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Nanoparticle sensor can distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia
Using this diagnostic, doctors could avoid prescribing antibiotics in cases where they won’t be effective. (Bhatia Lab)
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New light-powered catalysts could aid in manufacturing
When coated onto plastic tubing, the catalysts could act on chemicals flowing through, helping to synthesize drugs and other compounds. (Swager Lab)
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From seawater to drinking water, with the push of a button
Researchers build a portable desalination unit that generates clear, clean drinking water without the need for filters or high-pressure pumps. (Jongyoon Han lab).
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New maps show airplane contrails over the U.S. dropped steeply in 2020
The computer-vision technique behind these maps could help avoid contrail production, reducing aviation’s climate impact. Read more.
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Study sheds light on antibiotics-associated diarrhea
SMART researchers find explanation for why some patients might experience diarrhea after taking amoxicillin-clavulanate.
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How Omicron escapes from antibodies
A computational study shows that dozens of mutations help the virus’ spike protein evade antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2. Read more.
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NIEHS Paper of the Month: Tool quantifies differences in DNA repair among individuals
Tool quantifies differences in DNA repair among individuals
CometChip — a high-throughput tool developed with NIEHS funds to quantify DNA damage — can be used to measure differences among individuals in terms of their bodies’ capacity to repair such damage, according to a recent institute-supported study. That information may help to shed light on how much of a person’s disease risk is due to genetic versus environmental factors.
DNA damage can lead to mutations that drive diseases such as cancer, but damage levels and resulting genetic mutations can vary greatly among individuals due to differences in their genetics. Relatively few studies have evaluated variation in DNA repair capacity between individuals, and most of those involved small sample sizes.
Using CometChip, researchers explored DNA repair within individuals over time. They measured levels of DNA damage in cells collected from more than 50 people at multiple timepoints following oxidative damage and used Comet measurements in cultured cells as a control. Their analysis included more than 1,500 samples and more than 150,000 data points.
The team reported significant variability in DNA repair efficiency among individuals, with a 9.5-fold difference between the fastest and slowest repair rates. The researchers also observed differences in repair rates between visits for the same individual, indicating that DNA damage levels vary over time and may be affected by environmental factors.
According to the authors, CometChip may be useful for detecting differences in DNA repair capacity in large-scale clinical studies. They note that identifying people with reduced DNA repair capacity could inform personalized medical treatments.
Citation: Ngo LP, Kaushal S, Chaim IA, Mazzucato P, Ricciardi C, Samson LD, Nagel ZD, Engelward BP. 2021. CometChip analysis of human primary lymphocytes enables quantification of inter-individual differences in the kinetics of repair of oxidative DNA damage. Free Radic Biol Med 174:89–99.
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What Those Boston COVID Sewage Studies Can Tell Us about…Us
Professor Eric Alm: It's more than just seeing the future on new cases. Read more.
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Synthesis too slow? Let this robot do it.
Professor Bradley Pentelute: Tiny Tides is an automated fast-flow instrument that can synthesize peptide-nucleic acids in a single shot. Read more.
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Study: Indoor air cleaners fall short on removing volatile organic compounds
Comparison of four oxidation-based cleaners suggests the devices produce their own pollutants and vary in effectiveness. Read more.
