The study tested treatments of the pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the bacteriophage LUZ7 alone, the antibiotic streptomycin alone, and a combination of the two. It found that a combined treatment was most effective at reducing bacterial density and inhibiting the development of antibiotic resistance when the antibiotic was added 12 hours after phage treatment, as this provided a window of opportunity for the phage to have the strongest impact before the antibiotic was introduced. Delaying antibiotic addition in this way had the strongest negative effect on the bacterial population and led to the lowest levels of resistance.
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for surveillance of foodborne infections in Den...ExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Applications of WGS for surveillance of foodborne infections in Denmark; benefits and potential drawbacks on performance and cost. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management -23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
This powerpoint gives an overview of some of the emerging vaccine technologies that are still in the development such as Virus-like particles (VLPs) and mRNA vaccines. Animations might not work, will be adding drive link later.
Presentation from the ECDC expert consultation on Whole Genome Sequencing organised by the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control - Stockholm, 19 November 2015
Bacterial leaf spot (BLS) is a disease of tomato, chilli and capsicum caused by four species of Xanthomonas. BLS can cause severe crop damage and is a limiting factor of production across the world.
Sci am special online issue 2003.no09 - germ warsDholon Paul
This document summarizes the advances in antiviral drugs that have occurred due to viral genomics and new drug discovery techniques. It describes how sequencing viral genomes has allowed researchers to identify new targets for antiviral drugs, such as specific viral proteins. It provides examples of drug discovery strategies that target different stages of the viral lifecycle, such as attachment to cells or viral replication. The document indicates that dozens of new antiviral therapies have been developed and hundreds more are in development to treat viruses like HIV, hepatitis, and herpes.
Added Value of Open data sharing using examples from GenomeTrakrExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Added Value of Open data sharing using examples from GenomeTrakr. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management and GMI-9, 23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
This document provides a summary of Tibor Farkas's qualifications and experience. He has over 20 years of experience in microbiology and virology research, particularly regarding enteric viruses, at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and previously in Hungary. His research accomplishments include the discovery and characterization of several novel viral pathogens. He has strong skills in laboratory techniques, experimental design, and leadership.
Poster presentation at the Rare Disease Symposium at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, 2015.
http://openwetware.org/wiki/OHSU_Rare_Disease_Research_Consortium_Symposium_2015
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for surveillance of foodborne infections in Den...ExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Applications of WGS for surveillance of foodborne infections in Denmark; benefits and potential drawbacks on performance and cost. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management -23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
This powerpoint gives an overview of some of the emerging vaccine technologies that are still in the development such as Virus-like particles (VLPs) and mRNA vaccines. Animations might not work, will be adding drive link later.
Presentation from the ECDC expert consultation on Whole Genome Sequencing organised by the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control - Stockholm, 19 November 2015
Bacterial leaf spot (BLS) is a disease of tomato, chilli and capsicum caused by four species of Xanthomonas. BLS can cause severe crop damage and is a limiting factor of production across the world.
Sci am special online issue 2003.no09 - germ warsDholon Paul
This document summarizes the advances in antiviral drugs that have occurred due to viral genomics and new drug discovery techniques. It describes how sequencing viral genomes has allowed researchers to identify new targets for antiviral drugs, such as specific viral proteins. It provides examples of drug discovery strategies that target different stages of the viral lifecycle, such as attachment to cells or viral replication. The document indicates that dozens of new antiviral therapies have been developed and hundreds more are in development to treat viruses like HIV, hepatitis, and herpes.
Added Value of Open data sharing using examples from GenomeTrakrExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Added Value of Open data sharing using examples from GenomeTrakr. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management and GMI-9, 23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
This document provides a summary of Tibor Farkas's qualifications and experience. He has over 20 years of experience in microbiology and virology research, particularly regarding enteric viruses, at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and previously in Hungary. His research accomplishments include the discovery and characterization of several novel viral pathogens. He has strong skills in laboratory techniques, experimental design, and leadership.
Poster presentation at the Rare Disease Symposium at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, 2015.
http://openwetware.org/wiki/OHSU_Rare_Disease_Research_Consortium_Symposium_2015
The document discusses the role of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in linking biodiversity information through scientific names. It summarizes some of GBIF's key functions, including operating as a federated network of primary biodiversity data sources and providing data discovery and access portals. It also highlights some of the challenges of presenting taxon-oriented data, such as dealing with synonyms, homonyms, and inconsistent spelling of scientific names.
The document discusses the role of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in linking biodiversity information through scientific names. It summarizes some of GBIF's key functions, including operating as a federated network of primary biodiversity data sources and providing data discovery and access portals. It also highlights some of the challenges in presenting taxon-oriented data, such as dealing with synonyms, homonyms, and inconsistent spelling of scientific names.
COVID-19 : Targeting Cells For TreatmentAPRN World
COVID-19 is still affecting many people worldwide. The precautions to be taken are well known to the society by now. Across the globe, the governments are hard at work establishing the physical infrastructure to fight the andemic. At the same time, many laboratories across the world are working on clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. Researchers at MIT, the Ragon Institute of MGH, and Harvard along with colleagues from around the world have identified specific types of cells that appear to be the targets of the coronavirus, which is causing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Application of Whole Genome Sequencing in the infectious disease’ in vitro di...ExternalEvents
This document discusses the application of whole genome sequencing in infectious disease diagnostics. It provides examples of how genome sequencing has been used to identify bacterial species, detect antibiotic resistance genes, and study outbreaks. The document also discusses challenges around regulatory approval of genomic tests, data sharing policies, and database management. Overall, it argues that whole genome sequencing is a valuable tool but that standards must be developed to ensure high quality data.
