A study finds that algal genes provide answers to questions concerning plant growth and health.

Plants, like all other known organisms, utilize DNA to pass on traits. Animal genetics often focuses on parentage and lineage, but this can can be challenging in plant genetics since plants can be self-fertile, unlike most animals.

Many plants have unique genetic abilities that make speciation easier, such as being well suited to polyploidy. Plants are special in that they can synthesize energy-dense carbohydrates via photosynthesis, which is accomplished through the usage of chloroplasts. Chloroplasts have their own DNA which allows them to serve as an additional reservoir for genes and genetic diversity, as well as creates an additional layer of genetic complexity not seen in animals. Despite its difficulty, plant genetic research has significant economic implications. Many crops can be genetically modified to increase yield and nutritional value as well as gain pest, herbicide, or disease resistance.

Genes contain all of the instructions that an organism needs to survive, develop, and reproduce. But identifying a gene and understanding what it does are two very different things. Many genes include unexplained instructions, and their functions are unknown to scientists. Recent research conducted by UC Riverside, Princeton University, and Stanford University has revealed the functions of hundreds of genes in algae, some of which are also found in plants. The breakthrough will aid attempts to genetically modify algae for biofuel production and generate climate-resistant agricultural crop types.

Plant and algae genetics are understudied. These organisms make the foods, fuels, materials, and medicines that modern society relies on, but we have a poor understanding of how they work, which makes engineering them a difficult task, said corresponding author Robert Jinkerson, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering at UC Riverside. A common way to learn more about biology is to mutate genes and then see how that affects the organism. By breaking the biology we can see how it works.

The researchers conducted tests that generated millions of data points using algal mutants and automated tools. The researchers were able to uncover the functional role of hundreds of poorly characterized genes and identify several new functions of previously known genes by analyzing these datasets. These genes have roles in photosynthesis, DNA damage response, heat stress response, toxic chemical response, and algal predator response.

Several of the genes they discovered in algae have counterparts in plants with the same roles, indicating that the algal data can help scientists understand how those genes function in plants as well.

The single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii growing in flasks in a laboratory. Credit: Robert Jinkerson/UCR

Automated approaches to analyzing tens of thousands of mutants quickly, known as high-throughput methods, are typically used to understand gene function on a genome-wide scale in model systems like yeast and bacteria. This is quicker and more efficient than studying each gene individually. High-throughput methods do not work very well in crop plants, however, because of their larger size and the difficulty of analyzing thousands of plants.

The researchers, therefore, used a high-throughput robot to generate over 65,000 mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a type of single-celled green algae closely related to plants and easy to alter genetically. They subjected the mutants to 121 different treatments, which resulted in a dataset of 16.8 million data points. Each mutant had a unique DNA barcode that the team could read to see how that mutant was doing in a specific environmental stress condition.

The group discovered new gene functions in hundreds of genes. For example, they learned that a gene widely found throughout multicellular organisms helps repair damaged DNA. Another 38 genes, when disrupted, caused problems with using energy from light, indicating that these genes played roles in photosynthesis.

Yet another cluster of genes helped the algae process carbon dioxide, a second crucial step in photosynthesis. Other clusters affected the tiny hairs, or cilia, the algae use to swim. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of some human lung and esophageal cancers, which might be partially caused by defective cilia motility.

A newly discovered gene cluster protected the algae from toxins that inhibit cytoskeleton growth. These genes are also present in plants and the discovery could help scientists develop plants that grow well even in some contaminated soils.

A robot picks the mutant algal colonies out of a tray of algae. Credit: Robert Jinkerson

Many of the gene functions discovered in algae are also conserved in plants. This information can be used to engineer plants to be more tolerant to heat or cold stress, temperature stress, or improve photosynthesis, all of which will become increasingly important as climate change threatens the worlds food supply.

A better understanding of algae genetics will also improve engineering strategies to make them produce more products, like biofuels.

The data and knowledge generated in this study is already being leveraged to engineer algae to make more biofuels and to improve environmental stress tolerance in crops, said Jinkerson.

The research team also included: Sean Cutler at UC Riverside; Friedrich Fauser, Weronika Patena, and Martin C Jonikas at Princeton University; Josep Vilarrasa-Blasi, Masayuki Onishi, and Jos R Dinneny at Stanford University: Rick Kim, Yuval Kaye, Jacqueline Osaki, Matthew Millican, Charlotte Philp, Matthew Nemeth, and Arthur Grossman at Carnegie Institution; Silvia Ramundo and Peter Walter at UCSF; Setsuko Wakao, Krishna Niyogi, and Sabeeha Merchant at UC Berkeley; and Patrice A Salom at UCLA.

The research was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Reference: Systematic characterization of gene function in the photosynthetic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by Friedrich Fauser, Josep Vilarrasa-Blasi, Masayuki Onishi, Silvia Ramundo, Weronika Patena, Matthew Millican, Jacqueline Osaki, Charlotte Philp, Matthew Nemeth, Patrice A. Salom, Xiaobo Li, Setsuko Wakao, Rick G. Kim, Yuval Kaye, Arthur R. Grossman, Krishna K. Niyogi, Sabeeha S. Merchant, Sean R. Cutler, Peter Walter, Jos R. Dinneny, Martin C. Jonikas, and Robert E. Jinkerson, 5 May 2022, Nature Genetics.DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01052-9

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Stanford Scientists Unlock Mysteries of Plant Growth and Health - SciTechDaily

Three scientists from The University of Manchester have been awarded with prestigious prizes by The Royal Society of Chemistry for their research. Professors Sarah Haigh, Jason Mickleford and Chris Hardacre have all been honoured and will each receive a prize and medal for their contributions.

