In an article entitled, “NPR3 and NPR4 are receptors for the immune signal salicylic acid in plants” published on the 14th June issue of Nature (486:228-232), Zheng Qing Fu and his 10 other associates reported about the hitherto undiscovered two pathogenesis-related NPR3 and NPR4 as SA receptors. They bind SA with different affinities. The complex molecule bound to SA fu

In a recent issue of Nature (13 June, 2012), Adrian Owen, a neuro-scientist has published an extremely interesting article entitled, “Neuroscience: the mind reader”. In this article he describes a novel way to use brain scans to communicate with people previously considered to be in vegetative states. At Cambridge Owen and his associates at the University of Li

In a recent article entitled, “Development of novel chloroplast microsatellite markers for the energy crop Miscanthus species (Poaceae)” published in the current issue of Am. J. Bot. (June 2012 vol. 99 (6):230-233), the six authors under the lead investigator, Jian-Xiong Jiang have reported 28 novel primers flanking (chloroplast microsatelli

GNOBB members feel very happy to offer their heartiest felicitations to Dr. Aparna Islam, Ph.D. at the Department of Mathematics & Natural Sciences, BRAC University for her promotion to the rank of Associate Professor. She teaches biotechnology at the undergraduate level under Biotechnology Program. She is also a member of the Editorial Board of the J. PTC & Biotech. We w

In an article entitled, “Efficient H2 production via Chlamydomonas reinhardtii,” published in 2011 in Trends in Biotechnology [vol.29(12):595-600], Maria G. Esquível et al. working in four different research institutes in Portugal advocate the use of molecular hydrogen (H2) derived from biological sources. According to them the production of H2 prov

In an article entitled, “Mitochondrial Gene Diversity Associated with the atp9 Stop Codon in Natural Populations of Wild Carrot (Daucus carota ssp. carota) published in the current issue of J. Heredity, Jennifer R. Mandel et al. at the Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia studied the mitochondrial gene atp9 in mitochondrial genome of wild carrot. T

Dhaka the 10th June, 2012. GNOBB members will be pleased to know that GNOBB member Professor Dr. Maqsudul Alam has contributed Professor Maqsudul Alam a sum of $200. I have not approached him personally except through an appeal meant for all GNOBB members. Obviously this donation has improved the financial condition of this web-based organization and now it’s in a p

In an article entitled, “Climate change (elevated CO2, elevated temperature and moderate drought) triggers the response of antioxidant enzymes of grapevine cv. Tempranillo, avoiding oxidative damage,” published in the current issue of Physiologia Plantarum vol. 144(2):99-110, Salazar-Parra and associates have presented the results of their study on the eff

In the current issue (June 6) of Nature, the Editor brings to the attention of the readers that 20 years ago, the world’s leaders at the first Rio Summit on biodiversity (CBD), climate (UNFCCC) and desertification (UNCCD) took a solemn resolution to protect Earth’s climate and biodiversity from further deterioration. Far from improvement there has bee

In an article entitled, “Detection of Genetically Modified Cotton Seeds Using PCR and Real-Time PCR.” published in the April issue of Indian J. Biotech. (11: 176-181, 2012), the authors Vidhya et al. have advocated the use of the above mentioned technique in cotton as this has proved to be a powerful tool to detect contamination of GM material as low as 0.1%. T