Homogenous Fluorescent Chemistries for Real-time PCR from Martin A. Lee, David J. Squirrell, Dario L. Leslie and Tom Brown writing in Real-Time PCR: Advanced Technologies and Applications : The development of fluorescent methods for the closed tube polymerase chain reaction has greatly simplified the process of quantification. Current approaches use fluorescent probes that interact with the amplification products during the PCR to allow kinetic measurements of product accumulation. These probe methods include generic approaches to DNA read more ...

Han Remaut and Rémi Fronzes present a new book on Bacterial Membranes: Structural and Molecular Biology Written by specialists in the field, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the structural and molecular biology of cellular processes that occur at or near bacterial membranes. The authors present and discuss recent progress on the function and involvement of membranes in bacterial physiology enabling a greater understanding of the molecular details of the cell envelope, its biogenesis and function. Topics covered include: read more ...

Immunological Strategies for the Prevention and Treatment of Prion Diseases from Keiji Uchiyama and Suehiro Sakaguchi writing in Prions: Current Progress in Advanced Research : Prion diseases, which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in animals, are a group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by proteinaceous infectious agents, the so-called prions. No preventative vaccines and therapeutics of prion diseases have been developed. Recent lines of evidence suggest that read more ...

Inactivation of Prion and Endotoxins from Hideharu Shintani and Gerald McDonnell writing in Prions: Current Progress in Advanced Research : Several inactivation procedures to prion and endotoxins are reported so far. Most of these methods are not applicable to re-usable medical devices due to failure of achievement of material and functional compatibility. Gas plasma inactivation procedure for prion and endotoxin was studied and attain both sterility assurance level (SAL) of 10 -6 and material and functional compatibility in ease. Further read more ...

Internal and Other Controls for Real-time PCR Validation from Martin A. Lee, David J. Squirrell and Dario L. Leslie writing in Real-Time PCR: Advanced Technologies and Applications : A range of factors can cause false negative results in real-time PCR through effects on one or more of the reaction components. Consequently applications requiring a high level of confidence need to be designed to control for the occurrence of false negatives. Whilst an external, or batch, control is often used, the ideal control is an internal one included in read more ...

The new book on Real-Time PCR edited by Nick A. Saunders and Martin A. Lee will be available for dispatch within the next 2 or 3 read more ...

Lipids in Cold-adapted Microorganisms from Ahmad Iskandar Bin Haji Mohd Taha, Rifat Zubair Ahmed, Taro Motoigi, Kentaro Watanabe, Norio Kurosawa and Hidetoshi Okuyama writing in Cold-Adapted Microorganisms : Ever since Escherichia coli , which is a mesophilic bacterium, was found to adjust its membrane fluidity in a liquid crystalline state by modulating fatty acid composition and the designation of this process as homeoviscous or homeophasic adaptation, numerous analogous phenomena have been reported in cold-adapted bacteria [psychrophilic read more ...

Management Aspects of Real-time PCR based Assay Development, Validation, Verification and Implementation from Jacob Moran-Gilad and Nick Saunders writing in Real-Time PCR: Advanced Technologies and Applications : There are significant risks associated with the introduction of new diagnostic assays based on real-time PCR. A consistent approach to the management of the development, validation, verification and implementation of such assays is essential to meet good practice. Adoption of a strategic framework which is followed rigorously by the read more ...

Microorganisms in Permafrost Ice Wedge and their Resuscitation Promoting Factor from Katayama Taiki and Michiko Tanaka writing in Cold-Adapted Microorganisms : Bacteria and fungi preserved for long periods at sub-zero temperatures in Alaskan and Siberian permafrost ice wedge were reactivated on agar by aerobic cultivation at 15°C. Culturable bacteria differed among ice samples, but several phylogenetic groups were closely related to those in other frozen environments. Incubation under controlled temperatures and the Arrhenius profiles read more ...

MIQE: Guidelines for the Design and Publication of a Reliable Real-time PCR Assay from Jim Huggett, Tania Nolan and Stephen A. Bustin writing in Real-Time PCR: Advanced Technologies and Applications : The capacity to amplify and detect trace amounts of nucleic acids has made the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) the most formidable molecular technology in use today. Its versatility and scope was further broadened first with the development of reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, which opened up the entire RNA field to thorough exploration and then, read more ...

Molecular Genetics and Genomic Approaches to Explore Fusarium Infection on Wheat Floral Tissue from Martin Urban and Kim E. Hammond-Kosack writing in Fusarium : Genomics, Molecular and Cellular Biology : The most destructive phase of the wheat- Fusarium interaction commences at anthesis and results in lower grain yields, reduced grain quality and the contamination of grain with harmful mycotoxins. Current control strategies are often inadequate. Globally, F. graminearum is the most problematic species. A recent microscopic study has revealed read more ...

Molecular Mechanisms of Prion Diseases from Hermann C. Altmeppen, Berta Puig, Susanne Krasemann, Clemens Falker, Frank Dohler and Markus Glatzel writing in Prions: Current Progress in Advanced Research : Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are fatal neurodegenerative conditions occurring in humans and animals that may be transmitted. Experimental data and neuropathological examinations show that prions (here defined as the agent responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) consist of a self-propagating read more ...