Showing 20 articles starting at article 81
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Botany, Biology: General
Published Study reveals urban trees suffer more from heat waves and drought than their rural counterparts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent study details how trees in New York City and Boston are more negatively impacted by heat waves and drought than trees of the same species in nearby rural forests. The finding highlights the challenges urban trees face in the context of climate change and underscores the importance of tailored urban forestry management as a tool for protecting tree species and reducing urban heat islands.
Published Pit-building venom mixers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers show that the adaptation of antlions to their ecological niche has also changed their venom. They compared the venom system of antlion and closely related green lacewing larvae. Antlions produce a much more complex venom from three different venom glands than lacewing larvae do. All the venom proteins identified come from the insects themselves, not from symbiotic bacteria. Some of the toxins are new and appear to be unique to antlions. Waiting for their victims in pitfall traps in the sand, antlions can use their venom to immobilize larger prey. The venom therefore plays an important ecological role in adapting to their barren habitat.
Published Surprising insight into cancer comes from unique plant species that find different solutions to evolutionary challenges
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has shown that different plant species tackle the same evolutionary hurdle in different ways, and the findings may give insight into aggressive forms of cancer.
Published Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.
Published Reduce, reuse, 're-fly-cle'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Black soldier flies are now commercially used to consume organic waste -- but genetic modifications proposed by bioscientists could see the insects digesting a wider variety of refuse, while also creating raw ingredients for industry.
Published Starvation and adhesion drive formation of keratinocyte patterns in skin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cell-cell adhesion-induced patterning in keratinocytes can be explained by just starvation and strong adhesion researchers find.
Published Researchers ID body's 'quality control' regulator for protein folding
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anyone who's tried to neatly gather a fitted sheet can tell you: folding is hard. Get it wrong with your laundry and the result can be a crumpled, wrinkled mess of fabric, but when folding fails among the approximately 7,000 proteins with an origami-like complexity that regulate essential cellular functions, the result can lead to one of a multitude of serious diseases ranging from emphysema and cystic fibrosis to Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, our bodies have a quality-control system that identifies misfolded proteins and marks them either for additional folding work or destruction, but how, exactly, this quality-control process functions is not entirely known. Researchers have now made a major leap forward in our understanding of how this quality-control system works by discovering the 'hot spot' where all the action takes place.
Published Pre-surgical antibody treatment might prevent heart transplant rejection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anti-rejection regimens currently in use are broad immunosuppressive agents that make patients susceptible to infections. By using specific antibodies, it may be possible to just block the inflammation that leads to rejection but leave anti-microbial immunity intact.
Published Why carbon nanotubes fluoresce when they bind to certain molecules
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nanotubes can serve as biosensors. They change their fluorescence when they bind to certain molecules. Until now, it was unclear why. Researchers have gained new insights into the cause of the fluorescence.
Published Bacteria in lakes fight climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Methane-oxidizing bacteria could play a greater role than previously thought in preventing the release of climate-damaging methane from lakes, researchers from Bremen report. They also show who is behind the process and how it works.
Published Low magnesium levels increase disease risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has identified why a diet rich in magnesium is so important for our health, reducing the risk of DNA damage and chronic degenerative disorders.
Published Mature forests vital in frontline fight against climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mature forests have a key role to play in the fight against climate change -- extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and locking it into new wood.
Published How mortal filaments' self-assemble and maintain order: Align or die
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A previously unknown mechanism of active matter self-organization essential for bacterial cell division follows the motto 'dying to align': Misaligned filaments 'die' spontaneously to form a ring structure at the center of the dividing cell. The work could find applications in developing synthetic self-healing materials.
Published Taking a 'one in a million' shot to tackle dopamine-linked brain disorders
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With the help of a tiny, transparent worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, researchers have identified novel players in dopamine signaling by taking advantage of a powerful platform generated via the Million Mutation Project (MMP) for the rapid identification of mutant genes based on their functional impact. They can seek insights from simpler organisms whose genes bear striking similarity to those found in humans and where opportunities for genetic insights to disease can be pursued more efficiently and inexpensively.
Published An appetizer can stimulate immune cells' appetite, a boon for cancer treatments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The body has a veritable army constantly on guard to keep us safe from microscopic threats from infections to cancer. Chief among this force is the macrophage, a white blood cell that surveils tissues and consumes pathogens, debris, dead cells, and cancer. Macrophages have a delicate task. It's crucial that they ignore healthy cells while on patrol, otherwise they could trigger an autoimmune response while performing their duties.
Published New genetically engineered wood can store carbon and reduce emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers genetically modified poplar trees to produce high-performance, structural wood without the use of chemicals or energy intensive processing.
Published The threat of mpox has returned, but public knowledge about it has declined
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the threat of mpox returns, a survey finds that U.S. adults no longer know as much about the disease as they did during the outbreak of 2022.
Published A new mechanism for shaping animal tissues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A key question that remains in biology and biophysics is how three-dimensional tissue shapes emerge during animal development. Research teams have now found a mechanism by which tissues can be 'programmed' to transition from a flat state to a three-dimensional shape.
Published New two-step flu vaccine strategy shows promise in pig model
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new, two-step flu vaccination strategy that pairs intramuscular injection of a viral vectored flu vaccine with nasal spray administration of a novel attenuated live flu virus appears to be safe and effective in pigs, researchers report.
Published Millions of years for plants to recover from global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Catastrophic volcanic eruptions that warmed the planet millions of years ago shed new light on how plants evolve and regulate climate. Researchers reveal the long-term effects of disturbed natural ecosystems on climate in geological history and its implications for today.