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

Researchers uncover genetic factors for severe Lassa fever      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report the results of the first ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) virus. The team found two key human genetic factors that could help explain why some people develop severe Lassa fever, and a set of LARGE1 variants linked to a reduced chance of getting Lassa fever. The work could lay the foundation for better treatments for Lassa fever and other similar diseases. The scientists are already working on a similar genetics study of Ebola susceptibility.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology
Published

Surprise discovery of tiny insect-killing worm      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered a tiny worm species that infects and kills insects. These worms, called nematodes, could control crop pests in warm, humid places where other beneficial nematodes are currently unable to thrive.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology
Published

How fruit flies control the brain's 'steering wheel'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A newly discovered neural circuit mediates between navigational brain cells, acting as a sort of mental steering wheel.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Nature
Published

Friend or foe? Ancient partnership between moss and fungi      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have shed new light on the ancient relationship between moss and fungi. They discovered that intricate moss-fungi interactions often depended on a third variable -- the presence of endobacteria within the fungi themselves.

Biology: Biochemistry
Published

Scientists reveal why blueberries are blue      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tiny external structures in the wax coating of blueberries give them their blue color, researchers reveal.

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

Researchers discover new cell that remembers allergies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery: a new cell that remembers allergies.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography
Published

Replacing animal-based foods with alternative proteins would unlock land for carbon removal      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report that replacing 50% of animal products with alternative proteins by 2050 could free up enough agricultural land to generate renewable energy equivalent in volume to today's coal-generated power while simultaneously removing substantial CO2 from the atmosphere.

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

New research uncovers biological drivers of heart disease risk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Over the past 15 years, researchers have identified hundreds of regions in the human genome associated with heart attack risk. However, researchers lack efficient ways to explore how these genetic variants are molecularly connected to cardiovascular disease, limiting efforts to develop therapeutics. To streamline analysis of hundreds of genetic variants associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), a team of researchers combined multiple sequencing and experimental techniques to map the relationship between known CAD variants and the biological pathways they impact.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Organic compound found in trees could prevent contact lens eye infections      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers say hydroquinine could be an effective naturally occurring disinfecting solution for contact lenses and help combat keratitis infections.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

New study sheds new light on forests' role in climate and water cycle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Forests, which cover a third of Earth's land surface, are pivotal in carbon storage and the water cycle, though the full scope of their impact remains to be fully understood. In a new study, researchers provide new insights into the complex role forests play in the climate system and water cycle.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology
Published

Nature is particularly beneficial for people on lower income      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Data from a representative sample of the Austrian population suggests that the relationship between nature contact and well-being is consistently stronger for people on lower than higher incomes. However, this pattern was only found when people actively visited nature and not when they merely lived near greenspaces. Findings suggest the availability, accessibility and use of green and blue spaces can play an important role in reducing income-related health inequalities.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

New approach for fast and cost-effective pathogen detection      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The ability to detect diseases at an early stage or even predict their onset would be of tremendous benefit to doctors and patients alike. A research team now develops intelligent, miniaturized biosensor devices and systems using nanomaterials to determine biomolecules and cells as well as biochemical reactions or processes as disease markers. The team's current publication describes the development of a portable, palm-sized test system that can simultaneously carry out up to thirty-two analyses of one sample.

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

Bacteria in the mouth linked to pulmonary fibrosis survival      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Bacteria in the mouth may play a role in survival from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), finds a new study.

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

New approach to tackling bacterial infections identified      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections. The team found a way to turn on a vital bacterial defense mechanism to fight and manage bacterial infections. The defense system, called cyclic oligonucleotide-based antiphage signaling system (CBASS), is a natural mechanism used by certain bacteria to protect themselves from viral attacks. Bacteria self-destruct as a means to prevent the spread of virus to other bacterial cells in the population.

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

Researchers discover key to molecular mystery of how plants respond to changing conditions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers recently published a pioneering study that answers a central question in biology: how do organisms rally a wide range of cellular processes when they encounter a change -- either internally or in the external environment -- to thrive in good times or survive the bad times? The research, focused on plants, identifies the interactions between four compounds: pectin, receptor proteins FERONIA and LLG1 and the signal RALF peptide.

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

A long, long time ago in a galaxy not so far away      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Employing massive data sets collected through NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers are unearthing clues to conditions existing in the early universe. The team has catalogued the ages of stars in the Wolf--Lundmark--Melotte (WLM) galaxy, constructing the most detailed picture of it yet, according to the researchers. WLM, a neighbor of the Milky Way, is an active center of star formation that includes ancient stars formed 13 billion years ago.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Complex tree canopies help forests recover from moderate-severity disturbances      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Extreme events wipe out entire forests, dramatically eliminating complex ecosystems as well as local communities. Researchers have become quite familiar with such attention-grabbing events over the years. They know less, however, about the more common moderate-severity disturbances, such as relatively small fires, ice storms, and outbreaks of pests or pathogens.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Microfluidic environments alter microbe behaviors, opening potential for engineering social evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research group explored how the social evolution of microbes can be manipulated by tuning the physical parameters of the environment in which they live.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology
Published

Mystery of novel clove-like off-flavor in orange juice solved      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has solved the mystery of a novel clove-like off-flavor in orange juice, the cause of which was previously unknown. The study proves for the first time that the undesirable flavor note is due to the odorant 5-vinylguaiacol. As the results of the study show, the substance is mainly produced during the pasteurization process when residues of a cleaning agent react with a natural orange juice component under the influence of heat.