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Accreditation is the process which ensures that certification practices are implemented in laboratories to enhance their quality and efficiency. It in turn helps laboratories to improve technical processes, achieve competitive advantage and increase market share. To achieve accreditation, successful implementation of the laboratory quality management system (LQMS) is a requisite. In this study, evaluation of quality system implementation in small, medium and large sized laboratories, covering management and technical requirements were carried out. The study analysis was carried out by scoring the implementation of quality system in various operational activities of laboratory system. Data was gathered by auditing the laboratories using check list for the purpose of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) quality management system implementation. This study, emphasize that training should be an essential element, and can play a major role in creating awareness and understanding to implement quality system in medical testing laboratory. There should be real time training on various aspects of laboratory activities. The training needs should be evidence based and assess the competency of laboratory staff, and evaluate staff performance in order to maintain world class service of the laboratory. The quality indicators can be used for benchmarking and improving services. The study conclude that LQMS in medical testing laboratories explicate the need for understanding current standard requirements of quality system implementation and maintenance to improve the quality of service of the laboratories and facilitate accreditation. A break down in implementation of quality systems can cause a decline in quality services and hence accreditation.

The prevailing abiotic stresses, especially heat stress is of great significance on the growth of plants, yield and distribution. In the conditions of heat stress, plants modulate protein processes leading to development of heat tolerance. Of such proteins, the molecular chaperone functions of HSP70/HSC70 proteins are important where their enhanced expression positively correlates with the acquisition of heat tolerance. The key players in the regulation of such tailored protein responses of plants to heat stress are the phytohormones. In the present study, phytohormone mediated interaction of Pennisetum glaucum HSC70 (PgHSC70) protein was performed through docking studies involving sequence analysis, 3D modeling and model evaluation. In silico analysis has shown better interaction and good binding energy of PgHSC70 with the phytohormone brassinolide. Furthermore, the predicted structural information can be helpful for future studies on role of interaction between HSC70 and brassinolide in heat tolerance.

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Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated protein (CRISPR/Cas9) is an adaptive immune system of bacteria to counter the impending viral pathogen attack. With persistent improvements, CRISPR has become a versatile tool for developing molecular immunity against viruses in plants. In the current report, we utilized the Cas9 endonuclease and dual 20 bp-gRNAs targeting two different locations in single-stranded DNA-A of AC1 (rep protein) and AV1 (coat protein) of mungbean yellow mosaic virus for achieving resistance in greengram. The cotyledonary nodal explants were infected with Agrobacterium strain EHA105 harboring pMDC100-Cas9 with AC1 and AV1 gRNA cassettes and generated transgenic plants. The integration of Cas9 and gRNA cassettes in the transformed plants of greengram were confirmed by PCR and dot blot assays. Agroinfiltrated T2 transgenic lines exhibited minimal mosaic symptoms. A drastic reduction in the accumulation of AC1 and AV1 was observed in T2 transformed lines. The T7EI assay indicated that AC1 fragments were edited at a frequency of 46%, 32%, 20%, and AV1 at 38.15%, 40%, and 21.36% in MYMV infected greengram lines T2-6-2-3, T2-6-4-4, and T2-6-4-7, respectively. The manipulation of resistance to MYMV through the editing of the pathogen genome using the CRISPR/Cas9 tool can be a powerful approach to combat viruses and develop resistance in greengram.