Wednesday 29 February 2012

M.Tech In Marine Biotechnology At CUSAT

Students can now apply for M.Tech (Marine Biotechnology) conducted by National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, CUSAT

Kochi: Applications have been invited for the M.Tech (Marine Biotechnology) course conducted by the National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health Department, Marine Science Campus of Cochin University.

Admissions to the course will be made through the joint Entrance Examination conducted by the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In order to request an application form and prospectus, a Demand Draft for Rs.260 drawn in favour of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, payable at New Delhi, must be mailed along with a self-addressed envelope of size 30 cm x 25 cm to the Section Officer (Admissions), Room No. 28, Administrative Block, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi – 110067.
The completed application form must reach the University before March 21. Students can also apply online at www.jnu.ac.in or www.jnuonline.in from February 6 to March 21 until 5 p.m. The application forms will be available by post until Mar 5. For those who apply online, the last date for submission of the confirmation page is March 28.

For more information on M.Tech courses in Marine Biotechnology, please visit www.ncaah.org.
For detailed information,
email to isbsingh@gmail.com or
call 0484 – 2981120 or 94476311

Immortal worms defy aging

The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may shed light on the possibilities of alleviating ageing and age-related characteristics in human cells.
Planarian worms have amazed scientists with their apparently limitless ability to regenerate. Researchers have been studying their ability to replace aged or damaged tissues and cells in a bid to understand the mechanisms underlying their longevity.
Dr Aziz Aboobaker from the University's School of Biology, said: "We've been studying two types of planarian worms; those that reproduce sexually, like us, and those that reproduce asexually, simply dividing in two. Both appear to regenerate indefinitely by growing new muscles, skin, guts and even entire brains over and over again.
"Usually when stem cells divide — to heal wounds, or during reproduction or for growth — they start to show signs of ageing. This means that the stem cells are no longer able to divide and so become less able to replace exhausted specialised cells in the tissues of our bodies. Our ageing skin is perhaps the most visible example of this effect. Planarian worms and their stem cells are somehow able to avoid the ageing process and to keep their cells dividing."
One of the events associated with ageing cells is related to telomere length. In order to grow and function normally, cells in our bodies must keep dividing to replace cells that are worn out or damaged. During this division process, copies of the genetic material must pass on to the next generation of cells. The genetic information inside cells is arranged in twisted strands of DNA called chromosomes. At the end of these strands is a protective 'cap' called a telomere. Telomeres have been likened to the protective end of a shoelace which stops strands from fraying or sticking to other strands.

Each time a cell divides the protective telomere 'cap' gets shorter. When they get too short, the cell loses its ability to renew and divide. In an immortal animal we would therefore expect cells to be able to maintain telomere length indefinitely so that they can continue to replicate. Dr Aboobaker predicted that planarian worms actively maintain the ends of their chromosomes in adult stem cells, leading to theoretical immortality.
Dr Thomas Tan made some exciting discoveries for this paper as part of his PhD. He performed a series of challenging experiments to explain the worm's immortality. In collaboration with the rest of the team, he also went some way to understanding the clever molecular trick that enabled cells to go on dividing indefinitely without suffering from shortened chromosome ends.
Previous work, leading to the award of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, had shown that telomeres could be maintained by the activity of an enzyme called telomerase. In most sexually reproducing organisms the enzyme is most active only during early development. So as we age, telomeres start to reduce in length.
This project identified a possible planarian version of the gene coding for this enzyme and turned down its activity. This resulted in reduced telomere length and proved it was the right gene. They were then able to confidently measure its activity and resulting telomere length and found that asexual worms dramatically increase the activity of this gene when they regenerate, allowing stem cells to maintain their telomeres as they divide to replace missing tissues.
Dr Tan pointed out the importance of the interdisciplinary expertise: "It was serendipitous to be sandwiched between Professor Edward Louis's yeast genetics lab and the Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre, both University of Nottingham research centres with expertise in telomere biology. Aziz and Ed kept demanding clearer proof and I feel we have been able to give a very satisfying answer."
However, what puzzled the team is that sexually reproducing planarian worms do not appear to maintain telomere length in the same way. The difference they observed between asexual and sexual animals was surprising, given that they both appear to have an indefinite regenerative capacity. The team believe that sexually reproductive worms will eventually show effects of telomere shortening, or that they are able to use another mechanism to maintain telomeres that would not involve the telomerase enzyme.
Dr Aboobaker concluded: "Asexual planarian worms demonstrate the potential to maintain telomere length during regeneration. Our data satisfy one of the predictions about what it would take for an animal to be potentially immortal and that it is possible for this scenario to evolve. The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and to understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal."
Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: "This exciting research contributes significantly to our fundamental understanding of some of the processes involved in ageing, and builds strong foundations for improving health and potentially longevity in other organisms, including humans."

