Africa’s first grid-connected biogas plant will begin supplying power by March 1, according to Johnnie McMillan, managing director of Tropical Power Kenya Ltd.

For a lesson in global energy history, look no further than Stockholm’s oldest power plant. Since 1903, Fortum Oyj’s Vaerta harbor site has generated power using coal, oil, natural gas and even considered nuclear. Now it’s phasing out the last coal furnace and replacing it with the world’s largest combined heat and power generator that will burn just wood chips and timber scraps by next year.

U.K. subsidies for RWE AG’s Lynemouth power plant face a European Union probe amid concerns government aid would give the company too much to convert the site from coal to biomass and may hamper competition.

A land claim brought against South Africa’s largest sugar farmer threatens to stop a 1.1 billion rand ($90 million) renewable-energy project that will produce electricity by burning leftover cane leaves and tops.

U.K. electricity from low-carbon sources accounted for almost a quarter of the country’s generation in the fourth quarter as Drax Group Plc converted a second coal-power plant to burn wood.

Juha Sipila, who once converted his own Chevrolet to run on wood-gas, is counting on the abundant Finnish forests to provide the key to an economic revival.

The UK increased its power generation from on-site biogas plants by 40% in 2014, according to a survey by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.  

As a carbon-neutral energy source, biomass technology is helping organizations generate electricity and heat while reducing their carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.

Days before a national lockdown in the U.S., Daniel McDonald realized his life’s work had put a unique tool in his hands to fight COVID-19. The assay kits his team was about to have made by the tens of thousands could be repurposed to help understand the novel coronavirus that causes the disease. McDonald is Read article >

The post Gut Instinct: Human Microbiome May Reveal COVID-19 Mysteries appeared first on The Official NVIDIA Blog.

Days before a national lockdown in the U.S., Daniel McDonald realized his life’s work had put a unique tool in his hands to fight COVID-19. The assay kits his team was about to have made by the tens of thousands could be repurposed to help understand the novel coronavirus that causes the disease. McDonald is Read article >

The post Gut Instinct: Human Microbiome May Reveal COVID-19 Mysteries appeared first on The Official NVIDIA Blog.

While medical professionals everywhere around the globe are working as hard as they can, both them as well as consumers are trying to get protective products to remain healthy and, where possible, prevent being contaminated. It is clear that in seve...

He charged the lawmakers to stop chasing shadows and focus on more pressing national concern of the moment

The post NASS N40bn Probe of Akpabio, NDDC, A Shot in the Dark – Kpokpogri appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has regretted how the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic scuttled his plans to renovate 236 primary health care centres in the state. According to Gov Abiodun, the COVID-19 pandemic was a surprise to him because it happened just as he was beginning to roll out plans to reform the […]

Coronavirus prevented me from renovating 236 health centres in Ogun – Gov Abiodun

On 8 October 2019, the Government announced changes to the UK’s temporary tariff regime for certain products in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Under the proposals, which were first published on 13 March 2019 , the Government intended to introd...

Dubai: A 47-year-old pharmacist in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, died on Thursday after consuming a “new cure” he had made for COVID-19. Indian tweeps shared reports of how the man, K. Sivanesan, made and drank the chemical concoction along with the owner of a popular Chennai-based herbal pharmaceutical company where he worked. According to a report by Indian newspaper, The Indian Express, the owner of Sujatha Bio Tech, along with his employee, tried to create a coronavirus cure, but consumed a...

1. ICMR teams up with Bharat Biotech to develop Covid-19 vaccine  Hindustan Times
2. Bharat Biotech to lead monoclonal antibodies project for Covid-19 therapy  The Financial Express
3. Bharat Biotech leads CSIR project to develop antibodies against Covid-19  Times of India
4. Bharat Biotech to lead project on monoclonal antibodies therapy for COVID-19  The New Indian Express
5. Indian scientists to develop medicine against COVID-19  Deccan Herald
6. View Full coverage on Google News

Rosa Manzano carefully arranges pieces of wood in a big mud igloo that, seven days after it is full, will produce charcoal of high caloric content. “Our forest also produces oak, which in the past was only sold as firewood and had little value. But with forest management and the work of women who have […]

The post Bioenergy, the Ugly Duckling of Mexico’s Energy Transition appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry gave interviews for the book to the authors before they left UK

Global law firm Dentons has advised the Israeli biotech company Pluristem on a €50 million loan provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The financing is part of a cooperation agreement between the EIB and the Israel Innovation Authority, which aims to strengthen Israeli-EU cooperation in innovative research in the field of biotech, pharmaceutical research and public health.

