Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Renewed efforts are being made to cover up the origin of Wuhan virus.

Bengaluru: As a defeat by the Democratic Party in the mid-term elections in the United States this year appears to be a certainty, and as possibility increases of the Republicans coming to control the US House of Representatives, the prospects of a Congressional hearing/investigation into the origin of the Wuhan virus, also known as Covid-19, are a given. To head off a possible Congressional probe, the cast of US characters involved in the research and development of this genetically engineered virus that has killed millions all over the globe, is back to obfuscating the source of the virusChinas Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)by calling it a natural virus in a bid to whitewash their own and the Xi Jinping regimes culpability. This is apparent from the publishing of two articles on 26 July 2022, in the journal Science. Both these articles have multiple authors under Dr Kristian G. Andersens guidance in the US. Andersen is known for infamously switching from suspecting Covid-19 to be genetically engineered, to trying to prove that it naturally jumped from wild bats to humans. These two latest studies further prove that Covid-19 originated in Wuhan, but do not prove the zoonotic (jumping from animals to humans) origin of the virus that the authors are at pains to prove, based on numerous assumptions. Co-conspirators in the diversion of large US research funds tothe WIV in China ensured the suppression of facts and orchestrated the publication of misleading scientific correspondence in the early days of the pandemic in 2020 to prove that the virus had a natural origin in the Wuhan wet market. This concerted disinformation campaign has been given life once again by some virologists who fear a prospective ban on high risk virus research, an exposure of their role in research like genetic engineering and gain of function, and are more concerned about their own funding than on the safety and welfare of humanity.A MISLEADING STUDY: One of these two articles, an 18-page write-up by 18 authors is titled, The Hunan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan was the early epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic. It starts with the premise that understanding how Covid-19 virus emerged in 2019 is critical to prevent zoonotic outbreaks. Hence the article predetermines that the virus was natural in origin. The article provides the geographical distribution of the early suspected Covid-19 cases around the wet market in Wuhan, based on a flawed and biased sample. Their spatial distribution maps highlight the wet market location and ignore the Wuhan CDC (the agency that monitored the outbreak initially) just 280 metres away, leave alone the WIV 12 kilometres away. The Wuhan CDC had hosted experimental wild animals including bats collected from Hubei and Zhejiang provinces. The writers of the article found many early cases that had no direct links with the market. They found susceptible mammals such as racoon dogs for sale, but were unable to identify an intermediate host. They conceded that there is insufficient evidence to define upstream events, and exact circumstances remain obscure. They still concluded that our analyses indicate that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 occurred via the live wildlife trade in China, and show that the Huanan market was the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is to be noted that the epicentre of an outbreak would be a crowded place near the source of the virus, and not necessarily the source itself.THE OTHER MISLEADING STUDY: The other article, a 15-page study by 29 authors from the same institutions, and titled, Molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV2 examines the strains of the virus found in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan. They mention two virus lineages A and B and propose multiple cross species transmissionsof lineage B virus to humans around 18 November 2019 and later of lineage A within a few weeks. It is simple logic that a cross species transmission that did not occur in centuries of existence of wet markets in China is most unlikely to occur multiple times in quick succession. Their claim papers over the well-known fact that gain of function research produces multiple strains. Who should know this better than these virologists? They speculate about racoon dogs and other mammals being the intermediate hosts, but their numerous errors suggest that animals and their samples may have been contaminated by infected humans. Their conclusion also ignores the fact that the only bats in Wuhan existed in the Wuhan labs and not in the wet market.LAY MEDIA AND PUBLIC MISLED: Newspaper and network news journalists and ombudsman have always had a tough time understanding technical jargon and making sense of scientific claims. It is worse when leading experts publish scientific articles with dubious claims. Ideally the results of a scientific study should be explained rationally and should lead to a logical conclusion. It should not be reverse engineered to achieve a predetermined conclusion. Sometimes, as with these two studies the elaborate data and statistical analysis seems authentic but the authors jump to a conclusion that is not justified. An article by Laura Ungar on 27 July 2020 in Associated Press based on these two studies in Science and titled New studies bolster theory coronavirus emerged from the wild quotes Dr Kristian G. Andersen as saying, Have we disproven the lab leak theory? No, we have not, but I think whats really important here is there are possible scenarios and there are plausible scenarios and its really important to understand that possible does not mean equally likely. This article was prominently republished by many leading Indian newspapers with the headline eventually evolving to an emphatic Covid did originate in Wuhan market, say 2 studies. Tragically, this will now be accepted as gospel truth by many in academia, intelligence, political and administrative circles.SUMMARY OF EVENTS LEADING TO COVID-19 ORIGIN: After leaks even from the safest of western virology laboratories and outcry about creation of deadly Chimera viruses by virologists hoping to profit on vaccines for novel human viruses; this risky virus research with technology, equipment and facilities was outsourced to China. Chinese researchers were trained in gain of function and genetic engineering techniques, funded and hand held by well-connected senior US virologists. Western collaboration enabled Chinese researchers to clandestinely or otherwise collect deadly viruses existing in the wild in various parts of the world and steal samples from western laboratories.THE ORIGINAL COVER-UP: My article of 6 June 2021, in The Sunday Guardian, titled, International scientists covered up the lab origin of Covid-19 details the original cover-up. Here is a brief recap of the original cover-up from that article: On 1 Feb 2021, within hours of the researchers from IIT New Delhi submitting their findings online on bioRxiv, alarm bells rang around the world. Dr Kristian G. Andersen of Scripps Research Institute emailed Dr Fauci: Some of the features look engineered, inconsistent with expectations from evolutionary theory. Following this a concerted suppression of findings, including of the New Delhi group was done by vested interests. On 19 February 2020, a group of 27 senior virologists from the US, Australia, Germany, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia, Hong Kong including Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance, that was funding WIV, published in Lancet a Statement in support of the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19. In a correspondence published on 17 March 2020 in Nature titled The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2, Kristian G. Andersen, who on 1 February had emailed Dr Fauci, now turned contrarian and with four other researchers argued that Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus. On 26 March 2020, Dr Francis Collins supported Dr Andersens analysis on the NIV directors blog: next time you come across something about COVID-19 online that disturbs or puzzles you, I suggest going to FEMAs new Coronavirus Rumor Control web site. It will help to distinguish rumours from facts.The motto of these compromised researchers is: If you cant convince them, confuse them.Dr P.S. Venkatesh Rao is Consultant Endocrine, Breast & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Bengaluru.

