“Scientists expose biology of emergent Salmonella - Newstrack India” plus 4 more |
- Scientists expose biology of emergent Salmonella - Newstrack India
- Boehringer seeks biology boost from Northwest - StJoenews.net
- Chattanooga State biology instructor examines intersection of science ... - Chattanooga Times Free Press
- Students contribute to Dado scholarship - Digital Collegian
- Biology of emergent Salmonella exposed - Genetic Engineering News
| Scientists expose biology of emergent Salmonella - Newstrack India Posted: 30 Nov 2009 11:36 PM PST
Washington, Dec 1 (ANI): Scientists have characterised a new multi drug resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium that is causing life-threatening disease in Africa. Such type of Salmonella bug normally causes diarrhoea and is rarely fatal. The new strain, called ST313, infects vulnerable children and adults in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa leading to death in up to one in four cases.
The new genome work- a collaboration between the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme and the Kemri-Wellcome Trust Programme- shows how genetic changes transformed this infection into a new antibiotic-resistant form of the disease. ST313 appears to be better adapted to affect humans, is resistant to several commonly used antibiotics and may spread from person to person. The severe effects of ST313 - invasive disease and high mortality rates - are seen predominantly in individuals with the immune compromising conditions, HIV, malaria, malnutrition or anaemia. Until today, it had been widely assumed that this wasn't a new deadly form of the organism but, rather, that the existing diarrhoea-causing strain of the pathogen was taking advantage of the weakened immune system of patients with underlying health problems to cause a more severe disease. However, the new study has painted a new picture about the strain. "Multi-drug resistant forms of this deadly type of S. Typhimurium emerged only in the last decade. It seems to have evolved to acquire a unique armoury that allows it to efficiently infect vulnerable children and adults in some African regions. The results highlight the power of in-depth genome sequence analysis to challenge basic medical assumptions and distinguish closely related pathogens. This is a new form of pathogen," explained Dr Robert Kingsley from the Sanger Institute and lead author on the paper. For the study, researchers analysed approximately 50 samples of the bacterial DNA, extracted from blood samples of African patients with severe symptoms of infection and also suffering HIV, malaria, malnutrition or anaemia. They used these samples to produce a high-quality reference genome sequence. Based on this sequence, the team could look in fine detail at the genetic differences between ST313 and strains associated with milder disease symptoms across the globe. The team's findings suggest that ST313 may be spreading by a new method, not seen before in S. Typhimurium. This pathogen normally circulates among animals and is introduced to humans through food poisoning. It spends much of its time in the animal hosts. However, ST313 may be passing predominantly from person to person and so can adapt more rapidly to its human hosts: it doesn't spend time acquiring mutations to help it thrive in the animal host, but on the contrary may be losing them. This is likely to have helped seal its success and helped it to become the dominant strain among humans. (ANI) This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Boehringer seeks biology boost from Northwest - StJoenews.net Posted: 30 Nov 2009 09:27 PM PST Biological vaccine production requires scientists with a specialized education. And though an administrator for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica said the company doesn't have a problem finding qualified individuals in the St. Joseph area, it's stepping up its education efforts. Dr. Bernd Eichenmueller, director of vaccine production and process development at Boehringer, inked an agreement with Northwest Missouri State University Monday that will give his scientists access to Northwest's master's of science in biology degree on their time. The 18-month program was chosen from an existing catalog of graduate courses at Northwest, but includes management courses and statistics alongside the usual biology/chemistry subjects. "We do get highly qualified people," Dr. Eichenmueller said of the 100 scientists on staff at Boehringer's St. Joseph facility, "but it requires a special skill that is normally not taught in a regular bachelor's program in biology." The 32-hour program will include online offerings, coursework at the St. Joseph Center, and on the campus in Maryville. Dr. Charles McAdams, dean of the college of arts and sciences at Northwest, said the logistics took about a year to iron out. Boehringer administrators had to first go through Northwest's catalog and pick courses that would apply to their specific needs. Dan Nowalk, executive director of human resources and public relations, said the partnership ensures that Boehringer's education opportunities are in line with the future needs of the animal health industry. "We continue to grow and compete within the animal health industry," Mr. Nowalk said, "we need partnerships like this." Dr. John Jasinski, president of Northwest, said in months previous to Monday's signing that partnerships would be an important component in overcoming some of the obstacles in front of higher education and economic development in the region. He reiterated that point Monday in a news conference at the St. Joseph Center with about 25 in attendance. "It's a commitment not just to St. Joe," Dr. Jasinski said of the partnership with Boehringer, "but the Northwest Missouri region." Boehringer has developed programs with Missouri Western State University as well, however, a partnership such as the one finalized Monday wouldn't be possible as Western doesn't offer a master's of science in biology. Jimmy Myers can be reached at jimmym@npgco.com This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Posted: 30 Nov 2009 08:59 PM PST ABOUT HIM Hometown: Louisville, Ky. Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Louisville; master's degree, University of Tennessee. Previous employment: Biology instructor, Northeast State Community College. Family: Wife, Michele; daughter, Malynda. FAVORITE BOOK "How the Leopard Changed its Spots" by Brian Goodwin. HOBBIES Playing folk music with his wife (he plays guitar); spending time with his daughter; playing and watching sports; sailing. FAVORITE MOVIES "Jaws," "Planet of the Apes." WHERE TO FIND HIS FILM Amazon.com, BlankSlateStudios.com. HIS TALK Noon, Dec. 4, Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Highway (Room 126, Albright Omniplex Building); no charge. As a scientist who is religious, David Wollert sees the engagement of the two fields more easily than some do. The Chattanooga State Community College biology teacher, who is the filmmaker of a documentary on 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin, will conclude the school's Year of Science brown-bag lunch series with the presentation "Indulging the Doubting Thomas: Science and Religion in the 21st Century" on Friday at the school. He compared what needs to happen for science today to the 16-century Protestant Reformation, which argued the church in general needed to be more accessible to all people. "Let's voluntarily take (science) out of the esoteric realm and make it a public thing," Mr. Wollert said. Q. What led you to the belief that science and religion should go together? A. I grew up in the church and (in) a religious family. I guess the theology I was taught wasn't very intellectually deep. ... It just didn't have much meat to it. ... I actually started out (in college) as a business major, and I had to take a science (course) with a lab, and took biology, and, from class number one, said, "Oh my gosh, this stuff is amazing. I promptly changed my major, but I think what was luring me in to science so much was that it presented this nice, rational explanation of the world. "... (I) probably went to the extreme. I never would not have called myself an atheist, I don't guess, but I definitely would have considered myself an agnostic. (Eventually) you start to say there's got to be more to it than this." Q. What's the nature of your talk on the science-religion debate? A. People can either view those as opposing each other or, what I did for a while is, view them as almost separate entities. ... I don't think that's, in the end, going to work because you get kind of schizophrenic in your thinking. You're a scientist by day, a religious person by night. In the end, trying to engage them in some way is, from my perspective, the way to go. So I'm hoping in this talk to present a perspective that's very accommodating to our modern scientific views in knowledge but also very accommodating to our general religious concepts. Q. What led you to the decision to make a documentary film ("Paradise Lost: The Religious Life of Charles Darwin") on Charles Darwin? A. There was a biography written about him about 15 years ago, (and) I kind of consider it "the" biography of Darwin. I realized in reading it that, my gosh, this isn't the person the world thinks he is. So many people, their whole view of Darwin is something they've seen ... on a bumper sticker. You know, Darwin is this old man with a beard who said humans came from monkeys and says there's no God. That's an amazingly inaccurate portrayal of this person. In reading, you realize he asked a lot of these same questions and struggled with them quite a bit. Q. What conclusions did you come to about Darwin in the film? A. His religious views and his scientific views are linked. In the documentary, it presents how he came up with the theories. ... The other thing the film tries to show is that, in the end, it's not his scientific ideas that led him to agnosticism. It was questions about why is there human suffering, why is evil in the world. Those were the questions he couldn't answer. