Sustainability in the pharmacy and pharmaceutical science curriculum

BACKGROUND Sustainability is fast becoming a significant economic factor for the pharmaceutical industry and therefore important for future professionals in the sector. However, sustainability often plays only a marginal role in pharmaceutical science and pharmacy degrees. Sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector encompasses a wide range of environmental and socio-economic issues that require contributions from multiple science disciplines, complicating its introduction into curricula.   PLAN This curriculum initiative aims to identify suitable frameworks for embedding sustainability concepts and practices into the pharmaceutical science and pharmacy degrees at Monash University. We report here on preliminary insights from curriculum mapping, an analysis of literature frameworks and an evaluation of ‘pilot’ teaching activities addressing sustainability. Student perspectives will be investigated through assessment data and survey results (human ethics approval pending). ACTION AND EVALUATION Sustainability-focused teaching activities have recently been incorporated into the Monash University pharmaceutical science and pharmacy degrees. These activities draw on a range of frameworks and standards, including the UN sustainable development goals (United Nations, n.d.) and the ESG (environment, social, governance) framework. The AMEE consensus statement learning outcomes (Shaw et al., 2021) have been used for mapping sustainability content in the Monash Pharmacy degree. REFERENCES Shaw, E., Walpole, S., McLean, M., Alvarez-Nieto, C., Barna, S. et al. (2021) AMEE Consensus Statement: Planetary health and education for sustainable healthcare. Medical Teacher 43(3), 272-286, DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1860207 United Nations (n.d.), Sustainable development goals. Retrieved May 22, 2023 from https://sdgs.un.org/goal

Integrative Multi-omics Analyses of Barley Rootzones under Salinity Stress Reveal Two Distinctive Salt Tolerance Mechanisms

The mechanisms underlying rootzone-localized responses to salinity during early stages of barley devel-opment remain elusive. In this study, we performed the analyses of multi-root-omes (transcriptomes, me-tabolomes, and lipidomes) of a domesticated barley cultivar (Clipper) and a landrace (Sahara) that main-tain and restrict seedling root growth under salt stress, respectively. Novel generalized linear modelswere designed to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and abundant metabolites (DAMs)specific to salt treatments, genotypes, or rootzones (meristematic Z1, elongation Z2, and maturationZ3). Based on pathway over-representation of the DEGs and DAMs, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis isthe most statistically enriched biological pathway among all salinity responses observed. Togetherwith histological evidence, an intense salt-induced lignin impregnation was found only at stelic cellwall of Clipper Z2, compared with a unique elevation of suberin deposition across Sahara Z2. This sug-gests two differential salt-induced modulations of apoplastic flow between the genotypes. Based on theglobal correlation network of the DEGs and DAMs, callose deposition that potentially adjusted symplasticflow in roots was almost independent of salinity in rootzones of Clipper, and was markedly decreased inSahara. Taken together, we propose two distinctive salt tolerance mechanisms in Clipper (growth-sus-taining) and Sahara (salt-shielding), providing important clues for improving crop plasticity to copewith deteriorating global soil salinization.William Wing Ho Ho, Camilla B. Hill, Monika S. Doblin, Megan C. Shelden, Allison van de Meene, Thusitha Rupasinghe, Antony Bacic, and Ute Roessne

Characterisation of the Fusarium graminearum-Wheat Floral Interaction

Fusarium Ear Blight is a destructive fungal disease of cereals including wheat and can contaminate the crop with various trichothecene mycotoxins. This investigation has produced a new β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter strain that facilitates the quick and easy assessment of plant infection. The constitutively expressed gpdA:GUS strain of Fusarium graminearum was used to quantify the overall colonisation pattern. Histochemical and biochemical approaches confirmed, in susceptible wheat ear infections, the presence of a substantial phase of symptomless fungal growth. Separate analyses demonstrated that there was a reduction in the quantity of physiologically active hyphae as the wheat ear infection proceeded. A simplified linear system of rachis infection was then utilised to evaluate the expression of several TRI genes by RT-qPCR. Fungal gene expression at the advancing front of symptomless infection was compared with the origin of infection in the rachis. This revealed that TRI gene expression was maximal at the advancing front and supports the hypothesis that the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol plays a role in inhibiting plant defences in advance of the invading intercellular hyphae. This study has also demonstrated that there are transcriptional differences between the various phases of fungal infection and that these differences are maintained as the infection proceeds

