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Contact Us – Stem Cell Treatment Center Hawaii

Posted: May 14, 2019 at 6:50 am

Note: All photos , videos and testimonials on this web site that depict actual patients or outcomes do not indicate you will have a similar result, as individual results vary. These in no way imply or indicate that you will have similar outcome. Plastic Surgery and medicine are not an exact sciences and not predictable.

The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center is not offering stem cell therapy as a cure for any condition, disease or injury. No statements or treatments on this website have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. This website contains no medical advice. All statements and opinions provided by this website are provided for educational and informational purposes only and we do not diagnose or treat via this website or via telephone. The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center is offering patient funded research to treat individual patients with their own autologous stem cells and is not involved in the use or manufacture of any investigational drugs.

The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center does not claim that any applications or potential applications using these autologous stem cell treatments are approved by the FDA or are even effective. We do not claim that these treatments work for any listed nor unlisted condition, intended or implied. It is important for potential patients to do their own research based on the options that we present so that one can make an informed decision. Ay decision to participate in our patient funded experimental protocols is completely voluntary.

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HCG New York NY – Corinne Furnari, RPA – HCG Diet New York …

Posted: May 14, 2019 at 6:49 am

Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN

As an HCG Diet Specialist in New York, NY Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, at Furnari Health specializes in helping men and women lose weight with the HCG diet. Offering customized HCG Diet plans, Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, takes each patients individual weight loss goals, current health conditions, and medical history into consideration when designing a personalized HCG weight loss plan.

Her HCG Diet plans may combine different nutritional choices and caloric intakes for patients based on individual needs. With over 20 years of experience in the medical field, Corrine Furnari has helped vast numbers of men and women to overcome obesity.

As an HCG Diet Specialist in New York, NY, Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, can help men and women to reach the weight loss goals.

The HCG Diet uses a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin to help the hypothalamus reset the bodys metabolism. The HCG hormone is produced naturally in a womans body during pregnancy stimulating the metabolizing of stored fat to nourish an unborn child if the mother is not able to take in enough daily nutrients on her own. When the hormone is used with a low-calorie diet as part of a medically supervised HCG diet plan on a patient that is not pregnant, it works in a similar way to stimulate the metabolism into burning fat stores to sustain the body. An HCG diet plan administered by New York, NY HCG Diet Specialist, Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, can cause rapid fat loss in men and women suffering from obesity and other weight related medical conditions. Both men and women can benefit from the HCG diet.

A woman wishing to undergo a medically supervised HCG diet plan should consult with New York City HCG Diet Specialist, Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, to learn more about how HCG hormones coupled with a low-calorie diet plan can result in dramatic weight loss. As the HCG diet plan involves hormone supplementation, women must align the start date of the diet with their menstrual cycles to avoid any adverse hormonal imbalances that can occur. Women should also avoid cosmetic creams that may contain fatty oils or anti-inflammatory ingredients when following an HCG diet plan as they can be absorbed into the skin and affect the bodys ability to regulate fat intake and storage.

Women diagnosed as clinically obese, or women with a BMI over 20% are usually excellent candidates for the dramatic weight loss results of an HCG diet plan. Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, a New York City HCG Diet Specialist has seen countless women achieve their weight loss goals with the HCG diet, and firmly believes that an HCG diet plan can help many conditions that a more traditional diet cannot.

Irregular menstrual cycles can be caused by excess body fat carrying estrogen, and excessive estrogen levels can interfere with regular menstrual cycles. An overall improvement of the bodys health and wellness can also improve hormonal balance, which has a direct connection with menstrual cycles and regularity in women.

PMS Symptoms

Reducing the amount of estrogen retaining body fat can help balance the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a womans body, which has been shown to help alleviate symptoms related to PMS including bloating, fatigue, and mood swings.

Improved Self Esteem and Body Image

Higher self-esteem can be a result of achieving a weight loss goal and feeling healthier. An improved body image and healthier lifestyle can often result in greatly increased self-esteem and self-confidence.

Although the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone is produced in a womans body during pregnancy, the function of HCG is more metabolic, and thus the HCG diet plan has been successfully and safely used to treat men suffering from obesity without any sexual side effects feared when ingesting a female hormone. The HCG diet allows men to lose weight without losing lean muscle mass by supplying the body with fuel it needs from fat stores while observing a low-calorie diet. Men diagnosed as being obese, overweight, or men with a body mass index of 20% or higher may benefit from an HCG diet plan administered and supervised by Corinne Furnari, RPA, an HCG Diet Specialist in New York, NY.

The diet can supply enough nutrients by metabolizing fat stored in the body to keep patients from experiencing muscle atrophy. Corinne Furnari, RPA is an HCG Diet Specialist in New York, NY that can implement an HCG diet program designed specifically for each patient to help men lose weight and experience improvements in conditions associated with obesity.

Poor Workout Performance

Losing weight with an HCG diet eliminates estrogen-storing fat deposits and can increase the production of testosterone in men, which can result in more energy, stamina, and increased muscle growth. Therefore, men can achieve longer and more productive workouts, burning more calories while building more muscle than ever before.

Low Sexual Function & Libido

Increased testosterone levels and the loss of excess body fat can have both physical and mental effects on men. Improved self-confidence, more energy, and a new body image can help many men regain interest in sexual activity, as well as improve sexual performance and energy. Higher testosterone levels and decreased body fat has also been connected to alleviating sexual conditions such as erectile dysfunction in men.

Reduced Muscle Integrity

Another benefit of losing weight with a New York, NY HCG diet plan for men is the preservation of muscle integrity while observing such a low-calorie diet. Most men are able to lose fat without the fear of losing muscle mass and strength, commonly associated with more traditional diet plans that do not include HCG supplementation.

Poor Metabolic Performance

Changing eating habits is a big part of a successful diet, and most patients on an HCG diet plan are able to implement better food choices even after the diet is over in an effort to preserve the weight loss results achieved. This new, clean diet, coupled with the lasting effects HCG can have on the metabolism often result in a totally reset metabolism improving energy levels, digestion, and many other bodily functions.

Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, at Furnari Health has helped countless men and women improve their overall health and quality of life through weight loss with an HCG diet plan. Her specialized programs are the culmination of several years of experience in nutrition and medical weight loss. She has helped numerous patients to achieve their weight loss goals and improve health conditions with the HCG Diet. Her weight loss patients have been able to enjoy feeling and looking their best after finishing the HCG Diet.

To learn more about obtaining a specialized HCG Diet program, contact New York, NY HCG Diet Specialist, Corinne Furnari, RPA, CCN, at Furnari Health today to schedule a consultation!

Dear Ms. Furnari,

Every day I am truly grateful to you for all the things you have done for me. I am grateful for the weight loss, which I have maintained within 2-3 lbs.I am also thankful for the most detailed and extensive lab tests you requested. They were the most detailed lab tests I have ever had. I am still working on losing at least another 25-35 lbs. When I met you, I was going through a very stressful period. Fortunately, my energy and my concentration levels are improving enabling me to take computer classes and piano lessons.

Thank you!!!!!!!!

Ms. D. B., 75 years young

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The HCG Diet Food List – Your MUST Follow Guide (Jan 2019)

Posted: May 14, 2019 at 6:49 am

If youve recently stepped on the scale and were unhappy with the number you saw, or have known for a while that you have weight you need to lose, but regular diets werent helping, you may be interested in the HCG diet. There are a lot of questions about the diet, after all, youre mostly on your own unless you see a medical office each week.

The HCG diet has been the same since the 1950s, when Dr. Simeons manuscript, Pounds and Inches was released, prompting thousands to take action against their unwanted weight gain. The diet is very specific in what you can, and cannot eat, and even steers clear of vigorous exercise, making it very different from most other diet protocols. While the HCG diet itself can seem fairly extreme, those who have done it can count on the diet to help them lose weight quickly, and get started on a healthier lifestyle.

The HCG diet is a very specifically laid out diet plan with a few phases to ensure you lose the large amount of weight in a very short time period. The diet is laid out into four different phases, each with its own rules and foods that can be eaten. The most important part of the diet is taking your daily amount of HCG. This amount can be different based on a few different factors, including your weight and BMI, but it must be taken daily during the first two phases.

The HCG can be taken in a few different ways, but injections and drops are the most popular. Injections are by prescription only, while drops can be found in prescription and homeopathic varieties. There are quite a few reviews on different companies you can order from, so be sure you do your research.

Phase 1: Eat whatever you like for a couple of days in order to refill your fat reserves. It may seem counter-intuitive, but dieters should not do the diet without this phase.

Phase 2: The very low calorie portion of the diet, in which you have to follow the specific 500 calorie diet plan.

Phase 3: During the stabilization phaseyou can slowly add new foods into your diet but need to avoid starchand sugar.

Phase 4: The maintenance phase where you reintroduce carbs and sugar back into your diet. A return to the real world of food!

The diet can be done a few times if you have a lot of weight to lose, but it should be noted that if you go back to your usual eating habits once the diet is over, youll gain the weight back, so the diet should be used as a way to reevaluate your diet and move forward in a healthy way.

The types of foods you can eat on an HCG meal plan are chosen for their fat, sugar, and carbohydrate amounts. You may only eat 200 grams of protein a day, twice a day, and you only eat two meals a day, lunch and dinner. During the 500 calorie diet phase you can drink coffee, water, and tea as much as you like, given you do not add sugar to your drinks, only stevia.

The food list is short, but its necessary, and many dieters recommend buying organic, or all-natural versions of the foods, which are easy to find these days in your regular grocery store. Only melba toast or grissini is allowed, very sparingly, but you can continue to use seasonings as long as they do not have oil or butter.

200 grams of protein a day, twice a day:

Crab

Extra lean, grass-fed Beef

Buffalo

Egg Whites (3)

Chicken

Scallops

Two cups per day, one cup per meal:

Onions

Green Salads

Asparagus

Celery

Broccoli

Spinach

Fennel

Cauliflower

Chard

Shallots

Tomatoes

Red Radish

Cabbage

Cucumbers

Beet Greens

Mixed Greens

Grapefruit

Apples

Strawberries

The food list for the diet is limited, but that doesnt mean you have to eat bland foods for weeks. The HCG diet is meant to give you a new perspective on what you eat, and to help you let go of bad eating habits, such as drinking excessive amounts of soda. Weve compiled a couple of great recipes in order to help you through your diet, and give you new options on your meal plans.

