Immunology

NIH study supports new approach for treating cerebral malaria – National Institutes of Health

News Release

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Findings suggest drugs targeting immune cells may help treat deadly disease mainly affecting children.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found evidence that specific immune cells may play a key role in the devastating effects of cerebral malaria, a severe form of malaria that mainly affects young children. The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that drugs targeting T cells may be effective in treating the disease. The study was supported by the NIH Intramural Research Program.

This is the first study showing that T cells target blood vessels in brains of children with cerebral malaria, said Dorian McGavern, Ph.D., chief of the Viral Immunology and Intravital Imaging Section at the NIHs National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) who co-directed the study with Susan Pierce, Ph.D., chief of the Laboratory of Immunogenetics at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). These findings build a bridge between mouse and human cerebral malaria studies by implicating T cells in the development of disease pathology in children. It is well established that T cells cause the brain vasculature injury associated with cerebral malaria in mice, but this was not known in humans.

More than 200 million people worldwide are infected annually with mosquito-borne parasites that cause malaria. In a subset of those patients, mainly young children, the parasites accumulate in brain blood vessels causing cerebral malaria, which leads to increased brain pressure from swelling. Even with available treatment, cerebral malaria still kills up to 25% of those affected resulting in nearly 400,000 deaths annually. Children who survive the infection will often have long-lasting neurological problems such as cognitive impairment.

The researchers, led by Drs. Pierce and McGavern, examined brain tissue from 23 children who died of cerebral malaria and 11 children who died from other causes. The scientists used state-of-the-art microscopy to explore the presence of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) in the brain tissue samples. CTLs are a type of T cell in our immune system that is responsible for controlling infections throughout the body.

Current treatment strategies for cerebral malaria focus on red blood cells, which are thought to clog blood vessels and create potentially fatal blockages leading to extreme pressure in the brain. However, findings in the mouse model demonstrated that CTLs damage blood vessels, leading to brain swelling and death. The role of CTLs in cerebral malaria in children hasnt been thoroughly investigated prior to this study.

The results of the current study demonstrate an increased accumulation of CTLs along the walls of brain blood vessel in the cerebral malaria tissue samples compared to non-cerebral malaria cases. In addition, the CTLs were shown to contain and release effector molecules, which damage cells, suggesting that CTLs play a critical role in cerebral malaria by damaging the walls of brain blood vessels.

The disease appears to be an immunological accident in which the CTLs are trying to control a parasitic infection but end up injuring brain blood vessels in the process, said Dr. McGavern.

In separate studies we discovered that treatment of mice with a drug that targets T cells rescued over 60% of otherwise fatal cases of experimental cerebral malaria, said Dr. Pierce. Given our findings of T cells in the brain vasculature of children who died of the disease, we are excited by the possibility that this drug may be the first therapy for cerebral malaria.

The impact of HIV coinfection on the risk of developing cerebral malaria is not known. The NIH researchers compared CTL patterns in the cerebral malaria cases that were co-infected with HIV and those that were HIV negative. In the HIV-negative cases, the CTLs were seen lining up against the inside wall of brain blood vessels. In the HIV-positive cases, the CTLs had migrated across the surface to the outside of the vessels. There were also significantly more CTLs present in the HIV-positive cases.

Together these findings suggest that CTLs may play an important role in cerebral malaria and that HIV infection may worsen the disease.

Additional research is needed to uncover the role of T cells in human cerebral malaria. Future studies will also investigate how targeting T cells may help treat the disease. Plans for a clinical trial are underway to test the effects of a specific T cell blocker in cerebral malaria patients in Malawi.

The NINDSis the nations leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system.The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.

NIAID conducts and supports research at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

Riggle et al. CD8+T cells target cerebrovasculature in children with cerebral malaria. Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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NIH study supports new approach for treating cerebral malaria - National Institutes of Health

Physiology

Page: Hair Love: Deep lessons from the shortest Oscar winner – Ocala

Black hair with all of its related history, styles and meaning remains an exotic, foreign and even threatening aspect of black physiology to the uninitiated.

