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Air traffic at an airport in China was restricted for about an hour after a UFO was spotted over it, media reports said Thursday.
The UFO was seen over the runway at Chongqing Municipality's Jiangbei International Airport, following which flights were disrupted, Shanghai Daily reported.
Air traffic was restricted for about an h
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our from 12.30 pm. The restriction was lifted after the UFO left, the news daily said.
Authorities in Chongqing have not offered an explanation for the unusual phenomenon.
Airport officials, however, were of the opinion that it could be a sky lantern or a large balloon. A sky lantern is used by Chinese when they pray for good luck.
In a first-of-its kind lawsuit, an IT staffing firm has accused one of its former employees of violating the terms of her non-compete agreements through her conduct on LinkedIn.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Minnesota by TEKsystems Inc., charges former employee Brelyn Hammernik of soliciting TEKSystems’ employees and clients using LinkedIn.
The lawsuit alleges that after Hammernik left TEKsystems in Nov. 2009, she “communicated” with at least 20 TEKSystems contract employees and “connected” with about 16 of them using the LinkedIn professional network.
TEKsystems contends that Hammernik’s actions were on behalf of her new employer and constituted a violation of the non-compete and non-solicitation contracts that she signed when joining TEKsystems as a recruiter in Jan. 2007.
The case could “have far-reaching implications for the law governing restrictive covenants in employment,” Renee Jackson, a Boston-based labor and employment attorney with Nixon Peabody LLP, wrote in a blog post.
The lawsuit raises the interesting legal question of whether the mere act of connecting with other professionals on a social networking site constitute a violation of non-compete and non-solicitation contracts, Jackson wrote. “Does the mere existence of a network of professional contacts equal solicitation?” wrote Jackson, who declined to be interviewed for this story citing conflict issues.
It also raises the question of whether complying with a non-solicitation restriction would require individuals to disconnect and de-friend colleagues and customers of former employees until the restriction period expires, Jackson noted.
According to TEKsystems, its restrictive covenants specifically forbade Hammernik from contacting its employees for the purposes of recruiting them, for a period of 18 months after leaving the company.
TEKsystems names two other former employees, and Horizontal Integration, Inc. Hammernik’s current employer in its lawsuit. The suit against Hammernik was filed in March, but the case has flown largely under the media radar so far.
The TEKsystems complaint lists a specific example of a LinkedIn communication where Hammernik appears to be inviting a employee of the firm to join her new company.
That one exchange could be seen as a clear violation of Hammernik’s non-compete agreement, Jackson said. But even here it’s unclear if she would have some wiggle room if Hammernik’s contract did not specifically mention social media communications, she wrote.
“Does the medium matter, or just the message? Would such communication be treated the same as e-mail, or does ‘social media’ require its own standard?” Jackson wrote.
Rob Radcliff, an attorney with Gruber, Hurst, Johansen & Hail LLP, who has represented IT recruiting firms in non-compete cases, said it’s the first time where social media communications is being used as direct evidence of a non-compete violation.
Radcliff said Hammernik could have a hard time defending herself based on the LinkedIn communications that TEKsystems has highlighted in its complaint.
But what is unclear is how the company might have gotten its hands on the communications, and how many other examples the company might have of similar exchanges, Radcliff said. “In terms of the violation, the only evidence appears to be the LinkedIn communication,” he said. “You got to wonder if the other communications were similar.”
Typically, unless there is some “draconian provision”, non-compete agreements should not prevent employees from using sites such as LinkedIn to remain in touch with other professionals and update contacts on their whereabouts, he said.
It’s only when they use such sites to openly solicit that the could run into trouble, as happened in this case, he said.
Jaikumar Vijayan covers data security and privacy issues, financial services security and e-voting for Computerworld. Follow Jaikumar on Twitter at @jaivijayan or subscribe to Jaikumar’s RSS feed. His e-mail address is jvijayan@computerworld.com.
Read more about management and careers in Computerworld’s Management and Careers Topic Center.
Original story – here
Islamabad, May 21 (ANI): Pakistan’s blockage on wildly popular web-sites like YouTube and Facebook will likely have a reverse effect from the one desired by authorities as curious Netizens would log onto these sites to see what the brouhaha is about.
Pakistan’s telecom regulatory body, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has said it found ‘sacrilegious’ content on YouTube, leading them to block it. Incidentally, YouTube has been co-founded by Jawed Karim, a Muslim.
