Monthly Archives: June 2020

A recent gift of $1 million from the Manning family, strong supporters of the University of Virginia, established The Manning Fund for COVID-19 Research, designed to support the Universitys practically oriented research on COVID-19-related topics that can be acted upon quickly and have commercial potential.

More than 50 proposals were received from UVA faculty for projects related to developing COVID-19-related solutions.

The offices of the Provost and the Vice President for Research, which co-manage the fund, havefunded eight proposals that support improved antibody testing, vaccine development and improving patient outcomes.

These researchers showed they had both great ideas for conquering COVID-19, and a solid plan for how to accomplish their goals, said Melur Ram Ramasubramanian, vice president for research. We couldnt be more pleased with the projects proposed and their potential impact.

Many of our researchers have set current and pressing projects aside to redirect their energies to COVID-19, said Liz Magill, the Universitys provost. Were grateful that the Manning Fund has enabled this critical research that takes advantage of the cross-disciplinary networks UVA has nurtured over the past few years.

I want to thank the entire research team and administrationfor their acute sense of urgency and entrepreneurship to come up with these helpful solutions to the COVID crisis. They set short term goals and achieved them, said local businessman and investor Paul Manning. I am very grateful.

A rundown of the selected projects:

IgG to SARS-CoV-2 With ImmunoCAPJeffrey Wilson, School of Medicine, Asthma, Allergy & Immunology

Jeffrey Wilson and his team plan to develop a novel assay to measure antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, taking advantage of the lmmunoCAP platform and producing a quantitative readout of how much IgG is present instead of just a yes or a no, as is common in current commercial systems. This has implications in developing an understanding of the likely attachment sites of the virus and accelerating the development of effective vaccines.

A COVID-19 Killed Whole Cell Genome Reduced E. coli Fusion Peptide Subunit VaccineSteven Zeichner, School of Medicine, Pediatrics

A vaccine for COVID-19 is urgently needed to control the pandemic. Steven Zeichner and his team aim to develop a vaccine that helps the body develop antibodies directed against a specific fusion peptide found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 virus as a component of its spike protein. The novelty of this project is the use a modified E. coli bacterial surface to display this peptide and help the body develop specific antibodies against it. When the real virus enters the body due to infection, the body can recognize this fusion peptide and neutralize the virus.

We expect the results from this project can be quickly translated into a safe, inexpensive, scalable, and effective vaccine appropriate for pandemic response globally, enabling an end to the COVID-19 pandemic not only in developed countries, but around the world, said Steven Zeichner.

Targeted Antibodies From Convalescent Plasma to Protect Against COVID-19Peter Kasson, School of Medicine, Molecular Physiology & Biomedical Engineering

Individuals vary substantially in their antibody response to COVID-19, both in amount and type of antibodies produced. Peter Kassons team aims to purify the serum from recovered patients and identify specific antibodies that are most potent against SARS-CoV-2 and to produce concentrated amounts of these target specific antibodies for the treatment of patients with increased potency.

Novel Reagents to Improve Testing for COVID-19 AntibodiesJames Zimring, School of Medicine, Pathology

The goal of James Zimring and his team is to develop novel testing reagents to eliminate the problem of cross-reactivity with common coronaviruses and develop a neutralization reagent that can be added to any serological assay and any analytic platform for antibody testing, which will eliminate signal from other non-COVID-19 antibodies and improve the accuracy of the test significantly.

Adenosine A2A Receptor Agonists in the Prevention of COVID-19-Related Lung Injury and Systemic Inflammatory ResponsesKenneth Brayman, School of Medicine, Surgery & Molecular Physiology, Infectious Diseases

The main cause of death in COVID-19 is acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. Kenneth Brayman and his team aim to test the use of Adenosine A2AR agonists to reduce the mortality associated with COVID-19. This immunotherapy is expected to be used preemptively, in the asymptomatic phase to prevent onset of COVID-19 or in the symptomatic phase, to reverse progression.

Isolation and Identification of Novel T-cell Receptors Responsive to SARS-CoV-2 for the Genetic Engineering of Third-Party T-cells for Off-the-Shelf Therapeutic UseDaniel Lee, School of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric

Daniel Lee and his team plan to study the T-cell-based immune response from patients who have been infected SARS-CoV-2 to identify viral specific T-cell receptors with the future goal of genetically engineering third-party, allogeneic T-cells with the responsive T-cell receptor, thereby producing an off-the-shelf cellular therapeutic bank for the treatment of subsequent infected patients experiencing severe symptoms. This cell therapy would be especially beneficial for immunocompromised patients infected with COVID-19.

