Ambrosia beetles can recognise their food fungi by their scents

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG

 

IMAGE: NEST OF A BLACK STEM BORER (XYLOSANDRUS GERMANUS) IN A HAZELNUT BRANCH WITH ADULT FEMALES (LARGE), A MALE (SMALL) AND INDIVIDUAL LARVAE. THE GREYISH FUNGAL COATING OF THE FOOD FUNGUS IS VISIBLE ON THE WALLS OF THE TUNNEL SYSTEM. view more 

CREDIT: ANTONIO GUGLIUZZO

Certain ambrosia beetles species engage in active agriculture. As social communities, they breed and care for food fungi in the wood of trees and ensure that so-called weed fungi spread less. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Peter Biedermann, professor of Forest Entomology and Forest Protection at the University of Freiburg, now demonstrate for the first time that ambrosia beetles can distinguish between different species of fungi by their scents. "The results can contribute to a better understanding of why beetles selectively colonise trees with conspecifics and how exactly their fungiculture works," says Biedermann. "In addition, the scents of the fungi could be used to develop attractants to control non-native ambrosia beetles."

Beetles orientate themselves by fungal scents

A research team led by Biedermann and the environmental scientist Dr. Antonio Gugliuzzo from the University of Catania/Italy was able to show for the first time that the black stem borer (Xylosandrus germanus) perceives scents of its food fungi and that these act as so-called aggregation pheromones. This means that the beetle uses the scent of the food fungus to find trees that are already colonised by conspecifics. The beetle is an invasive species that is now widespread in Germany and is mainly found in fruit trees. The results have just been published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

"Until now, we could not explain how these beetles attack trees in groups," says Biedermann - because no corresponding scent of the insects' own had been found so far. The experiment now showed that the beetles react to the scents of the specific food fungi that their conspecifics have already cultivated in the branches of a tree. "This enables the beetles to colonise weakened trees in greater numbers and to overcome the tree's defences more easily, thus causing the tree to die," says Biedermann. Further chemical analyses can now be done to determine a component of the fungus scent, which could then be used as an attractant for traps in fruit growing.

Even larvae can distinguish fungi

In another study, environmental scientist Denicia Kassie and biologist Janina Diehl were able to experimentally demonstrate for the first time that another ambrosia beetle species, the fruit-tree pinhole borer (Xyleborinus saxesenii), can recognise and distinguish between its food fungi and so-called weed or harmful fungi based on their scents. Diehl is a doctoral student with Biedermann at the University of Freiburg. "Depending on the condition of the fungi, the beetles in the experiments either specifically sought out the fungal cultures or avoided them," says Diehl. The ability to recognise a potential threat to food fungi or their own health gives the beetles the opportunity to react - and either avoid or specifically combat the harmful fungi. The results of the study have been published in the journal Symbiosis.

The scientists were able to demonstrate the ability to distinguish between different food and harmful fungi in both larvae and adult individuals of the fruit-tree pinhole borer - which each take on their own tasks in the social network in the social maintenance of the food fungus cultures. "These findings are another building block to better understand how the control of fungal breeding by ambrosia beetles works functionally," says Biedermann. "This could also result in ideas for our agriculture to control harmful organisms in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way."

Nest of a fruit-tree pinhole borer (Xyleborinus saxesenii) with adult beetles and larvae. The yellow fungal mycelium of the food fungus is visible in the vicinity of the nest.

CREDIT

Davide Vallotto

Cultures of the food fungus Ambrosiella grosmanniae of the black stem borer in the laboratory of the University of Freiburg

CREDIT

Antonio Gugliuzzo

Factual overview:

• Original publications: Gugliuzzo, A., Kreuzwieser, J., Ranger, Ch. M., Tropea Garzia, G., Biondi, A., Biedermann, P. H. W.: Volatiles of fungal cultivars act as cues for host-selection in the fungus-farming ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus. In: Front. Microbiol. 14:1151078 (2023).https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1151078/full
  Diehl, J.M.C., Kassie, D., Biedermann, P.H.W.: Friend or foe: Ambrosia beetle response to volatiles of common threats in their fungus gardensSymbiosis (2023). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13199-023-00914-y
• Peter Biedermann is Professor of Forest Entomology and Forest Conservation at the University of Freiburg. His research interests include bark beetles, symbioses between insects and microorganisms, especially fungi, and the social behaviour of insects. Janina Diehl is a doctoral student at the University of Freiburg, Denicia Kassie wrote her bachelor's thesis on the topic at the University of Freiburg. Antonio Gugliuzzo is a research assistant at the University of Catania/Italy.
• The research was supported by a DAAD scholarship for Antonio Gigliuzzo, by an Emmy Noether Grant from the DFG for Peter Biedermann and by funding from the University of Freiburg for open access publications.

