Notes and News

A Documentary Film ‘Acharya Prafulla Nandan Hall II, . Acharya Pafulla Chandra Ray was Chandra Ray- An Ancient Guru Reborn’ not only the Founder President of ISNA but he is our Produced by ISNA Released inspiration. Rabindranath Tagore first addressed him as Acharya – an epitome of knowledge, in his 70th birth documentary film titled, “Acharya Prafulla Chandra anniversary celebration. He is a chemistry teacher and ARay – an Ancient Guru Reborn” produced by Indian researcher per excellence, an entrepreneur who established Science News Association (ISNA) was released on the Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceuticals- the first occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Acharya Prafulla pharmaceutical company of , a social activist and a Chandra Ray by the Hon’ble Governor of philanthropist. Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi on 2nd February, 2015 at The film was scripted by Dr. Manas Pratim Das, Convener of the Organizing Committee and was directed by Mr. Mujibar Rahman, a well-known director of documentary films with supports received from Professor S.K. Talapatra, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Professor Biswapati Mukherjee. The film was funded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The program was started with an invocation Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Hob’ble Governor, West Bengal, is releasing the DVD of the documentary film “Acharya – An Anciaent Guru Reborn” by Mrs. Debnanda Bandyopadhyay. The Hon’ble at Nanadan Hall – II, Kolkata on February 2, 2015. Governor was felicitated with an Uttariya, flower bouquet and a copy of the journal Science and Culture and a book. Professor Sudhendu Mandal, Honorary Secretary of ISNA delivered the welcome address. He briefly narrated the genesis of the ISNA and about the Science and Culture which is one of the oldest scientific journals in India. Professor Sunil Kumar Talapatra, Chairman of the Organizing Committee covered many areas of Acharya P. C. Ray’s contributions. He mentioned that ISNA will soon publish a book entitled ‘Sir P. C. Ray, the Father of Chemistry Teaching and Research in India, A Philanthropist and an Entrepreneur’, edited by himself and Professor Biswapati Mukherjee, which will contain 16 informative articles. Professor Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor of the in his lecture, mentioned Inaugural function of the release of the documentary Film on “Acharya Prafulla that ISNA has done a commendable job by Chandra Ray – An Ancient Guru Reborn” at Nandan Hall-II on February 2, 2015. producing this documentary film. Professor B. Dignitaries on dais : (from L-R) Prof. Parimal C. Sen, Hony. Secretary, ISNA, Prof. Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta, Prof. B.B. Biswas, President, B. Biswas, President of ISNA in his address ISNA, Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Hob’ble Governor, West Bengal, Prof. S.K.Talapatra, highlighted the activities in many facets of Vice-President, ISNA, Prof. Sudhendu Mandal, Hony. Secretary, ISNA and Mr. Mujibar Rahman, Director of the documentary film Acharya Ray.

