₦airaland Forum

Genetically modified babies may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but recent innovations in both gene editing and artificial fertilization technology mean that this idea could become a reality.

According to the survey, carried out by Superdrug Online Doctor, prospective parents who viewed baby modification as ethical explained that they would most likely alter their child to make them healthier and more intelligent, followed by increased creativity and attractiveness.

When it came to specific physical characteristics,

Europeans answered that they would genetically modify their child to be a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl of average height. Americans, on the other hand, identified their ideal child as a black-haired blue-eyed male of above average height.

In addition, Americans were far more concerned with adjusting the athletic ability of their children than Europeans, which may explain why more Americans would prefer to have a male child while Europeans would be happier with a female.

Many parents would be willing to pay up, the SuperDrug survey revealed. Parents were more willing to pay for certain traits over others; for example, women were more willing to pay for intelligence, while men were more willing to pay for health.

As a group, Europeans were more likely to pay for intelligence, while Americans were more likely to pay for health. About a quarter of the parents were willing to pay more than $10,000 to modify their child’s intelligence, although most put the limit between $1,000 and $2,000.

However, according to the report, when it came guaranteeing optimal health in a child, parents were willing to pay any price.

http://blog.africanbio.com/2017/06/genetically-modified-babies-things.html

For questions or more information, please contact:

CALISTUS IGWILO

0800-BIOTECH
Phone: +234 803 341 7102
+1 607 793 3116
Email: info@africanbio.com

About African Biosciences Ltd.

African Biosciences Ltd is an innovative life sciences company whose mission and goals are to provide easy access to bioscience research regents and supplies through an e-commerce platform, bioscience research advisory services, bioscience technical training, lab-for-rent and contract research services in state-of-the-art bioscience research laboratories in Nigeria and soon across Africa. It is the first and only vertically integrated biosciences research company providing a unique research design-to-data analysis pipeline to assist customers to achieve their research project goals. For more information, visit us at www.africanbio.com

About Nigerian Institute of Animal Science.

The Nigerian Institute of Animal Science was established by the National Assembly Act No. 26 of 2007 under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a regulatory agency for Animal Science practice with powers to regulate all matters pertaining to Animal husbandry in Nigeria. Its mission is the regulation of Animal Husbandry practices for increased profitability to all Stakeholders’ and guarantee improved Animal Husbandry and Production Systems that will embrace environmental sustainability and ensure high quality and quantity of animal proteins to Nigerians. Its activities extend to professional, industry and social mandates. Find more information at www.nias.org.ng

African Biosciences Ltd partners with Nigerian Institute of Animal Science to support bioscience research in nigeria.

New Partnership Helps BSc, MSc and PhD Research Students Perform Biomolecular Research in Nigerian Universities

This includes a launch the first ever all-in-one research packages for the Nigerian academic bioscience research community. African Biosciences Ltd. Research Project Package (ABL-RPP) provides a convenient package for molecular biology-oriented research projects and come with flat rate pricing directed at BSc, MSc and PhD students interested in serious and meaningful biomolecular research in plants, animals, humans and microbes.

The packages provide project design service, one-stop access to reagents and supplies, lab-for-rent services where student performs bench work in our lab, contract research services where the company performs bench work, provision of up-to-date literature, and basic data analysis.

This service continues the vision of providing ground-breaking integrated bioscience research services through a unique research-design-to-data analysis platform to achieve bioscience research goals by addressing some key challenges of performing bioscience research in Nigeria.

With this new service, African Biosciences Ltd. is positioned to be a key player in the biosciences research market by being a leading service provider to build technical capacity in biomolecular research in Nigeria and soon across Africa.

To benefit from flat rate pricing, students must meet some requirements such current enrollment in a degree program at an accredited University or tertiary institution recognized by the relevant authorities, approval by the supervisor or research committee, and meet project scope requirement ranging from 2 weeks of lab work for BSc projects and 1 month for MSc projects to 3 months of lab work for PhD projects.

The company offers a payment plan to help with affordability, and package pricing allows groups of students to band together to get additional discounts. Academic departments can get bulk discount for groups of their students who sign up to use ABL-RPP and academic institutions who sign long-term Memoranda of Understanding to access this service receive even deeper discounts for their students.

Elaborating on ABL-RPP, Prof. Ikhide Imumorin, Co-founder and CEO of the company explained that eligible projects for flat rate pricing may include techniques from among the following: DNA and RNA extraction, PCR primer design, standard PCR, RT-PCR, Real Time PCR (qPCR), de-novo SNP identification, SNP genotyping, PCR-RFLP, Sanger DNA sequencing, basic bioinformatics and molecular data analysis.

Additional charges apply to projects that require ELISA, Western Blots, molecular cloning, protein expression, in-vitro assays, next generation sequencing of DNA and RNA, genome editing, advanced bioinformatics and genome assembly.

