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Showing posts from May, 2011

15 dead from killer cucumbers

  THE death toll from killer cucumbers has risen to at least 15 - as the number of people being treated in hospital continues to rise. Officials have banned the infected vegetables as hundreds across Europe fell sick from E.coli, with northwestern Germany the hardest-hit region. Experts say it is the biggest ever outbreak of its kind. Cases of haemolytic-uremic syndrome - otherwise known as HUS - have been reported in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. In Germany the national disease control centre said 373 people were sick with the most serious form of the outbreak - up from 329 on Monday. Investigations are on-going to discover the possible sources of contamination. At first it was reported that the tainted vegetables could be traced from Spain, which was angrily rejected by the Spanish government. But German authorities said today they were unsure whether Spanish cucumbers caused the massive outbreak after tests confirmed the presence of a potentially deadly infection - but it wa

METAGENOMICS

metagenomics is the study of genetic material recovered directly from the environment samples. This broad field of microbiology differs from the traditional where the genomic sequencing mainly depent on the clonal culture. here the large microbial groups which are not easy to culture in a lab are studied in their enviromental conditons. This term was used in a publication in 1998 by Jo Handelsman et. al., University of Wisonsin, Department of Plant Pathology. This term is also knows, environmental genomics, ecogenomics, or community genomics.Metagenomic studies of seawater and feces have revealed thousands of previously unknown viruses and bacteria. Marine sediment was found to have millions of previously unknown viruses.The National Institutes of Health is considering a project to sequence all of the microbes of the human body. Currently only 1% of the bodies microbes can be sequenced. A microbe genome is one thousand times shorter than the human genome. However, there are a lot of di

Modern Biotechnology: A Brief Overview

  There are numerous terms and acronyms used in the area of biotechnology that can be confusing. Some of the commonly used terms in biotechnology are described as, " Biotechnology " means the application of science and engineering in the direct or indirect use of living organisms, or parts or products of living organisms, in their natural or modified forms. This term is very broad and includes the use of traditional or conventional breeding, as well as more modern techniques such as genetic engineering. " Modern biotechnology " is used to distinguish newer applications of biotechnology, such as genetic engineering and cell fusion from more conventional methods such as breeding, or fermentation. Most often the term "biotechnology" is used interchangeably with "modern biotechnology". " Conventional breeding " or " selective breeding " means propagating plants or animals sexually, selecting for certain traits. Using selective cr

CSIR-UGC (NET) EXAM FOR AWARD OF JUNIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AND ELIGIBILITY FOR LECTURERSHIP - EXAM SCHEME FOR SINGLE PAPER CSIR-UGC NET Exam

    FROM June 2011 CSIR-UGC NET Exam for Science stream is conducted by CSIR in the following areas: - 1. Chemical Sciences 2. Earth Sciences 3. Life Sciences 4. Mathematical Sciences 5. Physical Sciences It has been decided to introduce Single Paper MCQ MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) based test from June 2011 exam. The pattern for the Single Paper MCQ test shall be as given below:- v The MCQ test paper of each subject shall carry a maximum of 200 marks. v The exam shall be for duration of three hours. v The question paper shall be divided in three parts Ø Part 'A' shall be common to all subjects. This part shall be a test containing a maximum of 20 questions of General Science and Research Aptitude test. The candidates shall be required to answer any 15 questions of two marks each. The total marks allocated to this section shall be 30 out of 200 Ø Part 'B' shall contain subject-related conventional MCQs. The total marks allocated to this section shall be 70 o

Geothermal Energy

  Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma. Almost everywhere, the shallow ground or upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface maintains a nearly constant temperature between 50° and 60°F (10° and 16°C). Geothermal heat pumps can tap into this resource to heat and cool buildings. A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat pump, an air delivery system (ductwork), and a heat exchanger-a system of pipes buried in the shallow ground near the building. In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summ

Parallel on-chip gene synthesis and application to optimization of protein expression..

Low-cost, high-throughput gene synthesis and precise control of protein expression are of critical importance to synthetic biology and biotechnology. Here we describe the development of an on-chip gene synthesis technology, which integrates on a single microchip the synthesis of DNA oligonucleotides using inkjet printing, isothermal oligonucleotide amplification and parallel gene assembly. Use of a mismatch-specific endonuclease for error correction results in an error rate of ~0.19 errors per kb. We applied this approach to synthesize pools of thousands of codon-usage variants of lacZα and 74 challenging Drosophila protein antigens, which were then screened for expression in Escherichia coli . In one round of synthesis and screening, we obtained DNA sequences that were expressed at a wide range of levels, from zero to almost 60% of the total cell protein mass. This technology may facilitate systematic investigation of the molecular mechanisms of protein translation and the design, c

DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOINFORMATICS SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES, NORTH EASTERN HILL UNIVERSITY….!!