Aberrant protein N- glycosylation impacts upon infection-related growth transitions of the haploid plant-pathogenic fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola

The ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola is the causal agent of Septoria Tritici Blotch disease of wheat and can grow as yeast-like cells or as hyphae depending on environmental conditions. Hyphal growth is however essential for successful leaf infection. A T-DNA mutagenesis screen performed on haploid spores identified a mutant, which can undergo yeast-like growth but cannot switch to hyphal growth. For this reason the mutant was non-pathogenic towards wheat leaves. The gene affected, MgAlg2, encoded a homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScAlg2, an alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase, which functions in the early stages of asparagine-linked protein (N-) glycosylation. Targeted gene deletion and complementation experiments confirmed that loss of MgAlg2 function prevented the developmental growth switch. MgAlg2 was able to functionally complement the S. cerevisiae ScAlg2-1 temperature sensitive growth phenotype. Spores of Delta MgAlg2 mutants were hypersensitive to the cell wall disrupting agent Calcofluor white and produced abnormally hypo-N-glycosylated proteins. Gene expression, proteome and glycoproteome analysis revealed that Delta MgAlg2 mutant spores show responses typically associated with the accumulation of mis-folded proteins. The data presented highlight key roles for protein N-glycosylation in regulating the switch to hyphal growth, possibly as a consequence of maintaining correct folding and localization of key proteins involved in this process

Functional Specialization of Cellulose Synthase Isoforms in a Moss Shows Parallels with Seed Plants

The secondary cell walls of tracheary elements and fibers are rich in cellulose microfibrils that are helically oriented and laterally aggregated. Support cells within the leaf midribs of mosses deposit cellulose-rich secondary cell walls, but their biosynthesis and microfibril organization have not been examined. Although the Cellulose Synthase (CESA) gene families of mosses and seed plants diversified independently, CESA knockout analysis in the moss Physcomitrella patens revealed parallels with Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in CESA functional specialization, with roles for both subfunctionalization and neofunctionalization. The similarities include regulatory uncoupling of the CESAs that synthesize primary and secondary cell walls, a requirement for two or more functionally distinct CESA isoforms for secondary cell wall synthesis, interchangeability of some primary and secondary CESAs, and some CESA redundancy. The cellulose-deficient midribs of ppcesa3/8 knockouts provided negative controls for the structural characterization of stereid secondary cell walls in wild type P. patens. Sum frequency generation spectra collected from midribs were consistent with cellulose microfibril aggregation, and polarization microscopy revealed helical microfibril orientation only in wild type leaves. Thus, stereid secondary walls are structurally distinct from primary cell walls, and they share structural characteristics with the secondary walls of tracheary elements and fibers. We propose a mechanism for the convergent evolution of secondary walls in which the deposition of aggregated and helically oriented microfibrils is coupled to rapid and highly localized cellulose synthesis enabled by regulatory uncoupling from primary wall synthesis

AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 6 and 7 control the flag leaf angle in rice by regulating secondary cell wall biosynthesis of lamina joints

Flag leaf angle impacts the photosynthetic capacity of densely grown plants and is thus an important agronomic breeding trait for crop architecture and yield. The hormone auxin plays a key role in regulating this trait, yet the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report that two rice (Oryza sativa) auxin response factors (ARFs), OsARF6 and OsARF17, which are highly expressed in lamina joint tissues, control flag leaf angle in response to auxin. Loss-of-function double osarf6 osarf17 mutants displayed reduced secondary cell wall levels of lamina joint sclerenchymatous cells (Sc), resulting in an exaggerated flag leaf angle and decreased grain yield under dense planting conditions. Mechanical measurements indicated that the mutant lamina joint tissues were too weak to support the weight of the flag leaf blade, resembling the phenotype of the rice increased leaf angle1 (ila1) mutant. We demonstrate that OsARF6 and OsARF17 directly bind to the ILA1 promoter independently and synergistically to activate its expression. In addition, auxin-induced ILA1 expression was dependent on OsARF6 and OsARF17. Collectively, our study reveals a mechanism that integrates auxin signaling with secondary cell wall composition to determine flag leaf angle, providing breeding targets in rice, and potentially other cereals, for this key trait.Guoqiang Huang, Heng Hu, Allison van de Meene, Jiao Zhang, Le Dong, Shuai Zheng ... et al