“We have asked the Internet service providers to block more than 450 web links, which contain derogatory material,” The News quoted a PTA spokesman, as saying.
“The action follows our repeated attempts to convince these websites to discard such material,” he added.
He said the PTA had approached the administrators of the websites through emails, however he could not name the officials who had been contacted.
Industry officials, on the other hand, say the authorities have yet to get in touch with the people who run Facebook and YouTube, the report said.
These hasty suppressive tactics are probably not going to be too fruitful, according to industry officials.
“There is no way of stopping this. The day government lifts restriction from these websites, the Internet traffic will double. People will visit them just out of curiosity,” said an advertiser, who deals with Facebook and YouTube. (ANI)
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), May 21(ANI): Movement of persons along the International Border has been restricted between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m..
The order issued by the Jammu”s District Magistrate M.K. Dwivedi.
Dwivedi said that only in exceptional circumstances would residents be issued curfew passes to allow them to move out during curfew hours, especially to seek urgent medical aid or undertake threshing operations.
This restriction shall remain in force for two months. (ANI)
Washington, May 14 (ANI): A study has shown that if skilled foreign IT professionals were restricted from working in the United States, it would actually affect American workers, as it would lead firms into hiring IT pros to work outside the US.
According to the Management Insights feature, the study, which relies on salary data of more than 50,000 IT professionals, puts into doubt calls for more restrictive policies for workers in the United States on H-1B visas.
H-1B is a temporary work visa issued to employers allowing them to hire professionals in occupations that require a bachelor’s degree and highly specialized skills.
The authors warn that enacting policies that restrict the number of skilled IT professionals would lead American companies off-shore, hiring IT pros to work outside the U.S.
They say that reports of Microsoft hiring foreign IT professionals in Canada, who were denied visas to work in the U.S., suggests that the damage may already be happening.
In a worst case scenario, they warn, policies restricting immigration of specialized workers will hurt the long-term competitiveness of U.S. firms and the domestic economy.
The authors argue that higher quotas for specialized workers benefit American companies.
“A culturally and globally diverse workforce, even if it comes at a higher price and means paying higher wages for foreign IT professionals, may prove highly effective in capitalizing on opportunities for leveraging foreign countries as source or as markets for improved competitiveness,” the authors wrote.
The findings appear in the current issue of Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). (ANI)
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 19 (ANI): The Indian Government is studying appeals from frequent Malaysian visitors and interested groups for the two-month “no-entry” visa ruling imposed here in January to be revoked.
The ruling, which bars tourist visa holders from re-entering India within two months of the last visit, has drawn flak from Malaysians who have been visiting friends and relatives in India without restrictions in the past.
“It is a fact that they have expressed dismay over this restriction. I explained that we are implementing a policy which has been enforced globally and that we are obliged to do so here,” said new Indian High Commissioner Vijay Gokhale.
“I promised to reflect their concerns to New Delhi, which I have,” he told The Star, adding that he had met with various groups of Malaysians to gather their views on the issue.
The Indian Government tightened its rules on long-term tourist visas, saying that the rules were meant to prevent the misuse of such visas by terrorists.
Malaysian tourists have been enjoying six-month multiple-entry visas, with many making use of the privilege for holidays.
With the new ruling, they will only be able to visit India twice within the visa-period.
Businessman T. Indran, a frequent traveller to Chennai, urged India to review the restriction due to the large number of Malaysian Indians who visit India. (ANI)
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 19 (ANI): The Indian Government is studying appeals from frequent Malaysian visitors and interested groups for the two-month “no-entry” visa ruling imposed here in January to be revoked.
The ruling, which bars tourist visa holders from re-entering India within two months of the last visit, has drawn flak from Malaysians who have been visiting friends and relatives in India without restrictions in the past.
“It is a fact that they have expressed dismay over this restriction. I explained that we are implementing a policy which has been enforced globally and that we are obliged to do so here,” said new Indian High Commissioner Vijay Gokhale.
“I promised to reflect their concerns to New Delhi, which I have,” he told The Star, adding that he had met with various groups of Malaysians to gather their views on the issue.
The Indian Government tightened its rules on long-term tourist visas, saying that the rules were meant to prevent the misuse of such visas by terrorists.
Malaysian tourists have been enjoying six-month multiple-entry visas, with many making use of the privilege for holidays.