102 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2015 Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Hon’ble Governor of West pathogenesis of cholera, the frightening ‘killer’ epidemic Bengal delivered an exhilarating lecture. Tripathiji human disease causing severe watery diarrhea and one of emphasised that Acharya P. C. Ray is relevant to us even the six most formidable infectious ones in world; his today, we should follow the idealism, mortality and life of seminal works also marked the founding principle in Acharya P. C. Ray. He said that in science, culture, and research and effective treatment of cholera and related in every sphere the activities of Acharya P. C. Ray are diarrheal illnesses. Year 2009 marked the fiftieth boundless. He appreciated ISNA for playing an important anniversary of the discovery of cholera enterotoxin by Dr. role in producing this film in proper time. The Hon’ble De, and year 2015 marks his one-hundredth birth Governor then formally released the video which is anniversary. I pay heartfelt tribute to this great scientist. followed by the screening of the film. Production of cholera toxin is considered as an Professor Paimal C sen, Hony Secretary of ISNA essential virulence feature of epidemic strains of the offered vote of thanks. bacterium. During cholera outbreaks in densely populated Before screening of the film, Mr. Mujibar Rahman, poverty-prone areas, it is possible to isolate V. cholerae Film Director in his prelude mentioned that in order to from stagnant and stored waters in the households, where focus the achievements of Acharya P. C. Ray in various usable water is frequently contaminated with human faecal spheres of his life, he visited various places of India and matter. Discussing with the pathogenic mechanism, viable Bangladesh, met grand pupils of Acharya P. C. Ray, took V. cholerae multiplies in the patient’s small intestine, i.e., their interviews to record the nostalgic memories of their digestive tract after its unknowing ingestion and produces teachers who were the students of Acharya P. C. Ray. a potent cytoplasmic protein, which is the diarrhegenic exotoxin/enterotoxin. In the intestinal lining/epithelium of About 250 delegates including the Hon’ble Governor lumen (cavity) of infected small intestine, cholera toxin watched the film.  attaches to the mucosal cells known as enterocytes; it Dipak Kumar Saha obstructs the phospholipids of RBC and causes the Indian Science News Association intestinal capillaries to become porous. It disrupts ion transport by the intestinal epithelial cells. The toxin releases an enzyme-activated subunit, which increases the amount of cyclic-AMP production in the body; this in turn causes Remembering Cholera Expert Dr. S. N. De - th the cells to excrete large amounts of Cl into the intestine. on 100 Birth Anniversary Na+, other electrolytes and water follow the osmotic gradient created by the excretion of Cl-. The intestine then n Science and Culture November-December 2014 issue, starts to release profuse amounts of fluid, while the it has been rightly connoted about physician and I enterocytes are slowly being eroded. Release of fluid occurs bacteriologist Dr. Sambhu Nath De (February 1, 1915 - from the vessels into neighbouring tissues via opening of April 15, 1985) as ‘faint trace of link’ of a person from capillaries. Destruction of the intestinal walls and capillary Indian sub-continent with the Nobel Prize award in Physiology or Medicine section. In May-June 2010 issue leakage cause fluid accumulation, isotonic in nature in the of this journal, the pioneering work of Dr. De on intestinal lumen. It is low in protein and has gross similarity elucidation of biological activity of the elusive 84kDa with the ‘rice-water’ cholera stool. Voluminous diarrhea cholera toxin produced by the comma-shaped Gram- facilitates considerable gastrointestinal loss of body fluids negative motile Vibrio cholerae bacterium, one of the most (about 25%) in a short time and depletes patients of dominant ones in world has been described. Nobel Laureate essential salts (electrolytes). If left untreated, cholera American biologist (1958) Prof. Joshua Lederberg had patients face dehydration, kidney failure and paralysis of proposed the name of Dr. S. N. De for the Nobel Prize in circulatory system, finally death. this section more than once, and appreciated Dr. De’s good In 1953, Dr. De perfected and described an exemplary intuition in working with specific strains of the bacterium, living model in which pathogenic potential of this human experimental and observational skills in his commentary disease could be studied. It is popular as the ‘ligated rabbit article ‘S. N. De - Regicide of Reigning Dogma’, submitted intestinal (ileal) loop’ model. In most animal species, the th to Current Science (published in 25 July 1990 issue). Dr. small intestine is arranged in a series of indefinite open De’s discoveries during 1950s opened the doorway to our loops. Going through his crucial experiment on present understanding of the molecular events in development of rabbit model, Dr. De aseptically made

