AbAMPdb: a database of Acinetobacter baumannii specific antimicrobial peptides.

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a prominent nosocomial pathogen, exhibiting a progressive rise in resistance to therapeutic interventions. This rise in resistance calls for alternative strategies. Here, we propose an alternative yet specialized resource on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against A.

Effect of Alvimopan on Postoperative Ileus and Length of Hospital Stay in Patients Undergoing Bowel Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Aims: The aim is to investigate the effect of alvimopan on postoperative ileus and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing bowel resection.

Methods: The PRISMA statement standards were followed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. The available literature was searched to identify all studies comparing alvimopan with no alvimopan in patients undergoing bowel resection.

Multi-scale models of whole cells: progress and challenges.

Whole-cell modeling is "the ultimate goal" of computational systems biology and "a grand challenge for 21st century" (Tomita, Trends in Biotechnology, 2001, 19(6), 205-10). These complex, highly detailed models account for the activity of every molecule in a cell and serve as comprehensive knowledgebases for the modeled system. Their scope and utility far surpass those of other systems models.

Uses of Multi-Objective Flux Analysis for Optimization of Microbial Production of Secondary Metabolites.

Secondary metabolites are not essential for the growth of microorganisms, but they play a critical role in how microbes interact with their surroundings. In addition to this important ecological role, secondary metabolites also have a variety of agricultural, medicinal, and industrial uses, and thus the examination of secondary metabolism of plants and microbes is a growing scientific field. While the chemical production of certain secondary metabolites is possible, industrial-scale microbial production is a green and economically attractive alternative.

Electrogenetic signaling and information propagation for controlling microbial consortia via programmed lysis.

To probe signal propagation and genetic actuation in microbial consortia, we have coopted the components of both redox and quorum sensing (QS) signaling into a communication network for guiding composition by "programming" cell lysis. Here, we use an electrode to generate hydrogen peroxide as a redox cue that determines consortia composition. The oxidative stress regulon of Escherichia coli, OxyR, is employed to receive and transform this signal into a QS signal that coordinates the lysis of a subpopulation of cells.