This document is an abstract for an honors thesis that assesses the risk of a lone wolf terrorist acquiring materials and information to develop and disperse a weaponized strain of Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax. The thesis investigates each step of acquiring, developing, and dispersing a B. anthracis analog in terms of availability of materials/literature, technical knowledge required, and cost. While literature and materials are increasingly accessible online, developing and dispersing a weaponized strain still poses difficult technical barriers. The potential impact on human health if a strain was successfully developed and dispersed requires an enormous public health response, so limiting access to biological weapons information should be more closely examined.
Project Unity: The Way of the Future for Plant BreedingPhenome Networks
Project Unity is a platform that will host all phenotype-to-genotype public-domain data in a common and unified platform, offered as a free service for academia. Each researcher will be able to load their data and connect it to existing global knowledge, by linking traits to ontology, markers to genetic/physical maps and germplasms to pedigree and their sources. Initially, each dataset is stored privately, and can only be accessed by the researcher comparing his results to public ones. Data is made public once the researcher decides to do so typically after the publication of the corresponding scientific paper.
Presentation from the ECDC expert consultation on Whole Genome Sequencing organised by the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control - Stockholm, 19 November 2015
Real-Time Genome Sequencing of Resistant Bacteria Provides Precision Infectio...ExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Real-Time Genome Sequencing of Resistant Bacteria Provides Precision Infection Control in an Institutional Setting. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management and GMI-9, 23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
Presentation in the "Whole genome sequencing for clinical microbiology:Translation into routine applications" Symposium , Basel , Switzerland, 2 Sep 2017
The study aims to determine how human demographics and environmental factors shape the development of microbial communities in hospitals. Samples will be collected daily from patient rooms, staff, surfaces and air/water sources for a year from a newly opened hospital. The data will help understand how microbial succession occurs and how prior occupants influence colonization by pathogens. Quantitative PCR and sequencing will identify microbes, with analyses predicting community changes from environmental shifts.
The Global Micorbial Identifier (GMI) initiative - and its working groupsExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
The GMI initiative - and its working groups. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management -23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
The Global Virome Project is a 10-year global effort to identify and characterize naturally occurring viruses with pandemic potential. It aims to build a comprehensive database of the estimated 1.6 million viral species circulating in mammals and waterfowl. This will allow researchers to develop broad-spectrum countermeasures against future zoonotic viruses and identify high-risk viruses to prevent spillover. The project will sample viruses in 108 sites across 63 countries over 10 years, prioritizing countries and species based on viral discovery rates and zoonotic risk prediction models. The goal is to capture over 85% of the global mammalian virome to transform virology and pandemic preparedness.
Web applications for rapid microbial taxonomy identification ExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Web applications for rapid microbial taxonomy identification. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management -23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
Applications of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to Food Safety – Perspective fr...ExternalEvents
http://tiny.cc/faowgsworkshop
Applications of genome sequencing technology on food safety management- United Kingdom. Presentation from the FAO expert workshop on practical applications of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for food safety management - 7-8 December 2015, Rome, Italy.
Current and future animal vaccine research activities at ILRIILRI
Presentation by Vish Nene at the 12th Biennial Conference of the Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (STVM) and the VIII International Conference on Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens (TTP-8) Cape Town, South Africa 24 to 29 August 2014.
The document summarizes the QBOL project which aimed to develop DNA barcoding as a diagnostic tool to identify quarantine organisms. It describes generating DNA barcode reference sequences for over 8,000 specimens across fungi, arthropods, bacteria, nematodes and viruses. The barcodes are linked to vouchered specimens and metadata in the Q-bank database to enable accurate identification of quarantine pests. The project helped establish collaboration between EU and other countries on plant health diagnostics using DNA barcoding.
Based on historical data, Australia and New Zealand (NZ) form a single epidemiological unit for cereal rusts. Until 2001, pathotype analysis of cereal rust pathogens for NZ was conducted at the University of Sydney, Plant Breeding Institute. The first year of pathotype analysis in New Zealand provided evidence for pathotype exchange in both directions across the Tasman. The second year of pathotype analysis has provided more detail on the evolution of rust pathotypes within New
Zealand. From these results a fuller picture of the pathotype diversity of New Zealand cereal rusts is emerging with important consequences for the cereal industry in both New Zealand and Australia.
Katherine A. Owen is a scientific research consultant with over 15 years of experience in cell biology, microbiology, and immunology. She currently works as a scientific consultant for the Center for Open Science, providing literature reviews and data analysis for published reports. Previously, she held research faculty and instructor positions at the University of Virginia, where she managed multiple research projects resulting in publications. Her expertise includes multidisciplinary collaboration, writing, primary research techniques, project management, public speaking, and data analysis.
Eve Smith has extensive experience in cancer research, specializing in evaluating potential treatments for breast and pancreatic cancer. She has successfully collaborated on multiple projects, producing published work. Smith provides expertise in various laboratory techniques and has managed laboratories at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Novel Strategies for the Delivery of Antimicrobial Compounds into Bacterial C...Alva Smith
Large literature review with research into antibiotic resistance and ways in which we can hope to overcome resistance including: membrane active peptide, phage therapy and pyocin thereapy.
This document discusses optimal strategies for inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against highly mutable pathogens like HIV. It presents a computational model of affinity maturation in the presence of multiple variant antigens. The model suggests there is an optimal level of "frustration" between conflicting selection forces from different antigens that maximizes the probability of evolving bnAbs. An intermediate level of frustration allows for cross-reactivity while avoiding overspecialization. The results provide guidance for rational vaccine design and reveal principles at the intersection of immunology and evolutionary biology.
