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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Geoscience: Geology
Published An adjuvant made in yeast could lower vaccine cost and boost availability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Adjuvants make vaccines more effective, though one of the best is an expensive extract from the soap bark tree. To lower the cost and avoid the laborious extraction process from bark, synthetic biologists introduced 38 separate genes into yeast to recreate the synthesis of the active molecule, a complex chemical, QS-21, that has a terpene core and numerous sugars. This may be the longest biosynthetic pathway ever inserted into yeast.
Published Marine bacteria team up to produce a vital vitamin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Two species of marine bacteria from the North Sea have established an unusual and sometimes destructive relationship to produce the important vitamin B12. The team's experiments show that the two microbial species have developed a coordinated strategy to obtain the scarce but essential vitamin.
Published Limited adaptability makes freshwater bacteria vulnerable to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Freshwater bacteria with small genomes frequently undergo prolonged periods of adaptive stagnation. Based on genomic analyses of samples from European lakes, researchers uncovered specific evolutionary strategies that shape these bacteria's lifestyles. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of aquatic microbial communities is key to safeguarding ecosystem services.
Published Natural compounds that selectively kill parasites
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team has found a family of natural compounds with potential as new and more effective treatments for parasitic worms. The compounds stall the unique metabolic process that worms use to survive in the human gut.
Published Why is breaking down plant material for biofuels so slow?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tracking individual enzymes during the breakdown of cellulose for biofuel production has revealed how several roadblocks slow this process when using plant material that might otherwise go to waste. The research may lead to new ways to improve the breakdown process and make the non-edible parts of plants and other plant waste, such as forestry residue, a more competitive source of biofuels.
Published Chimps learn and improve tool-using skills even as adults, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chimpanzees continue to learn and hone their skills well into adulthood, a capacity that might be essential for the evolution of complex and varied tool use, according to a new study.
Published Researchers show that slow-moving earthquakes are controlled by rock permeability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research group explores how the makeup of rocks, specifically their permeability -- or how easily fluids can flow through them -- affects the frequency and intensity of slow slip events. Slow slips' role in the earthquake cycle may help lead to a better model to predict when earthquakes happen.
Published Intermittent fasting protects against liver inflammation and liver cancer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fatty liver disease often leads to chronic liver inflammation and can even result in liver cancer. Scientists have now shown in mice that intermittent fasting on a 5:2 schedule can halt this development. The fasting regime reduces the development of liver cancer in mice with pre-existing liver inflammation. The researchers identified two proteins in liver cells that are jointly responsible for the protective effect of fasting. An approved drug can partially mimic this effect.
Published Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How well bees tolerate temperature extremes could determine their ability to persist in a changing climate. But heat tolerance varies between and within populations, so entomologists examined bee physical traits to understand how these traits interact with environmental conditions, pathogens and other factors.
Published Fruit fly model identifies key regulators behind organ development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new computational model simulating fruit fly wing development has enabled researchers to identify previously hidden mechanisms behind organ generation. An research team developed a fruit fly model to reverse engineer the mechanisms that generate organ tissue.
Published Progression of herpesvirus infection remodels mitochondrial organization and metabolism
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found that herpesvirus infection modifies the structure and normal function of the mitochondria in the host cell. The new information will help to understand the interaction between herpesvirus and host cells. Knowledge can be utilized in the development of viral treatments.
Published How a 'conductor' makes sense of chaos in early mouse embryos
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The earliest stages of mammalian embryo development are like an orchestra performance, where everyone must play at the exact right moment and in perfect harmony. New research identifies one of the conductors making sense of the chaos.
Published From fossils to fuel: Mozambique's Maniamba Basin's energy potential
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the ever-expanding search for energy resources, a new study has emerged from Mozambique's Maniamba Basin. Mozambique's Maniamba Basin could be a big source of natural gas.
Published Bio-inspired materials' potential for efficient mass transfer boosted by a new twist on a century-old theory
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The natural vein structure found within leaves -- which has inspired the structural design of porous materials that can maximize mass transfer -- could unlock improvements in energy storage, catalysis, and sensing thanks to a new twist on a century-old biophysical law.
Published Free-forming organelles help plants adapt to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plants' ability to sense light and temperature, and their ability to adapt to climate change, hinges on free-forming structures in their cells whose function was, until now, a mystery. Researchers have now determined how these structures work on a molecular level, as well as where and how they form.
Published Engineers develop innovative microbiome analysis software tools
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed two new graph-based computational tools for tracking genomic variation within microbiomes.
Published Geologists, biologists unearth the atomic fingerprints of cancer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Earth scientists have long turned to minute differences in hydrogen atoms to explore the ancient history of our planet. A new study suggests that these same tiny atoms might also lead to new ways to track the growth of cancer.
Published Using advanced genetic techniques, scientists create mice with traits of Tourette disorder
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In research that may be a step forward toward finding personalized treatments for Tourette disorder, scientists have bred mice that exhibit some of the same behaviors and brain abnormalities seen in humans with the disorder.
Published New vaccine effective against coronaviruses that haven't even emerged yet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new vaccine technology that has been shown in mice to provide protection against a broad range of coronaviruses with potential for future disease outbreaks -- including ones we don't even know about.
Published High-pressure spectroscopy: Why 3,000 bars are needed to take a comprehensive look at a protein
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Why 3,000 bars are needed to take a comprehensive look at a protein: Researchers present a new high-pressure spectroscopy method to unravel the properties of proteins' native structures.