Data from the 1000 Genomes project - The world's largest set of data on human genetic variation produced by the international 1000 Genomes Project — is now publicly available on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud (http://aws.amazon.com/1000genomes/). See the NIH press realease for more information: (http://1.usa.gov/Hnt1f7). 1000 genomes data may also be downloaded from the NCBI though ftp (http://bit.ly/Hlj3wM) or through the Aspera protocol (http://1.usa.gov/d9ON7X)1000 Genomes Project and AWSThe 1000 Genomes Project is an international research effort coordinated by a consortium of 75 companies and organizations to establish the most detailed catalogue of human genetic variation. The project has grown to 200 terabytes of genomic data including DNA sequenced from more than 1,700 individuals that researchers can now access on AWS for use in disease research. The 1000 Genomes Project aims to include the genomes of more than 2,662 individuals from 26 populations around the world, and the NIH will continue to add the remaining genome samples to the data collection this year.
The dataset containing the full genomic sequence of 1,700 individuals is now available to all via Amazon S3. The data can be found at: s3.amazonaws.com/1000genomes
Accessing 1000 Genomes Data AWS is making the 1000 Genomes Project data publicly available to the community free of charge. Public Data Sets on AWS provide a centralized repository of public data hosted on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3). The data can be seamlessly accessed from AWS services such Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud...
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
nanoscale sensor to electronically read the sequence of a single DNA molecule
Researchers have devised a nanoscale sensor to electronically read the sequence of a single DNA molecule, a technique that is fast and inexpensive and could make DNA sequencing widely available.
The various levels of electrical signal from the sequence of a DNA strand pulled through a nanopore reader (top) corresponds to specific DNA nucleotides, thymine, adenine, cytosine and guanine (bottom). (Credit: University of Washington)
The technique could lead to affordable personalized medicine, potentially revealing predispositions for afflictions such as cancer, diabetes or addiction.
"There is a clear path to a workable, easily produced sequencing platform," said Jens Gundlach, a University of Washington physics professor who leads the research team. "We augmented a protein nanopore we developed for this purpose with a molecular motor that moves a DNA strand through the pore a...
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Solicitation of Articles for GBioFin magazine “BiotechRings”
Use the following template letter to collect articles from professors.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9Equw4i1pAzOHFLdGRqTVBRM1cxb2NWeFFrNFJPUQ
...
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Diatom Biosensor Could Shine Light On Future Nanomaterials
A glow coming from the glassy shell of microscopic marine algae called diatoms could someday help us detect chemicals and other substances in water samples. And the fact that this diatom can glow in response to an external substance could also help researchers develop a variety of new, diatom-inspired nanomaterials that could solve problems in sensing, catalysis and environmental remediation.
A side and front view of the microscopic marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. PNNL scientists used this species to develop a fluorescent biosensor that changes its glow in the presence of the sugar ribose. (Credit: Nils Kröger, Universität Regensburg)
Fluorescence is the key characteristic of a new biosensor developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The biosensor, described in a paper published this week in the scientific journal...
Shiny New Tool for Imaging Biomolecules
At the heart of the immune system that protects our bodies from disease and foreign invaders is a vast and complex communications network involving millions of cells, sending and receiving chemical signals that can mean life or death. At the heart of this vast cellular signaling network are interactions between billions of proteins and other biomolecules. These interactions, in turn, are greatly influenced by the spatial patterning of signaling and receptor molecules. The ability to observe signaling spatial patterns in the immune and other cellular systems as they evolve, and to study the impact on molecular interactions and, ultimately, cellular communication, would be a critical tool in the fight against immunological and other disorders that lead to a broad range of health problems including cancer. Such a tool is now at hand.
Gold triangle nanoparticles paired tip-to-tip...
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Need for Speed: Molecular Ticket Determines RNA’s Destination and Speed Inside Egg Cell
Like any law-abiding train passenger, a molecule called oskar RNA carries a stamped ticket detailing its destination and form of transport, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found. They show that for this molecule, moving in the right direction isn't enough: speed is of the essence. Their study, published online March 18 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, also provides clues as to how a single molecule could receive tickets for different destinations, depending on what type of cell it is in
Oskar RNA (red) is transported to the posterior pole in a normal fruit fly egg cell (top), but not in an oocyte with a mutated SOLE tag (bottom). (Credit: Copyright EMBL/S.Gosh)
For a fruit fly embryo to develop properly, oskar RNA produced by the mother has to enter the egg cell, or oocyte, as it matures, and be taken...