This research project package is first of its kind in Nigeria for modern bioscience research and is part of the plan of African Biosciences Ltd to provide comprehensive private sector solutions to life science researchers in Nigeria and Africa. For more information contact us at:

African Biosciences Ltd 88, Km 6 Ibadan-Ife Road Ibadan, Nigeria
Nigerian Institute of Animal Science Plot 1882 C13, Kabusa, Okanje District Wuse, Abuja, Nigeria.

http://blog.africanbio.com/2017/05/african-biosciences-ltd-partners-with.html

For questions or more information, please contact:

CALISTUS IGWILO

0800-BIOTECH
Phone: +234 803 341 7102
+1 607 793 3116
Email: info@africanbio.com

About African Biosciences Ltd. African Biosciences Ltd is an innovative life sciences company whose mission and goals are to provide easy access to bioscience research regents and supplies through an e-commerce platform, bioscience research advisory services, bioscience technical training, lab-for-rent and contract research services in state-of-the-art bioscience research laboratories in Nigeria and soon across Africa. It is the first and only vertically integrated biosciences research company providing a unique research design-to-data analysis pipeline to assist customers to achieve their research project goals. For more information, visit us at www.africanbio.com

About Nigerian Institute of Animal Science. The Nigerian Institute of Animal Science was established by the National Assembly Act No. 26 of 2007 under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a regulatory agency for Animal Science practice with powers to regulate all matters pertaining to Animal husbandry in Nigeria. Its mission is the regulation of Animal Husbandry practices for increased profitability to all Stakeholders’ and guarantee improved Animal Husbandry and Production Systems that will embrace environmental sustainability and ensure high quality and quantity of animal proteins to Nigerians. Its activities extend to professional, industry and social mandates. Find more information at www.nias.org.ng

New Partnership Helps BSc, MSc and PhD Research Students Perform Biomolecular Research in Nigerian Universities.

This includes a launch the first ever all-in-one research packages for the Nigerian academic bioscience research community. African Biosciences Ltd. Research Project Package (ABL-RPP) provides a convenient package for molecular biology-oriented research projects and come with flat rate pricing directed at BSc, MSc and PhD students interested in serious and meaningful biomolecular research in plants, animals, humans and microbes.

The packages provide project design service, one-stop access to reagents and supplies, lab-for-rent services where student performs bench work in our lab, contract research services where the company performs bench work, provision of up-to-date literature, and basic data analysis.

This service continues the vision of providing ground-breaking integrated bioscience research services through a unique research-design-to-data analysis platform to achieve bioscience research goals by addressing some key challenges of performing bioscience research in Nigeria.

With this new service, African Biosciences Ltd. is positioned to be a key player in the biosciences research market by being a leading service provider to build technical capacity in biomolecular research in Nigeria and soon across Africa.

To benefit from flat rate pricing, students must meet some requirements such current enrollment in a degree program at an accredited University or tertiary institution recognized by the relevant authorities, approval by the supervisor or research committee, and meet project scope requirement ranging from 2 weeks of lab work for BSc projects and 1 month for MSc projects to 3 months of lab work for PhD projects.

The company offers a payment plan to help with affordability, and package pricing allows groups of students to band together to get additional discounts. Academic departments can get bulk discount for groups of their students who sign up to use ABL-RPP and academic institutions who sign long-term Memoranda of Understanding to access this service receive even deeper discounts for their students.

Elaborating on ABL-RPP, Prof. Ikhide Imumorin, Co-founder and CEO of the company explained that eligible projects for flat rate pricing may include techniques from among the following: DNA and RNA extraction, PCR primer design, standard PCR, RT-PCR, Real Time PCR (qPCR), de-novo SNP identification, SNP genotyping, PCR-RFLP, Sanger DNA sequencing, basic bioinformatics and molecular data analysis.

Additional charges apply to projects that require ELISA, Western Blots, molecular cloning, protein expression, in-vitro assays, next generation sequencing of DNA and RNA, genome editing, advanced bioinformatics and genome assembly.

This research project package is first of its kind in Nigeria for modern bioscience research and is part of the plan of African Biosciences Ltd to provide comprehensive private sector solutions to life science researchers in Nigeria and Africa. For more information contact us at:

African Biosciences Ltd 88, Km 6 Ibadan-Ife Road Ibadan, Nigeria
Nigerian Institute of Animal Science Plot 1882 C13, Kabusa, Okanje District Wuse, Abuja, Nigeria.

http://blog.africanbio.com/2017/05/african-biosciences-ltd-partners-with.html

[size=24pt]Product Review: TRIsure^TM[/size]

TRIsure^TM is a perfect blend of convenience and result. It is a broad spectrum quick and ready-to-use reagent from Bioline for the extraction of RNA, DNA and protein from the same sample in a sequential precipitation process. TRIsure^TM is optimized to produce ultra-pure isolates of RNA, DNA and proteins which results in high performance downstream analyses. TRIsure^TM is a column free extraction method which produces a high yield that meets a wide range of needs in bioscience research.

The capability to extract the 3 molecules of life (DNA, RNA and Protein) from the same sample, regardless of the size, lends itself to studies in epigenetics and also offers flexibility and convenience in research. Being a broad spectrum, TRIsureTM can be used to isolate RNA, DNA, and proteins from a wide range of samples.

Downstream analysis that can be performed on the molecules extracted using TRIsure^TM include: reverse transcription, microarray, hybridization assays, one step Real time qPCR, northern blotting and in vitro translation on RNA; Southern blotting, PCR, and sequencing on DNA; western blotting, immunoprecipitation and enzymatic assay on protein.

