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salmonella bacteria 3d illustration

Using machine learning to predict the severity of salmonella infection

David Ussery, a Professor in the Department of BioMedical Informatics at UAMS, and his student, Aakash Bhattacharyya, discuss using Machine Learning methods to predict the pathogenicity of a bacterial infection based on genome sequencing.
Figure 1. Historical Ontario white navy bean yields.

Bean breeding at the University of Guelph: Past and present

Examine bean breeding at the University of Guelph, both past and present, conducted by its Department of Plant Agriculture.
Left, intact epithelium is a continuous sheet with an electrical potential across it, and signal molecules produced on one side (green) that cannot reach receptors (yellow) on the other side. A basement membrane (grey) separates epithelium from other cells. When the sheet is broken, as in a wound, cells change shape (‘EMT’) and send signals that include electric currents and interaction between signal molecules and receptors. The basement membrane may be breached, bringing epithelial cells in contact with other cells. Defence and repair cells (blue) respond. Right, in cancers, the epithelial sheet is disrupted, activating the same wound-healing changes.

Cancers are like wounds because they are damaged tissue

Cancers resemble wounds. The question is why, and what does this mean? Many features of cancers – the so-called ‘Hallmarks of Cancer’ – may be mostly a wound-healing response. Dr Paul Edwards, Emeritus Reader at the University of Cambridge explores.
Doctor with human thyroid anatomy model. Thyroid tumor and cancer, postpartum period, papillary carcinoma and health

Rethinking papillary thyroid cancer: Why “low risk” isn’t always low impact

Oliver Bathe, Professor of Surgery and Oncology at the University of Calgary and CEO of Qualisure Diagnostics, urges us to rethink papillary thyroid cancer, noting that “low risk” isn’t always synonymous with low impact.
X-ray image of shoulder

Regenerative medicine and osteoarthritis: SVF, exosomes and beyond

Torbjörn Ogéus from Stockholms Led- & Smärtspecialist guides us through the evolving science of stromal vascular fraction, exosomes, and beyond in regenerative medicine and osteoarthritis.
Figure 1. Proposed method for creating a holobiont from engineered minimal genome endosymbionts (derived from JCVI-Syn3B) that regenerate progenitor cells in liver tissue. Fluorescently labeled endosymbiont chassis bacteria with a cationic lipid coating (1) pick up protein coronas comprised of blood peptides as they traffic to the liver (2). The labeled bacteria can be visualized in the tissue (3). Once inside the host cells, the engineered endosymbionts secrete transcription factors that affect the genetic circuits of the cell (4), with limited replication with the host cytoplasm (5). After sustained reprogramming by the secreted transcription factors, the function of the holobiont is redirected (6) toward progenitor cells that can regenerate damaged liver tissue (7). Figure created using Biorender.

Tracing evolution’s blueprint: Minimal genome life and the engineering of synthetic endosymbiosis

Roksana Riddle and Christopher H. Contag from Michigan State University discuss the concept of endosymbiosis, how it has evolved, and present strategies to engineering endosymbionts and their applications in developing innovative therapies.
Unrecognizable pharma research scientist selecting the only set of drugs personalized by genome sequencing in a lineup of pills and tablets. Healthcare concept for pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics.

CYP genes and haplotypes in personalised medicine

Brian Tait, Chief Scientific Officer at Haplomic Technologies Pty Ltd, focuses here on CYP genes, haplotypes, and their applications in personalised medicine.
Figure 1: Flipons to Learn By: Each Shape Encodes Information Differently and has a different probability of flipping from one conformation to another.

Training your genome

Founder and President of InsideOutBio, Alan Herbert, explores the evolving understanding of genome information storage, and the significance of repetitive sequences called flipons in genome training. These flipons can alter their shape without breaking DNA and are vital in cell biology, especially in responding to environmental stress.
Figure 1: Therapeutic relevance of GPCRs in various diseases.

AI-driven innovations in GPCR ligand synthesis for treating inflammatory diseases

This article explores the significance of G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) in therapeutic drug development and strategies for advancing GPCR-targeted therapies, including the use of agonists, antagonists, biased agonism, and allosteric modulators.
Biology nerve cell with biomedicine concept, 3d rendering. 3D illustration.

