Results
- Showing results for:
- Reset all filters
Search results
-
Journal articlePanstruga R, Spanu P, 2024,
Transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA fragments - emerging players in plant-microbe interactions
, NEW PHYTOLOGIST, Vol: 241, Pages: 567-577, ISSN: 0028-646X -
Journal articleBeltrán L, Torsilieri H, Patkowski JB, et al., 2024,
The mating pilus of E. coli pED208 acts as a conduit for ssDNA during horizontal gene transfer
, mBio, Vol: 15, ISSN: 2150-7511Bacteria are constantly exchanging DNA, which constitutes horizontal gene transfer. While some of these occurs by a non-specific process called natural transformation, some occurs by a specific mating between a donor and a recipient cell. In specific conjugation, the mating pilus is extended from the donor cell to make contact with the recipient cell, but whether DNA is actually transferred through this pilus or by another mechanism involving the type IV secretion system complex without the pilus has been an open question. Using Escherichia coli, we show that DNA can be transferred through this pilus between a donor and a recipient cell that has not established a tight mating junction, providing a new picture for the role of this pilus.
-
Journal articleIgnatiou A, Macé K, Redzej A, et al., 2024,
Structural Analysis of Protein Complexes by Cryo-Electron Microscopy.
, Methods Mol Biol, Vol: 2715, Pages: 431-470Structural studies of bio-complexes using single particle cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) is nowadays a well-established technique in structural biology and has become competitive with X-ray crystallography. Development of digital registration systems for electron microscopy images and algorithms for the fast and efficient processing of the recorded images and their following analysis has facilitated the determination of structures at near-atomic resolution. The latest advances in EM have enabled the determination of protein complex structures at 1.4-3 Å resolution for an extremely broad range of sizes (from ~100 kDa up to hundreds of MDa (Bartesaghi et al., Science 348(6239):1147-1151, 2015; Herzik et al., Nat Commun 10:1032, 2019; Wu et al., J Struct Biol X 4:100020, 2020; Zhang et al., Nat Commun 10:5511, 2019; Zhang et al., Cell Res 30(12):1136-1139, 2020; Yip et al., Nature 587(7832):157-161, 2020; https://www.ebi.ac.uk/emdb/statistics/emdb_resolution_year )). In 2022, nearly 1200 structures deposited to the EMDB database were at a resolution of better than 3 Å ( https://www.ebi.ac.uk/emdb/statistics/emdb_resolution_year ).To date, the highest resolutions have been achieved for apoferritin, which comprises a homo-oligomer of high point group symmetry (O432) and has rigid organization together with high stability (Zhang et al., Cell Res 30(12):1136-1139, 2020; Yip et al., Nature 587(7832):157-161, 2020). It has been used as a test object for the assessments of modern cryo-microscopes and processing methods during the last 5 years. In contrast to apoferritin bacterial secretion systems are typical examples of multi protein complexes exhibiting high flexibility owing to their functions relating to the transportation of small molecules, proteins, and DNA into the extracellular space or target cells. This makes their structural characterization extremely challenging (Barlow, Methods Mol Biol 532:397-411, 2009; Costa et al., Nat Rev Micr
-
Book chapterDey S, Majumdar A, 2024,
Current Status of Pollution in Major Rivers and Tributaries of India and Protection-Restoration Strategies
, Rivers of India, Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Pages: 69-93, ISBN: 9783031491627 -
Journal articleOno M, 2024,
Unraveling T-cell dynamics using fluorescent timer: Insights from the Tocky system.