Good art often shows us something old and familiar, but makes us see it in a new way.

That's a big part of what makes Chicago filmmaker and former NFL wide receiver Matthew Cherry's adorable Oscar-winning short "Hair Love" so effective and important.

Cherry recently became the second ex-pro athlete in three years to win an Oscar in the animated short category. That puts him in exceptional company. The first was the late Kobe Bryant, who won the Oscar for the 2017 short film "Dear Basketball."

Cherry's topic is something close to all of us: hair.

Especially black hair. Even for black men and boys. As an African American male, I can tell you that growing up around black women and girls exposed me to a lot of chatter about the styles, combs, chemicals and rituals associated with black hair.

And, brief as it is, I learned a bit more from Cherry's short. Written and directed by Cherry, the seven-minute film follows an African American father's first attempt to do his daughter's hair. It does not go well. But with the help of a video blog, voiced by Issa Rae, he muddles through in a heartwarming way that bonds them and reveals important lessons about patience, identity and rewards.

"'Hair Love' was done because we wanted to see more representation in animation," Cherry said as he and producer Karen Rupert Toliver picked up their statuettes. "We wanted to normalize black hair."

"Normalize" is a curious, yet appropriate word for him to use. As "normal" as black hair with all of its related history, styles and meaning is to black people, it remains an exotic, foreign and even threatening aspect of black physiology to the uninitiated.

On the good side, there are numerous videos on YouTube with captions like, "Single Dad Learns to Do His Daughter's Hair," "Black Dad Goes Viral Braiding Daughters Hair During NYC Subway Ride" and Facebook sites like DadsDoHair.

There are some white and Latino dads in some videos, too. But considering the abundance of negative images of young black males that we see in media, I like the idea of "normalized" images of men actively engaged in what has always been a traditionally female role: wielding the big comb, hair clips and conditioners.

But unfortunately some people are still so shocked by new hairstyles that they remind me of my high school principal, who railed at the Beatles' "weird hairdos."

Today we have new scandals, such as the clipping of New Jersey high school wrestler Andrew Johnson, who made national news when his dreadlocks were forcibly cut off before a match.

Or there was the case of Deandre Arnold, a Mont Belvieu, Texas, high school senior who was told he can't attend graduation unless he cut his dreadlocks. Arnold and his mother, Sandy, were invited to attend the Oscars as the guests of Cherry and Rupert Toliver.

And then there is Chastity Jones, a black woman who lost a job opportunity in Alabama because she refused to cut off her dreadlocks. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission joined her case, but a federal appeals court ruled that dreadlocks were a changeable characteristic of black people and therefore did not meet the federal discrimination standard.

That's what Cherry was talking about when he ended his brief speech on a political note: "There's a very important issue that's out there," he said. "The CROWN Act, and if we can ... get this passed in all 50 states it will help stories like DeAndre Arnold's, who's our special guest tonight."

The CROWN Act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, has been enacted by California, New York and New Jersey. Illinois and 21 other states are considering versions of their own, according to the website set up by advocates. Two Democrats, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, have introduced a federal version.

The ball is rolling. For now, I close with the wise words that my late father used to say when I was defending my robust Afro in the late '60s: "It's not what's on top of your head that matters, it's what you have inside."

Clarence Page (cpage@chicagotribune.com) is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

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Page: Hair Love: Deep lessons from the shortest Oscar winner - Ocala

Physiology

Samia Ali explores the intersection of diversity and research – Dailyuw

Before coming to the UW, Samia Ali, now a junior majoring in physiology, already knew that she wanted to pursue research. Having previously worked on vaccine awareness projects among refugee communities through King Countys public health program, she was eager to find research opportunities on campus to immerse herself in.

As a freshman entering her first project through the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), Ali initially felt unsure about how much background knowledge she needed to have but soon found that research is often a process of asking more questions instead of answering.

In her current role, Ali analyzes data from the completion of tasks among infants from different age groups to assess whether altruism is an innate or developed characteristic.

