Biology subjects

Akbar, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Akbar, F..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Programmable microactuators phase-lock cilia to local oscillatory flow

Hydrodynamic synchronization of motile cilia is essential for biological functions such as fluid transport, locomotion, and developmental patterning. It comprises the generation and the response to local flows in complex geometries. Besides their central role in physiology, direct experimental tests of ciliary responses to local flows at cellular length and time scales have remained elusive, largely due to the absence of tools capable of applying controlled, and localized flow stimuli. Here, we introduce programmable, nanometer-thin Ti/Pt microactuators that generate well-defined hydrodynamic forcing at biologically relevant frequencies while operating at biocompatible sub-Volt voltages. This platform is pioneering a controlled local hydrodynamic stimulation of individual motile cilia. We quantify the flow fields and forces produced by single microactuators using particle image velocimetry. Applying local oscillatory flows close to motile cilia of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we probe their dynamic response by quantifying phase-locking between cilia and microactuators. This quantification is aided by combining machine-learning-based image segmentation, oscillator phase reconstruction, and circular statistics. During actuation, we observe signatures of phase-locking: those include a reversible modulation of the fluctuations in phase-difference between cilium and actuator and a systematic shift in ciliary beating frequency. Beyond providing a bio-compatible and precise platform for local hydrodynamic stimulation, our approach establishes an experimental framework for directly testing theories of hydrodynamic synchronization and load adaptation in systems of motile cilia.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2021

Sex Identification in Cattle, based on Amelogenin Gene

Sex identification is considered an important step in the field of forensic sciences, wildlife and livestock breeding management. In the current experiment we used Amelogenin gene as a biological marker for polymerase chain reaction test to identify the sex of cattle from blood remnants, collected at slaughter house. Due to the conserved region of the gene on both sex chromosomes (X and Y) a single primers pair was employed to amplify the gene in a single polymerase chain reaction. In case of band patterns, a 178 base pair fragment for AMELY and a 241 base pair fragment for AMELX genes were produced. The primers competence and exactness was initially checked on known gender cattle samples and then applied to unknown cattle samples for the validation of the experiment. PCR amplicons of unknown gender showed only one band (241-bp) for female DNA and two bands (241-bp, 178-bp) for male DNA, on the platform of agarose gel upon electrophoresis. Our findings showed that the PCR protocol based on AMELX/Y gene is a reliable technique for the identification of cattle sex.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2021

Genomic miscellany and allelic frequencies of Plasmodium falciparum msp-1, msp-2 and glurp in parasite isolates

The genomic miscellany of malaria parasites can inform the intensity of transmission and identify potential deficiencies in malaria control programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic miscellany, allele frequencies and multiplicity of infection (MOI) of P. falciparum. MethodsA total of 85 isolates from patients presenting to the local health centers with P. falciparum species were collected from 2017 to 2019. Parasite DNA was extracted from a total of 200 {micro}l whole blood per patient using the Qiagen DNA extraction kit according to manufactures instructions. The polymorphic region of msp-1, msp-2 and glurp loci were genotyped by using nested polymerase chain reactions followed by gel electrophoresis for fragment analysis. ResultsGenetic diversity and allelic frequencies of msp-1, msp-2 and glurp were identified in 85 blood samples. A total of 62 msp alleles were detected in which 30 for msp-1 and 32 for msp-2. For msp-1 the successful amplification occurred in (75/85) 88.23% isolates for msp-1, 78.9% (67/85) for msp-2 and 70% (60/85) for glurp. For msp-1, the K1 allelic family was predominant at 66.66% (50/75), followed by RO33 and MAD20. The frequency of samples having only K1, MAD20 and RO33 were 21.34% (16/75), 8% (6/75) and 10.67% (8/75) respectively. In msp-2, the FC27 allelic family was the most abundant with 70.14% (47/67) compared to 3D7 with 67.16% (45/67). Nine glurp RII region genotypes were identified. The overall mean multiplicity of infection was 2.6 with1.8 and 1.4 for msp-1 and msp-2 respectively while for glurp RII genes (MOI=1.03). There was no significant association between multiplicity of infection and age group (Spearmans rank coefficient = 0.050; P = 0.6). There was significant correlation between MOI and parasite density for msp-2 allelic family. ConclusionOur study showed high genetic diversity and allelic frequency with multiple clones of msp-1, msp-2 and glurp in P. falciparum isolates from malaria patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. In the present study the genotype data provided the valuable information which is essential for monitoring the impact of malaria eradication efforts in this region.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2019

Biosynthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles via Crocus sativus and their Antifungal Efficacy against Verticillium Wilt Pathogen Verticillium dahliae

Plant diseases pose threat to global food security. The excessive use of synthetic agro-chemical engender pesticide resistance. The exploration of alternative sustainable diseases management practices are crucial to overcome the devastative plant diseases. In this study, a facile innocuous approach was adopted for biogenic synthesis of Fe2O3-CsNPs via Crocus sativus corm aqueous extract and was evaluated for their antifungal efficacy against the Verticillium wilt pathogen Verticillium dahliae. The physico-chemical characterization of biosynthesized nanoparticles were performed through UV-visible Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The fungus mycelium growth was significantly inhibited in the media containing 3mg/mL Fe2O3-CsNPs. Degenerated, concentrated and shriveled hyphae were revealed in Scanning Electron Microscopy. The overall results demonstrated that the biogenic Fe2O3-CsNPs have the efficacy to control devastative phytopathogens.

plant biology↗