See the article here:
China's apologists again try to cover up Wuhan lab leak of Covid-19 - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian

Sleep is a complex neurological process characterized by shifting brain patterns, fluids flushing in and out of the skull, and a drop in body temperature, all with the apparent aim of restoring the brain as its waking functions are disabled.

In this process, the hormone norepinephrine appears to play a significant role, even though its released at lower levels during sleep compared to when were awake.

Follow the latest news and policy debates on agricultural biotech and biomedicine? Subscribe to our newsletter.

We have learned that noradrenaline causes you to wake up more than 100 times a night, co-first author Celia Kjrby, an assistant professor from the Center for Translational Neuromedicine, said in a statement.

Neurologically, you do wake up, because your brain activity during these very brief moments is the same as when you are awake. But the moment is so brief that the sleeper will not notice, PhD student Mie Andersen, the other co-first author of the study, added.

You could say that the short awakenings reset the brain so that it is ready to store memory when you dive back into sleep, Maiken Nedergaard, a Professor of Glial Cell Biology at the University of Copenhagen, speculated.

Indeed, when the researchers artificially reduced the amplitude of norepinephrines oscillation in mices sleeping brains, either through genetic engineering or pharmaceuticals, they found that the mice performed worse on memory tests compared to unaltered controls.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here

Read more from the original source:
Do you sleep through the night? Your brain rhythmically oscillates between awake and asleep up to 100 times a night - Genetic Literacy Project

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Transparency Market Research Inc.: CRISPR cas systems are commonly used in microbial engineering that includes immunization of cultures, bacterial strain typing, and self-targeted cell killing. Further, CRISPR and cas genes market system is also applied to control metabolic pathways for an improved biochemical synthesis. This technology is also used for the improvement of crop production. These factors further drive growth in the CRISPR and cas genes market.

CRISPR and cas genes system has been a revolutionary initiative in the biomedical research field. The application of this technology in somatic cell genome editing events has targeted to its application. The technologies are commonly used for the treatment of different genetic disorders. But, the ethical issues while using the system from the CRISPR and cas genes market are somewhere curtailing the growth in the industry. Furthermore, the market is also witnessing a lack of proficient professionals, which restrains its growth opportunities.

Request a PDF Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=26417

The market forecast on CRISPR and cas genes market was estimated US$ 1,451.6 Mn. Now it is predicted to climb US$ 7,234.5 Mn during forecast period from 2018 to 2026. The market is estimated to reach a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1% from 2018 to 2026.

