A comparison of amplification methods to detect Avian Influenza viruses in California wetlands targeted via remote sensing of waterfowl.

Migratory waterfowl, including geese and ducks, are indicated as the primary reservoir of avian influenza viruses (AIv) which can be subsequently spread to commercial poultry. The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) surveillance efforts of waterfowl for AIv have been largely discontinued in the contiguous United States. Consequently, the use of technologies to identify areas of high waterfowl density and detect the presence of AIv in habitat such as wetlands has become imperative.

Next-generation sequencing of dsRNA is greatly improved by treatment with the inexpensive denaturing reagent DMSO.

dsRNA is the genetic material of important viruses and a key component of RNA interference-based immunity in eukaryotes. Previous studies have noted difficulties in determining the sequence of dsRNA molecules that have affected studies of immune function and estimates of viral diversity in nature. DMSO has been used to denature dsRNA prior to the reverse-transcription stage to improve reverse transcriptase PCR and Sanger sequencing.

Characterization of the definitive classical calpain family of vertebrates using phylogenetic, evolutionary and expression analyses.

The calpains are a superfamily of proteases with extensive relevance to human health and welfare. Vast research attention is given to the vertebrate 'classical' subfamily, making it surprising that the evolutionary origins, distribution and relationships of these genes is poorly characterized. Consequently, there exists uncertainty about the conservation of gene family structure, function and expression that has been principally defined from work with mammals.