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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Space: Astrophysics
Published Holy bat skull! Fossil adds vital piece to bat evolution puzzle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bats may have lived in caves and used soundwaves to navigate much earlier than first thought.
Published Scientists discover deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered the deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching, more than 90 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean. Identified during a research cruise, the damage to the deeper reefs in the Central Indian Ocean has been attributed to significant changes in the region's ocean temperature caused by the Indian Ocean Dipole. The researchers have also warned such incidences are only likely to increase as a result of present and future climate change.
Published Red meat consumption associated with increased type 2 diabetes risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source People who eat just two servings of red meat per week may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who eat fewer servings, and the risk increases with greater consumption, according to a new study. Researchers also found that replacing red meat with healthy plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, or modest amounts of dairy foods, was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Published Physical theory improves protein folding prediction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Proteins are important molecules that perform a variety of functions essential to life. To function properly, many proteins must fold into specific structures. However, the way proteins fold into specific structures is still largely unknown. Researchers have developed a novel physical theory that can accurately predict how proteins fold. Their model can predict things previous models cannot. Improved knowledge of protein folding could offer huge benefits to medical research, as well as to various industrial processes.
Published Restoring the function of a human cell surface protein in yeast cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Yeast cells are widely used to study G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large group of cell surface proteins in humans. However, several of these proteins lose their function when introduced into yeast cells. To tackle this issue, researchers developed an innovative strategy to restore GPCR function in yeast cells by inducing random mutations. Their findings can help understand GPCRs better and could pave the way to therapeutic breakthroughs for many diseases.
Published Black holes could come in 'perfect pairs' in an ever expanding Universe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shown it's theoretically possible for black holes to exist in perfectly balanced pairs -- held in equilibrium by a cosmological force -- mimicking a single black hole.
Published Two probiotics identified as promising hypertension treatments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New findings point to 2 additional probiotics as potential treatments for high blood pressure.
Published Stolen genes allow parasitic control of behavior
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has discovered that parasites manipulate their hosts using stolen genes that they likely acquired through a phenomenon called horizontal gene transfer.
Published New 'subway map' of Lyme disease pathways identifies potential new treatment targets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a genome-scale metabolic model or 'subway map' of key metabolic activities of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Using this map, they have successfully identified two compounds that selectively target routes only used by Lyme disease to infect a host.
Published Soft optical fibers block pain while moving and stretching with the body
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New soft, implantable fibers can deliver light to major nerves through the body. They are an experimental tool for scientists to explore the causes and potential treatments for peripheral nerve disorders in animal models.
Published Pinpointing the emergence of muddy flavors in your fish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many people have experienced a muddy off-flavor in farmed fish. While the aquaculture industry has known about the problem for 20 years, it continues to impact the consumption of otherwise healthy and potentially sustainable fish. Now, researchers have been able to pinpoint exactly when the off-flavors emerge. And this can make it easier to deal with the compounds that turn people away from farmed fish.
Published Racing to defuse a 'ticking' public health time bomb
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The explosive rise in tick-borne diseases in many parts of the United States over the last five decades represents a major public health threat that demands innovative solutions, warns a group of scientists. They outline why the stakes are so high and describe some potential solutions. Possible solutions include a new class of vaccines for humans and even for the animals that carry the ticks.
Published Yeast speeds discovery of medicinal compounds in plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have harnessed the power of baker's yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.
Published Drought conditions expose rivers to hotter water temperatures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals how reduced water flows and rising atmospheric temperatures are set to heat our rivers -- creating major challenges for aquatic life, ecosystems, and society.
Published Study elucidates evolution of mosquitoes and their hosts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Study creates a mosquito family tree to better understand disease transmission and host choice.
Published Scientists uncover new way viruses fight back against bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A microscopic discovery will not only enable scientists to understand the microbial world around us but could also provide a new way to control CRISPR-Cas biotechnologies.
Published Reef-devouring predator survives coral bleaching and feasts on the survivors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The crown-of-thorns starfish is nature's ultimate coral predator that has a circle of life perfectly adapted to warming waters.
Published New mollusk and crustacean species in symbiosis with worms in dead coral rocks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The symbiotic communities of invertebrates in dead coral gravel on the shallow, warm-temperate coast of the Kii Peninsula in western Japan. New bivalve species and sideswimmer have been found to live communally with the greenish Bonellia spoonworm. Live-in symbionts share the burrows of other organisms in sand and mud on the seabed. However, studies on burrow niches in rigid substrates, such as rocks on the seabed, have been scarce.
Published New insights into the genetics of the common octopus: Genome at the chromosome level decoded
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Octopuses are fascinating animals -- and serve as important model organisms in neuroscience, cognition research and developmental biology. To gain a deeper understanding of their biology and evolutionary history, validated data on the composition of their genome is needed, which has been lacking until now. Scientists have now been able to close this gap and, in a new study, determined impressive figures: 2.8 billion base pairs -- organized in 30 chromosomes. What sounds so simple is the result of complex, computer-assisted genome analyses and comparisons with the genomes of other cephalopod species.
Published Greener neighborhoods can protect us -- at the cellular level
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study finds that greenspace -- the vegetation in a neighborhood's yards, parks and public spaces -- has a positive impact on a key genetic marker associated with exposure to stress. However, the study also finds that the positive impact of greenspace isn't enough to compensate for other environmental challenges, such as air pollution.