Mass Cytometry to Identify Biomarkers for COVID-19 Severity and Response to JAK InhibitionHema Kothari, School of Medicine, Medicine & Cardiovascular Medicine

Cytokine storm in patients has been linked to COVID-19 disease severity. Hema Kotharis team aims to develop a customized diagnostic biomarker assay for early identification of those at risk of a cytokine storm and improve patient outcomes by taking timely action to block cytokines.

COVID-19: Big Data and Analytics for Early Detection of Cardiorespiratory DeteriorationRandall Moorman, School of Medicine, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering and Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics

Randall Moormans team at UVA Center for Advanced Medical Analytics plans to apply artificial intelligence and big data techniques to the problem of acute and unsuspected clinical deterioration of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, with the goal to provide continuous risk estimation of imminent deterioration using mathematical analysis of readily available clinical and monitoring data.

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Eight Research Projects Receive Funding from Manning Fund for COVID-19 Research - University of Virginia

[Courtesy of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries]

More than 7,500 tons of abalone are consumed annually in South Korea. However, it's not easy for abalone farmers to keep their prized product alive during summer as the shellfish die easily when the sea temperature rises above 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit). To increase the production of abalone by increasing survivability in warm water temperatures, some farmers in China and other countries use genetic modification.

Temperatures of the sea around the Korean peninsula showed abnormality due to global warming, rising on an average of 0.44 degrees Celsius every year over the last decade, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Abalone farmers lost more than 13.6 billion won ($10 million) in 2018 due to high sea temperatures.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), a scientific body operated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said in a statement that it has found a selective breeding method that involves no genetic engineering by using genetic markers. The institute will commercialize the method after a pilot project at actual abalone farms.

"With the recent trend of rising sea temperature, the future of abalone farms depends on developing breeds that can survive in places where the water temperature varies greatly," NIFS researcher Nam Bo-hye was quoted as saying.

Based on the institute's 2014 finding that a certain breed of abalone is capable of staying alive in seas warmer than 32 degrees Celsius, NIFS researchers have analyzed genetic characteristics, which are genetic markers, of the more heat-tolerant breed. Abalone farmers can check genetic markers to sort out the heat-tolerant breed in a simple and quick manner.

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Researchers find new selective-breeding method for heat-tolerant abalone without genetic modification - Aju Business Daily

THE ultimate warrior would be unable feel fear or pain, capable of running at Olympic speeds, and even immune to modern weapons.

Their existence was once only possible in the realm of science fiction but a new worldwide arms race is pitting nation states against each other to be the first to successfully create real genetically modified super soldiers.

Militaries have a long history of using powerful drugs to temporarily turn their troops into transcendant Terminator-style killers.

Nazis took methamphetamine or "crystal meth" during the Second World War to stay alert and awake for superhuman stretches of time.

And even the British military bought thousands of Modafinil pills which boost brain-power ahead of the Iraq War.

In China, it is reasonable to assume that they are enhancing their battlefield soldiers on all these fronts.

But with advances in technology, it could now be possible to alter soldiers' DNA to give them godlike powers all the time, from Herculean strength to lizard-like limb regeneration.

GM technology is proven with plants, it could absolutely be applied to the person, said Professor John Louth, an expert at defence think tank Rusi.

In China, it is reasonable to assume that they are enhancing their battlefield soldiers on all these fronts.

China's armed forces are the largest in the world, consisting of a staggering 2.2million personnel.

This year alone, Beijing is spending $178.16billion on its defence budget.

But as the country's international relations flare up, they could be looking to be the first army to have genetically modified super soldiers to get ahead of adversaries.

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These combatants would be stronger, faster and even smarter than their battlefield opponents.

Their DNA could also be adapted to help them recover more quickly from injuries or give them superior hearing and night vision.

The threat is obvious and real. Chinese money could be stealing a march on western armed forces and that is deeply concerning," Prof Louth said.

Concerns about China's super soldier plans came after a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, claimed to have successfully created genetically modified babies using gene editing technology.

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China jailed Dr Jiankui for illegal medical practices over his claims to have made three babies immune to HIV.

But it's now suspected that Chinese military chiefs are backing trials into human gene editing.

But they're not alone.

The US has also conducted some strange super-soldier research projects.

They've already publicly unveiled a 5million Iron Man-style exoskeleton which gives fighters incredible muscle-power.

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And the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) developed ways for warfighters to scale walls by studying the skin of geckos.

Novelist Simon Conway, who was granted behind-the-scenes access at the secretive Pentagon agency, revealed a string of other super soldier programmes underway there in 2012.