The document discusses the role of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in linking biodiversity information through scientific names. It summarizes some of GBIF's key functions, including operating as a federated network of primary biodiversity data sources and providing data discovery and access portals. It also highlights some of the challenges of presenting taxon-oriented data, such as dealing with synonyms, homonyms, and inconsistent spelling of scientific names.
The document discusses the role of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in linking biodiversity information through scientific names. It summarizes some of GBIF's key functions, including operating as a federated network of primary biodiversity data sources and providing data discovery and access portals. It also highlights some of the challenges in presenting taxon-oriented data, such as dealing with synonyms, homonyms, and inconsistent spelling of scientific names.
COVID-19 : Targeting Cells For TreatmentAPRN World
COVID-19 is still affecting many people worldwide. The precautions to be taken are well known to the society by now. Across the globe, the governments are hard at work establishing the physical infrastructure to fight the andemic. At the same time, many laboratories across the world are working on clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. Researchers at MIT, the Ragon Institute of MGH, and Harvard along with colleagues from around the world have identified specific types of cells that appear to be the targets of the coronavirus, which is causing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Application of Whole Genome Sequencing in the infectious disease’ in vitro di...ExternalEvents
This document discusses the application of whole genome sequencing in infectious disease diagnostics. It provides examples of how genome sequencing has been used to identify bacterial species, detect antibiotic resistance genes, and study outbreaks. The document also discusses challenges around regulatory approval of genomic tests, data sharing policies, and database management. Overall, it argues that whole genome sequencing is a valuable tool but that standards must be developed to ensure high quality data.
This document is an abstract for an honors thesis that assesses the risk of a lone wolf terrorist acquiring materials and information to develop and disperse a weaponized strain of Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax. The thesis investigates each step of acquiring, developing, and dispersing a B. anthracis analog in terms of availability of materials/literature, technical knowledge required, and cost. While literature and materials are increasingly accessible online, developing and dispersing a weaponized strain still poses difficult technical barriers. The potential impact on human health if a strain was successfully developed and dispersed requires an enormous public health response, so limiting access to biological weapons information should be more closely examined.
Project Unity: The Way of the Future for Plant BreedingPhenome Networks
Project Unity is a platform that will host all phenotype-to-genotype public-domain data in a common and unified platform, offered as a free service for academia. Each researcher will be able to load their data and connect it to existing global knowledge, by linking traits to ontology, markers to genetic/physical maps and germplasms to pedigree and their sources. Initially, each dataset is stored privately, and can only be accessed by the researcher comparing his results to public ones. Data is made public once the researcher decides to do so typically after the publication of the corresponding scientific paper.
Presentation from the ECDC expert consultation on Whole Genome Sequencing organised by the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control - Stockholm, 19 November 2015
Real-Time Genome Sequencing of Resistant Bacteria Provides Precision Infectio...ExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Real-Time Genome Sequencing of Resistant Bacteria Provides Precision Infection Control in an Institutional Setting. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management and GMI-9, 23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
Presentation in the "Whole genome sequencing for clinical microbiology:Translation into routine applications" Symposium , Basel , Switzerland, 2 Sep 2017
The study aims to determine how human demographics and environmental factors shape the development of microbial communities in hospitals. Samples will be collected daily from patient rooms, staff, surfaces and air/water sources for a year from a newly opened hospital. The data will help understand how microbial succession occurs and how prior occupants influence colonization by pathogens. Quantitative PCR and sequencing will identify microbes, with analyses predicting community changes from environmental shifts.
The Global Micorbial Identifier (GMI) initiative - and its working groupsExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
The GMI initiative - and its working groups. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management -23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
The Global Virome Project is a 10-year global effort to identify and characterize naturally occurring viruses with pandemic potential. It aims to build a comprehensive database of the estimated 1.6 million viral species circulating in mammals and waterfowl. This will allow researchers to develop broad-spectrum countermeasures against future zoonotic viruses and identify high-risk viruses to prevent spillover. The project will sample viruses in 108 sites across 63 countries over 10 years, prioritizing countries and species based on viral discovery rates and zoonotic risk prediction models. The goal is to capture over 85% of the global mammalian virome to transform virology and pandemic preparedness.
Web applications for rapid microbial taxonomy identification ExternalEvents
http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/wgs-on-food-safety-management/en/
Web applications for rapid microbial taxonomy identification. Presentation from the Technical Meeting on the impact of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) on food safety management -23-25 May 2016, Rome, Italy.
Applications of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to Food Safety – Perspective fr...ExternalEvents
http://tiny.cc/faowgsworkshop
Applications of genome sequencing technology on food safety management- United Kingdom. Presentation from the FAO expert workshop on practical applications of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for food safety management - 7-8 December 2015, Rome, Italy.
Current and future animal vaccine research activities at ILRIILRI
Presentation by Vish Nene at the 12th Biennial Conference of the Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (STVM) and the VIII International Conference on Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens (TTP-8) Cape Town, South Africa 24 to 29 August 2014.
The document summarizes the QBOL project which aimed to develop DNA barcoding as a diagnostic tool to identify quarantine organisms. It describes generating DNA barcode reference sequences for over 8,000 specimens across fungi, arthropods, bacteria, nematodes and viruses. The barcodes are linked to vouchered specimens and metadata in the Q-bank database to enable accurate identification of quarantine pests. The project helped establish collaboration between EU and other countries on plant health diagnostics using DNA barcoding.
Based on historical data, Australia and New Zealand (NZ) form a single epidemiological unit for cereal rusts. Until 2001, pathotype analysis of cereal rust pathogens for NZ was conducted at the University of Sydney, Plant Breeding Institute. The first year of pathotype analysis in New Zealand provided evidence for pathotype exchange in both directions across the Tasman. The second year of pathotype analysis has provided more detail on the evolution of rust pathotypes within New
Zealand. From these results a fuller picture of the pathotype diversity of New Zealand cereal rusts is emerging with important consequences for the cereal industry in both New Zealand and Australia.