In addition to her involvement with I-LABS, Ali has recently started working on a project oriented around leadership development in trauma patient care through the emergency department at the Harborview Medical Center.

This academic year, Ali has also expanded her research experience by starting her own project that focuses on cardiovascular disease risk factors within Seattles refugee communities, explaining that her personal background led her to pursue this project

Ali is the daughter of Somali refugees. When her parents arrived in the United States, they were, like many Somali refugees escaping war, thrown into survival mode. Ali has long observed how the trauma this community has faced has not been sufficiently addressed and explained that this is what drives her research.

When populations who have experienced increased unaddressed trauma live in areas with food deserts due to the inability to gain employment for various reasons, the risk for poor health is disproportionately greater, Ali said.

Over the past few months, Ali has been developing her research questions and the form in which her research will take place. She also explained the difficulty of finding a mentor who specializes in the type of study she is conducting.

Ali believes that research is vital for all individuals both inside and outside the realm of academia, though the lack of representation in the present state of academic research ensures that research is not serving everyone.

In many research projects, there are very few human subjects of color and that is largely tied to having a limited number of researchers of color, more specifically woman of color, Ali said. What is the result? Data is skewed. And I am just tired of it.

In addition to a lack of representation within studies, Ali further vocalized the lack of representation in research as a field.

There is a clear understanding that research is often very limiting to people from disenfranchised populations, Ali said. For first-generation students of color, finding research is very difficult.

To help students find opportunities, Ali became an undergraduate research leader (URL) and has since found that the experience fuels her own research endeavors. In her role, she shares with fellow undergraduates the importance of research and how it is driven by ones desire to learn, rather than ones area of study or prior experiences before attending college.

I have not only brought more awareness to marginalized populations that research is a possibility, but I have increased my own knowledge regarding how to pursue research in a future career, Ali said. I originally came in just for the sole purpose of showing representation, but it has honestly turned into something greater for me. If I was not a URL, I do not think I would have had the confidence to dive into my own projects.

Reach reporter Jax Morgan at science@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @jaxbmorgan

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Physiology

Diasome Announces Positive Results from Phase 2 OPTI-1 Study of Hepatocyte Directed Vesicle Technology in Type 1 Diabetes – GlobeNewswire

CLEVELAND, Feb. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DiasomePharmaceuticals, Inc., a company developing hepatocyte directed vesicle (HDV) technology that can be added to any commercially available insulin to optimize treatment for people living with diabetes, today announced positive results from its Phase 2 OPTI-1 study of injectable hepatocyte directed vesicle (HDV) added to mealtime insulin in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

One of the trials investigators, Bruce Bode, M.D., a diabetes specialist with Atlanta Diabetes Associates and clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Emory University, added, The OPTI-1 study may be the first clinical trial to demonstrate the impact of the combined effects of liver targeted insulin and physiologically driven changes in the ratio of mealtime to long-acting insulin regimens. These results provide additional evidence that targeting insulin to the liver induces a more physiological response. When added to insulin, HDV may allow patients to optimize the amount of short-acting and long-acting insulin they need to reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia while still achieving positive long-term health outcomes.

This open-label, multicenter study was designed to evaluate the effect of HDV added to rapid-acting mealtime insulin on A1C, hypoglycemia, and bolus and basal insulin dosing in adult T1D patients with baseline A1C levels between 6.5% and 8.5%. Patients underwent a three-month run-in period on standard-of-care therapy followed by three months of treatment with HDV added to mealtime insulin in conjunction with optimized basal insulin doses. A total of 61 T1D patients were enrolled at eight United States trial sites. After patients were treated with standard-of-care Lispro or Degludec during the run-in period, they were randomized into one of two groups: HDV-Lispro (HDV-L) in conjunction with a 10% reduction in Degludec or HDV-L in conjunction with a 40% reduction in Degludec.

The completion of this clinical trial marks an important milestone for the continued development of HDV, said Robert Geho, chief executive officer of Diasome. Results from this study, which we plan to present at upcoming conferences, continue to support the hypothesis that improved mealtime insulin delivery to the liver should have an important and positive effect on overall glycemic control. We are excited about these results and look forward to sharing additional details soon.