He claims scientists were working on gene modification that would allow soldiers' bodies to convert fat into energy more efficiently, allowing them to go days without eating.

What is gene editing?

"It's all about improving the efficiency of energy creation in the body," Conway told the Sunday Express.

"Soldiers would be able to run at Olympic speeds, carry large weights and go without sleep and without food."

But the US isn't just looking at how biotechnology can give their soldiers the upper-hand on the battlefield.

They're also carrying out research into medical regeneration, allowing severely injured soldiers who've lost limbs or suffered extensive burns to heal organically.

This is already a reality in the animal kingdom, where lizards can regrow amputated tails and salamanders can restore entire severed limbs.

"We would like it to be as restorative as possible, resist infection and be durable," said Army Lt. Col. David Saunders, extremity repair product manager for the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity.

"[There are] many wonderful things emerging in the field of regenerative medicine to restore form and function to our wounded warfighters."

As recently as January 2020, the US military was unveiling incredible advances in warzone genetics.

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Army researchers developed a gene therapy that allowed mice to create proteins that would protect them against nerve agents deadly chemical weapons that attack the nervous system, like the Russian Novichok used in the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.

The same gene therapy given to the mice that made them chemical weapon-proof could theoretically be used in soldiers entering hazardous environments.

Before Russia's nerve agents were used with terrible effect, president Vladimir Putin had warned of an even more terrifying weapon.

Speaking at a 2017 youth festival in Sochi, Putin spoke openly about the destructive possible consequences of gene-editing.

"A man has the opportunity to get into the genetic code created by either nature, or as religious people would say, by the God," he said, The Express reports.

"He can be a genius mathematician, a brilliant musician or a soldier, a man who can fight without fear, compassion, regret or pain.

"As you understand, humanity can enter, and most likely it will in the near future, a very difficult and very responsible period of its existence.

"What I have just described might be worse than a nuclear bomb."

But instead of this being something in the "near future", Russia is already factoring genetics into its military strategy.

Alexander Sergeyev, the head of the country's Academy of Sciences, revealed the armed forces were researching "genetic passports" in 2019, Forbes reports.

The passports would predict a soldier's "resistance to stress, ability to perform physical and mental operations under the conditions of this stress, and so on."

Sergeyev added that they could be used to sort which branch of the armed forces personnel would be sent to.

"There are already serious developments in this area," he said.

"It is about understanding at the genetic level who is more prone to, for example, to service in the fleet, who may be more prepared to become a paratrooper or a tankman."

What I have just described might be worse than a nuclear bomb.

And unlike other world leaders, Putin has a very close interest in genetic editing.

That's because his eldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, is a scientist who specialises in genetic engineering and acts as his adviser on the matter.

In 2018, before He Jiankui revealed his HIV-immune babies in China, Putin had already allotted $2billion for genetic research, Bloomberg reports.

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He even put Vorontsova in charge of the 30-person panel overseeing the experiments.

Watching world superpowers will undoubtedly be paying attention to Putin's potential to weaponise the research.

After all, as Putin says, genetic editing is an area of science which will "determine the future of the whole world".

Originally posted here:
Inside the super-soldier arms race to create genetically modified killing machines unable to feel pain or fe - The Sun

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., June 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) (22nd Century or the Company), a leading plant biotechnology company primarily focused on reduced nicotine tobacco and also hemp/cannabis plant genetics research and development, announced today that James A. Mish has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective June 22, 2020. The Company also announced that John Franzino has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.

Mish brings extensive global executive leadership experience in science-driven organizations with a recent focus on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), including cannabinoids, and related consumer products. He has an outstanding track record of delivering profitable growth at both privately held and publicly traded companies. Prior to joining 22nd Century, Mish served as Chief Executive Officer of Noramco, a global leader in the production of controlled substances for the pharmaceutical industry, and Purisys, a synthetic cannabinoid API, ingredients and solutions provider to pharmaceutical and consumer products companies. Mish led the creation and spinoff of Purisys from Noramco during his tenure.

We are very pleased to welcome Jim as our new Chief Executive Officer at this critical juncture in our Companys history, said Nora B. Sullivan, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of 22nd Century. Jims extensive and proven executive leadership capabilities, substantial science-based industry background and deep experience with pharmaceutical and consumer products make him an outstanding candidate to successfully execute on the Companys initiatives and strategic plan going forward. We are confident that under Jims demonstrated leadership capabilities, 22nd Century will continue to build its portfolio of assets and create value for the benefit of our shareholders. We expect that with Jims direction and guidance, 22nd Century will achieve meaningful growth as the Company looks towards the anticipated authorization of our MRTP application for our proprietary, reduced nicotine cigarettes, and as we work to develop new hemp/cannabis intellectual property and proprietary plants with valuable cannabinoid profiles.