Katherine A. Owen is a scientific research consultant with over 15 years of experience in cell biology, microbiology, and immunology. She currently works as a scientific consultant for the Center for Open Science, providing literature reviews and data analysis for published reports. Previously, she held research faculty and instructor positions at the University of Virginia, where she managed multiple research projects resulting in publications. Her expertise includes multidisciplinary collaboration, writing, primary research techniques, project management, public speaking, and data analysis.
Eve Smith has extensive experience in cancer research, specializing in evaluating potential treatments for breast and pancreatic cancer. She has successfully collaborated on multiple projects, producing published work. Smith provides expertise in various laboratory techniques and has managed laboratories at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Novel Strategies for the Delivery of Antimicrobial Compounds into Bacterial C...Alva Smith
Large literature review with research into antibiotic resistance and ways in which we can hope to overcome resistance including: membrane active peptide, phage therapy and pyocin thereapy.
This document discusses optimal strategies for inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against highly mutable pathogens like HIV. It presents a computational model of affinity maturation in the presence of multiple variant antigens. The model suggests there is an optimal level of "frustration" between conflicting selection forces from different antigens that maximizes the probability of evolving bnAbs. An intermediate level of frustration allows for cross-reactivity while avoiding overspecialization. The results provide guidance for rational vaccine design and reveal principles at the intersection of immunology and evolutionary biology.
Bacteriophages come in different sizes and shapes but most of them.docxrock73
Bacteriophages come in different sizes and shapes but most of them have the same basic features: a head or capsid and a tail. A bacteriophage’s head structure, regardless of its size or shape, is made up of one or more proteins which protectively coats the nucleic acid. Though there are some phages that don’t have a tail, most of them do have one attached to its head structure.
How Bacteriophages Work
n oder to infect a host cell, the bacteriophage attaches itself to the bacteria’s cell wall, specifically on a receptor found on the bacteria’s surface. Once it becomes tightly bound to the cell, the bacterial virus injects its genetic material (its nucleic acid) into the host cell. Depending on the type of phage, one of two cycles will occur – the lytic or the lysogenic cycle. During a lytic cycle, the phage will make use of the host cell’s chemical energy as well as its biosynthetic machinery in order to produce phage nucleic acids (phage DNA and phage mRNA) and phage proteins. Once the production phase is finished, the phage nucleic acids and structural proteins are then assembled. After a while, certain proteins produced within the cell will cause the cell wall to lyse, allowing the assembled phages within to be released and to infect other bacterial cells.
Viral reproduction can also occur through the lysogenic cycle. The main difference between the two types of cycles is that during lysogeny, the host cell is not destroyed or does not undergo lysis. Once the host cell is infected, the phage DNA integrates or combines with the bacterial chromosome, creating the prophage. When the bacterium reproduces, the prophage is replicated along with the host chromosomes. Thus, the daughter cells also contain the prophage which carries the potential of producing phages. The lysogenic cycle can continue indefinitely (daughter cells with prophage present within continuing to replicate) unless exposed to adverse conditions which can trigger the termination of the lysogenic state and cause the expression of the phage DNA and the start of the lytic cycle. These adverse conditions include exposure to UV or mutagenic chemicals and desiccation.
http://phages.org/bacteriophage/
Patients in hospitals, especially those on breathing machines, those with devices such as catheters, and patients with wounds from surgery or from burns are potentially at risk for serious, life-threatening infections.
n hospitals, where the most serious infections occur, Pseudomonas can be spread on the hands of healthcare workers or by equipment that gets contaminated and is not properly cleaned.
https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/pseudomonas.html
P. aeruginosa can develop resistance to antibacterials either through the acquisition of resistance genes on mobile genetic elements (i.e., plasmids) or through mutational processes that alter the expression and/or function of chromosomally encoded mechanisms. Both strategies for developing drug resistance can severely limit the therapeutic ...
Bacterial antibiotic resistance is a topic that is causing increasing concern in the health community. Antibiotics are a necessary drug to help protect and heal us from pathogenic infections that our immune system is unable to successfully combat on its own. However, bacteria are very adept at utilizing evolutionary processes to develop antibiotic resistance in order to promote their own survival, reproduction and persistence. The development of antibiotic resistant bacteria is occurring at an alarming rate. Researchers are investigating the mechanisms that confer resistance on bacteria. With techniques for genomic sequencing now readily available, understanding of genetic mechanisms of resistance and evolution as a whole has been advancing rapidly. Researchers have found that bacteria are very adept at gene mutation and horizontal gene transfer. New insights regarding pleiotrophy and epistasis have been provided through these techniques. A possible result of this research will be the discovery of new antibiotic therapies. However, as the research is demonstrating, even if we develop new antibiotics, bacteria will develop resistance to them. Thus, important considerations to be taken from the research include finding ways to slow the development of resistance as we will most likely never be able to stop it entirely.
UCSD undergraduate researchers are studying various ecosystems and their components in order to better understand their functioning and identify factors crucial for preservation. Studies described include examining the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in mammary gland and stem cell development, investigating how the antibiotic salinomycin affects cancer stem cells, and exploring the foraging behavior of bees and life histories of cacti. The goal is to gain insights that can inform effective conservation strategies to protect interdependent living things and environments.
