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New year, new collaborations and plans
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CSIR, via CCMB will collaborate with Institut Pasteur, a world-renowned name in healthcare innovations, to build their centre in India. Institut Pasteur currently has its centres in 25 countries. India will be their next. Together, we want to work on infectious and non-infectious diseases relevant for India.
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For bacteria to stay within archaea, changes had to be done
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During evolution, a bacterium started to reside in an archaeon to form, what we call the mitochondria of a eukaryotic cell. The archaeal host contributed to the bulk of the cytoplasm of the cell, and bacteria became the mitochondria. The two individual entities brought together myriad cellular machineries, of which, some components incompatible with each other such as the protein production surveillance system. The latest study by Sankaranarayanan lab sheds light on how that was sorted.
DTD’s role is to make sure only L-amino acids are used in making proteins. It lets tRNAs bound with L-amino acids pass through the system. Those bound with D-amino acids are chopped off. Glycine, the achiral amino acid with no L- or D-identity is special. In absence of L- or D-form distinction, DTD should have acted on tRNAs that carry Glycine aka Gly-tRNA(Gly), but it doesn’t.
In bacteria, Uracil nucleotide at 73rd position of Gly-tRNA(Gly) protects it from its DTD. A reciprocal situation exists in eukaryotes, where, Adenine at 73rd position of Gly-tRNA(Gly) protects it from its DTD. What must be the case for a bacteria-derived mitochondrion, which has the translation apparatus of bacteria, housed in a eukaryotic cell?
Turns out, mitochondrial tRNA(Gly)s have changed to contain Adenine instead of Uracil in the discriminator position to avoid being chopped by eukaryotic DTD. Remarkably, some Jakobids—a eukaryotic clade that possesses the most bacteria-like mitochondria—still possess the evolutionary relics of this Uracil to Adenine transversion of discriminator base of mitochondrial tRNA(Gly)s. The work brings to light the key optimization events instrumental during the emergence of mitochondria and hence eukaryotes.
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Would we have RNAi and nanotechnology for cancer therapeutics?
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Recent studies from Lekha Dinesh Kumar’s group and collaborators suggest that the combinatorial approach involving RNA interference and nanotechnology is a promising alliance for next-generation cancer therapeutics.
They designed the biodrug and with the help of ecofriendly nano- architectures and nano-devices demonstrated site specific delivery and efficient knockdown of target genes, thereby subsequent regression of tumours in knock out mice models of colon and breast cancer.
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Novel mutations among Indians, linked to cardiomyopathy
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Thangaraj's lab has found novel mutations in the beta-myosin heavy chain gene linked with cardiomyopathy among Indians. Population-specific mutations are important to document as we move towards gene-editing therapeutics in future.
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GR Chandak for the Sun Pharma Science Foundation Research Awardees-2021 under Medical Sciences - Clinical Research.
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CCMB Biologue - Meet life science experts across the world
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Join Vatsala Thirumalai in discussing how brain keeps a tab on time.
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Understand the Omicron variant and the third COVID-19 wave
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Join Vinay Nandicoori, Director, CCMB and an immunology expert, Divya Tej Sowpati, genomic sequencing expert and Karthik Bharadhwaj, clinician scientist in making sense of the Omicron variant and the current COVID-19 wave.
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#MiloCCMB - Exploring Extremophiles
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Meet GSN Reddy and hear the stories of expeditions to look for microbes at some of the most difficult regions on earth as well as up in the air.
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Of trees in forests and broken forests
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Trees in a forest are immobile, but their seeds travel. And the landing of these seeds decide the future of those trees. As human activities fragment the forests, what impact would it have on the trees of these forests? Meghna Krishnadas and Ipsa Jain bring you the world of trees in forests and broken forests through their set of two zines.
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IndiaAsksWhy - Expert discussions on our day-to-day questions
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Join Utsuka and Jigyasa on their podcast series - IndiaAsksWhy. This time, they discuss why birds fly in groups with Vishwesha Guttal.
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Hands-on training on animal cell culture
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Apply for a 5-day hands-on course on Basic Techniques in Animal Cell Culture at CCMB. The course is meant for those with Masters as their minimum qualifications, and especially designed for faculty members and those in industry.
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If you have enjoyed reading the CCMB Daak, do subscribe and share it with your friends and colleagues!
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Please send us your feedback at socialmedia[at]csirccmb[dot]org. Looking forward to them.
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