Co-Designing a Mobile-Based Game to Improve Misinformation Resistance and Vaccine Knowledge in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Misinformation can decrease public confidence in vaccines, and reduce vaccination intent and uptake. One strategy for countering these negative impacts comes from inoculation theory. Similar to biological vaccination, inoculation theory posits that exposure to a weakened form of misinformation can develop cognitive immunity, reducing the likelihood of being misled.

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Species Associated with Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) Degradation Isolated from an HCH-Contaminated Soil.

The draft genome sequences of two strains that are hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) degraders are presented. The strains were isolated from HCH-contaminated soil in Kitengela, Kenya. Both genomes possess the genes responsible for HCH degradation and gene clusters for degradation of other xenobiotic compounds.

Draft Genome Sequence of Fusarium equiseti K3, a Fungal Species Isolated from Hexachlorocyclohexane-Contaminated Soil.

We present the draft genome sequence of Fusarium equiseti strain K3, a fungus isolated from a hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)-contaminated soil (Kitengela, Kenya). The 37.88-Mb draft genome sequence consists of 206 contigs, 12,311 predicted protein-coding sequences, and 261 tRNA sequences.

Characterization and engineering of two new GH9 and GH48 cellulases from a Bacillus pumilus isolated from Lake Bogoria.

Objectives: To search for new alkaliphilic cellulases and to improve their efficiency on crystalline cellulose through molecular engineering RESULTS: Two novel cellulases, BpGH9 and BpGH48, from a Bacillus pumilus strain were identified, cloned and biochemically characterized. BpGH9 is a modular endocellulase belonging to the glycoside hydrolase 9 family (GH9), which contains a catalytic module (GH) and a carbohydrate-binding module belonging to class 3 and subclass c (CBM3c). This enzyme is extremely tolerant to high alkali pH and remains significantly active at pH 10.

High-level heterologous expression of Bacillus halodurans putative xylanase xyn11a (BH0899) in Kluyveromyces lactis.

The putative xyn11A structural gene (BH0899) encoding a family-11 xylanase from alkaliphilic Bacillus halodurans strain C-125 was heterologously expressed in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis CBS 1065 and secreted to a level of 156 microg/ml under selective culture conditions in shake flasks. The Xyn11A production level in shake flask cultures of K. lactis CBS 1065 was higher than that reported for other xylanase genes placed under the control of the regulated LAC4 promoter on a plasmid containing an entire sequence of pKD1 from Kluyveromyces drosophilarium.

Essentiality of a newly identified carbohydrate-binding module for the function of CelB (BH0603) from the alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus halodurans.

CelB (BH0603) from Bacillus halodurans is a modular glycoside hydrolase with a family 5 catalytic module, an immunoglobulin-like module, and module PfamB of unknown function. The recombinant PfamB module bound to Avicel and was essential for CelB hydrolytic function. We propose that module PfamB be designated a new carbohydrate-binding module.

Different binding specificities of S-layer homology modules from Clostridium thermocellum AncA, Slp1, and Slp2.

S-layer homology (SLH) module polypeptides were derived from Clostridium thermocellum S-layer proteins Slp1 and Slp2 and cellulosome anchoring protein AncA as rSlp1-SLH, rSlp2-SLH, and rAncA-SLH respectively. Their binding specificities were investigated using C. thermocellum cell-wall preparations.