Metagenomic surveillance of microbial community and antibiotic resistant genes associated with Malaysian wastewater during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wastewater is a reservoir of pathogens and hotspots for disseminating antibiotic resistance genes across species. The metagenomic surveillance of wastewater provides insight into the native microbial community, antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements. t.

Uncovering the transcriptome-wide RNA modifications in .

Despite being a major human pathogen, limited studies have reported RNA modifications in . These post-transcriptional modifications play crucial regulatory roles in bacteria and have also been shown to modulate bacterial virulence. Using nanopore sequencing, we characterized RNA modifications in a virulent strain (Ab-C98) under free-living (mid-exponential phase culture) and during an early stage of infection (3 h post-infection) in larvae.

Adaptation of a fluoroquinolone-sensitive to norfloxacin exposure.

causes shigellosis that requires antibiotic treatment in severe cases. Sublethal antibiotic concentrations can promote resistance, but their effect on antibiotic-sensitive bacteria before resistance development is unclear. This study investigated the effects of sublethal norfloxacin (NOR) challenges on a NOR-sensitive strain, UKMCC1015.

Unveiling the functional epitopes of cobra venom cytotoxin by immunoinformatics and epitope-omic analyses.

Approximate 70% of cobra venom is composed of cytotoxin (CTX), which is responsible for the dermonecrotic symptoms of cobra envenomation. However, CTX is generally low in immunogenicity, and the antivenom is ineffective in attenuating its in vivo toxicity. Furthermore, little is known about its epitope properties for empirical antivenom therapy.

subunit vaccines: recent progress and challenges.

is a Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infection with a high mortality rate in immunocompromised individuals. With the frequent emergence of multidrug-resistant strains that have rapidly gained resistance to most antibiotics, an extensive search for an effective vaccine is ongoing. Over the decade, many subunit vaccine candidates were identified using reverse vaccinology and animal studies for validation.

Selecting antibacterial aptamers against the BamA protein in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by incorporating genetic algorithm to optimise computational screening method.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health resulting in an increasing number of people suffering from severe illnesses or dying due to infections that were once easily curable with antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major pathogen that has rapidly developed antibiotic resistance and WHO has categorised this pathogen under the critical list. DNA aptamers can act as a potential candidate for novel antimicrobial agents.

Use of the waxworm Galleria mellonella larvae as an infection model to study Acinetobacter baumannii.

Galleria mellonella larvae have been increasingly used in research, including microbial infection studies. They act as suitable preliminary infection models to study host-pathogen interactions due to their advantages, such as the ability to survive at 37°C mimicking human body temperature, their immune system shares similarities with mammalian immune systems, and their short life cycle allowing large-scale studies. Here, we present a protocol for simple rearing and maintenance of G.

Molecular characterization and comparative genomic analysis of isolated from the community and the hospital: an epidemiological study in Segamat, Malaysia.

is a common cause of multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial infections around the world. However, little is known about the persistence and dynamics of in a healthy community. This study investigated the role of the community as a prospective reservoir for and explored possible links between hospital and community isolates.

Pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of random nicotine delivery on cigarettes per day and smoke exposure.

Background: Many smokers report attempting to quit each year, yet most relapse, in part due to exposure to smoking-related cues. It is hypothesized that extinction of the cue-drug association could be facilitated through random nicotine delivery (RND), thus making it easier for smokers to quit. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of RND on smoking cessation-related outcomes including cigarettes per day (CPD) and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO).

Spatial and temporal trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment cores of Brunei Bay, East Malaysia.

The spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in three sediment cores from Brunei Bay, Southern South China Sea was investigated. The total concentrations of 16 priority PAHs (∑PAH) and their alkyl-substituted derivatives ranged from 10.4 to 376 ng g and 30.

The role of quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and iron acquisition as key virulence mechanisms in Acinetobacter baumannii and the corresponding anti-virulence strategies.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen responsible for several serious infections, including pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. The propensity of this bacterium to rapidly acquire antibiotic resistance leads to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains.

