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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Paleontology: Fossils
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 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 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 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.
Published Improved nutrition, sanitation linked to beneficial changes in child stress and epigenetic programming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides some of the clearest and most comprehensive evidence to date on what is known about stress physiology and 'epigenetic programming.'
Published Aligned peptide 'noodles' could enable lab-grown biological tissues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed peptide-based hydrogels that mimic the aligned structure of muscle and nerve tissues, which could enable the development of functional lab-grown tissue.
Published Stony coral tissue loss disease is shifting the ecological balance of Caribbean reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows stony coral tissue loss disease is causing drastic changes in the Caribbean's population of corals, which is sure to disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem and threaten marine biodiversity and coastal economies.
Published Genomes of 'star algae' shed light on origin of plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Land plants cover the surface of our planet and often tower over us. They form complex bodies with multiple organs that consist of a broad range of cell types. Developing this morphological complexity is underpinned by intricate networks of genes, whose coordinated action shapes plant bodies through various molecular mechanisms. All of these magnificent forms burst forth from a one-off evolutionary event: when plants conquered Earth's surface, known as plant terrestrialization.
Published How E. coli get the power to cause urinary tract infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research examines how the bacteria Escherichia coli, or E. coli -- responsible for most UTIs -- is able to use host nutrients to reproduce at an extraordinarily rapid pace during infection despite the near sterile environment of fresh urine.
Published Plants utilize drought stress hormone to block snacking spider mites
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recent findings that plants employ a drought-survival mechanism to also defend against nutrient-sucking pests could inform future crop breeding programs aimed at achieving better broadscale pest control.
Published Source of pregnancy complications from infections revealed by placenta map
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The placenta's response to infections from malaria, toxoplasmosis and listeria has been mapped in high resolution, possibly paving the way for new treatment options.