About Hepatocyte Directed Vesicle (HDV) TechnologyHDVs are the most advanced technology designed to restore normal physiology and potentially offer protection against hypoglycemia for patients with diabetes. Only 20-50 nanometers in size, these two-layered microscopic discs are designed to bring insulin to receptors highly expressed by liver cells. Liquid HDV can be mixed with any commercially available insulin prior to administration and is compatible with any insulin delivery system.

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)T1D is a chronic, auto-immune disease characterized by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin, which leads to elevated blood sugar levels. Diabetes costs represent a large burden to both patients and the healthcare system. More than 1.25 million Americans are living with T1D and there is no cure.

About OPTI-1The 24-week, open-label, multiple dose trial is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of hepatocyte directed vesicle (HDV) technology when added to rapid-acting mealtime insulin. All patients received insulin Lispro and Degludec during a 12-week run-in period. After completing the run-in period, patients were randomized to a treatment group of either HDV added to Lispro (HDV-L) while continuing Degludec at a dose reduced by 40% or HDV-L while continuing Degludec at a dose reduced by 10% for 12 weeks of treatment.

About Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Diasomes hepatocyte directed vesicle (HDV) technology is the only pharmaceutical insulin additive being developed to prevent hypoglycemia by restoring normal liver physiology in patients with diabetes. HDV technology is a Phase 3-ready asset designed to improve the safety and efficacy of all insulins. For more information, visit http://www.diasome.com or follow us on Twitter.

Investor Contact:Jeremy FefferLifeSci Advisors, LLCjeremy@lifesciadvisors.com+1.212-915-2568

Media Contact:Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D.LifeSci Communicationsccecchini@lifescicomms.com+1.646.876.5196

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Physiology

The 19th Annual Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences Awarded for Pioneering Studies in Cell Biology – Business Wire

HOBOKEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Wiley Foundation is pleased to announce that the 19th annual Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences will be awarded to Clifford Brangwynne, Anthony Hyman, and Michael Rosen. Their pioneering work has revealed a new principle for subcellular compartmentalization based on formation of phase-separated biomolecular condensates, a process implicated in both physiological and pathological events.

Cliff Brangwynne is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Tony Hyman is Director and Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany. Michael Rosen is the Chair of the Department of Biophysics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The 2020 Wiley Prize recognizes Drs. Cliff Brangwynne, Tony Hyman, and Michael Rosen for their discovery that cells can compartmentalize processes without the use of membranes. These phase-separated structures are now recognized to play a role in numerous cell biological processes," said Dr. Titia de Lange, Chairperson of the awards jury for the Wiley Prize at the Rockefeller University in New York City.

The Wiley Foundation honors research that champions novel approaches and challenges accepted thinking in the biomedical sciences. The work of the 2020 Wiley Prize recipients Cliff Brangwynne, Tony Hyman, and Michael Rosen truly upholds this mission, said Deborah Wiley, Chair of the Wiley Foundation. We honor them for the discovery of a completely new aspect of cell biology that impacts our understanding of how cells work.

First awarded in 2002, The Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences is presented annually to recognize contributions that have opened new fields of research or have advanced concepts in a particular biomedical discipline. Among the many distinguished recipients of the Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences, nine have gone on to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and two have gone on to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

This years award of $50,000 will be presented to the winners on April 3, 2020 at the Wiley Prize luncheon at The Rockefeller University. The winners will then deliver an honorary lecture as part of The Rockefeller University Lecture Series. This event will be live streamed via the Current Protocols Webinar Series and registration is free.

