Biotech Updates

IFR Scientists Investigate Genes Involved in Virulence of Salmonella

February 3, 2012

Salmonella strains are notorious for contaminating food and water causing over a billion illnesses and about 500,000 deaths per year globally. Dr. Arthur Thompson and colleagues at the Institute of Food Research (IFR) in the UK mapped the transcriptional start sites (TSSs) where the genes responsible for invasion of cells are switched on and read from. Their study aims to elucidate how to control the virulence of Salmonella. Furthermore, the researchers found many RNA molecules that are not made into proteins, which are relevant in controlling the expression of genes involved in making Salmonella pathogenic.

Fore more details, read the media release and the research article at http://www.ifr.ac.uk/info/news-and-events/NewsReleases/120120salmonellatranscriptome.html and http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/13/25/abstract, respectively.