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DOI

10.3389/fmicb.2023.11510 

Farmer’ beetle finds suitable host trees by tracing scent of its fungus crop

First known chemical cue for aggregation of ambrosia beetles that isn’t synthesized by the species itself

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FRONTIERS

 

IMAGE: ALNUS AMBROSIA BEETLES (XYLOSANDRUS GERMANUS) IN THEIR GALLERIES, TENDING THE BROOD AND FUNGUS view more 

CREDIT: ANTONIO GUGLIUZZO

The alnus ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus, also known as the black stem borer, was accidentally introduced by humans from its native east Asia to North America and Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. X. germanus is a so-called ambrosia beetle, which means that it farms its own food: a specialized fungal symbiont which it ‘sows’ and tends inside the galleries that it digs inside wood. It is a destructive invasive pest, known to attack more than 200 species from 51 families of broadleaf and conifer trees. While it prefers to colonize dead wood, it can also infest and ultimately kill weakened or stressed trees.

A proven way to monitor or even control insect pests is by hijacking their communication system and manipulating it to trap them to their doom. Females of the alnus ambrosia beetle are known to aggregate on individual trees, suggesting that they use chemical signals to find each other and identify suitable trees. And now, scientists have cracked this chemical code. The results are published in Frontiers in Microbiology.

“Here we show that the alnus ambrosia beetle doesn’t produce its own pheromones during tree-host colonization, but rather uses the volatile compounds of their own fungal symbionts to aggregate en masse and potentially kill trees,” said the study’s senior author Dr Peter Biedermann, a professor at the Forestry Institute of the University of Freiburg in Germany.

First evidence of aggregation pheromones in ambrosia beetles

First author Antonio Gugliuzzo, a PhD student at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Catania in Italy, added: “This is the first evidence for the existence of aggregation pheromones in ambrosia beetles of the tribe Xyleborini.”

Like all ambrosia beetles, X. germanus females carry their fungal symbionts in special pockets inside their head. The authors here used molecular methods to culture and identify the two most common symbionts as Ambrosiella grosmanniae, most likely the beetles’ primary food source, and an unknown species of Acremonium that the beetles may or may not eat. In 2020, the researchers caught mated dispersing X. germanus females near Freiburg, and allowed these dig galleries in an artificial medium based on beech sawdust, grow these two fungi, and rear their offspring.

They then used these fungi as bait in two-choice experiments in an apparatus called a still-air olfactometer. Here, X. germanus females were placed in an arena with two dead ends to enter and hide in: for example, one containing an isolate of the two symbionts A. grosmanniae and Acremonium sp., and another with an isolate of an unrelated fungus expected to be unattractive to the beetles – here, an uncharacterized Cladosporium species. The beetles’ preference will depend on their relative attraction to microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) released by the fungi.

In a variant of this experiment, previously healthy beech branches infected with different fungi were presented to the beetles as options for choice.

Beetles prefer odor of symbionts and colonized branches

The results showed that the beetles were most attracted to A. grosmanniae MVOCs and least to Cladosporium MVOCs, and more to branches already colonized by A. grosmanniae than to uncolonized branches. The authors conclude that X. germanus uses MVOCs released by its two symbiont strains as a ‘synomone’ – a chemical signal that benefits both the emitter like and the receiver.

“Occupied tree branches may signal the beetles suitable substrate for the food fungi they depend on. This suitability is probably a delicate balance: trees need specific requirements to allow the beetles to farm the fungus successfully,” said Biedermann.

“But this isn’t an absolute requirement: if a female can’t find any conspecifics, or detect any MVOCs, she could still independently colonize a new tree branch.”

Promising avenue for biological control

These results immediately suggest a new method for biological control.

“Now that we know that the fungi produce attractive volatiles, we may be able to develop new trapping lures for the beetles on the basis of these compounds,” said Biedermann.  

