Tit Bits

 

KNOW A SCIENTIST

 

 

    Kary Banks Mullis, joined as a DNA chemist in 1979, after completing Ph.D. degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, postdoctoral research in pediatric cardiology at the University of Kansas Medical School and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. During his seven years there, he conducted research on oligonucleotide synthesis and invented the polymerase chain reaction

    Dr. Mullis received Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993, for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process, which Dr. Mullis conceptualized in 1983, is hailed as one of the monumental scientific techniques of the twentieth century. A method of amplifying DNA, PCR multiplies a single, microscopic strand of the genetic material billions of times within hours. The process has multiple applications in medicine, genetics, biotechnology, and forensics. PCR, because of its ability to extract DNA from fossils, is in reality the basis of a new scientific discipline, Paleobiology.

    Dr. Mullis has authored several major patents include the PCR technology and UV-sensitive plastic that changes color in response to light. His most recent patent application covers a revolutionary approach to instantly mobilize the immune system to neutralize invading pathogens and toxins, leading to the formation of his latest venture, Altermune Technologies, of which he is the Chief Scientific Advisor. Dr. Mullis was awarded the Japan Prize in 1993 for the PCR invention. It is one of international science’s most prestigious awards.

    His publications include “The Cosmological Significance of Time Reversal” (Nature), “The Unusual Origin of the Polymerase Chain Reaction” (Scientific American), “Primer-directed Enzymatic Amplification of DNA with a Thermostable DNA Polymerase” (Science), and “Specific Synthesis of DNA In Vitro via a Polymerase Catalyzed Chain Reaction” (Methods in Enzymology).


 

Last month was hottest May in modern history, US scientists say

 

 

    Last month marked the hottest May in modern history, continuing a troubling trend of rising global temperatures, US government scientists said.

    "This was the warmest May on record," said Derek Arndt, chief of the monitoring branch at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information, during a conference call with reporters.

    When global air and sea surface temperatures were averaged, May was 1.57-degrees Fahrenheit (0.87-degree celsius) warmer than the 20th century average, said the NOAA monthly report.

 

Source: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

 

 

    Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness that is new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The virus that causes MERS is called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Coronaviruses are common viruses that most people get some time in their life. Human coronaviruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses. However, MERS-CoV is different from any other coronavirus previously found in people

    MERS-CoV likely came from an animal source in the Arabian Peninsula. Researchers have found MERS-CoV in camels from several countries . We don’t know whether camels are the source of the virus. Studies continue to provide evidence that camel infections may play a role in human infection with MERS-CoV. However, more information is needed.

MERS Symptoms

    Some infected people had mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, but most people infected with MERS-CoV developed severe respiratory illness. They had fever, cough and shortness of breath. Others reported having gastrointestinal symptoms, like diarrhea and nausea/vomiting, and kidney failure. MERS can even be deadly. Many people have died.

How MERS Spreads

    MERS-CoV is thought to spread from and infected person to others though respiratory secretions, such as coughing. In other countries, the virus has spread from person to person through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person.

Protect yourself from Respiratory Illnesses

    There is currently no vaccine to prevent MERS-CoV infection. CDC routinely advises to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses by washing hands often, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.


Source: www.cdc.gov

 

World Environment Day - June 5, 2015

 

 

ENVIS CENTRE Newsletter Vol.13, Issue 2, Apr - Jun 2015
 
 
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