International Team of Researchers Identify Evolutionary Origins of SARS-CoV-2

An international team of researchers from China, Europe, and the United States has discovered that the lineage that gave rise to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is responsible for the COVID- 19 pandemic, has been circulating in bats for decades and likely includes other viruses with the ability to infect humans. The team, with combined expertise in recombination, phylogenetic dating, virus sampling, and molecular and viral evolution, found that the lineage of viruses to which SARS- CoV-2 belongs diverged from other bat viruses about 40-70 years ago. Importantly, although SARS-CoV-2 is genetically similar (about 96%) to the RaTG13 coronavirus, which was sampled from a Rhinolophus affinis horseshoe bat in 2013 in Yunnan province, China, the team found that it diverged from RaTG13 sometime in 1969. The team also found that one of the older traits that SARS-CoV-2 shares with its relatives is the receptor-binding domain (RBD) located on the Spike protein, which enables the virus to recognize and bind to receptors on the surfaces of human cells.

David L. Robertson, professor of computational virology at the University of Glasgow said this means that other viruses that are capable of infecting humans are circulating in horseshoe bats in China. He added that SARS-CoV-2’s RBD sequence has so far only been found in a few pangolin viruses and SARS-CoV-2’s ability to infect humans has not yet been seen in another close bat relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Robertson further explained that while it is possible that pangolins may have acted as an intermediate host facilitating transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans, no evidence exists to suggest that pangolin infection is a requirement for bat viruses to cross into humans. Their research suggests that SARS-CoV- 2 likely evolved the ability to replicate in the upper respiratory tract of both humans and pangolins.

CRISPR-Cas9 Sheds Light on Spikelet Development in Rice

Researchers from China National Rice Research Institute used CRISPR-Cas9 and revealed that MORE FLORET 1 plays an important role in the regulation of organ identity and spikelet determinacy in rice. The findings are reported in Plant Physiology.

Rice spikelets exhibit a unique inflorescence structure and the mechanisms behind their development remain to be unclear. Researchers believe that strategies in regulating spikelet formation could impact grain yield. Thus, Deyong Ren and the research team identified and characterized the recessive spikelet mutant more floret 1 (mof1). The mof1 mutant showed a delay in the transition from spikelet to floral meristem, which includes the development of extra lemmalike and palea-like organs. Furthermore, the main body of the palea was reduced, while the sterile lemma was enlarged and partially acquired hull identity.Through map-based cloning, the team identified the MOF1 locus and which was confirmed by complementation and by generating new mof1 alleles using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.

Scientists Describe Protocol for Multi-gene Genome Editing in Maize

University of Massachusetts Amherst scientists developed an efficient assembly of large multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 guide arrays for genome editing of maize. Details of the protocol are published in Bio-Protocol.CRISPR-Cas9 has been known as an effective tool for genome editing, which makes many researchers wishes to use the tool for targeting multiple genes. To address this, researchers developed vectors that target multiple genomic loci from a single transformation event. One of the proposed systems is called MoClo, which is an elaboration of Golden Gate cloning and is particularly fit for assembling larger multiplexed Cas9 guide arrays. Jarret Man and Madelaine Bartlett described the steps for designing and building a custom guide array targeting any number of maize loci using the MoClo standard components and syntax. Instructions for using variations of the maize and rice U6 to drive guide RNA expression were also provided.

CRISPR Nucleases Evaluated for Genome Editing in Maize

CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12a (Cpfl) nucleases are two of the most powerful genome editing tools in plants. Iowa State University researchers compared the activities of these two nucleases by targeting the maize glossy2 gene coding region. The research team, led by Keunsub Lee, introduced the SpCas9-guide RNA (gRNA) and LbCas12a-CRISPR RNA (crRNA) into maize inbred embryos using Agrobacterium- mediated transformation.

Analysis showed that 90-100% of the Cas9-edited T0 plants carried mutations, 63-77% of which were homozygous or biallelic mutants. Meanwhile, 0-60% of Cas12a-edited T0 plants had the on-target mutations. Analysis of potential off- target sites for the two nucleases identified 18 and 67 potential off-targets for SpCas9 and LbCas12a, respectively. Further analysis of the off-target sites revealed no detectable mutations in the T1 plants.

