Microbiology and Immunology

A couple of HLA related questions: 1. Why is HLA matching not so important in kidney transplantation, but critically important in stem cell transplantation? 2. Kidney transplant tissue typing refers to the HLA-DR antigen whereas stem cell transplant tissue typing refers to the HLA-DRB1 antigen. Is there any difference between "DR" and "DRB1"? Cheers!

Here is a call for discussion. In March (Science, March 2, Evidence for a functional second thymus in mice) a German team reported having isolated a second thymus (YES A BRAND NEW PREVIOUSLY UNIDENTIFIED ORGAN) in the mouse http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16513945&query_hl=3&itool=pubmed_docsum. This has clear consequences for teams who were previously doing thymectomy to prevent lymphocyte development. Does anyone performed thymectomy in mice? If yes, what is the remaining population found in periphery? How did you address that it was peripheral expansion?

How does the body recognise a foren body, like a virus or bacteria. is it because of a chemical signiture thats unique to that virus, or is it something else? How do the Red Blood Cells carry oxygen?

They say this crap every year about every virus. It's complete bull. They said a lot of people were going to die when we ran short of flu vaccine, mad cow disease, killer bees, west nile, etc. I'm not saying a devastating plague is never gonna happen cause it probably will, but it will probably be one we never see coming. Soon we will all die. Or grow feathers and cluck. a lot of people are gonna die, just in countries most of you have never heard of. The guy from Jane's Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Wow, he's moved up in the world! Ha ha, yeah, all joking aside, this bird flu thing? Scary shit. But how many of those 5-150 million deaths are …

5 years ago I had unprotected sex with a man which I know that had many sex partners. Ejaculation was always outside my body except once. 5 1/2 months after first contact and approx. 9 weeks from this once time I menioned above, I get sick and had swollen gland on my neck. The diagnosis was sinus infection. After this I don't have any significant health problems. Recently I read about early HIV infection symptoms and get crazy. I'm constantly thinking of it and getting more and more crazy that my illness 5 years ago means something else. Am I worrying for nothing and should I get tested?

is it Orthopoxvirus vaccinia

Dear , I want to write a review paper on tumor immunotherapy, but I have no idea about its submission. Does Journals just accept review from invited author, or anybody can write and submit to a certain journal? Thanks

Does anyone know of a good microscope book I could buy for a decent price? I have searched on amazon and all I find is a bunch of kiddy junk. I want something a more technical, but no so much so that I have no idea what I'm reading. thanks

is it possible that a bacteriophage can be used to cure diseases caused by the bacilli?since they donot cause any damage to the human cells, it should be a possibility. i think so.

id like to clean my blood out, is there any such tablets that can do this if so does anybody know what there called, can anybody give me any information on this topic thnks holly

I got a case of Dermatophytes (common name is "Ring Worm") for almost two weeks now. You ever got it or heard of it before? Ring Worm also termed tinea corporis, is an infectious skin disease caused by mold-like fungi called Dermatophytes. The fungus are dependcy on your dead skins to keep them alive. The common symptoms for ringworms are itching, burning, dryness, or circular flaky rashes on the skin. Areas such as the back of neck/hairline, back, gential parts, goes unnoticed, until you find them. As they feed on the dead skins, they don't mingle with your blood, so you won't feel sick. Therefore, you won't know that you have Ring Worm, until you find it. I'm a wre…

I'm having trouble identifying the following etiologic spirochete agents based o the following signs and symptoms: a) patint has only flu-like symtpoms, agent can be isolated and cultured on artificial media b) patient has mutliple lesions on the body and suffers from headaches, fever, and sore throat

Smells like e.coli, which of the sectors do you think the bacteria originated?

well I guess its pollen season again and my sister is having this huge allergy attack. Do any of you guys know some good home remedies or foods/herbs for allergy relief b/c she is EXTREMELY sensitive to medicines. Or maybe the medicine with midlest/least side-effects? thanks.

Why is rheumatic fever is considered a poststreptococcal diseases?

My microbial physiology professor has asked the class to think of a loud microbial physiology demonstration/experiment that she can do in class in order to startle the physics class next door which has been "exploding" things in the classroom next door. I have searched the internet, and have yet to find something. Does anyone have any suggestions??? Thanks.

Some more articles about the H5N1 bird flu: http://www.livescience.com/othernews/ap_060217_bird_flu.html http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/ap_060213_flu_europe.html http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/ap_060208_flu_africa.html http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/ap_050223_flu_warning.html These articles have convinced me to become worried. I hope the U.S. will have some sort of pandemic plan before the virus changes to allow itself to transfer from one person to another.

In 2006, the Department of Microbiology at the National University of Irealnd, Galway will be organising the Infectious Disease UREKA Summer Undergraduate Research Programme for the second time. The Infectious Disease UREKA Programme offers undergraduate students the opportunity to experience laboratory research and to acquire a range of scientific skills. Students conduct an individual research project on an infectious disease topic with an active research group at NUI, Galway. They also attend a series of events to develop the skills needed for a research career. Irish and international students are encouraged to apply. Please would you bring this programme to the a…

Is anyone aware of a restriction enzyme database that is easyer to search than rebase? eg, i want to find a restriction enzyme that... has a recognition sequence that: doesnt start or end in C doesnt contain a CG or GC is palendromic [*]works at 37oC [*]has been sequenced [*]has a methylase that has been sequenced [*]has a methylase that methylates cytosine [*]and prefferably... has a methylase that metylates cytosine somewhere other than carbon-5 is small (both restriction enzyme and methylase) and cuts to leave blunt-ends Now, i dont mind a certain level of reading through lists till i find what i want, but so far, i cant…

Whup de doo, my first post Seriously, for all you biomedical experts out there, is it theoretically possible to genetically engineer bacteria to hunt pathogens for common human diseases? This would only work for bacteria-eating bacteria, (as far as I know there are no virus-eating bacteria), so this would elimnate a sizable number of ailments, from HIV to the common cold. For diseases such as Tuberculosis, however, couldn't you modify a common strain to hunt down the pathogen? First thread, so please, be gentle

i read in a book somewhere that if someone has an infection or disease such as syphilis, then by giving them another disease thing such as malaria can over-ride the syphilis and they wont have it anymore. is that possible?

Apparently, you can't change anything in a mammalian system without subverting your end goals. Something I am very well aware of. HIV-SARS-ccr5

listen everyone this a very serious question. when a virus enters it triggers off the interferon production , and they try to interfere with the virus. so even when hiv enters they should be some kind of a reaction , why can't the antibodies fight against it. all right it mutates but the mutation has to be a point mutation or how does the virus retain it's identity.i'm confused.

this question might sound strange but im curious. Which are your favorite/least favorite microorganisms? my favorite: the Clostridium bacterias, amoebas and cyanobacteria. possibly flagellates but only some of them least favorite:Viruses, although i don't know if i consider them organisms

i know it's kind of a dumb question, but how do they designate what's a cell and what isn't?