Gene transfer between species is known as horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and up until recently has been considered a very rare event in plants and animals. In just the past few years, however, some microscopic organisms have been found to transfer genes to plants and even bacteria. Also, recently some parasites have been found to transfer their genes to humans. Now, a diverse research team has found evidence that bacteria found in the gut of the coffee berry borer beetle has transferred its genes to its host, though how exactly it might have done so is still a mystery.
In examining the beetle’s genes, the researchers found one in particular that really stood out, HhMAN1, both because it’s not one normally found in insects, and because its known to create a protein called mannanase that is able to break down one of the main ingredients in coffee beans. Interestingly, the team noted, HhMAN1 is commonly found in bacteria, which caused the team to suspect it had jumped from a gut bacteria. Making it even more of a possibility was the fact that the HhMAN1 gene was surrounded by transposons, genes that are known to be able to extract themselves from their host genome and paste themselves into the gene pool of another organism. The final bit of evidence was that in studying the genes of the beetle, it was noted that one section of the genome just looked more like that of a bacteria than an insect.
As most things in nature happen for a reason, it appears the gene transfer has benefitted the coffee berry borer beetle by allowing it to lay its eggs in coffee berries which grow into larva that can feed directly on the carbohydrates in them. The transfer has been so successful that the berry borer beetle is now responsible for half a billion dollars in coffee bean crop damage every year.
More information: Adaptive horizontal transfer of a bacterial gene to an invasive insect pest of coffee, PNAS, Published online before print February 27, 2012, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1121190109
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) involves the nonsexual transmission of genetic material across species boundaries. Although often detected in prokaryotes, examples of HGT involving animals are relatively rare, and any evolutionary advantage conferred to the recipient is typically obscure. We identified a gene (HhMAN1) from the coffee berry borer beetle, Hypothenemus hampei, a devastating pest of coffee, which shows clear evidence of HGT from bacteria. HhMAN1 encodes a mannanase, representing a class of glycosyl hydrolases that has not previously been reported in insects. Recombinant HhMAN1 protein hydrolyzes coffee berry galactomannan, the major storage polysaccharide in this species and the presumed food of H. hampei. HhMAN1 was found to be widespread in a broad biogeographic survey of H. hampei accessions, indicating that the HGT event occurred before radiation of the insect from West Africa to Asia and South America. However, the gene was not detected in the closely related species H. obscurus (the tropical nut borer or “false berry borer”), which does not colonize coffee beans. Thus, HGT of HhMAN1 from bacteria represents a likely adaptation to a specific ecological niche and may have been promoted by intensive agricultural practices.

Admissions - May 2012

http://www.biotech.iitm.ac.in/admissions

Screening Procedure

Candidates have to fill an online application form, also indicating their preferred specializations/streams for MS/PhD. The four streams are: (A) Biological Sciences (B) Bioengineering (C) Chemical Sciences and (D) Computational Biology. A maximum of two streams can be chosen by the candidate.
Shortlisted candidates will appear for a screening test in May 2012. Candidates will have to answer a test paper in each of their preferred streams. Candidates will be short-listed for the interview based on performance in the screening test(s).
Interview dates will be posted in the first week of March. Final decision on selection will be made based on overall performance.
Click here to download a flyer detailing the reearch areas.