, Biophys Physicobiol, Vol: 21, ISSN: 2189-4779Understanding the temporal dynamics of T-cell transcription is crucial for insights into immune cell function and development. In this study, we show the features of the Timer-of-Cell-Kinetics-and-Activity (Tocky) system, which enables analysis of temporal dynamics of cell activities and differentiation, leveraging Fluorescent Timer protein, which spontaneously changes its emission spectrum from blue to red fluorescence in known kinetics, as reporters. The current study examines the properties of the Tocky system, highlighting the Timer-Angle approach, which is a core algorithm of Tocky analysis and converts Timer Blue and Red fluorescence into Timer Angle and Intensity by trigonometric transformation. Importantly, Tocky analyzes time-related events within individual cells by the two phases of measurements, distinguishing between (1) the temporal sequence of cellular activities and differentiation within the time domain, and (2) the transcription frequency within the frequency domain. The transition from time measurement to frequency analysis, particularly at the Persistent locus that bridges these domains, highlights that system's unique property in what is measured and analyzed by Tocky. Intriguingly, the sustained transcriptional activities observed in cells at the Persistent locus may have unique biological features as demonstrated in activated regulatory T-cells (Treg) and pathogenic T-cells, respectively, using Foxp3-Tocky and Nr4a3-Tocky models. In conclusion, the Tocky system can provide crucial data for advancing our understanding of T-cell dynamics and function.
-
Journal articleChow LJ, Nesbit ML, Hill T, et al., 2024,
Identification of fungi isolated from commercial bumblebee colonies
, PeerJ, Vol: 12, ISSN: 2167-8359Fungi can have important beneficial and detrimental effects on animals, yet our understanding of the diversity and function of most bee-associated fungi is poor. Over 2 million bumblebee colonies are traded globally every year, but the presence and transport of viable fungi within them is unknown. Here, we explored whether any culturable fungi could be isolated from commercial bumblebee nests. We collected samples of various substrates from within 14 bumblebee colonies, including the honey, honey cup wall, egg cup wall, and frass then placed them on agar and recorded any growth. Fungal morphotypes were then subcultured and their ITS region sequenced for identification. Overall, we cultured 11 fungal species from the various nest substrates. These included both pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi, such as Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Candida sp. Our results provide the first insights into the diversity of viable fungal communities in commercial bumblebee nests. Further research is needed to determine if these fungi are unique to commercial colonies or prevalent in wild bumblebee nests, and crucially to determine the ecological and evolutionary implications of these fungi in host colonies.
-
Journal articleOno M, Satou Y, 2024,
Spectrum of Treg and self-reactive T cells: single cell perspectives from old friend HTLV-1.
, Discov Immunol, Vol: 3Despite extensive regulatory T cell (Treg) research, fundamental questions on in vivo dynamics remain to be answered. The current study aims to dissect several interwoven concepts in Treg biology, highlighting the 'self-reactivity' of Treg and their counterparts, namely naturally-arising memory-phenotype T-cells, as a key mechanism to be exploited by a human retroviral infection. We propose the novel key concept, Periodic T cell receptor (TCR)-signalled T-cells, capturing self-reactivity in a quantifiable manner using the Nr4a3-Timer-of-cell-kinetics-and-activity (Tocky) technology. Periodic and brief TCR signals in self-reactive T-cells contrast with acute TCR signals during inflammation. Thus, we propose a new two-axis model for T-cell activation by the two types of TCR signals or antigen recognition, elucidating how Foxp3 expression and acute TCR signals actively regulate Periodic TCR-signalled T-cells. Next, we highlight an underappreciated branch of immunological research on Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) that precedes Treg studies, illuminating the missing link between the viral infection, CD25, and Foxp3. Based on evidence by single-cell analysis, we show how the viral infection exploits the regulatory mechanisms for T-cell activation and suggests a potential role of periodic TCR signalling in infection and malignant transformation. In conclusion, the new perspectives and models in this study provide a working framework for investigating Treg within the self-reactive T-cell spectrum, expected to advance understanding of HTLV-1 infection, cancer, and immunotherapy strategies for these conditions.