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Students contribute to Dado scholarship - Digital Collegian Posted: 01 Dec 2009 02:14 AM PST Selling wristbands to help make money for the Joey Dado Memorial Scholarship Fund, both Mike Cook and Jonathan Hue said Dado probably wouldn't have admitted to liking the idea. "He would have said that he hated it, but he would have actually liked it," Cook (freshman-biology) said. "He was that kind of kid." Cook, Hue (freshman-chemistry) and several of Dado's other friends sold blue-and-white wristbands that read "In Loving Memory...Joey Dado" in the HUB-Robeson Center on Monday to raise money for a scholarship in his honor. The scholarship will benefit one male and one female soccer player each year from Dado's alma mater, Greater Latrobe Senior High School in Latrobe, Pa. Dado died Sept. 20 after leaving a party at Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity, 319 N. Burrowes Road. His body was found the next day in an exterior stairwell between the Steidle and Hosler buildings. The volunteers began the day with about 700 wristbands, what remained of a 1,000-wristband order after a sale at Dado's high school. The $3 wristbands were arranged in a pyramid on the table, and posters advertising the sale were set up to attract potential buyers. Most students didn't require much persuasion, volunteers said. "In these situations, we feel so helpless," Stephanie Alechman (junior-journalism) said. "This is a good way to help out. It makes you feel good." Alechman purchased one of about 200 wristbands sold during the eight-hour period. The volunteers also received many donations. Cook said he hopes the remaining wristbands can be sold in a similar sale next semester. He also plans to set up a special sale of the wristbands for students living in Tener Hall, where Dado lived. There has been talk of additional memorials for Dado, he said, including a tree planted outside his former high school, a plaque, or even a soccer or golfing event planned in his honor. But for now, Cook is excited to see Penn State students wearing Dado's name. "I'd like to sell it to all 40,000 people here, but obviously that's not possible," he said. Most students who walked past the table praised the efforts of Dado's friends. "It's an unfortunate situation, but this is taking a step in the positive direction," Keith Younger (junior-marketing) said. Lauren Stout (freshman-kinesiology) stood at the bottom of the HUB stairs holding a poster and helped point students toward the sale table. As a high school friend of Dado's, Stout was happy to help celebrate the life of a student whose death still saddens her. "It was heartbreaking to know it was Joe, the kid who helped me with my chemistry homework," Stout said. She agreed Dado wouldn't have actually admitted that he liked the idea of a wristband sale. "He would have cracked a smile," she said with a smile of her own. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Biology of emergent Salmonella exposed - Genetic Engineering News Posted: 30 Nov 2009 02:53 PM PST Nov 30 2009, 6:00 PM EST Biology of emergent Salmonella exposedEUREKALERT Contact: Don Powellpress.officer@sanger.ac.uk 44-12-234-96928 Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Deadly bug targets vulnerable children and adults in AfricaResearchers have characterised a new multi drug resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium that is causing life-threatening disease in Africa. This type of Salmonella bug normally causes diarrhoea and is rarely fatal. The new strain infects vulnerable children and adults in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa leading to death in up to one in four cases. The new genome work, a collaboration between the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme and the Kemri-Wellcome Trust Programme, shows how genetic changes transformed this infection into a new antibiotic-resistant form of the disease. The new strain, called ST313, appears to be better adapted to affect humans, is resistant to several commonly used antibiotics and may spread from person to person. The severe effects of ST313 - invasive disease and high mortality rates - are seen predominantly in individuals with the immune compromising conditions, HIV, malaria, malnutrition or anaemia. Until today, it had been widely assumed that this wasn't a new deadly form of the organism but, rather, that the existing diarrhoea-causing strain of the pathogen was taking advantage of the weakened immune system of patients with underlying health problems to cause a more severe disease. Today's results paint a truer picture "Multi-drug resistant forms of this deadly type of S. Typhimurium emerged only in the last decade," explains Dr Robert Kingsley from the Sanger Institute and lead author on the paper. "It seems to have evolved to acquire a unique armoury that allows it to efficiently infect vulnerable children and adults in some African regions. The results highlight the power of in-depth genome sequence analysis to challenge basic medical assumptions and distinguish closely related pathogens. "This is a new form of pathogen." The team studied approximately 50 samples of the bacterial DNA, extracted from blood samples of African patients with severe symptoms of infection and also suffering HIV, malaria, malnutrition or anaemia. They used these samples to produce a high-quality reference genome sequence. Based on this sequence, the team were able to look in fine detail at the genetic differences between ST313 and strains associated with milder disease symptoms across the globe. "This work was entirely dependent on close collaboration that brings important samples collected over years together with genomic technology that can pick apart the important changes," says Professor Rob Heyderman, Director of the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust, Clinical Research Programme. "This work is a great example of such cooperation: now we must build the capacity to expand this kind of research in affected