With the new ruling, they will only be able to visit India twice within the visa-period.
Businessman T. Indran, a frequent traveller to Chennai, urged India to review the restriction due to the large number of Malaysian Indians who visit India. (ANI)
The Western Australian Government has decided to renew Wangkatjungka’s alcohol ban for another three years.
The Minister for Racing and Gaming, Terry Waldron, says it is the first time a section 175 restriction has been put in place for such a long period.
“We’ve usually initially looked at a year, just to make sure it is working and that the community are committed and the policing is adequate and so on,” he said.
“It’s proved very successful and the community’s asked for an extension. As the Minister responsible, I’ve extended that for another three years.”
Women who have undergone a mastectomy move their shoulders differently to those who have not had the operation, a study has found.
The findings may be linked to the fact that many women report shoulder problems after surgery for breast cancer. The study’s authors, however, say it is too soon to be sure.
Physiotherapist Dr Jack Crosbie from the University of Sydney and colleagues report their findings in the journal Physical Therapy.
“A lot of women who have had a mastectomy do have problems with their shoulder, but because they’re so relieved to survive their cancer it tends to be not a high priority,” Dr Crosbie said.
Previous studies have relied on self-reports from women, but Dr Crosbie and his colleagues have carried out the first biomechanical study of the problem.
They compared the arm and upper trunk movement of women who had had a mastectomy with those of the same age who had not.
None of the women in the study reported shoulder pain or restriction.
The women, aged between 45 and 80, carried out simple every-day movements such as reaching their arms out.
There were 29 women who had had a mastectomy on the same side as their dominant arm and 24 women who had had a mastectomy on the opposite side of their dominant arm.
“Whichever side the surgery had occurred on there was a change in the coordination pattern of the shoulder girdle and the shoulder joint on that side, compared to the control women,” Dr Crosbie said.
He says women who had had a mastectomy tended to move their shoulder girdle (scapula) more and their shoulder joint (and arm) less when reaching the same distance as women without a mastectomy.
“They were sort of hitching their shoulder, particularly on the side that had been operated on,” he said.
Dr Crosbie says this type of movement is also seen in problems such as frozen shoulder, where people try to minimise moving the shoulder joint itself.
But he emphasises it is too early to say whether the pattern of movement seen in the post-mastectomy group of women will lead to restriction and pain.
Cause unknown
Dr Crosbie says it is not known what causes the difference in movement.
He says it has been suggested that the asymmetry of having one breast removed may cause the difference in movement because one side of the body is lighter.
“We can’t exclude that,” Dr Crosbie said, adding that his team found women with small breasts were equally affected as women with large breasts. This was not reported in the paper.
Dr Crosbie speculates that the change in movement could be due to habituation.
He says it is possible that conditions after the operation lead women to constrain their movements because, for example, they do not want to stretch their scar or damage their wound.
Dr Crosbie says he would like to conduct a longitudinal study of women to see the impact of mastectomy.
He thinks it would be useful to include in the study one group of women who are encouraged to move their shoulder properly after surgery to see if this reduces the number of reports of shoulder problems later.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) says there are significant problems with a recently completed coal rail project worth $500 million in north Queensland.
RTBU spokesman Les Moffat says residents near the Jilalan Rail Yard, south of Sarina, are complaining about excessive noise, and tests by Queensland Rail (QR) have found the noise level is unacceptable.
Mr Moffat says the noise is so bad that it is frightening young children who live nearby.
“The actual noise levels are that bad that one family that lives in close proximity to the rail network, when trains do move round the new bypass, their children hold their ears and run inside because of the loud screeching sound coming from the wheels of the rolling stock,” he said.
He says a speed limit of 25 kilometres an hour in a 70 kilometre zone has also been imposed due to concerns about signals along the new $500 million deviation.
“We’re not convinced that the actual signalling is in the appropriate position and we’ve had a few issues with drivers with the signals, so until we get on top of it, that’s why we’ve got that restriction in place,” he said.
Mr Moffat says the Sarina community is not the only one being affected by noise concerns.
“We’ve got the similar issue at Coppabella and another area is Collinsville where, rightfully so, the residents are concerned about the excessive noise with the increase of these coal trains through the heart of the town,” he said.
“The Premier of Queensland’s response was she’s not going to impose the extra cost onto the mining companies – now that’s not good enough.”
