Sequencing of 28SrRNA Gene for Identification of Trichoderma longibrachiatum 28CP/7444 Species in Soil Sample

Most of the Trichoderma species are morphologically very similar and were considered for many years as a single species. Since new species were discovered, a consolidated taxonomical scheme was needed and proposed and defined nine morphological species aggregates. DNA methods brought additional valuable criteria to the taxonomy of Trichoderma which are being used today for studies that include identification and phylogenetic classification. Most isolates of the genus Trichoderma that were found to act as mycoparasites of many economically important aerial and soil-borne plant pathogens. Trichoderma has attained importance for substitute of chemical pesticides and hence an attempt was intended to corroborate the positive relatedness of molecular and morphological characters. A fungal strain of Trichoderma longibrachiatum 28CP/7444 was isolated from a soil sample collected from Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The universal primers were used for amplification of the 28S rRNA gene fragment and strain characterized by using 28S rRNA gene sequence with the help of ITS marker. It is proposed that the identified strain Trichoderma longibrachiatum 28CP be assigned as the type strain of a species of the genus Trichoderma based on phylogenetic tree analysis together with the 28S rRNA gene sequence search in Ribosomal Database Project, small subunit rRNA and large subunit rRNA databases. The sequence was deposited in GenBank with the accession number JX978541. Thus an integrated approach of morphological and molecular markers can be employed to identify a superior strain of Trichoderma for its commercial exploitation

Phylogenetic diversity analysis of Trichoderma species based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) marker

The phylogeny of Trichoderma and the phylogenetic relationships of its species was investigated by maximum parsimony analysis and distance analysis of DNA sequences from multiple genetic loci 18S rDNA sequence analysis suggests that the genus Trichoderma evolved at the same time as Hypomyces and Fusarium and thus about 110 Myr ago 28S rDNA sequence analysis shows that the genus Trichoderma is part of a monophyletic branch within the Hypocreaceae. Most isolates of the genus Trichoderma were found to act as mycoparasites of many economically important aerial and soil-borne plant pathogens. Trichoderma has attained importance as a substitute for chemical pesticides and hence an attempt was intended to corroborate the positive relatedness of molecular and morphological characters. Two fungal strains, Trichoderma koningii Tk-5201/CSAU and Trichoderma virens Tvi-4177/CSAU were isolated from a soil sample collected from CSA Farm, Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The universal primers (internal transcribed spacer, ITS) were used for the amplification of 18S rRNA gene fragment and strains were thus characterized with the help of ITS marker. It is proposed that the identified strains T. koningii Tk-5201/CSAU and T. virens Tvi-4177/CSAU be assigned as the type strains of a species of genus Trichoderma based on phylogenetic tree analysis together with the 18S rRNA gene sequence search in Ribosomal Database Project, small subunit rRNA and large subunit rRNA databases. The sequence was deposited in GenBank with the accession numbers KC800923 and KC800924, respectively. Thus an integrated approach of morphological and molecular markers can be employed to identify a superior strain of Trichoderma for its commercial exploitation.Keywords: 18S ribosomal RNA gene, Trichoderma, phylogenetic analysis, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), DNA sequencing, GenBankAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 13(3), pp. 449-455, 15 January, 201

Microbial biosorbent for remediation of dyes and heavy metals pollution: A green strategy for sustainable environment

Toxic wastes like heavy metals and dyes are released into the environment as a direct result of industrialization and technological progress. The biosorption of contaminants utilizes a variety of biomaterials. Biosorbents can adsorb toxic pollutants on their surface through various mechanisms like complexation, precipitation, etc. The quantity of sorption sites that are accessible on the surface of the biosorbent affects its effectiveness. Biosorption’s low cost, high efficiency, lack of nutrient requirements, and ability to regenerate the biosorbent are its main advantages over other treatment methods. Optimization of environmental conditions like temperature, pH, nutrient availability, and other factors is a prerequisite to achieving optimal biosorbent performance. Recent strategies include nanomaterials, genetic engineering, and biofilm-based remediation for various types of pollutants. The removal of hazardous dyes and heavy metals from wastewater using biosorbents is a strategy that is both efficient and sustainable. This review provides a perspective on the existing literature and brings it up-to-date by including the latest research and findings in the field

High Precision Measurements of Interstellar Dispersion Measure with the upgraded GMRT