Additional Information

About Wiley

Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students, researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

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The 19th Annual Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences Awarded for Pioneering Studies in Cell Biology - Business Wire

Physiology

Guidelines and Considerations for Metabolic Tolerance Tests in Mice | DMSO – Dove Medical Press

Raquel Bened-Ubieto,1,* Olga Estvez-Vzquez,1,* Pierluigi Ramadori,2 Francisco Javier Cubero,3,4 Yulia A Nevzorova1,4,5

1Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; 2Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; 3Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology & ENT, Complutense University School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain; 4 12 de Octubre Health Research Institute (imas12), Madrid, Spain; 5Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Yulia A NevzorovaDepartment of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, c/Jos A. Novais, 2, Madrid 28040, SpainTel +49-(0)241-80-80662Fax +49-(0)241-80-82455Email ynevzorova@ukaachen.de

Abstract: The epidemic of the century, Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is continuously rising. Intensive research is urgently needed whereby experimental models represent an essential tool to optimise the diagnostic strategy and to improve therapy. In this review, we describe the central principles of the metabolic tests available in order to study glucose and insulin homeostasis in mice, focusing on the most widely used the glucose and insulin tolerance tests. We provide detailed experimental procedures as well as the practical implementation of these methods and discuss the main factors that should be taken into account when using this methodology.

Keywords: metabolic tolerance test, T2DM, obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Genetics

Study finds genetic link to extinct relative of humans in 4 modern West African populations – UCLA Newsroom

UCLA genomic research uses statistics rather than ancient DNA to look back more than 600,000 years

Leticia Ortiz/UCLA

The UCLA researchers studied four populations that mostly live in the area marked by the white band, in West Africa.

UCLA computational biologists have discovered that four populations in West Africa can trace about 8% of their genetic ancestry to an archaic hominin, an extinct relative of humans that branched off from the hominid evolutionary tree more than 600,000 years ago about 100,000 years earlier than Neanderthals did. The study is published in Science Advances.

Over the past decade, advances in computing, statistical analysis, molecular biology and genetics have revealed a richer picture of humans and their interactions with ancient relatives, such as Neanderthals. But research on the genetic ancestry of African populations has lagged behind discoveries about people with ancestral roots in Europe.

The researchers, from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, analyzed modern DNA obtained from an international repository of genomic data. In the past, researchers would have needed to compare the modern DNA to so-called reference DNA from ancient fossils to draw such conclusions. But the improved statistical techniques available today enabled them to look backward in time hundreds of thousands of years without fossil DNA.

This opens a new path in understanding the complexity of human evolutionary history in Africa, where the picture hasnt been as clear, said Sriram Sankararaman, the studys principal investigator, a UCLA assistant professor with appointments in computer science, human genetics and computational medicine.

The archaic hominin identified in the UCLA research is a close evolutionary relative of humans.

There is not a lot known about these archaic hominins, which makes finding out how this ghost population fits into human evolutionary history challenging. But our findings are very exciting, said Sankararaman, who also is a member of UCLAs Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program.

Previous genomic studies have presented evidence that modern populations in Africa have complex genetic lineages, in which humans and close evolutionary relatives intermixed as recently as just a few thousand years ago. But this study may provide the strongest evidence yet that this intermixture took place.

The UCLA research reveals much more of that story for the four modern groups of people, the Yoruba of Nigeria, the Mende of Sierra Leone, the Esan of Nigeria and the Gambian in Western Divisions of Gambia.

We dont need reference DNA from fossils of the archaic hominin to confirm that, somewhere deep in our ancestry, humans intermixed with them, Sankararaman said. We can now see that such events took place by looking at our DNA itself.

Segments of Neanderthal DNA extracted from fossils have been found in most modern populations outside of Africa. DNA has also been extracted and analyzed from the more recently discovered Denisovans, another extinct group of archaic humans, whose DNA is found in people living today in South Asia and Oceania.

Archaeological evidence shows that modern and archaic humans coexisted in Africa, and some fossils have features that suggest mixing between the two populations. However, usable DNA has not yet been extracted from archaic human fossils that have been found in that region which is why the researchers ability to draw conclusions about evolution without reference DNA information could go such a long way toward solving previously unanswered questions.

Although the researchers found evidence of the archaic populations DNA in modern humans, the findings are not clear enough to determine whether these two distinct populations intermixed just once or several times over hundreds of thousands of years.