-
Journal articleHui L, Ippolito K, Sarsfield M, et al., 2024,
Using a self-reflective ePortfolio and feedback dialogue to understand and address problematic feedback expectations
, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol: 49, Pages: 334-347, ISSN: 0260-2938To maximise the feedback effect, it is crucial to establish a dialogic feedback process between students and teachers. This can facilitate a mutually reinforcing cycle on each other’s feedback practice and uncover unrealistic feedback expectations. In this article, we present a co-developed reflective ePortfolio platform designed to foster students’ self-reflection, facilitate dialogic feedback processes and change the departmental feedback culture. Our findings suggest that incorporating the reflective ePortfolio and dialogic feedback processes enhanced students’ feedback literacy, and promoted greater transparency for raising teacher awareness of local feedback practices. Students appeared to have invested more in their feedback literacy development than their teachers. We also identified expectation-related barriers which include students’ persistence of performance-oriented goals, closely linked to expectations of feedback quality, and the need for teachers to articulate, and for students to make, pedagogic and epistemic transitions. To diminish ongoing barriers, students and teachers have much to learn from each other and increased agency for both parties may be an outcome of these interactions and warrant further exploration.
-
Journal articleTissot FS, Gonzalez-Anton S, Lo Celso C, 2024,
Intravital Microscopy to Study the Effect of Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibition on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Migration in the Bone Marrow.
, Methods Mol Biol, Vol: 2747, Pages: 211-227Hematopoiesis is the process through which all mature blood cells are formed and takes place in the bone marrow (BM). Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer of the myeloid lineage. AML progression causes drastic remodeling of the BM microenvironment, making it no longer supportive of healthy hematopoiesis and leading to clinical cytopenia in patients. Understanding the mechanisms by which AML cells shape the BM to their benefit would lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies. While the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in solid cancer has been extensively studied during decades, its role in the BM and in leukemia progression has only begun to be acknowledged. In this context, intravital microscopy (IVM) gives the unique insight of direct in vivo observation of AML cell behavior in their environment during disease progression and/or upon drug treatments. Here we describe our protocol for visualizing and analyzing MLL-AF9 AML cell dynamics upon systemic inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), combining confocal and two-photon microscopy and focusing on cell migration.
-
Journal articleFallesen T, Amerteifio S, Pruessner G, et al., 2024,
Intermittent cell division dynamics in regenerating Arabidopsis roots reveals complex long-range interactions
, Quantitative Plant Biology, Vol: 5, ISSN: 2632-8828In this work, we present a quantitative comparison of the cell division dynamics between populations of intact and regenerating root tips in the plant model system Arabidopsis thaliana. To achieve the required temporal resolution and to sustain it for the duration of the regeneration process, we adopted a live imaging system based on light-sheet fluorescence microscopy, previously developed in the laboratory. We offer a straightforward quantitative analysis of the temporal and spatial patterns of cell division events showing a statistically significant difference in the frequency of mitotic events and spatial separation of mitotic event clusters between intact and regenerating roots.
-
Journal articleMatanza XM, Clements A, 2023,
Pathogenicity and virulence of <i>Shigella sonnei</i>: A highly drug-resistant pathogen of increasing prevalence
, VIRULENCE, Vol: 14, ISSN: 2150-5594 -
Journal articleHerzog MK-M, Cazzaniga M, Peters A, et al., 2023,
Mouse models for bacterial enteropathogen infections: insights into the role of colonization resistance
, GUT MICROBES, Vol: 15, ISSN: 1949-0976- Author Web Link
- Cite
- Citations: 3
-
Journal articleGonzalez-Ferreras AM, Barquin J, Blyth PSA, et al., 2023,
Chronic exposure to environmental temperature attenuates the thermal sensitivity of salmonids
, NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, Vol: 14 -
Book chapterShocket M, Caldwell J, Huxley P, et al., 2023,
Modelling the effects of climate and climate change on transmission of vector-borne disease