Pulsar radio emission undergoes dispersion due to the presence of free electrons in the interstellar medium (ISM). The dispersive delay in the arrival time of pulsar signal changes over time due to the varying ISM electron column density along the line of sight. Correcting for this delay accurately is crucial for the detection of nanohertz gravitational waves using Pulsar Timing Arrays. In this work, we present in-band and inter-band DM estimates of four pulsars observed with uGMRT over the timescale of a year using two different template alignment methods. The DMs obtained using both these methods show only subtle differences for PSR 1713+0747 and J1909$-$3744. A considerable offset is seen in the DM of PSR J1939+2134 and J2145$-$0750 between the two methods. This could be due to the presence of scattering in the former and profile evolution in the latter. We find that both methods are useful but could have a systematic offset between the DMs obtained. Irrespective of the template alignment methods followed, the precision on the DMs obtained is about $10^{-3}$ pc cm$^{-3}$ using only BAND3 and $10^{-4}$ pc cm$^{-3}$ after combining data from BAND3 and BAND5 of the uGMRT. In a particular result, we have detected a DM excess of about $5\times10^{-3}$ pc cm$^{-3}$ on 24 February 2019 for PSR J2145$-$0750. This excess appears to be due to the interaction region created by fast solar wind from a coronal hole and a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed from the Sun on that epoch. A detailed analysis of this interesting event is presented.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Accepted by A&

Impact of a package of diagnostic tools, clinical algorithm, and training and communication on outpatient acute fever case management in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The management of acute febrile illnesses places a heavy burden on clinical services in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Bacterial and viral aetiologies of acute fevers are often clinically indistinguishable and, in the absence of diagnostic tests, the 'just-in-case' use of antibiotics by many health workers has become common practice, which has an impact on drug-resistant infections. Our study aims to answer the following question: in patients with undifferentiated febrile illness presenting to outpatient clinics/peripheral health centres in LMICs, can we demonstrate an improvement in clinical outcomes and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescription over current practice by using a combination of simple, accurate diagnostic tests, clinical algorithms, and training and communication (intervention package)? METHODS: We designed a randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the impact of our intervention package on clinical outcomes and antibiotic prescription rates in acute febrile illnesses. Available, point-of-care, pathogen-specific and non-pathogen specific (host markers), rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) included in the intervention package were selected based on pre-defined criteria. Nine clinical study sites in six countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Uganda), which represent heterogeneous outpatient care settings, were selected. We considered the expected seasonal variations in the incidence of acute febrile illnesses across all the sites by ensuring a recruitment period of 12 months. A master protocol was developed and adapted for country-specific ethical submissions. Diagnostic algorithms and choice of RDTs acknowledged current data on aetiologies of acute febrile illnesses in each country. We included a qualitative evaluation of drivers and/or deterrents of uptake of new diagnostics and antibiotic use for acute febrile illnesses. Sample size estimations were based on historical site data of antibiotic prescription practices for malarial and non-malarial acute fevers. Overall, 9 semi-independent studies will enrol a minimum of 21,876 patients and an aggregate data meta-analysis will be conducted on completion. DISCUSSION: This study is expected to generate vital evidence needed to inform policy decisions on the role of rapid diagnostic tests in the clinical management of acute febrile illnesses, with a view to controlling the rise of antimicrobial resistance in LMICs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04081051 . Registered on 6 September 2019. Protocol version 1.4 dated 20 December 2019

Phytochemical Evaluation, Antimicrobial Activity, and Determination of Bioactive Components from Leaves of Aegle marmelos

The therapeutic value of Aegle marmelos Correa (Rutaceae), commonly known as ‘‘Bael,’’ has been recognized as a component of traditional medication for the treatment of various human ailments. The plant, though, being highly explored, still lacks sufficient evidences for the best variety possessing the highest degree of medicinal values. The present study is focused on phytochemical screening of aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of 18 varieties/accessions of A. marmelos. The crude extracts of A. marmelos revealed the presence of several biologically active phytochemicals with the highest quantity of alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenols in Pant Aparna variety. The antibacterial efficacy was investigated against pathogenic bacterial strains and the highest inhibitory activity of aqueous extract was obtained against S. epidermidis, whereas methanolic extract was found to be most potent against S. aureus at 40 mg/mL concentration. However, in aqueous : ethanol, the best results were observed against E. aerogenes followed by K. pneumonia and S. epidermidis. The MIC of aqueous and methanol extract of Aegle marmelos ranged from 10 mg/mL to 40 mg/mL whereas in aqueous : ethanol it ranged between 40 mg/mL and 160 mg/mL. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of many bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, alcohols, aldehydes, aromatic compounds, fatty acid methyl esters, terpenoids, phenolics, and steroids that can be postulated for antibacterial activity