Sankararaman and Arun Durvasula, a UCLA graduate student studying human genetics, used two new statistical methods that look for patterns in the genome that could reveal the presence of DNA from a distantly related unknown archaic population. They looked at genomic data of 405 people from the1000 Genomes Project, an international public repository of genomic data from around the world. The results of both analyses were consistent.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Okawa Foundation.

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Study finds genetic link to extinct relative of humans in 4 modern West African populations - UCLA Newsroom

Genetics

Better genetics pay at the feedyard – Beef Magazine

The better the genetics, the more the profit potential. Thats what Cactus Feeders has learned from historical data on hundreds of thousands of cattle, which allows the feeding company to closely project the value of cattle headed to one of its 10 feedyards.

Justin Gleghorn, Cactus Feeders director of value management at the companys Amarillo, Texas, headquarters, outlined the benefits of feeding better quality cattle during his presentation to ranchers and stocker operators at the recent Southwest Beef Symposium in Amarillo.

Related: SS100: Hidden revolution in beef genetics

Cattle with a good brand of genetics usually work better at the feedyard, he said.

Cactus regularly ships about 20,000 fed cattle per week from its feedyards in Texas and Kansas. Close to one out of every 25 head fed in the U.S. is from a Cactus yard. Its database includes steers and heifers, native cattle, those with a Mexican origin, multiple weights and high- and low-risk animals.

Related: Deliberate genetic focus results in quality boost

Detailed records enable Cactus to project breakevens for all cattle. We dont determine success of an animal by its average daily gain, Gleghorn said. We look at what we paid for it and how much we spent for every day it was on feed.

With our historical data, we can typically put value on cattle and develop a breakeven. From that projection, we can hedge them and determine what we can pay for them.

David Anderson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension livestock marketing economist, points out that a ranchs reputation for producing quality calves gets around and can lead to better prices. Feedlots look for cattle that have better feed efficiency in the feedlot, he said. Also, calves that dont get sick are worth more.

When a cattle feeder knows who produces those calves that are feedlot profitable, there will be demand for that ranchs calves. That produces premium prices over everyone else.

Those strong genetics get proven in feeding through repetition. To get those better prices may involve the rancher and feeder getting together to make a deal based on evidence.

Better calves will also bring better-than-average prices at a market. But again, information has value and being able to communicate that to buyers has value through premium prices, Anderson says.

Gleghorn says Cactus works to sort cattle with the better genetics to assess what they can do at different weights. They usually have better uniformity, which makes it easier to predict how they will perform and grade, he says. Cattle that are more plain have more variability and are harder to project.

Genetic potential has helped cause an increase in hot carcass weight. Carcass weights were about 700 pounds in 1974 compared to about 900 pounds now. Carcasses are above 70% Choice now, compared to about 35% Choice 20 years ago, Gleghorn says. That goes back to more genetic potential.

Gleghorn said the value of higher-quality cattle was highly illustrated the last half of 2019, when the Choice-Select spread took a wide turn upward from the five-year average.

The spread had been in the $3-$6 range until mid-June, when it was near $20. But while the spread has typically narrowed from June through mid-November, it widened substantially.

It approached $25 by July, compared with about $15 for the norm. By mid-August, it was near $28, compared to about $12 for the five-year average. In mid-October it pushed $29, compared to about $13 for the norm. The spread remained above $20 from mid-June through Dec. 1.

AgriLife Extension notes that there is no way to guarantee cattle will always bring top market prices, but with proper management and marketing procedures, discounts can be prevented.

AgriLife suggests that ranchers produce the kind of calf that is in demand, use management practices that will prevent discounts and spend ample time marketing the calves they worked all year to produce.

I think it has to start with a herd that is well fitted to its environment and conditions, Anderson says, a cowherd that is developed to maximize ranch profits productive, high weaning rates, low winter feed costs, good weaning weights, etc.