Thursday, 15 March 2012
How Muscle Cells Seal Their Membranes
Every cell is enclosed by a thin double layer of lipids that separates the distinct internal environment of the cell from the extracellular space. Damage to this lipid bilayer, also referred to as plasma membrane, disturbs the cellular functions and may lead to the death of the cell. For example, downhill walking tears many little holes into the plasma membranes of the muscle cells in our legs. To prevent irreparable damage, muscle cells have efficient systems to seal these holes again. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Heidelberg University have succeeded for the first time in observing membrane repair in real-time in a living organism.
Repair of the plasma membrane of a cell: For the first time, researchers have observed the relevant repair mechanisms in zebrafish. (Credit: Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, KIT)
The results were published in...
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
DST JRF & RA Jobs in University of Calcutta, Kolkata
Recruitment for the post of Junior Research Fellow and Research Associate for DST funded project in S. N. Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences, University of Calcutta, Kolkata
Project Title: Molecular Genetic Studies of Cognitive Function Among Parkinson’s Disease Patients of India.
1. Post: Junior Research Fellow
No. of Post: One
Eligibility: M.Sc in Life Sciences, preferably Neuroscience with NET qualification.
2. Post: RA
No. of Post: One
Eligibility: PhD/MD with publications in peer reviewed journals.
Date and Time: March 21, 2012 at 3:00 pm.
Venue: S. N. Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences, 5th Floor, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata – 700 019.
Candidates are requested to bring with them two sets of Bio-data, containing academic qualification and research / teaching experience (if any) with original and attested copies of certificates.
for further info:http://www.caluniv.ac.in/News%20&%20Announcement/news_frame....
Jobs for Scientist / Senior Scientist Positions in CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow
Applications are invited for the following posts:
1. Post: Scientist / Senior Scientist (Agronomy / Soil Science)
Essential Qualification: Ph.D. submitted in the area of Agronomy / Soil Science for Scientist or Ph.D. in the area of Agronomy / Soil Science with two years postdoctoral research experience in related area for Senior Scientist.
2. Post: Scientist / Sr. Scientist (Plant Biochemistry/Plant Biotechnology)
Essential Qualification: Ph.D. submitted in the area of Plant Biochemistry/Plant Biotechnology for Scientist or Ph.D. in the area of Plant Biochemistry/Plant Biotechnology with two years postdoctoral research experience in related area for Senior Scientist.
3. Post: Scientist / Senior Scientist (Structural Chemistry)
Essential Qualification: Ph.D. submitted in the area of Crystallography for Scientist or Ph.D in the area of Crystallography with minimum two years postdoctoral research experience in related area for Senior Scientist.
4. Post: Scientist / Senior Scientist (For CSIR-800 Rural Sector Program)
Essential Qualification: M.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences with MBA (1st class) in Rural Management or Ph.D. submitted in the area of Agricultural Sciences for Scientist position or M.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences with MBA (1st class) in Rural Management with three years experience in relevant area or Ph.D. in the area of Agricultural Sciences with two years research experience in Agriculture extension
related activities for Senior Scientist.
5. Post: Scientist / Senior Scientist (Agronomy)
Essential Qualification: Ph.D. submitted in the area of Agronomy for Scientist or Ph.D. in the area of Agronomy with two years postdoctoral research experience...
Senior Research Fellow Jobs in Entomology at GBPUAT, Pantnagar
Vacancies for the post of Senior Research Fellow in Department of Entomology, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar
Applications are invited for the following post:
Post: Senior Research Fellow
Project Title: Evaluation of Imidacloprid 600FS as seed treatment for early season insect control and plant health effects in rice.
Consolidated Fellowship: Rs. 16000/- month
Applicants holding M.Sc. (Ag) in Entomology may send their application to Dr. S.N. Tiwari, Principal Investigator, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, G.B.P.U.A.&T. Pantnagar – 263145 up to 10 AM of 15.03.2012 and appear for interview on 15.03.12 at 11.00 AM in the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Pantnager – 263145.
for further info:
http://www.gbpuat.ac.in/news/15%20March%202012%20SRF%20advertisement.p...
Vacancy for Senior Research Fellow in Plant Pathology / Zoology at GBPUAT, Pantnagar
Applications are invited for the following post:
Post: Senior Research Fellow
No. of Post: One
Project Title: To study efficacy of new coded compounds CHA7178 on chick pea/ pigeon pea with special references to pod borer (H. armigera) and Spodoptera.
