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Categories: Biology: Genetics, Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Published Toxic algae blooms: Study assesses potential health hazards to humans
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Water samples from 20 sites were tested using a panel of immortalized human cell lines corresponding to the liver, kidney and brain to measure cytotoxicity. Results show that each control toxin induced a consistent pattern of cytotoxicity in the panel of human cell lines assayed. Known toxins were seen only during blooms. Because cell toxicity was seen in the absence of blooms, it suggests that there might be either emergent toxins or a combination of toxins present at those times. Findings suggest that other toxins with the potential to be harmful to human health may be present in the lagoon.
Published A new type of plant metalloreductase maintains root growth under low phosphorus
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Phosphorus is essential for undisturbed plant growth and development. However, in many soils, phosphorus is only poorly available. One mechanism used by plants to increase phosphorus availability is the release of malate, an organic acid, which can form complexes with iron or aluminium in the soil, thereby liberating sorbed phosphate. However, this response can also result in iron overaccumulation, which can inhibit root growth.
Published Researchers developing AI to make the internet more accessible
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In an effort to make the internet more accessible for people with disabilities, researchers have begun developing an artificial intelligence agent that could complete complex tasks on any website using simple language commands.
Published Smart skin bacteria are able to secrete and produce molecules to treat acne
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An experimental study has shown that a type of skin bacterium can efficiently be engineered to produce a protein to regulate sebum production. This application could treat acne without compromising the homeostasis of the entire skin microbiome.
Published Large-scale mapping of pig genes could pave the way for new human medicines
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Researchers have carried out complex genetic analyses of hundreds of pigs and humans to identify differences and similarities. This new knowledge can be used to ensure healthier pigs for farmers and can help the pharmaceutical industry breed better laboratory pigs for testing new medicines.
Published Life span increases in mice when specific brain cells are activated
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A new study identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body's fat tissue in a feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the body. The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are typical of natural aging.
Published New soft robots roll like tires, spin like tops and orbit like moons
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Researchers have developed a new soft robot design that engages in three simultaneous behaviors: rolling forward, spinning like a record, and following a path that orbits around a central point. The device, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing soft robotic devices that can be used to navigate and map unknown environments.
Published Researchers discover molecular 'barcode' used by bacteria to secrete toxins
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Researchers have discovered a molecular 'barcode' system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules.
Published Important membrane transport mechanism in pathogenic bacteria
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Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane. Like a forklift, a soluble protein outside the bacterium transports the substance to the 'elevator' and unloads its cargo there. The freight elevator transports it to the inside of the cell, in other words to another floor.
Published Evolution is not as random as previously thought
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A groundbreaking study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease and climate change. The study challenges the long-standing belief about the unpredictability of evolution, and has found that the evolutionary trajectory of a genome may be influenced by its evolutionary history, rather than determined by numerous factors and historical accidents.
Published The snail or the egg?
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Animals reproduce in one of two distinct ways: egg-laying or live birth. By studying an evolutionarily recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in a marine snail, collaborative research has shed new light on the genetic changes that allow organisms to make the switch.
Published Scientists engineer plant microbiome to protect crops against disease
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Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. The findings could substantially reduce the need for environmentally destructive pesticides.
Published New roles for autophagy genes in cellular waste management and aging
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Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. Scientists have now uncovered possible novel functions for various autophagy genes, which may control different forms of disposal including misfolded proteins -- and ultimately affect aging.
Published The surprisingly resourceful ways bacteria thrive in the human gut
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New research shows that some groups of bacteria in the gut are amazingly resourceful, with a large repertoire of genes that help them generate energy for themselves and potentially influence human health as well.
Published Nematode proteins shed light on infertility
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Biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the synaptonemal complex in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis.
Published Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells
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Researchers have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and infect cells. The findings laid the groundwork for a receptor decoy molecule that protects mice from encephalitis caused by the virus.
Published Bacteria load their syringes
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Many bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate the cells of their hosts, such as humans, so that they can spread throughout the body. To do this, they need to fill their syringes with the relevant injection agent. A technique that tracks the individual movement of proteins revealed how bacteria accomplish this challenging task.
Published New reasons eating less fat should be one of your resolutions
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A new study to motivate your New Year's resolutions: it demonstrates that high-fat diets negatively impact genes linked not only to obesity, colon cancer and irritable bowels, but also to the immune system and brain function.
Published Elusive cytonemes guide neural development, provide signaling 'express route'
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Discover the first images of cytonemes during mammalian neural development, serving as express routes to establish morphogen gradients and tissue patterning.
Published Big impacts from small changes in cell
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Tiny things matter -- for instance, one amino acid can completely alter the architecture of the cell. Researchers have now investigated the structure and mechanics of the main component of the cytoskeleton of the cell: a protein known as actin. Actin is found in all living cells where it has a range of important functions -- from muscle contraction to cell signalling and cell shape. This protein comes in two different varieties termed 'isoforms', which are known as gamma actin and beta actin.