This document discusses mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. It begins by explaining that antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat and describing how bacteria can develop resistance through mutations or acquiring genetic material from other bacteria. The document then discusses the genetic basis of resistance and the major mechanisms bacteria use, including modifying antibiotics with enzymes, preventing antibiotics from reaching their targets, changing or bypassing antibiotic targets, and global adaptive processes. It provides detailed examples of specific resistance mechanisms like aminoglycoside modifying enzymes. In summary, the document provides an in-depth overview of the genetic basis and biochemical mechanisms that bacteria use to develop resistance to antibiotics.
Please answer original forum with a minimum of 250 words Respondisbelsejx0m
1. The document discusses whooping cough (pertussis), caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It attaches to lung cells and secretes toxins that paralyze cilia and cause inflammation/mucus buildup, resulting in coughing.
2. Infant mortality from whooping cough is high due to underdeveloped immune systems and risk of complications. Herd immunity from vaccines is limited by the disease's contagiousness and waning vaccine effectiveness over time.
3. Reported whooping cough cases are rising due to improved diagnostics, reduced vaccinations, pathogen adaptation, and reduced vaccine effectiveness. The type of vaccine also affects trends, as acellular vaccines used
This document discusses the history and potential applications of bacteriophage therapy. It begins by introducing bacteriophages and their ability to lyse bacteria. It then provides examples of different types of phages and describes their life cycles. The document discusses the discovery of phages in the early 20th century and their use in the former Soviet Union to treat bacterial infections. It notes that antibiotic resistance has renewed interest in phage therapy as an alternative approach. The advantages and disadvantages of phage therapy over antibiotics are presented. The document concludes by stating that further studies are needed but that phages show promise as tailored treatments for multidrug-resistant bacteria.
This document summarizes research on the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene therapy. AAV is a promising delivery method due to its low immunogenicity, ability to target specific cell types, and lack of pathogenicity. The document discusses how AAV is being used experimentally to treat diseases like cystic fibrosis, cancer, and heart disease by delivering therapeutic genes. While challenges remain, AAV vectors appear safer than other methods and have the potential to treat many currently incurable diseases.
Aa Vin The Treatment Of Human DiseasesReginaDGates
This document discusses the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene therapy. AAV is a promising delivery method due to its low immunogenicity, ability to target specific cell types, and lack of pathogenicity. The document focuses on how AAV may be used as a therapy for cystic fibrosis, cancer, and heart disease. It summarizes challenges with AAV therapy but concludes that AAV vectors appear to be among the safest methodologies for further developing therapies for many currently incurable diseases.
The document discusses Enterococcus faecium, a gram-positive bacterium that can be used as an animal probiotic but has also been identified as a cause of hospital-acquired infections. It evaluates 14 potential probiotic E. faecium strains based on guidance from EFSA to demonstrate their safety. Specifically, it examines the strains for a lack of resistance to ampicillin and possession of genetic elements like esp, hylEfm, and IS16 that are associated with hospital-acquired E. faecium. Through laboratory techniques such as PCR and PFGE, the researchers aim to precisely characterize the strains to better inform treatment of infectious outbreaks and public health.
This document provides information about malaria vaccines. It discusses the context of malaria globally and the need for a vaccine. Several potential vaccine candidates target different stages of the malaria parasite's lifecycle, including sporozoites, infected hepatocytes, and erythrocytic stages. Developing an effective vaccine is challenging due to the parasite's diversity and complexity. The most promising current candidate is RTS,S, which provides some protection against malaria in clinical trials but is not fully effective.
Virulence Factor Targeting of the Bacterial Pathogen Staphylococcus aureus fo...Trevor Kane
Staphylococcus aureus is a major bacterial pathogen capable of causing a range of infections from mild to life-threatening. The review discusses several major virulence factors produced by S. aureus including the agr quorum sensing system, α-toxin, phenol soluble modulins, protein A, Panton-Valentine leukocidin, and staphylococcal enterotoxins. Recent research into antivirulence approaches that target these factors are highlighted as a potential alternative to antibiotics for treating S. aureus infections.
The document summarizes a study that investigated whether culturing E. coli with Streptococcus salivarius or Staphylococcus epidermidis increased the rate of antibiotic resistance in E. coli compared to culturing E. coli alone. Over multiple generations, resistance to penicillin, streptomycin, and erythromycin increased for both the mixed cultures and E. coli alone. However, statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the rate of increased resistance between the mixed cultures and E. coli alone, contradicting the initial hypothesis.
Hepatitis B, a common viral infection, affecting millions of people every year, leads to disability and death. It has become one of the alarming diseases in the world. Vaccination is the best possible way to prevent this deadly viral infection and its consequences. Unaffordability of the mass vaccination program due to low health budgets especially in developing countries have demanded the economical, effective and easily available vaccine production against hepatitis B virus. The expression of subunit vaccines and recombinant proteins in plants is a convenient, safe and potentially economical platform technology. Hence, development of a plant-based vaccine could be promising. Therefore, the present investigation focused on expression and large- scale production of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Coleus forskohlii for the development of vaccine. Eight transformed C. forskohlii plants were generated via Agrobacterium -mediated transformation method. The integration of 681bp of HBsAg gene into the plant genome was confirmed using PCR. SDS-PAGE showed the presence of ~48kDa dimer and ~24kDa monomer form of HBsAg protein and the expression of recombinant protein was further confirmed by western blot. C. forskohlii expressed HBs Ag was recorded 260µg/g leaf fresh weight as measured by ELISA. Transformed plants of HBsAg showed the accumulation of Virus Like Particles of 22 nm size using transmission electron microscopy. This study offers a great potential for the large -scale production of hepatitis B vaccine in C. forskohlii which provides a strategy for contributing a means to achieve global immunization for the hepatitis B prevention and eradication.
