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Categories: Biology: General, Space: The Solar System
Published Vitamin discovered in rivers may offer hope for salmon suffering from thiamine deficiency disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, findings that may offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations.
Published 'Giant' predator worms more than half a billion years old discovered in North Greenland
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fossils of a new group of animal predators have been located in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland. These large worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonized the water column more than 518 million years ago, revealing a past dynasty of predators that scientists didn't know existed.
Published Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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 Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other processes. In a new study, researchers reduced the chlorophyll levels in leaves to see if the plant would invest the nitrogen saved into other process that might improve nutritional quality.
Published Bacteria load their syringes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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 Midbrain awakens gift of gab in chatty midshipman fish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For talkative midshipman fish -- sometimes called the 'California singing fish' -- the midbrain plays a robust role in initiating and patterning of sounds used in vocal communication.
Published 'Juvenile T. rex' fossils are a distinct species of small tyrannosaur
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis of fossils believed to be juveniles of T. rex now shows they were adults of a small tyrannosaur, with narrower jaws, longer legs, and bigger arms than T. rex. The species, Nanotyrannus lancensis, was first named decades ago but later reinterpreted as a young T. rex. The new study shows Nanotyrannus was a smaller, longer-armed relative of T. rex, with a narrower snout.
Published Is oxygen the cosmic key to alien technology?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astrophysicists outline the links between atmospheric oxygen and the potential rise of advanced technology on distant planets.
Published Elusive cytonemes guide neural development, provide signaling 'express route'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Discover the first images of cytonemes during mammalian neural development, serving as express routes to establish morphogen gradients and tissue patterning.
Published Designing the 'perfect' meal to feed long-term space travelers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine blasting off on a multiyear voyage to Mars, fueled by a diet of bland, prepackaged meals. As space agencies plan for longer missions, they're grappling with the challenge of how to best feed people. Now, researchers have designed the optimal 'space meal': a tasty vegetarian salad. They chose fresh ingredients that meet male astronauts' specialized nutritional needs and can be grown in space.
Published Ants recognize infected wounds and treat them with antibiotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognize when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment.
Published First step towards synthetic CO2 fixation in living cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Three modules forming a new-to-nature CO2 fixation cycle have been successfully implemented in E.coli.
Published A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Best chance of finding liquid water, and even life on other planets, is to look for the absence of carbon dioxide in their atmospheres.
Published New reptile on the block: A new iguana species discovered in China
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified a new iguana species, Wang's garden lizard (Calotes wangi), in southern China and northern Vietnam. This species, part of the Calotes versicolor complex, was discovered through extensive surveys conducted from 2009 to 2022. Measuring less than 9 cm with an orange tongue, it inhabits subtropical and tropical forests, thriving in various landscapes including urban areas.
Published Reindeer sleep while chewing their cud
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that the more time reindeer spend ruminating, the less time they spend in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep. EEG recordings revealed that reindeer's brainwaves during rumination resemble the brain waves present during non-REM sleep, and these brainwave patterns suggest that the reindeer are more 'rested' after ruminating. The researchers speculate that this multitasking might help reindeer get enough sleep during the summer months, when food is abundant and reindeer feed almost 24/7 in preparation for the long and food-sparse arctic winter.
Published Stinky, bitter, and painful: A novel insect repellent attacks multiple sensory pathways
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers found that a Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) A1 stimulant, 2-methylthiazoline (2MT), act as a potent insect repellent in Drosophila. 2MT induces aversive behaviors via olfactory, gustatory, and nociceptive sensory pathways. 2MT acts on TRPA1 through specific cysteine residues that are conserved across many insect pest species.
Published Big impacts from small changes in cell
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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.
Published Polymers that can kill bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have created a new family of polymers capable of killing bacteria without inducing antibiotic resistance -- a major step in the fight against superbugs like E. coli and MRSA.
Published How jellyfish regenerate functional tentacles in days
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source At about the size of a pinkie nail, the jellyfish species Cladonema can regenerate an amputated tentacle in two to three days -- but how? Regenerating functional tissue across species, including salamanders and insects, relies on the ability to form a blastema, a clump of undifferentiated cells that can repair damage and grow into the missing appendage. Jellyfish, along with other cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones, exhibit high regeneration abilities, but how they form the critical blastema has remained a mystery until now.