Enhanced Understanding of Facial Nerve Anatomy and Arborization in the Indian Population: Implications for Surgical Procedures.

The anatomy and arborization patterns of the extraparotid facial nerve show considerable variation among different populations, impacting surgical approaches in plastic, head and neck, and ENT surgeries. This study focuses on the Indian population to provide a detailed understanding of these variations, specifically highlighting the Davis type IV arborization pattern's prevalence and its clinical relevance. We conducted a comprehensive dissection of 16 formalin-preserved Indian cadaveric hemifaces.

PAM-flexible Engineered FnCas9 variants for robust and ultra-precise genome editing and diagnostics.

The clinical success of CRISPR therapies hinges on the safety and efficacy of Cas proteins. The Cas9 from Francisella novicida (FnCas9) is highly precise, with a negligible affinity for mismatched substrates, but its low cellular targeting efficiency limits therapeutic use. Here, we rationally engineer the protein to develop enhanced FnCas9 (enFnCas9) variants and broaden their accessibility across human genomic sites by ~3.

FnCas9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay for COVID-19.

The recent COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic of 2020 and its surveillance were implemented by quickly adapting the existing diagnostic methods to detect the SARS-CoV-2 RNA. While traditional methods for detecting pathogenic DNA and RNA have relied heavily on gold standard quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and sequencing-based methods, their shortcomings under resource-limited settings have emphasized the need of developing point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based detection systems provide a rapid and accurate alternative.

FnCas9-based CRISPR diagnostic for rapid and accurate detection of major SARS-CoV-2 variants on a paper strip.

The COVID-19 pandemic originating in the Wuhan province of China in late 2019 has impacted global health, causing increased mortality among elderly patients and individuals with comorbid conditions. During the passage of the virus through affected populations, it has undergone mutations, some of which have recently been linked with increased viral load and prognostic complexities. Several of these variants are point mutations that are difficult to diagnose using the gold standard quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method and necessitates widespread sequencing which is expensive, has long turn-around times, and requires high viral load for calling mutations accurately.

Low-cost CRISPR diagnostics for resource-limited settings.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has identified disease hallmarks and catalogued a vast reservoir of genetic information from humans and other species. Precise nucleotide-interrogation properties of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) proteins have been harnessed to rapidly identify DNA-RNA signatures for diverse applications, bypassing the cost and turnaround times associated with diagnostic NGS.

Rapid and accurate nucleobase detection using FnCas9 and its application in COVID-19 diagnosis.

Rapid detection of DNA/RNA pathogenic sequences or variants through point-of-care diagnostics is valuable for accelerated clinical prognosis, as witnessed during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Traditional methods relying on qPCR or sequencing are tough to implement with limited resources, necessitating the development of accurate and robust alternative strategies. Here, we report FnCas9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) that utilizes a direct Cas9 based enzymatic readout for detecting nucleobase and nucleotide sequences without trans-cleavage of reporter molecules.

A non-invasive soil-based setup to study tomato root volatiles released by healthy and infected roots.

The role of root exudates in mediating plant-microbe interactions has been well documented. However, the function of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plant roots has only recently begun to attract attention. This newly recognized relevance of belowground VOCs has so far mostly been tested using systems limited to a two-compartment Petri-dish design.

First high quality draft genome sequence of a plant growth promoting and cold active enzyme producing psychrotrophic Arthrobacter agilis strain L77.

Arthrobacter agilis strain L77, is a plant growth promoting and cold active hydrolytic enzymes producing psychrotrophic bacterium, isolated from Pangong Lake, a subglacial lake in north western Himalayas, India. Genome analysis revealed metabolic versatility with genes involved in metabolism and cold shock adaptation, utilization and biosynthesis of diverse structural and storage polysaccharides such as plant based carbon polymers. The genome of Arthrobacter agilis strain L77 consists of 3,608,439 bp (3.

Haloarchaea Endowed with Phosphorus Solubilization Attribute Implicated in Phosphorus Cycle.

Archaea are unique microorganisms that are present in ecological niches of high temperature, pH and salinity. A total of 157 archaea were obtained from thirteen sediment, water and rhizospheric soil samples collected from Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India. With an aim to screen phosphate solubilizing archaea, a new medium was designed as Haloarchaea P Solubilization (HPS) medium.