Resistant Bacteria Persistence in the Body Over Years | The Lifesciences Maga...The Lifesciences Magazine
The University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have conducted a study shedding light on the persistence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the human body over extended periods.
This editorial summarizes recent research on oncolytic viruses for cancer therapy. It discusses how oncolytic viruses can directly kill tumor cells and induce immune responses. Clinical trials have explored various naturally occurring and engineered viruses to treat cancers like melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and glioblastoma. Recent FDA approval of the first oncolytic virus therapy for melanoma marks progress in the field. However, many questions remain regarding optimal viruses, combinations, dosages and administration methods. The role of the immune system is complex, with barriers and opportunities to leverage. Future work is needed to address challenges and maximize the potential of this innovative cancer treatment approach.
Multiplex Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes.pdfMaNoLo440315
This document describes a study that developed and tested a multiplex PCR assay to rapidly detect 24 common antibiotic resistance genes in urinary tract infection samples. The assay was tested on 366 bacterial isolates from a public antimicrobial resistance database which had been previously characterized through whole genome sequencing and phenotypic assays. Results from the multiplex PCR assay showed high accuracy in predicting bacterial identification and were mostly in agreement with previous genotypic and phenotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance. The study provides evidence that genetic diagnostic methods like multiplex PCR could enable more rapid identification of antibiotic resistance genes to help characterize and treat urinary tract infections.
potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), magnesium, creatinine, glucose, and sometimes calcium. Tests that focus on cholesterol levels can determine LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, as well as triglyceride levels.[6]
This document summarizes an experiment on isolating and characterizing the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (AP) from E. coli bacteria. Key steps included purifying AP using dialysis, salting-in/salting-out, and DEAE cellulose chromatography. SDS-PAGE was used to analyze purity and molecular weight. Kinetic experiments at varying pH levels used the substrate PNPP and spectrophotometry to generate Michaelis-Menten and Lineweaver-Burk plots, allowing determination of kinetic parameters like Vmax and Km. The goal was to understand AP enzymatic activity and affinity for substrate under different conditions.
The document summarizes the synthesis of methyl orange dye through an azo coupling reaction between a diazonium ion and N,N-dimethylaniline. Key steps included forming the diazonium salt from sulfanilic acid, then adding the dimethylaniline solution. The resulting methyl orange was used to dye various fabrics like nylon, polyester and silk. Nylon and silk showed strong dye absorption while polyester did not absorb dye. Methyl orange was also used as an acid-base indicator, changing color based on pH. The synthesis yielded 92% of the theoretical amount of methyl orange.
The document compares the regenerative properties of scaffold material derived from pig adipose tissue and bladder extracellular matrix (ECM). It first reviews that ECM plays an important signaling role in tissue development and healing. Studies show pig ECM is a viable biomaterial for tissue engineering due to its structural proteins. The document proposes an experiment to compare the wound healing effects of scaffold material prepared from pig adipose tissue versus bladder ECM on human subjects. It hypothesizes that bladder ECM will have superior regenerative results. The independent variables are the adipose and bladder materials, while the dependent variable is the healing outcomes in humans.
This document summarizes research conducted on fungal laccase expression at the University of Houston Downtown. The research involved isolating RNA from nine laccase-producing fungi species. RNA was extracted using an RNeasy kit. Concentrations were determined using a spectrophotometer. A GeneRacer kit was used to amplify laccase cDNA ends through rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR. The plan was to clone and characterize expressed laccases. Fungal samples were grown in malt extract agar and induced with veratryl alcohol before RNA extraction. The extracted RNA was used in dephosphorylation, decapping, oligo ligation, and reverse transcription steps of the GeneRacer protocol to ampl
This study examined the gut microbiota in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and found abnormalities in gastrointestinal function and behavior. Treatment with the probiotic Bacteroides fragilis corrected gastrointestinal deficits, improved behavioral symptoms, and normalized metabolite levels. This suggests a connection between the gut microbiome and brain in neurodevelopmental disorders, and that probiotic therapy may help treat symptoms.
Neurocysticercosis is caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium and results in cysts forming in the brain. A woman presented with speech problems, facial twitching, and temperature differences between her hands, which were symptoms of a tapeworm cyst in her brain. The tapeworm lives in the intestines and releases eggs that can infect pigs. If humans eat undercooked pork or contaminated food or water, the parasite's larvae are ingested and can develop into cysts in the brain and muscles. Treatment involves anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic drugs to kill the parasite, and sometimes surgery. Preventative measures include thoroughly washing and cooking food when traveling in endemic areas. Neurocysticercosis is
Ubiquinol-Cytochrome C Oxidoreductase (Respiratory Complex III)Juan Barrera
The document summarizes cytochrome bc1 complex, which is the third complex in the electron transport chain located in the mitochondria. It contains 11 subunits and functions to generate ATP by pumping protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The complex contains four redox centers and utilizes a bifurcated reaction to oxidize quinol and transfer electrons through both a high and low potential chain. It is inhibited by antimycin A, which leads to electrons leaking and reducing oxygen.
This document summarizes a genetics lab experiment conducted with fruit flies. The experiment aimed to observe principles of dominance, segregation, independent assortment, and sex linkage. F1 generation flies showed a wildtype phenotype, while F2 generation flies showed wildtype, yellow, vestigial, and yellow/vestigial phenotypes. A chi-square analysis found the results inconsistent with the hypothesis, suggesting misidentification of phenotypes as the likely explanation rather than disproving Mendelian genetics.
