Background: Alpha-amylases are enzymes capable of degrading polysaccharides, such as starch and glycogen. Found in various organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, these enzymes have great biotechnological potential due to their insertion in several industrial sectors raging from food to biofuels. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze patents deposited in intellectual property databases on alpha-amylases in the fields of food, beverages, detergents, animal feeds, biofuels, pharmaceuticals and textiles, with the search period being the 5 years. Method: This study targeted the use of alpha-amylases in various industrial sectors, so searches were carried out on the intellectual property database Espacenet website (European Patent Office - EPO) which contains more than 90 million patents deposited in its database. Results: During the search for patents filed in the last 5 years, 186 were found related to the use of alpha-amylases. These were disturbed as follows: 84 (biofuel), 41 (drinks), 16 (pharmaceuticals), 15 (detergents), 11 (food), 10 (animal feed), 9 (textiles). From the total number of patents found, we selected 6 from each area, except pharmaceutical products, to discuss and provide information on the application of this enzyme. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the sectors of beverages and animal feed have preferences for thermostable alpha-amylases while sectors such as food, biofuels and textiles only regarded the importance of enzymatic efficiency. The detergent sector presented the greatest use of alpha-amylases which had distinct biochemical characteristics as solvent resistance and thermostability. The pharmaceutical sector was the one that presented less patents related to the application of alpha amylases. In addition, this work showed that China is the country with the highest patent registration for the use of alpha-amylases in the analyzed period.
Background: Coronaviruses have caused outbreaks of respiratory disease since the beginning of the 21st century, representing a significant threat to public health. Together, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and, more recently, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world. Thus, investments in research and the development of strategies aimed at diagnosing, treating, and preventing these infections are urgently needed. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the patents that address pathogenic coronaviruses in Google Patents databases in the last year (2019-2020). Method : The search strategy was carried out in April 2020, based on the keywords “SARS”, “SARS-CoV”, “MERS”, “MERS-CoV”, “SARS-CoV-2” and “COVID-19. Out of the patents examined, 25 were selected for a short description in this study. Results: A total of 191 patents were analyzed, 149 of which were related to SARS-CoV, and 29 and 12 were related to MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV2, respectively. The patents addressed the issues of diagnosis, therapeutic agents, prevention and control, along with other applications. Conclusion: Several promising strategies have been documented in intellectual property databases favoring the need for further studies on the pathogenesis and optimization of the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment for these emerging infections.
Introdução: A COVID-19 é uma doença de interesse mundial. Diante disso, há um esforço globalizado no desenvolvimentode produtos/soluções que possam apoiar a sociedade neste momento. Objetivo: O objetivo desse trabalho foi relatar as ações e iniciativas de algumas startups brasileiras, destinadas ao combate da COVID-19. Método: Para isso, uma pesquisa assistemática em plataformas e sites de notícias foi realizada, entre 1 de março e 5 de junho de 2020, e 71 iniciativas foram identificadas em diferentes categorias: antipropagação da COVID-19, inteligência artificial, sistemas de gestão em saúde, coleta/monitoramento de informações, artigos e exames hospitalares, diagnóstico e telemedicina. Conclusão: Por meio deste estudo, foi possível evidenciar o desenvolvimento de tecnologias nacionaispara solucionar problemas como falta de equipamentos de proteção individual e hospitalares, triagem e monitoramento da população, além de melhoria do acesso às informações sobre cuidados, prevenção e aos serviços de saúde em meio a pandemia. No entanto, algumas destas iniciativas ainda precisam de incentivos para chegar ao mercado.
Background: Rubella, caused by the Rubella virus (RV), is considered a mild self-limited illness. However, RV has teratogenic potential. Laboratory investigation plays an important role in both diagnosis and surveillance of the disease. The main methods for diagnosing rubella are serological assays for the detection of specific IgM and molecular assays for detecting viral RNA. However, some laboratories perform IgG avidity testing, virus isolation and analysis of genetic sequence as tools to help rubella eradication. The importance of the diagnosis of rubella involves the appropriate treatment of the disease, because the rubella clinical symptoms may be similar to those of other diseases, and the population monitoring to avoid new emergent cases. This study addresses different methods of diagnosing rubella and contributes as a source of knowledge to assist health systems in controlling the disease. Objective: The main objective of this study was to review the available patents regarding rubella diagnosis published in intellectual property databases, and provides an overview of the technologies available for the diagnosis of rubella. Method: The search strategy was based on the keywords searched separately or together using a Boolean operator either in the patent title or abstract the time interval was restricted to patents filed or granted from January 2009 until February 2022. The database used was Google Patents. Results: This study analyzed 24 patent documents regarding strategies for the diagnosis of rubella. Of these, 15 patents disclose strategies for detecting rubella antibodies, 7 patents the detection of rubella virus nucleic acid, and 2 patents the production of antibodies applied in rubella diagnosis. Conclusion: Rubella is still a public health problem in some countries, mainly those in development, especially due to congenital rubella syndrome, which can cause malformation or fetal death. However, its diagnosis is challenging, due to similarity of symptoms with other diseases, and for this reason, laboratory diagnosis is essential. Studies like this encourage researchers and governments to invest in research to continue the development of new products, using different areas of biotechnology, to solve society's problems, especially diseases that have an impact on global health, such as rubella.
Trypanosoma vivax bovine trypanosomiasis is a relevant disease in domestic ungulates in Latin America, causing different types of livestock losses, particularly in African and South American countries, leading to loss of millions of dollars/year related to dairy and meat production. In addition, T. vivax trypanosomiasis requires intensive veterinary care. While vector control is a feasible measure to manage disease spreading, the search for accurate diagnostic tools still represents a gap in routine veterinary practices and a challenge for the scientific community. The parasite is mechanically transmitted by fomites or by the saliva of haematophagous, such as Stomoxys sp. and Tabanus sp., infecting cattle as well as a number of animal hosts. The main symptoms of T. vivax bovine trypanosomiasis are apathy, fever, restricted growth, miscarriage, progressive weakness, neurological signs, pale mucous, loss of appetite, lethargy, and substantial weight loss.In most cases, the presence of animals with subclinical infections, nonspecific symptoms and without apparent parasitaemia presents a challenge when making a diagnosis, which requires accurate methods. Herein, we review state of the art concerning current methods available for the diagnosis of T. vivax bovine trypanosomiasis, focusing on clinical, parasitological, immunological and molecular approaches, highlighting the main features of each method, including “pros and cons”. Overall, combining several diagnostic techniques is a better choice since it leads to fewer false negative results and contributes to better disease control.
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