Queensland Rail is yet to respond to the ABC’s request for an interview.
Bhubaneswar, Mar 20 (ANI): Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia, who was arrested last night for attempting to enter riot-hit Kandhamal district, was released early Saturday.
Togadia was stopped at Charichhak in Boudh district as he tried to enter Kandhamal, despite a ban imposed by the district administration on his entry.
He was booked under Section 151 of the CrPc to prevent breach of peace in the area.
Terming the ban as illegal, he said, it was not fair on the part of the State Government to put a restriction on his visit.
Meanwhile, the VHP has called for 12-hour Kandhamal shutdown today in protest against the administration”s move to bar Togadia from entering Kandhamal. (ANI)
State Parliament has passed laws removing the restriction on the amount of time sufferers of asbestos-related diseases have to claim compensation.
The legislation lifts a three-year limitation for sufferers of dust-related diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and silicosis to lodge a claim.
The Attorney-General Cameron Dick says it will reduce the costs associated with pursuing compensation.
“It’s no doubt that the removal of this hurdle will improve access to justice,” Mr Dick said.
The bill indexes the caps on civil damages pay-outs and allows the defacto partner of an injured person to claim damages.
Parliament has also passed legislation allowing more overseas-trained vets to teach in Queensland after a recent decline in student numbers.
MPs will return to the chamber in a fortnight.
New Delhi, Sep 16 (ANI): Taking into account the current spread of the swine flu in the country, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has decided allow retail sell of Oselatamivir Phosphate and Zanamivir in a regulated manner.
The Oselatamivir Phosphate and Zanamivir are only available drugs that can be used for the treatment of swine flu.
The ministry issued an order in this regard under Section 26 E of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940.
Earlier, the retail sale of Oselatamivir phosphate was banned by the Central Government and its distribution was permissible only through Public Health Institutions and on the other hand, there was no restriction on the retail sale of Zanamivir.
After the issue of the notification, the chemists who have license to sell, stock or distribute drugs specified under Schedule X to the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945 would be authorized to sell the above named drugs against proper medical prescriptions.
The ministry has asked the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these drugs to be prepared to roll out the drugs into the retail market after the issue of the notification.
It is expected that within the next five to seven days both the drugs would be available in the retail market. (ANI)
New Delhi, Sep 11 (ANI): India and Nepal signed here a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for review of Air Service Agreement (ASA) and a technical accord.
As per the understanding reached between the delegation from the two countries, the weekly seat capacity has been increased to 30,000 from the existing 6,000. This step can safely be expected to give a whole new boost to tourism as well as trade between the two countries.
Three new points have been granted to Nepal, namely Dehra Dun, Gorakhpur and Bagdogra and for India, Pokhara, Lumbini, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Janakpur, Dhangadi and Bhairahawa.
However, within their overall capacity entitlements, the designated airlines of Nepal shall be entitled to operate not exceeding 10,000 seats per week to/from Mumbai and Bangalore each and not exceeding 15,000 seats per week to/from Delhi. This restriction will become null and void from January 1, 2011.
Regarding the revised route schedule, the Nepali delegation stated that barring Kathmandu, there is no other airport in Nepal which is suitable for operation of international flights.
The designated airlines of each party shall be entitled to operate any number of all-cargo services between each other’s territory with any type of aircraft with full 3rd, 4th and 5th freedom traffic rights. Such all-cargo services may also be operated under co-operative marketing arrangements such as code sharing blocked space.
The delegations took note of the Technical Co-operation Agreement signed between the Airports Authority of India and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Both sides agreed to take further action for implementation of this Agreement.
The Indian side reiterated its request that permission for the deployment of sky marshals on the flights operated by the designated airlines of India to/from Nepal may be expedited.
The Nepal side took note of the request and informed that the matter had already been referred to the appropriate authority of the Government of Nepal. The Nepal side will pursue the matter. This Memorandum of Understanding shall super cede all previous arrangements to the extent applicable and shall come into force with immediate effect.
The Indian delegation was led by M. Madhavan Nambiar, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Nepal side was led by Nagendra Prasad Ghimire, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. (ANI)
Melbourne, September 10 (ANI): A senior member of the Liberal Party of Australia has warned against children’s exposure to pornography at home, saying viewing of the restricted material is as dangerous as guns for kids.