, Planetary health approaches to understand and control vector-borne diseases, Editors: Fornace, Conn, Mureb, Chaves, Logan, Publisher: BRILL, Pages: 253-318, ISBN: 9789004688650Mathematical and statistical models are critical tools for both understanding how climate can influence patterns of vector-borne disease transmission, and predicting how climate change might affect these patterns in the future. This chapter focuses primarily on quantitative approaches for modelling the effects of climate on mosquito-borne disease (MBD), although we also briefly consider tick-borne disease. We initially describe how the biological mechanisms that contribute to transmission of vector-borne disease can respond to changes in climate and other environmental factors. Importantly, transmission of MBD responds nonlinearly over gradients of both temperature and rainfall. When building or interpreting models for the effects of climate on MBD dynamics, it is important to consider that the effects of temperature and rainfall on disease may be positive, negative, or both depending on circumstance. This context-dependence can limit the transferability of models beyond the setting in which they were fit. Next, we provide an overview of important concepts and approaches for modelling vector-borne diseases using mechanistic and statistical models. This includes the most commonly used modelling methods, techniques for model evaluation and validation, and climate re-analysis products used as model predictors. The best choices of methods for model construction and evaluation depend on the goals of the model and the structure of the underlying data, including their spatial and temporal scales. Then, we explore three case studies of MBD in more detail and use them to illustrate representative modelling approaches across a gradient of spatiotemporal scales: (1) local time series models of dengue fever in San Juan, Puerto Rico; (2) regional models of West Nile virus in the United States; and (3) continental and global models for how climate change may impact future transmission risk for malaria and dengue fever. Finally, we note some key challenges, knowledge gaps, and res
-
Journal articleGhani L, Kim S, Ehsan M, et al., 2023,
Melamine-cored glucosides for membrane protein solubilization and stabilization: importance of water-mediated intermolecular hydrogen bonding in detergent performance
, Chemical Science, Vol: 14, Pages: 13014-13024, ISSN: 2041-6520Membrane proteins play essential roles in a number of biological processes, and their structures are important in elucidating such processes at the molecular level and also for rational drug design and development. Membrane protein structure determination is notoriously challenging compared to that of soluble proteins, due largely to the inherent instability of their structures in non-lipid environments. Micelles formed by conventional detergents have been widely used for membrane protein manipulation, but they are suboptimal for long-term stability of membrane proteins, making downstream characterization difficult. Hence, there is an unmet need for the development of new amphipathic agents with enhanced efficacy for membrane protein stabilization. In this study, we designed and synthesized a set of glucoside amphiphiles with a melamine core, denoted melamine-cored glucosides (MGs). When evaluated with four membrane proteins (two transporters and two G protein-coupled receptors), MG-C11 conferred notably enhanced stability compared to the commonly used detergents, DDM and LMNG. These promising findings are mainly attributed to a unique feature of the MGs, i.e., the ability to form dynamic water-mediated hydrogen-bond networks between detergent molecules, as supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Thus, MG-C11 is the first example of a non-peptide amphiphile capable of forming intermolecular hydrogen bonds within a protein-detergent complex environment. Detergent micelles formed via a hydrogen-bond network could represent the next generation of highly effective membrane-mimetic systems useful for membrane protein structural studies.
-
Journal articleScopa C, Barnada SM, Cicardi ME, et al., 2023,
JUN upregulation drives aberrant transposable element mobilization, associated innate immune response, and impaired neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease
, Nature Communications, Vol: 14, ISSN: 2041-1723Adult neurogenic decline, inflammation, and neurodegeneration are phenotypic hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) in heterochromatic regions was recently reported in AD, but the underlying mechanisms are still underappreciated. Combining functional genomics with the differentiation of familial and sporadic AD patient derived-iPSCs into hippocampal progenitors, CA3 neurons, and cerebral organoids, we found that the upregulation of the AP-1 subunit, c-Jun, triggers decondensation of genomic regions containing TEs. This leads to the cytoplasmic accumulation of HERVK-derived RNA-DNA hybrids, the activation of the cGAS-STING cascade, and increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, suggesting the initiation of programmed cell death in AD progenitors and neurons. Notably, inhibiting c-Jun effectively blocks all these downstream molecular processes and rescues neuronal death and the impaired neurogenesis phenotype in AD progenitors. Our findings open new avenues for identifying therapeutic strategies and biomarkers to counteract disease progression and diagnose AD in the early, pre-symptomatic stages.
