BASF and Monsanto enter into long term plant biotechnology agreement

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Monsanto and BASF have come together for a long term plant biotechnology agreement for developing high yield drought resistant crops. The companies are looking to develop a budget of $1.5 billion for development of yield and stress tolerance traits of cotton, canola, soyabean and corn. It has both existing and planned yield and stress tolerance programs apart from projects generated by independent plant biotechnology research. The product which is to be developed would enter the markets in the first half of next decade. Also the companies have entered into a collaboration agreement for researching techniques for controlling soyabean cyst nematode which can affect crop yield. I was just wondering with Monsanto being involved in GM crop scandal how far it would be successful in this venture and whether it will be able to win back the trust of the people again. Via businessweek

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Scientists find a key to radiation resistance

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

A study carried out by Michael Daly and his team at the ‘Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ in Bethesda, Maryland, has put new lights on the effect of radiation on DNA. According to Daly, it has long been thought that radiation was dangerous because it shatters DNA into fragment but, instead it is protein damage that is the killer. Daly says: The ability of cells to survive radiation is highly dependent on the amount of protein damage caused during irradiation. The bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans, which is nicknamed ‘Conan the Bacterium’ because of its high radiation resisting ability, was used in the study done by Daly and his team. Daly and his team exposed Deinococcus and other resistant bacteria to radiation and found that the resilience of a cell’s repair proteins is linked to the number of manganese ions in the cell. Manganese prevents oxidative damage to repair proteins and allows them to swing into action after radiation has damaged DNA. The study shows that it doesn’t matter even if your DNA is shattered, as long as the repair proteins are intact the DNA can be stitched back. According to Daly, it may be possible to increase radiation resistance by delivering Deinococcus repair proteins into animal cells. This could be useful in space travel, where radiation sickness is the main setback. Source.

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Organic kiwi is great for health, says study

Posted on January 31, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Organic kiwi contains health promoting factors and this was studied by University of California researchers which undertook a comprehensive study for this purpose. Up till now the health benefits of organic and conventional foods was a debatable topic. Organic food has been found out to contain higher levels of polyphenols which is a healthy compound found in red wine and berries. Also these kiwis contain a higher level of antioxidant and ascorbic acid. Due to thick skin these kiwis can also resist pest attacks. The sales of organic foods are increasing across the globe and in 2003 the organic food market was worth $23-25 billion and it has been growing by nineteen percent every year. This gives us a hint that the future is organic food which can be really beneficial for our body systems. Via biologynews

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Dental enamel can be grown using cultured cells

Posted on January 31, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

It is a known fact that dental enamel cannot regenerate itself since it is formed from cell layers which are lost by the time the tooth appears and hence the same enamel suffers wear and tear over the remaining human life. University of Tokyo researchers have created a new technique which can culture cells for producing enamels. They demonstrated that epithelial cells which were extracted from growing teeth of a six month old pig continued to grow when they were cultured on special feeder layers of cells. Now since researchers have attained success in the case of dental epithelial cells they could deploy the same technique in the case of dental mesenchymal cells and tooth formation. This technique could also be deployed for replacing damaged enamel and regeneration of the teeth. Via biologynews

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IDR-1: Amino-acid peptide that boosts immune system

Posted on January 31, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

A powerful immune system is the pre-requisite for a healthy body. Our immune system is considered as the guard which fights with the negative bodies that tend to make us sick. And to help our immune system in its battle against the negative bodies, we have modern antibiotics which prevents us from the deadly attack of bacterias. But certain bacterias are found to be drug-resistant. The most dangerous of the lot are vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which are almost antibiotic-resistant. To find a solution for these superbugs, Immunologist Robert Hancock of the University of British Columbia studied a group of short proteins, or peptides, that in high concentrations can kill bacteria. He administered the peptides to superbug-infected mice, anticipating that the peptides might trigger ‘sepsis’, a potentially lethal condition brought on by bacteria in the bloodstream. But was amazed to see result which was the opposite of sepsis, but with one drawback that the peptides also caused allergy like reactions and killed healthy intestinal cells. Amazed by this experience, Hancock and his team made shorter peptides that they hoped would prevent sepsis without causing other complications. And the result of their effort is the innate defense regulator (IDR-1), consisting of 13-amino-acid peptide. IDR-1 does not directly kill the bacteria, instead it cautions the prime immune response of a body known as innate immunity. Once the innate immunity is stimulated, it guards our body for any subsequent infections by way of sending surplus white blood cells called monocytes and macrophages to gobble up invading pathogens but fewer of the sepsis inducing neutrophils. Hancock has co-founded a company to commercialize IDR-1, and he expects the clinical trials of IDR-1 to begin in 12 to 15 months. Hancock’s study has put our immune system in the fore-ground, in our battle against harmful bacterias. Source.

