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Categories: Biology: General, Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published Paving the way for hydrogen from algae enzymes



Under certain conditions, some algae are able to produce hydrogen -- a much sought-after green energy source. Its production takes place in the unique catalytic center of the unicellular algae and is only possible if certain cofactors of the relevant proteins are present. Researchers have identified how such a cofactor, the so-called hydrogen cluster, is assembled. Specifically, they describe the previously unexplained role of the enzyme HydF, which is involved in the final steps of assembly.
Published Researchers discover 'trojan horse' virus hiding in human parasite



An international team has found a new RNA virus that they believe is hitching a ride with a common human parasite. The virus is associated with severe inflammation in humans infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, leading the team to hypothesize that it exacerbates toxoplasmosis disease.
Published Lighting up the brain: What happens when our 'serotonin center' is triggered?



Scientists have studied the main source of serotonin in the brain -- the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). By studying how activating the brain's 'serotonin center' affects awake animals for the first time, they found that serotonin from the DRN activates brain areas that affect behavior and motivation. Results show that DRN serotonin stimulation causes activation of the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia, brain areas involved in many cognitive functions.
Published The world's most powerful anti-fungal chemistries cause fungal pathogens to self-destruct



Scientists have discovered that the most widely-used class of antifungals in the world cause pathogens to self-destruct. The research could help improve ways to protect food security and human lives.
Published Trout in mine-polluted rivers are genetically 'isolated'



Trout living in rivers polluted by metal from old mines across the British Isles are genetically 'isolated' from other trout, new research shows.
Published 'Ugly' fossil places extinct saber-toothed cat on Texas coast



This fossil looks like a lumpy, rounded rock with a couple of exposed teeth that are a little worse for wear, having been submerged and tumbled along the floor of the Gulf of Mexico for thousands of years before washing up on a beach. But when it was X-rayed a doctoral student saw there was more to the fossil that met the eye: a hidden canine tooth that had not yet erupted from the jaw bone. It was just what researchers needed to identify the fossil as belonging to a Homotherium, a genus of large cat that roamed much of the Earth for millions of years.
Published New, modified CRISPR protein can fit inside virus used for gene therapy



Researchers have developed a novel version of a key CRISPR gene-editing protein that shows efficient editing activity and is small enough to be packaged within a non-pathogenic virus that can deliver it to target cells.
Published Scientists invent 'living bioelectronics' that can sense and heal skin



Reaserchers have created a prototype for what they call 'living bioelectronics': a combination of living cells, gel, and electronics that can integrate with living tissue. Tests in mice found that the devices could continuously monitor and improve psoriasis-like symptoms, without irritating skin.
Published Novel virus identified in zebrafish from the pet trade causes disease in laboratory fish



Zebrafish in the pet trade are asymptomatic carriers of previously undescribed microbes, including a novel virus that causes hemorrhaging in infected laboratory fish, researchers report.
Published Musankwa sanyatiensis, a new dinosaur from Zimbabwe



Fossils found on the shoreline of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe represent a completely new dinosaur species. This remarkable find, named Musankwa sanyatiensis, marks only the fourth dinosaur species named from Zimbabwe.
Published Tracing the evolution of ferns' surprisingly sweet defense strategy



Plants and the animals that eat them have evolved together in fascinating ways, creating a dynamic interplay of survival strategies. Many plants have developed physical and chemical defenses to fend off herbivores. A well-known strategy in flowering plants is to produce nectar to attract 'ant bodyguards.' Recent research explores the evolution of this same defense strategy in ferns.
Published Antibiotic pollution disrupts the gut microbiome and blocks memory in aquatic snails



Antibiotics prevent snails from forming new memories by disrupting their gut microbiome -- the community of beneficial bacteria found in their guts.
Published Researchers expose new symbiosis origin theories, identify experimental systems for plant life



Research work on symbiosis -- a mutually beneficial relationship between living organisms -- is pushing back against the newer theory of a 'single-origin' of root nodule symbiosis (RNS) -- that all symbiosis between plant root nodules and nitrogen-fixing bacteria stems from one point--instead suggesting a 'multiple-origin' theory of sybiosis which opens a better understanding for genetically engineering crops.
Published Researchers apply quantum computing methods to protein structure prediction



Researchers recently published findings that could lay the groundwork for applying quantum computing methods to protein structure prediction.
Published Blood flow makes waves across the surface of the mouse brain



Researchers have, for the first time, visualized the full network of blood vessels across the cortex of awake mice, finding that blood vessels rhythmically expand and contract leading to 'waves' washing across the surface of the brain. These findings improve the understanding of how the brain receives blood, though the function of the waves remains a mystery.
Published hnRNPM, a guardian of the integrity of cellular protein production



Researchers have discovered that the protein hnRNPM prevents the cell from making mistakes while it is producing new proteins, which helps maintain the integrity of this vital process.
Published Editing without 'cutting': Molecular mechanisms of new gene-editing tool revealed



New research has determined the spatial structure of various processes of a novel gene-editing tool called 'prime editor.' Functional analysis based on these structures also revealed how a 'prime editor' could achieve reverse transcription, synthesizing DNA from RNA, without 'cutting' both strands of the double helix. Clarifying these molecular mechanisms contributes greatly to designing gene-editing tools accurate enough for gene therapy treatments.
Published Chicken feathers to deliver chemotherapy drugs and repair enzymes



A new method of drug delivery using proline, an amino acid found in chicken feathers and skin tissue, could be used to limit the side effects of chemotherapy and repair important enzymes, new research suggests.
Published Acute sense of touch helps hummingbirds hover near a flower without bumping into it



Hummingbird flight mechanics have been well studied but far less is known about how their sense of touch helps them sip nectar from a flower without bumping into it. Most of what scientists know about how touch is processed in the brain comes from studies on mammals, but bird brains are very different from mammal brains. New research shows that touch and air pressure on the wings and legs activate specific clusters of neurons in two regions of the forebrain to create a map of their body, which may help hummingbirds make nuanced adjustments to flight.
Published Complete X and Y chromosome sequences of living great ape species determined



Newly generated, complete genomes for the sex chromosomes of six primate species may inform conservation of these endangered species and shed light on sex-related genetic diseases in both humans and our closest living relatives.