These results suggest that the CRISPR-Cas9 system used in this study is highly efficient and specific for genome editing in maize. On the other hand, CRISPR-Cas12a needs to be improved for genome editing.

Gene Switches for Height Identified in Plants

Scientists were able to identify two key genes responsible for the plant height in rice plants, opening up numerous possibilities of breeding varieties with desirable height and yield traits of not just rice but other crops that also carry the same genes.The scientists divided their work into two investigations: one focused on deep-water rice variety and the other focused on shallow-water rice variety and both were studied under greenhouse conditions. They were able to identify two important genes. First, the accelerator of internode elongation (ACE1) that turns on when the deepwater variety is covered in water and stimulates cell division in stems causing the plant to grow. This was found to be mutated in the shallow-water variety. The second is decelerator of internode elongation (DEC1) which suppresses stem growth. This was found to be active in the shallow-water variety even when the plant was submerged in water, but was found to stop expressing in deep-water variety when exposed to flooding. Scientists described the two genes as switches for plant height.

Another interesting fact is that the two genes are not only found in rice, but they are also present in other plants such as sugarcane, barley, and the grass Brachypodium distachyon. ACE1 is also found in corn, and the crop also has the gene- equivalent of DEC1. The genes’ discovery can lead to the development of plant varieties that are resistant to stress factors brought by climate change. The possibilities vary from developing improved low-yield varieties already adapted to seasonal flooding to improved high-yield shorter varieties that can withstand flooding.

Study: Heartburn Medicine Doesn’t Work as COVID-19 Antiviral

Anecdotal reports from China indicated that COVID-19 patients who were taking famotidine for heartburn had reduced rates of intubation and mortality compared to those who took a different kind of antacid drugs. However, preliminary results of a study conducted by Boston University and partners showed that famotidine has no antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2.

The researchers systematically analyzed the effect of famotidine on viral proteases and virus replication and found that famotidine neither binds with nor inhibits SARS-CoV-2 proteases. Furthermore, no direct antiviral activity of famotidine was found at concentrations of up to 200 pM, when tested against SARS-CoV-2 in two different cell lines, including a human cell line originating from lungs, a primary target of COVID-19. However, the researchers said they are not concluding that the drug might be helpful in other ways.

“We’re not challenging that famotidine might help... We’re saying that the mechanism of action is not antiviral”, said Mohsan Saeed, a virologist from Boston University and one of the authors of the study.

Varieties developed through use of genomic resources:

Six varieties of different cereal and pulse crops, viz. wheat (PBW 771), maize [Pusa HQPM-5 Improved (APQH 5), Pusa Vivek Hybrid-27 Improved (APH 27), Pusa HQPM-7 Improved (APQH 7)] and chickpea [Pusa Chickpea 10216 (BGM 10216), Super Annigeri-1 (MABC-WR-SAI)] have been developed through genomic assisted selection. These varieties have been improved by introgression of traits for quality, disease and drought tolerance.

Use of genomic approach for herbicide tolerance and quality improvement: Marker-assisted backcross breeding was employed to transfer a herbicide tolerance mutant allele of ALS gene from Robin, an Imazethapyr tolerant EMS-induced mutant of Nagina 22, into two elite Basmati rice varieties, viz. Pusa Basmati 1121 and Pusa Basmati 1509. Genome wide association study (GWAS) was employed in rice to map significant QTLs for Fe and Zn for enhancing the endosperm mineral micronutrient density as rice is widely consumed after polishing. In pearl millet, QTLs for grain Fe and Zn content were mapped using 210 RILs (PPMI 683 × PPMI 627).

Standardization of CRISPR-Cas9 Technology: The CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology was standardized for different crops to enhance stress tolerance and nutritional quality. In rice, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing was employed to develop mutants of DST (DROUGHT AND SALT TOLERANCE) gene for improving salt and drought tolerance. To reduce the seed phytate content, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing was used to mutate GmIPK1 gene. T0 lines showed 6-9-fold reduction in phytate content. Overexpressing abscisic acid receptor OsPYL10 and Isopentenyltransferase 9 (IPT9) genes were found to confer drought and salt stress tolerance to transgenic rice.

