D-chiro-inositol and pinitol extend the life span of Drosophila melanogaster.

D-chiro-inositol, a member of the inositol family, and pinitol, a 3-methoxy analogue of D-chiro-inositol, have been proposed to have antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, anticancer and stamina enhancing effects. We found that supplementing the diet of Drosophila with D-chiro-inositol and pinitol extended adult longevity in both male and female flies. Life span extension was accompanied by protection against oxidative and starvation stresses, improvement in health span, and no reduction in fecundity.

Clinical evaluation of micro-scale chip-based PCR system for rapid detection of hepatitis B virus.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is widely used to amplify a small amount of DNA in samples for genetic analysis. Rapid and accurate amplification is prerequisite for broad applications including molecular diagnostics of diseases, food safety, and biological warfare tests. We have developed a rapid real-time micro-scale chip-based PCR system, which consists of six individual thermal cycling modules capable of independent control of PCR protocols.