A comparative genome analysis of Rift Valley Fever virus isolates from foci of the disease outbreak in South Africa in 2008-2010.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease responsible for major losses in livestock production, with negative impact on the livelihoods of both commercial and resource-poor farmers in sub-Sahara African countries. The disease remains a threat in countries where its mosquito vector thrives. Outbreaks of RVF usually follow weather conditions which favour increase in mosquito populations.

Harnessing microbiome and probiotic research in sub-Saharan Africa: recommendations from an African workshop.

To augment capacity-building for microbiome and probiotic research in Africa, a workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya, at which researchers discussed human, animal, insect, and agricultural microbiome and probiotics/prebiotics topics. Five recommendations were made to promote future basic and translational research that benefits Africans.

Clinical chemistry of congenic mice with quantitative trait loci for predicted responses to Trypanosoma congolense infection.

Trypanosoma congolense is a protozoan parasite that causes severe diseases in livestock. Three major quantative trait loci (QTL), Tir1, Tir2, and Tir3, control the survival time of mice after infection with T. congolense.

Evaluation of the 4q32-34 locus in European familial pancreatic cancer.

Background: Familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) describes a group of families where the inheritance of pancreatic cancer is consistent with an autosomal-dominant mode of inheritance. The 4q32-34 region has been previously identified as a potential locus for FPC in a large American family.

Methods: The region was allelotyped in 231 individuals from 77 European families using nine microsatellite markers, and haplotyping was possible in 191 individuals from 41 families.

[Enrichment of giant panda microsatellite markers using dynal magnet beads].

The 400 -600 bp DNA fractions of giant panda containing STR sequences were captured by hybridization with the oligonucleotide probes attached to streptavadin coated magnetic beads (Dynal). The enriched DNA were ligated into pGEM-T and then transformed into E. coil JM109 competent cells.