Most molecules exist in mirror-image forms, and yet life prefers one over the other. How this bias began and why it persisted is one of the most baffling questions in biology – but now we have an answer

Modifying bacteria found in the guts of bees could help protect the insects against lethal infections affecting hives worldwide

Most molecules exist in mirror-image forms, and yet life prefers one over the other. How this bias began and why it persisted is one of the most baffling questions in biology – but now we have an answer

The planet’s largest areas of undisturbed wilderness in Siberia and tropical rainforests are under threat from huge waves of development. Here’s what it looks like

Medical student Mia gets more than she bargains for in German thriller Biohackers and former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy has a new book about loneliness

Most molecules exist in mirror-image forms, and yet life prefers one over the other. How this bias began and why it persisted is one of the most baffling questions in biology – but now we have an answer

Pfizer's chief scientific officer tells Reuters his company got a head start on vaccine development for the coronavirus because it had already been working for two years on the flu with its German partner, BioNTech. Fred Katayama reports.

Title: Too Many Antibiotics, Opioids Given to Dental Patients in the ER
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Kids' 'Microbiome' May Play Key Role in Asthma
Category: Health News
Created: 12/24/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 12/24/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Bioartificial Kidney Cuts Death Risk, Improves Outcomes
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Title: Longer Wait for Mammogram After Benign Breast Biopsy May Be Warranted
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM

Title: Study Casts Doubt on Use of Common Antibiotic for UTIs in Women
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM

Title: Some Antibiotics Linked to Miscarriage Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: With 'Super Gonorrhea' a Threat, Many Still Getting Wrong Antibiotics
Category: Health News
Created: 4/27/2018 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2018 12:00:00 AM

Title: VA Doctors Prescribing Unnecessary Antibiotics, Study Says
Category: Health News
Created: 4/26/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/29/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Health Tip: Understanding Breast Biopsy
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: 'Microbiome' May Be Key to Autism Symptoms
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: How Is a Transjugular Liver Biopsy Done?
Category: Procedures and Tests
Created: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM

Lipid rafts are organized plasma membrane microdomains, which provide a distinct level of regulation of cellular metabolism and response to extracellular stimuli, affecting a diverse range of physiologic and pathologic processes. This Thematic Review Series focuses on Biology of Lipid Rafts rather than on their composition or structure. The aim is to provide an overview of ideas on how lipid rafts are involved in regulation of different pathways and how they interact with other layers of metabolic regulation. Articles in the series will review the involvement of lipid rafts in regulation of hematopoiesis, production of extracellular vesicles, host interaction with infection, and the development and progression of cancer, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration, as well as the current outlook on therapeutic targeting of lipid rafts.

ABSTRACT

The luminous marine Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio (Aliivibrio) fischeri is the natural light organ symbiont of several squid species, including the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the Japanese bobtail squid, Euprymna morsei. Work with E. scolopes has shown how the bacteria establish their niche in the light organ of the newly hatched host. Two types of V. fischeri strains have been distinguished based upon their behavior in cocolonization competition assays in juvenile E. scolopes, i.e., (i) niche-sharing or (ii) niche-dominant behavior. This study aimed to determine whether these behaviors are observed with other V. fischeri strains or whether they are specific to those isolated from E. scolopes light organs. Cocolonization competition assays between V. fischeri strains isolated from the congeneric squid E. morsei or from other marine animals revealed the same sharing or dominant behaviors. In addition, whole-genome sequencing of these strains showed that the dominant behavior is polyphyletic and not associated with the presence or absence of a single gene or genes. Comparative genomics of 44 squid light organ isolates from around the globe led to the identification of symbiosis-specific candidates in the genomes of these strains. Colonization assays using genetic derivatives with deletions of these candidates established the importance of two such genes in colonization. This study has allowed us to expand the concept of distinct colonization behaviors to strains isolated from a number of squid and fish hosts.

IMPORTANCE There is an increasing recognition of the importance of strain differences in the ecology of a symbiotic bacterial species and, in particular, how these differences underlie crucial interactions with their host. Nevertheless, little is known about the genetic bases for these differences, how they manifest themselves in specific behaviors, and their distribution among symbionts of different host species. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of Vibrio fischeri isolated from the tissues of squids and fishes and applied comparative genomics approaches to look for patterns between symbiont lineages and host colonization behavior. In addition, we identified the only two genes that were exclusively present in all V. fischeri strains isolated from the light organs of sepiolid squid species. Mutational studies of these genes indicated that they both played a role in colonization of the squid light organ, emphasizing the value of applying a comparative genomics approach in the study of symbioses.

ABSTRACT

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) establishes lifelong infections in humans, a process that relies on its ability to thwart innate and adaptive immune defenses of the host. Recently, we reported that HIV-1 infection results in a dramatic reduction of the cellular peroxisome pool. Peroxisomes are metabolic organelles that also function as signaling platforms in the innate immune response. Here, we show that the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpu is necessary and sufficient for the depletion of cellular peroxisomes during infection. Vpu induces the expression of four microRNAs that target mRNAs encoding proteins required for peroxisome formation and metabolic function. The ability of Vpu to downregulate peroxisomes was found to be dependent upon the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Given the importance of peroxisomes in innate immune signaling and central nervous system function, the roles of Vpu in dampening antiviral signaling appear to be more diverse than previously realized. Finally, our findings highlight a potential role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in peroxisome homeostasis through modulating the production of biogenesis factors.