Multiple Applications and Diverse Dominating Factors in CRISPR and Cas Genes Market

The report from market research on CRISPR and cas genes industry has marked its division on the basis of region, end-user, application, and product type. DNA-free cas and vector-based cas are the two types in which the CRISPR and cas genes market is bifurcated on the basis of product type. Between these two types, the vector-based cas section has dominated the market at international levelin 2017. This expression system is helpful for the researchers who are focusing to enrich Cas9-expressing cells and concentrate on the establishment of a stable cell line. The vector-based cas is available with an analytical that is used to support the creation of durable cell lines. These lines are designed with minimal possible background expression.

Request Brochure of Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=26417

The major advantages of the DNA-free cas segment boost growth in the CRISPR and cas genes market. DNA-free cas components are used for the reduction of potential off-targets. They also find application to trace correlations with human illnesses.

Knockout/activation, functional genomics, disease models, and genome engineering are the classification types in the CRISPR and cas genes market on the basis of application in different verticals. Contract research organizations, government and academic research institutes, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are some of the key end-use industries in the market. Further, as per the market analysis report on CRISPR and cas genes market, the industry is spread in different regions that include Middle East & Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America.

Request for Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on CRISPR and Cas Genes Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=26417

The industry players from market have adopted inorganic and organic growth strategies for the expansion of product offerings, capturing market share, increasing consumer base, and strengthening geographical reach. Some of the key players in the CRISPR and Cas genes market include Dharmacon, Synthego, GenScript, OriGene Technologies, Inc., Applied StemCell, Inc., Addgene, and Cellecta, Inc.

Genome Engineering to Dominate CRISPR and Cas genes market

On the basis of application, the genome engineering section has dominated in the CRISPR and cas genes market. The genetic materials can be added, detached, and altered with the help of CRISPR technology at any specific location in the genome. Genomic engineering is related to the synthetic assembly of comprehensive chromosomal DNA, and it has been commonly taken from natural genomic sequences.

Make an Enquiry Before Buying - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=26417

The CRISPR and Cas genes market has been dominated by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in terms of end-user. The strategic partnerships and innovations may boost growth in the market.

North America and Europe are the regions that account for the maximum share in the CRISPR and Cas genes market. Rising technological advancements and research activities are driving growth in the market.

More Trending Reports by Transparency Market Research

Deep Brain Stimulation Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/deep-brain-stimulator-market.html

Trauma Implants Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/trauma-implants-market.html

Medical Sensors Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-sensors-market.html

Skin Care Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/skincare-devices-market.html

Medical Equipment Rental Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-equipment-rental.html

Southern Europe & Middle East Medical Robotics Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/southern-europe-middle-east-medical-robotics-market.html

Sleep Apnea Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sleep-apnea-devices-market.html

Personal-use Facial and Skin Therapy Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/us-personal-use-facial-and-skin-therapy-devices-market.html

About Us

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

Contact Us

Rohit Bhisey

Transparency Market Research Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,

1000 N. West Street,

Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com

Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

View post:
CRISPR and Cas Genes Market: The DNA-free Cas Segment Boost Growth in the Global Market - BioSpace

Can we improve photosynthesis?

The examples described in this chapter show at least some of the things we need to do as we try simultaneously to feed our population and keep our planet habitable. As science advances, new possibilities become available and we periodically get excited about futuristic ways of limiting the damage of climate change. Successful demonstrations have shown that giant chemical air scrubbers might help to clean carbon dioxide from the air. Inventors promote the idea of growing new foods in bioreactors. Since we humans are tinkerers, it is perhaps inevitable that we will even try to improve photosynthesis itself.

Why would we meddle with photosynthesis? When compared to the best photovoltaic cells, photosynthesis is simply inefficient. The average land plant converts 0.1 to 1 percent of the sunlight striking it into useful chemical energy. Crop plants, if well managed, achieve an overall rate of 1 to 2 percent of effective energy conversion. Even at peak performance, our own microalgae in our sun-filled desert ponds only operate at 6 percent efficiency. That is rather poor performance when compared to the latest six-junction photovoltaic cells with light concentrators that are nearing 50 percent of light to useful electric energy conversion, developed at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Clearly, theres a lot of potential for improving photosynthesis.

I am one of the scientists who have tried. Back in the mid-1980s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I helped create the first site-directed mutants of something called Photosystem II. After the exhausted excitement of working several-hundred hour weeks and sleeping in the lab, we discovered that it is difficult to improve on four billion years of evolution. The idea, however, was a good one. We were trying to understand how the photosynthetic machinery converts light into chemical energy.

