Nematode

on chemotaxis behavior of the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. Elegans). Nematode worms are appropriate for sensory physiology studies because its neuronal wiring is similar to that of humans. We focused on the role of three sensory neurons in the nose of the nematode—the 1) AWA and 2) AWC neurons are involved in chemo-attraction and the 3) AWB neurons are involved in repulsion. With the use of RNA interference (RNAi), we diminished or eliminateed specialized proteins within the worms to test if their olfactory…

Introduction Caenorhabditis elegans is a common organism that is used in many experiments due to its easy upkeep, low cost, short life cycle, fast reproduction, large reproduction size, and genetic manipulability with transparent body structure (Maxwell C. K. Leung, Phillip L. Williams, et al.). The use of C. elegans has allowed many discoveries to be made throughout history. One experimental technique that enhances their use is a green fluorescence protein (GFP), this allows different regions…

The transmission of signals across neurons relies on proper release of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are released from synaptic vesicles after they move down the axon and fuse across the cleft. This vesicle transport depends on the protein kinesin which moves synaptic vesicles down the axon to the synapse for release. The inability to move a vesicle down the axon will be kinesin related since kinesin is linked principally with organelles that travel in the anterograde direction on the…

the fall and again in the spring. Milky Spore and Nematodes Dish soap isn't the only thing you can apply to your lawn to get rid of Japanese beetle grubs. Two natural choices are milky spore and nematodes. When applied to the soil, milky spore and nematodes prevent Japanese beetles by killing the grubs before they reach adulthood and mate. Milky spore is a bacteria (Paenibacillus popillae) that kills grubs who ingest it. Most garden centers carry a powdered form of milk spore that can easily be…

Brown University researchers studying the biology of aging demonstrated a new strategy for stimulating autophagy - the process by which cells rebuild themselves by recycling their own worn-out parts. The process of autophagy involves rounding up misfolded proteins and obsolete organelles within a cell into vesicles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with a lysosome, which breaks down the cellular macromolecules and converts them into components the cell can re-use. Louis…

The infective juvenile stage, was found communicate a definite Gram-negative bacterium in the anterior intestine to the hemocoel of insect hosts The fascinating studies of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes comes from their interactions with other organisms. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora in particular is particularly used for the biological control of insects and an obligate host for symbiotic Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria. For the nematode to effectively parasitize insects and to…

Combined chemical and biological control of Fusarium and nematode species associated with Eldana saccharina in sugarcane Introduction Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidea) is a serious pest in maize, sorghum and in all sugarcane regions of South Africa. It is an African native with a wide distribution within South Africa and has a number of natural hosts including the water sedges Cyperus dives and Cyperus papyrus (Assefa et al., 2008; Webster et al., 2005; Rutherford, 2015). The…

Strongyloidiasis is an intestinal infection caused by two species of the parasitic nematode. The most common and clinically important pathogenic species in humans is stercoralis . Fuelleborni is found in Africa and Papua New Guinea. Distinctive characteristics of this parasite are its ability to persist and replicate within a host for decades while producing minimal or no symptoms (individuals with an intact immune system) and its potential to cause life-threatening infection (hyperinfection…

The disease -- known as "Panama disease" or "Fusarium wilt" -- has already been spreading from Asia to different parts of Australia, Africa and the Middle East. It particularly affects the Cavendish banana, which is the fruit that consumers in the West are used to eat. An earlier lineage of the Panama disease wiped out what had been the famous banana variety in the 1960s, the Gros Michel. Producers are ensuing adopted the Cavendish banana, which was allowed as an inferior product but was…

neurons reliably, specifically ones in deep inside the brain. Sonogenetics could be the answer to this problem. According to Singularity Hub’s article Brain-Controlling Sound Waves Used to Steer Genetically Modified Worms by Shelly Fan, by using pulses of ultrasound and microbubbles with some nematode worms, a group of scientists at the Salk Institute in California were able control the worms into moving certain directions or in certain patterns. The process was non-invasive and could lead to…