Full Length Research Paper Identification of species (meat and blood samples) using nested-PCR analysis of mitochondrial DNA

Crocodile meat product is an alternative protein source. Although, crocodile meat is more expensive, its taste is similar to that of chicken and fish. The authentication of commercial meat species is important for consumer’s confidence. In this study, sensitive and specific method multiplex nested-PCR was applied to identify commercial meat species. Dried blood was used as an alternative DNA source for detection. The detection sensitivity was enhanced by primers specifically designed to encompass the mitochondrial Cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase 5/6 genes. The specificity and sensitivity of multiplex PCR system were tested. Different lengths of specific nested-PCR products were detected to be 350, 570, 750 and 1000 bp for chicken, pig, cow, and crocodile, respectively. The system allowed detection with as little as 5 nanogram of DNA from either meat or blood sample. Detection sensitivity of individual species was improved, enabling the detection of DNA with as little as 1 picogram. Cross reaction was not detected among the tested species. It was shown that the multiplex-PCR assay enhanced the sensitivity of routine species identification and allowed the use of blood as an alternative DNA source for detection.Key words: Cytochrome b, NADH dehydrogenase, mitochondrial DNA, meat, blood, species identification, nested-PCR, crocodile

Four new species of Xyris (Xyridaceae) from Thailand

Four new species of Xyris (Xyridaceae), X. bituberosa, X. buengkanensis, X. emarginata, and X. thailandica from North-Eastern Thailand are described and illustrated. A provisional conservation assessment for each species is given

Music and technologies

Based on the conference held in Kaunas, Lithuania, 2011, Music and Technologies aims to augment discussion within the field of interdisciplinary music research developed currently at such important forums as the CIM and the ISMIR. The book consists of a collection of articles written by musicians and computer scientists, educators and mathematicians from all over the world. The main contemporary ideas in the field of music technologies are explored – estimating the process of automatic cognition, reconstruction and simulation, measurement and re-creation of different aspects of music practice – always with sound and its notation or scoring uppermost in the investigations

A multiplexed Cas13-based assay with point-of-care attributes for simultaneous COVID-19 diagnosis and variant surveillance

Point-of-care (POC) nucleic acid detection technologies are poised to aid gold-standard technologies in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, yet shortcomings in the capability to perform critically needed complex detection—such as multiplexed detection for viral variant surveillance—may limit their widespread adoption. Herein, we developed a robust multiplexed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based detection using LwaCas13a and PsmCas13b to simultaneously diagnose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and pinpoint the causative SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC)—including globally dominant VOCs Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529)—all the while maintaining high levels of accuracy upon the detection of multiple SARS-CoV-2 gene targets. The platform has several attributes suitable for POC use: premixed, freeze-dried reagents for easy use and storage; convenient direct-to-eye or smartphone-based readouts; and a one-pot variant of the multiplexed detection. To reduce reliance on proprietary reagents and enable sustainable use of such a technology in low- and middle-income countries, we locally produced and formulated our own recombinase polymerase amplification reaction and demonstrated its equivalent efficiency to commercial counterparts. Our tool—CRISPR-based detection for simultaneous COVID-19 diagnosis and variant surveillance that can be locally manufactured—may enable sustainable use of CRISPR diagnostics technologies for COVID-19 and other diseases in POC settings