Scott Morrison suggested that laws should be introduced Down Under forbidding parents from letting their kids watch the explicit content.
“It is not acceptable to knowingly or negligently expose a child to pornographic material. To do so in my view is child abuse, ” News.com.au quoted Morrison as telling Federal Parliament.
“Even those who would defend an adult’s right to porn would surely not oppose any restriction or sanction placed on parents who knowingly or negligently expose their children to this abuse,” he added.
The 41-year old also said that porn should be treated like dangerous firearms and kept under lock and key to protect youngsters from its risks, that include developing sexually deviant tendencies, committing sexual offences and having difficulties with intimate relationships.
Morrison said: “Any ammunition must be stored in a locked and separate container, it must be put in a locked receptacle which is very solid, and failure to meet these requirements attracts a jail sentence.
“If we can protect our children from guns then we should also be aware of the loaded gun that is lying around in the homes of thousands of Australians on their computer, on their coffee table, in their bathroom or in their bookcase.” (ANI)
Islamabad, Sep 7 (ANI): Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would actively participate in politics after November 30 when a two-year constitutional bar on him holding public office comes to an end, according to a former minister.
Addressing reporters in Islamabad, former federal minister and central leader of the PML-Q, Chaudhry Shahbaz, said on Sunday that he held several meetings with the former president in London and also met him recently in Jeddah.
“Musharraf would unite various factions of the PML-Q and participate in politics from that platform,” said Shahbaz who served as Minister for Population Welfare in the Musharraf regime.
He said the two-year constitutional restriction, which prevents Musharraf from participating in politics, would end on November 30, after which he would announce his future strategy, the Daily Times reported.
Shahbaz termed Musharraf a “visionary leader whose services are required by the nation.
“After Benazir Bhutto, we have no leader … who can deliver lectures in 17 countries. Musharraf is recognised all over the world,” he said.
Replying to a question, he said he was part of the Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain-led faction of the PML-Q.
Asked about differences between Musharraf and the Chaudhry brothers, he said, “Sometimes, even brothers can develop differences. But these differences can be settled.”
Asked if any mutual friends were trying to resolve differences between the two sides, he said an effort could be launched.
“It would not be an uphill task,” he said. He said a trial for the former president could open a Pandora’s box. (ANI)
Amritsar, Aug 28 (ANI): Anguished Indian villagers in Punjab, whose farms lie across the fencing along the Pakistan border have staged a protest over problems faced in tilling their fields.
The protest was staged under the banner of the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha (Democratic Farmers Council) and the Border Area Sangharsh (Struggle) Committee.
Hundreds of agitating farmers gathered in Bhindi Saiydan village of Amritsar on Thursday, saying that the Border Security Force has enforced stiff restrictions, giving them little access to till their land and tend the crops.
“We are facing a lot of difficulties. The gate opens at 9 in the morning and around 1 to 2 pm in the afternoon, they ask us to go back. If any farmer has work left, they even ask those farmers to leave,” said Balbir Singh, a farmer.
“We also demand that close relatives of these border farmers be given employment opportunities,” said Satnam Singh Ajnala, president of Jamhuri Kisan Sabha.
Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts alone have about 170-kilometre long border with Pakistan.
India began setting up a long fence along the disputed border with Pakistan in the mid-90s to stop militant groups and illegal immigrants from sneaking into Indian territory.
Pakistan initially objected to the fence, but India hurriedly set it up at least 2-4 km away from the border line in some places, saying they were coming under heavy firing from across the border.
As a result, vast areas of fertile land in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, were left outside the fence, leading to protests from Indian farmers. (ANI)
Washington, August 26 (ANI): A new study has shown that pregnant women with pre-eclampsia have unusually high levels of a chemical compound called ‘ergothioneine’, which is found in unpasteurised food, in the red blood cells.
The finding made by scientists at the University of Leeds attains significance because they suggest that ergothioneine is an indicator of pre-eclampsia, and may help scientists to understand the cause of the condition, which is currently unknown.
The researchers took blood samples from a group of 37 pregnant women, and compared the red blood cells from women with pre-eclampsia with those from women with no symptoms.
Writing about their findings in the journal Reproductive Sciences, the researchers said that they found a significantly higher concentration of the ergothioneine – a compound made by fungi – in the red blood cells of the women with pre-eclampsia.
