Survey based investigation on diet/BMI in Indian-American communities

Obesity is defined as a disease where abnormal or excessive fat accumulation presents risks to one’s health. It is also associated with a wide variety of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, and cardiovascular health. In recent years, the rates of obesity have continued to grow in the United States, especially amongst the Indian-American community. Asians have a lower BMI cutoff ( ≥27.5 kg/m2) for obesity instead of the standard ≥30.0 kg/m2 recommendations by CDC due to a higher prevalence of weight-related diseases at lower BMI and carrying 3-5% more body fat than an average Western European. In this study, we seek to address if the consumption of certain dishes specific to the Indian diet and the amount of time spent exercising offer a potential explanation for the increasing rates of obesity for Indians residing in the United States. To implement this study, we designed a survey that asked participants about their height, weight, dietary, and exercise habits. We calculated their BMI and analyzed their scores using a modified Likert Scale score with scores ranging from 1-5. In addition, we conducted a correlation between BMI and Likert Scale scores for each question. We found no significant correlations between the Likert Scale scores on the survey and BMI. This can potentially be attributed to the small sample size (n=34). However, the obese group, on average, reported exercising less, eating out more, consuming more sweets and fried foods, and adding sugar to their drinks when compared to the healthy weight group. And, 70.6% of respondents were overweight or obese, supporting the trend that weight related issues are becoming more and more prevalent in Indian-American communities. For future studies, research needs to be conducted with a larger sample size and more survey questions. Additionally, the survey needs to span the entire United States and incorporate the amount of time residents have resided in the US. The results of this survey in conjunction with the results of other surveys can help develop culturally appropriate solutions to combat weight related issues and diseases in the Indian-American community

Bacterial Associates of a Desert Specialist Fungus-Growing Ant Antagonize Competitors with a Nocamycin Analog

Fungus-growing ants are defended by antibiotic-producing bacterial symbionts in the genus Pseudonocardia. Nutrients provisioned by the ants support these symbionts but also invite colonization and competition from other bacteria. As an arena for chemically-mediated bacterial competition, this niche offers a window into ecological antibiotic function with well-defined competing organisms. From multiple colonies of the desert specialist ant Trachymyrmex smithi, we isolated Amycolatopsis bacteria that inhibit the growth of Pseudonocardia symbionts. Using bioassay-guided fractionation, we discovered a novel analog of the antibiotic nocamycin that is responsible for this antagonism. We identified the biosynthetic gene cluster for this antibiotic, which has a suite of oxidative enzymes consistent with this molecule\u27s more extensive oxidative tailoring relative to similar tetramic acid antibiotics. High genetic similarity to globally distributed soil Amycolatopsis isolates suggest that this ant-derived Amycolatopsis strain may be an opportunistic soil strain whose antibiotic production allows for competition in this specialized niche. This nocamycin analog adds to the catalog of novel bioactive molecules isolated from bacterial associates of fungus-growing ants and its activity against ant symbionts represents, to our knowledge, the first documented ecological function for the widely distributed enoyl tetramic acid family of antibiotics