This is how the sequential precipitation works: the biological sample is homogenized in TRIsure^TM , after which the mixture is treated with chloroform and allowed to separate into phases (the aqueous upper phase, the interphase, and the organic phase). RNA is extracted from the decanted aqueous layer by precipitating with isopropyl alcohol. DNA is precipitated from the organic phase by treating with ethanol, while protein is extracted from the supernatant of the organic phase (after precipitating out the DNA) by treating with isopropyl alcohol.

Features and Benefits:
· Capability to extract DNA, RNA and protein from the same sample.
· Column free extraction which produces high and quality yield.
· RNase inhibitory property, which prevents degradation of extracted RNA.
· Speed: Turn around time of 60 minutes
· Ultra-pure isolates: Total RNA without any trace of DNA, and DNA with no protein and phenol contaminants.
· Easy to use

Applications:
· Bacterial cells
· Other cell and tissue cultures
· Plant tissues
· Animal tissues (including blood and serum)



[center]Click here to order TRIsure^TM[/center]

[center]https://www.africanbio.com/product/trisure-7/[/center]

Nationwide Delivery

Culled from: http://blog.africanbio.com/2016/09/product-review-trisure.html

Direct DNA Amplification From Plant Leaf Without Going Through Complex DNA Extraction Process.


Do you want to amplify your DNA without going through complex extraction process? Check out for our MyTaq Plant-PCR kit.

It is designed to amplify DNA from plant material added directly to the PCR without the need to purification of the DNA. It offers fast, highly-specific, direct PCR from a wide range of plant leaf samples.

Benefits:

1. Eliminate complex DNA Extyraction protocols

2. Specially formulated to overcome common plant-derivative PCR inhibitors

3. Perfect for a wide range of plants species



MyTaq™ Plant PCR Kit is a ready-to-use 2x mix for fast, specific and direct PCR from a wide range of plant leaf samples. The novel buffer system replaces the need for complicated extraction or purification steps, including freezing of plant tissues with liquid nitrogen, mechanical disruption, organic extraction or column DNA purification. The advanced formulation of MyTaq Plant-PCR Kit also allows fast cycling conditions to be used, without compromising PCR specificity and yield.



MyTaq Plant-PCR Kit has been developed to tolerate the PCR inhibitors typically present in plant samples, including polyphenolics and polysaccharides, thereby delivering significantly improved assay sensitivity and reproducibility (fig. 1). MyTaq Plant-PCR Kit increases amplification success rates from different plant types (fig. 2) and its speed and high specificity makes it ideal for high-throughput genotyping assays.


African Biosciences Ltd is the authorized distributor for Bioline in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa.

Inquire and order now at info@africanbio.com Call Toll-Free line 0800 BIOTECH (246 8324)

[size=15pt]Are you looking for grant money? You can apply to one we have available ...Full details below[/size]

As part of our grand opening, African Biosciences Ltd in Nigeria, a subsidiary of the US-based African Biosciences Corporation opens a grant competition for all MSc and PhD students enrolled in Nigerian Universities.

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Eligibility

All graduate students in Nigerian Universities in the agricultural, biological, life and medical sciences. Topics of interest are broadly defined with respect to the use of modern approaches of molecular biology and biotechnology.
Accepted research topics are defined by techniques rather than species or specific themes. The most competitive projects will use approaches that include DNA or RNA extraction, PCR amplification, DNA sequencing, gene expression using RT-PCR, cDNA synthesis, real time PCR analysis, agarose gel electrophoresis, SNP genotyping, PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSCP, microsatellite (STR) genotyping, Western Blot analysis, ELISA analysis and molecular data analysis in animals, human, microbes and plants.

Grant Benefits

Successful applications will be awarded lab-for-rent research support under the MyLabBenchTM service of African Biosciences Ltd to use our modern well-equipped research laboratory in Ibadan at no cost and as well as additional discounts on reagents and supplies purchased from ourAfrican Biosciences Marketplace.

• The top 3 successful winners of MSc project awards may use the lab for 3 months and top 3 winners of PhD project awards may use the lab for up to 6 months.

• They will also be entitled to use services provided under MyProjectDesignerTM, MyThesisReportTM, MyResearchAdviserTM , MyPublicationAssistantTMand MyDataAnalystTM

• Although this award does not give actual cash to winners, the free access to the research lab for 3 and 6 months, use of other services above and discounts on purchased reagents and supplies are valued at more than ₦600,000 and ₦900,000 for MSc and PhD awardees respectively.

• There will be[b] 10 consolation prizes[/b] to use other services of African Biosciences Ltd such as free attendance of training workshops, MyProjectDesignerTM, MyThesisReportTM, MyResearchAdviserTM,MyPublicationAssistantTM or MyDataAnalystTM, Awarding of specific consolation prize is at the discretion of African Biosciences Ltd.

Grant recipients are still required to purchase kits and reagents they need for their projects to use the lab.

Application Format

Proposals should be written in Times New Roman font 12, single line spacing and should include the following sections:

• Cover Page – proposal title, name of applicant, address and contact information.
• Project Summary – not more than 250 words.
• Introduction and Background
• Statement of Problem
• Objectives
• Brief Literature Review
• Experimental Approach and Methodology
• Expected Outcome(s)
• Timeline
• Equipment and Facilities
• Budget
• Budget Justification
• References

Proposals are limited to 10 pages including cover page, and may include tables and figures.

