Van Eyk Pty Ltd

03/07/2017

A new protocol that includes this common nutrient could save millions of lives—and has already sparked a raging debate among doctors

18/01/2016

http://www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagazine/15_january_2016?sub_id=t9szeQOEdQ1w&folio=224&pg=25

In the late 19th century, Robert Koch established his famous postulates as tringent guidelines to evaluate cau- sation in infectious disease (1). These original postulates require isolation of the putative pathogen and reinfection of a healthy host to prove causation. Over the years, Koch’s postulat…

30/11/2015

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/gut-bacteria-may-be-controlling-your-appetite-180957389/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&no-ist

The microbes in your stomach seem to hijack a hormone system that signals the brain to stop eating

24/11/2015

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123100927.htm

Migration between different communities of bacteria is the key to the type of gene transfer that can lead to the spread of traits such as antibiotic resistance, according to researchers.

24/11/2015

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151118071007.htm

11/11/2015

How does CRISPR work?
As the CRISPR region fills with virus DNA, it becomes a molecular most-wanted gallery, representing the enemies the microbe has encountered. The microbe can then use this viral DNA to turn Cas enzymes into precision-guided weapons. The microbe copies the genetic material in each spacer into an RNA molecule. Cas enzymes then take up one of the RNA molecules and cradle it. Together, the viral RNA and the Casenzymes drift through the cell. If they encounter genetic material from a virus that matches the CRISPR RNA, the RNA latches on tightly. The Cas enzymes then chop the DNA in two, preventing the virus from replicating.

CRISPR, a new genome editing tool, could transform the field of biology — and a recent study on genetically-engineered human embryos has convert...

11/11/2015

CRISPR/Cas9 comes from strep bacteria…

CRISPR is actually a naturally-occurring, ancient defence mechanism found in a wide range of bacteria. As far as back the 1980s, scientists observed a strange pattern in some bacterial genomes. One DNA sequence would be repeated over and over again, with unique sequences in between the repeats. They called this odd configuration “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats,” or CRISPR.

This was all puzzling until scientists realised the unique sequences in between the repeats matched the DNA of viruses — specifically viruses that prey on bacteria. It turns out CRISPR is one part of the bacteria’s immune system, which keeps bits of dangerous viruses around so it can recognise and defend against those viruses next time they attack. The second part of the defence mechanism is a set of enzymes called Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins), which can precisely snip DNA and slice the hell out of invading viruses. Conveniently, the genes that encode for Cas are always sitting somewhere near the CRISPR sequences.

06/11/2015

What makes the gut microbiome stable?
By Caroline Ash

Classically, we think of our microbiome as stable, benign, and cooperative. Recent experimental work is beginning to unpick essential functions that can be attributed to the stable microbiota of humans. To be able to manipulate the microbiome to improve health, we need to understand community structure and composition and we need models to quantify and predict stability. Coyte et al. applied concepts and tools from community ecology to gut microbiome assembly. Independently developed models converged on a surprising answer: A high diversity of species is likely to coexist stably when the system is dominated by competitive, rather than cooperative, interactions.

06/11/2015

A new class of cancer treatments that unleash the power of the immune system on tumors may depend on some unlikely allies. Two studies of mice in this week's issue of Science demonstrate that the gut microbiome—the swarms of microorganisms dwelling in the intestines—determines how effective these cancer immunotherapies are. Known as checkpoint inhibitors, the therapies foil one of cancer's most devious survival tricks: its ability to turn off the immune response that might otherwise attack tumor cells. In one case, researchers found that a checkpoint inhibitor targeting CTLA4, a molecule on T cells, works best in mice if their guts contain bacteria in the Bacteroides and Burkholderia genera. In the other, a drug targeting PD-L1 showed a similar dependency on members of the genus Bifidobacterium.

26/10/2015

Recent advances in DNA sequencing and analysis have shown that much of the microbial life on Earth differs from previously described organisms. The organisms in this “microbial dark matter” are globally ubiquitous and numerous but have largely unknown physiologies. Given their great evolutionary distance from all laboratory cultures, these mysterious organisms may harbor unique functions with potentially useful biotechnological applications. Like most environments on Earth, coal-bed reservoirs contain microbial dark matter. In Science Evans et al. show that members of the microbial dark matter phylum Bathyarchaeota from coal beds have the genetic potential to generate methane.

26/10/2015

astronomers have detected ethanol, the sugar glycolaldehyde, and other organic molecules spewing from a comet known as comet Lovejoy, New Scientist reports. When comets pass near the sun, their ancient ice and dust boil off to form long tails, and the composition of this v***r gives researchers a glimpse into the conditions of the early universe. Astronomers based their analysis of comet Lovejoy, published last Friday in Science Advances, on observations made in January when the comet passed so close to the sun it could be seen with the naked eye