The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in China, has created a panic among the general public and health care/laboratory workers. Thus far, there is no medication or vaccine to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. As the virus is airborne and transmitted through droplets, there has been significant demand for face masks and other personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of infection. Health care and laboratory workers who come in close contact with infected people or material are at a high risk of infection. Therefore, robust biosafety measures are required at hospitals and laboratories to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Various diagnostic platforms including of serological, molecular and other advanced tools and techniques have been designed and developed for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 and each has its own merits and demerits. Molecular assays such as real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) has been used worldwide for diagnosis of COVID-19. Samples such as nasal swabs or oropharyngeal swabs are used for rRT-PCR. Laboratory acquired infection has been a significant problem worldwide, which has gained importance during the current pandemic as the samples for rRT-PCR may contain intact virus with serious threat. COVID-19 can spread to workers during the sampling, transportation, processing, and disposal of tested samples. Here, we present an overview on advances in diagnosis of COVID-19 and details the issues associated with biosafety procedures and potential safety precautions to be followed during collection, transportation, and processing of COVID-19 samples for laboratory diagnosis so as to avoid virus infection.

Rich source of biota includes several white rot fungi, were reported in Western Ghats regions of Tamil Nadu, India. The effective identification of white rot fungi and their lignocellulolytic enzymes play a crucial role for degradation of agricultural and industrial wastes to maintain su sta ina ble ecosystem. T hus, the present study was conducted to assess the secretion of lignocellulolytic enzymes of diverse white rot fungi, collected from Western Ghats regions of Tamil Nadu, comprising of Kotagiri and Ooty of the Nilgiri district, Siruvani and Anaikati of Coimbatore district. A total of 16 white rot fungi belonging to 6 genera, viz., Pleurotus spp., Lentinus spp., Ganoderma spp., Trametes spp., Pycnoporus spp. and Schizophyllum spp. were collected and identified through morphological and molecular methods. The activity of cellulase enzyme was prominently visible in Pleurotus pulmonarius, P. sajar-caju, Pycnoporus sanguineus, P. ostreatus, Ganoderma gibbosum and Schizophyllum commune and hemicellulolytic activity was maximum in Trametes ijubarskii, Lentinus crinitus, P. sanguineus and G. gibbosum . The quantitative and qualitative screening for major lignolytic enzymes, viz., laccase (Lac), lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) revealed significant levels of Lac secretion when compared to LiP and MnP by P. pulmonarius, P. sajar-caju and Schizophyllum commune. The syringaldazine well test further confirmed the secretion of laccase as major enzyme followed by LiP and MnP. Also the Lac and LiP activity was maximum at pH of 4.5 and MnP activity at pH of 5.0 by P. pulmonarius, P. sajar caju and S. commune. Temperature of 30°C induced maximum secretion of Lac, LiP and MnP by these three fungi. A significant level of Lac was observed on 4 th day after inoculation while LiP and MnP was maximum on 7 th and 8 th day for P. pulmonarius and P. sajar-caju. Whereas, S. commune secreted significant levels of Lac on 10 th to 11 th da y, while LiP and MnP on 6 th and 7 th da y. This study paves the way for u se of P. pulmonarius, P. sajar-caju and S. commune for biodegradation and bioconversion of agrowastes.

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Dog erythrocytic membrane antigen plays a major role for determining blood group. Structural and molecular characterization of erythrocytic membrane antigen improves the production of blood typing antisera, to study the auto antibody production in canine autoimmune haemolyticanemia. The proteins in the lipid domain arranged from the inside of the erythrocyte to the outside. The integral membrane proteins include membrane protein 3 visible in coomassie Brilliant blue-stained polyacrylamide gels. The erythrocyte cytoskeleton consists of spectrin, ankyrin, actin, and protein 4.1 form a filamentous network under the lipid bilayer of erythroctic membrane. The cytoskeletal proteins interact with integral proteins and lipids of the bilayer forms network for maintaining membrane integrity. The external clustering of membrane protein 3 creates a recognition site for auto antibodies. The auto antibodies from the erythrocytes of dogs with acute immune haemolytic anemia have similar electrophoretic mobility to the human erythrocyte Rh related proteins and glycoproteins and able to immunoprecipitate membrane proteins that on SDS-PAGE and western blotting.  The DEA 1 blood group system consists of antigens 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 which are most significant in terms of transfusion reactions and alloantibodies produced against DEA 3, 5 and 7 are not much clinical significance. Blood samples collected from registered donor dogs and RBC membrane were isolated by hypotonic freeze thaw method. The ghost membrane and cytoplasmic marker were identified in western blot.