HCG 500 Calorie Diet Recipes

Chicken Stir Fry with Garlic Broccoli

3.5 oz Chicken Breast10 cloves of garlic1 cup of broccoli

2 Tbsp Water

1 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Since you are not using oil, you will need to use water and amino acids. Steam the broccoli for about 2 minutes, and stir it in with your cooked chicken into a pan. Add garlic, and liquid amino acid to taste.

Taco Wraps

100 grams of lean ground beef

2 tbsp diced onion

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp green onion

Cilantro

1 tsp chicken bouillon (check for sugar content)

1-2 tsp chili powder

Lettuce Leaves

In a pan, combine hamburger and onion and cook until beef is browned. Add in your spices, and serve in lettuce leaves, topping with cilantro.

Strawberry Slush Dessert

3 large strawberries

1 cup of ice

cup of cold water

10 drops of vanilla creme flavored stevia

Use a blender or food processor and crush the ice until it becomes powdery. Add in your other ingredients and puree until smooth.

The HCG diet can seem intimidating at first, with all of the rules, limited calorie intake and even daily injections. With new foods and even ways to get your daily HCG without an injection, the HCG diet has come a long way from the 1950s.

With careful planning, and determination, the HCG diet can be done successfully by just about anyone who sets their mind to it!

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What Is Regenerative Medicine? – Pain Doctor

Posted: May 14, 2019 at 6:47 am

One of the most promising and rapidly developing areas in the treatment of pain is regenerative medicine. These treatments helpthe body heal or rebuild itself. While, the body can naturally heal many types of injuries, newer techniques, such as stem cell therapy, may enhance the bodys ability to heal. But, what is regenerative medicine and how does it work?

Regenerative medicine uses cutting-edge therapies to help the body replace, re-engineer, or regenerate human cells, tissues, or organs that were damaged or injured. The most common applications of regenerative medicine are in new organ growth orrepair and cellular therapies. These both use a patients own cells to stimulate repair tissue and improve function.

The AABB reports that up to one in three people in the U.S. could benefit from regenerative medicine.

Patients with osteoarthritis of the hips and knees can use PRP therapies to stimulate the bodys own healing processes and reduce inflammation. Stem cell therapy could be used to revitalize worn-out intervertebral discs.In the very near future, patients could benefit from lab-grown bladder or heart transplants. These transplants would be derived from the patients very own cells to reduce the risk of transplant rejection or infection.

Regenerative medicine began when the first bone marrow and solid organ transplants were done decades ago. The first successful kidney transplant was in 1954. Successful liver, pancreas, and heart transplants took place in the 60s. From this perspective, regenerative medicine is a fairly established medical practice.

From there, regenerative medicine arose as atruly a cross-disciplinary approach to healthcare. As UPMC notes:

Regenerative medicine is a new field that brings together experts in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, genetics, medicine, robotics, and other fields to find solutions to some of the most challenging medical problems faced by humankind.

In the following TED talk, Alan Russell talks a bit aboutthe history of regenerative medicine andwhy so many healthcare professionals are excited about its potential uses.

There are three main types of regenerative therapy, as ARMI explains:

While scientists are working on new types of regenerative medicine that can actually create new body parts from a patients own cells and tissues, this research is still in its infancy. Regenerative medicine for self-repair and cellular therapy, however, is performed on patients today.

Regenerative cellular and self-repair therapies use the following processes:

When an embryo is developing in the womb, it starts out as a mass of stem cells. As the embryo grows, the stem cells multiply and become the specialized cells that make up a body.

Stem cells are body cells that have the potential to become the cells for many types of bodily tissues. Human embryos are a widely recognized and controversial source of stem cells, but stem cells can also be found in the body tissues of adults, such as bone marrow and blood as well as placental tissue. Other adult cells (e.g., skin cells) can be modified through the injection of specific genes or molecules to become stem cells. The various sources of stem cells often have different properties. They are generally capable of becoming some, but not all, types of cells.

Various treatments that involve the extraction of stem cells and their injection into damaged tissues have been developed. Some of these treatments involve taking a persons own stem cells and injecting them into a site of injury. Other treatments rely on stem cells from adult donors. Bone marrow is perhaps the most commonly-accessed source of adult stem cells for regenerative therapies. However, harvesting stem cells from bone marrow is still a surgical procedure requiring anesthesia or sedation.

Though medical research on these treatments is progressing, stem cell treatments are generally considered experimental. They are only approved in the United States as a part of clinical trials. These treatments hold great promise because they may be able to treat certain conditions, such as discogenic back pain, that are difficult to effectively relieve with other methods.

This video from Mayo Clinic gives a quick primer on stem cells.

Another regenerative medicine treatmentis called platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. This technique was developed in the 1970s and has been adopted in a variety of medical practices, such as orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery and sports medicine. This treatment gained wider recognition after a number of professional athletes were reported to use it to aid in their recoveries.

PRP therapy involves drawing a small volume of blood from the patient and spinning this blood in a centrifuge. This separates the blood into different layers, each containing concentrated amounts of the substances naturally found in blood: serum in the top layer, white blood cells and platelets in the middle layer, and red blood cells in the bottom layer.

The middle layer, known as PRP concentrate, is then separated from the rest of the blood. This PRP concentrate contains three to five times the normal concentration of the platelets and growth factors that are used in the bodys own healing process. This PRP concentrate is then injected back into the patients body at the site of their injury, for example, into the site of an injured tendon or ligament. This process is then repeated over the course of weeks with additional PRP concentrate being drawn and injected each time.

The platelets injected release hundreds of different proteins involved in the regeneration of tissues. Though research on this treatment continues, the existing research has shown increased healing of several different types of body tissues. Because the patient is injected only with concentrate from their own blood, PRP therapy avoids safety issues of ensuring donor compatibility when using blood and tissue donation.

A pain doctor from Arizona explains how platelet-rich plasma therapy works. You can also find out more about PRP therapy in our posts on the subject.

The process for acquiring the cells for regenerative therapy is different for each type, but the application of the therapy is a simple, straight-forward process no matter the cell type.

The acquisition of adult stem cells typically requires surgery. Amniotic cells come from the amniotic membrane of the placenta, so a placenta is required. This can be a patients own placenta thats been saved, or it can be from a family member. Immediate family members are more likely to be a close-enough match to ensure the cells wont be rejected.

Platelet-rich plasma requires a blood draw. A patients blood is spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelets. The concentrated platelets are combined with residual blood, and the resultant compound is injected into the painful location on the body. From beginning to end, the process of drawing and preparing the blood and injecting the platelet-rich plasma takes between one and two hours.

After the regenerative cells have been injected, the patient is usually able to go home immediately. While physicians often suggest avoiding any strenuous activity for a few days, its possible to go back to regular day-to-day activities right away. Some irritation, soreness, bruising, or other minor discomforts might be present for a few days, but generally there are few side effects of regenerative therapy.

The injected regenerative cells should stimulate the healing and the growth of new tissue. For instance, in degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis, this may mean the growth of new cartilage around joints. With torn muscles or ligaments, regenerative therapy should support the growth of new tissues to heal the injury.

Chronic pain is often the after-effect of degeneration, injury, or illness. Part of the body is left damaged somehow, and that damage causes pain. Most pain therapies concentrate on controlling the pain with medications, injections, or devices that block pain signals in one way or another.

Regenerative therapies are well-suited to treating musculoskeletal pain, or pain thats caused by something in the muscles or bones. Conditions that can respond well to regenerative therapies include:

Compared to other chronic pain therapies, regenerativemedicine has an extremely low risk of side effects.

Regenerative therapies typically involve nothing more than an injection to the painful area of the body, making them very safe. Because the injected compound, whether its stem cells, amniotic cells, or platelet-rich plasma, is usually from the patients own body to begin with, theres almost no risk of infection.

Additionally, one of the biggest risks in the transplant of biological materials, such as organ transplants, is rejection. This is when the body realizes that the transplanted material is foreign and attacks it. However, since the cells used in regenerative therapy are the patients own natural cells, there is no chance at all of rejection.

Stem cell therapy utilizing adult stem cells from the bone marrow is the exception. The harvesting process requires a surgical procedure, which carries the same risks as any other surgery. If, however, the procured stem cells are used on the same person theyre from, this still has the benefit of being extremely low-risk for infection, with no risk of rejection.

It often takes at least two weeks to notice any difference in pain after regenerative therapy, although in some people it may take even longer. In some cases, there may be no discernable pain reduction after regenerative therapy. However, because of its low risk of side effects, it may still be worth discussing this treatment option with a physician.

Regenerative medicine is already available today, in many different applications. According to the NIH:

Naturealso keeps a running list of the scholarly articles about current regenerative medicine research and trials.

As to wide-spread availability of these therapies, that depends. Since stem cell and regenerative medicine is still in its infancy, many insurance providers dont cover the cost of these procedures. That means many procedures are paid out of pocket. You may find discounted optionsby reaching out to pain clinics and independent medical groups who are performing their own studies and patient trials onregenerative medicine.

Once there is more solid research backing these procedures, regenerative medicine should become more easily available and cost-effective for all patients.

From made-to-order organs to smart biomaterials that could help form functional tissues, the possibilities and future of regenerative medicine is endless. The NIH notes:

Imagine a world where there is no donor organ shortage, where victims of spinal cord injuries can walk, and where weakened hearts are replaced. This is the long-term promise of regenerative medicine, a rapidly developing field with the potential to transform the treatment of human disease through the development of innovative new therapies that offer a faster, more complete recovery with significantly fewer side effects or risk of complications.

Organizationslike the Stanford Medicine Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Mayo Clinics Center for Regenerative Medicine areat the forefront of researching new applications for regenerative medicine.

Many healthcare researchers today are grappling with the questions of what is regenerative medicine and what potential uses it can have for patients. To learn more about the future of regenerative medicine, check out the following articles:

Regenerative medicine clinics can be found in larger medical institutions like Mayo Clinic or Stanford Medicine, however there are also local doctors in your area who are running stem cell and regenerative medicine trials for their patients. Pain clinics, in particular, are offering regenerative therapies for conditions like arthritis and back pain.

You can find a pain clinic in your area by clicking the button below. The clinicsServices page will list which regenerative therapies they offer. Or, you can call their office and ask.

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Stem Cell – Lung Biology | College of Medicine …

Posted: May 13, 2019 at 3:57 pm

July 15-18, 2019Hosted by the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

This bi-annual invitational event draws top researchers in the field, and their trainees, from around the globe. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss recent research, explore opportunities for new collaborations, and identify the most important needs and priorities for future programs in stem cell, cell therapy, and bioengineering approaches to explore lung biology and/or prevent and treat lung diseases.

