Rationally designed peptide conjugated to gold nanoparticles for detection of aflatoxin B1 in point-of-care dot-blot assay.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a hepatotoxic and carcinogenic food contaminant. Although on-site paper-based detection is sensitive it depends on expensive antibodies which are difficult to raise against mycotoxins. Here, we rationally designed a high binding octapeptide, N-KSGKSKPR-C peptide for AFB1 detection, by molecular docking, as confirmed by indirect ELISA (K 323 nM).

Actinomyces ruminis sp. nov., an obligately anaerobic bacterium isolated from the rumen of cattle.

An obligately anaerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, non-motile bacterial strain; designated as CtC72 was isolated from the rumen of cattle. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of less than 98.65% revealed the strain as a member of the genus Actinomyces, nearest to but distinct from Actinomyces qiguomingii DSM 106201, Actinomyces ruminicola DSM 27982, Actinomyces procaprae JCM 33484, Actinomyces succiniciruminis TISTR 2317, Actinomyces glycerinitolerans TISTR 2318.

New Frontiers in Pest Control: Chitosan Nanoparticles-Shielded dsRNA as an Effective Topical RNAi Spray for Gram Podborer Biocontrol.

Chickpea pod borer, , displays resistance to chemical insecticides and transgenics. The potential nontransformative RNAi approach of specific gene silencing by mRNA breakdown through exogenous double-stranded (dsRNA) delivery to faces problems of degradation by nucleases and insect gut pH. We demonstrate that chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) effectively mediate specific dsRNA delivery against () and ( target genes.

Compost as an untapped niche for thermotolerant yeasts capable of high-temperature ethanol production.

Efficient bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass requires thermotolerant yeasts capable of utilizing multiple sugars, tolerating inhibitors and fermenting at high temperatures. In this study, 98 thermotolerant yeasts were isolated from nine compost samples. We selected 37 yeasts that belonged to 11 species; 31 grew at 45°C; 6 strains grew at 47°C, while 9 yeasts could utilize multiple sugars.