Research Areas

The department focusses on a wide array of research topics, reflecting the diversity of modern biotechnology. Research opportunities (M.S. and Ph. D.) are available in several faculty labs, in four thrust areas, as follows:

I. Biological Sciences

Molecular oncology • Cancer immunotherapy • Anti-cancer nutraceuticals • HIV pathogenesis • Stem cell biology • Biomarkers for cardiovascular disease • Gene regulation in hypertension • Molecular and cellular basis of cardiovascular complications • Structure- function relationship of ion channels • Ion channels associated with ischemic heart diseases and stroke • Nanoparticles • Nanobiotechnology of food packaging • Nucleolar GTPases and cell proliferation • Pattern formation in cellular slime moulds • Plant developmental genetics • Recombinant Enzymes • Biofuel cells • Biorefinery

II. Chemical Sciences

'Green' biocatalytic methods for organic transformations • Delivery of siRNAs • Fragment-based drug design • Novel inhibitors against HDACs and HMT • Asymmetric catalysis

III. Bioprocess & Biomedical Engineering

Industrial metabolite production • Metabolic engineering • Biopolymers • Biocompatibility • Biodegradation of polymers • Tissue engineering • Caffeine degradation • Membrane biochemistry • Plant cell bioprocessing • Phytoremediation • Biofuels • Process chromatography • Reactive species in biological systems

IV. Computational Biology

Protein structure, folding and function • Protein dynamics • Computational analysis of protein folding and stability • Binding specificity of protein complexes • Green chemistry • Structure-based drug design and discovery • Comparative genomics • Computational modelling of neurodegenerative disorders • Computational systems biology • Development and analysis of databases and tools • Computational biophysics • GPGPU computing for systems biology

India-born biologist bags world's 1st major int'l award

India-born biologist Kamal Bawa has bagged the world's first international award for outstanding scientific work that promotes sustainable development globally.

Dr Bawa, distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, will receive the Gunnerus Sustainability Award from the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS) at a function in Trondheim, Norway on 17th April, an official announcement said.

"We are very pleased to have selected such a worthy winner of the first Gunnerus award," said Professor Kristian Fossheim, president of DKNVS.

The Gunnerus award is the first major international prize for outstanding scientific work that promotes sustainable development globally, and will be awarded every two years starting in 2012.

Dr Bawa is most noted for his pioneering work on population biology in rainforest areas.

His wide span of research includes groundbreaking biological discoveries made in Central America, Western Ghats in India and the Himalayas.

He is specially noted for the establishment, and as President, of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore.

Until recently, he also held Ruffolo Giorgio Fellowship in Sustainability Science and Bullard Fellowship at Harvard University.

"I am very pleased over the recognition that our work has received," Dr Bawa said.

The award is named after DKNVS' founder Bishop Johan Ernst Gunnerus (1718-1773) and is the result of collaboration between DKNVS, Sparebank1 SMN and the society Technoport.

India's biotech sector to grow 20% in foreseeable future

BANGALORE: India's biotech sector is expected to grow at a robust 20 per cent per annum in the near future, given the growing demand for biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars and vaccines, says a veteran in the field.
Biofuels would also offer a huge growth opportunity in biotech, the Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon, the country's largest biotech company by revenue, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said.

"We are entering the era of bioeconomy, where biotechnology can provide powerful solutions to some of the grave challenges that we face today: food scarcity, energy deficit, environmental damage, unmet medical needs and industrial pollution," she said.
Mazumdar-Shaw said the size of the country's biotech sector had reached USD 3.5 billion in 2010 and is poised for robust growth in all segments of biotechnology.
"India is already a world leader in vaccine production, Bt Cotton and bio-pharmaceuticals, especially bio-similars," she said. "India is also a large producer of industrial enzymes for green technologies & bioremediation. We also have critical mass in tissue culture-based cultivation."
However, Mazumdar-Shaw also referred to regulatory delays, import-export delays and restrictions, lack of venture funding and the listing norms that are unfavourable to innovation-led biotech companies.
"The inherent risk associated with gestational time lines involved in developing biotech products is a huge deterrent for investors. Example, Bt Brinjal", she pointed out.
Asked about her vision for Bangalore-headquartered Biocon, Mazumdar-Shaw, who has been named among TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, said: "I am committed to pursuing our strategy of delivering affordable drugs for global markets that make a difference to healthcare."

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