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University of Birmingham researchers figure out how field poppy prevents self-pollination

Posted on January 30, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

University of Birmingham researchers have revealed the manner in which field poppy prevents self pollination which if not controlled could result in shrinkage of gene pool and lead to unhealthy offspring. Professor Vernonica Franklin-Tong who led the research stated that poppy used phosphorylation, a common enzyme switch for preventing self pollination and this study could go a long way in offering a boost for plant breeders. Researchers figured out that when genetically identical pollen came into contact with stigma of the poppy it lead to numerous chemical reactions which prevented pollen tube growth and hence halt the fertilization process. Professor Vernonica Franklin-Tong stated: Most plants require pollen from another plant to successfully pollinate. Accidental self-pollination would lead to unhealthy and less successful offspring. To avoid this plants need robust ways to stop self-pollinating activity. Researchers have found out that if the key enzyme required in high metabolic activity is inhibited it could help in preventing the growth of pollen tube. Via innovations

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South Korean scientists claim first cloned wolves

Posted on January 30, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

South Korean scientist Hwang-Woo-Suk claimed to have succeeded in cloning wolves. These two wolves belong to endanger species. According to Lee Byeong-chun, a veterinary professor of Seoul National University these two were born in Oct. 18 and 26 in 2005. The research department of University says that DNA test of both wolves , named Snuwolf and Snuwolffy shows that both are cloned and the result will be published in the Journal Cloning and stem cell. The team did not immediately provide any independent verification of the DNA tests. Lee’s team succeeded in cloning a female dog, an Afghan hound named Bona, last year after creating the world’s first cloned dog in 2005.

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Gene therapy tool developed by scientists for delivering DNA

Posted on January 30, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Gene therapy has been able to create excitement in the world of medicine but it has not been regarded as a feasible therapeutic method up till now. One of the problems being faced is that how one could get right gene into the right area and that too at the right time. In order to tackle this problem, researchers are in the process of developing a tool for dealing with this problem and an ultrathin nanoscale film consisting of DNA and water soluble polymers has been created by researchers which would ensure controlled release of DNA from the surface. The film is created one layer at a time with the aid of dip coating method and since each layer is so thin around ten thousand layers are required for achieving the thickness of one paper sheet. As it turns out, making the DNA-containing films is relatively straightforward but getting the DNA back out of the films is the hard part. Via biologynews

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DuPont goes biotechnology way

Posted on January 29, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

DuPont which as of now is the world’s second largest chemical company is adopting biotechnology in its processes. The company has a biofuture vision and is looking forward to achieve economic growth through bio based raw materials. Charles O. Holliday, Jr., Chairman and CEO, DuPont stated: In the 21st century our emphasis will be on using nature’s processes to build sustainable systems and create sustainable products to address global need. He further stated that with growing population there would be an increased demand for energy and fiber and for addressing the needs of sustainability and productivity there is no better tool than biotechnology. The subsidiaries of the company are committed towards biotechnology and it has joined hands with Bunge for marketing low linolenic soybean oil. It has also created polymers from renewable resources and Sonora with Bio-PDO will be sold in the market in 2007. The company is surely committed to deriving the advantages of biotechnology in its various companies and this may result in a number of companies following the biotechnology trend. Via industryweek

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Artificial bone and tissue made from citric acid

Posted on January 29, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Citric acid is the base for a polymer developed by a Professor Guillermo Ameer, which can be used in replacement of blood vessels and patch up damaged bone. He explained the procedure to make this polymer at the ‘American Chemical Society’ meeting in Chicago. According to Professor Ameer, combining citric acid with 1,8-octanediol- a non-toxic chemical results in a stretchy and strong yellow rubber that can be moulded into a wide variety of shapes and used to replace damaged body parts. when inserted into the body, the unique polymer causes almost no irritation and causes no adverse reaction to the body. This makes it a worthy replacement for the currently used PTFE tubes that clog within the first year and become nearly useless within four years. The polymer when mixed with hydroxyapatite powder gives out a very hard material that can be used to repair broken bones. As the tests made on animals revealed, it allows natural bone to grow into and over it, making the damaged bone as good as new. Hydroxyapatite powder is the same material that makes up natural bone and hence artificial bone is accepted without any adverse effects. Source.

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