Essential qualification: M.Sc. Entomology/Plant Pathology/Zoology with specialization in Entomology/ Plant Protection with specialization in Entomology.
Desirable: Experience in Apiculture with publication. Good knowledge of computers
Emoluments (Fixed) P.M.: Rs. 16000/-
Age Limit: Maximum 35 years for male and 40 years for female
Eligible candidates may send their application on plain paper to the principal investigator (By name) on or before 19.03.12 in the prescribed format along with the passport size photographs. Candidates fulfilling the qualification should appear for test/ interview on 20.03.12 at 10:00 AM.
for further info:
http://www.gbpuat.ac.in/news/19%20March%202012%20Cheminova_ADVERTISEMENT_NOTICE.pd...
Vacancy for the post of Senior Research Fellow on contract basis in Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
Walk-in-Interview for the following post:
Post: Senior Research Fellow
Qualification & Experience: The candidate should have Post Graduate Degree in Forestry/Agriculture (all disciplines)/Environment/Botany/Natural Resource Management or related field with not less than 50% marks from a recognized University/Institute and two years relevant experience. Preference shall be given to the candidate qualified NET and publication in professional journals.
Consolidated monthly emoluments: Rs.16,000/- + 20% HRA (Rs.3,200) and Rs.400/- as reimbursement of medical insurance premium per month.
Interview Schedule: The Interview will be conducted on 26.03.2012 at 12.00 Noon in Room No.39, IIFM, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal.
Candidates should bring with them updated CV/Resume along with self attested copies of all certificates/testimonials and their originals.
for further info:
http://www.iifm.ac.in/vacancies/advt12.pdf ...
Sending out an SOS: How Telomeres Incriminate Cells That Can't Divide
The well-being of living cells requires specialized squads of proteins that maintain order. Degraders chew up worn-out proteins, recyclers wrap up damaged organelles, and-most importantly-DNA repair crews restitch anything that resembles a broken chromosome. If repair is impossible, the crew foreman calls in executioners to annihilate a cell. As unsavory as this last bunch sounds, failure to summon them is one aspect of what makes a cancer cell a cancer cell.
This microscope image shows chromosomes in human lung cells exhibiting telomere damage caused by colcemid, a drug that arrests cell division. The Salk scientists discovered the molecular pathway that initiates a stress response upon treatment with chemotherapy drugs, resulting in a cessation of cell growth or cell death. (Credit: Courtesy of Jan Karlseder, Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Makoto Hayashi,...
How the Human Body Controls Viruses Thought to Cause a Variety of Cancers
New research from the Trudeau Institute addresses how the human body controls gamma-herpesviruses, a class of viruses thought to cause a variety of cancers. The study, carried out in the laboratory of Dr. Marcia Blackman, awaits publication in The Journal of Immunology. Led by postdoctoral fellow Mike Freeman, with assistance from other laboratory colleagues, the study describes the role of white blood cells in controlling gamma-herpesvirus infections and has implications for the treatment and prevention of certain cancers.
One of the many factors that can contribute to the development of cancer is infection with cancer-causing viruses, among them gamma-herpesviruses like the Epstein Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. With more than 95 percent of the human population infected with one or both of these viruses, it is important to understand their infection cycles and how immune responses keep them in check in the majority of individuals.
Gamma-herpesvirus infections are characterized by two distinct phases. In the initial, active phase, the immune system responds by attacking the virus. The virus, however, has developed a clever mechanism for "sneaking" past the immune response to conceal itself within the body, a process researchers refer to as latent infection. While in hiding, the virus persists in a quiet, inactive state. Occasionally, it can start to reactivate and begin to multiply again, increasing the risk of cancer development.
The chance that cancer will develop is greatly increased if the immune system is weakened, such as with immunosuppression following transplantation or as a consequence of other diseases, such as AIDS.
Researchers...
Monday, 12 March 2012
job opening - biosquare
Biotech Marketing Executive -Job Opening
Location: Hyderabad, AP
Job Description / Responsibilities: Sales & promotion of catalog products to government & non-government research institutes , Pharma Biotech Industries and Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) , to achieve annual sales target.
Job Title: Biotech sales & Marketing Executive
Desired Candidate Profile /Desired profile of the job-seeker :
1.BSc. Bio-technology , B.Tech in Bio-technology or MSc. in Biotechnology
2. At least one year institutional sale experience. Freshers are prefferable.
3.Fluency in English, Hindi & Telugu
4.Good Verbal & Written Communication Skills
5. Experience Required: 0-1 years Intersted candidates may send their resume to Biosquarebio@gmail.com You can reach us at Ph: 8886103232. ...
