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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Offbeat: Space
Published How cells boost gene expression



The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins -- yet it exists in large quantities. A research team has now discovered an important function of antisense RNA (asRNA): the researchers found that asRNA acts as a 'superhighway' in cell transport and thus accelerates gene expression.
Published New tomato, potato family tree shows that fruit color and size evolved together



A new family tree of the plant genus Solanum helps explain the striking diversity of their fruit color and size. This genus includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and other economically important plants.
Published Star clusters observed within a galaxy in the early Universe



The history of how stars and galaxies came to be and evolved into the present day remains among the most challenging astrophysical questions to solve yet, but new research brings us closer to understanding it. New insights about young galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization have been revealed. Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of the galaxy Cosmic Gems arc (SPT0615-JD) have confirmed that the light of the galaxy was emitted 460 million years after the big bang. What makes this galaxy unique is that it is magnified through an effect called gravitational lensing, which has not been observed in other galaxies formed during that age.
Published Simple test for flu could improve diagnosis and surveillance



Fewer than one percent of people who get the flu every year get tested, in part because most tests require trained personnel and expensive equipment. Now researchers have developed a low-cost paper strip test that could allow more patients to find out which type of flu they have and get the right treatment. The test uses CRISPR to distinguish between the two main types of seasonal flu, influenza A and B, as well as seasonal flu subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. It can also identify strains that resist antiviral treatment, and with further work, could potentially detect swine and avian flu strains, including H5N1, which is currently infecting cattle.
Published Boosting biodiversity without hurting local economies



Protected areas, like nature reserves, can conserve biodiversity without harming local economic growth, countering a common belief that conservation restricts development. A new study outlines what is needed for conservation to benefit both nature and people.
Published Resiliency shaped by activity in the gut microbiome and brain



A new study has found that resilient people exhibit neural activity in the brain regions associated with improved cognition and regulating of emotions, and were more mindful and better at describing their feelings.
Published How to make aging a 'fairer game' for all wormkind



Researchers have discovered a new fundamental mechanism governing the rules of ageing in worms. The researchers were able to manipulate the mechanism through genetic interventions which dramatically extend not just the lifespan of the worms, but also their health-span. In other words, trading weak, frail old age with vigorous golden years -- all without altering their diet, environment or other external factors.
Published Iron meteorites hint that our infant solar system was more doughnut than dartboard



Iron meteorites are remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest asteroids in our solar system. Iron meteorites contain refractory metals, such as iridium and platinum, that formed near the sun but were transported to the outer solar system. New research shows that for this to have happened, the protoplanetary disk of our solar system had to have been doughnut-shaped because the refractory metals could not have crossed the large gaps in a target-shaped disk of concentric rings. The paper suggests that the refractory metals moved outward as the protoplanetary disk rapidly expanded, and were trapped in the outer solar system by Jupiter.
Published Wild chimpanzees seek out medicinal plants to treat illness and injuries



Chimpanzees appear to consume plants with medicinal properties to treat their ailments, according to a new study.
Published Supermassive black hole appears to grow like a baby star



Supermassive black holes pose unanswered questions for astronomers around the world, not least 'How do they grow so big?' Now, an international team of astronomers has discovered a powerful rotating, magnetic wind that they believe is helping a galaxy's central supermassive black hole to grow. The swirling wind, revealed with the help of the ALMA telescope in nearby galaxy ESO320-G030, suggests that similar processes are involved both in black hole growth and the birth of stars.
Published Newly discovered dinosaur boasts big, blade-like horns



A new dinosaur has been identified and named. The dinosaur's name, Lokiceratops rangiformis, translates roughly to 'Loki's horned face that looks like a caribou.'
Published First conclusive evidence that a terrestrial leech species can jump



A new study presents video evidence that at least one species of terrestrial leech can jump, behavior that scientists have debated for more than a century.
Published Wild yeasts from Patagonia could yield new flavors of lagers



New strains of yeast for brewing lager beers, created by hybridizing wild strains of yeast from Patagonia with brewer's yeast, can yield novel flavors and aromas, researchers report.
Published Hurricane changed 'rules of the game' in monkey society



A devastating hurricane transformed a monkey society by changing the pros and cons of interacting with others, new research shows.
Published Titan's lakes may be shaped by waves



Geologists studied Titan's shorelines and showed through simulations that coastlines of the moon's methane- and ethane-filled seas have likely been shaped by waves. Until now, scientists have found indirect and conflicting signs of wave activity, based on Cassini images of Titan's surface.
Published Jupiter's great red spot is not the same one Cassini observed in 1600s



Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot has persisted for at least 190 years and is likely a different spot from the one observed by the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1665, a new study reports. The Great Red Spot we see today likely formed because of an instability in the planet's intense atmospheric winds, producing a long, persistent atmospheric cell, the study also finds.
Published Blessing in disguise: Mycoviruses enhance fungicide effectiveness against plant pathogens



Researchers discovered that mycoviruses, or oomycete viruses, can increase the sensitivity of plant pathogenic oomycete to fungicides like metalaxyl. Their findings suggest greater potential for mycoviruses in biocontrol and contributing to sustainable agriculture.
Published Interaction with insects accelerates plant evolution



Researchers have discovered that plants benefit from a greater variety of interactions with pollinators and herbivores. Plants that are pollinated by insects and have to defend themselves against herbivores have evolved to be better adapted to different types of soil.
Published Is coffee good for you or bad for you?



The effects of coffee consumption on human health is a knotty question, but one thing is sure: coffee is a psychoactive substance.
Published What happens when neutron stars collide?



New simulations show that hot neutrinos created at the interface of merging binary neutron stars are briefy trapped and remain out of equilibrium with the cold cores of the stars for 2 to 3 milliseconds.