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Categories: Biology: Cell Biology, Paleontology: Climate

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Plants that glow under ultraviolet (UV) light aren't only a figment of science fiction TV and movies. Roots of a traditional medicine plant called the orange climber, or Toddalia asiatica, can fluoresce an ethereal blue hue. And now, researchers have identified two coumarin molecules that could be responsible. These natural coumarins have unique fluorescent properties, and one of the compounds could someday be used for medical imaging.

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A tiny biobattery that could still work after 100 years has been developed.

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A new global survey of 1000 forest areas shows how climate change since the peak of the last ice age has had a major impact on the diversity and distribution of tree species we see today. The results can help us predict how ecosystems will react to future changes, thus having an impact on conservation management around the globe.

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Scientists can now use light to activate protein functions both inside and outside of living cells. The new method, called light-activated SpyLigation, can turn on proteins that are normally off to allow researchers to study and control them in more detail. This technology has potential uses in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and understanding how the body works. The scientists applied their new method to control the glow of a green fluorescent protein derived from Japanese eel muscle.

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Researchers have discovered how long ago the Australian Nullarbor plain dried out, with a new approach shedding light on how ancient climate change altered some of the driest regions of our planet.

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Scientists have recently made a surprising discovery, with the help of a wind tunnel and a flock of birds. Songbirds, many of which make twice-yearly, non-stop flights of more than 1,000 miles to get from breeding range to wintering range, fuel themselves by burning lots of fat and a surprising amount of the protein making up lean body mass, including muscle, early in the flight. This flips the conventional wisdom on its head, which had assumed that migrating birds only ramped up protein consumption at the very end of their journeys, because they would need to use every ounce of muscle for wing-flapping, not fuel.

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Many disease-causing bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) are encased in a sugar layer called the capsular polysaccharide (CPS). This layer is often essential for infections. In a ground-breaking discovery, features of the CPS that help the bacteria to colonize the human respiratory tract were identified. The research showed that the structures of the CPS capsule and its types of linkages and combinations matter greatly in allowing the bacteria to better attach and survive on the lining of the upper and lower human respiratory tracts.

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Discovery of a gene in multiple mammalian species could pave the way for a highly effective, reversible and non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans and animals. Researchers identified expression of the gene, Arrdc5, in the testicular tissue of mice, pigs, cattle and humans. When they knocked out the gene in mice, it created infertility only in the males, impacting their sperm count, movement and shape.

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A species of ordinary gut bacteria that we all carry flourishes when the intestinal flora is knocked out by a course of antibiotics. Since the bacteria is naturally resistant to many antibiotics, it causes problems, particularly in healthcare settings. A study now shows how two molecular mechanisms can work together make the bacterium extra resistant.

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The dreaded tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus infects different types of brain cells in different parts of the brain, depending on whether the affected person's immune system is activated or not.

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A new discovery could help stop bacteria being contaminated with viruses, reducing disruption and decreasing costs in industry and research.

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Research has traced the evolutionary adaptations of octopus and squid sensing capabilities. The researchers describe for the first time the structure of an octopus chemotactile receptor, which octopus arms use for taste-by-touch exploration of the seafloor.

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Scientists have developed a software package to help answer key questions about genetic factors associated with shared characteristics among different species.

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Researchers describe how the Epstein-Barr virus exploits genomic weaknesses to cause cancer while reducing the body's ability to suppress it.

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The consumption of fermented products is on the rise, and drinks like kombucha and kefir have gone viral in their popularity. But is there more to this than consumers searching for natural and healthy foods?

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Human activity is contributing to pollution that is affecting our health. According to WHO estimates, atmospheric air pollution is estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year. Scientists and the public alike are well aware of how human activity and pollution is affecting our heath, but new research has identified how bumblebees may be caught in the crossfire.

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Milk-derived extracellular vesicles (mEVs), a type of natural nanoparticles present in bovine and human breast milk, are reported to restore gut barrier integrity, prevent leakage of bacterial toxins into the blood stream, and alleviate gut and liver disorders. mEVs are found to heal the leaky gut syndrome, which has been associated with many diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

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Pollinators such as honeybees produce special enzymes that detoxify defence chemicals produced by plants, new research shows.

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Origin-of-life chemists propose that glyoxylate could have been the original source of sugars on the 'prebiotic' Earth

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Scientists are reporting a discovery about unexpected asymmetry on the hair cells of zebrafish that allow them to detect movement with greater sensitivity from the back than the front.