Active participation by all participants is important for a conference of this size. Therefore, if you have never attended before and would like to attend without submitting an abstract, please tell us how you heard about the conference and the name of the lab with which you are associated (or simply why you would like to attend) so we can pass this information along to the course directors for their consideration. Your inquiry is welcome. Please email theconference assistant.

Oral Presentation Travel Awards will be awarded to Junior Investigators and Trainees whose abstracts are selected through a blinded review process. Each of the top nine abstracts will be selected for oral presentation to the conference. Included among these awards will be the John W. Walsh Memorial Travel Scholarship, as well as two awards for women-minority-those with disability. The oral presentation/travel awards will cover the conference fee and will provide a bursary to use toward travel and housing arrangements.

In addition to the oral awards, two additional abstracts will be awarded Poster Presentation Awards based on the presentation at the conference, and registration fees will be reimbursed.

All submissions for travel award consideration must be submitted by April 30, 2019 via an online abstract submission form.

In addition to abstracts not selected for an award, Poster Presentation consideration will be given to abstracts submitted by any registrant who submits an abstract by May 31, 2019.

For more details about submitting an abstract, see the Awards and Abstracts page.

Due to popular request, we will repeat an expanded hands-on session scheduled from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Monday, July 15, along with a new track for professional skills. The two workshop sessions will run in separate tracks and are geared primarily toward trainees and junior investigators, but all investigators are welcome to attend.

Track 1: Practical/Theoretical Course on State-of-the-Art Methods in Stem Cells, Cell Therapies and Bioengineering will explore the latest techniques for lung regenerative studies, including considerations for single-cell sequencing, 4D microscopy and virtual reality exploration of complex data sets.

Track 2: Professional Skills Course will develop scientific communication skills in the form of presentations, elevator pitches, and communicating with the public.

For more information, see our Pre-Conference Workshop page.

The 2019 conference will again feature an elevator pitch competition where interested Junior Investigators and Trainees are invited to present a one-minute synopsis of their research. This competition will be judged during Session III on Tuesday, July 16. The top two elevator pitches will receive reimbursement of conference fees. For more information, see our Elevator Pitch page.

We have discounted room rates available for conference registrants at both the Hotel Vermont and the Courtyard Burlington Harbor Hotel, near the waterfront in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Registrants for the conference should contact hotels directly or book online. Room rate discounts expire on Friday, June 14, 2019.

For hotel phone numbers and online-reservation links, see the Lodging Information page.

Cancellation Policy: If your plans change and you need to cancel your registration, please do so by contacting us in writing at least 21 days prior to the start of the meeting (by June 24, 2019). You will receive a full refund minus a $200 cancellation fee. Regrettably, cancellations received fewer than 21 days prior to the commencement of the conference are not eligible for a refund. Substitutions can be processed at no charge. Finally, if you cannot attend the entire conference for any reason, we will not be able to prorate your registration fee.

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae – Wikipedia

Posted: May 13, 2019 at 3:57 pm

Saccharomyces cerevisiae () is a species of yeast. It has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have been originally isolated from the skin of grapes (one can see the yeast as a component of the thin white film on the skins of some dark-colored fruits such as plums; it exists among the waxes of the cuticle). It is one of the most intensively studied eukaryotic model organisms in molecular and cell biology, much like Escherichia coli as the model bacterium. It is the microorganism behind the most common type of fermentation. S.cerevisiae cells are round to ovoid, 510m in diameter. It reproduces by a division process known as budding.[1]

Many proteins important in human biology were first discovered by studying their homologs in yeast; these proteins include cell cycle proteins, signaling proteins, and protein-processing enzymes. S. cerevisiae is currently the only yeast cell known to have Berkeley bodies present, which are involved in particular secretory pathways. Antibodies against S.cerevisiae are found in 6070% of patients with Crohn's disease and 1015% of patients with ulcerative colitis (and 8% of healthy controls).[2] S. cerevisiae, a yeast, have been found to contribute to the smell of bread by Schieberle (1990); proline, and ornithine present in yeast are precursors of 2acetyllpyrroline, a roastsmelling odorant, in the bread crust.[3]

"Saccharomyces" derives from Latinized Greek and means "sugar-mold" or "sugar-fungus", saccharon () being the combining form "sugar" and myces () being "fungus". cerevisiae comes from Latin and means "of beer". Other names for the organism are:

This species is also the main source of nutritional yeast and yeast extract.

In the 19th century, bread bakers obtained their yeast from beer brewers, and this led to sweet-fermented breads such as the Imperial "Kaisersemmel" roll,[5]which in general lacked the sourness created by the acidification typical of Lactobacillus. However, beer brewers slowly switched from top-fermenting (S. cerevisiae) to bottom-fermenting (S. pastorianus) yeast and this created a shortage of yeast for making bread, so the Vienna Process was developed in 1846.[6]While the innovation is often popularly credited for using steam in baking ovens, leading to a different crust characteristic, it is notable for including procedures for high milling of grains (see Vienna grits[7]),cracking them incrementally instead of mashing them with one pass; as well as better processes for growing and harvesting top-fermenting yeasts, known as press-yeast.

Refinements in microbiology following the work of Louis Pasteur led to more advanced methods of culturing pure strains. In 1879, Great Britain introduced specialized growing vats for the production of S. cerevisiae, and in the United States around the turn of the century centrifuges were used for concentrating the yeast,[8]making modern commercial yeast possible, and turning yeast production into a major industrial endeavor. The slurry yeast made by small bakers and grocery shops became cream yeast, a suspension of live yeast cells in growth medium, and then compressed yeast, the fresh cake yeast that became the standard leaven for bread bakers in much of the Westernized world during the early 20th century.

During World War II, Fleischmann's developed a granulated active dry yeast for the United States armed forces, which did not require refrigeration and had a longer shelf-life and better temperature tolerance than fresh yeast; it is still the standard yeast for US military recipes. The company created yeast that would rise twice as fast, cutting down on baking time. Lesaffre would later create instant yeast in the 1970s, which has gained considerable use and market share at the expense of both fresh and dry yeast in their various applications.

In nature, yeast cells are found primarily on ripe fruits such as grapes (before maturation, grapes are almost free of yeasts).[9] Since S. cerevisiae is not airborne, it requires a vector to move.

Queens of social wasps overwintering as adults (Vespa crabro and Polistes spp.) can harbor yeast cells from autumn to spring and transmit them to their progeny.[10] The intestine of Polistes dominula, a social wasp, hosts S. cerevisiae strains as well as S. cerevisiae S. paradoxus hybrids. Stefanini et al. (2016) showed that the intestine of Polistes dominula favors the mating of S. cerevisiae strains, both among themselves and with S. paradoxus cells by providing environmental conditions prompting cell sporulation and spores germination.[11]

The optimum temperature for growth of S. cerevisiae is 3035C (8695F).[10]

Two forms of yeast cells can survive and grow: haploid and diploid. The haploid cells undergo a simple lifecycle of mitosis and growth, and under conditions of high stress will, in general, die. This is the asexual form of the fungus. The diploid cells (the preferential 'form' of yeast) similarly undergo a simple lifecycle of mitosis and growth. The rate at which the mitotic cell cycle progresses often differs substantially between haploid and diploid cells.[12] Under conditions of stress, diploid cells can undergo sporulation, entering meiosis and producing four haploid spores, which can subsequently mate. This is the sexual form of the fungus. Under optimal conditions, yeast cells can double their population every 100minutes.[13][14] However, growth rates vary enormously both between strains and between environments.[15] Mean replicative lifespan is about 26cell divisions.[16][17]

In the wild, recessive deleterious mutations accumulate during long periods of asexual reproduction of diploids, and are purged during selfing: this purging has been termed "genome renewal".[18][19]

All strains of S.cerevisiae can grow aerobically on glucose, maltose, and trehalose and fail to grow on lactose and cellobiose. However, growth on other sugars is variable. Galactose and fructose are shown to be two of the best fermenting sugars. The ability of yeasts to use different sugars can differ depending on whether they are grown aerobically or anaerobically. Some strains cannot grow anaerobically on sucrose and trehalose.

All strains can use ammonia and urea as the sole nitrogen source, but cannot use nitrate, since they lack the ability to reduce them to ammonium ions. They can also use most amino acids, small peptides, and nitrogen bases as nitrogen sources. Histidine, glycine, cystine, and lysine are, however, not readily used. S.cerevisiae does not excrete proteases, so extracellular protein cannot be metabolized.

Yeasts also have a requirement for phosphorus, which is assimilated as a dihydrogen phosphate ion, and sulfur, which can be assimilated as a sulfate ion or as organic sulfur compounds such as the amino acids methionine and cysteine. Some metals, like magnesium, iron, calcium, and zinc, are also required for good growth of the yeast.

Concerning organic requirements, most strains of S. cerevisiae require biotin. Indeed, a S. cerevisiae-based growth assay laid the foundation for the isolation, crystallisation, and later structural determination of biotin. Most strains also require pantothenate for full growth. In general, S. cerevisiae is prototrophic for vitamins.

Yeast has two mating types, a and (alpha), which show primitive aspects of sex differentiation.[20] As in many other eukaryotes, mating leads to genetic recombination, i.e. production of novel combinations of chromosomes. Two haploid yeast cells of opposite mating type can mate to form diploid cells that can either sporulate to form another generation of haploid cells or continue to exist as diploid cells. Mating has been exploited by biologists as a tool to combine genes, plasmids, or proteins at will.

The mating pathway employs a G protein-coupled receptor, G protein, RGS protein, and three-tiered MAPK signaling cascade that is homologous to those found in humans. This feature has been exploited by biologists to investigate basic mechanisms of signal transduction and desensitization.

Growth in yeast is synchronised with the growth of the bud, which reaches the size of the mature cell by the time it separates from the parent cell. In well nourished, rapidly growing yeast cultures, all the cells can be seen to have buds, since bud formation occupies the whole cell cycle. Both mother and daughter cells can initiate bud formation before cell separation has occurred. In yeast cultures growing more slowly, cells lacking buds can be seen, and bud formation only occupies a part of the cell cycle.

