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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
The Leafless Vanilla Species
The pantropical genus Vanilla is a member of the Orchidaceae family. It originated in America and differentiated in America, Africa, and Asia. About 132 species of Vanilla have now been accepted since the discovery of the genus. Within the Vanilla genus, leaflessness has appeared at least three independent times, in Africa, Asia, and America as an adaptation to drought conditions. The South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region is home to seven leafless species. Chloroplast markers failed to differentiate species within this recent SWIO clade. Morphological traits used for description are very similar between species and do not provide reliable identification. Leafless Vanilla species from the SWIO islands are thus an excellent model for understanding the evolution of orchids. For their conservation, and to confirm the identity of these leafless species, an integrated approach with classical taxonomy using a large number of samples, intense fieldwork on biology and ecology, and molecular studies using variable markers is necessary.
1.5K
14 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Bio-Organic Mineral Fertilizer
This entry discusses about Bio-Organic Mineral Fertilizer for Sustainable Agriculture.
1.5K
31 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Art-sRNAi for Enhanced Antiviral Resistance
Artificial small RNAs (art-sRNAs) are 21-nucleotide small RNAs designed to recognize and silence complementary target RNAs with high specificity. Art-sRNA-based RNAi (art-sRNAi) tools are extensively used in gene function studies or for improving crops. In particular, numerous studies have reported the successful application of art-sRNAi tools to induce resistance against a large number of RNA and DNA viruses in model and crop species. However, the application of art-sRNAi as an antiviral tool has limitations, such as the difficulty to predict the efficacy of a particular art-sRNA, or the emergence of virus variants with mutated target sites escaping to art-sRNA-mediated degradation. Here, we describe the different classes, features and recent uses of art-sRNAi tools to induce enhanced antiviral resistance in plants.
1.5K
09 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Cell
The cell (from the Latin word cellula meaning 'small room') is the basic structural and functional unit of life forms. Every cell consists of a cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, which contains many biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Cells can acquire specified function and carry out various tasks within the cell such as replication, DNA repair, protein synthesis, and motility. Cells are capable of specialization and mobility within the cell. Most cells are measured in micrometers due to their small size. Most plant and animal cells are only visible under a light microscope, with dimensions between 1 and 100 micrometres. Electron microscopy gives a much higher resolution showing greatly detailed cell structure. Organisms can be classified as unicellular (consisting of a single cell such as bacteria) or multicellular (including plants and animals). Most unicellular organisms are classed as microorganisms. The number of cells in plants and animals varies from species to species; it has been approximated that the human body contains an estimated 37 trillion (3.72×1013) cells. The brain accounts for around 80 billion of these cells. The study of cells and how they work has led to many other studies in related areas of biology, including: discovery of DNA, cancer systems biology, aging and developmental biology. Cell biology is the study of cells, which were discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665, who named them for their resemblance to cells inhabited by Christian monks in a monastery. Cell theory, first developed in 1839 by Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, states that all organisms are composed of one or more cells, that cells are the fundamental unit of structure and function in all living organisms, and that all cells come from pre-existing cells. Cells emerged on Earth about 4 billion years ago.
1.5K
23 Nov 2022
Topic Review
IFN Signaling in Neutrophils
Interferons (IFNs) are induced by viruses and are the main regulators of the host antiviral response. They balance tissue tolerance and immune resistance against viral challenges.
1.5K
26 May 2021
Biography
Alexander Amini
Alexander Amini (born April 29, 1995) is an American scientist from Dublin, Ireland, currently studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in America. He is the first prize winner of the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists and the 47th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 2011 at the age of fifteen for his project entitled: “Tennis Sensor Data Analysis:
1.5K
26 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst.
Bacopa monnieri has been used as a reputed drug in the Indian traditional ayurvedic system for centuries. This medicinal herb with important phytopharmaceuticals has been popularly known as “Brahmi”. In recent years, B. monnieri has been extensively studied for its bioactive constituents, constituents responsible for memory enhancing effect, and also its diverse other useful effects. It possesses many pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, gastrointestinal, endocrine, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory etc. The plant has been also used for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. Due to its multipurpose therapeutic potential, micropropagation using axillary meristems and de novo organogenesis has been extensively studied in the species and is being reviewed. High frequency direct shoot organogenesis can be induced in excised leaf and internode explants in the absence of exogenous phytohormones and the rate of induction is enhanced in the presence of exogenous cytokinins, supplements, growth regulators, etc. Using explants from tissue culture raised plants, direct shoot regeneration leading to production of more than 100 rooted plants/explant within 8–12 weeks period with 85%–100% survival in the field after acclimatization can be expected following optimized protocols. Bioreactor based micropropagation was found to increase the multiplication rate of shoot cultures for the commercial propagation of B. monnieri plants. The maximum content of bacosides has been recorded in shoot biomass using an airlift bioreactor system. Further studies for the biosynthesis of bacosides and other secondary metabolites need to be conducted in the species utilizing untransformed shoot cultures in bioreactors.
1.5K
28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
YAP/TAZ Activation in Head and Neck Cancer
The Hippo signaling pathway, originally discovered as a mechanism regulating tissue growth and organ size, transduces intracellular and extracellular signals to regulate the transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ. Alterations in the Hippo pathway resulting in persistent YAP and TAZ activation have emerged as major oncogenic drivers. The researchers' analysis of the human Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) oncogenome revealed multiple genomic alterations impairing Hippo signaling and activating YAP and TAZ, which in turn contribute to HNSCC development. This includes mutations and deletions of the FAT1 gene (29%) and amplification of the WWTR1 (encoding TAZ, 14%) and YAP1 genes (8%), together representing one of the most genetically altered signaling mechanisms in this malignancy.
1.4K
11 May 2022
Topic Review
Smart Sanitation
The Toilet Board Coalition defines Smart Sanitation as a way to build resilience in cities, communities and sectors by utilizing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to improve the collection and monitoring of wastewater for both individualized and aggregate-level preventative health surveillance.
1.4K
09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Bcl-2 Family Evolutionary Conservation
Intrinsic apoptosis, the response to intracellular cell death stimuli, is regulated by the interplay of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family and their membrane interactions. Bcl-2 proteins mediate a number of processes including development, homeostasis, autophagy, and innate and adaptive immune responses and their dysregulation underpins a host of diseases including cancer. The Bcl-2 family is characterized by the presence of conserved sequence motifs called Bcl-2 homology (BH) motifs, as well as a transmembrane region, which form the interaction sites and intracellular location mechanism, respectively. Bcl-2 proteins have been recognized in the earliest metazoans including Porifera (sponges), Placozoans, and Cnidarians (e.g., Hydra). A number of viruses have gained Bcl-2 homologs and subvert innate immunity and cellular apoptosis for their replication, but they frequently have very different sequences to their host Bcl-2 analogs. Though most mechanisms of apoptosis initiation converge on activation of caspases that destroy the cell from within, the numerous gene insertions, deletions, and duplications during evolution have led to a divergence in mechanisms of intrinsic apoptosis. Currently, the action of the Bcl-2 family is best understood in vertebrates and nematodes but new insights are emerging from evolutionarily earlier organisms.
1.4K
22 Jun 2021
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