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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Ecology: Extinction
Published Altered gut bacteria may be early sign of Alzheimer's disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Alzheimer's disease causes changes to the brain that begin two decades or more before symptoms appear. A study reveals that the bacteria that live in the gut also change before Alzheimer's symptoms arise, a discovery that could lead to diagnostics or treatments for Alzheimer's disease that target the gut microbiome.
Published Researchers find high risk to amphibians if fungal pathogen invades North America
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research indicates the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) could be devastating to amphibian biodiversity if introduced to North America.
Published Scientists discover small RNA that regulates bacterial infection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified the major mechanism behind the transition between chronic and acute P. aeruginosa infections. Their research findings can inform the development of future treatments for life-threatening acute infections.
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 Skipping evolution: Some kangaroos didn't hop
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Extinct kangaroos used alternative methods to their famous hop according to comprehensive analysis.
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 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 Ancient herbivore's diet weakened teeth leading to eventual starvation, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shed light on the life of the ancient reptile Rhynchosaur, which walked the earth between 250-225 million years ago, before being replaced by the dinosaurs.
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 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 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.
Published Water molecules define the materials around us
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper argues that materials like wood, bacteria, and fungi belong to a newly identified class of matter, 'hydration solids.' The new findings emerged from ongoing research into the strange behavior of spores, dormant bacterial cells.
Published Remains of an extinct world of organisms discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Newly discovered biomarker signatures point to a whole range of previously unknown organisms that dominated complex life on Earth about a billion years ago. They differed from complex eukaryotic life as we know it, such as animals, plants and algae in their cell structure and likely metabolism, which was adapted to a world that had far less oxygen in the atmosphere than today.
Published To groom or not to groom: 'Triage' in the ant kingdom
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Social ants are masters of cooperative disease defense. They collectively take care of each other to prevent the spread of infections within a colony. But how does an individual ant know whom it should groom? A multidisciplinary team of researchers combined experimental and theoretical approaches to get a detailed look into ants' sanitary decision-making.
Published Coral disease tripled in the last 25 years. Three-quarters will likely be diseased by next century
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research suggests warming temperatures will see nearly 80 per cent of coral in reefs diseased in the next 80 years.
Published Biological clocks of people and malaria parasites tick in tune
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Could the next weapon against malaria come from a better understanding of biological clocks? A new study shows that malaria parasites sync their gene activity with the circadian rhythms of their host, like two pendulum clocks with synchronized swings. If scientists can identify the molecular signals behind this mysterious synchronicity, they might be able to develop new anti-malarial drugs that throw malaria's internal clock out of step with its host, essentially 'jet-lagging' the parasites.