VOL. 81, NOS. 3–4 103 midline incision of about 2 inches long just below the (Courtesy: Dr. G. B. Nair, Director, NICED, Kolkata). Dr. middle of abdomen of 24-hour fasted and anaesthetized De could reproduce the clinical manifestations of the 1200-1500gm rabbits and the abdomen was opened to disease in animal model in two ways; by administering the expose the small intestine, particularly ileum. A mid- living virulent culture of the bacterium and in separate posterior way 4-inch segment of small intestine was chosen experiment the ‘cell-free’ culture filtrate/supernatant of it, and isolated by ligating with two silk sutures (graded as i.e., the toxic product. Experimented rabbits did developed 2.0 or 4.0 silk) at two ends, to create a loop. A second profuse diarrhea and extreme dehydration in both cases. ileal loop of 4-inch in length was created in same manner During 1958-1959, Dr. De set on to confirm the 12 inches away from the first one. In this experiment, Dr. absence of any role of V. cholerae endotoxin (cell wall De used two each of Ogawa and Inaba strains of V. lipopolysaccharide complex; liberated after autolysis of cholerae maintained previously in laboratory in slant agar bacterium) in producing symptoms of the disease. In this medium. Culture of the bacterium was freshly prepared in experiment, culture of the bacterium was suspended in 18-hour period in Dunham’s peptone water medium, and saline solution and disintegrated using ultrasonic vibrations subsequently 5ml of it was transferred to another liquid (sonication). It was centrifuged, supernatant filtered and medium, which was 5% Difco Bactopeptone medium. This this endotoxin material was introduced into the rabbit ileum culture was centrifuged; first for 10mins at 2-4°C and next loop in afore-mentioned procedure. Upon examination, for 20mins at 18°C with an intention to cause precipitation neither distension of ileum loop nor outpouring of fluid of bulk of the bacteria. The clear supernatant obtained was into the intestine lumen could be observed. Dr. S. N. De further filtered and the sterile filtrate (1ml; designated as died at 70 years of age. He was a modest, soft-spoken and ‘bacteria-free culture filtrate’ or ‘exotoxin preparation’) was dignified person, worked relentlessly in right earnest with injected into the lumen of first isolated loop slowly for enormous painstaking skill and persistence and was held about 45-60 seconds. Into the second loop, a control one, in high esteem by his students and colleagues, everywhere 5% peptone water was injected without the culture filtrate. in his workplaces in Kolkata at Department of Pathology, The small intestine was returned to abdominal cavity and Medical College and Hospital, at abdomen of the animal was closed with surgical thread. Department of Pathology and Bacteriology, Calcutta Next morning, after 18 hours, the animal was killed Medical College and at Bose Institute. He used to take (euthanized) and changes in the structure of loops were particular care in preparing his teaching lectures. In spite carefully examined. Those were measured and weighed to of the burden of heavy teaching and administrative work, determine the amount of fluid accumulation stimulated by Dr. De continued his researches mostly outside working the cholera exotoxin. The loop into which V. cholerae hours till late evening (Courtesy: Prof. A. Sen, Formerly culture filtrate was injected, it was found to be distended at Chemistry Department of Bose Institute, Kolkata). He with accumulation of 14-15ml of rice-water fluid slightly was ever-willing to offer his findings to the scientific pink in colour (which could be aspirated). Control loop community and thrilled to the exchange of experience and that received peptone water only was found to remain in a ideas with his students. Distinguished scientists Dr. G. B. collapsed state. Later on, Dr. De could identify and Nair and Prof. P. Balaram have connoted Dr. S. N. De as establish the existence of the diarrhegenic component, i.e., “unsung hero” and “…… Full many a flower is born to specific exotoxin of the bacterium in the used ‘bacteria- blush unseen, and waste its sweetness on the desert air”, free culture filtrate’. In a separate experiment, inoculating respectively; from these we understand that in India, Dr. a loopful of 24-hour old culture of an Ogawa strain of V. De did not received the proper recognition and honour cholerae into 1ml of Dunham’s peptone water medium and during his lifetime that he deserved. Demonstration of injecting it into lumen of a prepared rabbit ileum loop, he cholera exotoxin theory, a truly creative and novel piece investigated on the permeability changes in the intestinal of work far ahead of Dr. De’s times, did established capillaries after the introduction of living V. cholerae platform for further fruitful research worldwide and had therein. In an ingenious way he could prove that the profound impact but unfairly Dr. De’s pioneering role in it leakage of fluids in the intestinal lumen was from intestinal and as the discoverer largely fell into obscurity.  capillaries and also that the primary site of activity of Subrato Ghosh cholera exotoxin was intestinal mucosa (epithelium). He 122/1V, Monohar Pukur Road, demonstrated that V. cholerae impairs and alters the Kolkata - 700026 permeability of this site and in turn causes fluid secretion

