We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Online Tool Designed to Aid Ebola Researchers

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 24 Dec 2014
Print article
Image: Illustration depicts the Ebolavirus and proteins on its surface that may provide targets for new drugs that could help treat or prevent Ebola infections (Photo courtesy of the Johns Hopkins University).
Image: Illustration depicts the Ebolavirus and proteins on its surface that may provide targets for new drugs that could help treat or prevent Ebola infections (Photo courtesy of the Johns Hopkins University).
Biotech researchers and drug developers seeking to find ways to control the Ebolavirus outbreak now have free access to a new online tool that enables visualization of Ebola gene mutations in the context of three-dimensional protein structures.

The Internet site called MuPIT (Mutation Position Imaging Toolkit) Ebola Edition was prepared by biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA). This first version of the program, which can be accessed online (please see related links below) provides visualization of user-specified mutations as well as mutations from 101 viral genome sequences, derived from blood samples taken from Ebola patients in West Africa. It includes functional annotations from the [US] National Institutes of Health's Universal Protein Resource database and epitope sequences from the [US] National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Immune Epitope and Analysis Resource.

The MuPIT Ebola Edition browser was designed to interact with the new Ebola Genome Browser released recently by the University of California, Santa Cruz (USA). The Ebola Genome Browser offers detailed genetic information about the virus while MuPIT provides three-dimensional views of Ebola’s proteins, making it easier to interpret the functional implications of mutations and their relationship to Ebolavirus evolution and its potential vulnerabilities.

“Learning more about the mutations and binding sites can be enormously valuable in developing new and better ways to treat Ebola patients and, ideally, to keep the virus from infecting people in the first place,” said Dr. Rachel Karchin, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. “Understanding the evolutionary and functional importance of mutations in the Ebola genome is important because it can help us anticipate how the virus will change in the future and then help us to design vaccines capable of neutralizing the virus and protecting against infection.”

Related Links:

Johns Hopkins University
MuPIT Ebola Edition
University of California, Santa Cruz


Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
GEM Premier 7000 with iQM3
Antipsychotic TDM AssaysSaladax Antipsychotic Assays
New
Nuclear Matrix Protein 22 Test
NMP22 Test
New
Anti-Secukinumab ELISA
LISA-TRACKER anti-Secukinumab

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The smartphone technology measures blood hemoglobin levels from a digital photo of the inner eyelid (Photo courtesy of Purdue University)

First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC

Blood hemoglobin tests are among the most frequently conducted blood tests, as hemoglobin levels can provide vital insights into various health conditions. However, traditional tests are often underutilized... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Under a microscope, DNA repair is visible as bright green spots (“foci”) in the blue-stained cell DNA. Orange highlights actively growing cancer cells (Photo courtesy of WEHI)

Simple Blood Test Could Detect Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women across the world are diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) therapy has been a major advancement in treating these cancers, particularly... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: HNL Dimer can be a novel and potentially useful clinical tool in antibiotic stewardship in sepsis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Unique Blood Biomarker Shown to Effectively Monitor Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis remains a growing problem across the world, linked to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Timely and accurate diagnosis, along with effective supportive therapy, is essential in reducing sepsis-related... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.