IMPORTANCE People living with HIV can experience accelerated aging and the development of neurological disorders. Recently, we reported that HIV-1 infection results in a dramatic loss of peroxisomes in macrophages and brain tissue. This is significant because (i) peroxisomes are important for the innate immune response and (ii) loss of peroxisome function is associated with cellular aging and neurodegeneration. Accordingly, understanding how HIV-1 infection causes peroxisome depletion may provide clues regarding how the virus establishes persistent infections and, potentially, the development of neurological disorders. Here, we show that the accessory protein Vpu is necessary and sufficient for the induction of microRNAs that target peroxisome biogenesis factors. The ability of Vpu to downregulate peroxisome formation depends on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, in addition to revealing a novel mechanism by which HIV-1 uses intracellular signaling pathways to target antiviral signaling platforms (peroxisomes), we have uncovered a previously unknown link between the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and peroxisome homeostasis.

ABSTRACT

The synergy between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) interferes with therapy and facilitates the pathogenesis of both human pathogens. Fundamental mechanisms by which M. tuberculosis exacerbates HIV-1 infection are not clear. Here, we show that exosomes secreted by macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis, including drug-resistant clinical strains, reactivated HIV-1 by inducing oxidative stress. Mechanistically, M. tuberculosis-specific exosomes realigned mitochondrial and nonmitochondrial oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and modulated the expression of host genes mediating oxidative stress response, inflammation, and HIV-1 transactivation. Proteomics analyses revealed the enrichment of several host factors (e.g., HIF-1α, galectins, and Hsp90) known to promote HIV-1 reactivation in M. tuberculosis-specific exosomes. Treatment with a known antioxidant—N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)—or with inhibitors of host factors—galectins and Hsp90—attenuated HIV-1 reactivation by M. tuberculosis-specific exosomes. Our findings uncover new paradigms for understanding the redox and bioenergetics bases of HIV-M. tuberculosis coinfection, which will enable the design of effective therapeutic strategies.

IMPORTANCE Globally, individuals coinfected with the AIDS virus (HIV-1) and with M. tuberculosis (causative agent of tuberculosis [TB]) pose major obstacles in the clinical management of both diseases. At the heart of this issue is the apparent synergy between the two human pathogens. On the one hand, mechanisms induced by HIV-1 for reactivation of TB in AIDS patients are well characterized. On the other hand, while clinical findings clearly identified TB as a risk factor for HIV-1 reactivation and associated mortality, basic mechanisms by which M. tuberculosis exacerbates HIV-1 replication and infection remain poorly characterized. The significance of our research is in identifying the role of fundamental mechanisms such as redox and energy metabolism in catalyzing HIV-M. tuberculosis synergy. The quantification of redox and respiratory parameters affected by M. tuberculosis in stimulating HIV-1 will greatly enhance our understanding of HIV-M. tuberculosis coinfection, leading to a wider impact on the biomedical research community and creating new translational opportunities.

ABSTRACT

Host-associated microbial communities are shaped by extrinsic and intrinsic factors to the holobiont organism. Environmental factors and microbe-microbe interactions act simultaneously on the microbial community structure, making the microbiome dynamics challenging to predict. The coral microbiome is essential to the health of coral reefs and sensitive to environmental changes. Here, we develop a dynamic model to determine the microbial community structure associated with the surface mucus layer (SML) of corals using temperature as an extrinsic factor and microbial network as an intrinsic factor. The model was validated by comparing the predicted relative abundances of microbial taxa to the relative abundances of microbial taxa from the sample data. The SML microbiome from Pseudodiploria strigosa was collected across reef zones in Bermuda, where inner and outer reefs are exposed to distinct thermal profiles. A shotgun metagenomics approach was used to describe the taxonomic composition and the microbial network of the coral SML microbiome. By simulating the annual temperature fluctuations at each reef zone, the model output is statistically identical to the observed data. The model was further applied to six scenarios that combined different profiles of temperature and microbial network to investigate the influence of each of these two factors on the model accuracy. The SML microbiome was best predicted by model scenarios with the temperature profile that was closest to the local thermal environment, regardless of the microbial network profile. Our model shows that the SML microbiome of P. strigosa in Bermuda is primarily structured by seasonal fluctuations in temperature at a reef scale, while the microbial network is a secondary driver.