104 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2015 Miniature Stomach Grown from Stem Cells the resulting organoids were only a few millimetres in diameter and had no blood cells, immunecells, or the ability or the first time, scientists have grown a fully to process food or secrete bile. But their gland structures Ffunctioning, miniature human stomach using stem cells, and each marker of their development paralleled guiding them through the stages of development seen in development in their control tissues, which the team an embryo. The lumps of living tissue, which are no bigger obtained from mice. According to the researchers, in that than a sesame seed, have a gland structure that is similar sense, they “are remarkably similar to an actual stomach”. to human stomachs and can even harbour gut bacteria. The That similarity allowed the researchers to use the tiny researchers – from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical stomachs as test subjects for human disease by injecting Centre in Ohio, USA – say their creation, which they call them with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can cause ‘gastric organoids’ is an unprecedented tool that could also ulcers and stomach cancer. Within 24 hours, the team found be used to study an array of diseases that threaten public health, such as cancer and metabolic disorders and to test that H. pylori was causing the organoid cells to divide twice the stomach’s response to drugs. According to them, this as fast as normal, and activating a particular gene that can first-time molecular generation of mini stomachs presents cause tumours. These effects are also seen in human new opportunities for drug discovery, modelling early stages stomachs infected with H. pylori. of stomach cancer and studying some of the underpinnings Researchers can use human gastric organoids as a new of obesity-related diabetes (Nature, 29 October 2014 | tool to help unlock other secrets of the stomach, such as doi:org/10.1038/nature13863). identifying biochemical processes in the gut that allow The stem cells used to grow the mini stomachs are gastric-bypass patients to become diabetesfree soon after pluripotent; given the right environment, they can mature surgery. Obesity-fuelled diabetes and metabolic syndrome into any type of cell. But to coax them down a specific are an exploding public health epidemic. Until now, a major path in the lab requires recreating the precise sequence and challenge to addressing these and other medical conditions timing of environmental cues in the womb – the signals involving the stomach has been a relative lack of reliable from proteins and hormones that tell cells what kind of laboratory modelling systems to accurately simulate human tissue to become. Bits of kidney, liver, brain and intestine biology. The new technique overcomes this limitation. have previously been grown in a lab dish using this The researchers say that they can grow mini stomachs technique. This is the first time a bit of the stomach has from both embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent been grown using stem cells. skin cells (a type of pluripotent stem cell that can be The researchers used stem cells that were around three generated directly from adult cells). The research team’s days old. They added a cocktail of proteins and timed doses long-term goal is to be able to grow personal stomach tissue of retinoic acid, a compound in vitamin A. After nine days, to patch up ulcers in humans. They are already attempting the cells were left to grow in a protein bath. After 34 days, to use human organoids to plug stomach holes in mice.  Dream 2014 January 2015, Vol. 17 No. 4

Novel Method for Detection of Gold Ion

Gold has been deeply embedded in the collective conscience of mankind since the beginning of known history. The glittering metal has always exerted a deep fascination, being associated with beauty, wealth and authority probably due to its collective and unique properties such as high density, Part of a miniature stomach grown in the lab, stained to reveal various cells found in normal human stomachs. (Credit: www.nature.com) softness, malleability, ductility.