Ergothioneine is already well known to be made by micro-organisms that are commonly found in foods like unpasteurised dairy products. Since humans cannot synthesise it, the compound finds its way into human cells exclusively through our diet.
Pregnant women are not advised against eating fungi or foods such as unpasteurised dairy products which contain ergothioneine producing fungi. In fact, scientific studies on animals highlight the benefit of ergothioneine.
“These results suggest that a higher level of ergothioneine is an indicator of pre-eclampsia,” says lead researcher Dr. Julie Fisher, a chemist at the University of Leeds.
“I would not recommend that pregnant women stop eating fungi. However, the high concentration of ergothioneine in the red blood cells of women with pre-eclampsia is a very interesting finding – the more we know about the chemicals involved in the disease the closer we get to understanding what causes it,” says Professor James Walker, Professor of Obstetrics at the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine (LIMM), and a co-author of the research.
The symptoms of pre-eclampsia include high blood pressure, protein in urine and fluid retention and affects almost 10 per cent of pregnancies after 20 weeks. If left untreated, the condition can cause a range of problems, such as growth restriction in babies and even foetal and maternal mortality. There is no known cause of the condition.
“Ergothioneine is known as an antioxidant and antioxidants have been proposed to be helpful in reducing the risk of preeclampsia. It is therefore very interesting that we have found it to be in excess for women with the condition,” says Dr. Fisher.
The researchers used a technique that is based on the same science as MRI scans, but which operates on fluids taken from the body, to identify chemicals in the red blood cells of pregnant women.
They say that the amount of these chemicals was found to depend on whether the women were healthy or whether they were suffering from pre-eclampsia.
They previously found that chemical markers for pre-eclampsia also exist in blood plasma. (ANI)
New Delhi, Aug 24 (ANI): The Ministry of Railways has decided to reduce the tatkal charges with effect from October 1.
The new tatkal charges will be at the rate of 10 per cent of basic fare for second class and 30 per cent of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum charges for each class.
The minimum charge for second class (sitting) is 10 rupees and the maximum will be 15 rupees, for sleeper class and AC chair car the minimum has been fixed at 75 rupees and the maximum at 150 rupees, while for AC III and AC II tier classes the minimum will be 200 rupees with the maximum being 300 rupees.
Tatkal tickets will be issued for actual distance of travel, instead of end-to-end, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train.
The same tatkal berth/seat may be booked in multiple legs till preparation of charts. At the time of preparation of charts, unutilized portion may be released to the General RAC/Waiting list passengers.
Tatkal facility will be introduced in executive class of Shatabdi Express trains also, by earmarking 10 per cent of the accommodation available that is five seats per coach The existing refund rules of tatkal tickets will remain unchanged.
Earlier, the Ministry of Railways had decided to reduce the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) under tatkal scheme from five days to two days (excluding the date of journey) for journey commencing with effect from August 1. (ANI)
London, Aug 21 (ANI): A group of scientists has created a new “engineered” strain of bacteria – a development which could be described as a step towards the creation of “synthetic life”.
The team, including scientist J Craig Venter, a leading figure in the controversial field of synthetic biology, has successfully transferred the genome of one type of bacteria into a yeast cell, modified it, and then transplanted into another bacterium.
The study paves the way to the creation of a synthetic organism – inserting a human-made genome into a bacterial cell.
It has been described in the journal Science.
According to boffins, the advancement overcomes the obstacle of making a new inserted genome work inside a recipient cell.
The resulting cell Sanjay Vashee, one of the authors, and his team created went on to undertake multiple rounds of cell division, to produce a new strain of the modified bacteria.
Vashee is a researcher at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, in the US. He explained to BBC News: “Bacteria have ‘immune’ systems that protect them from foreign DNA such as those from viruses.”
The scientists disabled the immune system, which consists of proteins called restriction enzymes that home in on specific sections of DNA and chop up the genome at these points.
Bacteria can shield their own genomes from this process by attaching chemical compounds called methyl groups at the points which the restriction enzymes attack.
The scientists modified the original genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides, whilst it was inside the yeast cell. Then they either attached methyl groups to it, or inactivated the restriction enzyme of the recipient bacterium, before transplanting the genome into its new cell.
The team aims to transplant a fully synthetic genome into a bacterial cell – creating bacteria that can be programmed to carry out specific functions – for example, digesting biological material to produce fuel. (ANI)
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