Offline Next Generation Metagenomics Sequence Analysis Using MinION Detection Software (MINDS).

Field laboratories interested in using the MinION often need the internet to perform sample analysis. Thus, the lack of internet connectivity in resource-limited or remote locations renders downstream analysis problematic, resulting in a lack of sample identification in the field. Due to this dependency, field samples are generally transported back to the lab for analysis where internet availability for downstream analysis is available.

Replacing amino acids in translation: expanding chemical diversity with non-natural variants.

Here, we describe a strategy for synthesis of peptides with multiple unnatural amino acids (UAAs) using in vitro translation. Our method involves removing a natural amino acid and replacing it with an UAA variant in a reconstituted translation system. Whereas other systems require engineered components or chemical synthesis to charge UAAs onto tRNAs prior to translation, our strategy utilizes the wild-type machinery and charging occurs concomitant with translation.

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of histamine dehydrogenase from Nocardioides simplex.

Histamine dehydrogenase (HADH) from Nocardioides simplex catalyzes the oxidative deamination of histamine to produce imidazole acetaldehyde and an ammonium ion. HADH is functionally related to trimethylamine dehydrogenase (TMADH), but HADH has strict substrate specificity towards histamine. HADH is a homodimer, with each 76 kDa subunit containing two redox cofactors: a [4Fe-4S] cluster and an unusual covalently bound flavin mononucleotide, 6-S-cysteinyl-FMN.

Breeding birds on small islands: island biogeography or optimal foraging?

1. We test MacArthur and Wilson's theory about the biogeography of communities on isolated habitat patches using bird breeding records from 16 small islands off the coasts of Britain and Ireland. 2.