Showing 20 articles starting at article 761
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Developmental, Ecology: Endangered Species
Published Surprising discovery of low-noise genes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While engaging in cell division research, researchers made a surprisingly quiet discovery. When cells express RNA, there is always some fluctuation, or noise, in how much RNA is produced. The scientists found several genes whose noise dips below a previously established threshold, known as the noise floor, during expression.
Published The oldest and fastest evolving moss in the world might not survive climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A 390-million-year-old moss called Takakia lives in some of Earth's most remote places, including the icy cliffs of the Tibetan Plateau. In a decade-long project, a team of scientists climbed some of the tallest peaks in the world to find Takakia, sequence its DNA for the first time, and study how climate change is impacting the moss. Their results show that Takakia is one of the fastest evolving species ever studied -- but it likely isn't evolving fast enough to survive climate change.
Published The 'unknome': A database of human genes we know almost nothing about
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers hope that a new, publicly available database they have created will shrink, not grow, over time. That's because it is a compendium of the thousands of understudied proteins encoded by genes in the human genome, whose existence is known but whose functions are mostly not.
Published Mineralization of bone matrix regulates tumor cell growth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tumor cells are known to be fickle sleeper agents, often lying dormant in distant tissues for years before reactivating and forming metastasis. Numerous factors have been studied to understand why the activation occurs, from cells and molecules to other components in the so-called tissue microenvironment.
Published Astonishing complexity of bacterial circadian clocks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bacteria make up more than 10% of all living things but until recently we had little realization that, as in humans, soil bacteria have internal clocks that synchronize their activities with the 24-hour cycles of day and night on Earth. New research shows just how complex and sophisticated these bacterial circadian clocks are, clearing the way for an exciting new phase of study.
Published Parasites of viruses drive superbug evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which bacteria share their genetic material through virus parasites. The insights could help scientists to better understand how bacteria rapidly adapt and evolve, and how they become more virulent and resistant to antibiotics.
Published Kordofan giraffes face local extinction if poaching continues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Poaching of two Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffes per year could result in extinction in just 15 years within Cameroon's Bénoué National Park without intervention.
Published Study finds a surprising new role for a major immune regulator
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The immune regulatory protein STING has a previously unknown function: acting as an ion channel that allows protons to leak into cells. This discovery makes it the first human immune sensor that can translate danger signals into ion flow.
Published DNA tilts and stretches underlie differences in mutation rates across genomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have changed the way to look at DNA. They show that DNA is much more than a linear sequence of building blocks; it has a 3D structure that influences the variation of human genome-wide mutation rates meaningfully and consistently, and this is likely conserved among species.
Published Researchers are using monkey poop to learn how an endangered species chooses its mates
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Northern muriquis, which live in the Atlantic forest of Brazil, are one of the most endangered species of monkey in the world. To better understand what goes on in the mating lives of muriquis, researchers turned to the monkeys' poop to help gain insight into how the primates choose their mates.
Published Scientists develop gene-editing technology that eliminates EV-A71 RNA viruses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has made an important breakthrough in the fight against RNA viruses that cause human diseases and pandemics.
Published Sea level rise shifts habitat for endangered Florida Keys species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly published study describes the response to sea level rise by the silver rice rat, an endangered species only found in the Florida Keys.
Published Organoids revolutionize research on respiratory infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a breakthrough for bioengineering, researchers have developed organoids that can model the human respiratory tract. The organoids, called AirGels, allow them to uncover the mechanism by which antibiotic-resistant pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa infect the respiratory tract.
Published Why you shouldn't declaw tigers or other big cats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers looked at the effects of declawing on larger cat species and found that declawing disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren.
Published How flies develop sight: Scientists use single-cell sequencing to identify cell types in the visual system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered new cell types in the visual system of flies, made possible by their creation of a tool that finds and labels neurons during development. The study combines single-cell sequencing data with a novel algorithm to identify pairs of genes that point to previously unknown cells in the brains of fruit flies.
Published Scientists discover secret of virgin birth, and switch on the ability in female flies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have pinpointed a genetic cause for virgin birth for the first time, and once switched on the ability is passed down through generations of females.
Published Cell biology: How cellular powerhouses call for help when under stress
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Originally, the powerhouses of higher cells, the mitochondria, were independent organisms. Researchers have investigated to what extent their metabolism has blended with that of their host cells in the course of evolution, using the example of a mitochondrial stress response. They have discovered that mitochondria send two different biochemical signals. These are processed together in the cell and trigger a support mechanism to restore cellular balance (homeostasis).
Published Alternative cellular 'fuels' boost immunity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A metabolic by-product that is more prevalent during fasting may supercharge immune cells as they fight infection and disease, reports an early stage study. The findings may pave the way for future personalized dietary recommendations to augment treatments for infection, cancer and other diseases.
Published Scientists vacuum animal DNA from air in a Danish forest
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Over 60 animal species in three days. That is how many mammals, birds and amphibians researchers found DNA traces from in the air in a Danish forest. The results can pave the way for a new and innovative way of mapping biodiversity.
Published Bees and wasps use the same architectural solutions to join large hexagons to small hexagons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bees and wasps have converged on the same architectural solutions to nest-building problems, according to new research.