DST from my perspective

The country is clearly another step ahead by using DST, Daylight Saving Time, from tonight. I wont go for justifications (one of my friend, Minhaz seriously doubts its any positive effect and he put forward lots of geographical explanations, lets not go to that.)

What I felt is the government failed to publicize it. Its now just a high class educated society clock time change phenomenon, rather than being an event of mass participation. I can give an example form my own life. The guard at our house today refused to open the gate at 7 am, he was insisting the gate will be opened at 7 but now its only 6 am. My brother, to his utter annoyance, failed to convince him that 7 is 7 and all the offices, schools, colleges and universities will start according to the new time schedule.

But the fact is, I'm not surprized at all, its the way things work in our beloved country. We have some highly talented individuals at the administration who execute their decisions without even the need of planning, let alone the concept of proper planning. Its ridiculous to start DST when technically we have already finished summer and on the brink of the longest day of the year (21st June, DST should be evenly distributed at the both side of the longest day, i.e. if DST is in operation for two months, one should be before the longest day, the rest should be after it).

Hail us and our leaders...


Image courtesy:
http://pakistaniat.com/images/Daylight-savings-Time.jpg

Catching Cold by reading New Scientist !!!

Theoritically right now I should not be writing blogs, I should have been checking different universities or taking rest :p

Anyway, couple of days back I was reading this article on Common Cold in New Scientist I brought from British Council. It was kind of interesting. Three suggestions were there if you want to avoid cold (don't sue me if you still catch cold):

1. Avoid direct contact with children, they are miserably efficient in transmitting viruses.
2. Avoid having cold feet, I'm not quite sure how this works, but I think the mechanism is if your feet is cold, the blood flow is directed to feet reducing the flow at the nose, thus reduced immunity! (No reference please, I'm not quite sure about the mechanism myself)
3. Finally, wash your hand regularly. In case you shake your hand with a person who has cold, you can also catch! Wash them, be safe :)

The funny thing is after reading the article, I wasn't feeling that much good! The very next day I caught cold! Is there any mechanism of catching cold by reading New Scientist article on Common Cold :p

Evolution of Anthocyanin pathway gene dihydroflavonol-4-reductases

I've started writing reviews of recent papers on GNOBB. I'll post my reviews here also. Below goes my first review, its on gene evolution through duplication, published online in Nature.

Gene duplication is one of the major ways of evolving genes with novel functions. There are two models on how gene duplications lead to new functions: 1) The NEO-F Model (Neo-functionalization) & 2) EAC (Escape of Adaptive Conflict) Model. In NEO-F model, new function is achieved after the event of duplication. On the contrary, in relatively unexplored EAC model genes acquire novel function which maintains its ancestral function also. This gene is constrained from improving either novel or ancestral function because of detrimental pleiotropic effects on the other function. But upon duplication, any of the copies can be selected for enhancement of the novel function. In a recent paper accepted in Nature Marias et al. explores the evolution of Anthocyanin pathway gene dihydroflavonol-4-reductases (DFR, EC number 1.1.1.219) in Eudicots with respect to both of these models. Their study suggests EAC as mode of evolutionary change of this gene. Besides they also conclude EAC may be far common mode of evolution than previously thought. One interesting conclusion of their study is that the evolution of novel function may sometimes be a byproduct of the evolution in enhanced ancestral activity.

Ref: Marais et al (2008). Escape from adaptive conflict after duplication in an anthocyanin pathway gene. doi:10.1038/nature07092.

Sequencing Beta-Globin

Yesterday our Thalassaemia research has crossed an important milestone, it may be a small step in our project yet it is the very first and utterly significant stride towards achieving our ultimate goal.

We have successfully sequenced a region of Beta-globin from a healthy individual. We don't yet have the sequence in our hand, expecting to have it in a while. I'm quite excited!!! Can't wait anymore....

DNA at last

Last few days had been quite hectic, starting from the 1st Day of 2008.

The objective was isolation and amplification of 587 bp region of Beta-globin. Started with isolation of buffy coat. I think this was the trickiest step, required lots of anticipations and assumptions. But I think we're very lucky, it didn't take much of our time. Then the DNA isolation and PCR. Today we've successfully completed PCR.

I'm very excited about tomorrow's work!

HFE stands for Haemochromatosis

Actually I should have posted this blog at least four months earlier...

Our bioinformatics assignment had a part on Haemochromatosis gene, its nomenclature HFE appeared bit confusing, so I had searched for its origin. Well, there was no specific answer but I got something.

The actual reason behind naming this gene as HFE is not known, but FE might be for Iron, which is closely associated with the pathogenesis of this disease. Some scientific literature states this gene as HLA-H, eventhough there is a wide debate in designating this gene in the group of HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen).

Reference:
Hemochromatosis gene nomenclature; American Journal of Medical Genetics 93:77 (2000)
www.genenames.org/activities/publications/PMID10861687.pdf

Scientific or Promotional!!!

Today a scientific conferance on Promotion of Biotechnology in Bangladesh: National and International Perspective has started at Sasaka Auditorium, ICDDR,B. The official URL for the conferance is

http://www.promotebiotechbd.net/index.htm

I was going through the conference schedule and related stuffs. My first reaction was, "Actually what is the purpose of arranging this conference?"

Its not a scientific conference. Most of the papers and posters going to be presented are already published stuffs!

A conference to promote biotechnology? Neither. In fact it will do even worse if this is the purpose. Only 300 restricted participants... inside a closed auditorium... no interaction with general people.

Another thing irked me. There is a cultural function session! Doesn't make any sense. To make things even worse Shuvro Dev has been paid Tk. 50000 to perform. Waste of invaluable money and time. You don't need cultural functions in scientific conference...

Bangladesh is a weird country with strange peoples! A conference has been arranged for the sake of arranging a conference... no goal, no objective...