Professor Sarah Haigh has been named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistrys Analytical Division mid-career Award. Based at the University of Manchester, Professor Haigh won the prize for the development of transmission electron microscopy methods for advancing understanding of the dynamic behaviour of 2D materials and nanomaterials.

After receiving the prize, Professor Haigh said: Im very excited to have received this prize and thank the RSC for the honour. It is a testament to the hard work of my fantastic research group who very patiently put up with me. I am very grateful to them for their great ideas, persistence, enthusiasm, and collaboration. This prize is evidence that you can continue to succeed in science with a young family even with the huge additional challenges and stresses imposed by the pandemic over the last years.

Most science and engineering processes occur in liquids or gases. Professor Haighs research group uses electron microscopes to study these processes, dynamically, with atomic spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity. Electron microscopes are similar to optical microscopes, but they use electrons instead of light. Electrons can be accelerated to very high speeds, when they have a wavelength 100,000 times smaller than visible light, which gives us the possibility to see atoms.

Applications of their research include studying the early stage synthesis of nanomaterials, the charging and discharging of batteries, the production of electricity from fuel cells or of green fuels from renewable energy, and the corrosion of pipelines or offshore wind turbines. Her research group is particularly interested in the applications for clean energy generation to support the net zero energy transition.

Professor Jason Micklefield has been named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistrys Interdisciplinary Prize. Based at the University of Manchester, Professor Micklefield won the prize for innovative research spanning organic chemistry to molecular genetics, leading to the discovery, characterisation, and engineering of many novel enzymes.

After receiving the prize, Professor Micklefield said: I am very pleased to win this award. I am particularly grateful to my very talented research group for their hard work, dedication and excellent research over the years, which has made this possible.

Nature uses enzymes to catalyse reactions building all of the molecules required for life. Enzymes also break down molecules to release energy that enables all living organisms to move forward. Professor Micklefields lab discovers novel enzymes from unusual bacteria in nature. They characterise these enzymes to determine their structures and mechanisms. With this knowledge, they are able to re-programme the enzymes to create variants that can catalyse new reactions.

These engineered enzymes are used to produce novel antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance, antiviral agents that entered clinical trials for COVID-19, anticancer agents and other useful molecules. The enzymatic pathways they develop are cleaner and more sustainable than the traditional chemical synthesis routes that are currently used to prepare pharmaceuticals and other molecules.

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Trio of Manchester scientists win Royal Society of Chemistry prizes - The University of Manchester

Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) has invited online application for the Technical Associate and other post on its official website. Check CDFD recruitment 2022 application process, age limit, qualification and other details here.

CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification: Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology has issued notifications for the posts of Technical Associate, Project Scientist and Others. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for these posts on or before 20 June 2022.

In a bid to apply for CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification, candidates should have certain educational qualification including Masters degree/M.Com/B.Sc/ PhD/MD/MS/Doctoral Degree with additional eligibility as mentioned in the notification.

Notification Details for CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs :Advt. No. CDFD/EMPC/03/May22

Important Dates for CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification: Last Date for Submission of Application: 20 June 2022Vacancy Details for CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification:1.Technical Associate (Experimental)2. Project Coordinator3. Computational Laboratory Manager4. Senior Project Associate5. Project Scientist III6.Project Scientist II7. Research Associate I (Post No. 1)

8. Research Associate I (Post No. 2)9. Research Associate I (Post No. 3)10. Research Associate I (Post No. 4)11.Research Associate I (Post No.5)

12. Research Associate - I (Post No. 6)13. Project Associate II (Post No. 1)14. Project Associate II (Post No. 2)15. Project Associate I (Post No. 1)16. Project Associate I (Post No. 2)17. Project Associate I (Post No. 3)18. Project Associate I (Post No. 4)19. Project Associate I (Post No. 5)20. Project Associate I (Post No. 6)21. Project Associate I (Post No. 7)22. Computer Programmer Grade A23) Laboratory Assistant (Post No. 1)24. Laboratory Technician (Post No.2)

25. Project - Junior Research Fellow26. Project - Senior Research Fellow

Eligibility Criteria for CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification:Educational Qualification:1.Technical Associate (Experimental): M.Sc. or equivalent (or B.Sc. with 3 years laboratory experience) in Genetics/Life Sciences/Biochemistry/related disciplineMinimum 3 years of experience (in addition to above qualification) of working in highthroughput genomics platforms (massively parallel sequencing and microarray)2. Project Coordinator: Masters degree/M.Com Minimum 3 years management/finance/accounts experience in service industry

3. Computational Laboratory Manager : PhD in Statistics/Informatics/computational biology or related disciplineMinimum 3 years post-PhD experience in computational analysis of massivelyparallel DNA sequencing data

4. Senior Project Associate : Master's Degree in Natural or Agricultural Sciences / MVSc or bachelor's degree inEngineering or Technology or Medicine from a recognized University or equivalent; andFour years' experience in Research and Development in Industrial and AcademicInstitutions or Science and Technology Organisations and Scientific activities andservices ORDoctoral Degree in Science / Engineering / Technology / Pharma / MD / MS from a recognized University or equivalent

5. Project Scientist III: Doctoral Degree in Science or Master's Degree in Engineering or Technology from a recognized University or equivalent; and Seven years' experience in Research and Development in Industrial and Academic Institutions or Science and Technology Organisations and Scientific activities and services

