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Categories: Biology: Developmental, Ecology: Invasive Species
Published Insect decline also occurs in forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The number of insects has been declining for years. This has already been well documented for agricultural areas. In forests, however, temporal trends are mostly studied for insect species that are considered pests. Now, a research team has studied the trends of very many insect species in German forests. Contrary to what the researchers had suspected, the results showed that the majority of the studied species are declining.
Published Study to decode microbe-gut signaling suggests potential new treatment for IBD
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fresh insights into how our bodies interact with the microbes living in our guts suggest that a two-drug combination may offer a new way to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Published Warming Arctic draws marine predators northwards
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine predators have expanded their ranges into the Arctic waters over the last twenty years, driven by climate change and associated increases in productivity.
Published Researchers assemble pathogen 'tree of life'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers provide open-access tool to capture new data on a global plant destroyer, Phytophthora.
Published Microrobot technology: Externally connecting in vivo neural networks
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a technology for delivering a microrobot to a target point of a hippocampus in an in-vitro environment, connecting neural networks, and measuring neural signals. The findings are expected to contribute to neural network research and the verification and analysis of cell therapy products.
Published Boosting the body's anti-viral immune response may eliminate aging cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Aging cells express a protein that is produced by human cytomegalovirus and is targeted by certain immune cells in the body. Harnessing the immune response to this protein could have multiple health benefits during aging.
Published T cells in human blood secrete a substance that affects blood pressure and inflammation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Acetylcholine regulates blood flow, but the source of blood acetylcholine has been unclear. Now, researchers have discovered that certain T cells in human blood can produce acetylcholine, which may help regulate blood pressure and inflammation. The study also demonstrates a possible association between these immune cells in seriously ill patients and the risk of death.
Published How whale shark rhodopsin evolved to see, in the deep blue sea
(via sciencedaily.com) A group of researchers discovered that the rhodopsin -- a protein in the eye that detects light -- of whale sharks has changed to efficiently detect blue light, which penetrates deep-sea water easily. The amino acid substitutions -- one of which is counterintuitively associated with congenital stationary night blindness in humans -- aid in detecting the low levels of light in the deep-sea. Although these changes make the whale shark rhodopsin less thermally stable the deep-sea temperature, allows their rhodopsin to keep working. This suggests that the unique adaptation evolved to function in the low-light low-temperature environment where whale sharks live.
Published Three newly discovered sea worms that glow in the dark named after creatures from Japanese folklore and marine biologist
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered three new species of luminescent Polycirrus worms that emit blue-purple light. They named two of them after glowing creatures in Japanese folklore, and the other after the former director of Notojima Aquarium who helped find the worms.
Published Components of cytoskeleton strengthen effect of sex hormones
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers discover that actin acts in the cell nucleus and is partly responsible for the expression of male sexual characteristics.
Published Turtles and crocodiles with unique characteristics are more likely to go extinct
(via sciencedaily.com) New study demonstrates that the most endangered turtles and crocodile species are those that have evolved unique life strategies. Many of the most threatened species carry out important ecosystem functions that other species depend on. Habitat loss was identified as the key overall threat to turtles and crocodiles, followed by climate change and global trade. Unique species faced additional pressure from local consumption, diseases, and pollution.
Published Epigenetic fingerprint as proof of origin for chicken, shrimp and salmon
(via sciencedaily.com) Free-range organic chicken or factory farming? Scientists have developed a new detection method that can reveal such differences in husbandry. The so-called epigenetic method is based on the analysis of the characteristic patterns of chemical markers on the genome of the animals.
Published What should we call evolution driven by genetic engineering? Genetic welding, says researcher
(via sciencedaily.com) With CRISPR-Cas9 technology, humans can now rapidly change the evolutionary course of animals or plants by inserting genes that can easily spread through entire populations. An evolutionary geneticist proposes that we call this evolutionary meddling 'genetic welding.' He argues that we must scientifically and ethically scrutinize the potential consequences of genetic welding before we put it into practice.
Published The powerhouse of the future: Artificial cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers identify the most promising advancements and greatest challenges of artificial mitochondria and chloroplasts. The team describes the components required to construct synthetic mitochondria and chloroplasts and identifies proteins as the most important aspects for molecular rotary machinery, proton transport, and ATP production. The authors believe it is important to create artificial cells with biologically realistic energy-generation methods that mimic natural processes; replicating the entire cell could lead to future biomaterials.
Published Rare beetle, rediscovered after 55 years, named in honor of Jerry Brown
(via sciencedaily.com) While sampling for insects on former California Gov. Jerry Brown's ranch, a University of California, Berkeley, entomologist collected a rare species of beetle that had never been named or described -- and which, according to records, had not been observed by scientists in over 55 years. The new species will be named Bembidion brownorum, in honor of Jerry Brown and his wife, Anne Brown.
Published Ending THC use may reverse its impacts on male fertility, research shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A previous study confirmed that chronic use of cannabis may greatly impact male fertility and reproductive outcomes in nonhuman primates -- but it was unclear whether the effects are permanent. Now, new research has confirmed that discontinuing use of THC can at least partly reverse these effects, according to a new study.
Published Meet the hybrid micro-robot: The tiny robot that is able to navigate in a physiological environment and capture targeted damaged cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a hybrid micro-robot, the size of a single biological cell (about 10 microns across), that can be controlled and navigated using two different mechanisms -- electric and magnetic. The micro-robot is able to navigate between different cells in a biological sample, distinguish between different types of cells, identify whether they are healthy or dying, and then transport the desired cell for further study, such as genetic analysis.
Published Habitat will dictate whether ground beetles win or lose against climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) The success of North American crops from corn to Christmas trees partly depends on a relatively invisible component of the food web -- ground beetles. Nearly 2,000 species of ground beetle live in North America. New research shows that some of these insects could thrive while others could decline as the climate changes. The team found that the response will largely depend on the species' traits and habitats and could have significant implications for conservation efforts.
Published Harnessing power of immune system may lessen reliance on antibiotics for infections like TB
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found that the body's process of removing old and damaged cell parts, is also an essential part of tackling infections that take hold within our cells, like TB. If this natural process can be harnessed with new treatments, it could present an alternative to, or improve use of antibiotics, especially where bacteria have become resistant to existing drugs.
Published Newly discovered cell in fruit flies is essential for touch sensation
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have uncovered a key role for a new type of cell in touch detection in the skin of the fruit fly.