I am delighted to join 22nd Century Group at this pivotal time in the Companys growth as it looks to deliver on its primary mission to reduce smoking-related harm and also bring new and valuable hemp-derived cannabinoid products to market, said Mish. 22nd Century is an innovative, plant-based biotech company with an extensive and growing intellectual property portfolio that is poised to disrupt both the tobacco and hemp/cannabis industries. I look forward to partnering with 22nd Centurys Board and management team to drive the business forward to deliver value to our customers and shareholders.

Sullivan continued, We are also pleased to welcome John Franzino into the role of Chief Financial Officer. John is an accomplished strategic financial executive with a track record of successful leadership in high-growth, highly regulated, consumer-facing industries including tobacco and alcoholic beverages. We are excited to have a CFO of his caliber on the executive management team to help lead the Company through the next chapter of its growth.

Prior to joining 22nd Century Group, Franzino served as Chief Financial Officer of the West Point Association of Graduates. Additionally, he has extensive strategic financial leadership experience serving as Vice President of Finance and Controller at Bard College; as Chief Financial Officer of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, a subsidiary of Reynolds American, Inc.; and as Chief Financial Officer of Labatt USA. Franzino is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Farleigh Dickinson University.

Also, on behalf of the Companys Board of Directors, I would like to thank Andrea Jentsch, who has resigned as Chief Financial Officer due to personal reasons, for her service and significant contributions to the Company. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, Andrea has built a very strong team critical to advancing the Companys accounting, finance, information technology and human resources activities, and she has made a number of significant improvements to the Companys processes, internal reporting and IT resources that will be important enablers for the commercialization of the Companys proprietary plants and products. We wish Andrea the best in her future endeavors, Sullivan added.

About 22nd Century Group, Inc.22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) is a leading plant biotechnology company focused on technologies that alter the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in hemp/cannabis plants through genetic engineering, gene-editing and modern plant breeding. The Companys primary mission in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused by smoking by bringing its proprietary reduced nicotine content tobacco cigarettes containing 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarettes to adult smokers in the U.S. and international markets. The Companys primary mission in hemp/cannabis is to develop proprietary hemp/cannabis plants with valuable cannabinoid profiles and agronomic traits and to commercialize those plants through a synergistic portfolio of strategic partnerships in the hemp/cannabis industry.

Learn more at xxiicentury.com, on Twitter @_xxiicentury and on LinkedIn.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our business, operations and financial performance and condition as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business operations and financial performance and condition that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. You can identify these statements by words such as aim, anticipate, assume, believe, could, due, estimate, expect, goal, intend, may, objective, plan, potential, positioned, predict, should, target, will, would and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and our management's beliefs and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or development and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and others that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2020 and in our subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

Contacts:Mei Kuo22nd Century Group, Inc.(716) 300-1221mkuo@xxiicentury.com

Cory ZiskindICR(646) 277-1232cory.ziskind@icrinc.com

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22nd Century Group Appoints James A. Mish as Chief Executive Officer and John Franzino as Chief Financial Officer - BioSpace

June 2, 2020 Three teams with ties to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthVincere Health, Concerto Biosciences, and SanaRxwere among the finalists in the 2020 Presidents Innovation Challenge presented by the Harvard Innovation Labs, and two were awarded prizes.

At the May 21 virtual awards ceremony, 25 teams from across 13 Harvard schools showcased their ventures in five tracks: Social Impact or Cultural Enterprise; Health & Life Sciences; Open Track; Launch Lab X (Alumni); and Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab. The Bertarelli Foundation furnished prizes totaling $510,00, with $75,000 going to each Grand Prize winner and $25,000 to each runner-up. Harvard President Larry Bacow offered congratulatory remarks at the opening of the event, and Matt Segneri, the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Executive Director of the Harvard Innovation Labs, served as emcee.

Vincere Health

Vincere Healthfounded by Jacob Keteyian, MPH 19, Shalen De Silva, MPH 19, Hadi Javeed, and Trevor Campbellreceived the Grand Prize in the Launch Lab X (Alumni) Track, earning $75,000 for their venture. Vincere Healths virtual care delivery model helps smokers quit with a combination of counseling, remote health monitoring, behavioral nudges, and financial incentives. Through a mobile app paired with a carbon monoxide monitor as well as counseling, Vincere Heath offers patients a custom incentive program. The software and programming can be compatible with many different health devices.

