Publications by authors named "Shalini Pradhan"

The preservation of nucleus structure during microscopy imaging is a top priority for understanding chromatin organization, genome dynamics, and gene expression regulation. In this review, we summarize the sequence-specific DNA labelling methods that can be used for imaging in fixed and/or living cells without harsh treatment and DNA denaturation: (i) hairpin polyamides, (ii) triplex-forming oligonucleotides, (iii) dCas9 proteins, (iv) transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) and (v) DNA methyltransferases (MTases). All these techniques are capable of identifying repetitive DNA loci and robust probes are available for telomeres and centromeres, but visualizing single-copy sequences is still challenging.

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The development of live-cell fluorescence nanoscopy is powered by the availability of suitable fluorescent probes. Rhodamines are among the best fluorophores for labeling intracellular structures. Isomeric tuning is a powerful method for optimizing the biocompatibility of rhodamine-containing probes without affecting their spectral properties.

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Lipid compositions of cells, tissues, and bio-fluids are complex, with varying concentrations and structural diversity making their identification challenging. Newer methods for comprehensive analysis of lipids are thus necessary. Herein, we propose a targeted-mass spectrometry based lipidomics screening method using a combination of variable retention time window and relative dwell time weightage.

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To understand the spread of SARS-CoV2, in August and September 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India) conducted a serosurvey across its constituent laboratories and centers across India. Of 10,427 volunteers, 1058 (10.14%) tested positive for SARS-CoV2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) antibodies, 95% of which had surrogate neutralization activity.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the COVIDSeq protocol for efficient diagnosis and genetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2, highlighting its effectiveness in handling high-throughput testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Results show that COVIDSeq has a high concordance with traditional RT-PCR tests and even identified cases that were missed by RT-PCR, emphasizing its viability as a confirmatory testing method.
  • The research also contributes to the understanding of the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2, reporting new lineages and a high number of unique genetic variants for the first time in India.
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Article Synopsis
  • * A novel mass spectrometric method has been developed to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 from naso-oropharyngeal swabs, achieving 100% specificity and 90.5% sensitivity in just 2.3 minutes.
  • * This method can detect SARS-CoV-2 peptides even in recovered patients who test negative by traditional RT-PCR, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool for diagnosing both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of COVID-19.
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Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) links the folate cycle to the methionine cycle in one-carbon metabolism. The enzyme is known to be allosterically inhibited by SAM for decades, but the importance of this regulatory control to one-carbon metabolism has never been adequately understood. To shed light on this issue, we exchanged selected amino acid residues in a highly conserved stretch within the regulatory region of yeast MTHFR to create a series of feedback-insensitive, deregulated mutants.

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Ginger () is a spice and also an herbal medicine used worldwide for managing GI tract disturbances. However, its role in gastric cancer is sparingly known. This study ensures the standardization of gastric cancer by the induction of -nitroso -methyl Urea (MNU) and to determine the role of the aqueous extract of ginger (AGE) in MNU-induced gastric cancer in albino Wistar rats.

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