Cytokinesis enables budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to divide into two daughter cells. S. cerevisiae forms a bud which can grow throughout its cell cycle and later leaves its mother cell when mitosis has completed.[21]

S. cerevisiae is relevant to cell cycle studies because it divides asymmetrically by using a polarized cell to make two daughters with different fates and sizes. Similarly, stem cells use asymmetric division for self-renewal and differentiation.[22]

For many cells, M phase does not happen until S phase is complete. However, for entry into mitosis in S. cerevisiae this is not true. Cytokinesis begins with the budding process in late G1 and is not completed until about halfway through the next cycle. The assembly of the spindle can happen before S phase has finished duplicating the chromosomes.[21] Additionally, there is a lack of clearly defined G2 in between M and S. Thus, there is a lack of extensive regulation present in higher eukaryotes.[21]

When the daughter emerges, the daughter is two-thirds the size of the mother.[23] Throughout the process, the mother displays little to no change in size.[24] The RAM pathway is activated in the daughter cell immediately after cytokinesis is complete. This pathway makes sure that the daughter has separated properly.[23]

Two interdependent events drive cytokinesis in S. cerevisiae. The first event is contractile actomyosin ring (AMR) constriction and the second event is formation of the primary septum (PS), a chitinous cell wall structure that can only be formed during cytokinesis. The PS resembles in animals the process of extracellular matrix remodeling.[23] When the AMR constricts, the PS begins to grow. Disrupting AMR misorients the PS, suggesting that both have a dependent role. Additionally, disrupting the PS also leads to disruptions in the AMR, suggesting both the actomyosin ring and primary septum have an interdependent relationship.[25][24]

The AMR, which is attached to the cell membrane facing the cytosol, consists of actin and myosin II molecules that coordinate the cells to split.[21] The ring is thought to play an important role in ingression of the plasma membrane as a contractile force.

Proper coordination and correct positional assembly of the contractile ring depends on septins, which is the precursor to the septum ring. These GTPases assemble complexes with other proteins. The septins form a ring at the site where the bud will be created during late G1. They help promote the formation of the actin-myosin ring, although this mechanism is unknown. It is suggested they help provide structural support for other necessary cytokinesis processes.[21] After a bud emerges, the septin ring forms an hourglass. The septin hourglass and the myosin ring together are the beginning of the future division site.

The septin and AMR complex progress to form the primary septum consisting of glucans and other chitinous molecules sent by vesicles from the Golgi body.[26] After AMR constriction is complete, two secondary septums are formed by glucans. How the AMR ring dissembles remains poorly unknown.[22]

Microtubules do not play as significant a role in cytokinesis compared to the AMR and septum. Disruption of microtubules did not significantly impair polarized growth.[27] Thus, the AMR and septum formation are the major drivers of cytokinesis.

When researchers look for an organism to use in their studies, they look for several traits. Among these are size, generation time, accessibility, manipulation, genetics, conservation of mechanisms, and potential economic benefit. The yeast species S. pombe and S. cerevisiae are both well studied; these two species diverged approximately 600to300 million years ago, and are significant tools in the study of DNA damage and repair mechanisms.[29]

S. cerevisiae has developed as a model organism because it scores favorably on a number of these criteria.

S. cerevisiae has been highly studied as a model organism to better understand aging for more than five decades and has contributed to the identification of more mammalian genes affecting aging than any other model organism.[31] Some of the topics studied using yeast are calorie restriction, as well as in genes and cellular pathways involved in senescence. The two most common methods of measuring aging in yeast are Replicative Life Span, which measures the number of times a cell divides, and Chronological Life Span, which measures how long a cell can survive in a non-dividing stasis state.[31] Limiting the amount of glucose or amino acids in the growth medium has been shown to increase RLS and CLS in yeast as well as other organisms.[32] At first, this was thought to increase RLS by up-regulating the sir2 enzyme, however it was later discovered that this effect is independent of sir2. Over-expression of the genes sir2 and fob1 has been shown to increase RLS by preventing the accumulation of extrachromosomal rDNA circles, which are thought to be one of the causes of senescence in yeast.[32] The effects of dietary restriction may be the result of a decreased signaling in the TOR cellular pathway.[31] This pathway modulates the cell's response to nutrients, and mutations that decrease TOR activity were found to increase CLS and RLS.[31][32] This has also been shown to be the case in other animals.[31][32] A yeast mutant lacking the genes sch9 and ras2 has recently been shown to have a tenfold increase in chronological lifespan under conditions of calorie restriction and is the largest increase achieved in any organism.[33][34]

Mother cells give rise to progeny buds by mitotic divisions, but undergo replicative aging over successive generations and ultimately die. However, when a mother cell undergoes meiosis and gametogenesis, lifespan is reset.[35] The replicative potential of gametes (spores) formed by aged cells is the same as gametes formed by young cells, indicating that age-associated damage is removed by meiosis from aged mother cells. This observation suggests that during meiosis removal of age-associated damages leads to rejuvenation. However, the nature of these damages remains to be established.

During starvation of non-replicating S. cerevisiae cells, reactive oxygen species increase leading to the accumulation of DNA damages such as apurinic/apyrimidinic sites and double-strand breaks.[36] Also in non-replicating cells the ability to repair endognous double-strand breaks declines during chronological aging.[37]

S. cerevisiae reproduces by mitosis as diploid cells when nutrients are abundant. However, when starved, these cells undergo meiosis to form haploid spores.[38]

Evidence from studies of S. cerevisiae bear on the adaptive function of meiosis and recombination. Mutations defective in genes essential for meiotic and mitotic recombination in S. cerevisiae cause increased sensitivity to radiation or DNA damaging chemicals.[39][40] For instance, gene rad52 is required for both meiotic recombination[41] and mitotic recombination.[42] Rad52 mutants have increased sensitivity to killing by X-rays, Methyl methanesulfonate and the DNA cross-linking agent 8-methoxypsoralen-plus-UVA, and show reduced meiotic recombination.[40][41][43] These findings suggest that recombination repair during meiosis and mitosis is needed for repair of the different damages caused by these agents.

Ruderfer et al.[39] (2006) analyzed the ancestry of natural S. cerevisiae strains and concluded that outcrossing occurs only about once every 50,000 cell divisions. Thus, it appears that in nature, mating is likely most often between closely related yeast cells. Mating occurs when haploid cells of opposite mating type MATa and MAT come into contact. Ruderfer et al.[39] pointed out that such contacts are frequent between closely related yeast cells for two reasons. The first is that cells of opposite mating type are present together in the same ascus, the sac that contains the cells directly produced by a single meiosis, and these cells can mate with each other. The second reason is that haploid cells of one mating type, upon cell division, often produce cells of the opposite mating type with which they can mate. The relative rarity in nature of meiotic events that result from outcrossing is inconsistent with the idea that production of genetic variation is the main selective force maintaining meiosis in this organism. However, this finding is consistent with the alternative idea that the main selective force maintaining meiosis is enhanced recombinational repair of DNA damage,[44][45][46] since this benefit is realized during each meiosis, whether or not out-crossing occurs.

S. cerevisiae was the first eukaryotic genome to be completely sequenced.[47] The genome sequence was released to the public domain on April 24, 1996. Since then, regular updates have been maintained at the Saccharomyces Genome Database. This database is a highly annotated and cross-referenced database for yeast researchers. Another important S.cerevisiae database is maintained by the Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS). The S. cerevisiae genome is composed of about 12,156,677 base pairs and 6,275 genes, compactly organized on 16 chromosomes.[47] Only about 5,800 of these genes are believed to be functional. It is estimated at least 31% of yeast genes have homologs in the human genome.[48] Yeast genes are classified using gene symbols (such as sch9) or systematic names. In the latter case the 16 chromosomes of yeast are represented by the letters A to P, then the gene is further classified by a sequence number on the left or right arm of the chromosome, and a letter showing which of the two DNA strands contains its coding sequence.[49]

Examples:

The availability of the S.cerevisiae genome sequence and a set of deletion mutants covering 90% of the yeast genome[50] has further enhanced the power of S.cerevisiae as a model for understanding the regulation of eukaryotic cells. A project underway to analyze the genetic interactions of all double-deletion mutants through synthetic genetic array analysis will take this research one step further. The goal is to form a functional map of the cell's processes.

As of 2010[update] a model of genetic interactions is most comprehensive yet to be constructed, containing "the interaction profiles for ~75% of all genes in the Budding yeast".[51] This model was made from 5.4 million two-gene comparisons in which a double gene knockout for each combination of the genes studied was performed. The effect of the double knockout on the fitness of the cell was compared to the expected fitness. Expected fitness is determined from the sum of the results on fitness of single-gene knockouts for each compared gene. When there is a change in fitness from what is expected, the genes are presumed to interact with each other. This was tested by comparing the results to what was previously known. For example, the genes Par32, Ecm30, and Ubp15 had similar interaction profiles to genes involved in the Gap1-sorting module cellular process. Consistent with the results, these genes, when knocked out, disrupted that process, confirming that they are part of it.[51]

From this, 170,000 gene interactions were found and genes with similar interaction patterns were grouped together. Genes with similar genetic interaction profiles tend to be part of the same pathway or biological process.[52] This information was used to construct a global network of gene interactions organized by function. This network can be used to predict the function of uncharacterized genes based on the functions of genes they are grouped with.[51]

Approaches that can be applied in many different fields of biological and medicinal science have been developed by yeast scientists. These include yeast two-hybrid for studying protein interactions and tetrad analysis. Other resources, include a gene deletion library including ~4,700 viable haploid single gene deletion strains. A GFP fusion strain library used to study protein localisation and a TAP tag library used to purify protein from yeast cell extracts.[citation needed]

The international Synthetic Yeast Genome Project (Sc2.0 or Saccharomyces cerevisiae version 2.0) aims to build an entirely designer, customizable, synthetic S. cerevisiae genome from scratch that is more stable than the wild type. In the synthetic genome all transposons, repetitive elements and many introns are removed, all UAG stop codons are replaced with UAA, and transfer RNA genes are moved to a novel neochromosome. As of March2017[update], 6 of the 16 chromosomes have been synthesized and tested. No significant fitness defects have been found.[53]

Among other microorganisms, a sample of living S.cerevisiae was included in the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment, which would have completed a three-year interplanetary round-trip in a small capsule aboard the Russian Fobos-Grunt spacecraft, launched in late 2011.[54][55] The goal was to test whether selected organisms could survive a few years in deep space by flying them through interplanetary space. The experiment would have tested one aspect of transpermia, the hypothesis that life could survive space travel, if protected inside rocks blasted by impact off one planet to land on another.[54][55][56] Fobos-Grunt's mission ended unsuccessfully, however, when it failed to escape low Earth orbit. The spacecraft along with its instruments fell into the Pacific Ocean in an uncontrolled re-entry on January 15, 2012. The next planned exposure mission in deep space using S. cerevisiae is BioSentinel. (see: List of microorganisms tested in outer space)

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used in brewing beer, when it is sometimes called a top-fermenting or top-cropping yeast. It is so called because during the fermentation process its hydrophobic surface causes the flocs to adhere to CO2 and rise to the top of the fermentation vessel. Top-fermenting yeasts are fermented at higher temperatures than the lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus, and the resulting beers have a different flavor than the same beverage fermented with a lager yeast. "Fruity esters" may be formed if the yeast undergoes temperatures near 21C (70F), or if the fermentation temperature of the beverage fluctuates during the process. Lager yeast normally ferments at a temperature of approximately 5C (41F), where Saccharomyces cerevisiae becomes dormant. A variant yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus is a beer spoiler which can cause secondary fermentations in packaged products.[57]

In May 2013, the Oregon legislature made S. cerevisiae the official state microbe in recognition of the impact craft beer brewing has had on the state economy and the state's identity.[58]

S. cerevisiae is used in baking; the carbon dioxide generated by the fermentation is used as a leavening agent in bread and other baked goods. Historically, this use was closely linked to the brewing industry's use of yeast, as bakers took or bought the barm or yeast-filled foam from brewing ale from the brewers (producing the barm cake); today, brewing and baking yeast strains are somewhat different.