VOL. 81, NOS. 3–4 105 Fig. 1. Gold – Traditionally considered as Inert Meta

Gold (Au) in free elemental form does not get organic reaction was triggered in the presence of gold ions oxidized by air or water as evident by its occurrence as (cf. Y) liberating isocoumarin and highly fluorescent nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits methoxy-fluorescein whose fluorescence was easily (Figure 1). Such high stability of gold in nature might have measured with analytical techniques. created misconceptions amongst the scientific community that the metal is extremely inert and therefore its salts The bioimaging studies have also been successfully cannot be used as catalysts for organic reactions. demonstrated with A549 lung cancer cells. Clearly, further research is necessary to search a novel probe that can detect This could be the reason why gold has lived in the gold ions at ppm/ppb level. It will also be interesting to shadow of other metals for a long time. The myth is that see whether it is possible to detect gold content in the gold salts act as highly efficient catalysts for many earth’s crust (oxidized in aqua-regia solution)  unprecedented reactions and in recent years the reactions catalyzed by gold salts are becoming very popular. CSIR News March 2014 Apart from their catalytic activity, gold salts exhibit some biological effects. For instance, gold ions have anti- inflammatory properties and are used as pharmaceuticals in the treatment of cancer, arthritis and tuberculosis. In Recent Developments in Science and addition, it is well established that gold ions are known as Technology inhibitors of macrophages and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. However, gold species may tightly bind to (i) Evidence of Lakes Found on Mars biomolecules such as enzymes and DNA, leading to toxicity to humans. Similarly, certain gold salts such as gold ars has a unique mountain called Mount Sharp that chloride are known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys, sits at the centre of a large crater called Gale Crater. and the peripheral nervous system. M NASA’s Curiosity rover landed on the floor of this crater Based on the sharp increase in gold catalysis and in August 2012 to look for signs that Mars was once toxicity associated with gold ions, it is essential to develop hospitable to life. This unique mountain has now provided a chemosensor to monitor the presence of gold species both evidence that Gale Crater was actually a large lake that in the environment and under physiological conditions. was once filled with water and that Mars may have had CSIR-IICT has developed a novel method for detection of many such lakes in the past. gold ions. In general, the development of chemosensor for Ever since it landed on the Red Planet more than the detection of gold is based on two approaches. two years ago, the Curiosity rover has been driving around The first is the complexation based approach wherein the now-dry crater floor. In September 2014, the rover the non-fluorescent probe, containing a fluorophore and a reached the foothills of the 5-kilometre-high Mount Sharp gold ion receptor, binds with Au ions trig gering change in at the centre of the crater where it carried out drilling and the fluorescence intensity (Figure 2A). Another approach analysis of rocks in the area. In December 2014, NASA involves a non-fluorescent probe consisting of a fluorophore announced that they have found evidence that Mount Sharp and organic molecule which on reaction with gold species is a mountain of sediment, built over tens of millions of generates a new structure resulting in a change in the years by deposits of lake sediments through multiple cycles fluorescence intensity. of water flowing into a large, shallow lake that could have The required probe X was easily synthesized from 2- lasted tens of millions of years. After the crater filled to a iodobenzoic acid, phenyl acetylene and methoxy-fluorescein height of at least a few hundred metres, and the sediments using conventional methods. As depicted in Figure 3, the hardened into rock, the accumulated layers of sediment

106 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2015 were sculpted over time into a mountainous shape by wind (ii) Moon’s Magnetic Field Explained erosion that carved away the material between the crater perimeter and what is now the edge of the mountain. hen Apollo astronauts brought back samples of moon Mount Sharp is a curious formation: The layered Wrocks from their lunar landing missions in the 1960s mountain is made of different kinds of sediment. Some and ‘70s, scientists were surprised to find that some of layers were probably deposited by a surrounding lake bed, them were magnetic. At that time scientists had no idea and others seem more likely to be the result of river or that the Moon had ever had a magnetic field and were at wind deposits. NASA scientists believe that a large lake in a loss to explain why it apparently once had one. Recent the Gale Crater – or even a series of lakes that evaporated studies show that billions of years ago, the Moon may and then reformed – caused the mountain’s unusual indeed have had a magnetic field stronger than that of the formation. The rock layers in the lower flanks of Mount Earth at present. Sharp show alternate lake, river and wind deposits that bear The Earth’s magnetic field is generated by a ‘dynamo witness to the repeated filling and evaporation of a Martian process’, caused by the fluid motion of a conducting lake much larger and longer-lasting than any previously material such as liquid iron in the planet’s outer core and examined close-up. driven by the convection of heat. But the Moon is not large According to NASA scientists, to have liquid water enough for convection to take place within it, and until on the surface, Mars would have had a much warmer, now, scientists were unable to explain what else might heavier atmosphere than it does now, but at the moment, generate the required liquid motion of iron inside the Moon. NASA scientists still are not sure how that atmosphere Now, Ben Weiss, a professor of planetary sciences at formed, or why it changed. Despite earlier evidence from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his student several Mars missions that pointed to wet environments Sonia Tikoo have come out with a possible mechanism to on ancient Mars, modelling of the ancient climate has yet explain Moon’s magnetism. They suggest an exotic dynamo to identify the conditions that could have produced long effect that may have powered an intense magnetic field in periods warm enough for stable water on the surface. the past. They believe that the dynamo was stronger than Curiosity currently is investigating the lowest the Earth’s field today and persisted for a billion years sedimentary layers of Mount Sharp, a section of rock 150 from 4.2 billion years ago to 3.3 billion years ago. This metres high, dubbed the Murray formation. Rivers carried was a period of intense meteoroid bombardment in the solar sand and silt to the lake, depositing the sediments at the system (Science, 5 December 2014 | doi: 10.1126/ mouth of the river to form deltas similar to those found at science.1246753). river mouths on Earth. This cycle occurred over and over again, ultimately leading to the formation of Sharp However, according to planetary scientists, given the Mountain at the centre of the lake. size of the Moon, convection that is thought to power all known planetary dynamos in the solar system today, is “If our hypothesis for Mount Sharp holds up, it expected to produce surface magnetic fields on the Moon challenges the notion that warm and wet conditions were at least 10 times weaker than what was observed in the transient, local, or only underground on Mars,” says Ashwin ancient lunar rocks. Vasavada, Curiosity deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “A more To overcome this mismatch, Weiss and Tikoo suggest radical explanation is that Mars’ ancient, thicker atmosphere an exotic dynamo mechanism in which the core was stirred raised temperatures above freezing globally, but so far we by motion of the overlying solid mantle to explain ancient don’t know how the atmosphere did that.” Moon’s strong field intensity. According to them, this happened because the Moon’s core and its mantle rotated According to Curiosity Project Scientist John around slightly different axes, and the boundary between Grotzinger, “As Curiosity climbs higher on Mount Sharp, them was not quite spherical, so their relative motion we will have a series of experiments to show patterns in caused the fluid to mix around. The strength of this stirring how the atmosphere and the water and the sediments was determined by the angle between the core and the interact. We may see how the chemistry changed in the lakes over time. This is a hypothesis supported by what mantle, and the distance between the Earth and the Moon, we have observed so far, providing a framework for testing because the tidal gravitational tug from the Earth causes in the coming year.” Curiosity’s primary mission is to find the Moon’s mantle to rotate differently than the core. The signs that Mars was once hospitable to life. motion of the mantle was more vigorous billions of years

