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Quorum Quenching: An Alternative to Antibiotics

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Introduction: Antibiotic Resistance Owing to the extensive development of drug resistance in pathogens against the available antibiotic arsenal, antimicrobial resistance is now an emerging major threat to public healthcare.  Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill. Scientists have been trying to find alternatives to antibiotics and one of the techniques in inhibiting Quorum Sensing(QS): a cell-to-cell communication in bacteria in which specific signals are activated to coordinate pathogenic behaviours and help bacteria acclimatize to the disadvantage. Quorum Sensing(QS) in Virulent Bacteria QS in virulent bacteria relies on principles common to all QS circuits: production, detection, and response to AIs. The AIs are oligopeptides autoinducing peptides (AIPs) that are detected by membrane bound two component signal transduction systems. Strategies for Quorum Quenching There  are current studies t
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BIOPLASTICS: A step towards better sustainability

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INTRODUCTION Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch or microbiota. Bioplastics can be made from agricultural byproducts and also from used plastic bottles and other containers using microorganisms. They can be either be biobased, biodegradable or both. Reasons why we need to develop such technology are: Polyhydroxy Butyrates (PHB) PHBs are members from family of polyesters known as Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). These are accumulated in intracellular granules by gram positive and gram negative microorganisms. PHB are produced when there is excess carbon source with limitation of one of the essential nutrients. Its properties include:  Bacterias producing PHB Ralstonia Bacillus  Pseudomonas  Alcaligenes  Azotobacter Methylobacterium  Chromatium    Producing PHB: Polyhydroxy Butyrates (PHBs) are polymers that bacteria produce under conditions of low concentrations of important nutrients (typically nitrogen, but sometim
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Chintu just wanted to eat Idli...

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T oday Chintu was very angry. Why, you  might ask? Because, his so-called best friend Arvind brought idli in his lunch box but he didn't share it with Chintu. Now, Chintu was marching home so that his mom could make him idli right then. Reaching home, he stomped up to his mother and demanded, “Make me some idli RIGHT NOW! Arwind didn’t share with me, so now you have to prepare some for me.” “I can't make it right away, Chintu, it takes time to prepare for idli”, his mother answered calmly. Chintu again irritated, whined, “But WHY?? I want to have it right now! I’m really hungry.” His mummy answered, “Because, the idli batter must be kept overnight so that it can ferment and become frothy.”  “Ferment”, that word confused Chintu. What does it mean, he thought. He said, “Well, ferment it faster then.” His mother laughed and told him, “Fermentation, it means that bacteria like lactic acid bacteria use up the carbon sources like sugar, starch, etc. and produce CO₂ and heat as byprod
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Biomimicry: Electric eels and Batteries

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What is Biomimicry? Biomimicry or Biomimetics is the study of models, systems, and elements from the natural world in order to find solutions to complex human problems. All living organisms that exist today have evolved and adapted their structure over time based on natural selection. This field of science has been studying these evolutionary structures in an effort to create newer technology inspired by biological functions at the macroscopic and nanoscale level. In addition, nature has already solved numerous engineering problems: self-assembly, self-healing, harnessing solar power to name a few.  Some classical examples often cited for this subject are studying birds for human flight, which was one of the earliest cases. Leonardo da Vinci, although unable to recreate it, was vastly interested in anatomy of birds and their ability to fly. The Wright Brothers, who were successful in flying the first flying machine in 1903, admitted to be inspired by pigeons in flight. During the 1950s
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Location: India
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