Showing 20 articles starting at article 121

< Previous 20 articles        Next 20 articles >

Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Physics: Quantum Physics

Return to the site home page

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found a new way to identify genetic targets useful for control of mosquito populations, potentially offering an alternative to insecticides. Their study focused on the genetic basis of species incompatibility. They crossed Ae. aegypti, a major global arboviral disease vector, and its sibling species, Ae. mascarensis, from the Indian Ocean. When offspring is crossed back with one parent, about 10 percent of the progeny becomes intersex and is unable to reproduce.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A little leg may reveal something big about how closely related insect species can drastically differ in body shape, according to a new study. The team imaged live cells of fruit flies in the last stages of development over several days and found a new structure that appears to help guide a section of the leg into its final shape.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A group of small, freshwater animals (bdelloid rotifers) protect themselves from infections using antibiotic recipes 'stolen' from bacteria, according to new research. This raises the potential that rotifers are producing novel antimicrobials that may be less toxic to animals, including humans, than those we develop from bacteria and fungi.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers found that iron oxide in soil performs the same transformation. Discovery is important for food security, which requires phosphorus as a crop fertilizer.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Polyphenols are generally toxic to microorganisms. In peatlands, scientists thought microorganisms avoided this toxicity by degrading polyphenols using an oxygen-dependent enzyme, and thus that low-oxygen conditions inhibit microbes' carbon cycling. However, a new study found that Arctic peatland microorganisms used alternative enzymes, with and without oxygen, to break down polyphenols. This suggests carbon stored in these ecosystems is more at risk than previously thought.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The human genome is filled with flecks of DNA left behind by viruses that infected primate ancestors tens of millions of years ago. Scientists used to think they were harmless, but new research shows that, when reawakened, they help cancer survive and thrive.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

High-protein diets, known as 'Paleolithic diets', are popular. Using mouse models, scientists have studied their impact. While effective in regulating weight and stabilizing diabetes, these diets are not without risks. Excess protein greatly increases ammonium production, overwhelming the liver. Excess ammonium can cause neurological disorders and, in severe cases, lead to coma. These results suggest caution when following these diets.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New experimental results show particles called muons can be corralled into beams suitable for high-energy collisions, paving the way for new physics.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of physicists has proven new theorems in quantum mechanics that describe the 'energy landscapes' of collections of quantum particles. Their work addresses decades-old questions, opening up new routes to make computer simulation of materials much more accurate. This, in turn, may help scientists design a suite of materials that could revolutionize green technologies.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A newly engineered type of soil can capture water out of thin air to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of nutrients.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have demonstrated that the layered multiferroic material nickel iodide (NiI2) may be the best candidate yet for devices such as magnetic computer memory that are extremely fast and compact. Specifically, they found that NiI2 has greater magnetoelectric coupling than any known material of its kind.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered that 'switching off' a protein called IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25 percent.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Genomes can now be used to store information about a variety of transient biological events inside of living cells, as they happen, like a flight recorder collecting data from an aircraft. The method, called ENGRAM, aims to turn cells into their own historians. ENGRAM couples each kind of biological signal or event inside a cell to a symbolic barcode. This new strategy traces and archives the type and timing of biological signals inside the cell by inserting this information into the genome. For example, this record-keeping can track the commands that turn genes on or off.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Most influenza viruses enter human or animal cells through specific pathways on the cells' surface. Researchers have now discovered that certain human flu viruses and avian flu viruses can also use a second entry pathway, a protein complex of the immune system, to infect cells. This ability helps the viruses infect different species -- and potentially jump between animals and humans.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biology researchers have developed a new antibody therapy that can neutralize a wide variety of HIV-1 strains. They found success in an unlikely source -- llamas.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

CRISPR-Cas systems, defense systems in bacteria, have become a plentiful source of technologies for molecular diagnostics. Researchers have now expanded this extensive toolbox further. Their novel method, called PUMA, enables the detection of RNA with Cas12 nucleases, which naturally target DNA. PUMA promises a wide range of applications and high accuracy.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research achieves scientific breakthrough in understanding cell division.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered that a single-celled organism, a close relative of animals, harbors the remnants of ancient giant viruses woven into its own genetic code. This finding sheds light on how complex organisms may have acquired some of their genes and highlights the dynamic interplay between viruses and their hosts.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists are developing quantum microscopy which enables them for the first time to record the movement of electrons at the atomic level with both extremely high spatial and temporal resolution. Their method has the potential to enable scientists to develop materials in a much more targeted way than before.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The evolution of resistance to diseases, from infectious illnesses to cancers, poses a formidable challenge. Despite the expectation that resistance-conferring mutations would dwindle in the absence of treatment due to a reduced growth rate, preexisting resistance is pervasive across diseases that evolve -- like cancer and pathogens -- defying conventional wisdom.