6.Project Scientist Doctoral Degree in Science or Master's Degree in Engineering or Technology from a recognized University or equivalent; and Three years' experience in Research and Development in Industrial and AcademicInstitutions or Science and Technology Organisations and Scientific activities and services

7. Research Associate I (Post No. 1): PhD/MD/MS or equivalent degree OR 3 years experience of research after MVSc/MPharm/ME/MTech with atleast one research paper in Science Citation Indexed Journal

8. Research Associate I (Post No. 2) : PhD/MD/MS or equivalent degree OR 3 years experience of research after MVSc/MPharm/ME/MTech with atleast one research paper in Science Citation Indexed Journal

9. Research Associate I (Post No. 3):Ph.D. in molecular biology, cell biology, biotechnology or relevant scientific discipline10. Research Associate I (Post No. 4) : PhD/MD/MS or equivalent degree OR 3 years experience of research after MVSc/MPharm/ME/MTech with atleast one research paper in Science Citation Indexed Journal

11.Research Associate I (Post No.5): PhD/MD/MS or equivalent degree OR 3 years experience of research after MVSc/MPharm/ME/MTech with atleast one research paper in Science Citation Indexed Journal.

12. Research Associate - I (Post No. 6): Ph.D. in molecular biology, cell biology, biotechnology or relevant scientific discipline13. Project Associate II (Post No. 1): Master's Degree in Natural or Agricultural Sciences / MVSc or bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology or Medicine from a recognized University or equivalent; and 2 years' experience in Research and Development in Industrial and AcademicInstitutions or Science and Technology Organisations and Scientific activities and services

Check the notification link for details of the educational qualification of the posts.

CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification: PDF

How to Apply for CDFD Recruitment 2022 Jobs Notification:Interested and eligible candidates can apply in the prescribed application form in online mode through the official website on or before 20 June 2022. Check notification link for details in this regards.

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CDFD Recruitment 2022 Notification Out for Technical Associate and other post; Check How to Apply Online, Sal - Jagran Josh

With a view to gearing up for tackling new health challenges, the Karnataka government will establish a Centre for Pandemic Preparedness, Centre for Longevity and Bio- Repository Centre at Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) in electronic city.

Dr Vishal Rao, member of Karnataka State Vision Group on Biotechnology and regional director (head and neck surgical oncology and robotic surgery) at HCG Cancer Hospital told The Indian Express, We are living on the cusp of pandemic era. In our perpetually complex and interconnected world, the exact nature of the next outbreak is uncertain and hence cant be predicted. At the BBC, Centre for Pandemic Preparedness, for the first time in India, we have achieved a blend of unique experiences and expertise coupled with specialist capabilities to address the multifarious challenges of the pandemic age and respond to outbreaks of disease in close to real time.

The Centre for Pandemic Preparedness will start operations within six months.

Centre for Longevity

The Centre for Longevity, an integral part of the Bangalore Bio-innovation Centre, will foster academia and industry collaborations to conduct research, training and innovation on diverse issues related to pandemic preparedness. The principal collaborators will be the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) Centre for Biosystems and Engineering along with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and Emory Vaccine Center, USA.

The Centre for Pandemic Preparedness will draw from and build on research and experience across the key disciplines of public health and epidemiology. We will be a catalyst, enabling a fusion of political, social, economic and cultural expertise from across the world to create insights, new methodologies and breakthrough solutions that can help humanity adapt faster to disease outbreaks. It will enable cross talk between diverse domain experts including epidemiologists, public health experts, data scientists, medical doctors, microbiologists, data analysts, policymakers, International agencies, NGOs, bio pharma manufacturing partners, scientists, and government representatives, Rao said.

Explaining further he added, COVID-19 has taught us that the pathogen itself is only part of the story. In todays world, the social, cultural, economic and political contexts are pivotal and the fallout is much more far reaching and long-lasting. Being prepared in the pandemic era will mean taking this wider context and these broader factors into consideration. It starts by understanding the COVID-19 pandemic for what it truly is, not a one-off crisis to be countered, but a warning as well as a chance to think creatively and plan ahead. We need to making this pandemic the catalyst for developing new ways of working, evolving actionable insights and a deep rooted systemic change.

Bio- Repository Centre

Rao said bio-banks and bio-repositories and research cohorts (including demographic sites) are national assets established with considerable efforts. Recent advances in the tools and technology of molecular biology, genetics, environmental sciences, epidemiology and demography have increased the demand for well-annotated, properly preserved biological specimens and associated epidemiological and demographic data. In response to the demand for personalised medicine, organ and tissue-specific biobanks, cohorts and demographic sites have been or are in the process of being established in several parts of the country, he said.

Dissemination of biological samples

Explaining the role of Bio-Repository Centre, Rao said that bio-banking involves the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of biological samples and their associated clinical data and information, organised in a systematic way. A well-managed biobank is a critical prerequisite for high-quality biomedical research. Recent advances in the tools and technology of molecular biology and genetics have increased the demand for well-annotated, properly preserved specimens. To address the demand, biobanks have been established in several continents over the past dozen years, and more are in development, Rao said.