“Moreover, the use of specific volatile compounds for trapping purposes could contribute to the development of innovative and selective trapping methods targeting specific ambrosia beetle species, thereby minimizing catches of non-target arthropods living in the same environment.”

Alnus ambrosia beetles (Xylosandrus germanus) in their galleries, tending the brood and fungus

CREDIT

Antonio Gugliuzzo

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JOURNAL

Frontiers in Microbiology

DOI

10.3389/fmicb.2023.1151078 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Volatiles of fungal cultivars act as cues for host-selection in the fungus-farming ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Apr-2023

Single-use surgical items contribute two-thirds of carbon footprint of products used in common operations

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SAGE

A new analysis of the carbon footprint of products used in the five most common surgical operations carried out in the NHS in England shows that 68% of carbon contributions come from single-use items, such as single-use gowns, patient drapes and instrument table drapes. Published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the analysis highlights significant carbon contributors were the production of single use items and their waste disposal, together with processes for decontaminating reusable products.

Researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the University of Warwick carried out the study, which is the first to systematically evaluate the carbon footprint of products used in common operations. The analysis was based on direct observation of operating rooms across three sites of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

Applying the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), the standard unit for measuring carbon footprints, to each of the operations, the researchers showed that the operation with the highest product carbon footprint was knee replacement (85.5kg CO2e). This was followed by gall bladder removal (20.3kg CO2e), carpal tunnel decompression surgery (12.0kg CO2e), hernia repair (11.7kg CO2e) and tonsillectomy (7.5kg CO2e).

Across the five operations, the researchers found that relatively few products (23%) were responsible for more than 80% of the product carbon footprint. This indicates that strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with surgical operations should focus on the few products with highest emissions, typically large single-use (often plastic) items.

Lead researcher Dr Chantelle Rizan, Clinical Lecturer in Sustainable Healthcare at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said: “Mitigating the carbon footprint of products used in resource-intensive areas such as surgical operating rooms will be important in achieving net zero carbon healthcare. Strategies should include eliminating or finding low carbon alternatives for products with the biggest contribution.”

Strategies to eliminate products, write the researchers, include avoiding non-sterile gloves, where they could be replaced with hand-washing, not opening gauze swab packs unless required and asking suppliers to remove rarely used items from single-use pre-prepared packs. The researchers also suggest that a number of single-use high carbon products have reusable alternatives. For example, single-use gowns, patient drapes and instrument table drapes were high carbon contributors in the study, yet the researchers note there is no evidence that reusable surgical textiles, which hold significant reductions in carbon footprint, are clinically inferior.

Dr Rizan concludes: “Eliminating single-use items or switching to reusables where feasible, alongside optimising associated decontamination processes and waste segregation and recycling, could reduce product carbon footprint by one third. This model was based on reusable alternatives already on the market, and this figure may be surpassed where industry rises to the challenge of sustainable surgical product innovation.”

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JOURNAL

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

DOI

10.1177/01410768231166135 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

The carbon footprint of products used in five common surgical operations: identifying contributing products and processes

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Apr-2023

Disclaimer: AAAS 

BIG PHARMA PRICE GOUGING

Study: Anti-obesity medications could be sold for lower prices

Change in cost may improve affordability, access to treatment

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE OBESITY SOCIETY

ROCKVILLE, Md.—New research shows that several anti-obesity medications could be manufactured and profitability sold worldwide at far lower estimated lower prices compared to their high costs, according to a new study in Obesity, The Obesity Society’s (TOS) flagship journal.

“Access to medicine is a fundamental element of the human right to health. While the obesity pandemic grows, especially amongst low-income communities, effective medical treatments remain inaccessible for millions in need. Our study highlights the inequality in pricing that exists for effective anti-obesity medications, which are largely unaffordable in most countries. However, we show that these drugs can actually be produced and sold profitably for low prices. A public health approach that prioritizes improving access to medications should be adopted, instead of allowing companies to maximize profits,” said Jacob Levi, Intensive Care Medicine, Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom. Levi is the corresponding author of the study.

Experts explain that the increasing recognition that diet and exercise alone is unlikely to result in sustained weight loss had led to renewed interest in medication to supplement lifestyle changes. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated positive results with oral and injectable medications. However, these medications remain prohibitively expensive in most countries. Such high prices make it challenging for millions of people to afford the medications and obtain access to treatment.