Similarly, scientists have tried to tackle the problem of photorespiration. As discussed in Chapter 2, this is the paradox in which photosynthesizing organisms struggle to deal with the oxygen they produce, which reduces their ability to fix carbon by around 25 percent. There are multiple genetic engineering initiatives to reduce this photorespiration waste and increase the overall productivity of agricultural crops. Some plants, such as corn, have ways of storing carbon produced during the night so that they can enrich the photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide into complex chemicals during the day. There are projects currently underway that are seeking to introduce these carbon-concentrating mechanisms into other commercially significant crops. Scientists at the US Agricultural Research Service and the University of Illinois have, for instance, successfully increased photosynthetic efficiency in tobacco leaves by 20 percent. Wild mustard, pumpkin, and green algal and bacterial genes were recombined and promoted, to optimize the photosynthetic metabolism. Now the team is seeking to import this upgraded photosynthetic system into crop plants, such as wheat, rice, or soy. A 20 percent increase in their productivity would mean that we could feed significantly more people without using more land.

Others have attempted to create artificial leaves or artificial photosynthesis. These are important efforts to isolate, focus, and improve the advantages of photosynthesis in more efficient devices. Some create devices that perform the same function of capturing CO2 and turning it into useful chemicals such as syngas (synthetic gas: a fuel-gas mixture), while others are using photovoltaic energydriven membranes to capture CO2 to concentrate it with electrically charged membranes. In recent years, a major step toward artificial, but still biological, photosynthesis has been achieved by isolating chloroplast components in microscopic assemblages and separating them from the rest of the cell to boost their efficiency. The Franco-German team behind this project envisions that their enhanced photosynthetic machinery might be used to synthesize, for example, complex pharmaceutical molecules with the power of light.

All these inventive approaches have advantages and limitations. Often the net environmental impact is uncertain or very costly. In some cases, these improvement efforts simply transfer the efficiency or cost problem elsewhere. Most of these new devices lack long-term sustainability; they also take a lot of time and large amounts of money. The latest photovoltaic cells took more than fifty years to reach their current peak efficiencies, while the average installed base of photovoltaic cells linger between 15 and 20 percent efficiency.

Yet we need to try every advance, assess every potential solution, use every method to engage people and keep them engaged. Growing our world again will require hyperbolic entrepreneurism, new technology, and traditional methods. As we have seen, science is helping us in all sorts of waysupgrading pasturelands through managed grazing, inventing low-energy methods for making ammonia, providing new methods of recycling organic materials. There are nearly 63,000 power plants, hundreds of millions of hearths, and billions of cars, all burning fossil fuels. It requires as many ideas, methods, and approaches to balance their legacy.

Subscribe for counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday

Of course, we need to improve agriculture and photosynthesis to use the agricultural land we have more effectively to grow food for all of us. We must continue to innovate, experiment, and push the limits of what is possible in terms of carbon removal and to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis itself, even if this is difficult. But that misses the opportunity to use photosynthesis in its current state, as it is today. Photosynthesizers grow in every environment: under the ice in Antarctica; stuck to the side of granite buildings; in forests, fields, oceans, and modern urban greenhouses. Even if less efficient, plant life covers a much larger surface area than all other carbon-capturing technologies combined, including both natural processes and artificial onesthe latter taking years to design, build, and commission. Plants have installed themselves already; they capture carbon while repairing, seeding, and multiplying themselves, feeding all ecosystems, and flexibly responding to environmental change, seasonality, and weather. Nobody must come and clear leaves of dust in the same way we need to clear photovoltaic cells to keep them operating. Most importantly, photosynthetic organisms are free to use today, and we have known, for thousands of years, how to propagate them. All societies know how to grow plants in their local environment, instead of waiting for a future technological breakthrough in efficiency.

Instead of schemes to shade the sun, fill the atmosphere with aerosols, or blast us to other planets, we have the planet-transforming potential of plants working for us today. I am an inventor and I am excited by technology, and I also value prosaic projects that enrich us biologically and economicallylike making a bit more dirt and planting a lot more trees. We can transform our planet for the better, with self-sufficientif not the most efficient photosynthetic technology right now.

This article is an adapted excerpt from How Light Makes Life: The Hidden Wonders and World-Saving Powers of Photosynthesis 2021 by Raffael Jovine. Reprinted with permission of The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

Read more from the original source:
Plants aren't good at photosynthesis. We can do it better - Big Think

Base editing technology has already shown significant potential for genome engineering of human cells to treat serious and life-threatening hereditary diseases. Recent scientific advances have identified causative roles for genes from commensal microbiota in the pathogenesis or aggravation of an increasing number of diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and myocarditis. In-situ precision engineering of the microbiome with gene editing technologies, including base editing technology, represents a promising frontier of medical innovation and opens new and highly valuable therapeutic opportunities.