RNA-cleaving DNAzymes as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent against antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

The development of nucleic-acid-based antimicrobials such as RNA-cleaving DNAzyme (RCD), a short catalytically active nucleic acid, is a promising alternative to the current antibiotics. The current rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria renders some antibiotics useless against bacterial infection, thus creating the need for alternative antimicrobials such as DNAzymes. This review summarizes recent advances in the use of RCD as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent against AMR.

Mock grant application roleplay as an alternative to lab-based activities in molecular biology.

Many universities resort to online teaching due to COVID-19 pandemic. It is a challenging endeavor, especially in Molecular Biology courses that require lab access. Mock grant application roleplay is one alternative to lab-based activities.

Characterization of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain ATCC BAA1605 using whole-genome sequencing.

Objective: The nosocomial pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii, has acquired clinical significance due to its ability to persist in hospital settings and survive antibiotic treatment, which eventually resulted in the rapid spread of this bacterium with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes. This study used a multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (strain ATCC BAA1605) as a model to study the genomic features of this pathogen.

The role of artificial intelligence in the battle against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is a global health crisis due to the rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and the lengthy development of new antimicrobials. In light of this, artificial intelligence in the form of machine learning has been viewed as a potential counter to delay the spread of AMR. With the aid of AI, there are possibilities to predict and identify AMR in bacteria efficiently.

Bacterial and eukaryotic microbial communities in urban water systems profiled via Illumina MiSeq platform.

Unlabelled: Microbial communities from a lake and river flowing through a highly dense urbanized township in Malaysia were profiled by sequencing amplicons of the 16S V3-V4 and 18S V9 hypervariable rRNA gene regions via Illumina MiSeq. Results revealed that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant prokaryotic phyla; whereas, eukaryotic communities were predominantly of the SAR clade and Opisthokonta. The abundance of and in all sites suggested the possible presence of pathogens in the urban water systems, supported by the most probable number (MPN) values of more than 1600 per 100 mL.

A small RNA decreases the sensitivity of Shigella sonnei to norfloxacin.

Objectives: Shigella is a human pathogen that causes shigellosis, an acute invasive intestinal infection. Recent studies in the model bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) provided evidence that small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) can contribute to antimicrobial resistance or susceptibility.

Identification of the RNA Pyrophosphohydrolase RppH of Helicobacter pylori and Global Analysis of Its RNA Targets.

RNA degradation is crucial for regulating gene expression in all organisms. Like the decapping of eukaryotic mRNAs, the conversion of the 5'-terminal triphosphate of bacterial transcripts to a monophosphate can trigger RNA decay by exposing the transcript to attack by 5'-monophosphate-dependent ribonucleases. In both biological realms, this deprotection step is catalyzed by members of the Nudix hydrolase family.

Differential RNA-seq (dRNA-seq) for annotation of transcriptional start sites and small RNAs in Helicobacter pylori.

The global mapping of transcription boundaries is a key step in the elucidation of the full complement of transcriptional features of an organism. It facilitates the annotation of operons and untranslated regions as well as novel transcripts, including cis- and trans-encoded small RNAs (sRNAs). So called RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) based on deep sequencing of cDNAs has greatly facilitated transcript mapping with single nucleotide resolution.

Draft genome sequence of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis.

Background: Hevea brasiliensis, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is the major commercial source of natural rubber (NR). NR is a latex polymer with high elasticity, flexibility, and resilience that has played a critical role in the world economy since 1876.

Results: Here, we report the draft genome sequence of H.

Effect of surfactants and pH on naltrexone (NTX) permeation across buccal mucosa.

The objective of this pre-formulation study was to systematically investigate the effects of two surfactants (Brij 58(®) and Tween 80(®)) and change in solution pH on in vitro permeation of naltrexone HCl (NTX-HCl) across tissue engineered human buccal mucosa. For the study, 10mg/ml solutions of Tween 80(®) (0.1 and 1%, w/v) and Brij 58(®) (1%, w/v) were prepared in standard artificial saliva buffer solution (pH 6.