Typing of methicillin resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus aureus isolated from Tamilnadu, India using DNA fingerprints by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

MRSA infection is alarming particularly in hospital set ups/community. We typed 43 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA) based on genomic DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). The genomic DNA of the test isolates was digested with SmaI enzyme, fractionated by PFGE and the patterns were assessed by dendrogram for percentage similarity. The SmaI restricted genomic DNA of 19 MRSA and 24 MSSA identified 27 different PFGE patterns, in which 11 and 16 were from MRSA and MSSA, respectively. Prevalence predominance was observed in few types/subtypes of MSSA (type B and subtype I-1) and MRSA (sub type A-2) and high percentage of similarity was noticed among the subtypes of PFGE types such as P and I of MSSA. During the epidemiological studies, to understand the dissemination of endemic/epidemic MRSA and MSSA, PFGE-based typing of pathogens may be used as a reliable and effective typing method

Expression and production optimization of the cationic antimicrobial peptide : indolicidin by the recombinant E. coli C41 (DE3) clones

The cytoplasmic granules of bovine neutrophils naturally possess indolicidin - a promising cationic antimicrobial peptide as it displays inherent inhibitory activities against a broad type of microbial pathogens. In this study, a shake flask level production and expression optimizations of the indolicidin by the recombinant Escherichia coli C41 (DE3) clones (transformed with pET21a(+) plasmid carrying indolicidin gene) were carried out under standard conditions, as to determine the conditions required for maximal production. It was determined that a concentration of 1 mM of IPTG was effective, the 2×YT with salts and LB media at pH 7.5 with 3-6 h of incubation were required for maximal indolicidin expression

In vitro susceptibility of filamentous fungi from mycotic keratitis to azole drugs

Abstract—The Internet-of-Things will require ubiquitous infor-mation sharing between connected things on a global scale, which existing systems do not offer. Most current efforts focus on so-lutions for information dissemination, which induce single points of failure and introduce unnecessary communication delays. To this end we propose the SensibleThings platform, which is a fully distributed open source architecture for Internet-of-Things based applications. This article describes the major problems that Internet-of-Things platforms must address, our technical solution to these problems, and an evaluation thereof. We also present the current progress and a series of demonstrators, which show the wide range of applications enabled by the platform. Finally, we present how the platform will be used in our future research and potential spin off companies. Keywords–overlay;sensors;actuators;internet-of-things. I

Isolation, characterization, and predatory activity of nematode-trapping fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora PSGSS01

A research study was undertaken to find a fungus that could effectively trap and kill Meloidogyne spp., which are root-knot nematodes that cause significant crop loss worldwide. Soil samples were collected and processed appropriately for the isolation of nematode-trapping fungi. After a primary screening, a potential nematode-trapping fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora (Orbilia oligospora) PSGSS01 was selected for further investigation. Its growth was tested under various conditions, including different media types, temperatures, and pH levels. Its predatory activity on Meloidogyne incognita was also assessed in vitro. The fungus exhibited septate double-celled conidiospores, trapping hyphae, and radiating and sparse mycelium. Optimal conditions for growth were found to be at 25 °C and a pH of 4.0 and 5.0 on corn meal agar. The best temperature and pH for conidiospore germination were 25°C − 37°C and 5.0, respectively. The isolate could trap 94% of second-stage juveniles of M. incognita, and 92% juvenile mortality was recorded in 120 h at 28°C. Therefore, the study concluded that the isolate A. oligospora (Orbilia oligospora) PSGSS01 could be used as a biological control agent against root-knot nematodes