This study investigated the phylogenetic relationships of shrew populations using genetic markers. DNA was extracted from tissue samples of shrews from different geographic regions. Two mitochondrial genes, COI and cyt-b, were amplified and sequenced. The genetic markers were used to identify species and construct a phylogenetic tree. The study found that cyt-b more accurately identified species and analyzed phylogeny in shrews compared to COI. Some inconsistencies between the COI and cyt-b BLAST results and phylogenetic trees were observed, possibly due to limited shrew sequence data available in databases. The study provided insights into shrew diversity and evolutionary relationships at the DNA level.
Investigation of phylogenic relationships of shrew populations using genetic...Juan Barrera
This study investigated the phylogenetic relationships of shrew populations using genetic markers. DNA was extracted from tissue samples of shrews from different geographic regions. Two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and cytochrome b (cyt-b), were amplified via PCR and sequenced. Genetic markers were used to identify species and construct a phylogenetic tree. The cyt-b gene was found to be more accurate for species identification and phylogenetic analysis of shrews. Some inconsistencies between the COI and cyt-b trees and BLAST results suggest that cyt-b data is more abundant in genetic databases for shrew species comparison.
Investigation of phylogenic relationships of shrew populations using genetic...Juan Barrera
This study investigated the phylogenetic relationships of shrew populations using genetic markers. DNA was extracted from tissue samples of shrews from different geographic regions. Two mitochondrial genes, COI and cyt-b, were amplified via PCR and sequenced. The genetic markers were used to identify species and construct a phylogenetic tree. Cyt-b was found to be more accurate for species identification and phylogenetic analysis of shrews. Some inconsistencies between the COI and cyt-b trees and BLAST results suggest that the genetic databases are more complete for cyt-b in shrews. The study provides insights into shrew diversity and evolution at the DNA level.
Investigation of phylogenic relationships of shrew populations using genetic...
Seminar_Pres2
1. Clara T.Barcelo, Flor I. Sanchez, Marie Vasse et. al.
http://www.pseudomonas.com/
Presentation by: Juan Barrera
2. Antibiotics are the
most effective defense
against bacterial
infections.
Rapid adaptation of
bacteria to antibiotics
leads to resistance.
There is mounting
interest in search of
alternatives to
antibiotics. http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/Pictures/web/w/n/x/Antibiotic_resistance_
test_UTIs_urine_infections_OTC__SPL___single_use_only.jpg
3. Gram negative.
Poses a threat to cystic
fibrosis patients.
Source of hospital
acquired pneumonia.
Causes chronic lung
infections.
Infects wounds and
burns.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/commons/e/ec/Pseudomonas_aeruginosa_cu
lture.JPG
4. Provide host
specificity.
More specific than
antibiotics.
Phages are able to
inject genetic material
inside host.
LUZ7 phage has
reduced bacterial
population size of P.
aeruginosa.
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/t-
bacteriophages-and-e-coli-eye-of-science.jpg
5. P.aeruginosa (PAO1)
treated with LUZ7
bacteriophage.
Pathogen treated with
streptomycin.
Treatment with both
streptomycin and
LUZ7.
Results observed by
counting number of
different growing
colonies (CFU).
Figure 1. Overview of experimental design
Barcelo et. al. (2014)
6. Single treatments of phage
and antibiotic reduced
bacterial density over the
first 24 hours.
Densities rebounded to
control levels by the 70 hour
mark
Combined treatment caused
significant reduction in
density without regrowth.
Bacterial density reduction
was stronger when antibiotic
was added with a 12 hour
delay.
Streptomycin dose had no
significant effect on final
density.
Figure 2. Changes in bacterial density over time
Barcelo et. al. (2014)
7. Densities were lower
than expected.
The combined
treatment was most
significant for the 12h
antibiotic addition.
Delay of antibiotic
addition resulted in
strongest negative
impact.
Figure 3. Final bacterial densities
Barcelo et. al. (2014)
8. Bacteria treated from
streptomycin evolved
higher levels of
resistance.
Single-strep treatment
resistance reached
maximum levels.
Resistance values were
lower for populations
where streptomycin
was added to the phage
with a 12h delay.Barcelo et. al. (2014)
Figure 4. Resistance of final bacterial populations.
9. Absence of phage
produced a decrease
in resistance.
Previously exposed
bacteria exhibit
resistance towards
ancestral phage.
Figure 4. Resistance of final bacterial populations.
Barcelo et. al. (2014)
10. Resistance against
evolved phage was
lower as compared
with ancestral phage.
Data suggests
adaptation of phage
to bacteria.
Figure 4. Resistance of final bacterial populations.
Barcelo et. al. (2014)
11. Combined treatments
lead to synergistic
suppression of
bacterial density and
less resistance.
Bacteria most affected
when antibiotic added
at the time when
phages had their
strongest impact.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66413000/jpg/_66413365_c014722
9-bacteriophages_leaving_host_cell,_artwork-spl.jpg
http://www.rsc.org/images/antibiotic-250_tcm18-96081.jpg
12. The study provides evidence of the effectiveness of
antibiotic-phage treatment on P.aeruginosa
pathogen. It also suggests a specific window of
opportunity in which the antibiotic can be added
and have the most effect.
13. Betts A, Vasse M, Kaltz O, Hochberg ME (2013) Back to the future: evolving bacteriophages to increase their effectiveness
against the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Evol. Appl 6: 1054–1063. doi: 10.1111/eva.12085
Chan BK, Abedon ST, Loc-Carrillo C (2013) Phage cocktails and the future of phage therapy. Future Microbiol 8: 769–783. doi:
10.2217/fmb.13.47
Escobar-Paramo P, Gougat-Barbera C, Hochberg ME (2012) Evolutionary dynamics of separate and combined exposure of
Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 to antibiotics and bacteriophage. Evol. Appl 5: 583–592. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2012.00248.x
Jesus, Blazquez, Oliver Antonio, and Gomez-Gomez Jose-Maria. "Mutation And Evolution Of Antibiotic Resistance: Antibiotics
As Promoters Of Antibiotic Resistance?." Current Drug Targets 3.4 (2002): 345-349. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Oct.