Insect resistance genes from Cajanus platycarpus against Helicoverpa armigera: Cajanus platycarpus is one of the non-crossable wild relatives of pigeonpea possessing resistance to polyphagous insect Helicoverpa armigera. Hence, C. platycarpus was used for understanding the mechanism of resistance to H. armigera and identification of candidate genes to mitigate the menace of the herbivore. RNA-seq and differential gene expression analysis were carried out between C. platycarpus and cultivated pigeonpea cultivar TTB7, at different time points after challenge with the insect larvae. Fifteen herbivory response-specific genes with >2-fold differential expressions have been selected. These genes with probable role in: (i) insect structural destruction, (ii) interference in digestion, (iii) reduction in availability of nutrients, and (iv) transcription factors have been shortlisted for validation. These putative insect resistance genes have been cloned from C. platycarpus into binary vectors and are being validated in Nicotiana tabacum.

QTL mapping of drought stress tolerance in chickpea: Genotyping-by-Sequencing approach was used for the large scale SNP discovery and simultaneous genotyping of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of anintraspecific mapping population (Pusa 362 × SBD 377) of chickpea contrasting for drought related traits. The chickpea genome annotation project database was used to delineate the location of the GBS derived 3,267 SNPs in the genomic regions: intergenic, genic (exons), intragenic (introns) and UTRs. The occurrence of both types of transitions—C/T and A/G - was higher than any of the transversions. The SNP genotyping data was utilized to construct one of the most saturated intraspecific genetic linkage maps of chickpea having 3,267 SNPs on 8 linkage groups. The map was utilized to identify 15 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with drought traits (membrane stability index, relative water content, seed weight and yield under stress condition) accounting for phenotypic variations ranging from 11.8% to 27.1%.

Molecular diversity in jackfruit: A set of primer sequences from SSR flanking regions were identified for the validation of SSRs in a jackfruit germplasm set. Primer sets for 200 genic-SSRs have been custom synthesized in jackfruit for their validation, and molecular characterization of the 224 jackfruit accessions collected primarly from Jharkhand was carried out using these SSR markers. A total of 81 alleles were detected in 224 jackfruit accessions by using 27 SSR markers. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 4, with an average of 3 alleles per locus. In population structure studies significant, genetic admixing was observed in the jackfruit accessions.

Phenomics for abiotic stress breeding in field crops: Phenomics was used to identify germplasm and breeding lines with high water use efficiency (WUE) and drought tolerance in the major food crops. Genotypes which use significantly less water than that of Nagina 22 in rice and RILs of wheat superior to C 306 in WUE were identified. Elevated CO2 (EC) mediated decrease in nitrate uptake and assimilation was found to be a cause for reduction in grain quality under EC conditions. Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and linkage-mapping analyses were used to identify QTLs for stress tolerance and yield in different field and horticultural crops.

Event selection trial of transgenic pigeonpea and chickpea harbouring Bt gene(s): Event selection trials of five transgenic events each of pigeonpea and chickpea harboring Bacillus thuringiensis-crystal 1Ac/ cry1Aabc genes for gram pod borer resistance trait were conducted to identify the best event in each crop, based on trait efficacy (resistance to gram pod borer), expression of Bt protein at various stages and related agronomic characters including yield. Correlated with protein expression, 61.57-87.77% reduction was observed in the transgenic pigeonpea events over control variety ICPL 87119 (Asha) and 72.51-85.16% reduction in transgenic chickpea events over control variety DCP 92-3. Genome-wide identification of nodule-specific cysteine rich (NCR) peptides in chickpea: Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) ability of legumes can make them self-reliant for N-requirement, however, that is not the case due to lack of knowledge about critical process of bacteroid differentiation during nodule development, which is mediated by plant derived nodule specific cysteine rich (NCR) peptides. In the present investigation, 67 putative NCR peptides including 30 unique sequences of Cicer arietinum, were identified and characterized. Each sequence possesses at least one conserved latenodulin domain. Nine putative NCR peptides of Cicer arietinum contain single motif, 24 sequences had two motifs and 34 sequences had three motifs. The generated information will help in developing tools for optimizing the symbiotic efficiency under natural farming environment. QTL mapping for foliar fungal disease resistance: 84 polymorphic SSR markers were used in mapping foliar fungal disease resistance and 70 of them were mapped on 14 linkage groups (LGs). The genotypic and phenotypic data was used for QTL analysis. Two major QTLs (LLSQTL1 and LLSQTL2) were detected for Late Leaf Spot resistance and one major QTL (RustQTL) for rust resistance. Validation of newly developed markers for LLS and rust diseases: Twenty-four markers were used for validation in 12 groundnut varieties resistant to both late leaf spot and rust diseases and 9 varieties resistant to rust only to find out any alleles other than alleles from GPBD 4 which can be utilized for breeding. All markers differentiated resistant varieties justified by their phenotypes (disease score). After screening with all the markers of targeted genomic region, it was observed that all the 12 groundnut varieties resistant to both LLS and rust diseases, carry resistant alleles. These markers were able to clearly differentiate resistant and susceptible varieties specified by their allelic pattern.

