Background: Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are used extensively in areas such as medicine, catalysis, electronics, environmental science, and biotechnology. Therefore, facile synthesis of SNPs from an eco-friendly, inexpensive source is a prerequisite. In the present study, fabrication of SNPs from the leaf extract of Butea monosperma (Flame of Forest) has been performed. SNPs were synthesized fro...

A putative operon encoding the biosynthetic pathway for the cytotoxic cyanobacterial lipopeptides puwainphycins was identified in Cylindrospermum alatosporum. Bioinformatics analysis enabled sequential prediction of puwainaphycin biosynthesis; this process is initiated by the activation of a fatty acid residue via fatty acyl-AMP ligase and continued by a multidomain non-ribosomal peptide synthe...

Cyanobacteria represent a small taxonomic group of photosynthetic prokaryotes which some of them are capable of N2 fixation and also possess a tremendous potential for producing a wide range of secondary metabolites. It has been suggested that, some of these microorganisms, especially heterocystous cyanobacteria, assist higher plant growth by supplying growth stimulating substances. During a fl...

In modern life petroleum-based plastic has become indispensable due to its frequent use as an easily available and a low cost packaging and moulding material. However, its rapidly growing use is causing aquatic and terrestrial pollution. Under these circumstances, research and development for biodegradable plastic (bioplastics) is inevitable. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a type of microbial polye...

Histoplasmosis is a mild self-limiting respiratory illness in immune-competent individuals. It disseminates in immune-suppressed states like patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, haematological malignancies, post transplant states and patients receiving immunesuppressive therapy. Here we report a case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a 45 year old diabetic, returning work...

Management of end-stage coronary artery disease is often hopeless because of lack of evidence-based, uniformly effective, safe, and inexpensive treatment options. Geneor stem-cell-based therapies are not yet ready for routine clinical use, and heart transplantation is seriously limited by the scarcity of organs. In this regard, extracorporeal shockwave therapy is emerging as a noninvasive means...