Applied genomics for identification of virulent biothreats and for disease outbreak surveillance

Fortifying our preparedness to cope with biological threats by identifying and targeting virulence factors may be a preventative strategy for curtailing infectious disease outbreak. Virulence factors evoke successful pathogenic invasion, and the science and technology of genomics offers a way of identifying them, their agents and evolutionary ancestor. Genomics offers the possibility of deciphering if the release of a pathogen was intentional or natural by observing sequence and annotated data of the causative agent, and evidence of genetic engineering such as cloned vectors at restriction sites. However, to leverage and maximise the application of genomics to strengthen global interception system for real-time biothreat diagnostics, a complete genomic library of pathogenic and non-pathogenic agents will create a robust reference assembly that can be used to screen, characterise, track and trace new and existing strains. Encouraging ethical research sequencing pathogens found in animals and the environment, as well as creating a global space for collaboration will lead to effective global regulation and biosurveillance.

Energy management decarbonization policy and its implications for national economies

The article explains the stages of modern environmental policy formation and analyzes decarbonalization as a component of climate change, which requires the introduction of global regulation without taking into account any national priorities and the transition to global control over national economies through the OPEC oil and gas sector. The content of greening is revealed and it is noted that global warming in the climate has shifted to stable and dynamic regional geographical cooling, which makes not only doubt the causes of global ecological warming, but also to identify political motives for decarbonization and primarily in energy. The intensified development of wind farms has been noted as a result of the global policy of developed countries that do not have sufficient own reserves of coal and oil and gas hydrocarbons.

The Role of rDNA Clusters in Global Epigenetic Gene Regulation

The regulation of gene expression has been studied for decades, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. As well as local and distant regulation, there are specific mechanisms of regulation during development and physiological modulation of gene activity in differentiated cells. Current research strongly supports a role for the 3D chromosomal structure in the regulation of gene expression. However, it is not known whether the genome structure reflects the formation of active or repressed chromosomal domains or if these structures play a primary role in the regulation of gene expression. During early development, heterochromatinization of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is coupled with silencing or activation of the expression of different sets of genes. Although the mechanisms behind this type of regulation are not known, rDNA clusters shape frequent inter-chromosomal contacts with a large group of genes controlling development. This review aims to shed light on the involvement of clusters of ribosomal genes in the global regulation of gene expression. We also discuss the possible role of RNA-mediated and phase-separation mechanisms in the global regulation of gene expression by nucleoli.

Small RNAs go global in human gut Bacteroides

The last two decades have seen numerous studies connecting physiological behaviors in Bacteroides —including polysaccharide degradation and capsule production—with elements of global regulation, but a complete model is still elusive. A new study by Adams et al. in this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology reveals another layer of regulation by describing a novel family of RNA-binding proteins (Rbps) in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that modify expression of genes involved in carbohydrate utilization and capsule expression, among others.

Reflections on a decade of change in international environmental law

This article examines the profound ways in which international environmental law has evolved over the last decade in response to a shifting geopolitical context, as well as a better understanding of the possibilities and limits of global regulation to address complex, polycentric and intractable environmental harms. It identifies as emerging trends in the field the maturation of the customary norms and fundamental principles of international environmental law, in addition to changes in its modes of implementation and the actors involved in those processes. This article also highlights the increasing activity at the interface with other fields of law and policy that has expanded the sites at which international environmental law is made, applied and implemented. It concludes by asking whether this body of international law remains ‘fit for purpose’ as it seeks to adapt to constraints on its nature and operation imposed by the current architecture of international law and politics.