“It would be great if everyone had affordable access to all medicines that might improve their health. Yet that is simply not possible, nor will it ever be. What is truly needed is a better way to ration the health care dollars currently available in efforts to maximize population health. That is the challenge ahead not just for anti-obesity medications but for all treatments,” said Eric A. Finkelstein, professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, in a commentary about the study.

On the other hand, the authors have called for a public health based approach to obesity management similar to that used with other diseases. Andrew Hill, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, supervising author of the study, commented, "Worldwide, more people are dying from diabetes and clinical obesity than HIV, tuberculosis and malaria combined now. Millions of lives have been saved by treating infectious diseases at low cost in poor countries. Now we need to repeat this medical success story, with mass treatment of diabetes and clinical obesity at low prices. Pharmaceutical companies have an ethical responsibility to make their new treatments for diabetes and obesity available for anyone in need, in any country."

The study’s authors searched national drug price databases and collected information on six medications: orlistat, naltrexone/bupropion, topiramate/phentermine, liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide across a range of 16 low-, middle- and high-income countries. In each country, researchers assessed multiple online national price databases and selected the lowest available price from each of the sources. Medications selected were chosen because they are proven effective and because they illustrate a range of different monotherapies, combination tablets and injectable treatments.

Estimated minimum prices (EMPs) for anti-obesity medications were calculated using established methodology using active pharmaceutical ingredients from the Panjiva database. EMPs were calculated per 30-day course and include costs of active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, formulation, taxation and 10% profit margin.

Results revealed that national prices of oral and injectable anti-obesity medications were significantly higher than calculated EMPs.

Oral Medications:

• Orlistat: Prices for a 30-day course of treatment were greater than $100 in the United States and less than $1 in Vietnam. The calculated EMP from export API data was approximately $7 per 30-day course.
• Naltrexone/bupropion: Costs for naltrexone/bupropion combination tablets range from $326 in the United States to $56 in South Africa compared with an EMP of $55 per 30-day course.
• Topiramate/phentermine: Price data was only available in the United States since the medication is not licensed for use for weight loss in several countries because of safety concerns. Prices in the United States ranged from $120 to $199 per course compared with the EMP of the combination tablets at $5. Prices were also searched separately of topiramate and phentermine and combined with available data together from the United States, South Africa and Kenya. EMP’s for each drug individually were $0.86 for topiramate and $0.53 for phentermine (total of $1.39 per course) based on API export data.

Injectable Medications:

• Liraglutide: Injectable anti-diabetic and weight loss agent liraglutide costs $1,418 in the United States and $252 in Norway. The EMP per 30-day course was $50. Researchers note that this price was calculated assuming the most efficient concentration and dosage of available pens for injection.
• Semaglutide: National price data for subcutaneous semaglutide were all higher than EMPs ranging from $804 in the United States to $95 in Turkey. The EMP of subcutaneous semaglutide was calculated to be approximately $40 per 30-day course.
• Tirzepatide: National price data was only available in the United States, where the medication was recently licensed for use in type 2 diabetes by the Food and Drug Administration. The medication is not licensed for obesity alone. Prices for 30-day course ranged from about $715.56 to $1,100.70. Insufficient data existed in the database to calculate an EMP.

The study’s authors note that EMPs are meant as realistic targets for competitive generic production rather than patented versions.

Caroline M. Apovian, MD, FTOS, co-director, Center for Weight Management and Wellness and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass., commented, “Once we have shown that anti-obesity agents notably GLP-1 and combinations thereof lower cardiovascular risk, we can then demand universal insurance coverage of these agents. These agents used for obesity prior to the advent of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other complications, have the power to reduce the cardiovascular burden and lower mortality worldwide.” Apovian was not associated with the research.

Other authors of the study include Junzheng Wang, Medical Sciences Office, Oxford University, Clinical Academic Graduate School, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom and Francois Venter, Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Venter has received support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. Agency for International Development, Uni-taid, SA Medical Research Council, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Gilead, ViiV, Mylan, Merck, Adcock-Ingram, Aspen, Abbott, Roche, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Virology Education, SA HIV Clinicians Society and Dira Sengwe. The other authors declared no conflict of interest.

Funding for this study was provided by the Make Medicines Affordable/International Treatment Preparedness Coalition,  grant number  ITPC-MV_2020,https://makemedicinesaffordable.org/about/, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number UG3HL156388.