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Karnataka to set up centre for pandemic preparedness in 6 months to respond to disease outbreaks - The Indian Express

"I didn't have any symptoms. Was getting regular tests done and was told that I should go and get this checked with an oncologist," Mahima Chaudhry recently shared about her cancer diagnosis. For early detections, doctors stress on regular check-ups and address signs and symptoms one should look out forMahima Chaudhry said she had no symptoms of breast cancer and was diagnosed during a routine check-up. Doctors address signs to look out for, and check-ups one cannot miss to detect the disease earlyOn Thursday, Mahima Chaudhry revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and has made a full recovery after treatment. In a video clip on Instagram, Chaudhry spoke with Anupam Kher about her cancer diagnosis and treatment, revealing that she was diagnosed during her annual health check-up. I did not have any symptoms. I was getting my regular tests done and the person who was doing the tests said I should go and get this checked with an oncologist, Chaudhry said in the video.The actress added that while initial tests came back negative, when we did a biopsy of the entire cells that were removed, we found a tiny portion of cells had become cancerous. Doctors share that early detection of cancer is important for recovery, and that there are signs and symptoms that women can pay attention to. Stressing on the importance of self-examination and regular screenings, they also address the myths attached to breast cancer.Self-examination is ideal to detect breast lumpsSelf-breast examination is the ideal method to detect any breast lump - malignant or benign. This method does not involve any doctor or family member and is very easy. Every woman, especially after the age of 40, should do a periodic self-breast examination as this will lead to early diagnosis and treatment, says Dr Sunny Jain HOD and Sr Consultant Oncology Marengo QRG Hospital Faridabad.Make sure to use the fat pads of the fingertips of the three middle fingers. Moving in small circles slowly around your breast, work toward the nipple. Press firmly to feel deep tissues, and gently to feel tissues under the skin. Be sure to cover the entire breast without skipping any areas. Repeat for your opposite breast. If any lump or thickening is felt, consult your doctor immediately, adds Dr Ramesh Sarin, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi

What are the preventive breast cancer check-ups one should go for?The screening mammography should be done annually after the age of 40, as a preventive measure, for earliest detection of cancer. This will detect the small hidden lumps in the breast, says Dr Parveen Mendiratta, Sr Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Accord Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad.

Every woman should start screening mammography, guided by a breast clinician or breast surgeon, yearly or every two years from the age of 40. Only biopsy of an abnormal lesion, seen on a mammogram ultrasound, can confirm if it is cancerous or pre-cancerous. Once a month, a few days after your period finishes, a woman should use her hands to check for lumps, advises Dr Kanchan Kaur, Director, Breast Surgery, Breast Cancer, Cancer Institute, Medanta Hospital Gurgaon.

Dr Uma Dangi, Consultant Medical Oncology, Fortis Hospital Mulund & Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, shares, Any of the mentioned symptoms can be a sign of breast cancer, and it is best to get it checked. Self breast examination done once a month as mentioned starting as early as the age of 20 years can detect early lumps. Mammography once a year after the age of 45 years may help early detection. However, if you are in the high risk category, with a strong family history of cancer or a known high risk genetic mutation, you will need to undergo tests more frequently which may include mammograms and MRI of the breast.

Myths attached to breast cancerAmong the most common myths associated with breast cancer, is that the lumps are painful. That is why so many times we see patients say they didnt come sooner for a check-up because the lump did not hurt. As a result, they are diagnosed late. The second myth is that an absence of family history of cancer means it will not happen to you. But 95% women get it even if they do not have a family history, says Dr Kanchan Kaur.

Dr Parveen Mendiratta points out another myth People think that a biopsy isnt needed or that if a biopsy is done, the cancer spreads fast. That is not a fact. A biopsy should be done to confirm the cancer and earliest treatment should be given.

Dr Sunny Jain adds, Cancer does not spread by doing a biopsy or FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology). Biopsy is the single most important test in the whole armamentarium of tests to diagnose cancer. It is the biopsy which confirms the type and grade of cancer, the proliferation index and information regarding the decision with regard to the treatment - chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy and advancement in the research we are doing in molecular genetics to stop the cancer cell cycle at specific phase/points in the development.

Self-exams, regular check-ups & triple assessment is most importantThe most important thing is to go for regular check-ups, breast exams by your breast specialist and mammography after the age of 40-50, depending on your risk factors. Mammography is advised on a yearly basis. A certain type of microcalcification, detected during mammography, is the earliest stage that one can diagnose and almost cure completely, says Dr Ramesh Sarin.

Dr Shubham Jain adds, What Mahima also discussed in her video was triple assessment i.e. having the breast lump evaluated by three specialists. The first one she listed was the radiologist, who did an ultrasound and found something suspicious. He recommended that she visit a surgeon, who examined her and suggested a biopsy, which detected the disease.

Dont delay annual check-ups, dont ignore lumps, say celebrities who have survived breast cancerTahira KashyapTahira, 38, who was diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer (a type of non-invasive cancer, in which cancerous cells grow in the lining of the breast milk duct) in 2018, wrote on social media, "I want women of all ages to be aware. I am 35, and I was returned twice over from a mammogram. If any symptoms come up, think of it as a protective force and get yourselves examined."

Christina Applegate

Sheryl CrowSheryl, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 at age 44, is now cancer free. She said, "I found myself tempted to delay my annual mammogram visit like so many women do when dealing with stressful periods of life. Fortunately, I kept that appointment, and my breast cancer was found early."

Chhavi HusseinChhavi, 41, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2022, wrote on social media, "I had gone to a doctor for a minor gym injury in the chest and that's when they found the lump. To all women nothing should be left to chance Please do regular self-examination/ mammograms... and do not neglect a lump. Early detection is the only key."