This telehealth model, which has the potential to be applied to a variety of chronic conditions, is timely: with the COVID-19 pandemic, insurer coverage has expanded to accommodate reimbursement for an increasing number of telehealth services.

Our clients and strategic partners have been eager to roll out our digital tools to keep people out of the clinics and offer smoking-cessation support to reduce the risks associated with COVID-19 exposure, which are higher for smokers, said Keteyian.

The two credit fellow MPH studentsincluding Katie Klatt, MPH 21; Nimerta Sandhu, MPH 20; Puay-Shi Ng, MPH 20; and Tsung-Hsien Tsai, MPH 20with providing help along the way. Being a finalist and winning the competition in our alumni venture track was a huge honor and a privilege, given the exquisite caliber of all the other participants and finalists, said De Silva. We would love for this result to highlight the importance of entrepreneurship and health care innovation coming out of the Harvard Chan School. The prize money will enable to team to find additional support to meet increasing demand and hire additional permanent employees.

Concerto Biosciences

Concerto Biosciencesfounded by Adil Bahalim, DrPH 20, Bernardo Cervantes, Cheri Ackerman, and Jared Kehewas the runner-up in the Health & Life Sciences Track, receiving $25,000 to advance their venture. Using a patented platform that constructs and screens millions of specific microbial communities, the team aims to discover groups of microbes that work in concert to accomplish important functions in human healthsuch as promoting the growth of a beneficial microbe or suppressing the growth of a pathogenas well as in agriculture and industry.

We are focused on revolutionizing the way the world relates to microbes, said Bahalim. We want to harness the power of microbes working together to solve the worlds most challenging problems.

One example comes from the human skin microbiome, a community of microbes on the skin that collectively protects against pathogens and teaches the immune system not to attack beneficial microbes. Weve recently observed that people with conditions like eczema or psoriasis have different skin microbiome compositionsthey lack microbes that would otherwise protect the skin, said Bahalim. If we discover combinations of microbes responsible for skin health, we can manufacture them at scale and deliver them as therapeutics to people with skin diseases.

SanaRx

SanaRx, founded by Rick Pierce, Jeffrey Wagner (a former postdoctoral fellow in the Eric Rubin Lab), Fred Mermelstein, and Carl Novina, was a finalist in the Pagliuca Life Lab category. SanaRx leverages synthetic biology and genetic engineering to improve detection, visualization, and treatment of three rare diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The current standard of care for these diseases requires frequent invasive proceduressuch as colonoscopiesunder anesthesia, whereas SanaRx products use bacterial genetic engineering to detect the diseases noninvasively, reduce the frequency of invasive interventions, and treat the diseases.

Jan Reiss

Photos courtesy Shalen De Silva (Vincere Health) and Adil Bahalim (Concerto Biosciences)

More here:
Harvard Chanaffiliated teams compete in finals of President's Innovation Challenge - HSPH News

TOWSON, MDThe eighth annual Baltimore County Public Schools Independent Research Symposium can be viewed online this year beginning on Wednesday, June 3.

The symposium showcases original research conducted by students at five BCPS high schools during the 2019-20 school year. During this springs closure of school buildings due to the pandemic, students have engaged in remote learning facilitated by their library media specialists to create and record their research presentations at home. Students, parents, staff, and community members interested in supporting these students and learning more about the Independent Research Seminar course are invited to view the Virtual Symposium.

Students at Franklin, Hereford, Parkville, Perry Hall, and Western School of Technology high schools were selected to participate in the Independent Research Seminar elective course this year, based on their commitment to following an advanced research process to conduct in-depth original research. Student researchers worked collaboratively and independently under the guidance of their library media specialists, faculty advisors, and expert mentors.

Students used the process and resources provided in an online research framework to generate a research question, conduct a literature review, write a research proposal, and synthesize their findings to create a presentation for an audience. Research topics address a variety of subjects and are based on the students own areas of interest. High school administrators, counselors, and library media specialists interested in offering the Independent Research Seminar at their schools will find implementation resources available online.

