Gastrointestinal stress as innate defence against microbial attack.

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract has been bestowed with the most difficult task of protecting the underlying biological compartments from the resident commensal flora and the potential pathogens in transit through the GI tract. It has a unique environment in which several defence tactics are at play while maintaining homeostasis and health. The GI tract shows myriad number of environmental extremes, which includes pH variations, anaerobic conditions, nutrient limitations, elevated osmolarity etc., which puts a check to colonization and growth of nonfriendly microbial strains. The GI tract acts as a highly selective barrier/platform for ingested food and is the primary playground for balance between the resident and uninvited organisms. This review focuses on antimicrobial defense mechanisms of different sections of human GI tract. In addition, the protective mechanisms used by microbes to combat the human GI defence systems are also discussed. The ability to survive this innate defence mechanism determines the capability of probiotic or pathogen strains to confer health benefits or induce clinical events respectively.

Synthetic Biology: Applications in the Food Sector.

Synthetic biology also termed as "genomic alchemy" represents a powerful area of science that is based on the convergence of biological sciences with systems engineering. It has been fittingly described as "moving from reading the genetic code to writing it" as it focuses on building, modeling, designing and fabricating novel biological systems using customized gene components that result in artificially created genetic circuitry. The scientifically compelling idea of the technological manipulation of life has been advocated since long time. Realization of this idea has gained momentum with development of high speed automation and the falling cost of gene sequencing and synthesis following the completion of the human genome project. Synthetic biology will certainly be instrumental in shaping the development of varying areas ranging from biomedicine, biopharmaceuticals, chemical production, food and dairy quality monitoring, packaging, and storage of food and dairy products, bioremediation and bioenergy production, etc. However, potential dangers of using synthetic life forms have to be acknowledged and adoption of policies by the scientific community to ensure safe practice while making important advancements in the ever expanding field of synthetic biology is to be fully supported and implemented.