Abstract Rhizobia are soil bacteria that induce nodule formation on leguminous plants. In the nodules, they reduce dinitrogen to ammonium that can be utilized by plants. Besides nitrogen fixation, rhizobia have other symbiotic functions in plants including phosphorus and iron mobilization and protection of the plants against various abiotic stresses including salinity. Worldwide, about 20% of cultivable and 33% of irrigation land is saline, and it is estimated that around 50% of the arable l...
Abstract Syntrophobotulus glycolicus Friedrich et al. 1996 is currently the only member of the genus Syntrophobotulus within the family Peptococcaceae. The species is of interest because of its isolated phylogenetic location in the genome-sequenced fraction of tree of life. When grown in pure culture with glyoxylate as carbon source the organism utilizes glyoxylate through fermentative oxidation, whereas, when grown in syntrophic co-culture with homoacetogenic or methanogenic bacteria, it is...
Abstract Bioinformatics is the scientific discipline that is concerned with the efficient management and useful interpretation of large scale biological information. Functional genomics aims at mapping DNA sequences and the components they encode for, to the function they perform. Initial efforts in bioinformatics were focused on the analysis of DNA sequence data. Presently, the scope and objectives of bioinformatics research and development have been broadened owing to the accelerating gene...
Abstract: We have previously described a method to predict antigenic epitopes on proteins recognized by specific antibodies. Here we have applied this method to identify epitopes on the NS1 proteins of the four Dengue virus serotypes (DENV1–4) that are bound by a small panel of monoclonal antibodies 1H7.4, 1G5.3 and Gus2. Several epitope regions were predicted for these antibodies and these were found to reflect the experimentally observed reactivities. The known binding epitopes on DENV2 ...
Abstract: The demand for well-trained bioinformaticians to support genomics research continues to rise. Unfortunately, undergraduate training in Kenya does not prepare students for specialization in bioinformatics. Graduates are often unaware of the career opportunities in bioinformatics, and those who are may lack mentors to help them choose a specialization. The Bioinformatics Mentorship and Incubation Program seeks to bridge the gap by laying the foundation for a bioinformatics training p...
Abstract: In March 2021, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by four families (Aliusviridae, Crepuscuviridae, Myriaviridae, and Natareviridae), three subfamilies (Alpharhabdovirinae, Betarhabdovirinae, and Gammarhabdovirinae), 42 genera, and 200 species. Thirty-nine species were renamed and/or moved and seven species were abolished. This...
Abstract: Microsporidia are spore-forming eukaryotes that are related to fungi but have unique traits that set them apart. They have compact genomes as a result of evolutionary gene loss associated with their complete dependency on hosts for survival. Despite having a relatively small number of genes, a disproportionately high percentage of the genes in microsporidia genomes code for proteins whose functions remain unknown (hypothetical proteins—HPs). Computational annotation of HPs has be...
Abstract: Tsetse flies are the biological vectorsof human and animal trypanosomiasisand hence representant medical and veterinary importance. The sense of smell plays a significant role in tsetse and its ecological interaction, such as finding blood meal source, resting, and larvicidal sitesand for mating. Tsetse olfactory behaviour can be exploited for their management;however, olfactory studies in tsetse flies are still fragmentary. Here in my PhD thesis, usingscanning electron microscopy,...
Abstract: Tsetse flies are the sole vectors of African trypanosomiasis in humans (sleeping sickness) and animals (nagana). The whole genome sequence of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans revealed the presence of putative bracoviral sequences (n = 310) widely spread in the genome. These sequences are similar to those identified in parasitic braconid wasps. Bracoviruses (family Polydnaviridae) encode proteins that lower host immunity allowing for the development of parasitoid larvae i...
Abstract: African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is caused by parasites of the species Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma congolense, and Trypanosoma rhodesiense. Of 48 sub-Saharan African nations, 36 have endemic cases of AAT. The disease is prevalent in savannah and woodland areas. It poses a major threat to livestock production and health in agro-pastoralist communities, many of which are located along the boundaries of wildlife reserves. Most epidemiological studies on AAT around Shimba Hills ...
Abstract: The new generation of metagenomics has gained tremendous popularity in recent years. This has been majorly due to rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology, which has produced large amounts of sequence data in relatively shorter times, compared to conventional DNA sequencing methods. There is a need to taxonomically characterise these data by assigning individual sequence reads to their constituent taxa. However, there is lack of up-to-date and customized software tools to accomp...
Abstract: Generation of the three dimensional structures of macromolecules using in silico structural modeling technologies such as homology and de novo modeling has improved dramatically and increased the speed in which tertiary structures of organisms of interest can be generated. This is especially the case if a homologous crystal structure is already available. High resolution structures can be rapidly created using only their sequence information as input and thus increasing the speed o...
Abstract: Frankliniella schultzei Trybom is an important pest of ornamental and vegetable crops worldwide and a vector of Tospoviruses, which are plant viruses belonging to the family Bunyaviridae. It occurs as two color forms (dark and pale) which are morphologically very similar hence has been considered as one species. However, differences in vector competency and geographic spread has led to debate on whether they are one or separate species. Moreover, evidence is lacking on whether thes...
Abstract: Background: Human metapneumovirus(HMPV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are the leading causes of viral severe acute respiratory diseasein childhood. They are related viruses from the Pneumoviridaefamily andshow overlapping clinical, epidemiological and transmission features.Whether the two viruses also share similar patterns of geographic spread remains unknown; this may provide insight on common modalities of control. Materials and Methods:Using 232 HMPV and 842 RSV attachm...
Abstract: Advances in genotyping methods have shed more light into mosquito genetics and improved our understanding of vector-borne disease transmission cycles. Outside of Africa, Aedes aegypti, the main vector of arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika viruses, prefers humans for a blood meal, resting and breeding in close association with human settlements. However, in its native African ecology, both domestic (Aedes aegypti aegypti) and sylvatic (forest) (Aedes aeg...