The two broad and foundational patents granted to Eligo, US11,224,621 and US11,376,286, cover the unique ability to modify with unprecedented precision the genome of deeply-engrafted resident bacteria without killing them. In particular, it enables targeted and durable modification or inactivation of bacterial proteins from essential commensal bacteria. This approach can uniquely address key unmet needs in microbiome-related diseases, by removing bacterial triggers of disease while maintaining commensal bacteria that are essential to our health.

Eligo revealed, during a presentation at CRISPR 2022 conference in Boston, that a single oral dose of a base-editor equipped medicine led to the precise editing of up to 100% of a target bacterial population in the gut of animals in a matter of hours. They also demonstrated that such edits were stable over time.

"The grant of these broad patents is an important milestone for Eligo Bioscience as it significantly broadens the potential for our proprietary gene editing platform in microbiome-related diseases, in addition to the use of CRISPR to kill specific bacterial populations." said Dr. Xavier Duportet, Chief Executive Officer of Eligo Bioscience. "It consolidates our position as pioneer and leader in the field of in situ prokaryotic editing. Eligo Bioscience has indeed the earliest position both in fields of CRISPR killing and now base editing also."

About the patents

Patents US11,224,621 and US11,376,286 are members of a patent family published as WO2021/204967, entitled "Modulation of microbiota function by gene therapy of the microbiome to prevent, treat or cure microbiome-associated diseases or disorders'' and cover method of use and composition of matter claims respectively. Eligo is prosecuting multiple patent applications outside of the US as well.

About Eligo

Eligo Bioscience is the world leader in microbiome gene editing therapy and is advancing a highly differentiated pipeline of precision medicines to address unmet medical needs in inflammation, autoimmunity and oncology caused by the expression of specific deleterious bacterial genes by our microbiome.

Eligo was founded by scientists from The Rockefeller University, where CRISPR-based antimicrobials were invented, and by scientists from MIT. Eligo was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2017. Eligo has received venture capital funding from Khosla Ventures and Seventure Partners, and non-dilutive funding from GlaxoSmithKline, the European Commission, CARB-X, and Bpifrance.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1849676/Eligo_Bioscience_Image.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1533529/Eligo_Bioscience_SA_Logo.jpg

Contact:DUPORTET Xavier [emailprotected]

SOURCE Eligo Bioscience

Read more here:
Eligo unlocks next generation of precision genetic medicine with foundational patents granted covering in-situ base editing of the microbiome and...

The early 1960s saw the crack of the genetic code. This scientific breakthrough brought advancement in biological and cellular studies. The underlying feature of the genetic code explains how DNA converts into protein. Codons are three-letter units found in DNA orders. Within these codons are the 20 amino acids that make up proteins in the human body. Mutations occur in gene codes as a letter or point change.

Genes

Read Also: Congenital Mirror Movement Disorder Caused by a Mutation in the RAD51 Gene French Study Shows

There are two common types of these mutations. Silent mutations are changes in different parts of the DNA that dont affect the protein order produced. Non-silent (non-synonymous) mutations cause changes in the protein order.

Previously held scientific beliefs have been that these silent mutations are neutral. However, a new study has demonstrated these silent changes are dangerous. This study is available in the journal Nature.

Various studies have attempted to clarify the role of mutations in gene expression and diseases. The DNA sequence in proteins contains point changes that are silent in several cases. The sequencing of protein is unaffected by the changes. The point mutations are changes that do not affect protein sequence and are thought to be neutral since the 1960s. Researchers conducted experimental studies on the mechanisms of yeast gene engineering. The study result shows a high negative impact of silent gene changes (75.9%).

The results of this current study have a wide-ranging effect. In checking diseased mutations, scientists can recognize the role of both silent and non-silent mutations. The research in this innovative investigation also aimed to identify exceptions to the non-neutrality of silent mutations. Although some scientists believe that silent mutations are not neutral, there has not been much literature on the non-neutral exceptions.

The study subject was yeast. Since yeast has a short growth time and is tiny, the scientists checked the impact of these silent mutations on the organism fairly rapidly, accurately, and easily.

Read Also: Genomic Inversions Are More Common in Genetic Diseases Study Shows

The study scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to determine more than 8000 mutant yeast sequences. Each of the sequences contained either a silent, non-silent, or nonsense mutation. Although 1.3% of the silent mutations discovered were highly advantageous, 75.9% were detrimental.

