Species and Fatty Acid Diversity of Desmodesmus (Chlorophyta) in a Local Japanese Area and Identification of New Docosahexaenoic Acid-Producing Species

Desmodesmus is a green microalgal genus that is frequently found in aquatic environments. Its high biomass productivity and potential as a source of lipids have attracted considerable attention. Although Desmodesmus is ubiquitous, it is difficult to identify; even within a small area, the diversity of the species and the fatty acids they produce are unknown. In this study, we performed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analyzed the genetic diversity of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region to accurately identify Desmodesmus in a local area of Japan (Saga City, Saga Pref.) and to assess its existence as a biological resource. In addition, we analyzed the fatty acid composition and content of the newly established strains. In total, 10 new strains were established, and 9 previously described species were identified. The presence of a cosmopolitan species indicated the global distribution of Desmodesmus. However, only regional species were found. One strain, dSgDes-b, did not form a clear clade with any described species in the phylogenetic analysis and had a characteristic ITS2 secondary structure. The cell wall of this strain exhibited a distinctive microstructure, and it produced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); hence, the strain was described as a new species, Desmodesmus dohacommunis Demura sp. nov. Thus, useful information regarding the use of Desmodesmus as a bioresource was provided.

Formation of colostral immunity in calfs on the background of the application of immunostimulators to cows

A scientific and practical substantiation of the need for the timely formation of colostral immunity in calves to create nonspecific protection of the body and adaptation of newborns to new environmental conditions is given, which is the most important problem of modern veterinary science and practice. Colostral immunity is immunity that develops in newborns due to colostral immunoglobulins during the first 24-36 hours of life. For some newborn farm animals (horses, ruminants and pigs), antibodies are transmitted to offspring only through colostrum in the early postnatal period. In order to increase the nonspecific defenses of the body of mothers cows, the formation of colostral immunity in newborn calves and the realization of the biological resource potential of the body, immunostimulants were used, developed by scientists of the Chuvash State Agrarian University: Prevention-N-B-S and Salus-PE.

A Critic to Darwinian Theory on Resources Scarcity on the Basis of Quranic Verses

One of the important components in the theory of the evolution of species is the idea of natural selection. The question is, are the assumptions of the subject in the idea of natural selection compatible with the religious conception of nature and the world around? In this study, the author will discover on the base of Quranic verses that how the theory of biological resource scarcity as one of the basic assumptions in the idea of natural selection conflicts with the Qur'anic interpretation regarding nature. If we can show the lack of credibility and inaccuracy of the idea of the biological resources scarcity and the inappropriateness of biological resources with the needs of the creatures-as one of the assumptions underlying evolutionary theory-in this case, an important step has been to distort the above-mentioned theorem. In the Holy Qur'an, traits such as selfishness are often warned that are considered as the basis of excesses leads to poverty and shortages. Quraanic promises according to which righteous individuals will govern on earth, on the one hand, and the divine promise of securing the living of the beings on the other hand effectively challenges the idea of natural selection.

A distinct metabolic profile associated with a fatal outcome in COVID-19 patients during early epidemic in Italy

Leveraging the unique biological resource based upon the initial COVID-19 patients in Policlinico di Milano (Italy), our study provides the first metabolic profile associated with a fatal outcome. The identification of potential predictive biomarkers offers a vital opportunity to employ metabolomics in a clinical setting as diagnostic tool of disease prognosis upon hospital admission.

A Mycobacterial Systems Resource for the Research Community

ABSTRACT Functional characterization of bacterial proteins lags far behind the identification of new protein families. This is especially true for bacterial species that are more difficult to grow and genetically manipulate than model systems such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. To facilitate functional characterization of mycobacterial proteins, we have established a Mycobacterial Systems Resource (MSR) using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis. This resource focuses specifically on 1,153 highly conserved core genes that are common to many mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in order to provide the most relevant information and resources for the mycobacterial research community. The MSR includes both biological and bioinformatic resources. The biological resource includes (i) an expression plasmid library of 1,116 genes fused to a fluorescent protein for determining protein localization; (ii) a library of 569 precise deletions of nonessential genes; and (iii) a set of 843 CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) plasmids specifically targeted to silence expression of essential core genes and genes for which a precise deletion was not obtained. The bioinformatic resource includes information about individual genes and a detailed assessment of protein localization. We anticipate that integration of these initial functional analyses and the availability of the biological resource will facilitate studies of these core proteins in many Mycobacterium species, including the less experimentally tractable pathogens M. abscessus, M. avium, M. kansasii, M. leprae, M. marinum, M. tuberculosis, and M. ulcerans. IMPORTANCE Diseases caused by mycobacterial species result in millions of deaths per year globally, and present a substantial health and economic burden, especially in immunocompromised patients. Difficulties inherent in working with mycobacterial pathogens have hampered the development and application of high-throughput genetics that can inform genome annotations and subsequent functional assays. To facilitate mycobacterial research, we have created a biological and bioinformatic resource (https://msrdb.org/) using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model organism. The resource focuses specifically on 1,153 proteins that are highly conserved across the mycobacterial genus and, therefore, likely perform conserved mycobacterial core functions. Thus, functional insights from the MSR will apply to all mycobacterial species. We believe that the availability of this mycobacterial systems resource will accelerate research throughout the mycobacterial research community.

What is the evidence available to support our knowledge about threats to the conservation of Galliformes in the Greater Himalaya?

1.AbstractBiodiversity is at a heightened risk of extinction and we are losing species faster than any other time. It is important to understand the threats that drive a species towards extinction in order to address those drivers. In this paper, we assess our knowledge of the threats faced by 24 Himalayan Galliformes species by undertaking a review to identify threats reported in the published literature and the supporting evidence that the threat is having an impact on the species population. Only 24 papers were deemed suitable to be included in the study. We found that biological resource use, agriculture and aquaculture are the predominant threats to the Galliformes in the Greater Himalaya but the evidence available in the studies is quite poor as only one paper quantified the impact on species. This study shows that major gaps exist in our understanding of threats to species and it is imperative to fill those gaps if we want to prevent species from going extinct.

A checklist of Zingiberaceae species from Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Davao Oriental, Philippines

Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary is a center of botanical diversity throughout the Philippine archipelago. However, as to how many Zingiberaceae species are present in the area is still poorly known. Thus, floristic surveys were made and collections were conducted from July 2016 to September 2018. In total, 18 species belonging to eight genera representing three tribes of the family were recorded. The most species rich tribe belongs to Alpinieae with 14 species in 6 genera. This study presents an annotated checklist of Zingiberaceae species found in the sanctuary which is beneficial for its efficient biological resource management.

Encapsulation technology to improve biological resource recovery: recent advancements and research opportunities

Encapsulation technology has been extensively investigated for various microbiological applications for decades.