Other required attachments not included in the 10 page limit are

• Biosketch of Principal Investigator – no more than 2 pages.
• Letter of verification of PG student status from Dean of Postgraduate School
• Scanned copy of original admission letter
• Letters of support from collaborators (if any)

[size=13pt]All materials should be put in a single folder and converted to a zipped file before sending as email attachment. File names should be in the form: FirstName_LastName, example Benjamin_Soyinka[/size]


Selection Process

Proposals will first undergo administrative review to make sure all directions were followed to prepare the proposals and determine if proposals match the stated requirements. Thereafter the proposals will be reviewed by a panel of world class scientists and researchers specially constituted for this grant program and recommendations will be made to African Biosciences Ltd.

Further Information

Applications must be submitted as email attachment to the following address: grants@africanbio.com and in the subject line use FirstName_LastName Date of Submission, example Benjamin_Soyinka March 10, 2016.

Application deadline is June 15, 2016 at 11:59 PM Nigerian time and awards will be announced at the official launching of African Biosciences Ltd in Ibadan in July 2016. Winners will be invited to this event at the company’s expense. Awards may be used starting August 1, 2016 and must be completed by July 31, 2017. There are no extensions beyond July 31, 2017 completion date, exchange or transfer of awards. Other terms and conditions may apply.

For inquiries and more information contact us at grants@africanbio.com or visit www.africanbio.com

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We look forward to reading your proposals for the African Biosciences LTD Research Grant. Thank You.

It seems that the scientists have taken an important and huge step towards the discovery of how mutations might be a cause to certain cancer varieties. This new discovery actually shows that the DNA repair might be blocked in the important genome parts, which ultimately leads to a development of cancer.

Although you might know that the DNA mutations are the cause of cancer, not every mutation leads to the cancer development as such errors in the genome can be repaired by various cell mechanisms. How can we differ which of the mutations lead to the cancer development and which not?

Scientists are now a one step closer to solving the mystery, as the recent discovery has shown an unexpected link between the mutations present in the frequently overlooked genome regions and certain cancer types. More than 20 million specimen of mutations, harvested from thousands of tumours, have been studied by a team from the University of New South Wales Faculty of Medicine in Australia. They have discovered that the DNA repair is blocked in the specific genome regions which are known as the gene promoters and that such discovery applies to many cancer types, especially the skin cancers.

These regions are often overlooked by the scientists who are researching the cancer-causing mutations as they don’t code for anything, but are actually influential as they control the on & off gene switch. Since these genome parts influence the cell function, the mutations in this are particularly damaging and this team has found that they’re quite common in certain cancer types. The DNA in our cells is being constantly repaired from the potentially harmful mutations thanks to the various cell mechanism that protect us. The damage and repair process is normal on the daily basis as the exposure to some common things such as cigarette smoke or UV rays causes mutations which are almost momentarily repaired.

The discovery of the UNSW Medicine researchers suggests that the mutations of the promoter region might prevent the repair mechanisms by blocking the area which controls the gene expression of such mechanism. The team believes that this specific region could have a significant role in the development of various cancer types and could explain why the normal DNA repair system doesn’t prevent the tumour formation. This could eventually lead to the discovery of cancer development in earlier stages, when it’s possible to apply the specific and successful treatment.

At the moment, the researchers know that one promoter mutation, which is a part of TERT gene, can contribute to the cancer development. In comparison, many genes in our cells are known to cause the cancerous process due to the mutation of the normal cells. The researchers from UNSW of Medicine hope that this will change soon and that their research could be only a start of something big. The research has been presented and featured in the recent edition of Nature.

http://blog.africanbio.com/2016/04/unexpected-mutations-of-certain-dna.html

African Biosciences Ltd. a subsidiary of US-based African Biosciences Inc. today announced the launching of the first ever e-commerce platform in Nigeria to bridge the gap of access to reagents and supplies by the bioscience and clinical research community.

African Biosciences Ltd is the first company to use an e-commerce driven model to deliver reagents and supplies to meet the needs of researchers into the biology of animals, humans, microbes and plants and medical testing laboratories in Nigeria.

This achievement is part of plans to provide integrated bioscience research services that includes ground-breaking research advisory services, structured technical training, lab-for-rent, contract research and data analysis services, thus addressing some key challenges of the Nigerian bioscience research system.

With research advisory services covering project design, data acquisition, data analysis and technical report writing in biosciences, African Biosciences Ltd. is positioned to be a key player in the biosciences research market by being a leading service provider to build technical capacity in bioscience research in Nigeria and soon across Africa.

According to Dr. Ikhide Imumorin, Co-founder and President/CEO of the company “This is a turning point in the ability of Nigerian researchers to access reagents and supplies to facilitate their research work, removing significant barriers of entry into the exciting field of biosciences in general and biotechnology and molecular biology in particular.”

African Biosciences Ltd. entered the biosciences research market as the only biosciences research company in Nigeria providing a unique integrated research design-to-data analysis pipeline to assist customers to achieve their research project goals from concept to data which will help push the frontiers of bioscience research in Africa.

Echoing the same sentiments, Mr. Calistus Igwilo who is Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the company said “We listened to our customers and are committed to providing a robust platform to help folks conduct bioscience research, and this e-commerce platform is the first stage to be soon followed by opening a state-of-the-art bioscience research laboratory to provide lab-for-rent and contract research services to the research community.”

