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Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Biology: Biochemistry
Published Researchers identify new genetic risk factors for persistent HPV infections



Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide. While the immune system usually clears HPV infections, those that persist can lead to cancer, and a new finding suggests that certain women may have a genetic susceptibility for persistent or frequent HPV infections. These genetic variants could raise a woman's risk of getting cervical cancer from a high-risk HPV infection.
Published First step to untangle DNA: Supercoiled DNA captures gyrase like a lasso ropes cattle



Researchers reveal how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements. The findings not only provide novel insights into this fundamental biological mechanism but also have potential practical applications. Gyrases are biomedical targets for the treatment of bacterial infections and the similar human versions of the enzymes are targets for many anti-cancer drugs. Better understanding of how gyrases work at the molecular level can potentially improve clinical treatments.
Published New approach for combating 'resting' bacteria



Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick. But just as dangerous as this rapid growth can be a bacterium's resting state, which helps the pathogen evade antibiotics and contributes to severe chronic infections in the lungs and blood, within wounds, and on the surfaces of medical devices. Now, scientists have discovered how long chains of molecules called polyphosphates (polyP) are needed for bacteria to slow down movements within cells and let them enter this resting state.
Published Method to extract useful proteins from beer-brewing leftovers



Researchers have created a method that extracts over 80 percent of the available protein in grain leftovers from brewing beer, commonly known as brewers' spent grain.
Published Genetic underpinnings of environmental stress identified in model plant



Researchers have identified 14 genes that thale cress -- a plant commonly used in genetic investigations since its genome is well documented -- express more when responding to five specific stressors, as well as eight genes that the plant suppresses.
Published Geobiology: New placozoan habitat discovered



Traces of DNA in the stomachs of predatory snails give a team og geobiologists new insights into the ecology of placozoans.
Published Ants in Colorado are on the move due to climate change



Ant species living in Boulder's foothills have shifted their habitat over the last six decades, potentially affecting local ecosystems, suggests a new study.
Published New drug prevents flu-related inflammation and lung damage



Findings show a newly created drug can prevent runaway inflammation while still allowing the immune system to handle the virus, even when given late into infection.
Published The genesis of our cellular skeleton, image by image



Cells contain various specialized structures -- such as the nucleus, mitochondria or peroxisomes -- known as 'organelles'. Tracing their genesis and determining their structure is fundamental to understanding cell function and the pathologies linked to their dysfunction.
Published Researchers discover how we perceive bitter taste



A new study reveals the detailed protein structure of the TAS2R14, a bitter taste receptor that allows us to perceive bitter taste. In addition to solving the structure of this taste receptor, the researchers were also able to determine where bitter-tasting substances bind to TAS2R14 and how they activate them. The findings may lead to the development of drugs that targeting taste receptors.
Published Scientists identify pro-aging 'sugar signature' in the blood of people living with HIV



Scientists have identified sugar abnormalities in the blood that may promote biological aging and inflammation in people living with HIV.
Published Cockayne syndrome: New insights into cellular DNA repair mechanism



Researchers decode repair mechanism during transcription of genetic information.
Published Deforestation harms biodiversity of the Amazon's perfume-loving orchid bees



A survey of orchid bees in the Brazilian Amazon, carried out in the 1990s, is shedding new light the impact of deforestation on the scent-collecting pollinators, which some view as bellwethers of biodiversity in the neotropics.
Published A microbial plastic factory for high-quality green plastic



Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture resistant and highly biodegradable even in sea water. The development provides a platform for the industrial-scale, tunable production of a material that holds great potential for turning the plastic industry green.
Published Impact of climate change on marine life much bigger than previously known



Fish and invertebrate animals are far more affected by warmer and more acidic seawater than was previously known. The big gain of the new method is that more details become known about effects of climate change on species.
Published Machine learning method reveals chromosome locations in individual cell nucleus



Researchers have made a significant advancement toward understanding how the human genome is organized inside a single cell. This knowledge is crucial for analyzing how DNA structure influences gene expression and disease processes.
Published Bacteria in cancer unmasked



Researchers have compiled a detailed catalogue of bacteria living in cancer metastases. Having analyzed over 4000 tumors, they shed light on the diversity of these co-inhabitants and how they might interact with cancer cells and their surroundings. For example, certain bacteria were linked to a worse response to immunotherapy. This study paves the way to a better understanding of how bacteria help or hinder cancer (therapy), and how we can use this for patients' advantage.
Published Different means to the same end: How a worm protects its chromosomes



Researchers have discovered that a worm commonly used in the study of biology uses a set of proteins unlike those seen in other studied organisms to protect the ends of its DNA.
Published Scientists grow 'mini kidneys,' revealing new insights into metabolic defects and potential therapy for polycystic kidney disease



Scientists have successfully grown 'mini kidneys' in the lab and grafted them into live mice, revealing new insights into the metabolic defects and a potential therapy for polycystic kidney disease.
Published Toothed whale echolocation organs evolved from jaw muscles



Genetic analysis finds evidence suggesting that acoustic fat bodies in the heads of toothed whales were once the muscles and bone marrow of the jaw.