Chemical genetics strategies for identification of molecular targets

Chemical genetics is an emerging field that can be used to study the interactions of chemical compounds, including natural products, with proteins. Usually, the identification of molecular targets is the starting point for studying a drug’s mechanism of action and this has been a crucial step in understanding many biological processes. While a great variety of target identification methods have been developed over the last several years, there are still many bioactive compounds whose target proteins have not yet been revealed because no routine protocols can be adopted. This review contains information concerning the most relevant principles of chemical genetics with special emphasis on the different genomic and proteomic approaches used in forward chemical genetics to identify the molecular targets of the bioactive compounds, the advantages and disadvantages of each and a detailed list of successful examples of molecular targets identified with these approaches

Significant haemoglobinopathies: A guideline for screening and diagnosis. A British Society for Haematology Guideline

Antenatal screening/testing of pregnant women should be carried out according to the guidelines of the National Health Service (NHS) Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme. Newborn screening and, when necessary, follow-up testing and referral, should be carried out according to the guidelines of the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme. All babies under 1 year of age arriving in the United Kingdom should be offered screening for sickle cell disease (SCD). Preoperative screening for SCD should be carried out in patients from ethnic groups in which there is a significant prevalence of the condition. Emergency screening with a sickle solubility test must always be followed by definitive analysis. Laboratories performing antenatal screening should utilise methods that are capable of detecting significant variants and are capable of quantitating haemoglobins A2 and F at the cut-off points required by the national antenatal screening programme. The laboratory must ensure a provisional report is available for antenatal patients within three working days from sample receipt

Mapping the Future of Particle Radiobiology in Europe: The INSPIRE Project

Particle therapy is a growing cancer treatment modality worldwide. However, there still remains a number of unanswered questions considering differences in the biological response between particles and photons. These questions, and probing of biological mechanisms in general, necessitate experimental investigation. The “Infrastructure in Proton International Research” (INSPIRE) project was created to provide an infrastructure for European research, unify research efforts on the topic of proton and ion therapy across Europe, and to facilitate the sharing of information and resources. This work highlights the radiobiological capabilities of the INSPIRE partners, providing details of physics (available particle types and energies), biology (sample preparation and post-irradiation analysis), and researcher access (the process of applying for beam time). The collection of information reported here is designed to provide researchers both in Europe and worldwide with the tools required to select the optimal center for their research needs. We also highlight areas of redundancy in capabilities and suggest areas for future investment

The yeast two-hybrid and related methods as powerful tools to study plant cell signalling

The yeast Two-hybrid Technolofy have been successfully used by several groups studying molecular mechanisms that underlie plant cell signal transduction pathways. In this review we provide a brief description of the technology, attempt to point out some of the pitfalls and benefits of the different systems that can be employed, and mention some of the areas, within the plant cell signalling field, where hybrid-based interaction assays have been particularly informative