In addition to the e-commerce platform, the planned state-of-the-art commercial research laboratory will be the first of its kind in Nigeria for modern bioscience research and will provide comprehensive solutions for genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics with platforms for high throughput DNA analysis, gene expression profiling, chemical and biochemical analysis, histological, immunological and cell biology assays for academic and clinical researchers. These applications will benefit research in agriculture, healthcare and environmental management. African Biosciences Ltd. aims to be the premier bioscience research service provider in Nigeria and across the African continent with plans to expand to Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda in the near future.

http://blog.africanbio.com/2016/04/african-biosciences-launches-its-first.html

African Biosciences Corporation (ABC) is a new innovative life sciences company established as a C Corporation in Delaware, USA and doing business in Nigeria through African Biosciences Ltd (ABL), a wholly owned subsidiary. Our mission and goals are to provide:

(1) easy access to bioscience research regents and medical testing supplies through an e-commerce platform in Nigeria first and then across several African countries,

(2) bioscience research advisory services,

(3) bioscience technical training,

(4) lab-for-rent and contract research services in a state-of-the-art bioscience research laboratory, and later on

(5) specialized medical testing and access to paternity DNA and criminal forensic testing services for the private individual, judicial and law enforcement markets. ABC will provide bioscience research capabilities including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics with platforms for DNA sequencing, gene expression profiling, chemical and biochemical analysis, histological, immunological and cell biology assays in Nigeria and across several African countries.

Thanks for reading.
To reach us:

email : info@africanbio.com or call: 0800-BIOTECH (toll free)

One 67-Year-Old Lady Was Once Admitted With Abnormally High Levels Of HDL, Or High-Density Lipoprotein, The Type Which Is Considered Protective Against Cardiovascular Disease, But Her Arteries Still Had Plaque Potentially Dangerous To Her Health. This Paradoxical Case Has Driven A Scientific Team Which Has Decided To Prove How High Levels Of HDL Are Not Always A Good Signal For The Cardiovascular Health Of An Individual.

Actually, the whole concept of HDL may be even an opposite as the cholesterol system might be unable to collect all the fatty particles from our circulation, therefore leading to the development of plaque.

The normal role of HDL is to transfer the cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver, eliminating cholesterol from the body. This should somehow prevent the plaque development and increase the overall cardiovascular health, but drugs which increase HDL have simply flopped in the clinical trials while people who are genetically predisposed to high HDL levels haven’t shown any significant advantage when it comes to cardiovascular diseases.

All in all, a biochemist at the University of Washington, Seattle, Jay Heinecke, states that nothing is ever simple with HDL, as he has been studying it for years.

A recent issue in Science journal, has shown a study conducted by Daniel Rader, a lipidologist and geneticist at the University of Pennsylvania, and his team who have suggested that the HDL levels are not as important as the efficiency of cholesterol transfer from arteries to the liver.

His inspiration was a mouse model which was developed about 20 years ago by Monty Krieger, who has demonstrated that deletion of SCARB1 gene in mice increases the HDL levels but clogs the arteries with cholesterol. The cardiovascular issue was related to the disabled transportation of cholesterol of this group of mice.

SCARB1 gene is credited for producing a protein known as SR-B1, which eventually enables the process of cholesterol deposition. Mice without the SR-B1 protein have high levels of HDL with enormous amount of cholesterol, but insignificant efficiency to transport it to liver. Rader supposed that the same might be with humans, so he conducted a research which included a gene sequencing in 852 people with high levels of HDL.

A 67-year-old woman didn’t have the functioning SCARB1 gene copies, but showed enormously high HDL levels with plaque developed on the arteries. Eighteen other people had only one functional SCARB1 copy, instead of regular two, and most of these people had high HDL levels. A following detailed study of the selected nine people, including the aforementioned lady, has suggested that the abundant HDL wasn’t able to efficiently transport the cholesterol to the liver.

Even though HDL shows a good effect in vitro, the efficiency of HDL depends vastly on other genetic predispositions for the complete cholesterol transport. The further studies will surely show the role of HDL in cholesterol transport, as well as the other systems which are credited for the lipid transportation. However, high levels of HDL don’t necessarily mean that your arteries will be clean. Not at least for the time to come.

http://blog.africanbio.com/2016/03/why-high-levels-of-good-cholesterol.html

Malaria Has Been One Of The Most Fearsome Killing Diseases In Modern Society, Where Africa Is Mostly Under Attack, Due To Its Climate, Sanitary Conditions And Constant Development Of Malaria Vectors – Mosquitoes. However, Recent Scientific News Have Seen Two Important And New Developments Presented In This Long-Lasting Battle Against This Parasite.
First one is a vaccine trial in humans, conducted for the first time ever, offering a potential protection against the most present malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax. The results are so far modest, but promising, as the trial still has to show its efficiency in the time to come. The second important discovery is related to the control methods which are the most effective thus far. The recent evidence has shown that it might be used for much longer, than it was first expected.

The scientific study conducted at the Walter Reed Institute of Research announced that the 30 volunteers had received three trial vaccine doses and were then bitten by the mosquitos which carry P. vivax, 14 days after the received final dose. The results presented in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases journal suggest none of the volunteers suffered serious side effects from the vaccine, although fatigue and headaches were quite common, and all developed a significant immune response.