Owing to the high cost of commercial CO2 cylinder systems, CO2 injection by yeast is one of the most popular DIY approaches followed by aquaculturists for providing CO2 to underwater aquatic plants. The yeast culture is, in general, maintained in plastic bottles, and typical systems provide one bubble every 37 seconds. Various approaches have been devised to allow proper absorption of the gas into the water.[59]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used as a probiotic in humans and animals. Especially, a strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii is industrially manufactured and clinically used as a medication.

Several clinical and experimental studies have shown that Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii is, to lesser or greater extent, useful for prevention or treatment of several gastrointestinal diseases.[60] Moderate quality evidence shown Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii to reduce risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea both in adults[61][60][62] and in children[61][60] and to reduce risk of adverse effects of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy[63][60][62]. Also some limited evidence support efficacy of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii in prevention (but not treatment) of travelers diarrhea[60][62] and, at least as an adjunct medication, in treatment of acute diarrhea in adults and children and of persistent diarrhea in children[60].

Administration of S. cerevisiae var. boulardii is considered generally safe[62]. In clinical trials it was well tolerated by patients, and adverse effects rate was similar to that in control groups (i. e. groups with placebo or no treatment)[61]. No case of S. cerevisiae var. boulardii fungemia has been reported during clinical trials[62].

In clinical practice, however, cases of fungemia, caused by Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii are reported[62][60]. Patients with compromised immunity or those with central vascular catheters are at especial risk. Some researchers have recommended not to use Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii for treatment of such patients[62]. Others suggest only that caution must be exercised with its use in risk group patients[60].

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is proven to be an opportunistic human pathogen, though of relatively low virulence[64]. Despite widespread use of this microorganism at home and in industry, contact with it very rarely leads to infection[65]. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found in the skin, oral cavity, oropharinx, duodenal mucosa, digestive tract and vagina of healthy humans[66] (one review found it to be reported for 6% of samples from human intestine[67]). Some specialists consider S. cerevisiae to be a part of normal microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory tract and the vagina of humans[68] while others believes that the species cannot be called a true commensal and originates in food[67][69]. Presence of S. cerevisiae in human digestive system may be rather transient[69], for example experiments show that in the case of oral administration to healthy individuals it is eliminated from the intestine within 5 days after the end of administration[67][65].

Under certain circumstances, however, such as degraded immunity, Saccharomyces cerevisiae can cause infection in humans[65][64]. Studies show that it causes 0.45-1.06% of the cases of yeast-induced vaginitis. In some cases women suffering from S. cerevisiae-induced vaginal infection were intimate partners of bakers, and the strain was found to be the same that their partners used for baking. As of 1999, no cases of S. cerevisiae-induced vaginitis in women, who worked in bakeries themselves, were reported in scientific literature. Some cases were linked by researchers to the use of the yeast in home baking[64]. Cases of infection of oral cavity and pharynx caused by S. cerevisiae are also known.[64]

Occasionally Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes invasive infections (i. e. gets into the bloodstream or other normally sterile body fluid or into a deep site tissue, such as lungs, liver or spleen) that can go systemic (involve multiple organs). Such conditions are life-threatening.[64][69] More than 30% cases of S. cerevisiae invasive infections lead to death even if treated.[69] S. cerevisiae invasive infections, however, are much rarer than invasive infections caused by Candida albicans[64][70] even in patients weakened by cancer[70]. S. cerevisiae causes 1% to 3.6% nosocomial cases of fungemia.[69] A comprehensive review of S. cerevisiae invasive infection cases found all patients to have at least one predisposing condition.[69]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae may enter the bloodstream or get to other deep sites of the body by translocation from oral or enteral mucosa or through contamination of intravascular catheters (e. g. central venous catheters).[68] Intravascular catheters, antibiotic therapy and compromised immunity are major predisposing factors for S. cerevisiae invasive infection.[69]

A number of cases of fungemia were caused by intentional ingestion of living S. cerevisiae cultures for dietary or therapeutic reasons, including use of Saccharomyces boulardii (a strain of S. cerevisiae which is used as a probiotic for treatment of certain forms of diarrhea).[64][69] Saccharomices boulardii causes about 40% cases of invasive Saccharomyces infections[69] and is more likely (in comparison to other S. cerevisiae strains) to cause invasive infection in humans without general problems with immunity[69], though such adverse effect is very rare relative to Saccharomices boulardii therapeutic administration[71].

S. boulardii may contaminate intravascular catheters through hands of medical personnel involved in administering probiotic preparations of S. boulardii to patients.[69]

Systemic infection usually occurs in patients who have their immunity compromised due to severe illness (HIV/AIDS, leukemia, other forms of cancer) or certain medical procedures (bone marrow transplantation, abdominal surgery).[64]

A case was reported when a nodule was surgically excised from a lung of a man embloyed in baking business, and examination of the tissue revealed presense of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Inhalation of dry baking yeast powder is supposed to be the source of infection in this case.[72][69]

Not all strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are equally virulent towards humans. Most environmental strains are not capable to grow at temperatures above 35C (i. e. at temperatures of living body of humans and other mammalian). Virulent strains, however, are capable to grow at least above 37C and often up to 39C (rarely up to 42C).[66] Some industrial strains are also capable to grow above 37C.[64] European Food Safety Authority (as of 2017) requires that all S. cerevisiae strains capable of growth above 37C that are added to the food or feed chain in viable form must, as to be qualified presumably safe, show no resistance to antimycotic drugs used for treatment of yeast infections[73].

The ability to grow at elevated temperatures is an important factor for strain's virulence but not the sole one.[66]

Other traits that are usually believed to be associated with virulence are: ability to produce certain enzymes such as proteinase[64] and phospholipase[66], invasive growth[66] (i.e. growth with intrusion into the nutrient medium), ability to adhere to mammalian cells[66], ability to survive in the presence of hydrogen peroxide[66] (that is used by macrophages to kill foreign microorganisms in the body) and other abilities allowing the yeast to resist or influence immune response of the host body[66]. Ability to form branching chains of cells, known as pseudohyphae is also sometimes sait to be associated with virulence[64][66], though some research suggests that this trait may be common to both virulent and non-virulent strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae[66].

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae - Wikipedia

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Genetic Engineering: Career Scope, Courses & Job Scenario

Posted: May 13, 2019 at 3:56 pm

Today, Genetic Engineering is one of the top career choices made by students in engineering courses.

What is Genetic Engineering?

Genetic Engineering is also referred as genetic modification. It is a process of manually adding new DNA to a living organism through artificial methods.

Genetic Engineering is a method of physically removing a gene from one organism and inserting it to another and giving it the ability to express the qualities given by that gene.

Some examples of genetic engineering are Faster-growing trees, Bigger, longer-lasting tomatoes, Glow in the dark cats, Golden rice, Plants that fight pollution, banana vaccine, etc.

Genetic Engineering is that field which is related to genes & DNA. Genetic engineering is used by scientists to improve or modify the traits of an individual organism.

Want to know more about it?

An organism which is generated by applying genetic engineering is called as genetically modified organism (GMO). The first GMO were Bacteria generated in 1973 and GM mice in 1974.

The techniques of genetic engineering have been applied in various fields such as research, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and medicine. Genetic engineering focuses on biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, evolutionary biology, and medical genetics.

The term genetic engineering was firstly used by Jack Williamson in Dragons Island a science fiction novel. In 1973 Paul Berg father of genetic engineering invents a method of joining DNA from two different organisms.

Genetic engineering is used in medicine, research, industry and agriculture and can also be used on a wide range of plants, animals and micro organisms.

Medicine Genetic engineering in the field of medicine is used in manufacturing drugs. The concepts of genetic engineering have been applied in doing laboratory research and in gene therapy.

Agriculture In Agriculture, genetic engineering is used to create genetically modified crops or genetically modified organisms in order to produce genetically modified foods.

Research Scientists uses the genetic engineering in their various researches. Genes from various organisms are converted into bacteria for storage and modification, creating genetically modified bacteria.

What are the courses in this field?

You may also check:

Courses After 12th Science

Genetic engineering is a specialization of biotechnology. It can also be studied as a separate specialization. There are many undergraduate and postgraduate courses available in this field. Some most sought courses opted by students for genetic engineering are listed below:

Bachelor Courses:

Master Courses:

Here, we are mentioning some specializations available in genetic engineering. These are as follows:

Also Check:

Courses After 12th

For admission in UG courses, students must have passed 12th Science exam. In India, most of the colleges give admission on the basis of ranks secured in JEE Main 2019. Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) is usually conducted in the month of April. Some institutions also provides admission on merit basis. For IITs, it is necessary for students to qualify JEE Advanced 2019after clearing JEE Main.

For admission in PG courses, students should hold a bachelor degree in genetic engineering from any recognized university. Mostly GATE 2019score card will be considered for admission in pg courses. On the basis of GATE scores, candidates can apply for admission in Master of Engineering/ Master of Technology courses.

Top colleges which offers various courses in genetic engineering:

Today, demand for genetic engineers is rising in India as well as abroad.