The 2020 BCPS Independent Research Seminar students and their research topics are:

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Rebecca Angin, Grade 11, Parkville High School, Elitism in EducationLena Bell, Grade 11, Franklin High School, De-extinction of the ThylacineKaitlyn Beyer, Grade 11, Hereford High School, Genetic Engineering: Medical Marvel, or Medical Mistake?Kaitlyn Crowley, Grade 12, Hereford High School, Motherhood: To what extent are societal pressures placed on women to have children and what are the effects of these pressures?Linna Cui, Grade 12, Perry Hall High School, Music Therapy for Behavior and Cognition: Effects of Classical Music on the Progression of Alzheimers DiseaseFalon Gustin, Grade 12, Western School of Technology and Environmental Science, LGBTQ+ Representation in School Curricula and MediaMax Harris, Grade 11, Franklin High School, A Look Into Topology with a Theory on the Square Peg ProblemEthan Jacobson, Grade 12, Hereford High School, Potential for Serotonergic Psychedelics in Assisted PsychotherapyHafeez Mustafa, Grade 11, Western School of Technology and Environmental Science, The Role of Social and News Media on the Stock MarketMatthew Rubinstein, Grade 12, Franklin High School, Reforming the United States System of Campaign FinanceMahnoor Sarfraz, Grade 12, Perry Hall High School, How can the United States government implement regulations which will decrease the cost of prescription medicines for Americans?Jeffrey Thewsuvat, Grade 12, Western School of Technology and Environmental Science, Exploring the Subatomic World: Quantum Teleportation

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Work by Parkville High, Perry Hall High students to be featured at BCPS Independent Research Symposium - nottinghammd.com

The latest generation of tetracyclines a class of powerful, first-line antibiotics was designed to thwart the two most common ways bacteria resist such drugs. But a new study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that genes representing yet another method of resistance are widespread in bacteria that live in the soil and on people. Some of these genes confer the power to destroy all tetracyclines, including the latest generation of these antibiotics.However, the researchers have created a chemical compound that shields tetracyclines from destruction. When the chemical compound was given in combination with tetracyclines as part of the new study, the antibiotics lethal effects were restored.

The findings indicate an emerging threat to one of the most widely used classes of antibiotics but also a promising way to protect against that threat.

We first found tetracycline-destroying genes five years ago in harmless environmental bacteria, and we said at the time that there was a risk the genes could get into bacteria that cause disease, leading to infections that would be very difficult to treat, said co-senior author Gautam Dantas, PhD, a professor of pathology and immunology and of molecular microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Once we started looking for these genes in clinical samples, we found them immediately. The fact that we were able to find them so rapidly tells me that these genes are more widespread than we thought. Its no longer a theoretical risk that this will be a problem in the clinic. Its already a problem.

In 2015, Dantas, also a professor of biomedical engineering, and Timothy Wencewicz, PhD, an associate professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, discovered 10 different genes that each gave bacteria the ability to dice up the toxic part of the tetracycline molecule, thereby inactivating the drug. These genes code for proteins the researchers dubbed tetracycline destructases.

But they didnt know how widespread such genes were. To find out, Dantas and first author Andrew Gasparrini, PhD then a graduate student in Dantas lab screened 53 soil, 176 human stool, two animal feces, and 13 latrine samples for genes similar to the 10 theyd already found. The survey yielded 69 additional possible tetracycline-destructase genes.

Then they cloned some of the genes into E. coli bacteria that had no resistance to tetracyclines and tested whether the genetically modified bacteria survived exposure to the drugs. E. coli that had received supposed destructase genes from soil bacteria inactivated some of the tetracyclines. E. coli that had received genes from bacteria associated with people destroyed all 11 tetracyclines.

The scary thing is that one of the tetracycline destructases we found in human-associated bacteria Tet(X7) may have evolved from an ancestral destructase in soil bacteria, but it has a broader range and enhanced efficiency, said Wencewicz, who is a co-senior author on the new study. Usually theres a trade-off between how broad an enzyme is and how efficient it is. But Tet(X7) manages to be broad and efficient, and thats a potentially deadly combination.

In the first screen, the researchers had found tetracycline-destructase genes only in bacteria not known to cause disease in people. To find out whether disease-causing species also carried such genes, the scientists scanned the genetic sequences of clinical samples Dantas had collected over the years. They found Tet(X7) in a bacterium that had caused a lung infection and sent a man to intensive care in Pakistan in 2016.

Tetracyclines have been around since the 1940s. They are one of the most widely used classes of antibiotics, used for diseases ranging from pneumonia, to skin or urinary tract infections, to stomach ulcers, as well as in agriculture and aquaculture. In recent decades, mounting antibiotic resistance has driven pharmaceutical companies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars developing a new generation of tetracyclines that is impervious to the two most common resistance strategies: expelling drugs from the bacterial cell before they can do harm, and fortifying vulnerable parts of the bacterial cell.

The emergence of a third method of antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria could be disastrous for public health. To better understand how Tet(X7) works, co-senior author Niraj Tolia, PhD, a senior investigator at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH, and co-author Hirdesh Kumar, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Tolias lab, solved the structure of the protein.