Unfortunately, the inoculation didn’t prevent the volunteers from catching the malaria, even though the development of the disease was significantly delayed when compared to the six other unvaccinated controls. These results particularly apply to the ten volunteers who were given the highest dosage. P. vivax used for the first human trial is not considered to be the most killing malaria parasite, unlike its relative Plasmodium falciparum, for which the vaccine development is currently more advanced.

However, P. vivax can make the untreated individuals very sick and the symptoms may relapse. The mentioned Plasmodium species were responsible for the loss of more than 400 000 lives in the previous year, where mostly children suffered from this parasite.

Such trial has been a challenge for both volunteers and the researchers. Research team had to arrange the feeding process of mosquitos where their diet would be the blood of the P. vivax infected Thai patient. Unlike P. falciparum, P. vivax cannot be grown in the laboratory conditions but has to be transferred from a diseased patients to mosquitos, and then to the volunteers.

The first author of the study, Lt. Col. Jason stated that the study represented the very first vaccine study which tested the P. vivax vaccine effectiveness in the human candidates, by using the controlled malaria infection. The only drug used for the treatment of P. vivax dormant stages thus far is primaquine, which successfully prevents relapses.

The fear doesn’t only come from the malaria parasites, but also from their vectors, the mosquitos. Mosquitos are known to be one of the fastest resistance-developing creatures, by becoming immune to various insecticides. This additional problems supports the development malaria in Africa, but thanks to the recent human trials, we may develop a new, efficient treatment for this fearsome killing disease.

Source: http://blog.africanbio.com/2016/03/first-human-trial-for-malaria-vaccine.html

Check out our FAQ page to get some of your questions answered!

What do you offer?

We are the first company in Nigeria to offer the convenience of ordering reagents and supplies to carry out life science research over the Internet and have them delivered directly to the customer. We also offer services to help students and researchers with their work in natural and applied sciences starting with project design through project execution and data analysis as well as help with thesis preparation for research students. Our unique breakout product called MyResearchAdviser™ provides on-going advice and mentoring of research students at all levels of research work from bachelors to doctorate in natural and applied sciences. MyPublicationAssistant™ provides help with publishing research papers in biological and biomedical sciences in internationally refereed journals by providing advice and helps with identifying and selecting the appropriate journal, and help with drafting and proofing manuscripts.... http://www.africanbio.com/faq/

There are many reasons why some people live long healthy lives while others don't, but one of them is undoubtedly genes. That doesn't mean we should be negative about our chances of ageing in good health. Although our genes are handed down from our parents, the hand that we are dealt seems to be influenced by our lifestyle, too. Food, physical activity and stress can change how genes function by adding "chemical tags" that act as on/off or dimmer switches, influencing our health and lifespan. The study of this process is known as epigenetics.

In a series of research studies with nonagenarians who were in robust health (the BELFAST studies), we found that participants carried fewer of the genes that are implicated in cardiovascular disease and showed some gene types which may have helped boost their immunity.

In the most recent BELFAST nonagenarians' study, we built on these findings and asked active nonagenarians why they thought they had lived for so long and in such good health. Family history and personal stories are powerful tools when used in parallel with genomic analyses. They can help us to understand how our beliefs, behaviour and lifestyle choices subtly fine-tune how our genes function in daily life.

By talking to nonagenarians about their lives, we identified how important they considered their genes to be, but they also told us about several other factors that they thought supported their long and healthy lives.


Genes and good health

Nonagenarian siblings recognised genes as important. Ellie, 99, said: "I suppose it was the family I was born into – my mother's female relatives all seemed to live into their 90s. I can remember cousins and aunts, all were over 90."

She added: "The men didn't live so long."

In fact, Ellie had observed something scientists still don't understand: why women live longer than men. Evidence suggests that it may relate to male hormones in the womb leading to increased age-related disease.

Train body and mind

All of the people in our study spoke about the importance of keeping mentally and physically active. Robert, a shopkeeper, said: "Hard work all my life. I think that is the secret."

Norman, 95, one of two nonagenarian brothers, both railwaymen, said: "I left school at 16 and, yes, we had to go to work then. It wasn't like today when you can keep your education going until you are 23 or 24." His brother, Joyce, 96, agreed: "Yes we worked hard. There is no doubt about it."

Samuel, 95, but "going on 25", keeps mentally busy and told us that he had just finished writing his tenth book.

The health benefits of physical activity are hard to ignore. Regular exercise changes our epigenome, activating genes that improve muscle function. Exercise not only protects our muscles but also our brains with a possible dose-related effect – the more we do, the greater the effect. Exercise is good for everyone and it's never too late to start.

Eat well

Many of the study participants mentioned the importance of food in ageing well. Norman said: "I have always led a quiet life. Didn't smoke or drink to any extent and was always fed on good solid food. No junk food." His brother, Joyce, added: "We always had sensible food. Never smoked, except for a couple of months."

Eileen, 92, gave details of "good food, good healthy meals. Mama would have a big pot of broth for us."

There is truth in the saying: you are what you eat. Scientists have provided evidence that fruit and vegetablea may dampen cancer-causing genes, or may protect us from cancer by altering epigenetic markers.

Few participants smoked, avoiding the known epigenetic effects of cigarette smoke including lung damage, increased risk of dementia and cancer.