2014.
Rodriguez-Rojas A, Rodriguez-Beltran J, Couce A, Blazquez J (2013) Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance: A bitter fight against
evolution. Int. J. Med. Microbiol 303: 293–297. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2013.02.004
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/Pictures/web/w/n/x/Antibiotic_resistance_test_UTIs_urine_infections_OTC__SPL___single_
use_only.jpg
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66413000/jpg/_66413365_c0147229-bacteriophages_leaving_host_cell,_artwork-
spl.jpg
http://www.pseudomonas.com/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/commons/e/ec/Pseudomonas_aeruginosa_culture.JPG
http://www.rsc.org/images/antibiotic-250_tcm18-96081.jpg
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/t-bacteriophages-and-e-coli-eye-of-science.jpg
Editor's Notes
Good afternoon, I am Juan and my presentation today is on a paper entitled “A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO CONTROL THE BACTERIAL PATHOGEN PSEDOMONAS AERIGINOSA COMBINING ANTIBIOTICS AND PHAGES.” I will first present a bit of background on antibiotic resistance, the pathogen P. aeruginosa, what phage therapy is, then I will go into the experimental design, the results obtained, what they mean, and how this can be useful in the future.
Antibiotics are agent that inhibit or kills microorganisms. Antibiotics are the most effective weapon against bacterial infections. However the evolution of resistance is becoming a major problem in hospitals and in agriculture. The extended therapeutic use, and abuse, of antibiotics produced a selective force leading to the selection and spread of resistant bacteria. Resistance is a result of natural selection, directed by the overuse of antibiotics. Bacteria, that have to face the antibiotic challenge, evolve to acquire resistance and, under this strong selective pressure, only the fittest survive. Evolution occurs by acquisition of new functions by exogenous DNA import, and ii) changes in their own genome allowing the modification of the pre-existing genes by mutation and or genome rearrangements. This method of resistance primarily occurs via horizontal gene transfer.
The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is found to be resistant to many types of antibiotics and causes high mortality in hospitals. P. aeroginosa strains isolated from hospitals have been found to be resistant to up to 16 different antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant P.aeroginosa infections are becoming increasingly common. One in ten hospital-acquired infections are from Pseudomonas. It is an opportunistic, nonsicomial pathogen of immunocompromised individuals. It is able to infect the pulmonary tract, urinary tract, blood ,wounds, and causes other blood infections. One of the most alarming aspects of P.aeroginosa is its low antibiotic susceptibility. These antibiotic resistance characteristics can be attributed to concerted action of efflux pumps with chromosomally encoded antibiotic resistance genes.
Bacteriophages. What are they??? It’s a virus that infects bacteria. A bacteriophage is able to adhere or attach itself to a specific host where it then proceeds to inject its genetic material. Once inside the host the genetic material is able to replicate itself leading to more phages where they will eventually lize or break through the host. They can then proceed to inject and replicate themselves on surrounding hosts. Due to the fact that bacteriophages are so specific to their host, they can be harmless to the host organism and other beneficial bacteria. Phage therapy is the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. Phage therapy along with the use of antibiotics has been investigated as a possible effective treatment. This poses an advantage when comparison with antibiotics due to the fact that antibiotics kill both the pathogen bacteria as well as the beneficial bacteria.
The experiment was designed to test Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the lytic bacteriophage LUZ7 and the antibiotic streptomycin with the goal of discovering the effects of single and combined treatments. So the experiment was designed to treat the pathogen with only the antibiotic, and only with the phage, and compare the results with the combined treatment. So P.aerugina pathogen was grown on 24 different well plates containing KB media. Phages were added after 6 hours (To) when bacterial populations were growing exponentially and vulnerable to phage attack. The antibiotic (streptomycin) was added at 3 different time points, one was simultaneously with the addition of the phage, another one with a 12 hour delay and the final one with a 24 hours delay. Also 2 different doses of the antibiotic were added, 100 and 240 microgram/mililiter. The bacterial density was measured at different time points by counting of the number of growing colonies (CFU).
At the end of the experiment (T70) they assessed the surviving populations’ resistance to streptomycin and phage. For the resistance test of the antibiotic they took 1 microliter of the final population and inoculated them on different concentrations of the antibiotic. After 24 hours the bacterial density was measured by means of OD, optical density. Resistance was taken as the (MIC) Minimal Inhibitory concentration. In similar fashion 1microliter of the final bacteria was added to media containing ancestral phage and again Optical density was used to measure bacteria density after 24 hours of growth. The same procedure was done with evolved phage. The evolved phage was taken from bacteria from the experiment perform in the first portion. They added 10% chloroform to the bacteria and the phage containing supernatant was recovered as evolved phage.
There is an increasing interest and attention for alternative treatments against bacterial pathogens due to antibiotic resistance. The combination of antibiotics and phages is a tantalizing possibility. The results obtained from this study show that the combination treatment of antibiotic and phage result in synergistic suppression of bacterial density and less resistance than either treatment alone. Bacteria where most affected when the antibiotic was added when the phages had the most impact on bacterial population density. This suggests an optimal window of opportunity in implementation of the combined treatment to restrain most effectively the pathogen. The study also shows evidence of evolution of phage resistance but also evolutionary change in phage infectivity. This indicates that phages can evolve or co-evolve with the bacteria and potentially limit resistance during treatment. The combined phage-antibiotic therapy is expected to have an advantage over antibiotic cocktails because antibiotics and phages are fundamentally different..