Tropical tuber crops

New varieties of different tropical tuber crops (three cassava, one sweet potato, three greater yam, three aerial yam and four taro) were identified by the ICAR-AICRP on Tuber Crops.

Cassava: TCa13-1(CAU C-1 Nungha) matures in 8- 9 months with 24-31 t/ha yield; recommended for release and cultivation in Manipur. TCa13-7(9S 125), a hybrid (CR43-11 × Mankozhunthan), with high (35 t/ha) yield, tolerant to cassava mosaic disease; recommended for cultivation in Kerala, Manipur and Chhattisgarh. TCa13- 4 (S4) has 27.33 to 31.2 t/ha fresh tuber yield. It is tolerant to cassava mosaic virus; recommended for cultivation during kharif in Chhattisgarh.

Sweet potato: TSp12-6 (BCSP-10) has 20.1 t/ha tuber yield; less affected by sweet potato weevil (0.8 t/ha) damage and it is recommended for cultivation in Bihar.

Onion

Arka Bheem has bulb yield potential up to 47 t/ha in 130 days. It has been recommended for cultivation in Karnataka. Bhima Shakti (DOGR-1156) has 32-36 t/ha yield in rabi; very good bulb storability (up to five months); notified for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. DOGR-HT-1, an advanced breeding line of short day onion with 30 t/ha bulb yield during rabi, matures in about 120-125 days after transplanting. It is suitable for dehydration and produces seed under short day conditions. NHRDF Fursungi (L-819) is tolerant to Stemphylium blight; 380-400 q/ha yield during rabi; notified for cultivation in Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra. JWO-11-5-7 has 230 q/ha marketable yield and can be stored up to 4 months. It has been notified for cultivation during rabi in Gujarat, Jammu, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

Garlic: Bulbs of Yamuna Purple (G-404) are light purple; 2530 cloves/bulb; marketable yield ranges from 165 to 175 q/ha. It has been notified for cultivation during rabi in Jammu, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

Mushrooms

Button mushroom: Two improved strains, NBS-5- 1084 with 13.34% biological efficiency and NBS-5-1077 with 12.92% biological efficiency as against 12.69% in control were identified. Oyster mushroom: PSCH-35 is a crossbred strain of Pleurotus sajorcaju. The average biological efficiency (BE) of the strain is 58.65%with 2.71% superiority than check and suitable for culture at 24-28°C.

Shiitake mushroom: DMRO-356 is a selection having 46.7% biological efficiency.

Palak: In Thar Hariparna, fresh leaf yield is 154.72 q/ha.

Banana: The genetically modified and bio-fortified banana cv. Rasthali and Grande Naine with enhanced pro-vitamin-A (range 20 μg/100 g dry weight) were developed. The protocol for large scale micropropagation of banana Elakki Bale using embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) was developed (1 lakh plants/ embryogenic calli). Field evaluation of embryo derived plantlets showed normal phenotype as compared to sucker or shoot tip plants.

Drought Tolerant HB4® Wheat approved for cultivation in Argentina

Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture has granted approval of Bioceres Crop Solutions’ H_B4 wheat event for growth and consumption. The HB4 trait increases wheat yields by up to 20% and is currently the only drought tolerance technology for wheat and soybean crops in the world. Argentina is Latin America’s largest wheat producer and the world’s first country to adopt HB4 drought tolerance technology for wheat.

Argentina’s regulatory clearance follows the approval of HB4 soybean which has been approved in the United States and Brazil. Commercialization of HB4 wheat in Argentina is contingent upon import approval in Brazil, which purchases just over 85% of its wheat from Argentina. Currently, regulatory processes for HB4 wheat are advancing in the US, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Bioceres also intends to initiate regulatory processes in Australia and Russia, as well as certain countries in Asia and Africa.

