-Crick base pairs correlate with the lowered fidelity of replication. Interstrand hydrogen bonds appear to play a larger role in dNTP selectivity. The mechanism by which purine-purine mispairs are formed and extended was examined with Solfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase IV, a member of the RAD30A subfamily of the Y-family polymerases, as is pol eta. The structures of the purine-purine mispairs were examined by comparing the kinetics of mispair formation with adenine versus 1-deaza- and 7-deazaadenine and guanine versus 7-deazaguanine at four positions in the DNA, the incoming dNTP, the template base, and both positions of the terminal base pair. The time course of insertion of a single dNTP was examined with a polymerase concentration of 50 nM and a DNA concentration of 25 nM with various concentrations of dNTP. The time courses were fitted to a first-order equation, and the first-order rate constants were plotted against the dNTP concentration to produce k pol and K d (dNTP) values. A decrease in k pol/ K d (dNTP) associated with the deazapurine substitution would indicate that the position is involved in a crucial hydrogen bond. During correct base pair formation, the adenine to 1-deazaadenine substitution in both the incoming dNTP and template base resulted in a >1000-fold decrease in k pol/ K d (dNTP), indicating that interstrand hydrogen bonds are important in correcting base pair formation. During formation of purine-purine mispairs, the k pol/ K d (dNTP) values for the insertion of dATP and dGTP opposite 7-deazaadenine and 7-deazaguanine were decreased >10-fold with respect to those of the unmodified nucleotides. In addition, the rate of incorporation of 1-deaza-dATP opposite guanine was decreased 5-fold. These results suggest that during mispair formation the newly forming base pair is in a Hoogsteen geometry with the incoming dNTP in the anti conformation and the template base in the syn conformation. These results indicate that Dpo4 holds the incoming dNTP in the normal anti conformation while allowing the template nucleotide to change conformations to allow reaction to occur. This result may be functionally relevant in the replication of damaged DNA in that the polymerase may allow the template to adopt multiple configurations.
Project description:Base extrusion is a major structural feature at the junction between B- and Z-DNA (the B-Z junction) where a base pair is broken, and the two bases are extruded from the double helix. Despite the demonstration of base extrusion at the B-Z junction, it is not clear whether a similar base extrusion occurs at other types of junctions involving the left-handed Z conformation. Here, we investigate structural changes of bases at three Z-form junctions: DNA B-Z and Z-Z and RNA A-Z junctions. By monitoring fluorescently labeled duplex nucleic acids using 2-aminopurines at various positions relative to the junction point, we show that base extrusion occurs not only at the DNA B-Z junction, but also at the RNA A-Z and DNA Z-Z junctions. Our data suggest that base extrusion is a general feature of Z-form nucleic-acid junctions.
Project description:Covalently interstrand cross-linked DNA is an interesting tool to study DNA binding proteins that locally open up the DNA duplex by flipping single bases out of the DNA helix or melting whole stretches of base pairs to perform their function. The ideal DNA cross-link to study protein-DNA interactions should be specific and easy to synthesize, be stable during protein binding experiments, have a short covalent linker to avoid steric hindrance of protein binding, and should be available as a mimic for both A/T and G/C base pairs to cover all possible binding specificities. Several covalent interstrand cross-links have been described in the literature, but most of them fall short of at least one of the above criteria. We developed an efficient method to site-specifically and reversibly cross-link thionucleoside base pairs in synthetic duplex oligodeoxynucleotides by bisalkylation with 1,2-diiodoethane resulting in an ethylene-bridged base pair. Both linked A/T and G/C base pair analogs can conveniently be prepared which allows studying any base pair-opening enzyme regardless of its sequence specificity. The cross-link is stable in the absence of reducing agents but the linker can be quickly and tracelessly removed by the addition of thiol reagents like dithiothreitol. This property makes the cross-linking reaction fully reversible and allows for a switching of the linked base pair from locked to unlocked during biochemical experiments. Using the DNA methyltransferase from Thermus aquaticus (M.TaqI) as example, we demonstrate that the presented cross-linked DNA with an ethylene-linked A/T base pair analog at the target position is a useful tool to determine the base-flipping equilibrium constant of a base-flipping enzyme which lies mostly on the extrahelical side for M.TaqI.


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‘The neuroimaging results showed significant activity in two regions of the brain during the encoding of impression-relevant information. The first, the amygdala, is a small structure in the medial temporal lobe that previously has been linked to emotional learning about inanimate objects, as well as social evaluations based on trust or race group. The second, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), has been linked to economic decision-making and assigning subjective value to rewards. In the Nature Neuroscience study, these parts of the brain, which are implicated in value processing in a number of domains, showed increased activity when encoding information that was consistent with the impression.
“Even when we only briefly encounter others, brain regions that are important in forming evaluations are engaged, resulting in a quick first impression,” commented NYU’s Phelps.
NYU’s Schiller, the study’s lead author, concluded, “When encoding everyday social information during a social encounter, these regions sort information based on its personal and subjective significance, and summarize it into an ultimate score–a first impression.” ‘ via physorg.com.


