Early onset infections account for the majority of neonatal GBS infections. GBS causes urinary tract infections, amnionitis, endometritis, and wound infections in pregnant women. In vitro studies show GBS to attach to and invade the chorioamniotic membrane. This invasive process decreases the tensile strength of the membrane, making it more susceptible to premature rupture. Since the chorioamniotic membrane contains high amounts of collagen, it seems logical that degradation of this structure may be due to collagenase.
Collagenase is an enzyme that cleaves collagen and is a member of the metalloendopeptidase family.
DNA sequencing is an important and increasingly common technique in biology and health. Molecular techniques that determine and analyze an organism's DNA patterns are useful for diagnostic tests, tracking changes over time and geography and designing new vaccines and drugs. Although the techniques are not difficult to understand, many researchers do not. This display will outline some of the basics of DNA sequencing and how it could prove useful in the search for new drug targets against the family of malaria parasites. The ill effects of smoking have been widely publicized.