The study, titled “Estimated Minimum Prices and Lowest Available National Prices for Anti-obesity Medications: Improving Affordability and Access to Treatment,” is online and will be published in the print issue of Obesity in May 2023.

#  #  #

The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading organization of scientists and health professionals devoted to understanding and reversing the epidemic of obesity and its adverse health, economic and societal effects. Combining the perspective of researchers, clinicians, policymakers and patients, TOS promotes innovative research, education and evidence-based clinical care to improve the health and well-being of all people with obesity. For more information, visit www.obesity.org.

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COI STATEMENT

Francois Venter has received support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. Agency for International Development, Uni-taid, SA Medical Research Council, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Gilead, ViiV, Mylan, Merck, Adcock-Ingram, Aspen, Abbott, Roche, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Virology Education, SA HIV Clinicians Society and Dira Sengwe. The other authors declared no conflict of interest.

RACIST MEDICINE U$A

Black cancer patients 71% more likely to experience heart damage following chemotherapy treatment

Review examines racial disparities in cardiovascular adverse effects from chemotherapy

Reports and Proceedings

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY

Chemotherapy is associated with an increased risk of treatment-related heart damage, including heart failure and cerebrovascular disease, for many patients. But a new meta-analysis, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient 2023 conference, finds that Black patients or patients of African ancestry have 71% higher odds of cardiotoxicity following cancer treatment compared to White patients.

Cardiotoxicity is any heart damage stemming from cancer treatment or drugs, including chemotherapy agents and radiation. It can lead to several heart problems, including heart failure, cardiomyopathy and irregular heart rhythms. Certain cancer treatments have a higher risk of causing cardiotoxicity, including anthracyclines, which are used to treat leukemias, lymphomas, and cancers of the breast, stomach, uterus, ovary and lung.

“Unfortunately, we were not surprised [by the findings]. Research shows that Black patients have poorer outcomes for almost every disease,” said Wondewossen Gebeyehu, BSc, a medical student at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study. “In this case, one could have expected that the differences would be minimal since it is the chemotherapy that is injuring the heart, and we would expect the same chemotherapy to be given to Black and non-Black patients with a given cancer. However, this systematic review indicates that the inequities in health outcomes extends to the odds of cardiotoxicity after cancer treatment.”

Researchers performed a systematic search of several databases—including Medline, Embase, Pubmed and others—of all studies reporting on cardiovascular toxicity in cancer patients of different racial/ethnic background receiving chemotherapy. After screening 7,057 studies, 24 studies representing 683,749 participants were included in the final review. Black race or African ancestry was associated with 71% increased odds of chemotherapy-associated cardiotoxicity; it was also associated with increased odds of a congestive heart failure diagnosis.

“These results may reflect the direct effects of racism, particularly structural racism, which leads to worse determinants of health for Black patients. It is well-documented that most health care settings are not perceived as safe by Black patients, which may increase their vulnerability to disease and decrease opportunities for preventative care,” Gebeyehu said. “Furthermore, decreased representation of Black patients in clinical trials may lead to treatments being developed that are not as effective or which may be riskier for Black patients. Importantly, these results should prompt further inquiry into the many possible contributors to disparities observed in Black patients.”

According to the researchers, the study quantifies the increased odds of chemotherapy-associated cardiotoxicity for Black cancer patients. The study also highlights the need for further study to determine underlying factors contributing to these disparities so they can be reduced.

“The most important message for patients is that they should not avoid chemotherapy, as the most important thing is making sure they get the best cancer treatment possible, and studies already show Black patients may get less optimal cancer treatments,” Gebeyehu said. “For clinicians, it is important to be aware of these higher odds of cardiotoxicity faced by Black patients. Understanding these disparities will hopefully lead to clinicians having more conversations around reducing cardiovascular risk associated with chemotherapy and targeted efforts to cater to groups at higher risk.”

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org or follow @ACCinTouch.

 

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Racial, ethnic differences in barriers faced by medical college admission test examinees

JAMA Health Forum

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JAMA NETWORK

About The Study: In this study of 81,755 Medical College Admission Test examinees, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic students reported lower parental educational levels, greater educational and financial barriers, and greater discouragement from pre-health advisers than white students. These barriers may deter groups underrepresented in medicine from applying to and matriculating at medical school. 