I established that Tet(X7) is very similar to known structures but way more active, and we dont really know why because the part that interacts with the tetracycline rings is the same, Kumar said. Im now taking a molecular dynamics approach so we can see the protein in action. If we can understand why it is so efficient, we can design even better inhibitors.

Wencewicz and colleagues previously designed a chemical compound that preserves the potency of tetracyclines by preventing destructases from chewing up the antibiotics. In the most recent study, co-author Jana L. Markley, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Wencewiczs lab, evaluated that inhibitor against the bacterium from the patient in Pakistan and its powerful Tet(X7) destructase. Adding the compound made the bacteria two to four times more sensitive to all three of the latest generation of tetracyclines.

Our team has a motto extending the wise words of Benjamin Franklin: In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and antibiotic resistance, Wencewicz said. Antibiotic resistance is going to happen. We need to get ahead of it and design inhibitors now to protect our antibiotics, because if we wait until it becomes a crisis, its too late.ReferenceGasparrini et al. (2020). Tetracycline-inactivating enzymes from environmental, human commensal, and pathogenic bacteria cause broad-spectrum tetracycline resistance. Communications Biology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-0966-5

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Resistance Genes to Latest Generation of Antibiotics Are Widespread - Technology Networks

The UK grains sector faces enormous change after almost five decades operating under the European Unions Common Agricultural Policy. It also faces enormous potential disruption following the UK exit from the EU on Jan. 31, unless a new trade deal with the EU can be made by the end of the year. At the same time, the sector is coping with the problems caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with supply chains disrupted and new challenges from the need to feed a population in lockdown.

The International Grains Council (IGC) projects the UKs 2020-21 grains production at a total of 19.7 million tonnes, down from 25.7 million the year before. The countrys wheat production is put at 10 million tonnes, down from 16.3 million in 2019-20. Barley production is forecast to rise to 8.4 million tonnes, up from 8.2 million.

The UKs rapeseed crop is forecast at 1.3 million tonnes in 2020-21, compared with 1.8 million in 2019-20.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) on Feb. 27 published a forecast putting 2019-20 wheat imports at 1.050 million tonnes, down 808,000 on the year before because of greater supply.

It is worth noting that the fall in imported demand is expected to be driven by the animal feed and bioethanol sectors, the AHDB commented. Imported wheat usage by flour millers is expected to be marginally higher year on year.

The AHDB forecast barley imports at 52,000 tonnes, down 18,000 on larger domestic supply. Maize imports in 2019-20 are put at 2.3 million tonnes. While the pace of maize imports is expected to slow somewhat over the next few months, imports may begin to increase again at the end of this season and into the 2020-21 season, due to its relative price compared with domestic grains.

Trade sources put likely imports of wheat at 2.6 million tonnes in 2020-21, with barley imports at 60,000 tonnes. Imports of rapeseed are forecast at 600,000 tonnes.

According to the National Association of British and Irish Millers (nabim), there are 32 companies, with a total of 51 milling sites in the countrys flour milling sector. Thirty-one are members of nabim, with 50 sites between them accounting for 99% of UK flour production. The association puts the industrys annual consumption of wheat to produce flour at 5 million tonnes, with some 1.3 million to 1.5 million tonnes used by starch and bioethanol producers.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that has accompanied it has forced the industry to change. Following representations from nabim, the government decided to relax working time rules to help ensure deliveries. It also recognized food industry workers as key, giving them access to childcare and education support, the association said in an April 3 statement. British schools are closed but remain open to care for children of key workers.

An early warning system also has been set up by nabim to give notice of problems before they become critical.

The grain supply and delivery sector, including nabim members, has agreed small changes in working practice that will help the flow of goods and accompanying documentation while respecting social distancing and the difficulty of distributing documentation while so many administrative staff are working from home, nabim said. The government has allowed extra time for some tests to be undertaken and, wherever possible, auditing is being conducted remotely.

One feature of the lockdown has been increased demand from consumers for bagged flour for home baking. A website has been set up by nabim to let consumers know where they can buy the size of bags normally only sold to catering outlets, which are now closed.

The UK left the EU on Jan.31. The country is currently in a transition phase, in which trade continues under the same terms as before, while a future relationship between the two is negotiated. The advent of the COVID-19 crisis means that the transition period, due to last until the end of 2020, is widely expected to be extended, although the British government, which would have to ask for an extension, is still, at the time of writing, insisting that it will stick to the planned timetable.