3-D Ultrastructure of O. tauri: Electron Cryotomography of an Entire Eukaryotic Cell

The hallmark of eukaryotic cells is their segregation of key biological functions into discrete, membrane-bound organelles. Creating accurate models of their ultrastructural complexity has been difficult in part because of the limited resolution of light microscopy and the artifact-prone nature of conventional electron microscopy. Here we explored the potential of the emerging technology electron cryotomography to produce three-dimensional images of an entire eukaryotic cell in a near-native state. Ostreococcus tauri was chosen as the specimen because as a unicellular picoplankton with just one copy of each organelle, it is the smallest known eukaryote and was therefore likely to yield the highest resolution images. Whole cells were imaged at various stages of the cell cycle, yielding 3-D reconstructions of complete chloroplasts, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula, Golgi bodies, peroxisomes, microtubules, and putative ribosome distributions in-situ. Surprisingly, the nucleus was seen to open long before mitosis, and while one microtubule (or two in some predivisional cells) was consistently present, no mitotic spindle was ever observed, prompting speculation that a single microtubule might be sufficient to segregate multiple chromosomes

Extensive and Intimate Association of the Cytoskeleton with Forming Silica in Diatoms: Control over Patterning on the Meso- and Micro-Scale

BACKGROUND: The diatom cell wall, called the frustule, is predominantly made out of silica, in many cases with highly ordered nano- and micro-scale features. Frustules are built intracellularly inside a special compartment, the silica deposition vesicle, or SDV. Molecules such as proteins (silaffins and silacidins) and long chain polyamines have been isolated from the silica and shown to be involved in the control of the silica polymerization. However, we are still unable to explain or reproduce in vitro the complexity of structures formed by diatoms. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDING: In this study, using fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, we were able to compare and correlate microtubules and microfilaments with silica structure formed in diversely structured diatom species. The high degree of correlation between silica structure and actin indicates that actin is a major element in the control of the silica morphogenesis at the meso and microscale. Microtubules appear to be involved in the spatial positioning on the mesoscale and strengthening of the SDV. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results reveal the importance of top down control over positioning of and within the SDV during diatom wall formation and open a new perspective for the study of the mechanism of frustule patterning as well as for the understanding of the control of membrane dynamics by the cytoskeleton

Understanding coastal morphodynamic patterns from depth-averaged sediment concentration

This review highlights the important role of the depth-averaged sediment concentration (DASC) to understand the formation of a number of coastal morphodynamic features that have an alongshore rhythmic pattern: beach cusps, surf zone transverse and crescentic bars, and shoreface-connected sand ridges. We present a formulation and methodology, based on the knowledge of the DASC (which equals the sediment load divided by the water depth), that has been successfully used to understand the characteristics of these features. These sand bodies, relevant for coastal engineering and other disciplines, are located in different parts of the coastal zone and are characterized by different spatial and temporal scales, but the same technique can be used to understand them. Since the sand bodies occur in the presence of depth-averaged currents, the sediment transport approximately equals a sediment load times the current. Moreover, it is assumed that waves essentially mobilize the sediment, and the current increases this mobilization and advects the sediment. In such conditions, knowing the spatial distribution of the DASC and the depth-averaged currents induced by the forcing (waves, wind, and pressure gradients) over the patterns allows inferring the convergence/divergence of sediment transport. Deposition (erosion) occurs where the current flows from areas of high to low (low to high) values of DASC. The formulation and methodology are especially useful to understand the positive feedback mechanisms between flow and morphology leading to the formation of those morphological features, but the physical mechanisms for their migration, their finite-amplitude behavior and their decay can also be explored