Authors: Jessica Faiz, M.D., M.S.H.P.M., of the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and UCLA in Los Angeles, is the corresponding author.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.0498)

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Black representation in the primary care physician workforce and its association with population life expectancy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JAMA NETWORK

About The Study: The findings of this study of survival outcomes for 1,618 U.S. counties suggest that greater representation of Black primary care physicians (PCPs) in the PCP workforce is associated with improved survival-related outcomes for Black individuals, although there was a dearth of U.S. counties with at least one Black PCP during each study time point. Investments to build a more representative PCP workforce nationally may be important for improving population health. 

Authors: John E. Snyder, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., and Rachel D. Upton, Ph.D., of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Rockville, Maryland, are the corresponding authors. 

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6687)

#  #  #

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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

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JOURNAL

JAMA Network Open

The ACMG publishes statement on clinical, technical and environmental biases influencing equitable access to clinical genetics/genomics testing

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) has just published: “Clinical, technical, and environmental biases influencing equitable access to clinical genetics/genomics testing: A points to consider statement of the ACMG.”

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF MEDICAL GENETICS AND GENOMICS

With the goal of fostering awareness and identifying strategies to reduce bias within the medical genetics field and to improve health equity, members of the ACMG’s Social, Ethical and Legal Issues (SELI) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committees collaborated to address factors in which bias can occur in clinical genetic testing in a just-published statement, “Clinical, technical, and environmental biases influencing equitable access to clinical genetics/genomics testing: A points to consider statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)”.

This is the first joint statement of the ACMG’s SELI and DEI Committees. Co-lead author and workgroup co-chair Dena R. Matalon, MD, FACMG, said, “By teaming up with our ACMG DEI colleagues, we were able to address more topics thoughtfully than if we pursued this complex issue in each committee alone. Our goal in working together was to raise awareness about how bias affects all of us, ways in which it does that we may not have realized, how bias affects underrepresented minorities, and what we can do to begin to mitigate it. We ultimately want to provide more equitable clinical genetic care for all, and hope this document helps us take a step in that direction.”

“I am proud of the collaborative efforts of these two ACMG committees in developing this paper in that it reflects an honest and timely response to a set of issues of great importance to society, to the American healthcare enterprise and to members of the clinical team delivering genetic and genomic care to the patients and communities we serve,” said ACMG Interim CEO Robert G. Best, PhD, MS, FACMG. “This paper is a response to the growing recognition that disparities in medicine are common and that they propagate along the lines of race, geography and socioeconomics. The authors of this Points to Consider document articulate an interplay between nested systems within health care related to biases within environmental, clinical and technical domains and have begun to delineate the need for action that takes stock of the complex systems in which patient care plays out. ACMG is committed to learning, understanding and taking responsibility for the part that our discipline has played in sustaining a system that accepts inequity as being somehow beyond the level of our agency to meaningfully address, and this paper represents an early step along a better path.”

As genetic testing becomes more accessible within the US and the world, multiple inherent scientific and clinical biases must be overcome to achieve health equity for individuals for which care is provided, including those belonging to historically marginalized populations. The ACMG SELI and DEI workgroup members reviewed and categorized bias into three main areas: environmental, clinical and technical.

Environmental bias factors in which individuals may face discrimination include employment, medical insurance, housing, and interactions with colleagues, peers and medical institutions. Clinical factors that have contributed to inequities in genetic testing interpretation can encompass limited clinician diversity of representation, access to genetic services, education of both healthcare professionals and patients, and complexities associated with unknown family history and/or genetic ancestry. For example, with few genetics professionals being bilingual, non-English speaking patients are at a disadvantage in receiving culturally appropriate care. Thus, diversifying the genetics workforce must continue to be a high priority.

Lastly, difficulties have arisen in variant interpretation for historically marginalized populations undergoing clinical genetic testing, as most individuals that take part in genomic research studies have been of European descent. Multiple examples are provided in the new ACMG statement regarding these “technical” biases, and the statement highlights the need for an ongoing effort to recruit individuals from ancestral and biogeographically diverse populations to improve database genomic representation.

This document illustrates a framework that supports a positive and constructive dialogue among all stakeholders and lawmakers to continually address biases and keep advancing genetic testing in the clinic. The goal is to recognize and reduce bias, ensuring equitable care and avoiding unfair discrimination for all.