Kylie MinogueKylie Minogue was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2005 at age 39, just months after being "misdiagnosed". "So my message to all of you and everyone at home is, because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn't necessarily mean they are right," she said on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show in 2008, advising women to trust their intuition. She added, "When you are stripped of everything and you have to grow your eyelashes back, grow your hair back, it's astonishing. It's hard to express what I've learnt from that, but a deep psychological and emotional shift has obviously taken place."

Cynthia Nixon"Get your mammograms and don't delay," said Sex And The City star Cynthia Nixon. Diagnosed in 2002 at age 40, she remained private about her cancer treatment, that included a lumpectomy and radiation, before publicly announcing her diagnosis. Her mother is also a breast cancer survivor.

Julia Louis-DreyfusIn September 2017, multiple Emmy Awards winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, then-56, announced her diagnosis on Twitter: "1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one," she wrote.

Continued here:
Warning signs to preventive tests: How to catch breast cancer early - Times of India

We didn't see any indication of their drinking coming back to baseline, so we think that maybe this epigenetic editing will produce a long-lasting effect, Pandey says. I think a lot more work needs to be done in terms of how this can be translated into humans for a therapy, but I have high hopes.

To test that the Arc gene was truly responsible for this outcome, the researchers also designed a Crispr injection meant to decrease its expression. They tested it in rats that werent exposed to alcohol in adolescence. Following the injection, the rats had more anxiety and consumed more alcohol than they did before.

The study raises the possibility that our molecular memory could be revisedor even erased. I'm struck deeply by this work showcasing the feasibility of changing a gene's memory of its experience, says Fyodor Urnov, a professor of genetics at the UC Berkeley and scientific director at the Innovative Genomics Institute of UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. But, he continues, rats arent humans, and we shouldnt leap to conclusions. The distance between curing a rat and injecting a human being with addiction to alcohol with an epigenetic editor is a formidable one, says Urnov. I think that we are quite a ways away from somebody who has developed a mild drinking problem becoming eligible for a quick injection into their amygdala.

That said, Urnov, who is also the cofounder of Tune Therapeutics, an epigenetic editing company, could see an experimental therapy like this being tested among people with alcohol addiction who have relapsed from treatment several times and have no other therapeutic options left.

Yet, as with directly editing genes, there could be unintended consequences of tweaking their expression. Because Arc is a regulator gene involved in brain plasticity, modifying its expression could have effects beyond alcohol addiction. We don't know what other behaviors are altered by this change, says Betsy Ferguson, a professor of genetics at Oregon Health and Science University who studies epigenetic mechanisms in addiction and other psychiatric disorders. Its a balance between finding something that's effective and something that's not disruptive to everyday life.

Another complicating factor is that the expression of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of genes are altered by alcohol use over time. In people, it may not be as simple as turning up the expression of Arc, which is only one of them. While it may seem like the solution would be to tweak all of those genes, manipulating the expression of many at once could cause problems. Knowing that behaviors, including alcohol use behaviors, are regulated by a number of genes, it's really a challenging problem to solve, Ferguson says.

And its not clear how long the effects of such editing might last. Epigenetic changes that occur naturally can be temporary or permanent, says Ferguson. Some can even be passed onto future generations. Overall, she finds the idea of using epigenetic editing to treat alcohol addiction fascinating, but shed want to see the results replicated and the Crispr treatment tried in larger animals that more closely mimic humans.

That day may not be too far off, as a handful of companies have recently launched to commercialize epigenetic editing. At Navega Therapeutics, which is based in San Diego, researchers are studying how to treat chronic pain by turning down the expression of a gene called SCN9A. When its highly expressed, it sends out lots of pain signals. But it would be a bad idea to simply delete this gene, because some amount of pain is useful; it signals when something is going wrong within the body. (In rare cases, people with an SCN9A mutation that effectively renders it inactive are immune to pain, which makes them vulnerable to injuries they arent able to sense.) In experiments at Navega, epigenetic editing in mice seemed to repress pain for several months.

Urnovs Tune Therapeutics, meanwhile, plans to use epigenetic editing for a broad range of conditions, including cancer and genetic diseases. Though Urnov doesnt see epigenetic editing as the antidote to binge drinking, he thinks this proof-of-concept study shows that it may be possible to rewire our genes experiences to reverse some of the damage of early alcohol abuse. It is empowering, frankly, to consider the fact that we now have genome editing to fight a drugs pernicious action right at the venue where the drug inscribes its memories onto the brain, he says.

Read this article:
A New Kind of Genome Editing Is Here to Fine-Tune DNA - WIRED

Before trading their white coats for black gowns and receiving their degrees at Convocation Hall,several members of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine's Class of 2022 recently looked back on their time in med school and shared advice for future students.

Five of those students MD graduates Happy Inibhunu, Justin Lim and Jordi Klein,as well as MD/PhD gradsAlainna Jamal and Siraj Zahrdescribe the rollercoaster of emotions they felt during their education atthe University of Toronto, from delivering their first baby to losing their first patient.

Here is a snapshot of their reflections:

Graduating from: MD ProgramUp next: Residency in neurosurgery, Western University

Time goes by really fast, as sometimes I often rewind back to orientation and am amazed of the incredible friends I have made these last four years. Some highlights of my medical school journey are my first-ever triathlon, receiving an honorable mention by the Canadian Society of Palliative Care for my written piece, "10:30,providing care to patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic through virtual and in-person means, and, undoubtedly, achieving my dream of becoming a neurosurgery resident.