Baird Parker Agar is used for the isolation and differentiation of coagulase-positive staphylococci in food and pharmaceuticals according to the Baird Parker method.
As a nitrogen source for the organism, casein peptone and meat extract are added to the medium. Yeast extract provides nitrogen as well as other important nutrients like vitamin B12 complex. The medium contains lithium and tellurite, which inhibit most of the contaminating microflora, while glycine and pyruvate enhance Staphylococci growth. Staphylococci can reduce tellurite to telluride, which results in grey to black coloration of the colonies. With the addition of egg yolk, the medium becomes yellow, slightly opaque. A clear halo develops around colonies from coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, and upon further incubation may produce an opaque zone due to an egg yolk – lecithinase reaction (lypolytic activity). Grey-black colonies and a halo on this medium are presumed to be indicative of coagulase positive staphylococci, as a high correlation between coagulase test and lipophylitic activity was found. Staphylococcus aureus and some strains of Staphylococcus saprophyticus (Shaw et al.) may show both of these characteristics, but they are easily distinguished from each other by the different times at which the halo develops.
Baird Parker Agar with Rabbit Plasma Fibrinogen can be used for the detection of coagulase activity. Coagulase positive organisms appear as grey to black colonies because of the tellurite reduction and as an opaque halo, due to the conversion by coagulase from fibrinogen to fibrin. Only plates with less then 100 characteristic colonies should be counted. Use of this medium eliminates the need for an additional coagulase test.
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In the study in part conducted by Asuka Orr the focus is on the crucial role of excipients in the formulation of biologics. Biologics, or protein-based therapeutics, are essential in modern medicine but face challenges such as phase separation and high viscosity due to protein-protein interactions (PPI). These issues can be mitigated by carefully selecting excipients, which enhance stability, bioavailability, and manufacturability of biologics.
Traditionally, the selection of these excipients has been a trial-and-error process. However, the research introduces a novel computational approach, SILCS-Biologics, based on Site Identification by Ligand Competitive Saturation (SILCS) technology. This method allows for a more systematic and precise selection of excipients by predicting how various molecules interact with proteins in biologic formulations.
The SILCS-Biologics process involves immersing the target protein in a simulated water box containing potential excipients. Through advanced computational simulations, including Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, the system identifies “FragMaps”. These FragMaps, categorized into different types like apolar, donor, and acceptor maps, visualize the free energy landscape across the protein surface, revealing hotspots where excipients are likely to bind.
This method not only predicts the binding sites for excipients but also provides insights into the mechanisms underlying protein stability. For example, the research demonstrates how the number of predicted binding sites correlates with the protein’s stability, thus guiding the selection of the most stabilizing excipients.
By employing SILCS-Biologics, the research signifies a leap forward in biologics formulation, offering a way to predictably enhance protein therapeutics. This approach promises to reduce the time and cost associated with developing more effective and stable biologic medicines, making this an essential read for professionals in pharmaceutical sciences and drug development.


Combinatorial RNA interference as a gene therapy strategy for HIV-1 infection
Retrovirology volume 10, Article number: P85 (2013)
RNA interference (RNAi) is a mechanism of gene-suppression with potential gene therapy applications against chronic viral diseases. Combinatorial RNAi approaches are required to account for viral variability in treating HIV-1 infection, as single short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) are rapidly rendered ineffective by resistant strains. Although promising, these approaches need to be optimized in terms of target selection, hairpin design and promoter choice in order to provide a highly effective anti-HIV-1 therapeutic strategy.
Materials and methods
Validated small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) with targets within cellular CCR5 gene and HIV-1 tat/rev and vif sequences were inserted into a lentiviral vector under the control of either the U6, the 7SK or the H1 human polymerase III promoters, alone or in different combinations. Alternatively, the siRNAs were simultaneously expressed as an extended shRNA (e-shRNA) under the control of each selected promoter. Silencing efficiencies of the different vectors were compared by means of the luciferase knockdown assay. siRNAs antiviral activity and cytotoxicity were assessed both in cell lines and in human primary cells, including macrophages and CD4+ T lymphocytes.
Experiments performed on single shRNA-expressing vectors indicated a specific silencing activity of the selected sequences, with the siRNAs targeting the CCR5 and the tat/rev genes leading up to 90% reporter gene knockdown. Activities of the U6 and H1 promoters were similar and superior to that of the 7SK, irrespective of the expressed siRNA. Furthermore, siRNA-CCR5 induced a marked cell surface CCR5 downregulation in transduced primary macrophages. When different siRNA transcriptional units were combined within a single vector, the silencing activity of each siRNA was not affected by its relative position in transfection experiments. On the other hand, differences were observed in transduced cells challenged with wild type HIV-1. As an alternative combinatorial approach, we designed an extended short hairpin RNA giving rise to three different siRNAs targeting CCR5, tat/rev and vif, under the control of either the U6, the 7SK or the H1 promoter. The obtained results showed that the silencing activity is strictly dependent on the used promoter, with the H1 being the most active, both in terms of target gene knockdown and inhibition of viral replication. In addition, the biosafety of human cell lines and primary cells expressing multiple siRNAs was evaluated and transduction at high multiplicity of infection turned out to affect endogenous microRNA processing.
This study confirms that combinatorial RNAi is a feasible approach to counteract HIV-1 replication, highlighting some important strengths and pitfalls of different platforms used for multiple siRNAs delivery. The data provide valuable insights for the design and application of reliable combinatorial RNAi that, once shown to be safe and effective in vivo, may be next in line for clinical testing.
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Spanevello, F., Calistri, A., Del Vecchio, C. et al. Combinatorial RNA interference as a gene therapy strategy for HIV-1 infection. Retrovirology 10 (Suppl 1), P85 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4690-10-S1-P85