Unlocking the brain: Pioneering psychiatric genomics at the University of Arizona

Psychiatric disorders challenge us deeply. At the University of Arizona, researchers dissect their molecular roots, focusing on genomics. They aim to decode miRNA’s role in conditions like depression, using advanced analysis to forge a path towards personalized mental health care. Find out more in this exclusive Q&A.
close up of 3d microscopic blue bacteria

Microbiomes should be incorporated into The One Health Joint Plan of Action

The One Health Joint Plan of Action was created by major international organizations to tackle global health issues related to human, animal, plant, and environmental health. This article emphasizes the importance of integrating microbiomes into this framework to enhance health systems and prevention strategies.
abs Bacteria concept - 3d rendered microbiology image. Medical research, health-care concept.

Bioinformatics into TB surveillance: A new approach to an ancient foe

David Ussery, a Professor in the Department of BioMedical Informatics at UAMS, and his Ph.D. student Brian Delavan discuss bioinformatics into TB surveillance, presenting a new approach to tackling this ancient foe.
Concept. 3D Render

Stem cell exhaustion and its role in healthy aging

Scientist Sarallah Rezazadeh from the Icahn School of Medicine explores the molecular mechanisms behind adult stem cells as we age.
Figure: Top left & right: Depiction of an epigenetic Waddington landscape with various cell types illustrating the hierarchical process of differentiation (left) and how this process is altered in cancer (right). Top middle: diagram to illustrate how the normal multipotent cell suppresses tissue-specific transcription factors via an easily reversible epigenetic modification called H3K27me3. These H3K27me3 marks are removed once a cell differentiates into one that carries out a specific function in the tissue/organ (‘differentiated cells’). In cancer, the suppression by H3K27me3 is replaced by promoter DNA methylation, which is stable and leads to irreversible and increased suppression of tissue-specific transcription factors. CancerStemID can estimate the transcription factor inactivation load (TFIL) for any given cell. Bottom left: Illustration of how TFIL could identify the cells that are more stem-like and which drive cancer progression. Bottom middle: Heatmap of inactivation events of esophageal specific transcription factors in single cells from a precursor cancer lesion (low and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia-LGIN/HGIN) in the human esophagus, with cells sorted by the TFIL. Bottom right: Violin plots displaying the significant association between TFIL and dedifferentiation, and between TFIL and a cancer risk score computed as relative similarity between a precancerous cell and those found in invasive cancer.

Predicting cancer risk with computational biology

Andrew Teschendorff, Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is developing computational systems-biological tools to identify cells at risk of turning cancerous.
Macro shot of Colorful fluid acrylic paint

The microbiome and aging: Unlocking new frontiers in healthy longevity

Research conducted by the USF Microbiomes Institute and the MiaGB Consortium is uncovering the significant link between microbial communities and host biology. This understanding could lead to new therapies for age-related conditions. Shalini Jain, Christian Brechot, and Hariom Yadav provide further insights.
FIGURE 1 shows the basic steps required to obtain genetic phase or haplotyping for the HLA system in a potential bone marrow transplant recipient without resorting to family studies. Studies to date have shown superior outcomes in haplotype-matched recipient/donor pairs compared to those matched for individual alleles at multiple HLA loci. (Kitcharoen, Petersdorf, Maskalana)

Single chromosome sequencing to obtain genetic phase (haplotyping)

Brian Tait, Chief Scientific Officer at Haplomic Technologies Pty Ltd, examines single chromosome sequencing to obtain genetic phase (haplotyping).
The doctor's hands touch the burn on the man's shoulders, close-up. Allergy to the sun, dermatological diseases

Living with rare genetic disorders: Challenges of EPP and XLP

Kirstine Juhl Belongie discusses the impact, symptoms, and possible treatments related to EPP and XLP, two debilitating disorders that cause extreme pain following exposure to sunlight.

The role of host condition and environment on infection outcome

Brian P. Lazzaro from Cornell University discusses his research on the factors influencing immune response and infection outcome, drawing on powerful experimental systems, such as Drosophila melanogaster as a model host, to gain a deeper understanding of foundational biological processes.
Team of Medical Research Scientists Conduct Experiments with Help of Microscope, Test Tubes, Micropipette and Desktop Computer. Modern Biological Applied Science Laboratory with Diverse Colleagues.

Exposomics: A shift in biomedical research with potential to improve human health

Recent advances in exposomics offer an exciting opportunity to comprehensively catalog human exposures and link them to biological responses determining health and disease. Pamela J. Lein, Ph.D. from the University of California, tells us more.
Bilayer Lipid Membrane - 3d rendered image of Cell Membrane Phospholipid Structure, Phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane. Abstract medical illustration. Microscopic view. Microbiologic research concept.

Cell biology research: The mystery of cholesterol homeostasis

Kazumitsu Ueda, PhD from Kyoto University, WPI-iCeMS, unveils the mystery of cholesterol homeostasis in this cell biology research focus.

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