Isolation of high quality DNA: a protocol combining "rennet" and glass milk

High quality DNA is essential for many molecular biology techniques. However, the reagents used for that purpose usually are expensive and/or cause a high environmental impact. Here, we describe two alternative protocols that use inexpensive reagents and are not hazardous to the environment. The first protocol utilizes the enzyme chymosin, normally used as "rennet" in cheese production and which is easily obtained on the commercial market. The second protocol uses "rennet DNA extraction protocol" combined with the DNA binding capacity of glass powder (glass milk), which can easily be "home made". The first protocol is used when a high yield of DNA is needed, whereas the second protocol is used for production of a higher quality DNA, being able to work with sparse samples

Establishment and cryptic transmission of Zika virus in Brazil and the Americas

Transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas was first confirmed in May 2015 in northeast Brazil1. Brazil has had the highest number of reported ZIKV cases worldwide (more than 200,000 by 24 December 20162) and the most cases associated with microcephaly and other birth defects (2,366 confirmed by 31 December 20162). Since the initial detection of ZIKV in Brazil, more than 45 countries in the Americas have reported local ZIKV transmission, with 24 of these reporting severe ZIKV-associated disease3. However, the origin and epidemic history of ZIKV in Brazil and the Americas remain poorly understood, despite the value of this information for interpreting observed trends in reported microcephaly. Here we address this issue by generating 54 complete or partial ZIKV genomes, mostly from Brazil, and reporting data generated by a mobile genomics laboratory that travelled across northeast Brazil in 2016. One sequence represents the earliest confirmed ZIKV infection in Brazil. Analyses of viral genomes with ecological and epidemiological data yield an estimate that ZIKV was present in northeast Brazil by February 2014 and is likely to have disseminated from there, nationally and internationally, before the first detection of ZIKV in the Americas. Estimated dates for the international spread of ZIKV from Brazil indicate the duration of pre-detection cryptic transmission in recipient regions. The role of northeast Brazil in the establishment of ZIKV in the Americas is further supported by geographic analysis of ZIKV transmission potential and by estimates of the basic reproduction number of the virus

Isolation of high quality DNA: a protocol combining "rennet" and glass milk

High quality DNA is essential for many molecular biology techniques. However, the reagents used for that purpose usually are expensive and/or cause a high environmental impact. Here, we describe two alternative protocols that use inexpensive reagents and are not hazardous to the environment. The first protocol utilizes the enzyme chymosin, normally used as "rennet" in cheese production and which is easily obtained on the commercial market. The second protocol uses "rennet DNA extraction protocol" combined with the DNA binding capacity of glass powder (glass milk), which can easily be "home made". The first protocol is used when a high yield of DNA is needed, whereas the second protocol is used for production of a higher quality DNA, being able to work with sparse samples

Behaviour of the Common Moorhen in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

This study presents data on behavioural acts performed by the Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus in southern Brazil, and compares these with the behaviours previously reported for other populations. Focal observations of individuals were conducted in the municipality of Santa Maria, in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The sampling was done in 2-hour sessions, between January and March of 2007. A total of 20 behavioural acts, grouped in seven categories, were identified and described: locomotion (N= 5 acts), grooming (N= 4), intra-specific behaviour (N= 2), inter-specific behaviour (N= 3), foraging (N= 2), reproduction (N= 2) and rest (N= 2). Among the observed behaviours were acts that are not described in the literature such as greeting of offspring and some feeding acts. Regarding the use of habitat, we observed that this species has a preference for water or aquatic macrophytes, which is contrary to other reports. In the analysis of behavioural daily variation, overall behavioural categories did not vary significantly throughout the day, whereas we observed a significant difference in the use of categories during the periods 11:00 am-1:00 pm, 1:00-3:00 pm and 5:00-7:00 pm. The contrasting data between studies indicate that the variation between habitats and ecological interactions may generate different selective pressures on the behaviour of G. chloropus. © 2010 Springer-Verlag and ISPA

Changes in Rhizoma Peanut Shoot and Root-Rhizome Characteristics during a Planting Season and Their Relationship with Rhizome Establishment Performance.

Recommended planting season for rhizoma peanut (RP; Arachis glabrata Benth.) is January through March. Land area planted to RP annually has increased, requiring custom planters to extend planting beyond that period, and variation in rhizome quality and establishment success have been reported. The objectives of this study were to determine how shoot and root-rhizome characteristics of four RP entries (?Florigraze?, ?Ecoturf?, ?UF Peace?, and ?UF Tito?) vary during a February through August planting period and relate these changes to subsequent establishment performance in the field near Citra, FL. Herbage mass (HM), leaf area index (LAI), and root-rhizome mass (RM) were quantified biweekly in RP nursery plots of all four entries. Rhizomes were planted at the same dates (PD), and emerged shoot number (ESN) and RP ground cover (GC) were quantified 12 wk after planting. At all sampling dates (SD), Florigraze RM was less than the other entries. Variation in RM for Ecoturf, UF Peace, and UF Tito followed similar trends, decreasing slightly between the first two SD, followed by an increase to the greatest values recorded at the third SD, after which, RM plateaued. The LAI of all entries increased at a relatively slow constant rate until the sixth SD, after which it approximately doubled by the seventh. Florigraze presented the smallest LAI throughout. Variation in HM for all entries followed similar trends, increasing at relatively constant rates throughout the period, with Florigraze HM consistently being least. Shoot number and GC were least for the second PD, reflecting low RM at that date, GC was greatest following the fourth PD, and ESN was greatest at PDs one, four, and five. Florigraze ESN and GC were least at all PD. Early results suggest RP entry has greater effect on establishment performance than specific shoot or root-rhizome characteristics, but research is ongoing