These last four years in Toronto helped define the physician I aspire to be by building interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary networks in a harmonious manner, creating positive, empatheticand trustworthy rapport with patients, and having the extraordinary opportunity of striving diligently to provide care to neurosurgical patients as a life-long vocation.

Being part of the Class of 2022, which didmore than half of medical school during the pandemic, andnavigating clerkship within the pandemic was certainly a hard obstacle to overcome. Striving to build rapport and guidance with patients through the distance created with the application of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while balancing the uncertainty of the pandemic placed another layer of complexity to our learning. However, a defining characteristic that resonated through the pandemic is the ability to recognize, acknowledgeand strengthen virtues of humanity. For instance, sharing a laugh, providing extra time within visits, supporting one anotherand always remembering the person is separate from the disease. With this mindset, more unique aspects of clerkship and the pandemic shone through while building a harmonious community throughout my rotations among physicians, residents, allied health-care professionals, patients and caregivers.

I have been aspiring to this moment for a long time. To be one of the incoming PGY1 neurosurgery residents at Western University is a humbling honour. I am excited to continue on this path towards providing optimal care for patients, similar to my mentors, paving the way for me to soon become a well-rounded, skillfully trained neurosurgeon.

Advice for incoming students:It is often common to feel out-of-place in new situations, especially in medical school. You might hear of the phrase "imposter syndrome" in your first few weeks of orientation and throughout your career. Try not to be intimated by this phrase. Instead use it as a template to branch from. To get to where you are, it takes sacrifice, passionand excitement to dedicate your life to the betterment of others.

Graduating from: MD ProgramUp next: Residency in ObGyn, University of Toronto

I don't think I truly knew what I was getting myself into when I decided I wanted to become a physician.I just knew I wanted to contribute to my community in a meaningful way. Through the growing pains of medical school, I learned that there is something incredibly special about how our profession affords us the opportunity to be with people at some of their most vulnerable moments. The highs are high and the lows are low, but ultimately caring for others is central to what continues to draw me in to this profession.

Without a doubt, the most remarkable highlight of medical school has been watching my friends and classmates grow as people, as a communityand as future physicians and growing alongside them. It was so wonderful watching everyone comfortably settle into their future specialties this last stretch of medical school, and be truly excited about going into our respective clinical spaces.

Medical school has been filled with many firsts,which is what makes these four years so fulfilling and exciting, but so darn challenging at the same time. Navigating these firstskept me on my toes as I quickly learned that we all have things were good at (and things we're not so good at). It's funny remembering how nervous I was to take my first patient history. Now, that list of new experiences has grown exponentially all the way from delivering my first babyto experiencing my first patient death. Learning how to sit with these experiences will be something I will be working on for years to come.

I am extremely excited and nervous for the many upcoming milestones that come along with an ObGyn residency, and am really looking forward learning how to do things with my hands. I remember learning how to throw my first knot a few years ago, and it still hasn't hit me that soon enough I'll be learning how to operate.

Advice for incoming students:you will constantly feel like you dont have enough hours in a day.I remember feeling like I just did not ever have enough time. But I promise you that you do have time, and you will finish medical school excellent and competent.

The truth is, your to-do list will never end and the demands of medical school will feel overwhelming at times, but give yourself permission to do the things you need to do for you.

Jordi Klein

Graduating from: MD ProgramUp next: Residency in emergency medicine, University of Toronto

I became interested in medicine because of my own experiences as a patient, which led to an academic interest in co-design for health-care systems and institutions. Ive had some opportunities to use a co-design approach in creating lectures and resources for the MD program, and am excited to continue this work in residency. My experiences as a patient also cemented the importance of medicine as advocacy, and Im motivated to continue my advocacy work supporting the health-care needs of marginalized and under-represented communities.

Its true what they say:the days are long but the years are short.Med school was a collection of so many highlights. From de-stressing in the med lounge after an anatomy bellringer to delivering a baby for the first time, its amazing how much you grow in such a short amount of time. Among my greatest highlights were getting to know so many bright, hardworking, passionate future colleagues, who inspire me to be a better doctor and a better person.

I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome in medical school. I felt like I wasnt cut out to be a doctor, that I didnt belong here. It got worse in clerkship, as I would agonize over every little mistake, fearing it was evidence that all my worst fears were true and I actually wasnt good enough after all. Over the course of clerkship, my mentors helped me feel more grounded and learn to adopt a growth mindset. The imposter syndrome is still a work-in-progress but its become easier to see mistakes as opportunities to grow. Learn by failing!

Ive been incredibly lucky to have so many supportive mentors and colleagues throughout my training, and Im looking forward to having the opportunity to pay it forward by teaching, supportingand mentoring other learners here at U of T. My training would not have been the same without the residents who taught me procedures, got me coffee on night shifts, cried with me after patient deaths, coached me through tough daysand so much more. I hope to be that resident for future medical students.

Advice for incoming students:Each of you has something special to bring to this work. Dont be afraid to bring your full self into medical training. Let your strengths be your strengths, and find the people and places that help you feel like the best, most authentic version of yourself.

Graduating from: MD/PhD ProgramUp next: Residency in internal medicine, University of Toronto

I started my first research project as a bachelor of science student in 2010 under the skillful mentorship of Dr. S. Joseph Kim(an associate professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health)and Dr. Shahid Husain (a clinician investigator in the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine)in the multi-organ transplant program at Toronto General Hospital. They were the first to show me the physician-scientist career path, and I was fascinated.I saw research and clinical medicine as inextricably linked.I wanted to treat individual patients, while leading a research program that improves patient care and health-care systems.I am most interested in infectious diseases and epidemiology, particularly antibiotic resistance.