Undergraduate Research & Innovation Program (UGRI- 2012),IIT RAJASTHAN
Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan started the Undergraduate Research and Innovation (UGRI) Programme in 2011 with the objective to promote research and innovation among a diverse group of undergraduate students. We are continuing this programme in the current academic year (2011-2012) to help selected students improve their professional knowledge and skills. We encourage students across the country to utilize the UGRI Programme for their academic and professional developments.
This year’s UGRI Programme will begin on May 8, 2012 and end on July 20, 2012 (for the duration of 10 weeks).
Financial Assistance and Accommodation : Selected students will be provided accommodation at student hostel in IITR. During this period, a remuneration of Rs. 8000 per month will be offered...
Sunday, 11 March 2012
How a Bacterial Pathogen Breaks Down Barriers to Enter and Infect Cells
Scientists from the Schepens Eye Research Institute, a subsidiary of Mass. Eye and Ear and affiliate of Harvard Medical School, have found for the first time that a bacterial pathogen can literally mow down protective molecules, known as mucins, on mucus membranes to enter and infect a part of the body. Their landmark study, published in the March 7, 2012 PLoS ONE, describes how they discovered that an "epidemic" strain of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes conjunctivitis, secretes an enzyme to damage mucins and breach the mucosal membrane to infect and inflame the eye.
"We are excited about this finding," says Ilene Gipson, Ph.D., the study's principal investigator and a senior scientist at the Schepens. "Our discovery may ultimately lead to new ways of diagnosing, treating and preventing bacterial infections originating not only in the eye but in other parts...
Clock Gene Helps Plants Prepare for Spring Flowering, Study Shows
University researchers tested computer models of gene networks in a simple cress plant to determine the role played by a protein, known as TOC1, in governing these daily cycles.
The model shows how 12 genes work together to run the plant's complex clockwork, and reset the clock at dawn and dusk each day.
Researchers found that the TOC1 protein, which was previously linked to helping plants wake up, is in fact involved in dampening gene activity in the evening.
This helps plants stay dormant at night.
Contradictory finding
"The 24-hour rhythms of biological clocks affect all living things including plants, animals and people, with wide-ranging effects on sleep, metabolism and immunity," said Professor Andrew Millar of the School of Biological Sciences.
The findings contradict what scientists had previously understood about the gene and its role in early morning activity.
Scientists...
Friday, 9 March 2012
Protein Folding: Understanding the Dance of the Chaperones
Proteins are the molecular building blocks and machinery of cells and involved in practically all biological processes. To fulfil their tasks, they need to be folded into a complicated three-dimensional structure. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, have now analysed one of the key players of this folding process: the molecular chaperone DnaK. "The understanding of these mechanisms is of great interest in the light of the many diseases in which folding goes awry, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's," says Ulrich Hartl, MPIB director.
The chaperone DnaK binds to new proteins and mediates their folding. Proteins it cannot fold, DnaK transports to GroEL, a highly specialised folding machine. (Credit: MPI of Biochemistry)
The work of the researchers has now been published in Cell Reports.
Proteins are responsible for...
Powerful Tool to Measure Metabolites in Living Cells
By engineering cells to express a modified RNA called "Spinach," researchers have imaged small-molecule metabolites in living cells and observed how their levels change over time. Metabolites are the products of individual cell metabolism. The ability to measure their rate of production could be used to recognize a cell gone metabolically awry, as in cancer, or identify the drug that can restore the cell's metabolites to normal.
imaging S-adenosylmethionine in cells with RNA. The fluorescence markedly increases at each time point after adding methionine (bottom right). (Credit: Image courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College)
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College say the advance, described in the March 9 issue of Science, has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the metabolome, the thousands of...
Drug Helps Purge Hidden HIV
A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has successfully flushed latent HIV infection from hiding, with a drug used to treat certain types of lymphoma. Tackling latent HIV in the immune system is critical to finding a cure for AIDS.
The results were presented March 8 at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Washington.
While current antiretroviral therapies can very effectively control virus levels, they can never fully eliminate the virus from the cells and tissues it has infected.
"Lifelong use of antiretroviral therapy is problematic for many reasons, not least among them are drug resistance, side effects, and cost," said David Margolis, MD, professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology, and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "We need to employ better long-term strategies, including a cure."