Additionally, the study investigated other mechanisms by which these silent changes affected Darwinian fitness. They discovered that both silent and non-silent mutations affect the gene expression level and the magnitude of these expressional changes shows the fitness effect.

This study is significant in disease study and evolution biology. Because these silent mutations are harmful in yeast, clinicians and researchers can re-examine their previously held belief of its non-deleterious effects. This is significant because these silent mutations are now equally important in the pathogenesis of diseases.

The current study shows severe negative impacts of these silent mutations in yeast. Decades of consensus on the neutrality of silent gene changes may now be proven false. Understanding the mechanism of these changes can be beneficial for gene expression studies.

Read Also: Scientists Identify Gene Complex That Regulates Ribosome Production

Synonymous mutations in representative yeast genes are mostly strongly non-neutral

Continue reading here:
Gene Changes Previously Thought as Neutral Are Now Shown to Be Deleterious in Yeast - Gilmore Health News

Lithuanias Kristina Buoyt and Frances Bruno Sampers Vesper is world premiering this weeked in the Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary International FIlm Festival.

The film is a dystopian sci-fi in which 13-year-old Vesper, played by Raffiella Chapman, tries to eke out an existence on an ecologically ravaged Earth. Caring for her paralysed father, Vesper comes across a mysterious girl (Rosie McEwen) who originates from the Citadel the place where the rich and powerful dwell. UK actor Eddie Marsan co-stars.

Vesper marks a return to the festival for Buoyt and Samper after their 2012 film Vanishing Waves, directed by Buoyt and co-written by Samper, debuted in the festivals now defunct East of the West competition garnering a special mention. It went on to be a sizable hit on the festival circuit and beyond.

Vesper is produced by Lithunian production company Natrix Natrix and France- based Rumble Fish Productions. Co-producers are Belgiums 10.80 Films and French company EV.L Prod. International sales are handled by UK based Anton. The films has already been sold to a number of territories including North America (IFC Films) and UK (Signature Entertainment)

Aside from a segment in 2014s ABCs of Death 2, its been 10 years since your previous film, Vanishing Waves. Was it difficult to bring Vesper to the big screen?

Kristina Buoyt: During these 10 years, we were actually pretty busy. We have been developing different English- language film projects that we wanted to shoot abroad. The majority got lost in so-called development limbo. Then we decided to return to our roots - to write a script that would be ambitious but possible to shoot in Lithuania. That is how Vesper came about.

Bruno Samper: Looking back now, we realise that we integrated the lesson learned from these 10 years into the plot for Vesper dont search for a utopic promised land elsewhere, but instead use your roots and your ambition to change the reality of where you are.

What inspired the story of the film?

KB: Our desire was to make a movie about hope. Even in the worst and most desperate situations, if we are able to see beauty, it wont be easy but we will always have a reason to live, to fight, and to change the order of things. We would like the film to touch especially the young generation who constantly hear that our world is dying and theres no future. Young people dont merely want to survive, they want to live. The pandemic very forcefully brought that point home.

BS: Also, we wanted to create a world never seen on the big screen and the biopunk fairy-tale genre gave us this possibility. We worked on this universe for several years. We did a lot of research about the most recent innovations in organic architecture, bio-design, genetic engineering, and even the sexuality of plants.

How did you find Raffiella Chapman andgo about finding her and preparing her for the role?

KB: Raffi is real gem - talented, a fast-learner and hard-worker, and she totally embodies her generation. She is all a director could wish for. When Bruno saw her casting video, he saw Vesper.

BS: She was totally invested in the project.The shooting could be very demanding at times, and she always gave more than her best. Her parents were also very supportive which was a huge help.

What influenced you when making the film?

KB: Beyond the science-fiction framework, Vesper is an initiation story with a message for a society that is turning more and more towards escapism. Faced with problems - economic, social, political - more and more people prefer to flee into the denial of reality rather than face and solve the issues.

Also, for us it was very important to create a character who refuses to be a victim and manages to stand up and go forward despite all difficulties.

Is there a certain amount of difficulty for filmmakers in small regions such as the Baltics to make genre films?

KB: Its a question of time, the young generation doesnt make this separation anymore between genre and non-genre. Of course, the budget is always a challenge. There is certainly the energy, the desire and the ambition but we need to bring more private investment for Baltics projects. We hope Vesper will show that making a film like Vesper is possible even within the current economic structures of the film industry.