My research focuses on understanding transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals and communities, using epidemiological and genomic methods. These data allow us to make policy recommendations for infection prevention and control programs in Ontario.

The greatest highlight of my experience in the MD/PhD program was the opportunity tobe rigorously research-trained by my PhD supervisor, Dr. Allison McGeer [a professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health and clinician scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health) as our team worked on new and evolving public health challenges (antibiotic resistance, and toward the end of my PhD, COVID-19). She is an authority in her field who also takes mentorship seriously.She gave me independence, while always offering constructive criticism and generous support.

I'm looking forward to honing my clinical skills and gaining independence as a physician, serving as a teacher and mentor to my junior peers, and answering the next question on my research agenda.

Advice for incoming students: Open doors for junior peers. Approach everything with a diversity, equityand inclusivity mindset.

Graduating from: MD/PhD ProgramUp next: Residency in anesthesiology, University of Toronto

Looking ahead, anesthesiology offers many avenues for scientific investigation as it encompasses the entire spectrum of medicine and surgery. Im interested in mechanisms of action of certain anesthetics on brain activity, as well as chronic pain mechanisms and treatment. The interplay between what we categorize as psychiatric/mental versus physical in chronic pain disordersand therapeutic modalities that target both is a particularly exciting area to me.

My main doctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Freda Miller [in the department of physiology] and Dr. David Kaplan [in the department of molecular genetics] revolved around how neurons are generated from neural stem cells to build the mammalian cortex. The cortex underlies our perception of sensory information, performance of motor activitiesand higher-order cognition, so you can imagine that aberrations in this process can lead to a whole host of disorders.

Honestly, my biggest highlight [of med school] would have to be meeting my wife, Tina Marvasti, who I couples matched with. Other highlights are the friendships Ive made and inspiring mentors I have met who have made me feel at home in Toronto.

I have faced many challenges, both academically and personally. Not to bore you with the details, but some useful things I have learned are that challenges are inevitable and necessary for growth, and that it is OK to lean on others for advice and guidance when youre stuck.

As I embark on the next phase of training, I look forward to developing focused clinical expertise and independence in managing patients of varying complexity and acuity. Im also looking forward tolearning from the fantastic clinical and scientific mentors in anesthesiology.

There is a proverb of unclear origin that goes: "The person who asks is a fool for five minutes, but the person who does not ask remains a fool forever. In medicine and science, you are faced with many unknowns or unfamiliar territory that naturally evoke fear. Ive noticed that there is sometimes a hidden pressure that even the most junior and inexperienced trainees need to always appear more certain and knowledgeable than is the case. So, in addition to the natural fears one has, there is an added pressure to behave with false certainty despite lack of experience. I think this really stunts learning and understanding, and is ultimately bad for patient care.

Advice for incoming students:Be humble, stay curious, maintain a growth mindset, and ask genuine questions if you dont understand something. Essentially, be willing to be a fool for a bit.

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Medical school grads reflect on their time at U of T and share tips for future students - University of Toronto

A tortoise from a Galpagos species long believed extinct has been found alive and now confirmed to be a living member of the species. The tortoise, named Fernanda after her Fernandina Island home, is the first of her species identified in more than a century.

The Fernandina Island Galpagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus, or fantastic giant tortoise) was known only from a single specimen, collected in 1906. The discovery in 2019 of a female tortoise living on Fernandina Island provided the opportunity to determine if the species lives on. By sequencing the genomes of both the living individual and the museum specimen, and comparing them to the other 13 species of Galpagos giant tortoises, Princetons Stephen Gaughran showed that the two known Fernandina tortoises are members of the same species, genetically distinct from all others. He is co-first author on a paper in the current issue of Communications Biology confirming her species' continued existence.

For many years it was thought that the original specimen collected in 1906 had been transplanted to the island, as it was the only one of its kind, said Peter Grant, Princetons Class of 1877 Professor of Zoology, Emeritus and an emeritus professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who has spent more than 40 years studying evolution in the Galpagos islands. It now seems to be one of a very few that were alive a century ago.

When Fernanda was discovered, many ecologists doubted that she was actually a native phantasticus tortoise. She lacks the striking saddleback flaring of the male historical specimen, though scientists speculated that her obviously stunted growth may have distorted her features. Tortoises cant swim from one island to another, but they do float, and they can be carried from one Galpagos island to another during hurricanes or other major storms. There are also historical records of seafarers moving the tortoises between islands.

Like many people, my initial suspicion was that this was not a native tortoise of Fernandina Island, said Gaughran, a postdoctoral research fellow in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton.

To determine Fernandas species definitively, Gaughran sequenced her complete genome and compared it to the genome he was able to recover from the specimen collected in 1906. He also compared those two genomes to samples from the other 13 species of Galpagos tortoises three individuals from each of the 12 living species, and one individual of the extinct C. abingdonii.

We saw honestly, to my surprise that Fernanda was very similar to the one that they found on that island more than 100 years ago, and both of those were very different from all of the other islands tortoises, said Gaughran, who conducted the analyses after arriving at the University in February 2021.

In 2019, he was in the lab of Adalgisa Caccone at Yale University, who is the senior author on the paper.The finding of one alive specimen gives hope and also opens up new questions, as many mysteries still remain, said Caccone. Are there more tortoises on Fernandina that can be brought back into captivity to start a breeding program? How did tortoises colonize Fernandina, and what is their evolutionary relationship to the other giant Galpagos tortoises? This also shows the importance of using museum collections to understand the past.

