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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published DNA from discarded whale bones suggests loss of genetic diversity due to commercial whaling
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Commercial whaling in the 20th century decimated populations of large whales but also appears to have had a lasting impact on the genetic diversity of today’s surviving whales, new research shows.
Published Preventing spread of parasitic DNA in our genomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified a new enzyme called PUCH, which plays a key role in preventing the spread of parasitic DNA in our genomes. These findings may reveal new insights into how our bodies detect and fight bacteria and viruses to prevent infections.
Published Swap red meat for Quorn protein to improve heart health and reduce waist circumference, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source People looking to reduce their cholesterol and trim fat from around their waist could try swapping meat for Quorn protein, according to the findings from a new study, which saw positive effects in both areas in just two weeks.
Published Pheromones influence death feigning behavior in beetles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the natural world, predators play a significant role in shaping how animals defend themselves. A previously documented tactic called 'death feigning' involves prey insects faking death when targeted by predators. However, the impact of chemical substances called pheromones on death-feigning remains largely unexplored. A team of researchers recently found out how the aggregation pheromone 4,8-dimethyldecanal affects the death-feigning behavior of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum.
Published Water makes all the difference
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Water is a major driving force in the formation of separate reaction compartments within cells.
Published Genetics of attraction: Mate choice in fruit flies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genetic quality or genetic compatibility? What do female fruit flies prioritize when mating? Researchers show that both factors are important at different stages of the reproductive process and that females use targeted strategies to optimize the fitness of their offspring.
Published A hygiene program for chromosomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers identified and characterized a new cellular compartment in vertebrate cells that might be a precursor of today's eucaryotic nucleus. The study reveals that mammalian cells recognize, cluster, sort and keep extrachromosomal DNA -- like transfected plasmid DNA and endogenous circular DNAs originating from telomeres of the chromosome -- away from chromosomal DNA. That suggests that there is a cell autonomous genome defense system.
Published Distributed workload in the fly brain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To distinguish motion patterns, a neuronal computation is performed three times in a row.
Published A more effective experimental design for engineering a cell into a new state
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new machine-learning approach helps scientists more efficiently identify the optimal intervention to achieve a certain outcome in a complex system, such as genome regulation, requiring far fewer experimental trials than other methods.
Published Researchers studied thousands of fertility attempts hoping to improve IVF
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By genetically testing nearly one thousand embryos, scientists have provided the most detailed analysis of embryo fate following human in vitro fertilization.
Published Edges cause cilia to quickly synchronize their beating pattern
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Border regions can cause cilia to coordinate their motion creating a unidirectional wave that is essential for biological functions. Scientists proposed a new model describing this synchronized pattern driven by the border region.
Published Small but mighty new gene editor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new CRISPR-based gene-editing tool has been developed which could lead to better treatments for patients with genetic disorders. The tool is an enzyme, AsCas12f, which has been modified to offer the same effectiveness but at one-third the size of the Cas9 enzyme commonly used for gene editing. The compact size means that more of it can be packed into carrier viruses and delivered into living cells, making it more efficient.
Published Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin's finch evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of researchers has released a landmark study on contemporary evolutionary change in natural populations. Their study uses one of the largest genomic datasets ever produced for animals in their natural environment, comprising nearly 4,000 Darwin's finches. The study has revealed the genetic basis of adaptation in this iconic group.
Published Allergy study on 'wild' mice challenges the hygiene hypothesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The notion that some level of microbial exposure might reduce our risk of developing allergies has arisen over the last few decades and has been termed the hygiene hypothesis. Now, an article challenges this hypothesis by showing that mice with high infectious exposures from birth have the same, if not an even greater ability to develop allergic immune responses than 'clean' laboratory mice.
Published Gut inflammation caused by substance secreted by microbe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A rare subtype of the world's most common parasite, Blastocystis, has been found to produce a unique by-product of its metabolism, which can cause gut inflammation under normal gut conditions.
Published Insights into early snake evolution through brain analysis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recent study sheds new light on the enigmatic early evolution of snakes by examining an unexpected source: their brains. The results emphasize the significance of studying both the soft parts of animals’ bodies and their bones for understanding how animals evolved.
Published Explosion in fish biodiversity due to genetic recycling
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The rapid formation of 500 different species of fish in a single lake, each with specialized ecological roles, resulted from a small but genetically diverse hybrid population.
Published Timing plant evolution with a fast-ticking epigenetic clock
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, the study of inheritance of traits that occur without changing the DNA sequence, have shown that chronological age in mammals correlates with epigenetic changes that accumulate during the lifetime of an individual. In humans, this observation has led to the development of epigenetic clocks, which are now extensively used as biomarkers of aging. While these clocks work accurately from birth until death, they are set back to zero in each new generation. Now, an international team shows that epigenetic clocks not only exist in plants, but that these clocks keep ticking accurately over many generations.
Published Skin behind the ears and between the toes can host a collection of unhealthy microbes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scrubbing behind the ears and between the toes may help keep the skin in those regions healthy, new research suggests. The microbiome, or the collection of microbes living on and in the human body, are known to play a role in human health and the skin is no different. A new study has shown that the composition of the skin microbiome varies across dry, moist and oily regions of the skin.
Published Solving a sticky, life-threatening problem
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have zeroed in on C. auris' uncanny ability to stick to everything from skin to catheters and made a startling discovery: it uses a protein similar to that used by barnacles and mollusks.