Research Progress

• 
  Development of a whole-cell biocatalyst for detoxification of a mixture of organophosphorus pesticides

  Synthetic organophosphates (OPs) are widely used to control agricultural pests and account for ~38% of the total pesticides used globally. In the United States alone, over 40 million kilograms of OP pesticides are consumed annually. OPs are acute neurotoxins by virtue of their potent inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). OP pesticides are mostly liposoluble and pose a hazard to humans through accumulation in the food chain. In a recent study carried out by Chuanling Qiao’s research group, E. coli strain XL1-Blue was genetically engineered to co-express methyl parathion hydrolase (MPH) and organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) using two compatible vectors.

  Apr 14, 2010
• 
  Ubiquitin E3 ligase cullin 7 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human trophoblast cells

  Mar 29, 2010
• 
  Elevated CO2 reduces the response of grain aphid to alarm pheromone

  The aphid alarm pheromone (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), an altruistic chemical signal, is released by attacked aphids to protect other aphids from natural enemies,resulting in various behavioral reactions, such as increased alertness, non-feeding, and moving away from or dropping off the host plant.

  Mar 22, 2010
• 
  New insights in different phylogeographic patterns of birds to Pleistocene glaciation of the Tibetan plateau: revealed by a comparative phylogeographical approach

  Mar 08, 2010
• 
  Leptin plays important role during cold adaptation in Brandt’s voles

  Brandt’s voles Lasiopodomys brandtii exhibit large increases in nonshivering thermogenesis to cope with chronic cold exposure, resulting in compensatory hyperphagia and fat mobilization. These physiological events are accompanied by a remarkable reduction in serum leptin levels. However, the role of hypoleptinemia in cold adaptation in this species is still unknown. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that hypoleptinemia contributes to increases in food intake and brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis by modifying hypothalamic neuropeptides in cold-exposed Brandt’s voles.

  Feb 25, 2010
• 
  Trichlorfon induces apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells via the endoplasmic reticulum

  Jan 27, 2010
• 
  Selenium deficiency impairs host innate immune response and induces susceptibility to Listeria monocytogenes infection

  Jan 11, 2010
• 
  Reproductive barriers between two sympatric beetle species specialized on different host plants

  Dec 30, 2009
• 
  Neural progenitors derived from monkey embryonic stem cells in a simple monoculture system

  Dec 18, 2009
• 
  Uncoupling Protein 2 Promotes Hepatocyte Apoptosis Induced by Acute Liver Injury

  Dec 11, 2009