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Showing posts from September, 2019

Stealth virus for cancer therapy

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Viral Oncology : Stealth virus for cancer therapy Scientists have redesigned an adenovirus for use in cancer therapy. They have developed a new protein shield that hides the virus and protects it from being eliminated. Adapters on the surface of the virus enable the reconstructed virus to specifically infect tumour cells.               Viruses have their own genetic material which can infect human cells in a very specific manner. They will then reproduce as directed by their own genes but using the resources of the host cell. These properties proofs that they can fight with hereditary diseases or cancer. There are uncountable different viruses, but the human adenovirus 5, which normally causes the symptoms of a typical cold, has substantial advantages. Without any of the viral genes left, the virus cannot replicate and trigger diseases . In addition, the genome of the adenovirus is very large and does not assimilate into human chromosomes. Adapter molecules dock the viru

New class of Antibiotics disrupts protein synthesis

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Antimicrobial Drugs : Odilorhabdins Odilorhabdins , or ODLs, a new class of antibiotics which disrupts protein synthesis are produced by symbiotic bacteria Xenorhabdus Nematophilia , found in soil-dwelling nematode worms that colonize insects for food. The bacteria Xenorhabdus Nematophilia actually helps to kill the insect and, importantly, secrete the antibiotic to keep competating the other bacteria away. Till now, these nematode-associated bacteria and the antibiotics they make have been largely understudied. To identify the antibiotic property present in the xenorhabdus bacteria, researchers screened 80 cultured strains of the bacteria & isolated the active compounds showing properties of antibiotics, studied their chemical structures and engineered more potent derivatives. ODLs mainly act on the ribosome, which is the molecular machine of individual cells that makes the proteins it needs to function of bacterial cells. Like many clinically useful antibiotics, ODL

Can Microorganisms Be A Solution To The World's Energy Problems?

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Biofuels & Petroleum Microbiology : Can Microorganisms Be A Solution To The World's Energy Problems? Microorganisms once had an empire on the Earth, thriving by filling every nook and cranny of the environment billions of years before humans first arrived on the scene. The ability of microorganisms to grow from any infinite variety of food sources, rocks, soil, inside roots, compost piles & toxic waste etc. may play a significant role in bailing out our society from the current energy crisis. The Bio design researchers have outlined the paths, where bacteria are the best hope in producing renewable energy in large quantities without damaging the environment or competing with our food supply. Two distinct, but complementary uses of bacteria, which is a current major challenging research area, are: (1)The first use of the microbes is to convert biomass to useful energy. Different microorganisms can grow without oxygen to take this abundant organic matter and

Novel Nano vaccine to treat skin cancer/melanoma

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Vaccines & Vaccinology : Novel Nano vaccine for Melanoma Researchers have developed a novel Nano-vaccine for melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes. Their experiments have proven effective in preventing the development of melanoma and in treating primary tumours and metastases that result from melanoma. The focus of the research was on a nanoparticle that serves as the basis for the new vaccine. Melanoma develops in the skin cells, which is called the melanocytes, produce melanin or skin pigment. The fight against skin cancer/melanoma is becoming advanced over the years through a variety of treatment modalities & experiments, such as immunotherapy, radiation therapy & chemotherapy , but the vaccine approach, which has a great effect against various viral diseases, has not materialized yet against cancer. Scientists have shown that it is possible to produce an effective Nano-vaccine against melanoma/skin cancer and to sensitize

How the mode of delivery plays key role in shaping the child's skin microbiome?

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Microbial Virulence : Key roles in shaping the child's skin microbiome.. The maturation of skin microbial communities during childhood is important for the skin of the children and development of the immune system into adulthood, but only a few studies have analyzed the presence of microbiota in young children. Recently investigators in China found that bacterial genera in children were more similar to those of their own mothers than to those of unrelated women. They suggest that the mode of delivery at birth could be an important factor in shaping the child's microbiome. To date, research into the maternal influence on her child's skin microbiome has been mostly limited to a narrow postpartum window in children younger than one year old and fewer studies have explored the maternal relationship with the child's microflora after infancy explained by chinese investigators. Therefore, we expanded the scope of our analysis to include sampling from different bod