All posts by Anna Białecka

UTILITY OF MACHINE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN MICROBIAL IDENTIFICATION: A CRITICAL REVIEW


Alok Bharadwaj, Mansi Gupta and Akanksha Shakya

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Abstract: Microorganisms are ubiquitous and have far-reaching effects on human life. Since their discovery in the 19th century, microorganisms have fascinated biologists. Microbes play a crucial role in the material and elemental cycles of the natural world. Growing own microbes for research purposes requires a significant time and financial investment. On the other hand, high-throughput sequencing technology cannot advance at the same clip as the culture method. The area of microbiology has made substantial use of machine learning (ML) methods to tackle this problem.
Classification and prediction have emerged as key avenues for advancing microbial community research in computational biology. This research compares the advantages and disadvantages of using different algorithmic approaches in four subfields of microbiology (pathogen and epidemiology; microbial ecology; drug development; microbiome and taxonomy).

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE – WHERE ARE WE GOING?


Waleria Hryniewicz and Izabella Strużycka

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Abstract: Introduction of antibiotics into clinical practice is considered as a turning point in medicine resulting in saving millions of lives and allowing for the development of new fields of medicine such as transplantology, neonatology, hematology and many others. From the very beginning, this success was accompanied by the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains with its continuous rise. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in medicine, veterinary practice and animal and plant production are the main reasons the resistance has emerged. Presently, an increase in isolation of multidrug resistant (MDR), excessively resistant (XDR) and pandrug resistant (PDR) bacteria is being observed worldwide in the most common human etiologic bacterial agents. As examples of rapid evolution of resistance, S. aureus and Enterobacterales producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases are presented. Some initiatives of WHO and EU aiming to tackle antibiotic resistance are also discussed.

ALKHUMRA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER VIRUS (AHFV): CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS


Leena Esam Azhar

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Abstract: The objective of this review to summarize the current status of information about the Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever caused by Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus an Arboviral infection. This virus was identified in Alkhumra district of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1995 from a butcher patient. The infected individual develops symptoms febrile flu-like illness, hemorrhagic manifestations and less like encephalitis. Several cases have been reported from various locations of Saudi Arabia and a few from Egypt and is further expanding in tropical and subtropical regions of Western Asia. The virus is transmitted to human by direct contact to animal, raw meat, and biproducts as well as either tick or mosquito bites. Based on the recent status, a great concern of public health was raised with the AHFV epidemics and infection. Currently, there is no effective vaccine and antiviral therapeutics against AHFV. So, there is an urgent need to design and develop an effective preventive measure using interdisciplinary approach. This review will provide the status of research work based on the latest published information about AHFV. The provided information will be highly useful to design the effective preventive measures to control the disease in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

CRISPR/CAS SYSTEM: AN EFFECTIVE TOOL AGAINST PATHOGENIC DISEASES


Shakira Aslam, Ali Umair, Zaid Aslam, Muhammad Zafar Saleem and Hamid Bashir

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Abstract: Viral pathogens are major concern nowadays. Bacterial CRISPR/Cas systems help in defending the host body against differentpathogens including viruses too. This system contains restriction enzymes that introduce dsDNA breaks on target site to make the virusnon-functional by damaging its genes. Coronavirus, HIV and Herpes viruses are causing mortality all around the world. To control thespread of disease, early detection and treatment is required. CRISPR system due to its high efficiency provides a platform to restrictthe viral entry into host cell, viral genome editing and eliminate the latent infections. In this review, the CRISPR strategies against threemajor viral diseases are put under consideration: Coronavirus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Herpesvirus associated dis-eases. Three CRISPR/Cas systems have been discussed including CRISPR/Cas12, CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas13 that are used againstthe above listed viruses.

THE OCCURRENCE OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) AROUND THE WORLD AND ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY FOR SELECTED INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MRSA


Kamila Wierzchowska

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Abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium, which can cause serious bacterial infections in humans. It constitutes an important etiological factor of many diseases, for instance, soft tissue and skin infections (including skin boils and abscesses), as well as life-threatening necrotizing pneumonia or toxic shock syndrome. It is estimated that about 25–30% of people are carriers of S. aureus mainly in the anterior nostrils. A smaller percentage of people are carriers of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). In accordance with its definition, methicillin-resistant S. aureus is resistant to almost all β-lactam antibiotics. This phenomenon is mainly caused by the presence of penicillin-binding protein in the cell wall – PBP2a, which is the product of the mecA gene, which is part of the complex called SCCmec (staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) results in endemic in hospitals around the world and are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in society. Infections initiated by hospital strains of MRSA (health care-associated MRSA, HA-MRSA) concern mainly immunocompromised patients after surgery. In addition, there are populations of acommunity-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) strains and populations of livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) strains. The treatment of infections with MRSA etiology, after exhausting the possibilities of standard antibiotic therapy with the use of i.e. vancomycin, is based on treatment with new-generation antibiotics, such as dalbavacin.