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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published First illustration of the molecular machinery that makes cilia beat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first image of the structures that power human cilia -- the tiny, hairlike projections that line our airways -- has now been produced and it could lead to much-needed treatments for people with rare cilial diseases.
Published Scientists investigate the evolution of animal developmental mechanisms, show how some of Earth's earliest animals evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lacking bones, brains, and even a complete gut, the body plans of simple animals like sea anemones appear to have little in common with humans and their vertebrate kin. Nevertheless, new research shows that appearances can be deceiving, and that a common genetic toolkit can be deployed in different ways to drive embryological development to produce very different adult body plans. It is well established that sea anemones, corals, and their jellyfish relatives shared a common ancestor with humans that plied the Earth's ancient oceans over 600 million years ago. A new study from the Gibson Lab, published in Current Biology on June 13, 2023, illuminates the genetic basis for body plan development in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. This new knowledge paints a vivid picture of how some of the earliest animals on earth progressed from egg to embryo to adult.
Published New method traces ancestry of hybrid plants and animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hybrid plants and animals have complicated genomes. A biologist has discovered a way to reveal their parent species.
Published The latest weapon against cancer is ... a keto diet?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Keto diets shrink pancreatic and colorectal tumors by starving them of the glucose they need to survive. But they also speed up development of a lethal wasting disease called cachexia. In mice, researchers have found that pairing keto with a corticosteroid prevents cachexia and increases survival.
Published CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive could suppress agricultural pests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have now used a gene-drive system to suppress an important agricultural pest.
Published Breakthrough in glioblastoma treatment with the help of a virus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are describing the results of a recent clinical trial -- a breakthrough in glioblastoma treatment with the help of a modified cold virus injected directly into the tumor. When combined with an immunotherapy drug, the authors observed a subset of patients that appeared to be living longer as a result of this therapy.
Published A baking soda solution for clean hydrogen storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists investigate the promising properties of a common, Earth-abundant salt.
Published Vaccine against deadly chytrid fungus primes frog microbiome for future exposure
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study found that a new vaccine against the deadly chytrid fungus in frogs can shift the composition of the microbiome, making frogs more resilient to future exposure to the fungus.
Published Climate change: Rising rainfall, not temperatures, threaten giraffe survival
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Giraffes in the East African savannahs are adapting surprisingly well to the rising temperatures caused by climate change. However, they are threatened by increasingly heavy rainfall, as researchers have shown.
Published New material transforms light, creating new possibilities for sensors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new class of materials that can absorb low energy light and transform it into higher energy light might lead to more efficient solar panels, more accurate medical imaging and better night vision goggles.
Published For pet dogs, 'running with the pack' may be the best prevention to promote healthier living
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The largest survey and data compilation of its kind --- from more than 21,000 dog owners --- has revealed the social determinants that may be tied to healthier aging for people's beloved canine companions. Among them, a measurement of the amount of a dog's social support network proved to have the greatest influence and association on better health outcomes -- 5 times the effect of financial factors, household stability or the age of the owner.
Published New research identifies cells linking chronic psychological stress to inflammatory bowel disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For the first time, cells involved with the communication between stress responses in the brain and inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract have been identified in animal models. Glial cells, which support neurons, communicate stress signals from the central nervous system (CNS) to the semi-autonomous nervous system within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, called the enteric nervous system (ENS). These psychological stress signals can cause inflammation and exacerbate symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Published Taurine may be a key to longer and healthier life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study finds that deficiency of taurine, a molecule produced in our bodies, drives aging, and taurine supplements can improve health and increase lifespan in animals.
Published Lost giants: New study reveals the abundance decline of African megafauna
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking new paper focuses on the size and abundance of living and fossil African large mammals, shedding light on the ecological dynamics behind the decline of these iconic creatures. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the causes of megafaunal extinctions in Africa and provide new insights into the restructuring of ecosystems over millions of years.
Published When water temperatures change, the molecular motors of cephalopods do too
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Working with live squid hatchlings, scientists find the animals can tune their proteome on the fly in response to changes in ocean temperature via the unique process of RNA recoding. The findings inspire new questions about basic protein function.
Published Study unravels the mysteries of actin filament polarity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An electron microscopy study revealed key details of actin filaments, which are essential structural elements of cells and muscles.
Published Colorful fresh foods improve athletes' vision
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nutrition is an important part of any top athlete's training program. And now, a new study proposes that supplementing the diet of athletes with colorful fruits and vegetables could improve their visual range. The paper examines how a group of plant compounds that build up in the retina, known as macular pigments, work to improve eye health and functional vision.
Published Dentists identify new bacterial species involved in tooth decay
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Large study in children reveals Selenomonas sputigena as a key partner of Streptococcus in cavity formation.
Published Team finds reliable predictor of plant species persistence, coexistence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ecological scientists have long sought ways to measure and predict how specific plant communities will fare over time. Which species in a diverse population will persist and coexist? Which will decline? What factors might contribute to continuing biodiversity? Researchers report on a new method for determining whether pairs or groups of plant species are likely to coexist over time.
Published Octopuses rewire their brains to adapt to seasonal temperature shifts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Octopuses don't thermoregulate, so their powerful brains are exposed to -- and potentially threatened by -- changes in temperature. Researchers report that two-spot octopuses adapt to seasonal temperature shifts by producing different neural proteins under warm versus cool conditions. The octopuses achieve this by editing their RNA, the messenger molecule between DNA and proteins. This rewiring likely protects their brains, and the researchers suspect that this unusual strategy is used widely amongst octopuses and squid.