Museum specimens are a challenge to analyze genetically, but Gaugran has been focused on it for years, developing a tool to compare DNA from ancient specimens to modern samples. His tool is flexible enough to work on many species. The software doesnt care if its a seal or a tortoise or human or Neanderthal, he said. Genetics is genetics, for the most part. Its in the interpretation where it matters what kind of creature the DNA comes from.

At Princeton, Gaughran is working with ecologistsAndrea Graham and Bridgett vonHoldtto unravel pinniped (seal and walrus) evolution.

"Stephen solves conservation mysteries, in species ranging from tortoises to pinnipeds, with the deft and careful application of genetic and bioinformatic tools," said Graham, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

"He has such a curiosity for discovering the messages and codes tucked away in ancient remains," said vonHoldt, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. "Stephen has been collecting specimens from several hundred years old to a few thousand, and these really hold the keys for understanding the history of when and how genomes changed over time. It is not surprising to me that he also led the effort to unravel the mystery of Fernanda, the fantastic ghost tortoise that has been rediscovered through molecular research. What a cool discovery!"

Since 1906, scant but compelling evidence has hinted that giant tortoises might still live on Fernandina Island, an active volcano on the western edge of the Galpagos Archipelago that is reputed to be the largest pristine island on Earth.

A single specimen of C. phantasticus the fantastic giant tortoise was collected by explorer Rollo Beck during a 1906 expedition. The fantastic nature refers the extraordinary shape of the males shells, which have extreme flaring along the outer edge and conspicuous saddlebacking at the front. Saddlebacking is unique to Galpagos tortoises, and the phantasticus tortoise shows it more prominently than the other species.

Since its 1906 discovery, the survival of the Fernandina tortoise has remained an open question for biologists. In 1964, 18 scats attributable to tortoises were reported on the western slopes of the island. Scats and a possible visual observation from an aircraft were reported during the early 2000s, and another possible tortoise scat was seen in 2014.

The island has remained largely unexplored, due to extensive lava fields blocking access to the islands interior.

Fernandina is the highest of the Galpagos islands, geologically young, and is mainly a huge pile of jagged blocks of brown lava; Rosemary and I once climbed to the top, said Grant, referring to his wife and research partner Rosemary Grant, an emeritus senior research biologist at Princeton. At lower elevations, the vegetation occurs in island-like clumps in a sea of recently congealed lava. Fernanda was found in one of these, and there is evidence that a few relatives may exist in others.

Scientists estimate that Fernanda is well over 50 years old, but she is small, possibly because the limited vegetation stunted her growth. Encouragingly, recent tracks and scat of at least 2 or 3 other tortoises were found during other recent expeditions on the island.

For more than a century, the Fernandina IslandGalpagosgiant tortoise (Chelonoidis phantasticus, or 'fantastic giant tortoise') was known only from this single specimen, collected in 1906.

Photo courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences

Two or three million years ago, a storm carried one or more giant tortoises from the South American mainland westwards. Because they dont swim, the tortoises bred only with others on their own islands, resulting in rapid evolution following the pattern of the better-known Galpagos finches. Today, there are 14 different species of giant Galpagos tortoises, all descended from a single ancestor.

(Some scientists debate whether these should be considered species or subspecies, but the Princeton-Yale team concluded that they are different enough, with thousands of distinctive genetic markers, to be considered separate species.)

Diversification of Galpagos tortoises reveals a continuum of shell shapes, with the easternmost islands' animals showing rounder, domed shells, and the westernmost island Fernandina home to tortoises with the most dramatic saddlebacking. The domed tortoises live in more humid, higher elevation ecosystems, while their saddlebacked cousins inhabit drier, lower elevation environments. All 14 are listed on the IUCN Red List as either vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered or extinct.

The tortoise populations were decimated by European seafarers who hunted them for food, having discovered that they could keep tortoises alive on their ships with minimal effort, as the reptiles could survive with little food or water. They were a great source of fresh meat for the sailors, but it meant that many of the species were severely overhunted, said Gaughran.

The genetic work provides intriguing hints of a mixing of genes with members of another population, said Grant. It would be fascinating if confirmed by future detective work on the genome. Another thought-provoking finding is the nearest relatives are not on the nearest very large island (Isabela) but on another (Espaola) far away on the other side of Isabela. The question of how the ancestors reached Fernandina is left hanging.

Fernanda is now at the Galpagos National Park Tortoise Center, a rescue and breeding facility, where experts are seeing what they can do to keep her species alive.

The discovery informs us aboutrare species that may persist in isolated places for a long time, said Grant. This information is important for conservation. It spurs biologists to search harder for the last few individuals of a population to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

The Galpagos giant tortoise Chelonoidis phantasticus is not extinct, by Evelyn L. Jensen*, Stephen J. Gaughran*, Nicole A. Fusco, Nikos Poulakakis, Washington Tapia, Christian Sevilla, Jeffreys Mlaga, Carol Mariani, James P. Gibbs and Adalgisa Caccone, appears in the June 9 issue of Communications Biology, a Nature family journal (DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03483-w). (*These authors contributed equally to the work.) The research was supported by the Galpagos National Park Directorate, the Galpagos Conservancy (GR112688), the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (GR110489), Re:Wild (5248-0000), Island Conservation, the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Yale Center for Research Computing.

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'Fantastic giant tortoise,' believed extinct, confirmed alive in the Galpagos - Princeton University