Lima, J. P. M. S. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2020

CoRINs: A tool to compare residue interaction networks from homologous proteins and conformers

MotivationA useful approach to evaluate protein structure and quickly visualize crucial physicochemical interactions related to protein function is to construct Residue Interactions Networks (RINs). By using this application of graphs theory, the amino acid residues constitute the nodes, and the edges represent their interactions with other structural elements. Although several tools that construct RINs are available, many of them do not compare RINs from distinct protein structures. This comparison can give valuable insights into the understanding of conformational changes and the effects of amino acid substitutions in protein structure and function. With that in mind, we present CoRINs (Comparator of Residue Interaction Networks), a software tool that extensively compares RINs. The program has an accessible and user-friendly web interface, which summarizes the differences in several network parameters using interactive plots and tables. As a usage example of CoRINs, we compared RINs from conformers of two cancer-associated proteins. AvailabilityThe program is available at https://github.com/LasisUFRN/CoRINs.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2020

A low-cost smart system for electrophoresis-based nucleic acids detection at the visible spectrum

Nucleic acid detection by electrophoresis is still a quick and accessible technique for many diagnosis methods, primarily at research laboratories or at the point of care units. Standard protocols detect DNA/RNA molecules through specific bound chemical dyes using a UV-transilluminator or UV-photo documentation system. However, the acquisition costs and availability of these devices, mainly the ones with photography and internet connection capabilities, can be prohibitive, especially in developing countries public health units. Also, ultraviolet radiation is a common additional risk factor to professionals that use electrophoresis-based nucleic acid detection. With that in mind, this work describes the development of a low-cost DNA/RNA detection smart system capable of obtaining qualitative and semi-quantitative data from gel analysis. The proposed device explores the visible light absorption range of commonly used DNA/RNA dyes using readily available parts, and simple manufacturing processes, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and 3D impression. By applying IoT techniques, our system covers a wide range of color spectrum in order to detect bands from various commercially used dyes, using Bluetooth communication and a smartphone for hardware control, image capturing, and sharing. The project also enables process scalability and has low manufacturing and maintenance costs. The use of LEDs at the visible spectrum can achieve very reproducible images, providing a high potential for rapid and point-of-care diagnostics as well as applications in several fields such as healthcare, agriculture, and aquaculture.

molecular biology↗