Be positive, stay social

Many of the participants described "being happy", "always cheerful", "never melancholy" and being content with a "rich life" and family relationships. Typical examples from siblings include Samuel, 95, who said he is "interested in people, interested in life". His sister Ethel, 93, added: "[I am] interested in things, and everything that's going on." Whilst Sarah, 95, one of two sisters, told us: "Oh, I am always happy" and her sister Mariah, 94, said: "I have just a happy disposition".

The ability or willingness to cope with difficulties was another common attitude we observed. As Eileen, 96, told us: " just take things as they come."

Successful ageing is considered to be more than the absence of disease and being able to live independently but involves being socially active. Friends and family are important factors in ageing well, making for good mental health, reduced risk of premature death and can help people deal with stressful events in their lives.

The epigenetic modification of our genes – and the life stories of healthy nonagenarians – offer explanations about how diet, physical activity, stress and exposure to toxins and infections can subtly alter our genes and our predisposition to disease.

The key to ageing well may not depend on choosing our parents wisely (even if we could), but making good lifestyle choices.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-02-people-nineties-reveal-secrets-ageing.html

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Don’t wish your life away, or you may end up getting what you wished for a little sooner than expected, according to the results of a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. By looking at genetic markers associated with cellular aging, researchers found that people who are impatient face a greater risk of biological decline than those who are a little more easy-going.

To conduct the study, researchers recruited 1,158 participants to take part in an experiment designed to measure their level of impatience, before conducting a genetic analysis of their blood cells in order to determine the length of their telomeres. These are sequences of DNA found at the ends of chromosomes that act as a kind of protective cap for the genetic information they contain.

Each time a cell divides, these telomeres become slightly eroded, eventually becoming so short that the cell itself is no longer able to continue dividing, entering a stage known as senescence. As such, telomere length provides a measure of cellular aging and is a reliable predictor of a person’s risk of disease and early mortality.

Knowing that the erosion of telomeres can be increased by a number of factors that can be brought on by stress, such as inflammation, the study authors sought to determine if impatience could contribute to this acceleration. More specifically, they wanted to know how telomere length is affected by delay discounting, which refers to a person’s tendency to devalue future outcomes relative to immediate desires, and has been associated with a range of negative traits such as substance abuse and physical inactivity.

To measure this, the study authors designed a range of behavioral economic tasks, such as asking participants to choose between receiving $100 immediately or a larger sum in 30 days. By raising and lowering this amount, the researchers were able to determine each participant’s minimum acceptable amount (MAA), meaning the lowest sum of money they would be willing to wait 30 days to receive.

Analyzing their data, the study authors found that those with a higher MAA tended to have shorter telomeres, indicating a negative correlation between delay discounting and cellular aging. Interestingly, this effect was far more pronounced in women than in men, leading the researchers to conclude that, on a cellular level, females may be more susceptible to aging as a result of psychological stress and impatience than males.

Though the researchers admit that they cannot say at this stage whether shorter telomere length causes impatience or impatience accelerates telomere erosion, they speculate that the latter is more likely. This is because they found no evidence that shortened telomere length affected participants’ ability to make rational decisions regarding longer-term financial investments.

However, the degree by which impatience accelerates telomere erosion also seems to be mitigated by certain genetic factors. For instance, since estrogen is known to act as an antioxidant that protects telomeres, the researchers decided to look for relationships between telomere length and an estrogen receptor gene called ESR2. In doing so, they found that those who carried a particular version of this gene were protected from the apparent effects of impatience.

Similarly, participants with a certain variation of the gene for the oxytocin receptor did not suffer from shortened telomeres even if they had high levels of impatience, indicating that the chemical messenger oxytocin – which is associated with decreased stress levels – may also have a protective effect.

Source> http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/study-shows-impatience-can-make-you-age-faster

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We are the first company in ‪#‎Nigeria‬ to offer the convenience of ordering reagents and supplies to carry out life science research over the Internet and have them delivered directly to the customer. We also offer services to help students and ‪#‎researchers‬ with their work in natural and applied ‪#‎sciences‬ starting with project design through project execution and data analysis as well as help with thesis preparation for research students.... http://www.africanbio.com/faq/

Laboratory rats who breathed Beijing’s highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardio-respiratory and metabolic dysfunctions after three to eight weeks of exposure.

A study appearing in the March issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) placed pregnant rats and their offspring in two chambers, one exposed to outdoor Beijing air and the other containing an air filter that removed most of the air pollution particles.

After only 19 days, the lungs and livers of pregnant rats exposed to the polluted air were heavier and showed increased tissue inflammation. These rats had 50 percent higher LDL cholesterol; 46 percent higher triglycerides; and 97 percent higher total cholesterol. Their insulin resistance level, a precursor of Type 2 diabetes, was higher than their clean air-breathing counterparts.

All of these measures support the study’s conclusion that air pollution exposure results in metabolic dysfunction, a precursor to obesity. Indeed, pollution-exposed rats were significantly heavier at the end of their pregnancy even though the rats in both groups were fed the same diet.

Similar results were shown in the rat offspring, which were kept in the same chambers as their mothers.

However, the results showed that the negative effects of air pollution were less pronounced after three weeks than they were at eight weeks, suggesting that long-term exposure may be needed to generate the continuous inflammatory and metabolic changes that ultimately increase body weight. At eight weeks old, female and male rats exposed to the pollution were 10 percent and 18 percent heavier, respectively, than those exposed to clean air.