Drought-tolerant HB4 Wheat is a patented seed technology developed by Trigall Genetics, Bioceres’ joint venture with Florimond Desprez, a global leader in wheat genetics. In field trials conducted during the last 10 years, HB4 seed varieties increased wheat yields by 20%, on average, during growing seasons impacted by droughts. HB4 is integrated with topselling wheat germplasms and branded as EcoWheat®. In preparation for the commercial launch of EcoWheat, around 17,300 acres (7,000 hectares) of different varieties have been planted by participating growers. Mr. Federico Trucco, Chief Executive Officer of Bioceres, said, “Our EcoWheat® and EcoSoy® products will enable food production companies and retailers the opportunity to offer consumers foods that are carbon-neutral, in addition to other environmental benefits they increasingly desire. Importantly, our HB4 technology does not translate into higher costs for consumers, making sustainable foods widely accessible."

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna Awarded 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

On October 7, 2020, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly to Emmanuelle Charpentier of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens and Jennifer A. Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley for the development of a method for genome editing. This method, the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors, is one of gene technology’s sharpest tools.

Modifying genes in cells used to be time-consuming, difficult, and sometimes impossible work. CRISPR-Cas9 has made it possible to change the code of life over the course of a few weeks. Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry said, “There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all. It has not only revolutionized basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments."

CRISPR-Cas9’s discovery was unexpected. Emmanuelle Charpentier’s studies of Streptococcus pyogenes, one of the bacteria that cause the most harm to humanity, led her discovery of a previously unknown molecule, tracrRNA. Her work showed that tracrRNA is part of bacteria’s ancient immune system, CRISPR-Cas, that disarms viruses by cleaving their DNA. Charpentier published her discovery in 2011 and initiated a collaboration with Jennifer Doudna, an experienced biochemist with vast knowledge of RNA. Together, they succeeded in recreating the bacteria’s genetic scissors in a test tube and simplifying the scissors’ molecular components so they were easier to use.

Photo Souce: Nobel Media. Ill. Niklas Elmehed.

Since Charpentier and Doudna discovered the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors in 2012 their use has exploded. This tool has contributed to many important discoveries in basic research, and plant researchers have been able to develop crops that withstand mold, pests, and drought. In medicine, clinical trials of new cancer therapies are underway, and the dream of being able to cure inherited diseases is about to come true. These genetic scissors have taken the life sciences into a new epoch and, in many ways, are bringing the greatest benefit to humankind

CRISPR-Cas9 a promising way for Drug Addiction Treatment

BChE is a natural enzyme that degrades cocaine into harmless and inactive components in humans. However, its usage for therapy is hampered by difficulty in delivery and making sure the enzyme maintains its function. Thus, using skin to produce modified BChE to continuously supply the body with the enzyme is a promising tool. The researchers find that skin- grafted mice injected with lethal doses of cocaine were able to live compared with control samples. Preference for cocaine is also low, and relapse is not observed after 25 days of withdrawal.

The researchers also test the expression of the enzyme in human skin cells. They find high expression of BChE in these cells, proving the promising effectiveness of the method. Further studies on possible side effects of the treatment is being considered by the group. If proven effective, this technology may be used in other types of drug and alcohol addiction in humans.

Seed Weight are Maternally Controlled in Canola: A study

The basis of seed weight variation in rapeseed or canola is explored through genetic, morphological, and cytological analyses. This variation is deemed important for domestication and crop improvement, but its regulatory mechanism is poorly understood. Although seed weight is theoretically influenced by the mother and the zygote itself, the exact contribution of each is unclear.

Researcher Hanzhong Wang from Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and colleagues primarily use RNA expression analysis to determine the mechanism responsible for seed weight. Results show correlation among pod length, pod wall photosynthetic area, carbohydrate content, and final seed weight. RNA expression is increased in genes related to seed development, cell division, nutrient reservoir, and ribosomal proteins in large seeds. The researchers concluded with seed weight being controlled primarily by the maternal source, specifically the mother’s pod size.

Plant-based Milk Bottles Launched in New Zealand

The milk bottles are made from sugarcane, which is natural, renewable, and sustainably sourced from Brazil. Brazil is one of the biggest producers of sugarcane. One good characteristic of sugarcane is that it captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. Thus, the bottles have a lower carbon footprint. The plant-based milk bottles are initially sold in North Island, for further expansion in distribution depending on the consumer response. Milk in recyclable plant-based bottles are now available in New Zealand which opens new way for environment protection.