-
Journal articleEberhart-Hertel LJ, Rodrigues LF, Krietsch J, et al., 2023,
Egg size variation in the context of polyandry: a case study using long-term field data from snowy plovers
, EVOLUTION, Vol: 77, Pages: 2590-2605, ISSN: 0014-3820 -
Journal articleRuehr S, Keenan TF, Williams C, et al., 2023,
Publisher Correction: Evidence and attribution of the enhanced land carbon sink (Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, (2023), 4, 8, (518-534), 10.1038/s43017-023-00456-3)
, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, Vol: 4Correction to: Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, published online 25 July 2023. In the version of the article initially published, the y-axis labels in Fig. 7b, now reading “+” and “–”, read “234” and “254”, respectively. This has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.
-
Journal articleKourelis J, 2023,
Interplay between cell-surface receptor and intracellular NLR-mediated immune responses
, New Phytologist, Vol: 240, Pages: 2218-2226, ISSN: 0028-646XThe functional link between cell-surface receptors and intracellular NLR immune receptors is a critical aspect of plant immunity. To establish disease, successful pathogens have evolved mechanisms to suppress cell-surface immune signalling. In response, plants have adapted by evolving NLRs that recognize pathogen effectors involved in this suppression, thereby counteracting their immune-suppressing function. This ongoing co-evolutionary struggle has seemingly resulted in intertwined signalling pathways in some plant species, where NLRs form a separate signalling branch downstream of activated cell-surface receptor complexes essential for full immunity. Understanding these interconnected receptor networks could lead to novel strategies for developing durable disease resistance.
-
Journal articleBudzak J, Goodwin I, Tiengwe C, et al., 2023,
Imaging of genomic loci in Trypanosoma brucei using an optimised LacO-LacI system
, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Vol: 256, ISSN: 0166-6851Visualisation of genomic loci by microscopy is essential for understanding nuclear organisation, particularly at the single cell level. One powerful technique for studying the positioning of genomic loci is through the Lac Operator-Lac Repressor (LacO-LacI) system, in which LacO repeats introduced into a specific genomic locus can be visualised through expression of a LacI-protein fused to a fluorescent tag. First utilised in Trypanosoma brucei over 20 years ago, we have now optimised this system with short, stabilised LacO repeats of less than 2 kb paired with a constitutively expressed mNeongreen::LacI fusion protein to facilitate visualisation of genomic loci. We demonstrate the compatibility of this system with super-resolution microscopy and propose its suitability for multiplexing with inducible RNAi or protein over expression which will allow analysis of nuclear organisation after perturbation of gene expression.
-
Journal articleBeattie JW, Rowland-Jones RC, Farys M, et al., 2023,
Application of Raman spectroscopy to dynamic binding capacity analysis
, Applied Spectroscopy, Vol: 77, Pages: 1393-1400, ISSN: 0003-7028Protein A affinity chromatography is a key step in isolation of biotherapeutics (BTs) containing fragment crystallizable regions, including monoclonal and bispecific antibodies. Dynamic binding capacity (DBC) analysis assesses how much BT will bind to a protein A column. DBC reduces with column usage, effectively reducing the amount of recovered product over time. Drug regulatory bodies mandate chromatography resin lifetime for BT isolation, through measurement of parameters including DBC, so this feature is carefully monitored in industrial purification pipelines. High-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) is typically used to assess the concentration of BT, which when loaded to the column results in significant breakthrough of BT in the flowthrough. HPAC gives an accurate assessment of DBC and how this changes over time but only reports on protein concentration, requires calibration for each new BT analyzed, and can only be used offline. Here we utilized Raman spectroscopy and revealed that this approach is at least as effective as both HPAC and ultraviolet chromatogram methods at monitoring DBC of protein A resins. In addition to reporting on protein concentration, the chemical information in the Raman spectra provides information on aggregation status and protein structure, providing extra quality controls to industrial bioprocessing pipelines. In combination with partial least square (PLS) analysis, Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine the DBC of a BT without prior calibration. Here we performed Raman analysis offline in a 96-well plate format, however, it is feasible to perform this inline. This study demonstrates the power of Raman spectroscopy as a significantly improved approach to DBC monitoring in industrial pipelines.