One aspect of the future that is causing particular concern for the milling industry is the arrangements for trade between the islands of Britain and Ireland. Although the northern part of Ireland is part of the UK, under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought piece to Northern Ireland after many years of turmoil, there must be no hard border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland on the island of Ireland. That means that a customs barrier is planned, within the UK. The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pretending that the problem does not exist, and no checks will be necessary, ignoring an explicit reference in the UKs Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. The high level of integration between the food sectors in the two countries, particularly in milling, means controls, with a potential need for sanitary and phytosanitary checks, could be highly onerous.

Leaving the EU takes British agriculture out of the EUs Common Agricultural Policy, with its system of direct payments to support farming. Instead, in a bill introduced to parliament on Jan. 16, the government plans to create a system under which farmers are rewarded for providing public goods such as improved air and water quality, higher animal welfare standards, improved access to the countryside or measures to reduce flooding.

In England, direct payments will be phased out over a seven-year period, starting in 2021.

BIOFUELS and GMOs

The UK is currently using E5 gasoline, but the government has announced a move to E10, beginning in 2021. The country has two large ethanol plants, Ensus and Vivergo, both in the northeast. Only Ensus is currently operating, using wheat and maize.

In an April 9 report, the USDA attach in London explained how the British government appears to want to expand the use of GM crops in the country, but the continuing close trading relationship between the UK and the remaining EU countries makes a big change unlikely.

The report cites the July 2019 inaugural speech of Prime Minister Johnson who said: Lets liberate the UKs extraordinary bioscience sector from anti-genetic modification rules.

Under any scenario, the UKs departure from the EU will not change policy or trade in genetically engineered plants or animals in the short to medium term, the attach commented. The EU is the UKs largest trading partner and the UK will retain much EU food law for many years to come.

For most of the British public, genetic engineering in food is irrelevant. There are very few mainstream grocery products that contain GE as an outright ingredient and, with this invisibility, UK consumers consider the GM problem to have gone away.

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Focus on the United Kingdom | 2020-06-01 - World Grain

GLOBAL ANIMAL GENETICS MARKET: OVERVIEW

The global animal genetics market is likely to rise at a healthy growth rate over the assessment timeframe. Augmented consumption of protein extracted from animals is prophesized to favor the growth of the global animal genetics market in the forthcoming years. In addition, increasing populations generates massive demand for animal-based protein, which further benefits the market.

The global animal genetics market has been segmented on the basis of region and product and services. The sole objective of providing such an all-inclusive report is to offer a deep insight into the market.

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GLOBAL ANIMAL GENETICS MARKET: NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS

The global animal genetics market has gone through a few developments in the last few years. These market developments make a manifestation of how and what is influencing the growth of the global animal genetics market. One such development is mentioned below:

SOME OF THE KEY MARKET PLAYERS OF THE GLOBAL ANIMAL GENETICS MARKET ARE

GLOBAL ANIMAL GENETICS MARKET: GROWTH DRIVERS

High Demand for Animal Protein Places the Market on a High Growth Trajectory

The global animal genetics market is estimated to experience considerable growth over the review period. Such stellar growth of the market is attributed to the augmented adoption of genetic technologies and strict implementation of animal welfare regulations.

Likewise, livestock population has witnessed a substantial rise together with awareness related to the existence of animal genetic disorders. Besides, the need to cater to the unmet demands of animal protein is likely to add fillip to the global animal genetics market over the forecast timeframe.

With an objective to produce better milk and food products, there has been an escalation in the research and development activities by several scientists. Genetic modifications are likely to emerge as another factor supporting the expansion of the global animal genetics market in forthcoming years.

The market is also prophesized to be fuelled by rapid expansion of urbanization and rise in population, which place massive demand for animal protein. Increased adoption of various advanced genetic practices like embryo transfer, artificial insemination (AI) for production of modified breed on a large scale is estimated to favor the market in the years to come.

On the other hand, the dearth of properly skilled technicians and professional with expertise in genetic services is estimate to impede the growth of the global animal genetics market in years to come. Furthermore, strict regulations related to genetic engineering of animals together with high cost of animal testing is likely to obstruct the growth of the market.

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GLOBAL ANIMAL GENETICS MARKET: REGIONAL OUTLOOK

Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, South America, Europe, and North America comprise the major regions of the global animal genetics market.

Considering geographies, North America is likely to play a dominant role in the global animal genetics market over the assessment timeframe. Such regional supremacy is ascribed to the presence of a large number of well-known companies of the global animal genetics market. In addition, the presence of a well-established livestock industry is likely to propel the North America animal genetics market to prominence in the near future.

The global animal genetics market is segmented as:

Products and Services

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Animal Genetics Market to Witness Growth Acceleration During 2018-2028 - Cole of Duty