After pursuing courses in genetic engineering, you can work in medical and pharmaceutical industries, research and development departments, agricultural sector, genetic engineering firms, chemical companies, etc. A genetic engineer can work in both private and public sectors.

Genetic engineering graduates are required in government as well as private organizations.

There is a great growth of genetic engineering in India as well as in abroad. With the increasing number of biotech firms in India, the future scope in genetic engineering is good.

The graduates of this field can also opt teaching as a career. Numerous colleges are introducing genetic engineering course in their colleges and for that they recruit professionals of this field.

To become a genetic engineering research scientist, you need a doctoral degree in a biological science. The genetic engineering research scientist can become project leaders or administrators of entire research programs.

Responsibilities of a genetic engineer:

The National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi

The Centre for DNA Fingerprint and Diagnostics, Hyderabad

The Institute of Genomic and Integrative Biology, Delhi

Biochemical Engineering Research and Process Development Centre, Chandigarh

How much salary should I expect as a genetic engineering?

Salary packages of a genetic engineer are based on qualification, experience, working area, etc. You can get a handsome salary package after gaining the sufficient experience in this field.

The average salary of a well-qualified genetic engineer is Rs. 20,000 to 35,000 per month. They can earn more in the private sector as compared to the public sector.

Which are the best books for genetic Engineering?

Here we have listed some books which will help you throughout your studies:

For any queries regarding Genetic Engineering, you may leave your comments below.

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Genetic Engineering: Career Scope, Courses & Job Scenario

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Human Genetic Engineering – Probe Ministries

Posted: May 13, 2019 at 3:56 pm

Although much has occurred in this field since this article was written in 2000, the questions addressed by Dr. Bohlin are still timely and relevant. Is manipulating our genetic code simply a tool or does it deal with deeper issues? Dealing with genetic engineering must be done within the context of the broader ethical and theological issues involved. In the article, Dr. Bohlin provides an excellent summary driven from his biblical worldview perspective.

Genetic technology harbors the potential to change the human species forever. The soon to be completed Human Genome Project will empower genetic scientists with a human biological instruction book. The genes in all our cells contain the code for proteins that provide the structure and function to all our tissues and organs. Knowing this complete code will open new horizons for treating and perhaps curing diseases that have remained mysteries for millennia. But along with the commendable and compassionate use of genetic technology comes the specter of both shadowy purposes and malevolent aims.

For some, the potential for misuse is reason enough for closing the door completelythe benefits just arent worth the risks. In this article, Id like to explore the application of genetic technology to human beings and apply biblical wisdom to the eventual ethical quagmires that are not very far away. In this section well investigate the various ways humans can be engineered.

Since we have introduced foreign genes into the embryos of mice, cows, sheep, and pigs for years, theres no technological reason to suggest that it cant be done in humans too. Currently, there are two ways of pursuing gene transfer. One is simply to attempt to alleviate the symptoms of a genetic disease. This entails gene therapy, attempting to transfer the normal gene into only those tissues most affected by the disease. For instance, bronchial infections are the major cause of early death for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The lungs of CF patients produce thick mucus that provides a great growth medium for bacteria and viruses. If the normal gene can be inserted in to the cells of the lungs, perhaps both the quality and quantity of their life can be enhanced. But this is not a complete cure and they will still pass the CF gene on to their children.

In order to cure a genetic illness, the defective gene must be replaced throughout the body. If the genetic defect is detected in an early embryo, its possible to add the gene at this stage, allowing the normal gene to be present in all tissues including reproductive tissues. This technique has been used to add foreign genes to mice, sheep, pigs, and cows.

However, at present, no laboratory is known to be attempting this well-developed technology in humans. Princeton molecular biologist Lee Silver offers two reasons.{1} First, even in animals, it only works 50% of the time. Second, even when successful, about 5% of the time, the new gene gets placed in the middle of an existing gene, creating a new mutation. Currently these odds are not acceptable to scientists and especially potential clients hoping for genetic engineering of their offspring. But these are only problems of technique. Its reasonable to assume that these difficulties can be overcome with further research.

The primary use for human genetic engineering concerns the curing of genetic disease. But even this should be approached cautiously. Certainly within a Christian worldview, relieving suffering wherever possible is to walk in Jesus footsteps. But what diseases? How far should our ability to interfere in life be allowed to go? So far gene therapy is primarily tested for debilitating and ultimately fatal diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

The first gene therapy trial in humans corrected a life-threatening immune disorder in a two-year-old girl who, now ten years later, is doing well. The gene therapy required dozens of applications but has saved the family from a $60,000 per year bill for necessary drug treatment without the gene therapy.{2} Recently, sixteen heart disease patients, who were literally waiting for death, received a solution containing copies of a gene that triggers blood vessel growth by injection straight into the heart. By growing new blood vessels around clogged arteries, all sixteen showed improvement and six were completely relieved of pain.

In each of these cases, gene therapy was performed as a last resort for a fatal condition. This seems to easily fall within the medical boundaries of seeking to cure while at the same time causing no harm. The problem will arise when gene therapy will be sought to alleviate a condition that is less than life-threatening and perhaps considered by some to simply be one of lifes inconveniences, such as a gene that may offer resistance to AIDS or may enhance memory. Such genes are known now and many are suggesting that these goals will and should be available for gene therapy.

The most troublesome aspect of gene therapy has been determining the best method of delivering the gene to the right cells and enticing them to incorporate the gene into the cells chromosomes. Most researchers have used crippled forms of viruses that naturally incorporate their genes into cells. The entire field of gene therapy was dealt a severe setback in September 1999 upon the death of Jesse Gelsinger who had undergone gene therapy for an inherited enzyme deficiency at the University of Pennsylvania.{3} Jesse apparently suffered a severe immune reaction and died four days after being injected with the engineered virus.

The same virus vector had been used safely in thousands of other trials, but in this case, after releasing stacks of clinical data and answering questions for two days, the researchers didnt fully understand what had gone wrong.{4} Other institutions were also found to have failed to file immediate reports as required of serious adverse events in their trials, prompting a congressional review.{5} All this should indicate that the answers to the technical problems of gene therapy have not been answered and progress will be slowed as guidelines and reporting procedures are studied and reevaluated.

The simple answer is no, at least for the foreseeable future. Gene therapy currently targets existing tissue in a existing child or adult. This may alleviate or eliminate symptoms in that individual, but will not affect future children. To accomplish a correction for future generations, gene therapy would need to target the germ cells, the sperm and egg. This poses numerous technical problems at the present time. There is also a very real concern about making genetic decisions for future generations without their consent.

Some would seek to get around these difficulties by performing gene therapy in early embryos before tissue differentiation has taken place. This would allow the new gene to be incorporated into all tissues, including reproductive organs. However, this process does nothing to alleviate the condition of those already suffering from genetic disease. Also, as mentioned earlier this week, this procedure would put embryos at unacceptable risk due to the inherent rate of failure and potential damage to the embryo.

Another way to affect germ line gene therapy would involve a combination of gene therapy and cloning.{6} An embryo, fertilized in vitro, from the sperm and egg of a couple at risk for sickle-cell anemia, for example, could be tested for the sickle-cell gene. If the embryo tests positive, cells could be removed from this early embryo and grown in culture. Then the normal hemoglobin gene would be added to these cultured cells.

If the technique for human cloning could be perfected, then one of these cells could be cloned to create a new individual. If the cloning were successful, the resulting baby would be an identical twin of the original embryo, only with the sickle-cell gene replaced with the normal hemoglobin gene. This would result in a normal healthy baby. Unfortunately, the initial embryo was sacrificed to allow the engineering of its identical twin, an ethically unacceptable trade-off.

So what we have seen, is that even human gene therapy is not a long-term solution, but a temporary and individual one. But even in condoning the use of gene therapy for therapeutic ends, we need to be careful that those for whom gene therapy is unavailable either for ethical or monetary reasons, dont get pushed aside. It would be easy to shun those with uncorrected defects as less than desirable or even less than human. There is, indeed, much to think about.

The possibility of someone or some government utilizing the new tools of genetic engineering to create a superior race of humans must at least be considered. We need to emphasize, however, that we simply do not know what genetic factors determine popularly desired traits such as athletic ability, intelligence, appearance and personality. For sure, each of these has a significant component that may be available for genetic manipulation, but its safe to say that our knowledge of each of these traits is in its infancy.

Even as knowledge of these areas grows, other genetic qualities may prevent their engineering. So far, few genes have only a single application in the body. Most genes are found to have multiple effects, sometimes in different tissues. Therefore, to engineer a gene for enhancement of a particular traitsay memorymay inadvertently cause increased susceptibility to drug addiction.

But what if in the next 50 to 100 years, many of these unknowns can be anticipated and engineering for advantageous traits becomes possible. What can we expect? Our concern is that without a redirection of the worldview of the culture, there will be a growing propensity to want to take over the evolution of the human species. The many people see it, we are simply upright, large-brained apes. There is no such thing as an independent mind. Our mind becomes simply a physical construct of the brain. While the brain is certainly complicated and our level of understanding of its intricate machinery grows daily, some hope that in the future we may comprehend enough to change who and what we are as a species in order to meet the future demands of survival.

Edward O. Wilson, a Harvard entomologist, believes that we will soon be faced with difficult genetic dilemmas. Because of expected advances in gene therapy, we will not only be able to eliminate or at least alleviate genetic disease, we may be able to enhance certain human abilities such as mathematics or verbal ability. He says, Soon we must look deep within ourselves and decide what we wish to become.{7} As early as 1978, Wilson reflected on our eventual need to decide how human we wish to remain.{8}

Surprisingly, Wilson predicts that future generations will opt only for repair of disabling disease and stop short of genetic enhancements. His only rationale however, is a question. Why should a species give up the defining core of its existence, built by millions of years of biological trial and error?{9} Wilson is naively optimistic. There are loud voices already claiming that man can intentionally engineer our evolutionary future better than chance mutations and natural selection. The time to change the course of this slow train to destruction is now, not later.

Many of the questions surrounding the ethical use of genetic engineering practices are difficult to answer with a simple yes or no. This is one of them. The answer revolves around the method used to determine the sex selection and the timing of the selection itself.

For instance, if the sex of a fetus is determined and deemed undesirable, it can only be rectified by termination of the embryo or fetus, either in the lab or in the womb by abortion. There is every reason to prohibit this process. First, an innocent life has been sacrificed. The principle of the sanctity of human life demands that a new innocent life not be killed for any reason apart from saving the life of the mother. Second, even in this country where abortion is legal, one would hope that restrictions would be put in place to prevent the taking of a life simply because its the wrong sex.