countries." "When we started looking in detail at our newly completed reference genome sequence, we saw the genetic signatures that suggested it may be adapting to humans," explains Dr Robert Kingsley. "For example, this deadly strain has lost around one in 50 of the genes found in the 'typical' S. Typhimurium - a classic sign that it may be becoming more closely adapted to one host, in this case, humans. "We also found similar patterns of genome degradation in ST313 compared S. Typhi - a bacterium which is known to be well adapted to its human host." Six out of ten of the regions that showed degradation in the invasive ST313 are also degraded in S. Typhi, suggesting that the genomes have converged in their ability to thrive in the human host. This theory is bolstered by the finding that eroded areas of the genome tend to play important roles in the intimate interaction with cells of the human host. The team's findings suggest that ST313 may be spreading by a new method, not seen before in S. Typhimurium. This pathogen normally circulates among animals and is introduced to humans through food poisoning. It spends much of its time in the animal hosts. However, ST313 may be passing predominantly from person to person and so can adapt more rapidly to its human hosts: it doesn't spend time acquiring mutations to help it thrive in the animal host, but on the contrary may be losing them. This is likely to have helped seal its success and helped it to become the dominant strain among humans. Multi drug resistant ST313 has swept through humans in remarkable fashion: in an 18-month period beginning in 2002, it came to represent 95 per cent of S. Typhimurium isolates identified in Africa. However, antibiotic-sensitive versions of the same strain may have been evolving in regions of Africa for many decades. "This new strain of S. Typhimurium has rapidly gained resistance to many of the commonly used antibiotics in the field," explains Dr Chisomo Msefula from the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme. "Our findings show that ST313 has acquired a block of genes that make it resistant to the common antibiotics. The genes jumped into ST313 on a mobile genetic element called a transposon, bringing with it additional genes that make the strain more deadly." "Even when treated using drugs against which the bacterium has not gained resistance, the mortality rate remains staggeringly high, at 25 per cent." The team hope that the new sequence will open the door for future studies of disease important to populations in Africa "There are more than 2500 different strains of Salmonella," explains Professor Gordon Dougan from the Sanger Institute and senior author on the paper. "The emergence and rise to dominance of ST313 in Africa is associated with uniquely susceptible host populations: we must be on our guard against the emergence of new pathogens in a rapidly changing world. This isn't simply a story about HIV infection: There is little evidence that this type of disease is a problem in other areas of the world where HIV and malaria infection rates are high, such as southeast Asia. "If we can understand what's special about the types of Typhimurium that emerge and susceptible populations, we might be able to predict in future where new pathogens will emerge. We may also be able to design vaccines against those pathogens." Two ST313 isolates in available databases come from outside Africa - one from India and one from the UK. Strikingly, both were from severe invasive disease. Invasive cases are very, very rare outside certain regions of Africa. The researchers don't know whether the additional cases were from travellers to Africa or know the immune status of the patients. Tracking the transmission pathways and the emergence of new strains can most effectively be done using new sequencing technologies to spot the tiny differences - single letter changes - in the genetic code. The completion of this new high-quality S. Typhimurium reference genome for the emergent ST313 strain opens the door for such investigations in the future. Notes to Editors Publication Details Funding Participating Centres
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which receives the majority of its funding from the Wellcome Trust, was founded in 1992. The Institute is responsible for the completion of the sequence of approximately one-third of the human genome as well as genomes of model organisms and more than 90 pathogen genomes. In October 2006, new funding was awarded by the Wellcome Trust to exploit the wealth of genome data now available to answer important questions about health and disease. http://www.sanger.ac.uk The Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Programme is a leading laboratory-based health research institution led by Malawian and international Scientists in partnership with the University of Malawi College of Medicine. MLW conducts internationally competitive research aimed at improving the health of people in Malawi and elsewhere in the Region. MLW hosts a comprehensive programme of professional development for the research leaders of the future. http://www.mlw.medcol.mw The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending over 600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk Contact details This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
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