Read the original post:
Directors Kristina Buoyt and Bruno Samper on their 10-year odyssey to make bio-punk fairy tale 'Vesper' - Screen International

SMART research reveals promising uses of non-destructive sensors to aid food security and enhance sustainable agriculture

Recent advancements of in vivo and surface or airborne sensors to diagnose plant health will improve crop growth and minimise resources used

Singapore, 30 June 2022 Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MITs research enterprise in Singapore, and their local collaborators from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) as well as the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), National University of Singapore (NUS) have published a review that discusses the recent advances in non-destructive plant health monitoring, ranging from electrochemical-based arrays to nanosensors and electronic noses, and why tracking plant health is an attractive and sustainable strategy that can be used to optimise crop growth practices. The review aims to inspire future developments of non-destructive technologies for plant health diagnosis.

To meet the pressing need for global food security and pave the way for sustainable agriculture, the advancement and adoption of agricultural technology are critical in alleviating the conditions of 193 million people in the world who are acutely food insecure. However, sustainable practices need to be implemented to minimise environmental destruction when improving crop yields and productivity. Traditionally, farmers will often only be able to notice signs of their crops' health deteriorating at a stage where reparative measures are limited.

Additionally, the current testing via chromatography-based analytical techniques is destructive as it requires, punching out leaf samples that would cause wounding and tissue breakdown. These methods are also laborious, including lab-based extraction and processing of multiple plant samples for every data point. Thus, scientists have been advancing the field of precision agriculture, developing novel sensors and analytical tools to help farmers guide farm-management decisions. The use of non-destructive or minimally invasive sensors for plant metabolites has emerged as an essential analytical tool for real-time monitoring of plant signalling pathways and plant response to external conditions that indicate overall plant health. These sensors could be incorporated into future farming practices and implemented in high-tech urban farms that use precision, predictive and environmentally controllable farming.

In light of the increasing demand for food due to the growing global population and concern over food security, developing innovative and sustainable technologies and tools to improve crop yield and quality is timely and essential. Non-destructive plant health monitoring stands as one of the key strategies for improving crop growth practices, complementing current agricultural techniques such as crop rotation, intercropping and genetic modification, said Dr Gajendra Pratap Singh, Principal Investigator and Senior Scientific Director at DiSTAP.

The team explained their research in the review article titled Non-destructive Technologies for Plant Health Diagnosis, published in the prestigious journal Frontiers in Plant Science. The findings showed that the sensors could be broadly categorised into those that detect internal (in vivo sensors) and external (plant surface and airborne) signalling molecules.

In vivo sensors are based on either electrochemical sensors or plant nano-bionic sensors. Recent nanotechnology advances have enabled electrochemical and plant nano-bionic sensors to exhibit higher sensitivity and selectivity by utilising unique electrochemical and optical properties. Besides internal signalling molecules, plants also emit signals at the surfaces of their organs as well as through airborne metabolites such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for inter-plant communication. Detection of internal and external cues, such as surface and airborne compounds, allows for the non-invasive and real-time diagnosis of plant diseases.

Furthermore, the sensors convert plant signals into digital signals to establish direct communication between plants and growers. By tapping into plants physiological events in real-time, non-destructive sensors enable prompt adjustment of environmental conditions to augment crop productivity while minimising resource use, added Dr Tedrick Thomas Salim Lew, Scientist at A*STARs IMRE and Adjunct Assistant Professor at NUS ChBE, who was the corresponding author of the article.

The review gave insights into sensors which are versatile and have been successful in extracting spatiotemporal information from a variety of agriculturally important plant species. The sensors will open the possibility of real-time feedback control schemes that can aid in the precise application of fertilisers and plant growth regulators to maximise growth, as well as facilitate timely intervention to minimise yield loss from plant stress, said Mervin Ang, Research Scientist at DiSTAP and first author of the article.

To address profound challenges in food production in Singapore and the world, DiSTAP has, over the years, introduced novel analytical tools that are rapid, non-destructive and have the ability to detect and provide information from living plants in real-time. This latest review seeks to advance technologies which can be applied to study agriculturally relevant crops in the field, bridging the knowledge gap between model plants commonly used in plant biology and economically important crops.

The review was supported by the National Research Foundation of Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Career Development Fund.

###

Frontiers in Plant Science

Literature review

Not applicable

Non-destructive Technologies for Plant Health Diagnosis

30-Jun-2022

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Read the rest here:
SMART research reveals promising uses of non-destructive sensors to aid food security and enhance sustainable agriculture - EurekAlert

PHILADELPHIA, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Century Therapeutics ( IPSC), an innovative biotechnology company developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapies in immuno-oncology, today announced that Lalo Flores, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the LifeSci Partners 2nd Annual Genetic Medicines Symposium on June 28, 2022, at 9:30 AM ET.