The results of this study, which was funded by several agencies of the Chinese government, are consistent with other studies that show air pollution induces oxidative stress and inflammation in the organs and circulatory system. The findings also echo previous studies linking air pollution with increased insulin resistance and altered fat tissue.

“Since chronic inflammation is recognized as a factor contributing to obesity and since metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity are closely related, our findings provide clear evidence that chronic exposure to air pollution increases the risk for developing obesity,” said Junfeng “Jim” Zhang, a professor of global and environmental health at Duke University and Duke Kunshan University and a senior author of the paper.

“If translated and verified in humans, these findings will support the urgent need to reduce air pollution, given the growing burden of obesity in today’s highly polluted world,” Zhang said.

http://today.duke.edu/2016/02/airfat?

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How does DNA test work?

DNA testing of all types basically looks for similarities in the genetic markers between two ‪#‎biological‬ samples. This is because all cells in the body contain exactly the same DNA, samples can be taken from almost anywhere in the body, including skin, hair follicles, blood and other bodily fluids.

For example a DNA comparison can be made from skin cells found underneath the fingernails of an attack victim, with the cells from a blood sample taken from a potential suspect.
First of all, the DNA is isolated from the cells and millions of copies are made, using a method called 'polymerase chain reaction', or ‪#‎PCR‬.

According to BBC Science, this PCR uses a naturally occurring enzyme to copy a specific stretch of DNA over and over again. Having lots of DNA makes the ‪#‎genetic‬ code easier to analyse.

The ‪#‎DNA‬ molecules are then split at particular locations to separate them into known 'chunks' and the code at those specific points is analysed to create a DNA ‪#‎fingerprint‬. The fingerprints from the two different samples are then compared to see if they match

DNA Forensics/Testing (part 2):

What is the DNA Test looking for?

According to science reports about 99.9% of the DNA from two people will be identical hence only 0.1% of the DNA code sequences that varies from individuals to individuals are what makes us different.

These sequences are called ‪#‎genetic‬ markers, and are the part of the code that ‪#‎forensic‬ scientists use when doing a DNA test (BBC Science). Identical twins are the only people who have identical genetic markers while closely related people also have genetic markers that are similar.

The key to DNA testing is knowing where to look in the billions of letters of g[b]enetic code[/b] to find the genetic markers that will identify the important similarities or differences between people.

More to follow....

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The application of ‪#‎DNA‬ technology and the knowledge of DNA ‪#‎genetics‬ to the practice of ‪#‎forensic‬ medicine and to the power of legal medicine (MedicineNet). It is therefore a powerful tool for identification and has many practical applications in our everyday life.

Common Uses Include (BBC Science):

Parental testing - to establish if someone is the biological parent of a child
Forensic testing - to help identify suspects or victims in a criminal investigation
Gene therapy - to test parents or foetuses for genetic conditions or birth defects
Genetic genealogy - to find out more about someone's ancestry.

More to follow.....

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2016 African Biosciences Ltd Research Grant Competition for Postgraduate Students In Nigeria.

Apply today and stand a chance to win up to ₦900,000 worth of grant with exclusive access to our state of the art lab.

Find out more here http://www.africanbio.com/research-grant-competition/ or mail grants@africanbio.com

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2016 African Biosciences Ltd Research Grant Competition for Postgraduate Students In Nigeria.

Apply today and stand a chance to win up to ₦900,000 worth of grant with exclusive access to our state of the art lab.

Find out more here http://www.africanbio.com/research-grant-competition/ or mail grants@africanbio.com

Kindly Share so your friends and family can be a part of this.

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Brief Description:

The 2016 African Biosciences Ltd research grant competition is a research competition organised by African Biosciences Ltd a subsidiary of the US-based African Biosciences Corporation for postgraduate students in all Nigerian Universities.

Eligibility:

All postgraduate students in Nigerian Universities in the Agricultural, Biological life and Medical sciences.

Grant Benefit:

1. Successful applications willbe awarded lab-for-rent research support under the MyLabBenchTMservice of African Biosciences Ltd to use our modern well-equipped research laboratory in Ibadan at no cost and as well as additional discounts on reagents and supplies purchased from our African Biosciences Marketplace.

2. The top 3 successful winners of MSc project awards may use the lab for 3 months and top 3 winners of PhD project awards may use the lab for up to 6 months.

3. They will also be entitled to use services provided under MyProjectDesignerTM, MyThesisReportTM, MyResearchAdviserTM , MyPublicationAssistantTMand MyDataAnalystTM

4. Although this award does not give actual cash to winners, the free access to the research lab for 3 and 6 months, use of other services above and discounts on purchased reagents and supplies are valued at more than ₦600,000 and ₦900,000 for MSc and PhD awardees respectively.

5. There will be 10 consolation prizes to use other services of African Biosciences Ltd such as free attendance of training workshops, MyProjectDesignerTM, MyThesisReportTM, MyResearchAdviserTM,MyPublicationAssistantTM or MyDataAnalystTM. The service added to lab use is at the discretion of African Biosciences Ltd.

6. Grant recipients would be required to purchase kits and reagents they need for their projects.

For addition Info on Application Submission format and deadline visit

http://www.africanbio.com/research-grant-competition/ or mail grants@africanbio.com