Biopriming of Durum Wheat Seeds with Endophytic Diazotrophic Bacteria Enhances Tolerance to Fusarium Head Blight and Salinity.

There is growing interest in the use of bio inoculants based on plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to promote plant growth under biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we provided a detailed account of the effectiveness of a number of endophytic PGPB strains, isolated from the roots of the halophyte Salicornia brachiata in promoting durum wheat growth and enhancing its tolerance to salinity and fusarium head blight (FHB) disease. Bacillus spp.

Mining of two novel aldehyde dehydrogenases (DHY-SC-VUT5 and DHY-G-VUT7) from metagenome of hydrocarbon contaminated soils.

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenases are vital for aerobic hydrocarbon degradation and is involved in the last step of catalysing the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids. With the global increase in hydrocarbon pollution of different environments, these enzymes have the potential to be used in enzymatic bioremediation applications.

Results: Fifteen fosmid clones with hydrocarbon degrading potential were functionally screened to identify dehydrogenase enzymes.

Development and validation of TOF/Q-TOF MS/MS, HPLC method and bio-strategy for aflatoxin mitigation.

Some secondary metabolites produced by fungi are carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, and/or cause birth defects in humans and animals. We developed and optimised bio-analytical tools for detection of metabolites, aflatoxins and evaluated the effectiveness of the methods in co-infected maize tissues. Isolate KSM012 (atoxigenic) demonstrated no peaks and no blue fluorescence on HPLC and TLC plates respectively confirming non-toxicity.

Breakthroughs in the discovery and use of different peroxidase isoforms of microbial origin.

Peroxidases are classified as oxidoreductases and are the second largest class of enzymes applied in biotechnological processes. These enzymes are used to catalyze various oxidative reactions using hydrogen peroxide and other substrates as electron donors. They are isolated from various sources such as plants, animals and microbes.

Molecular and Vegetative Compatibility Groups Characterization of Isolates from Kenya.

The genus contains diverse species and the identification is complicated. Vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) and molecular mechanisms were deployed to study the species. The study was randomly conducted in four counties in Kenya based on the history of aflatoxicosis and maize cultivation.

Translation initiation factor IF2 contributes to ribosome assembly and maturation during cold adaptation.

Cold-stress in Escherichia coli induces de novo synthesis of translation initiation factors IF1, IF2 and IF3 while ribosome synthesis and assembly slow down. Consequently, the IFs/ribosome stoichiometric ratio increases about 3-fold during the first hours of cold adaptation. The IF1 and IF3 increase plays a role in translation regulation at low temperature (cold-shock-induced translational bias) but so far no specific role could be attributed to the extra copies of IF2.

Global invasive Cochliobolus species: cohort of destroyers with implications in food losses and insecurity in the twenty-first century.

Matching the global food demand by 2050 and to ensure the stability of food security in over than 99 countries, it is necessary to scale up the production of food such as sorghum, wheat, rice, maize and sugarcane which are however natural hosts of Cochliobolus species. Cochliobolus species major epidemics such as the Great Bengal famine, Southern corn leaf blight, and Northern leaf spot blight were associated with substantial economic losses in the past decades. Thus, there is an urgent need to establish a specific coordinated global surveillance program for the migration of invasive Cochliobolus species, planning contextual control programs engaging all agricultural stakeholders and information sharing in real time for prevention of disastrous Cochliobolus disease outbreak effects.