Margolis' new study is the first to demonstrate that the biological mechanism that keeps HIV hidden and unreachable by current antiviral therapies can be targeted and interrupted in humans, providing new hope for a strategy to eradicate HIV completely.
In a clinical trial, six HIV-infected men who were medically stable on anti-AIDS drugs, received vorinostat, an oncology drug. Recent studies by Margolis and others have shown that vorinostat also attacks the enzymes that keep HIV hiding in certain CD4+ T cells, specialized immune system cells that the virus uses to replicate. Within hours of receiving the vorinostat, all six patients had a significant increase in HIV RNA in these cells, evidence that the virus was being forced out of its hiding place.
"This...
Mission: Biodegradable plastic from waste
Non-degradable plastic waste has been a major source of concern for authorities as well as the common masses. Hyderabad-based SPC Biotech for the last five-to-six years has been doing research on bio-products, especially bio-polymers and bio-chemicals to find an alternative. IndoPLA, SPC Biotech's biodgradable polymer, can be used in all conventional conversion processes such as injection molding, blow bolding, thermo forming and extrusion. The first plant of the company started its commercial operations in 2004-05. However, concerns such as the three-to-four times costlier prices as compared to the conventional petroleum-based plastic and the use of food source as the source of raw material were plaguing the firm.
After initial study, the R&D team at SPC Biotech found a unique way to tackle the problem. They started working on agriwaste which is not fit for human consumption as basic raw material to produce bioplastics. The result was the development of a process that does bioconversion of mango kernel into polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable polyester, and finally created bioplastic material.
The company after developing the technology for the conversion of agriwaste into bioplastics at laboratory-scale and bench-scale approached the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology under the Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP), for commercialising the same.
The technical expert committee recommended that technology has to be demonstrated at pilot scale and the DBT supported the same. Out of the total project cost of 100 lakh, the DBT provided funding to the tune of 50 lakh and the rest was managed by the company. The BIPP...
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Scientists Revolutionize Electron Microscope: New Method Could Create Highest Resolution Images Ever
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have revolutionised the
electron microscope by developing a new method which could create the
highest resolution images ever seen.
For over 70 years, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which
`looks through´ an object to see atomic features within it, has been
constrained by the relatively poor lenses which are used to form the
image.
The new method, called electron ptychography, dispenses with the lens
and instead forms the image by reconstructing the scattered
electron-waves after they have passed through the sample using
computers.
Scientists involved in the scheme consider their findings to be a
`first step´ in a `completely new epoch of electron imaging´. The
process has no fundamental experimental boundaries and it is thought it
will transform sub-atomic scale transmission imaging.
Project leader Professor John Rodenburg,...
Crystal Structure of Archael Chromatin Clarified
Researchers at the RIKEN SPring-8 Center in Harima, Japan have clarified
for the first time how chromatin in archaea, one of the three
evolutionary branches of organisms in nature, binds to DNA. The results
offer valuable clues into the evolution of chromatin structure in
multi-cellular organisms and promise insights into how abnormalities in
such structure can contribute to cancers and gene disorders.
Polimerization of Alba2-DNA complex structure. (Credit: Image courtesy of RIKEN)
Three distinct evolutionary branches of organisms make up all natural
forms of life on the planet: bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Among
these three, the domain known as archaea includes a variety of organisms
that live in harsh environments similar to those of an early Earth,
thus offering arguably the greatest glimpse of what life may have looked
like 4 billion years ago.
One area of great...
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Is Seaweed the Future of Biofuel?
As scientists continue the hunt for energy sources that are safer,
cleaner alternatives to fossil fuel, an ever-increasing amount of
valuable farmland is being used to produce bioethanol, a source of
transportation fuel. And while land-bound sources are renewable,
economists and ecologists fear that diverting crops to produce fuel will
limit food resources and drive up costs.
Now, Prof. Avigdor Abelson of Tel Aviv University's Department of
Zoology and the new Renewable Energy Center, and his colleagues Dr.
Alvaro Israel of the Israel Oceanography Institute, Prof. Aharon
Gedanken of Bar-Ilan University, Dr. Ariel Kushmaro of Ben-Gurion
University, and their Ph.D. student Leor Korzen, have gone to the seas
in the quest for a renewable energy source that doesn't endanger natural
habitats, biodiversity, or human food sources.He says that marine
macroalgae -- common seaweed --...
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