To realize the value of higher grading cattle, the rancher may have to own those cattle through finishing, or partner in the feeding, while selling on a grid. Cattle with high feed efficiency may not be the same ones that grade the best. There are tradeoffs that require some analysis of what cattle are most profitable at the ranch, feedlot and packer.

Anderson says there is value to good genetics, but we ought to think about our production system and what genetic traits are most profitable to select.

It's a real balancing act across all those different values, he says. Part of our problem is that the market signals across all those segments arent always very clear.

Gleghorn stresses that animal health issues are higher with cattle that are not on a vaccination program. We dont see a lot of issues with cattle on a good vaccination protocol, he says, but issues can also unexpectedly hit cattle with better genetics. Were seeing more BRD in low-risk cattle and working to find out why.

Stalcup is a freelance writer based in Amarillo, Texas.

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Better genetics pay at the feedyard - Beef Magazine

Genetics

Conference examines future genetic developments and trends – Shepparton News

World-leading genetics experts will outline what the future is likely to hold for the industry at a major Victorian conference in March.

Genetics Australia will host the three-day conference on March 18 to 20 to examine future directions in genetics with a horizon of 2030.

The conference will start with a one-day forum at Tabcorp Park in Melton on March 18 followed by farm tours in South and West Gippsland during the next two days to showcase progressive breeding programs.

The event has attracted leading international and Australian speakers, including Select Sires International Development vice-president Joel Mergler, Sexing Technologies chief executive officer Juan Moreno, Texas A&M University assistant professor Ky Pohler, Dairy Australia senior industry analyst John Droppert and Agriculture Victoria principal research scientist (genomic and cellular sciences) Jennie Pryce.

Genetics Australia chief executive officer Anthony Shelly said the conference would be a great opportunity to hear from some of the best geneticists and genetic professionals in the world.

The conference will give dairy farmers and industry professionals a glimpse into what the future is likely to hold, MrShelly said.

It is rare to have such an outstanding group of local and international speakers all in one place.

The conference will look at genetic developments in the global space and determine how these developments will impact the Australian breeding industry and the broader Dairy Industry.

Over the past few years the progression of genetics in the dairy industry and more broadly in agriculture has been phenomenal, and with the volume of research and development happening, that will expand even further the next decade, MrShelly said.

This conference will pull together all relevant information and help any interested farmer or industry member to understand how we can adapt to these new technologies to make sure were ahead of the game and achieving the best possible and most profitable outcomes.

Day one of the conference will conclude with a dinner with Sexing Technologies chief executive officer Juan Moreno speaking on his ST journey.

Participants can choose to attend the day one conference, the day one conference and dinner or all three days of the event.

The farm tours on day two and three will showcase the daughters and family members from Australias best bull team and from Genetics Australias international portfolio.

People wanting to attend the conference can register via the Genetics Australia website:genaust.com.au

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Conference examines future genetic developments and trends - Shepparton News

Genetics

Philippine fruit bats may be entirely new species of their own, DNA suggests – Mongabay.com

MANILA There might be more fruit bat species in the Philippines than previously thought, according to a genetic study, underlining the possibility that each individual species might be more threatened than initially assumed.

The study on bat genetics, published October 2019 in the peer-reviewed Philippine Journal of Science, highlights two key points: at least four bat species in the country are genetically different from their counterparts elsewhere in Southeast Asia; and one fruit bat found only in the Philippines exhibits significant genetic variation across different island groups within the country.

When analyzing DNA, biologists follow a rule: the greater the degree of variation between species, the higher the possibility that the specimens come from distinct species, Luczon explains. A 2 to 3% difference is the usual benchmark to identify separate species; for bats, the threshold is 2%. What we saw are a high 6 to 7% difference in genetic distance it means that its already a very different population.

Whats the implication of this discovery? Luczon says bat species in the Philippines might be more threatened than initially classified and there might be a need for species reassessment, and if necessary, their reclassification.

Bats are notoriously difficult to study primarily because they are hard to find. They are well hidden in caves and forests, which has at times resulted in the species being grouped based on physical similarities rather than more rigorous standards. The advent of DNA barcoding technology more than a decade ago has made it easier to more precisely identify bat species. In 2019 alone, the number of new bat species grew by 35% for one of the biggest families of bats based on records by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).

