DNA EXTRACTION PROTOCOL FOR USE IN PRACTICAL LESSONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Increasingly the biotechnology is important in everyday life, in the most varied areas. The discovery of DNA and its manipulation has brought a world of possibilities to modern society, and the proper training of professionals in this area is a crucial point. The way in which information is passed, the visualization of what is being learned, through practical classes, are determining factors in the teaching-learning process. Considering the weight of practical classes to train more qualified professionals and the limitation faced by professors and institutions to offer such practices, a DNA extraction protocol was developed to use in practical class with basis in team knowhow. The extraction protocol was developed to be more efficient, using regents easier to be acquired and manipulated, being initially tested with biological yeast. The protocol showed efficient to yeast DNA extraction and was also tested with pure bacterial culture. This protocol extracted genetic material with quantity and quality enough to amplification, it showed be a simple, cheaper and efficient protocol for practical class use

Black fly (Diptera:Simuliidae) larvae body size variation along an altitude gradient in the Itatiaia National Park, Brazil

According to Bergmann’s Rule, individuals who inhabit higher altitudes tend to be larger in body mass or size, when compared with individuals of the same taxon who inhabit lower altitude places. Black flies are insects of great medical and veterinary importance due to its blood-sucking habit, becoming subject of studies regarding its bionomics, ecology and taxonomy. Studies approaching the influence of the altitude gradient in the morphology of Diptera: Simuliidae larvae are scarce in the literature, therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of altitude gradient in the morphology of Diptera: Simullidae larvae in Itatiaia National Park, RJ, and thus verify if Bergmann’s Rule is applicable to these organisms. Black fly larvae were sampled from four sites during periods of March and May 2013. From each site 30 larvae were measured, and these lengths were later compared between sites using Kruskal-Wallis, which showed a significant difference (P<.05) among sites from lower altitudes in relation to those of higher elevations, what was corroborated using a cluster analysis. The altitude was related to larval size using a linear regression, showing a positive correlation between these variables, thus corroborating Bergmann’s rule for Black flies

Desvendando os padrões de preferência de habitat de larvas de simuliidae (diptera) neotropicais e suas implicações para o controle do vetor

A família Simuliidae (Diptera) é composta por insetos de hábito hematofágico que apresentam distribuição global e são vetores da Oncocercose e da Mansonelose. Estes organismos tem como criadouros de suas formas imaturas ambientes de água corrente, onde suas larvas e pupas se desenvolvem. Devido à larva constituir o elo mais frágil do ciclo destes insetos, os esforços para seu controle devem ser direcionados aos criadouros destas formas, que são córregos e rios. No entanto, um melhor entendimento dos padrões de preferência de habitat destes organismos podem nortear iniciativas de controle menos agressivas ao ambiente e mais eficazes. Esta revisão busca traçar um panorama do estado da arte na literatura do conhecimento dos padrões de distribuição e preferência habitat de larvas de simulídeos neotropicais e de suas perspectivas para o controle