However, procedures do exist that can separate sperm that carry the Y chromosome from those that carry the X chromosome. Eggs fertilized by sperm carrying the Y will be male, and eggs fertilized by sperm carrying the X will be female. If the sperm sample used to fertilize an egg has been selected for the Y chromosome, you simply increase the odds of having a boy (~90%) over a girl. So long as the couple is willing to accept either a boy or girl and will not discard the embryo or abort the baby if its the wrong sex, its difficult to say that such a procedure should be prohibited.

One reason to utilize this procedure is to reduce the risk of a sex-linked genetic disease. Color-blindness, hemophilia, and fragile X syndrome can be due to mutations on the X chromosome. Therefore, males (with only one X chromosome) are much more likely to suffer from these traits when either the mother is a carrier or the father is affected. (In females, the second X chromosome will usually carry the normal gene, masking the mutated gene on the other X chromosome.) Selecting for a girl by sperm selection greatly reduces the possibility of having a child with either of these genetic diseases. Again, its difficult to argue against the desire to reduce suffering when a life has not been forfeited.

But we must ask, is sex determination by sperm selection wise? A couple that already has a boy and simply wants a girl to balance their family, seems innocent enough. But why is this important? What fuels this desire? Its dangerous to take more and more control over our lives and leave the sovereignty of God far behind. This isnt a situation of life and death or even reducing suffering.

But while it may be difficult to find anything seriously wrong with sex selection, its also difficult to find anything good about it. Even when the purpose may be to avoid a sex-linked disease, we run the risk of communicating to others affected by these diseases that because they could have been avoided, their life is somehow less valuable. So while it may not be prudent to prohibit such practices, it certainly should not be approached casually either.

Notes

1. Lee Silver, Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in a Brave New World, New York, NY: Avon Books, p. 230-231. 2. Leon Jaroff, Success stories, Time, 11 January 1999, p. 72-73. 3. Sally Lehrman, Virus treatment questioned after gene therapy death, Nature Vol. 401 (7 October 1999): 517-518. 4. Eliot Marshall, Gene therapy death prompts review of adenovirus vector, Science Vol. 286 (17 December 1999): 2244-2245. 5. Meredith Wadman, NIH under fire over gene-therapy trials, Nature Vol. 403 (20 January 1999): 237. 6. Steve Mirsky and John Rennie, What cloning means for gene therapy, Scientific American, June 1997, p. 122-123. 7. Ibid., p. 277. 8. Edward Wilson, On Human Nature, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, p. 6. 9. E. Wilson, Consilience, p. 277.

2000 Probe Ministries

On January 8, 2007, the Associated Press reported that scientists from Wake Forest University and Harvard University discovered a new type of stem cell found in the amniotic fluid within

Genetic Diseases The age of genetics has arrived. Society is in the midst of a genetic revolution that some futurists predict will have a greater impact on the culture than

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Dr. Christopher Good | Spinal Surgeon | Virginia Spine

Posted: May 13, 2019 at 3:55 pm

Christopher R. Good, M.D, F.A.C.S.

Spine SurgeonDirector of Scoliosis & Spinal Deformity President of Virginia Spine Institute

Dr. Good has pioneered the use of robotics and navigation in spine surgery, established as a world expert in the field. Most recently, he performed the first and the most advanced robotic spine surgery using Mazor XTM Stealth Edition technology. Through extensive research, his surgical techniques are proven to decrease complications and improve patient safety and recovery time. The wide-reaching impact of his innovation has transformed the lives of patients suffering from complex neck or back conditions.

His passion to become a spine surgeon began at an early age when his father suffered a traumatic spinal injury. This life-changing event inspired Dr. Good to evolve treatment solutions for his patients with complex scoliosis and kyphosis, failed prior surgery, and severe degenerative conditions. Heralded for his compassionate approach, Dr. Good personally connects with patients, working together to create a tailored treatment plan that will achieve their goals for recovery. Learn more about his path to become a spine surgeon.

As the President of Virginia Spine Institute, Dr. Good has also pioneered the use of regenerative stem cell therapy for lumbar disc disease, helping many patients with low back pain to improve their quality of life and avoid surgery; he has performed the most intra-discal injections of stem cells in the region. He is currently studying the outcomes of his patients and uses these outcome studies to improve access to these revolutionary treatments for more people who suffer from back pain.

Through his leadership and vast experience, Dr. Good is reshaping the future of spine surgery and his research has helped develop surgical techniques that are proven to improve patient safety, decrease radiation during surgery and reduce recovery time. Dr. Good is the principal investigator of an FDA trial investigating a revolutionary new cervical disc replacement surgery and he has participated in multiple FDA studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of genetically engineered bone graft to promote fusion.He also participates in multiple scientific advisory boards working to improve patient safety and spinal balance; he routinely presents his findings, both nationally and internationally.

View Dr. Good's Complete CV

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Top 25 Most Haunted Places in Virginia – Colonial Ghosts

Posted: May 13, 2019 at 3:55 pm

Out of the one hundred and seventy supposedly haunted places in Virginia, only twenty five locations satisfied Colonial Ghosts huge scares criteria. Rumors were not enough to earn a spot on the list below!

Why is Virginia known to be one of the nations most haunted states?Well, to begin with, it is among the countrys oldest colonies. The first successful English settlement in America, Jamestown, was established here on May 13, 1607. Its earliest inhabitants, though, are believed to be of Asian descent. These first Virginians arrived some 11,000 years ago. After that, the state became the home of various Native American tribes. They were all united under the powerful Powhatan chiefdom by the time John Smith and his crew of European pioneers reached Virginia.

Virginia has thus had plenty of time to accumulate some spooky stories.Beforethe 1600s, itsoccupants were practitioners of shamanism and believers in the afterlife. Many Native American ceremonies, for instance, sought to make contact with the dead, even bring them back to life. During the colonial era, Virginia continued to be marked with instances of black magic. Several people were tried for dabbling in witchcraft,wrongly convicted, and sentenced to death. Indian burial grounds andold prisonsare thus among the states most paranormally active locations.

Then there are Virginias numerous battlegrounds. Whether fights pitted Americans against Indians, the British, or each other, they all resulted in the same thing:high casualties. The states pivotal location and importance as a hub of commercial and political activities made it the site of several significant Civil War battles. At justoneof its parks, (the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park), four major battles occurred. And you can be sure that there are ofplenty of ghostsroaming the bloodiest ground in North America!

Lets not forget all thegruesome murders,tragic suicides,violent massacres,horrible accidents, andcreepy medical experimentsthat have happened in Virginia. No wonder the state boasts nearlyone hundred and seventysupposedly haunted destinations. So how on earth is a fear enthusiast to know which ones are actuallywortha visit?

There are a lot of rankings out there, but the problem is that few stem fromreputablesources. The so called hauntings of many locations are simply based on urban legend and third party claims. Even stories from locals are not always reliable. People tend to over exaggerate and embellish stories in order to scare listeners.

Finally, someone decided that horror hunters need a directory of locations thats well curated, in-depth,andaccurate. Presented here areVirginias Top 25 Most Haunted Places, as ranked byColonial Ghosts. Know that their recommendations are fortruefear fans only to be included on this list, a site had to have paranormal activities well documented.

Ready for the countdown? Here are the 25 most haunted places in Virginia

25.The Public Hospital, Williamsburg

24.Crawford Road, Yorktown

23.Lightfoot House, Williamsburg

22.Bacons Castle, Surry

21.Edgewood Plantation, Charles City

20.Spotsylvania Court House, Spotsylvania

19.Staunton Train Depot, Staunton

18.Swannanoa Palace, Afton

17.Salubria Manor, Stevensburg

16.Paxton Manor, Leesburg

15.Fort Magruder Hotel, Williamsburg

14.Major Grahams Mansion, Wythe County

13.Boxwood Inn Bed & Breakfast, Newport News

12.Public Gaol, Williamsburg

11.Wythe House, Williamsburg

10.Historic Avenel, Bedford

9.Weems-Botts Museum, Dumfries

8.Ferry Plantation House, Virginia Beach

7.Graffiti House, Brandy Station

6.Cold Harbor Battlefield, Mechanicsville

5.Historic Jordan Springs, Stephenson

4.Henricus Historical Park, Chester

3.The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum, Gordonsville

2.St. Albans Sanatorium, Radford

1.The Peyton Randolph House, Williamsburg

Click on the links, and you will be taken to individual blog posts fully dedicated to each location. Learn about the sites origins, owners, architecture and of course, its spectral tenants. Paranormal investigations, if conducted there, are also referenced. What you get from each article is a brief history lessonanda horror recap.

The goal of this list is to take away the guesswork the next time you decide to take a scare-cation. If you are interested in one of the sites located in Williamsburg, check out thetoursoffered byColonial Ghosts. Their guides will certainly take you there, as well as to other creepy spots around the historic city.

If you want to learn more about why Virginias so haunted, browse through theResearchorStoriessection ofColonial Ghosts blog. This way, by the time you arrive at your chosen destination, you will be an expert on all things paranormal.

Here is a quick summary of each location, to kick off your hunt for horrors.

25.The Public Hospital, Williamsburg

As the first mentalinstitution in North America, The Public Hospital has seen a lot of misery and pain. In fact, one of its superintendents, Dr. John Minson Galt II, took his own life, so stressful was his job. His spirit is believed to still roam the asylum. Other ghosts seen around the creepy hospital include tortured patients and Civil War soldiers, who took over the building during the Battle of Williamsburg.

24.Crawford Road, Yorktown

If you take your vehicle onto Crawford Road, avoid its old bridge. Scary things have happened when people drive under it. In one instance, a group of friends were attacked by something definitely not of this world. It left handprints all over their cars fogged up windows. An abandoned building by Crawford Road is also occupied by the dead. Visitors report of being watched by red eyes while in the spooky structure.

23.Lightfoot House, Williamsburg

This beautiful, 18th century mansion was originally the home of the wealthy Lightfoot family. Many influential people, including foreign ambassadors and celebrities, thus visited the Lightfoot House during the colonial era. Today, however, it appears that pranksters have replaced the privileged. Employees say that the house has poltergeists that like to mess up beds and cause other mischief.

22.Bacons Castle, Surry

During its long history, Bacons Castle has fallen in the path of rebels, Indians even strange, cosmic fireballs. This historic castle, also known as the Arthur Allen House, has thus fascinated historians and paranormal researchers for years. The castles ghosts are known to move objects around, shove visitors, and clamp noisily down the stairs.