Cinthya J. Zepeda Mendoza, PhD, FACMG, co-lead author and workgroup co-chair, said, “Since its inception almost three years ago, the ACMG’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has been working hard to prioritize DEI principles within the College and the medical genetics specialties. This document is the culmination of a rewarding collaboration with our ACMG SELI colleagues, in which we addressed biases in clinical testing and their significant impact on individuals and communities, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. Our goal with this publication is to disrupt our bias and to remain accountable in ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds receive the best possible care.”

About the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Founded in 1991, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) is a prominent authority in the field of medical genetics and genomics and the only nationally recognized medical professional organization solely dedicated to improving health through the practice of medical genetics and genomics. The only medical specialty society in the US that represents the full spectrum of medical genetics disciplines in a single organization, the ACMG provides education, resources and a voice for more than 2,600 clinical and laboratory geneticists, genetic counselors and other healthcare professionals. ACMG’s mission is to improve health through the clinical and laboratory practice of medical genetics as well as through advocacy, education and clinical research, and to guide the safe and effective integration of genetics and genomics into all of medicine and healthcare, resulting in improved personal and public health. Genetics in Medicine and the new Genetics in Medicine Open, a gold open access journal, are the official ACMG journals. ACMG’s website, www.acmg.net, offers resources including policy statements, practice guidelines, and educational programs. The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine works to advance ACMG educational and public health programs through charitable gifts from corporations, foundations and individuals.

-end-

 

 

 

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JOURNAL

Genetics in Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.gim.2023.100812 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Clinical, technical, and environmental biases influencing equitable access to clinical genetics/genomics testing: A points to consider statement of the ACMG

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Apr-2023

Sowing seeds of change: SELINA's first thematic workshop

A three-day workshop in Sofia brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss seeds of transformative change in the context of biodiversity and ecosystem services

Meeting Announcement

PENSOFT PUBLISHERS

 

IMAGE: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SELINA FIRST THEMATIC WORKSHOP IN SOFIA, BULGARIA view more 

CREDIT: PENSOFT PUBLISHERS

From 27 to 31 March 2023, nearly 120 experts and key stakeholders from public and private sectors gathered together for a workshop in Sofia, Bulgaria, to deliberate the enabling factors and barriers to implementing biodiversity and ecosystem services into decision making processes. The attendees of the meeting were representing various business, government, civil society, and science sectors and were coming from all 27 EU member states, Israel, Norway, Switzerland and North Macedonia.

The workshop was organised within the framework of the SELINA collaborative project, which is funded under the EU Horizon programme and contributes to reshaping decision-making processes within the public and private sectors by improving the uptake of biodiversity, ecosystem conditions, and ecosystem services information. It was the first one in a series of interactive workshops planned within the project to support the constant flow of information, joint creation and mutual exchange of knowledge.

What are the barriers and enabling factors when it comes to implementing biodiversity and ecosystem services indicators in decision making?

SELINA workshop participants pointed as the most common barriers resistance to change and scepticism, as well as lack of capacity, collaboration, regulations, knowledge, accurate data, common language, and political will.

Workshop attendees also identified a number of enabling factors that could in turn help to implement biodiversity and ecosystem services and related indicators in decision-making processes.They mentioned communication, stakeholder engagement, data availability, EU regulations, synergies and collaboration as possible drivers for successful implementation. Participants recognised SELINA as an initiative that can help to facilitate the mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe especially through providing guidance and promoting good examples and practices.

The SELINA project will in fact provide guidance through its key output – the Compendium of Guidance (CoG) that is planned to serve public and private decision makers. The CoG will be developed through a co-creation process with experts and stakeholders that started already in Sofia, where workshop participants provided the first round of input into the structure and the potential content of the document. They were consulted about the needs, interests and desires they have for the CoG and also deliberated how the CoG could translate the technical advancements of the project into user-friendly guidance products to support decision-making needs and in what forms.

Exploring local ecosystems and an urban heat island effect demonstration

To get hands-on experience with one of the altogether 15 SELINA's demonstration projects and to have the chance to explore local ecosystems, participants took a field trip around Sofia. They got engaged in an urban field demonstration by Macroplan, Bulgaria, who performed a drone-based mapping exercise of the spatial distribution of land surface temperatures and made an assessment of the urban heat island effect. The urban heat island was presented as one of the most significant examples of the impact of cities on the environment and human health.