VOL. 81, NOS. 3–4 107 ago, when the Moon was closer to the Earth, hence the Earth early in its history. The findings suggest that if DNA magnetic field was stronger. travelled through space on meteorites, it could have conceivably survived. Many scientists believe that DNA could certainly reach Earth from outer space in (iii) DNA can Survive Reentry from Space extraterrestrial material made of dust and meteorites, around 100 tonnes of which hits our planet every day. NA is the key genetic material found in all living Dorganisms that decides all the characteristic of an This first evidence of plasmid DNA’s survival also organism. DNA is considered a delicate molecule, easily suggests that in future, DNA tests could be considered as damaged or destroyed by heat or ionising radiation. But a a standard for measuring the effectiveness of recent study shows that it can survive temperatures of up decontamination procedures used in space programs. to 1000°C encountered by space vehicles during re-entry Returning spacecraft are routinely cleaned to protect Earth into Earth’s atmosphere. This surprising observation raises against the possibility of accidental contact with alien the possibility of extra-terrestrial life molecules arriving on microbes. Earth from space. Sounding rockets represent an excellent platform for (iv) New Compound Rapidly Eliminates testing the influence of space conditions during the passage Malaria Parasite through Earth’s atmosphere and re-entry on biological, physical and chemical experiments for astrobiological alaria is a disease that develops when a mosquito studies. The present study was conducted by a team of Minfected with a Plasmodium parasite bites a person. Swiss and German scientists who lined the exterior grooves Once it gets into the bloodstream, the parasite invades and of a rocket with fragments of plasmid DNA – a circular lives in the new host’s red blood cells. According to the thread of DNA that would not function if it were damaged World Health Organization (WHO), malaria killed an and lost its loop shape – to test the genetic material’s estimated 6,27,000 people in 2012, the majority of them stability in space. The plasmid DNA carried genes for sub-Saharan African children under the age of 5. India has fluorescence and antibiotic resistance. The rocket mission 12.8 crore suspected malaria cases. named ‘TEXUS-49’ was launched from an European base Till now the only way to protect against malaria has in Kiruna, northern Sweden and was originally intended to been preventive – control of mosquito breeding and study the influence of gravity on the genes of human cells protection against mosquito bite using mosquito nets and carried inside the rocket. At the end of the 13-minute round mosquito-repellents. Once infected, the only treatments trip into space, it was found that some of those DNA available were antimalarials such as chloroquine, quinidine, molecules coated on the outer casing of the rocket remained mefloquine, primaquine, etc., but mosquitoes have intact during the hostile conditions of the flight and re- developed resistance against many of these drugs, making entry and could pass on genetic information after retrieval. them ineffective. Recently, an international team led by Subsequent analyses showed that DNA could be researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, recovered from all application sites with a maximum of Memphis, USA has developed a new compound that can 53% in the grooves and that up to 35% of the DNA remove the malaria parasite from blood very fast and thus retained its full biological function. It was shown to confer may slow development of resistance to antimalarial drugs. antibiotic resistance to bacteria, and drive a fluorescent According to the researchers, the new compound, (+)- marker in nucleated cells thus proving its functionality. The SJ733, tricks the host immune system into destroying only researchers were intrigued to find that the DNA looked infected red blood cells while leaving healthy ones alone. intact under a microscope (PLoS ONE, 26 November 2014 The new compound disrupts malaria parasite’s internal doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112979). sodium balance (Proceedings of the National Academy of The experiment provides experimental evidence that Sciences, 5 December 2014 | doi: 10.1073/ the DNA’s genetic information is essentially capable of pnas.1414221111). surviving the extreme conditions of space and the re-entry In the present study, researchers found that (+)-SJ733 into Earth’s dense atmosphere. The new finding bolsters uses a novel mechanism to kill the parasite by recruiting the belief of many scientists that comets may have brought the immune system to eliminate malariainfected red blood organic building blocks of life such as amino acids to the cells. Whole genome sequencing of the Plasmodium