IMPORTANCE Coral microbiome dysbiosis (i.e., shifts in the microbial community structure or complete loss of microbial symbionts) caused by environmental changes is a key player in the decline of coral health worldwide. Multiple factors in the water column and the surrounding biological community influence the dynamics of the coral microbiome. However, by including only temperature as an external factor, our model proved to be successful in describing the microbial community associated with the surface mucus layer (SML) of the coral P. strigosa. The dynamic model developed and validated in this study is a potential tool to predict the coral microbiome under different temperature conditions.

ABSTRACT

The cell cycle is a critical component of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and response to stress, yet its role in the regulation of intracellular symbioses is not well understood. To explore host-symbiont cell cycle coordination in a marine symbiosis, we employed a model for coral-dinoflagellate associations: the tropical sea anemone Aiptasia (Exaiptasia pallida) and its native microalgal photosymbionts (Breviolum minutum and Breviolum psygmophilum). Using fluorescent labeling and spatial point-pattern image analyses to characterize cell population distributions in both partners, we developed protocols that are tailored to the three-dimensional cellular landscape of a symbiotic sea anemone tentacle. Introducing cultured symbiont cells to symbiont-free adult hosts increased overall host cell proliferation rates. The acceleration occurred predominantly in the symbiont-containing gastrodermis near clusters of symbionts but was also observed in symbiont-free epidermal tissue layers, indicating that the presence of symbionts contributes to elevated proliferation rates in the entire host during colonization. Symbiont cell cycle progression differed between cultured algae and those residing within hosts; the endosymbiotic state resulted in increased S-phase but decreased G₂/M-phase symbiont populations. These phenotypes and the deceleration of cell cycle progression varied with symbiont identity and host nutritional status. These results demonstrate that host and symbiont cells have substantial and species-specific effects on the proliferation rates of their mutualistic partners. This is the first empirical evidence to support species-specific regulation of the symbiont cell cycle within a single cnidarian-dinoflagellate association; similar regulatory mechanisms likely govern interpartner coordination in other coral-algal symbioses and shape their ecophysiological responses to a changing climate.

IMPORTANCE Biomass regulation is critical to the overall health of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbioses. Despite the central role of the cell cycle in the growth and proliferation of cnidarian host cells and dinoflagellate symbionts, there are few studies that have examined the potential for host-symbiont coregulation. This study provides evidence for the acceleration of host cell proliferation when in local proximity to clusters of symbionts within cnidarian tentacles. The findings suggest that symbionts augment the cell cycle of not only their enveloping host cells but also neighboring cells in the epidermis and gastrodermis. This provides a possible mechanism for rapid colonization of cnidarian tissues. In addition, the cell cycles of symbionts differed depending on nutritional regime, symbiotic state, and species identity. The responses of cell cycle profiles to these different factors implicate a role for species-specific regulation of symbiont cell cycles within host cnidarian tissues.

ABSTRACT

Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics due to their outer membrane barrier. Although the outer membrane has been studied for decades, there is much to uncover about the biology and permeability of this complex structure. Investigating synthetic genetic interactions can reveal a great deal of information about genetic function and pathway interconnectivity. Here, we performed synthetic genetic arrays (SGAs) in Escherichia coli by crossing a subset of gene deletion strains implicated in outer membrane permeability with nonessential gene and small RNA (sRNA) deletion collections. Some 155,400 double-deletion strains were grown on rich microbiological medium with and without subinhibitory concentrations of two antibiotics excluded by the outer membrane, vancomycin and rifampin, to probe both genetic interactions and permeability. The genetic interactions of interest were synthetic sick or lethal (SSL) gene deletions that were detrimental to the cell in combination but had a negligible impact on viability individually. On average, there were ~30, ~36, and ~40 SSL interactions per gene under no-drug, rifampin, and vancomycin conditions, respectively; however, many of these involved frequent interactors. Our data sets have been compiled into an interactive database called the Outer Membrane Interaction (OMI) Explorer, where genetic interactions can be searched, visualized across the genome, compared between conditions, and enriched for gene ontology (GO) terms. A set of SSL interactions revealed connectivity and permeability links between enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the outer membrane. This data set provides a novel platform to generate hypotheses about outer membrane biology and permeability.

IMPORTANCE Gram-negative bacteria are a major concern for public health, particularly due to the rise of antibiotic resistance. It is important to understand the biology and permeability of the outer membrane of these bacteria in order to increase the efficacy of antibiotics that have difficulty penetrating this structure. Here, we studied the genetic interactions of a subset of outer membrane-related gene deletions in the model Gram-negative bacterium E. coli. We systematically combined these mutants with 3,985 nonessential gene and small RNA deletion mutations in the genome. We examined the viability of these double-deletion strains and probed their permeability characteristics using two antibiotics that have difficulty crossing the outer membrane barrier. An understanding of the genetic basis for outer membrane integrity can assist in the development of new antibiotics with favorable permeability properties and the discovery of compounds capable of increasing outer membrane permeability to enhance the activity of existing antibiotics.