Chitin

• The number of endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys is rising, thanks to growing public awareness and concrete action, according to experts at a nature reserve.
• Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys inhabit the mountainous forests of the southwestern province and the neighboring Tibet autonomous region, with most of them being found in the Baima reserve.
• Xiangguqing, in Yunnan's Dechen Tibetan autonomous prefecture, is the only place where people can observe the monkeys in close proximity.
• He first visited the reserve in 1985 on a trip that led to a lifelong bond with the animals.

• You might have to take a combination of drugs for weeks to overcome the infection, which could result in more severe side effects.
• The yeast Candida auris has recently emerged as a potentially dangerous fungal infection for hospital patients and nursing home residents.
• I am a microbiologist researching new ways to kill fungi.

Targeting the sensitive parts of fungal cells

• Fungal cells contain a structure called a cell wall that helps maintain their shape and protects them from the environment.
• Fungal cell walls are constructed in part from several different types of polysaccharides, which are long strings of sugar molecules linked together.
• The fungal cell wall is an attractive target for drugs because human cells do not have a cell wall, so drugs that block chitin and beta-glucan production will have fewer side effects.

How fungi become drug resistant

• For decades, scientists have been studying how fungi overcome drugs designed to weaken or kill them.
• In the case of echinocandins, Candida auris commonly uses three tricks to beat these treatments: hide, build and change.
• The third trick fungi rely on is to change the shape of the beta-glucan production enzyme so echinocandins cannot block it.
• These mutations allow beta-glucan production to continue even in the presence of the drug.

New tactics to fight fungi

• Thankfully, scientists and physicians are researching new ways to kill Candida auris and similar fungi.
• For example, there are two drugs in development, rezafungin and ibrexafungerp, that appear to be able to stop beta-glucan production even in fungi resistant to echinocandins.
• A complementary approach my research group is exploring is whether a class of enzymes called glycoside hydrolases might also be able to combat drug-resistant fungi.

• Many if not most humans may be unable to digest the chitin in insect exoskeletons.
• Public acceptance is surprisingly high, the article notes, especially when people are told they are saving the planet.
• "Destroying farms and killing herds of livestock has irreversible consequences," states DDP president Jane M. Orient, M.D.
• Doctors for Disaster Preparedness provides information to help save lives in the event of natural or man-made disasters.

• VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biostimulants market size reached USD 3.28 Billion in 2021 and is expected to register a CAGR of 12.1% during the forecast period, according to latest analysis by Emergen Research .
• In the upcoming years, market growth is expected to be greatly aided by these governmental initiatives.
• Biostimulants are a class of organic compounds that can increase plant growth and nutrient uptake while lowering the need for chemical fertilizers.
• The Biostimulants market is expected to register a CAGR of 12.1% over the forecast period and revenue is projected to increase from USD 3.28 Billion in 2021 to USD 9.25 Billion in 2030.