BioChem, Volume 2, Issue 2 (June 2022) – 3 articles

The Molecular Genetics Mobile Lab or “Laboratório itinerante de Genética Molecular” (Lab-it) was funded in 2008 by Leonor Cancela to promote the learning of molecular genetics which had been introduced at that time into high school biology programms. The project aimed to introduce hands-on laboratory activities in molecular genetics to complement the theoretical concepts taught in school. These included the development of experimental protocols based on theoretical scenarios focusing on themes of forensics sciences, biomedical applications, diagnostic methods, and ecological research using basic molecular biology techniques, such as DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), electrophoresis, and restriction enzyme application. In these scenarios, the students execute all the procedures with the help of the Lab-it instructor and using the Lab-it equipment, followed by a discussion of the results with all the participants and the school teacher. These approaches help the students to consolidate the concepts of molecular biology and simultaneously promote discussions on new advances in the area and choices for university careers. In addition to practical sessions, Lab-it also promotes seminars on topics of interest to the students and teachers. Since 2008, 18 high schools have participated in the region of Algarve, averaging each year about 400 students participating in practical activities. In 2021, despite the COVID pandemic, 9 schools and 379 students were involved in Lab-it practical sessions and 99% of them considered the activity to contribute to better understanding the molecular biology methods approached in theoretical classes and expressed high interest in those sessions. Full article

In this contribution, we provide an overview of gold compound applications against viruses or parasites during recent years. The special properties of gold have been the subject of intense investigation in recent years, which has led to the development of its chemistry with the synthesis of new compounds and the study of its applicability in various areas such as catalysis, materials, nanotechnology and medicine. Herein, thirteen gold articles with applications in several viruses, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza A virus (H1N1), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), coronavirus (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2), Dengue virus, and several parasites such as Plasmodium sp., Leishmania sp., Tripanossoma sp., Brugia sp., Schistosoma sp., Onchocerca sp., Acanthamoeba sp., and Trichomonas sp. are described. Gold compounds with anti-viral activity include gold nanoparticles with the ligands mercaptoundecanosulfonate, 1-octanethiol and aldoses and gold complexes with phosphine and carbene ligands. All of the gold compounds with anti-parasitic activity reported are gold complexes of the carbene type. Auranofin is a gold drug already used against rheumatoid arthritis, and it has also been tested against virus and parasites. Full article

Objectives: The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global health calamity unprecedented in the modern world. The disease spread worldwide, and to date, there have been over 230 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including approximately 4.7 million deaths. Mutant variants of the virus have raised concerns about additional pandemic waves and threaten to reverse our progress thus far to limit the spread of the virus. These variants include Alpha, Beta, and Delta (first reported in December 2020 in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and India, respectively) and Gamma (reported in January 2021 in Brazil). In some cases, countries have even reported a rise in daily cases higher than the first wave in March 2020. Given the rapidly evolving nature of COVID-19 and subsequent new findings and updates each day, this review article aims to comprehensively summarize the etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to gain insight into the transmissibility, pathogenesis, entry factors, and immune response of COVID-19. Specifically, Pubmed and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify any relevant articles. References within the included articles were reviewed. Published articles related to search criteria from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to March 2022 were included. Results: Viral transmissibility is predominantly affected by the modes of transmission, various mutations on the nucleocapsid protein and endoRNAse, gender, age, and other factors. The pathophysiological mechanism is generally unknown, although the clinical manifestations such as headache, loss of smell and taste, vomiting, diarrhea, multiorgan failure, and dermatological and cardiovascular complications are well documented. The progression of infection depends on the immunopathological response and the innate/adaptive immunity. Conclusion: Our review has summarized the latest knowledge about SARS-CoV2. However, as the pandemic continues to spread across the continents, there is an urgent need for more research on potentially emerging coronaviruses and the development of a universal coronaviruses vaccine to put the pandemic behind us. Full article