ATMS hold more than money
India’s demonetisation saga may be a goldmine of information about microbial diversity. A survey of ATM keypads in New York City — published this week in mSphere, an open access journal from the American Society for Microbiology — found a diverse array of microbes from human skin and household surfaces. The study shows that ATMs can provide a repository to offer a picture of a city’s DNA. The most common identified sources of microbes on the keypads were household surfaces such as televisions, restrooms, kitchens and pillows. Researchers also found microbes from bony fish, mollusks, and chicken in different New York City neighbourhoods, suggesting that residual DNA from a meal may remain on a person’s hands and be transferred to the ATM keypad upon use while also pointing to a link between geography and specific microbes. ATM keypads located in laundromats and stores had the highest number of biomarkers.
Pregnancy link to future allergies
A new study on rats could begin to explain why allergies during pregnancy are linked to higher risks for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism in children. Researchers at The Ohio State University found significant changes in the brain make-up of foetuses and newborn rats exposed to allergens during pregnancy.
Animals that lived to adulthood after allergen exposure before birth showed signs of hyperactivity and antisocial behaviour and decreased anxiety, found a research team led by Kathryn Lenz, an Ohio State assistant professor of psychology.
Though there are established links between allergies and ADHD and autism — as well as between inflammation and risk of autism, schizophrenia and ADHD — the cellular-level changes that could contribute to those connections largely remain a mystery.
Unruly hair? Blame it on genes
Researchers at the Universities of Bonn and Toulouse have identified mutations in three genes that are responsible for “un-combable hair syndrome”, or hair that is so knotty and tangled that it defies the most resolute combs. Scientists from eight countries sequenced all the genes of a large number of people who’ve complained of intractable hair. In the American Journal of Human Genetics scientist report mutations in three genes, which are involved in forming hair, and consequently responsible for their make-up. The changed genes bear the identifiers PADI3, TGM3 and TCHH. The first two contain the assembly instructions for enzymes, while the third contains an important protein for the hair shaft. In healthy hair, the TCHH proteins are joined to each other with extremely fine strands of keratin, which are responsible for the shape and structure of the hair.
Saliva test can detect kidney disease
A simple saliva test may be helpful for diagnosing kidney disease, especially in developing countries. Viviane Calice-Silva of the Pro-Kidney Foundation in Brazil has evaluated the diagnostic performance of a salivary urea nitrogen (SUN) dipstick in Malawi. Among 742 individuals who were studied, investigators diagnosed 146 patients with kidney disease using standard tests. High SUN levels were associated not only with the standard diagnostic tests but also with a higher risk of early death. “Our data suggest that SUN can improve the detection of kidney disease, increasing the awareness to this devastating complication,” said Dr. Calice-Silva.
