Why overexpressed proteins are toxic to E.coli ?

A majority of E. coli proteins when overexpressed inhibit its growth, but the reasons behind overexpression toxicity of proteins remain unknown. Understanding the mechanism of overexpression toxicity is important from evolutionary, biotechnological and possibly clinical perspectives. Here we study sequence and functional features of cytosolic proteins of E. coli associated with overexpression toxicity to understand its mechanism. We find that number of positively charged residues is significantly higher in proteins showing

Breaking Discovery: Eighteen species of bacteria found in troposphere (between 8-15 km above the earth)

Microbes  are  said  to be in every part of earth including the hottest (under sea volcanoes)  and coldest (Polar regions) places of earth. What is being studied in Microbiology is those microbes which can be cultured. They constitute less than 1% of the total microbes in the earth.  Can you believe the news that  microbes exist  even in troposphere which is eight kilometres above the earth.  A recent study conducted by Scientists from School of Biology, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering of  Georgia Institute of Technology at  Atlanta, USA and Chemistry and Dynamics Branch/Science Directorate, National

A fruit company has made Nonbrowning apple by genetic engineering ( gene silensing)

Apples turn brown when the fruit’s phenolic compounds react with oxygen. This oxidation process is driven by polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an enzyme. When an apple’s cells are ruptured – for example, by bruising, biting or cutting – the browning reaction begins when PPO found in one part of the cell is able to react with phenolic compounds found elsewhere in the cell.

Recent mapping of apple’s genome revealed that PPO is genetically encoded in a diverse, multi-gene family. Apples have at least eight PPO genes, in three main PPO gene families.  To breed a truly nonbrowning apple, all of the active PPO genes must be silenced. Arctic® apples have been genetically engineered to produce little or no PPO enzyme, so cell disruption doesn’t lead to browning.

The top 10 causes of death

Low-income countries	Deaths in millions	% of deaths
Lower respiratory infections	1.05	11.3%
Diarrhoeal diseases	0.76	8.2%
HIV/AIDS	0.72	7.8%
Ischaemic heart disease	0.57	6.1%
Malaria	0.48	5.2%
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease	0.45	4.9%
Tuberculosis	0.40	4.3%
Prematurity and low birth weight	0.30	3.2%
Birth asphyxia and birth trauma	0.27	2.9%
Neonatal infections	0.24	2.6%

Indian Express article on GM CROP REPORT

The SC must reject the biased interim report of the committee on GE crops


While hearing two writ petitions opposing genetic engineering technology in agriculture, the Supreme Court constituted a technical expert committee with six members and seven terms of reference. It asked the committee to hear interested parties and submit an interim report on open-field trials of GE crops, whether to ban them or not and what protocol should be imposed by the court if they are to be continued.


The committee submitted a confidential interim report on October 7, which soon became public and was widely covered in the media. However, the report very seriously impacts the prospects of GE crop technology in India, and was probably leaked only so that wide publicity would make it difficult for the court to reject it.

ANSWERS TO SCIENCE POLICY QUESTIONS BY US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES -1

Question -1: Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII, when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation?



Answer



Barack Obama:

I believe that in order to be globally competitive in the 21st century and to create an American economy that is built to last, we must create an environment where invention, innovation, and industry can flourish. We can work together to create an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, and skills for American workers.

Six French Science Academies Dismiss Study Finding GM Corn Harmed Rats

Translation of French science academies critique of controversial Séralini GM corn study— Document Transcript

• 1. The French science academies’ statement on problems with the Séralini et al. study of health impacts of GM corn and Roundup herbicide on rat health, translated (via U.S.embassy in Paris). Related Dot Earth post.Given the media coverage around this issue and its impact on the public opinion, the Academies decided to jointly publish a review covering several aspects: scientific,societal, and ethical, and including recommendations.- Science aspects: the Academies would like to point several severe flaws of the article: Statistics and methodology: in the case of the Seralini 2-year study, a significantly higher number of animals should have been used as recommended by guidelines, of in the specific case of a total number of 200, a lower number of groups would have allowed to answer specific questions, such as (1) can the studied GMO have a toxic or tumorigenic impact on its own? (2) can Roundup have a toxic or tumorigenic impact on its own? (3) is there a specific impact of the combination of the 2 products? The use of small size groups of 10 animals cannot answer the specific questions.