Participants then visited the Botanical Garden of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences that maintains the richest collection of plants in Bulgaria including over 4 500 types and forms of plants, which represent over 1% of the variety of higher plants in the world. The public function of the Garden is related to the issues of exploration and conservation of biodiversity and the dissemination of knowledge about it among the broadest public strata, with a view to building a relationship to the sustainable management of biodiversity. The field trip finished with a visit to a local nature site where participants had the opportunity to explore local ecosystems and got to know the biodiversity of Vitosha, one of the first nature parks in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula.

“The first SELINA workshop is an important milestone for the project. Within these three days, we have successfully sowed the seeds of change. Now we want to make them grow through continued collaboration and collective action towards ensuring evidence-based decision-making that supports the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of our environment,” shared the coordinator of SELINA, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Burkhard from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany.

For more insights from the workshop and other SELINA activities, check out the SELINA website and follow SELINA on social media.

The next SELINA workshop will be held in Madrid in October 2023.

A rechargeable battery made from food

It is the first ever-made rechargeable edible battery; described on Advanced materials it may be applied in health diagnostics, food quality monitoring and edible soft robotics. It has been realized at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA - IIT

 

IMAGE: A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS AT THE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA (IIT-ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) HAS CREATED A TOTALLY EDIBLE AND RECHARGEABLE BATTERY, STARTING FROM MATERIALS THAT ARE NORMALLY CONSUMED AS PART OF OUR DAILY DIET. THE PROOF-OF-CONCEPT BATTERY CELL HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN A PAPER PUBLISHED IN THE ADVANCED MATERIALS JOURNAL. THE POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS ARE IN HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS, FOOD QUALITY MONITORING AND EDIBLE SOFT ROBOTICS. view more 

CREDIT: IIT-ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA

Milan (Italy), 13th April 2023 – A team of researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) has created a totally edible and rechargeable battery, starting from materials that are normally consumed as part of our daily diet. The proof-of-concept battery cell has been described in a paper, recently published in the Advanced Materials journal. The possible applications are in health diagnostics, food quality monitoring and edible soft robotics.

The study has been realized by the group of Mario Caironi, coordinator of the Printed and Molecular Electronics laboratory of the IIT Center in Milan (Italy); Caironi has been focusing on the study of the electronical properties of food and its by-products, in order to unite them with edible materials and create new edible electronic materials. In 2019, Caironi won a 2-million-euro ERC consolidator grant for the ELFO Project, which explores the edible electronics field.

Edible electronics is a recently growing field that could have a great impact on the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tract diseases, as well as on the food quality monitoring. One of the most interesting challenges in the development of future edible electronic systems is to realize edible power sources.

The IIT’s research group took inspiration from the biochemical redox reactions that happens in all the living beings, and developed a battery that utilizes riboflavin (vitamin B2, found for example in almonds) as anode and quercetin (a food supplement and ingredient, present in capers, among others) as cathode. Activated charcoal (a widespread over-the-counter medication) was used to increase electrical conductivity, while the electrolyte was water-based. The separator, needed in every battery to avoid short circuits, was made from nori seaweed, the kind found in sushi. Then, electrodes were encapsulated in beeswax from which two food-grade gold contacts (the foil used by pastry chefs) on a cellulose derived support come out.

The battery cell operates at 0.65 V, a voltage low enough not to create problems in the human body when ingested. It can provide current of 48 μA for 12 minutes, or a few microamps for more than an hour, enough to supply power to small electronic devices, such as low-power LEDs, for a limited time.

This example of fully edible rechargeable battery, the first one ever made, would open the doors to new edible electronic applications.

“Future potential uses range from edible circuits and sensors that can monitor health conditions to the powering of sensors for monitoring food storage conditions. Moreover, given the level of safety of these batteries, they could be used in children toys, where there is a high risk of ingestion. Actually, we are already developing devices with greater capacity and reducing the overall size. These developments will be tested in future also for powering edible soft robots”, pointed out the research coordinator Mario Caironi.

“This edible battery is also very interesting for energy storage community. Building safer batteries, without usage of toxic materials, is a challenge we face as battery demand soars. While our edible batteries won’t power electric cars, they are a proof that batteries can be made from safer materials than current Li-ion batteries. We believe they will inspire other scientists to build safer batteries for truly sustainable future”, added Ivan Ilic, coauthor of the study.

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JOURNAL

Advanced Materials

DOI

10.1002/adma.202211400 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

An Edible Rechargeable Battery

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Mar-2023