A live webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the Events & Presentations page in the Investors section of the Companys website at https://investors.centurytx.com/events-and-presentations. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Companys website for 30 days following the presentation.

About Century Therapeutics

Century Therapeutics ( IPSC) is harnessing the power of adult stem cells to develop curative cell therapy products for cancer that we believe will allow us to overcome the limitations of first-generation cell therapies. Our genetically engineered, iPSC-derived iNK and iT cell product candidates are designed to specifically target hematologic and solid tumor cancers. We are leveraging our expertise in cellular reprogramming, genetic engineering, and manufacturing to develop therapies with the potential to overcome many of the challenges inherent to cell therapy and provide a significant advantage over existing cell therapy technologies. We believe our commitment to developing off-the-shelf cell therapies will expand patient access and provide an unparalleled opportunity to advance the course of cancer care. For more information on Century Therapeutics please visit http://www.centurytx.com.

Century Therapeutics Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of, and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of, The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as may, might, will, should, expect, plan, aim, seek, anticipate, could, intend, target, project, contemplate, believe, estimate, predict, forecast, potential or continue or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance These risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the Risk Factors section of our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at http://www.sec.gov. You should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

For More Information: Company: Elizabeth Krutoholow [emailprotected]Investors: Melissa Forst/Maghan Meyers [emailprotected]Media: Joshua R. Mansbach [emailprotected]

Visit link:
Century Therapeutics to Present at the LifeSci Partners 2nd Annual Genetic Medicines Symposium - GuruFocus.com

MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Edit Therapeutics Inc., an ElevateBio company focused on next-generation genome editing technologies and therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Joy A. Cavagnaro, Ph.D., DABT, Fellow ATS, RAC, FRAPS, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Cavagnaro is an internationally recognized expert in science-based regulatory strategies and translation of research to preclinical and product development, with an emphasis on genetic medicines.

We are thrilled to welcome Joy to our Scientific Advisory Board as we rapidly advance our gene editing platform to harness the vast potential of our novel nucleases and base editors as therapeutics, said Mitchell Finer, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Life Edit Therapeutics and President, R&D, ElevateBio. Joys expertise in drug discovery and development will complement our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board slate, and collectively our advisors will continue to help Life Edit and our partners further therapeutic programs to address the tremendous unmet needs of genetically-defined diseases.

Joy A. Cavagnaro, Ph.D., DABT, Fellow ATS, RAC, FRAPS, has more than 40 years of experience in the biotechnology industry and is the President and Founder of Access BIO, where she consults globally on science-based preclinical development strategies. She served at the United States Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and was appointed to Senior Biomedical Research Service. Dr. Cavagnaro was also the past Chair of the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS), President of the National Capital Area Chapter of the Society of Toxicology (SOT), and recipient of the Societys 2019 Arnold J. Lehman Award. Later this year, the American College of Toxicology is expected to recognize Dr. Cavagnaro with the Distinguished Scientist Award in Toxicology. In addition, Dr. Cavagnaro has co-authored numerous white papers, articles, and book chapters related to various aspects of preclinical safety assessment. She received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by post-graduate work at Duke University and Boston University Medical Centers.

Life Edit holds one of the largest and most diverse arrays of novel RNA-guided nucleases and base editors that offers flexible editing and unprecedented access to the genome, said Joy Cavagnaro, Ph.D., DABT, Fellow ATS, RAC, FRAPS. This powerful technology platform unlocks enormous potential for the development of novel therapeutics, and I look forward to working with the company as they continue to advance their gene editing platform and own internal pipeline of in vivo gene therapies for patients in need.

About Life Edit Therapeutics Inc.

Life Edit Therapeutics, an ElevateBio company, is a next-generation genome editing company that has built a highly innovative platform with one of the worlds largest and most diverse collections of novel RNA-guided nucleases (RGNs) and base editors. The platform allows Life Edit to target any genomic sequence and develop novel human therapeutics for the most challenging genetic diseases by enabling ex vivo engineering for cell therapies and regenerative medicines and in vivo delivery of gene therapies. In addition to developing its own pipeline of cell and gene therapies, Life Edit Therapeutics will continue to strengthen its platform of genome-editing enzymes, provide gene-editing expertise to strategic partners, and form other third-party partnerships to discover and develop new therapies. For more information visit lifeeditinc.com or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

See more here:
Life Edit Therapeutics Appoints Joy A. Cavagnaro to Its Scientific Advisory Board - Business Wire