A survey investigating the current practice of French health professionals regarding infection risk after monkey bites.

International tourism is steadily increasing, with 15% of travellers reporting health problems when they come back. Animal bites represent 2% of consulting causes, of which 20% are due to monkey bites. The Monkey B virus (Macacine alphaherpesvirus 1) is an alphaherpesvirus (Herpesviridae, genus Simplexvirus) enzootic in macaques (Genus Macaca).

Alveolar echinococcosis: how knowledgeable are primary care physicians and pharmacists in the Franche-Comté region of France?

Background: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a parasitic disease resulting from the intrahepatic growth of Echinococcus multilocularis larva. This zoonotic helminthic disease is rare but, if left untreated or treated too late, can be severe or even fatal. In France, endemic areas containing infected foxes have become larger, spreading towards western regions of the country and leading to an increased risk of environmental contamination.

Pre-travel consultation: evaluation of primary care physician practice in the Franche-Comté region.

Background: Primary care physicians (PCP) are first in line to provide adequate pre-travel medical advice. Little data are available on the content of pre-travel PCP consultations in France. We undertook an observational survey to assess the level of specific knowledge among PCPs on health advice, vaccinations, and malaria prophylaxis.

A miniaturized technique for assessing protein thermodynamics and function using fast determination of quantitative cysteine reactivity.

Protein thermodynamic stability is a fundamental physical characteristic that determines biological function. Furthermore, alteration of thermodynamic stability by macromolecular interactions or biochemical modifications is a powerful tool for assessing the relationship between protein structure, stability, and biological function. High-throughput approaches for quantifying protein stability are beginning to emerge that enable thermodynamic measurements on small amounts of material, in short periods of time, and using readily accessible instrumentation.

Emergent bistability by a growth-modulating positive feedback circuit.

Synthetic gene circuits are often engineered by considering the host cell as an invariable 'chassis'. Circuit activation, however, may modulate host physiology, which in turn can substantially impact circuit behavior. We illustrate this point by a simple circuit consisting of mutant T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP*) that activates its own expression in the bacterium Escherichia coli.

Biology by design: reduction and synthesis of cellular components and behaviour.

Biological research is experiencing an increasing focus on the application of knowledge rather than on its generation. Thanks to the increased understanding of cellular systems and technological advances, biologists are more frequently asking not only 'how can I understand the structure and behaviour of this biological system?', but also 'how can I apply that knowledge to generate novel functions in different biological systems or in other contexts?' Active pursuit of the latter has nurtured the emergence of synthetic biology. Here, we discuss the motivation behind, and foundational technologies enabling, the development of this nascent field.