-
Journal articleKeenan TF, Luo X, Stocker BD, et al., 2023,
A constraint on historic growth in global photosynthesis due to rising CO2
, Nature Climate Change, Vol: 13, Pages: 1376-1381, ISSN: 1758-678XTheory predicts that rising CO2 increases global photosynthesis, a process known as CO2 fertilization, and that this is responsible for a large proportion of the current terrestrial carbon sink. The estimated magnitude of the historic CO2 fertilization, however, differs by an order ofmagnitude between long-term proxies, remote sensing-based estimates and terrestrial biosphere models. Here we constrain the likely historic effect of CO2 on global photosynthesis by combining terrestrial biosphere models, ecological optimality theory, remote sensing approaches and an emergent constraint based on global carbon budget estimates. Our analysis suggests that CO2 fertilization increased global annual terrestrial photosynthesis by 13.5 ± 3.5%, or 15.9 ± 2.9 Pg C u(mean ± standard deviation) between 1981 and 2020. Our results help resolve conflicting estimates of the historic sensitivity of global terrestrial photosynthesis to CO2 and highlight the large impact anthropogenic emissions have had on ecosystems worldwide.
-
Journal articleMay DA, Taha F, Child MA, et al., 2023,
How colonization bottlenecks, tissue niches, and transmission strategies shape protozoan infections
, Trends in Parasitology, Vol: 39, Pages: 1074-1086, ISSN: 0169-4758Protozoan pathogens such as Plasmodium spp., Leishmania spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma spp. are often associated with high-mortality, acute and chronic diseases of global health concern. For transmission and immune evasion, protozoans have evolved diverse strategies to interact with a range of host tissue environments. These interactions are linked to disease pathology, yet our understanding of the association between parasite colonization and host homeostatic disruption is limited. Recently developed techniques for cellular barcoding have the potential to uncover the biology regulating parasite transmission, dissemination, and the stability of infection. Understanding bottlenecks to infection and the in vivo tissue niches that facilitate chronic infection and spread has the potential to reveal new aspects of parasite biology.
-
Journal articlePeng Y, Prentice IC, Bloomfield KJ, et al., 2023,
Global terrestrial nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency
, Journal of Ecology, Vol: 111, Pages: 2676-2693, ISSN: 0022-04771. Plant biomass production (BP), nitrogen uptake (Nup) and their ratio, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), must be quantified to understand how nitrogen (N) cycling constrains terrestrial carbon (C) uptake. But the controls of key plant processes determining Nup and NUE, including BP, C and N allocation, tissue C:N ratios and N resorption efficiency (NRE), remain poorly known. 2. We compiled measurements from 804 forest and grassland sites and derived regression models for each of these processes with growth temperature, vapour pressure deficit, stand age, soil C:N ratio, fAPAR (remotely sensed fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by green vegetation) and growing-season average daily incident photosynthetic photon flux density (gPPFD) (effectively the seasonal concentration of light availability, which increases polewards) as predictors. An empirical model for leaf N was based on optimal photosynthetic capacity (a function of gPPFD and climate) and observed leaf mass-per-area. The models were used to produce global maps of Nup and NUE. 3. Global BP was estimated as 72 Pg C/yr; Nup as 950 Tg N/yr; and NUE as 76 gC/gN. Forest BP was found to increase with growth temperature and fAPAR and to decrease with stand age, soil C:N ratio and gPPFD. Forest NUE is controlled primarily by climate through its effect on C allocation – especially to leaves, being richer in N than other tissues. NUE is greater in colder climates, where N is less readily available, because belowground allocation is increased. NUE is also greater in drier climates because leaf allocation is reduced. NRE is enhanced (further promoting NUE) in both cold and dry climates. 4. These findings can provide observationally based benchmarks for model representations of C–N cycle coupling. State-of-the-art vegetation models in the TRENDY ensemble showed variable performance against these benchmarks, and models including coupled C–N cycling produced relatively poor simulations o
-
Journal articleChawda MM, Ross S, Lau C-I, et al., 2023,
Cryopreservation of mouse thymus depletes thymocytes but supports immune reconstitution on transplantation
, EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Vol: 53, ISSN: 0014-2980 -
