Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Tryptophan in diet, gut bacteria protect against E. coli infection      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Gut bacteria and a diet rich in the amino acid tryptophan can play a protective role against pathogenic E. coli, which can cause severe stomach upset, cramps, fever, intestinal bleeding and renal failure.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology
Published

Interactions with dogs can increase brainwaves associated with stress relief and heightened concentration      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Spending quality time with dogs reduces stress and increases the power of brain waves associated with relaxation and concentration, according to a new study.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Menopause explains why some female whales live so long      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Females of some whale species have evolved to live drastically longer lives so they can care for their families, new research shows.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Microbiology
Published

Study shows important role gut microbes play in airway health in persons with cystic fibrosis      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Findings from a new study reflect the important role that the gut microbiome (communities of bacteria) plays in the airway health of persons with cystic fibrosis.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

With discovery of roundworms, Great Salt Lake's imperiled ecosystem gets more interesting      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biologists announce the discovery of numerous species of roundworm in the highly saline waters of Great Salt Lake, the vast terminal lake in northwestern Utah that supports millions of migratory birds. Previously, brine shrimp and brine flies were the only known multicellular animals living in the water column. The scientists found nematodes, belonging to a family known for inhabiting extreme environments, in the lake's microbialites, reef-like structures covering about a fifth of the lakebed.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Explaining a supernova's 'string of pearls'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists often turn to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability to explain why fluid structures form in plasmas, but that may not be the full story when it comes to the ring of hydrogen clumps around supernova 1987A, research suggests. It looks like the same mechanism that breaks up airplane contrails might be at play in forming the clumps of hydrogen gas that ring the remnant of supernova 1987A.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Marine heat waves disrupt the ocean food web in the northeast Pacific Ocean      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Marine heat waves in the northeast Pacific Ocean create ongoing and complex disruptions of the ocean food web that may benefit some species but threaten the future of many others, a new study has shown.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Steroid drugs used for HRT can combat E. coli and MRSA      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have combined computational and microbiology laboratory approaches to identify existing drugs that can be repurposed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. This research has revealed that a class of steroid drugs currently used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can also stop the growth of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and effectively kill MRSA.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

New computational strategy boosts the ability of drug designers to target proteins inside the membrane      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Hitting targets embedded within the cell membrane has long been difficult for drug developers due to the membrane's challenging biochemical properties. Now, chemists have demonstrated new custom-designed proteins that can efficiently reach these 'intramembrane' targets.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

High resolution imagery advances the ability to monitor decadal changes in emperor penguin populations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Emperor penguin populations have been exceedingly difficult to monitor because of their remote locations, and because individuals form breeding colonies on seasonal sea ice fastened to land (known as fast ice) during the dark and cold Antarctic winter. New research that incorporates very high-resolution satellite imagery with field-based validation surveys and long-term data has provided the first multi-year time series that documents emperor penguin global population trends.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Sonic youth: Healthy reef sounds increase coral settlement      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Healthy coral reefs have rich soundscapes, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval coral uses these sounds as cues to identify the best places to settle and grow. The authors found that sound could potentially be a vital tool in the effort to restore coral reefs. Broadcasting the sounds of a healthy reef to a reef that is degraded encourages coral larvae to settle there. This indicates that it's possible that 'acoustic enrichment' can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Simple trick could improve accuracy of plant genetics research      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have published a simple trick that improves the accuracy of techniques that help us understand how external variables -- such as temperature -- affect gene activity in plants.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Milk to the rescue for diabetics? Cow produces human insulin in milk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An unassuming brown bovine from the south of Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk. The advancement could herald a new era in insulin production, one day eliminating drug scarcity and high costs for people living with diabetes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Space: Exploration Space: General
Published

Study brings scientists a step closer to successfully growing plants in space      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New, highly stretchable sensors can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention. The polymer sensors are resilient to humidity and temperature, can stretch over 400% while remaining attached to a plant as it grows and send a wireless signal to a remote monitoring location, said a chemical and biomolecular engineering professor.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals
Published

Tsetse fly fertility damaged after just one heatwave, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The fertility of both female and male tsetse flies is affected by a single burst of hot weather, researchers have found.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

A simple and robust experimental process for protein engineering      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A protein engineering method using simple, cost-effective experiments and machine learning models can predict which proteins will be effective for a given purpose, according to a new study.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Who knew that coprophagy was so vital for birds' survival?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research explains how eating feces (known as coprophagy) shapes wild birds' digestive tracts (gut biota), enabling them to absorb lost or deficient nutrients and adjust to seasonal variations in food sources.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Exploring arctic plants and lichens: An important conservation baseline for Nunavut's newest and largest territorial park      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A comprehensive study of the floristic diversity of Agguttinni Territorial Park, Nunavut's newest and largest Territorial Park, has documented 141 vascular plant, 69 bryophyte, and 93 lichen species from this unique protected area on northern Baffin Island. Through a combination of extensive fieldwork in 2021 and examination of hundreds of existing herbarium specimens, the authors have documented species newly reported for Baffin Island and have crafted a biodiversity baseline important for park management and conservation.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Scientists find weak points on Epstein-Barr virus      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Studies of interactions between two lab-generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and an essential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein have uncovered targets that could be exploited in designing treatments and vaccines for this extremely common virus.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

How a natural compound from sea squirts combats cancer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Trabectedin, a promising drug derived from the sea squirt Ecteinascidia turbinata, has shown potential in combating cancers resistant to conventional treatments. However, its precise mechanism of action has remained elusive -- until now.