SHILLONG - 793 022 (INDIA) Applicants are invited for a Walk-in Interview on 20th May, 2011 for Project Assistant position in the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Department of Information Technology funded research project “Development of web based microbial database ( Bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi) of North-East India” sanctioned to Dr. S.R.Joshi as Principal Investigator in the Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, NEHU, Shillong. Qualifications : Graduate with good proficiency in MS-Office, DTP and Database Management. Duration : One year which may be extended depending on the performance. Stipend : Rs 8,000/- p.m. Walk-in interview will be held at the following venue, date and time : Venue : Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Date : 20th May 2011 Time : 11 AM Dr SR Joshi Principal Investigator DIT ( MC & IT) - Funded Research Project N.B: 1. No TA/DA is admissible for attending the interview. 2. The posit
Cloning Vector View more presentations from Saurav Das
Protein engineering saurav View more presentations from Saurav Das

CHILD CANCER or PEDIATRIC CANCER

Every bodily cell is tightly regulated with respect to growth, interaction with other cells, and even its life span. Cancer occurs when a type of cell has lost these normal control mechanisms and grows in a way that the body can no longer regulate. Different kinds of cancer have different signs, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes, depending on the type of cell involved and the degree of uncontrolled cell growth. All kinds of cancer, including childhood cancer, have a common disease process — cells grow out of control, develop abnormal sizes and shapes, ignore their typical boundaries inside the body, destroy their neighbor cells, and ultimately can spread (or metastasize) to other organs and tissues. As cancer cells grow, they demand more and more of the body's nutrition. Cancer takes a child's strength, destroys organs and bones, and weakens the body's defenses against other illnesses. Cancer affects only about 14 of every 100,000 children in the United States each year. A

Photobioreactor - Definition, Glossary, Details.

  A photobioreactor is a bioreactor which incorporates some type of light source. Virtually any translucent container could be called a photobioreactor, however the term is more commonly used to define a closed system, as opposed to an open tank or pond. Because these systems are closed, all essential nutrients must be introduced into the system to allow algae to grow and be cultivated. A pond covered with a greenhouse could be considered a photobioreactor. A photobioreactor can be operated in "batch mode" but it is also possible to introduce a continuous stream of sterilized water containing nutrients, air, and carbon dioxide.Algae can also be grown in a photobioreactor. As the algae grows, excess culture overflows and is harvested. If sufficient care is not taken, continuous bioreactors often collapse very quickly, however once they are successfully started, they can continue operating for long periods. The photobioreactor is designed to provide optimal illumination, mixin

free open access journals in agricultural biotechnology..

  World Journal of Agricultural Sciences World Journal of Agricultural Sciences (WJAS) is an international scientific journal edited by the International Digital Organization for Scientific Information (IDOSI). The journal provides a common forum where all aspects of agricultural and environmental sciences are presented. The quarterly journal publishes original papers, review articles, technical reports and short communications. American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science Quarterly agricultural science journal published by Science Publications . The open access, peer-reviewed journal focuses on agronomy, marine biology, agricultural administration, agri-meteorology, agri-economics, soil studies, crop sciences, bioengineering and toxicology. Journal of Central European Agriculture The Journal of Central European Agriculture (JCEA) publishes original articles, rapid communication of information and proceedings of scientific meetings in English, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech,

Overview about Biotechnology & Life Sciences Journals with free access to articles in full text

  American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Quarterly biotechnology journal published by Science Publications . The open access, peer-reviewed journal focuses on general biochemistry, patho-biochemistry, evolutionary biotechnology, structural, molecular and cellular biology, molecular medicine, cancer research, immunology, virology and experimental methodologies. African Journal of Biotechnology The African Journal of Biotechnology (AJB ) is an open access journal that was founded on two key tenets: To publish the most exciting research in all areas of applied biochemistry, industrial microbiology, molecular biology, genomics and proteomics, food and agricultural technologies, and metabolic engineering. Secondly, to provide the most rapid turn-around time possible for reviewing and publishing, and to disseminate the articles freely for teaching and reference purposes. All articles published in AJB are peer-reviewed. The Open Biotechnology Journal The Open Biotechnology J

The Green Machine: Algae Clean Wastewater, Convert to Biodiesel

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are developing biodiesel from microalgae grown in wastewater. The project is doubly "green" because algae consume nitrates and phosphates and reduce bacteria and toxins in the water. The end result: clean wastewater and stock for a promising biofuel. The purified wastewater can be channeled back into receiving bodies of water at treatment plants, while the biodiesel can fuel buses, construction vehicles and farm equipment. Algae could replace diesel's telltale black puffs of exhaust with cleaner emissions low in the sulfur and particulates that accompany fossil fuels. Algae have a lot of advantages. They are cheaper and faster to grow than corn, which requires nutrient-rich soil, fertilizer and insecticide. Factor in the fuel used to harvest and transport corn and ethanol starts to look complicated. In contrast, algae are much simpler organisms. They use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy. They need only wat

Maximization of algae lipid yield Scenedesmus dimorphus for the production of biodiesel

algae is most researched topic now days to fulfill the current oil problems of world..but most of the process is till lab scale but in near future it will surely be practiced in large scale. Maximization of algae lipid yield Scenedesmus dimorphus for the production of biodiesel View more presentations from Carlos Ramos .