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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Energy: Technology
Published Scientists discover small RNA that regulates bacterial infection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified the major mechanism behind the transition between chronic and acute P. aeruginosa infections. Their research findings can inform the development of future treatments for life-threatening acute infections.
Published Scientists investigate the evolution of animal developmental mechanisms, show how some of Earth's earliest animals evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lacking bones, brains, and even a complete gut, the body plans of simple animals like sea anemones appear to have little in common with humans and their vertebrate kin. Nevertheless, new research shows that appearances can be deceiving, and that a common genetic toolkit can be deployed in different ways to drive embryological development to produce very different adult body plans. It is well established that sea anemones, corals, and their jellyfish relatives shared a common ancestor with humans that plied the Earth's ancient oceans over 600 million years ago. A new study from the Gibson Lab, published in Current Biology on June 13, 2023, illuminates the genetic basis for body plan development in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. This new knowledge paints a vivid picture of how some of the earliest animals on earth progressed from egg to embryo to adult.
Published CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive could suppress agricultural pests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have now used a gene-drive system to suppress an important agricultural pest.
Published All-electric rideshare fleet could reduce carbon emissions, increase traffic issues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Two major ridesharing companies have promised all-electric fleets by 2030 in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. To understand additional impacts of this transition, researchers conducted life-cycle comparisons of battery-powered electric vehicle fleets to a gas-powered one, using real-world rideshare data. They found up to a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from full electrification; however, traffic problems and air pollution could increase.
Published Novel ferroelectrics for more efficient microelectronics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers is exploring novel materials that have potential to make microelectronics more energy efficient. Their recent work explores recently discovered wurtzite ferroelectrics, which are mainly composed of materials that are already incorporated in semiconductor technology for integrated circuits. These materials allow for the integration of new power-efficient devices for applications such as non-volatile memory, electro-optics, and energy harvesting.
Published Megawatt electrical motor designed by engineers could help electrify aviation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Aerospace engineers designed a 1-megawatt electrical motor that is a stepping stone toward electrifying the largest aircraft.
Published Taurine may be a key to longer and healthier life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study finds that deficiency of taurine, a molecule produced in our bodies, drives aging, and taurine supplements can improve health and increase lifespan in animals.
Published When water temperatures change, the molecular motors of cephalopods do too
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Working with live squid hatchlings, scientists find the animals can tune their proteome on the fly in response to changes in ocean temperature via the unique process of RNA recoding. The findings inspire new questions about basic protein function.
Published Octopuses rewire their brains to adapt to seasonal temperature shifts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Octopuses don't thermoregulate, so their powerful brains are exposed to -- and potentially threatened by -- changes in temperature. Researchers report that two-spot octopuses adapt to seasonal temperature shifts by producing different neural proteins under warm versus cool conditions. The octopuses achieve this by editing their RNA, the messenger molecule between DNA and proteins. This rewiring likely protects their brains, and the researchers suspect that this unusual strategy is used widely amongst octopuses and squid.
Published Remains of an extinct world of organisms discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Newly discovered biomarker signatures point to a whole range of previously unknown organisms that dominated complex life on Earth about a billion years ago. They differed from complex eukaryotic life as we know it, such as animals, plants and algae in their cell structure and likely metabolism, which was adapted to a world that had far less oxygen in the atmosphere than today.
Published Biological clocks of people and malaria parasites tick in tune
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Could the next weapon against malaria come from a better understanding of biological clocks? A new study shows that malaria parasites sync their gene activity with the circadian rhythms of their host, like two pendulum clocks with synchronized swings. If scientists can identify the molecular signals behind this mysterious synchronicity, they might be able to develop new anti-malarial drugs that throw malaria's internal clock out of step with its host, essentially 'jet-lagging' the parasites.
Published New superconducting diode could improve performance of quantum computers and artificial intelligence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has developed a more energy-efficient, tunable superconducting diode -- a promising component for future electronic devices -- that could help scale up quantum computers for industry and improve artificial intelligence systems.
Published Older trees accumulate more mutations than their younger counterparts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study of the relationship between the growth rate of tropical trees and the frequency of genetic mutations they accumulate suggests that older, long-lived trees play a greater role in generating and maintaining genetic diversity than short-lived trees.
Published A compound from fruit flies could lead to new antibiotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research shows that the natural peptide, called drosocin, protects fruit flies from bacterial infections by binding to ribosomes in bacteria. Once bound, drosocin prevents the ribosome from making new proteins.
Published Previously unknown antibiotic resistance widespread among bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics are much more widespread in our environment than was previously realized. A new study shows that bacteria in almost all environments carry resistance genes, with a risk of them spreading and aggravating the problem of bacterial infections that are untreatable with antibiotics.
Published Genomes of 233 primate species sequenced
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers from 24 countries have analyzed the genomes of 809 individuals from 233 primate species, generating the most complete catalog of genomic information about our closest relatives to date. The project provides new insights into the evolution of primates, including humans, and their diversity. In baboons, for example, hybridization and gene flow between different species occurred in the past and is still ongoing in several regions of their range. This makes baboons a good model for the evolution of early human lineages within and outside Africa. In addition, using a specially designed AI algorithm, the genomic data enable new insights into the genetic causes of human diseases.
Published Ancient viruses discovered in coral symbionts' DNA
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The symbiotic organisms that live in corals and provide them with their dramatic colors contain fragments of ancient RNA viruses that are as much as 160 million years old.
Published Researchers cultivate archaea that break down crude oil in novel ways
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The seafloor is home to around one-third of all the microorganisms on the Earth and is inhabited even at a depth of several kilometers. Only when it becomes too hot does the abundance of microorganisms appear to decline. But how, and from what, do microorganisms in the deep seafloor live? How do their metabolic cycles work and how do the individual members of these buried communities interact? Researchers have now been able to demonstrate in laboratory cultures how small, liquid components of crude oil are broken down through a new mechanism by a group of microorganisms called archaea.
Published Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi may use similar molecular tools to manipulate plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi that interact with plants are distantly related and don't share many genetic similarities. Comparing plant pathogenic fungi and plant symbiotic fungi, scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) have discovered that these remote relatives are using a similar group of proteins to manipulate and live within plants.
Published DNA damage repaired by antioxidant enzymes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In crisis, the nucleus calls antioxidant enzymes to the rescue. The nucleus being metabolically active is a profound paradigm shift with implications for cancer research.