108 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2015 falciparum revealed that (+)-SJ733 disrupted activity of the In a mouse model of malaria, a single dose of (+)- ATP4 protein in the parasites. The ATP4 protein functions SJ733 killed 80 percent of malaria parasites within 24 as a pump thatthe parasites depend on to maintain the hours. After 48 hours the parasite was undetectable. proper sodium balance by removing excess sodium. Laboratory evidence also suggests that the compound’s Researchers showed that by inhibiting ATP4 activity, a speed and mode of action work together to slow down series of changes in malaria-infected red blood cells was and suppress development of drug-resistant parasites, which triggered that marked them for destruction by the immune has long undermined efforts to treat and block malaria system. The infected cells changed shape and shrank in transmission. Planning has begun to move (+)-SJ733 from size. They also became more rigid and exhibited other the laboratory into the clinic beginning with a safety study alterations typical of aging red blood cells. The immune of the drug in healthy adults.  system responded using the same mechanism the body Biman Basu relies on to rid itself of aging red blood cells, but, , February 2015, significantly, it left uninfected red blood cells unharmed. Vol. 17 No. 5 March 2014

VOL. 81, NOS. 3–4 109 Particulars of the Journal Science and Culture as per Form IV of the Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956

Place of Publication : Calcutta, Periodicity of Publication : Bi-monthly, Printer's and Publisher's Name, Nationality, Address : Prof. S. C. Roy, Indian, Indian Science News Association, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Kolkata- 700 009, Editor's Name, Nationality, Address : (1) Prof. N. D. Paria, Indian, Department of Botany, Calcutta University, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata-700 019, (2) Prof. S. C. Roy, Indian, Indian Science News Association, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata-700 009, (3) Professor Parimal Chandra Sen, Department of Chemistry, Bose Institute, Kolkata-700 054, (4) Prof. Sudhendu Mandal, Indian, Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan-731 235, (5) Prof. Barun Kumar Chatterjee, Indian, Department of Physics, Bose Institute, 93/1, Acharya Prafulla Ch. Road, Kolkata-700 009, (6) Prof. Syamal Chakraborti, Indian, Department of Chemistry, Calcutta University, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata-700 009, (7) Dr. Amit Krishna De, Indian, Executive Secretary, Indian Science Congress Association, 14 Dr. Biresh Guha Street, Kolkata-700 017. (8) Shri Biman Basu, Indian, C-203, Hindon Apartments, 25, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi-110 096, (9) Dr. Srinivasan Srikanth, Indian, Director, National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur-831 007, (10) Professor Manas Chakrabarty, Indian, Former Professor, Department of Chemistry, Bose Institute, Kolkata-700 009. Names and Address of individuals who own the newspapers and partners or shareholders holding more than one per cent of the capital : Indian Science News Association, Kolkata. I, Prof. S. C. Roy hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Sd/- S. C. Roy Publishers March, 2015 (On behalf of the Indian Science News Association)

110 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2015