21.Edgewood Plantation, Charles City

Edgewood Plantation, now a bed and breakfast, has a charming veneer thats quite misleading. During the Civil War, it witnessed much violence and bloodshed. Inn guests thus frequently spot dead soldiers roaming its grounds. The B&B even has a room named after its most famous ghost, Lizzie. She is said to have been the fiance of a soldier, who never made it home from the battlefield.

20.Spotsylvania Court House, Spotsylvania

Its not too surprising that Spotsylvania Court House earned a spot on this list. Thats because it lies on what is known as the bloodiest ground in North America, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Theres a lot to explore at the park, but its most paranormally active spot is definitely the Bloody Angle. Psychics whove visited this location have always gotten strong readings, while ghost hunters have never failed to collect EVPs there.

19.Staunton Train Depot, Staunton

War, fires, derailed trains the Staunton Train Depot has been a site of both bloody and tragic occurrences. The stations ghosts include Civil War soldiers and victims of train crashes. In 1890, a runaway train tore through the depot, destroying the building completely. Many passengers were significantly wounded, but Myrtle Ruth Knoxs injuries were the worst. She was the only one who died, and her spirit is often seen wandering around the stations tracks.

18.Swannanoa Palace, Afton

This stellar but deteriorating mansion has always been the perfect place to shoot some ghostly footage. It was featured in the paranormal reality television show,The R.I.P. Files, in 2014. The palace is said to be roamed by the wife of the estates original owner, James Henry Dooley. After the property left the hands of the Dooley family, it became a mysterious school called The University of Science and Philosophy. Its founder, the famous artist and mystic Walter Russell, islinked to the Illuminati cult. So besides ghosts, people have also seen strange rituals being conducted at Swannanoa Palace.

17.Salubria Manor, Stevensburg

This stately, Georgian-style house issaid to beCulpepper Countys most haunted location. Thanks to a recent earthquake, the manors ghosts are more active than ever. These spectral tenants include Lady Spotswood (the wife of the manors first owner) and Mrs. Hansbrough, a woman who is said to have hung herself in one of the bedrooms. The mansion also has two cemeteries, where spirits have been seen as well.

16.Paxton Manor, Leesburg

Paxton Manor is the perfect place to spend your next Halloween. Since 2009, the team behind the buildings popularShocktoberevent has transformed it into a comprehensive scareground, which includes a spooky fun house and hair-raising hayride. But real ghosts lurk amongShocktobers costumed actors.Jedidiah Carver, a previous owner who was known for mutilating animals, is one of the houses most feared spirits. You certainly wouldnt want to run into him in the manors infamous Well of Souls!

15.Fort Magruder Hotel, Williamsburg

If youre looking for a unique and scary night in Williamsburg, book a room at Fort Magruder Hotel. The property lies on where the epic and bloody Battle of Williamsburg occurred. Guests report of seeing Civil War soldiers in their rooms and even encountering spirits pretending to be hotel staff. Several paranormal investigations have also been conducted at the hotel, during which an abundance of supernatural evidence (i.e. EVP readings and photographic anomalies) has been captured.

14.Major Graham Mansion, Wythe County

The Major Graham Mansion was built in 1826 by a wealthy businessman. For some reason, he decided to construct his home on bloodstained land. In the 1700s, Joseph Baker was murdered by two of his slaves there. Hisgrisly remainswere kept in a barrel of moonshine. Major Grahams wife, Martha, also died on the property. She was a depressed woman who eventually went insane.Her husband, unable to handle her madness, is said to have shackled her in the basement.Martha is among the various ghosts tourists encounter during the manors popular Halloween event.

13.Boxwood Inn Bed & Breakfast, Newport News

During the Civil War, this charming B&B hosted weary Civil War soldiers, including the famous General John J. Blackjack Pershing.Today, its rooms retain their original colonial charm and are haunted by a friendly ghost known as Nannie. Shes known to help out staff and rouse guests in the early mornings. People have also seen the spirit of an old man at the inn.

12.Public Gaol, Williamsburg

This two-story, brick prison is featured onColonial Ghosts comprehensive tour of Williamsburg. From murderers to pirates, the jails inmates during the colonial times included the citys most vicious individuals. Fifteen henchmen of the infamous corsair Blackbeard were incarcerated there. Conditions at the Gaol were as bad as its occupants (picture freezing cells, terrible food, and widespread typhus.) Visitors have seen shackles move on their own and heard screams coming from cells while touring the prison.

11.Wythe House, Williamsburg

The Wythe House is a beautiful Georgian-style mansion built in the mid-1700s. It was constructed by the nations first law professor, George Wythe. Wythe was well known in the city for his work in legislature and contributing to the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, smarts and honest living didnt run in the family. Wythes great nephew, George Wythe Sweeney, opted to steal, gamble, and eventually kill his way to money. He poisoned Wythe with arsenic, in order to inherit the familys wealth faster. Today, Wythes spirit is often heard walking around the house. Another ghost, believed to be of Lady Ann Skipwirth, has frightened visitors as well.

10.Historic Avenel, Bedford

Historic Avenel, also known as Avenel Plantation, has been confirmed by many paranormal experts to be officially haunted. The property was inherited by William A. Burrell, the secretary of President Thomas Jefferson, in 1831. It includes several outbuildings, but the main mansion is definitely the most paranormally active. Evidence captured there include EVPs and spooky photographs of eyes. The house is said to be haunted by a cat, as well as a woman known only as The Lady in White.

9.Weems-Botts Museum, Dumfries

Soak up some historyandget some frights at this haunted museum. The house portion of the Weems-Botts Museum was originally a village poor house, where the sick and homeless sought shelter. It then became the home of two famous colonials, Mason Locke Weems (George Washingtons first biographer) and Benjamin Botts (a lawyer on Aaron Burrs defense team.) Today, its haunted by members of the Merchant family. This includes the epileptic Mamie Merchant, who died because of her disease, and her sister, Violet. Violet is often seen through the houses windows, grieving over her dead sibling.

8.Ferry Plantation House, Virginia Beach

Ferry Farm is named after Norfolk Countys first ferry service. Eleven ghosts are believed to haunt this beautiful colonial plantation. In the house, people have encountered a woman known as The Lady in White, who died after falling down the stairs. On the grounds, visitors have spotted the spirit of Henry the slave. In 1706, the infamous trial-by-dunking of Grace Sherwood (aka The Witch of Pungo) was held near the plantation. Grace was wrongly accused of causing the miscarriage of a local woman. Whenever theres a full moon, people see her sopping spirit emerge from banks of the Lynnhaven River.

7.Graffiti House, Brandy Station

In 1863, during the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, the Graffiti House was transformed into a field hospital. Troops who stayed there passed the time by signing their names and doodling on the buildings walls. But these soldiers have left more than just art work at this historic train station. When people enter the building, theyre often overwhelmed by a sense of pain and misery. Objects are also known to move on their own at the Graffiti House.

6.Cold Harbor Battlefield, Mechanicsville

The Battle of Cold Harbor is said tohave beenone of the nations bloodiest battles. It lasted for nearly two weeks and resulted in a total of 17,332 casualties. Shots of the battlefieldtaken by Civil War photographers show grisly piles of skeletons and severed limbs. Decades after the battle, people are still capturing unsettling images: apparitions, strange shadows, unexplainable mists. Visitors also report of feeling watched while they tour Cold Harbor Battlefield.

5.Historic Jordan Springs, Stephensen

Historic Jordan Springs is one of Virginias few authenticated paranormal sites. Its history dates back to 1549. The area was first inhabited by the Catawba Indians, who had heard about the healing powers of the White Sulphur Spring and the Calibeate Spring. In 1832, Branch M. Jordan started a successful resort business there. Hotel operations were brought to an abrupt halt thanks to the Civil War. The spirits of soldiers have been seen and photographed around the property. Historic Jordan Springs has even been featured on an episode of SciFisGhost Hunters!

4.Henricus Historical Park, Chester

The city of Henricus was established in September 1611 and was Virginias second settlement. The town prospered and grew until the famous Indian Massacre of 1622, during which some 400 colonists wereslaughtered. Henricus was also the site of a bloody, naval Civil War skirmish which lasted from January 23 to 25, 1865. Restless spirits from both events continue to roam the area. Even when no reenactments are being staged at the park, visitors encounter people dressed in colonial garb and hear canon fires in the distance.

3.The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum, Gordonsville

The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum is currently run by Historic Gordonsville, Inc. It acquired the property back in 1971 and has been renovating it ever since. The hotel was built in 1859 and spent its early years as a popular place to stay for weary train passengers. Then, in 1862, it was converted into a Civil War receiving hospital. Over 23,000 sick and wounded soldiers were shuttled in and out of the building. Around 700 could not be saved and were buried there. This explains why there have been nearly 80 recorded unexplainable incidents reported at The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum. One of the museums ghosts is believed to be of a little boy who worked there during the Civil War. The hospitals depressing environment is said to have driven him to commit suicide.

2.St. Albans Sanatorium, Radford

This insane asylums spooky history began before it was even built. The land on which it stands was where a bloody massacre occurred. In 1755, the colonists of Drapers Meadow were attacked by a group of Shawnee Indians. Those who werent killed were taken as hostages. St. Albans Sanatorium was built in 1892, but first functioned as a boys school, where bullying and homicide were not uncommon. The building became a psychiatric hospital in 1916. From insulin-induced comas to lobotomies, the treatment methods at the sanatorium were often more deadly than conducive. Today, plenty of creepy instruments and old gurneys lie rusting in the hospital.

1.Peyton Randolph House, Williamsburg

The Peyton Randolph House is a two-story, Georgian-style mansion built in 1715 by Sir William Robertson. It passed into the hands of Peyton Randolph, a famous revolutionary leader, in 1754. Behind the houses impeccable design lurks plenty of misery and pain. Peytons wife, Betty, was known to be a very cruel slave master. One of her slaves, Eve, is said to have placed a terrible curse on the house. Perhaps this is why decades later, many people diedat the mansion from freak accidents,murder,evenmysterious illnesses. The house is thus one of the hottest attractions alongColonialGhosts guided tour of Williamsburg. Besides seeing and hearing ghosts, people have been attacked by them as well. A security guard, for instance, was trapped in the houses basement by some angry force.

Thank you for reading our list of the most haunted places in Virginia! Of course, there are many more haunted places in Virginia, but the 25 listed hereare amongthe most haunted.

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