Microbial diversity below seafloor is as rich as on Earth’s surface

For the first time, researchers have mapped the biological diversity of marine sediment, one of Earth’s largest global biomes. The research team discovered that microbial diversity in the dark, energy-limited world beneath the seafloor is as diverse as in Earth’s surface biomes in the University of Rhode Island

CRISPR meets Pac-Man: New DNA cut-and-paste tool enables bigger gene edits

Gene editing for the development of new treatments, and for studying disease as well as normal function in humans and other organisms, may advance more quickly with a new tool for cutting larger pieces of DNA out of a cell’s genome, according to a new study conducted by University of California - San Francisco

Pinpointing the ’silent’ mutations that gave the coronavirus an evolutionary edge

RNA folding may help explain how the coronavirus became so hard to stop after it spilled over from wildlife to humans

Researchers have identified a number of ’silent’ mutations in the roughly 30,000 letters of the COVID-19 virus’s genetic code that helped it thrive once it made the leap from bats and other wildlife to humans -- and possibly helped set the stage for the global pandemic discovered by Duke University

Advancing wildlife genomics through the development of molecular methods

A team of scientists report a new method for identifying any genome sequence located next to a known sequence. Sonication Inverse PCR (SIP) can be used to characterize any DNA sequence (near a known sequence) and can be applied across genomics applications within a clinical setting as well as molecular evolutionary analyses discovered by Forschungsverbund Berlin

The road to uncovering a novel mechanism for disposing of misfolded proteins

The discovery of the cause of a rare liver disease in babies led to uncovering a novel cellular mechanism for disposing of misfolded proteins that has implications for neurodegenerative conditions of older age by the Baylor College of Medicine

Machine learning uncovers potential new TB drugs

Using a machine-learning approach that incorporates uncertainty, researchers identified several promising compounds that target a protein required for the survival of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis discovered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19

A research team led by Professor Hongzhe SUN, Norman & Cecilia Yip Professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, and Professor Kwok Yung YUEN, Henry Fok Professor in Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has discovered a novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID- 19.

They discovered that a class of metallodrugs currently used in the treatment of other infectious diseases is showing efficacy to potently suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication and relieve viral-associated symptoms in an animal model.

The findings provide a new and readily available therapeutic option with high clinical potential for infection with SARS- CoV-2. This ground-breaking work has been published online in a top-class scientific journal Nature Microbiology. A related patent has been filed in the US.

Boost to develop microalgae into health foods

A new discovery may provide the crucial link that helps accelerate development of microalgae into beneficial human health supplements.

Dietary supplementation of fatty acids produced from microalgae have wide-reaching health benefits for humans, including the ability to reduce obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease, preventing hair loss, and assisting wounds to heal discovered by Flinders University

Scientists engineer bacteria-killing molecules from wasp venom

Potential new antibiotics work by disrupting bacterial membrane and summoning immune cells in animal models

Scientists have engineered powerful new antimicrobial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom. The team hopes to develop the molecules into new bacteria-killing drugs, an important advancement considering increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria discovered by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

A team led by scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has engineered powerful new antimicrobial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom. The team hopes to develop the molecules into new bacteria-killing drugs, an important advancement considering increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can cause illness such as sepsis and tuberculosis.

Statement About Ownership of International Journal of Biological Sciences-Biotech Today

(Regd. No. 1138)

Form IV

(As per rule 18)

Place of Publication	: Meerut, India
Periodicity of Publication	: Half Yearly
Printer’s Name	: N.P. Enterprises
Nationality	: Indian
Address	: A-65/2, Vaishali Colony, Meerut-250002
Publisher’s Name	: SOCIETY OF GREEN WORLD FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
Nationality	: Indian
Address	: H. No. 35, Akshardham, Roorkee Road, Modipuram, Meerut – 250110 (U.P.)
Chief Editor	: Prof. R.S. Sengar
Nationality	: Indian
Address	: H. No. 35, Akshardham, Roorkee Road, Modipuram, Meerut – 250110 (U.P.) India

I, Prof. R.S. Sengar, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

January 01, 2020

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