Comet Shape©

Comet assay is an invaluable tool in DNA research. It is widely used to detect DNA damage as an indicator of exposure to genotoxic stress. A canonical set of parameters and specialized software programs exist for Comet assay data quantification and analysis. None of them so far has proven its potential to employ a computer-based algorithm for assessment of the shape of the comet as an indicator of the exact mechanism by which the studied genotoxins cut in the molecule of DNA.

Here, we present the development of specialized software for comet assay data analysis, which allows fast and precise discrimination of the type of DNA damage. The software is named CometShape^© which is completely in unison with its way of functioning. It analyses comet images by mathematical description of their shape and by following an algorithm for calculation of more than 14 comet shape parameters leads to statistical elaboration of three coefficients of correlation: r1, r2 and r3. By this everyone could very easily determine the type of DNA damage in the cells induced by the studied genotoxin.

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Going natural or how smart countries are dealing with the problem with food colorants

The problem with food additives is going viral as even Yahoo Food starts vigorously discussing the problem. Recently, it turned out that American food producers are starting changing artificial food dyes with natural. And though using natural colorants is quite challenging and to some extent difficult it is worth trying.
Read more on: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/popular-foods-taking-hues-without-144145123.html

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За и против разрешените Е-та в храните.

Лаборатория по Молекулярна генетика, ИМБ - БАН представи на пресконференция в БТА резултати от наскоро приключило научно изследване върху значението на хранителните добавки, означени с Е номер, върху ДНК.
Пресконференцията беше водена от доц. Милошев, присъстваха още г-жа Ганета Сагова, гл. редактор на Списание ОСЕМ и екипът на доц. Милошев: гл. ас. Десислава Станева, гл. ас. Милена Георгиева, магистър Джулия Милчева, г-н Матьо Серкеджиев и г-н Тoни Eфремoв.
Целта беше да се алармира широката общественост за вредата от прекомерното използване на храни, подобрени или оцветени с изкуствено синтезирани хранителни добавки и оцветители.

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За и против Е тата в нашата храна

Пресконференция на Лаборатория по Молекулярна генетика, ИМБ - БАН във връзка с наскоро приключило научно изследване, целящо да докаже ефекта от действието на различни хранителни добавки, оцветители и консерванти върху ДНК

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XXV International Conference Stara Zagora

The Laboratory of Yeast Molecular Genetics has successfully participated at the XXVth International Scientific Conference, organized by the Bulgarian Union of Scientists in Stara Zagora on June 4th, 2015. Dzhulija Milcheva and Matthew Serkedjiev have presented a talk and a poster, the two presenting part of their scientific work in the laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Miloshev.
The talk was given by Mr. Serkedjiev and its title was: "Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromatin mutants exhibit premature ageing phenotypes".
The poster was presented by Ms. Milcheva, MSc and its topic was: "Epigenetic significance of chromatin structure in cellular ageing".

Both of them masterly and  skillfully discussed their results with the audience and proudly defended their scientific passion and striving for science.

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New discoveries in the field of ageing

The recently published paper, entitled: Methanol extracts from the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis ameliorate cellular vitality in chronologically ageing Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, in the journal of Biogerontology, reveals novel unexpected anti-ageing properties of methanol extracts from Bulgarian endemic plant Haberlea rhodopensis.

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Доц. Милошев гост в предаването "1001 Защо", БНР, програма Христо Ботев

Епигенетиката – нов поглед към еволюцията
http://bnr.bg/hristobotev/post/100526868

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The team recently published an important manuscript showing an interplay between the linker histone Hho1p and Arp4p (a constituent of three chromatin modifying complexes in yeast)

Int J Biochem Cell Biol.
2014 Dec 24;59C:182-192. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2014.12.006. [Epub ahead of print]

The linker histone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae interacts with actin-related protein 4 and both regulate chromatin structure and cellular morphology.
 

Georgieva M¹, Staneva D¹, Uzunova K¹, Efremov T¹, Balashev K², Harata M³, Miloshev G⁴.

Author information

Abstract

Chromatin structure promotes important epigenetic mechanisms that regulate cellular fate by organizing, preserving and controlling the way by which the genetic information works. Our understanding of chromatin and its functions is sparse and not yet well defined. The uncertainty comes from the complexity of chromatin and is induced by the existence of a large number of nuclear proteins that influence it. The intricate interaction among all these structural and functional nuclear proteins has been under extensive study in the recent years. Here, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae linker histone physically interacts with Arp4p (actin-related protein 4) which is a key subunit of three chromatin modifying complexes - INO80, SWR1 and NuA4. A single - point mutation in the actin - fold domain of Arp4p together with the knock-out of the gene for the linker histone in S. cerevisiae severely abrogates cellular and nuclear morphology and leads to complete disorganizing of the higher levels of chromatin organization.

Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An audio slide presentation of the article can be viewed here.

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