In the Philippines, there are 79 listed bat species, of which 38 are endemic and at least 12 are threatened, according to the countrys red list. Of the total bat species in the Philippines, 26 are from the Pteropodidae family known as fruit bats or flying foxes; 17 of these are endemic to the country. Eleven of the 12 threatened species are fruit bats.

Habitat loss and massive hunting as prized delicacies in some countries have driven some fruit bat species to critically endangered status. For the recent study, the researchers had since 2013 partnered with the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional offices to collect tissue samples from 111 bats at 17 sites. But they were only able to get specimens from 19 of the Philippines 26 known fruit bat species.

Luczon attributes this to numerous factors: the researchers werent trained to handle bats, for one, and getting samples proved difficult for the critically endangered species. Its likely that the population is decreasing, Luczon says. These bats are either forest- or cave-dwelling so if their habitats are threatened, its harder to locate them and get samples.

The researchers also requested samples from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where an extensive collection of Philippine bats are well-preserved, all with the goal of documenting and comparing their genetic barcodes.

Once theyd gathered the samples, they compared them with known genome sequences in the public-access portals Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and GenBank.

That allowed them to clearly delineate four bat species in the Philippines from their counterparts elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The Philippine specimens of those species the long-tongued nectar bat (Macroglossus minimus), Geoffroys rousette (Rousettus amplexicaudatus), white-collared fruit bat (Megaerops wetmorei) and the lesser shorter-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) were found to have a high 6% genetic difference from specimens of the same species in the region.

Most of the species collected in the Philippines show barcode sequences that are unique, the study says, adding that 13 of the species form distinct lineages that identify them as separate species. Only the cave nectar bat (Eonycteris spelaea) and the small flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) have similar genetics across the same species in the region, the study adds.

The discoveries didnt end there. The team found out the Philippine pygmy fruit bat (Haplonycteris fischeri), endemic to the country and classified as least concern by the IUCN, actually has different genetics in each island where it occurs in the Philippines. Comparing samples from the main islands of Luzon, Mindanao and Mindoro, researchers found a difference as high as 7% in pygmy fruit bat genetics, which raises the possibility that they might either be subspecies or new species altogether.

This fruit bat species is known for having a longer pregnancy than even humans: an 11-month gestation period considered the longest of any bat in the world. The new findings raise the need to reassess its conservation status and maybe even its taxonomy. From this study, these species may be flagged for taxonomic reevaluation, the study says.

The groups study on bats is part of a larger effort by the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology and its partners to create a robust database of all species from wildlife to freshwater fish to plants in the country. The program started in 2008 with the bigger goal of using the technology to curb wildlife trafficking and poaching and improving wildlife forensics. Its also seen as addressing the dwindling number of taxonomists studying native species, thanks to its accurate, rapid, and effective method of species recognition, the study says.

Luczon says the study is only a stepping stone for further research into fruit bats. While it doesnt cover the implications of the wide genetic differences in fruit bats, at the very least it opens the portal for reassessing these flying mammals, deepening existing studies on the species, and highlighting their unique genetic lineage.

There are many endangered and threatened bats in the Philippines, Luczon says. If you want to do a conservation program, you might want to create a unique conservation program to implement in each area. Blanket conservations are hard because the needs and threats for each species varies.

Citation:

Luczon, A. U., Ampo, S. A. M. M., Roo, J. G. A., Duya, M. R. M., Ong, P. S., & Fontanilla, I. K. C. (2019). DNA barcodes reveal high genetic diversity in Philippine fruit bats.Philippine Journal of Science Special Issue on Genomics,148(S1), 133-140.

Banner image ofa white-winged flying fox (Desmalopex leucopterus), a fruit bat endemic to the Philippines that is listed in CITES Appendix II. Image by Jay Fidelino

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Philippine fruit bats may be entirely new species of their own, DNA suggests - Mongabay.com