Journal articleMartinez-Riano A, Wang S, Boeing S, et al., 2023,
Long-term retention of antigens in germinal centers is controlled by the spatial organization of the follicular dendritic cell network (vol 24, pg 1281, 2023)
, NATURE IMMUNOLOGY, Vol: 24, Pages: 2164-2164, ISSN: 1529-2908 -
Journal articleTudge SJ, Harris ZM, Murphy RJ, et al., 2023,
Global trends in biodiversity with tree plantation age
, GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, Vol: 48 -
Journal articleDelabre I, Lyons-White J, Melot C, et al., 2023,
Should I stay or should I go? Understanding stakeholder dis/engagement for deforestation-free palm oil
, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol: 32, Pages: 5128-5145, ISSN: 0964-4733Addressing tropical deforestation in the palm oil sector involves a diverse range of stakeholders who engage or disengage with each other. Palm oil global value chain (GVC) firms (plantation companies, traders and processors, and consumer goods manufacturers and retailers), as well as nongovernmental organisations, financial institutions, consultancies and certification bodies, pursue their respective organisations' agendas through engagement practices, including through coalitions, in a palm oil sustainability network (POSN). Building on interviews with different stakeholder groups, this qualitative study characterises and critically analyses ‘stakeholder engagement’ by examining (1) the priority targets for engagement among different POSN stakeholders, (2) how mechanisms and tools are used in POSN stakeholder engagement or disengagement for addressing deforestation, and (3) the implications of stakeholder engagement or disengagement for addressing deforestation. Engagement and disengagement practices are shaped by and reshape GVC governance, with powerful stakeholders emerging as knowledge brokers and norm setters, raising important challenges for how deforestation is addressed.
-
Journal articleMerali N, Chouari T, Terroire J, et al., 2023,
Bile microbiome signatures associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma compared to benign disease: a UK pilot study
, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol: 24, ISSN: 1422-0067Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a very poor survival. The intra-tumoural microbiome can influence pancreatic tumourigenesis and chemoresistance and, therefore, patient survival. The role played by bile microbiota in PDAC is unknown. We aimed to define bile microbiome signatures that can effectively distinguish malignant from benign tumours in patients presenting with obstructive jaundice caused by benign and malignant pancreaticobiliary disease. Prospective bile samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent either Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram (PTC). Variable regions (V3-V4) of the 16S rRNA genes of microorganisms present in the samples were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The cohort consisted of 12 PDAC, 10 choledocholithiasis, seven gallstone pancreatitis and two primary sclerosing cholangitis patients. Using the 16S rRNA method, we identified a total of 135 genera from 29 individuals (12 PDAC and 17 benign). The bile microbial beta diversity significantly differed between patients with PDAC vs. benign disease (Permanova p = 0.0173). The separation of PDAC from benign samples is clearly seen through unsupervised clustering of Aitchison distance. We found three genera to be of significantly lower abundance among PDAC samples vs. benign, adjusting for false discovery rate (FDR). These were Escherichia (FDR = 0.002) and two unclassified genera, one from Proteobacteria (FDR = 0.002) and one from Enterobacteriaceae (FDR = 0.011). In the same samples, the genus Streptococcus (FDR = 0.033) was found to be of increased abundance in the PDAC group. We show that patients with obstructive jaundice caused by PDAC have an altered microbiome composition in the bile compared to those with benign disease. These bile-based microbes could be developed into potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PDAC and warrant further investigation.
-
Journal articleStepien P, Swiatek S, Robles MYY, et al., 2023,
CRAFTing Delivery of Membrane Proteins into Protocells using Nanodiscs
, ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, Vol: 15, Pages: 56689-56701, ISSN: 1944-8244
This data is extracted from the Web of Science and reproduced under a licence from Thomson Reuters. You may not copy or re-distribute this data in whole or in part without the written consent of the Science business of Thomson Reuters.
Postgraduate research
Interested in studying a PhD at the Department of Life Sciences? Find out more about postgraduate research opportunties.