Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

A combination of approved drugs enhances the delivery of anti-bacterial medications to treat tuberculosis      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found that approved drugs that were originally shown to normalize blood vessels surrounding tumors (to improve drug delivery to cancer cells) can enhance the delivery of anti-microbial medications to kill tuberculosis bacteria residing in the lungs.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Robot, can you say 'cheese'?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What would you do if you walked up to a robot with a human-like head and it smiled at you first? You'd likely smile back and perhaps feel the two of you were genuinely interacting. But how does a robot know how to do this? Or a better question, how does it know to get you to smile back?

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: General Biology: Genetics Environmental: General
Published

Sweet success: Sugarcane's complex genetic code cracked      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants. Exploring sugarcane's genetic code could help researchers develop more resilient and productive crops, with implications for both sugar production and biofuels.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General
Published

New software enables blind and low-vision users to create interactive, accessible charts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Umwelt is a new a system that enables blind and low-vision users to author accessible, interactive charts representing data in three modalities: visualization, textual description, and sonification.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Scientists extract genetic secrets from 4,000-year-old teeth to illuminate the impact of changing human diets over the centuries      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have recovered remarkably preserved microbiomes from two teeth dating back 4,000 years, found in an Irish limestone cave. Genetic analyses of these microbiomes reveal major changes in the oral microenvironment from the Bronze Age to today. The teeth both belonged to the same male individual and also provided a snapshot of his oral health.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular
Published

New technique for predicting protein dynamics may prove big breakthrough for drug discovery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Understanding the structure of proteins is critical for demystifying their functions and developing drugs that target them. To that end, a team of researchers has developed a way of using machine learning to rapidly predict multiple protein configurations to advance understanding of protein dynamics and functions.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

New enzymatic cocktail can kill tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An enzymatic cocktail can kill a variety of mycobacterial species of bacteria, including those that cause tuberculosis.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Old immune systems revitalized in mouse study, improving vaccine response      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Those with aging immune systems struggle to fight off novel viruses and respond weakly to vaccination. Researchers were able to revitalize the immune system in mice.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study is the first to evaluate substrate recolonization by sponges in the U.S. Virgin Islands after two catastrophic storms using genetic analyses to understand how much clonality verses sexual recruitment occurs on coral reefs post-storms. Results show that populations of clonal marine species with low pelagic dispersion, such as A. cauliformis, may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes to maintain genetic diversity and combat inbreeding, enhancing the resilience of Caribbean sponge communities to extreme storm events.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Discovery of amino acid unveils how light makes plants open      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have uncovered a unique mechanism that regulates the opening of stomata in plants. Phosphorylation of the amino acid Thr881 on the plasma membrane proton pump plays a key role in this process. The study paves the way for the targeted manipulation of plant physiology, with potential applications in agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Engineering household robots to have a little common sense      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers aim to give robots a bit of common sense when faced with situations that push them off their trained path, so they can self-correct after missteps and carry on with their chores. The team's method connects robot motion data with the common sense knowledge of large language models, or LLMs.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Novel electrochemical sensor detects dangerous bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a novel sensor for the detection of bacteria. It is based on a chip with an innovative surface coating. This ensures that only very specific microorganisms adhere to the sensor -- such as certain pathogens. The larger the number of organisms, the stronger the electric signal generated by the chip. In this way, the sensor is able not only to detect dangerous bacteria with a high level of sensitivity but also to determine their concentration.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Natural recycling at the origin of life      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

How was complex life able to develop on the inhospitable early Earth? At the beginning there must have been ribonucleic acid (RNA) to carry the first genetic information. To build up complexity in their sequences, these biomolecules need to release water. On the early Earth, which was largely covered in seawater, that was not so easy to do.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

As we age, our cells are less likely to express longer genes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Aging may be less about specific 'aging genes' and more about how long a gene is. Many of the changes associated with aging could be occurring due to decreased expression of long genes, say researchers. A decline in the expression of long genes with age has been observed in a wide range of animals, from worms to humans, in various human cell and tissue types, and also in individuals with neurodegenerative disease. Mouse experiments show that the phenomenon can be mitigated via known anti-aging factors, including dietary restriction.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Maize genes control little helpers in the soil      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tiny organisms such as bacteria and fungi help to promote the health and function of plant roots. It is commonly assumed that the composition of these microbes is dependent on the properties of the soil. However, researchers have now discovered when studying different local varieties of maize that the genetic makeup of the plants also helps to influence which microorganisms cluster around the roots.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Decoding the plant world's complex biochemical communication networks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has begun translating the complex molecular language of petunias. Their grammar and vocabulary are well hidden, however, within the countless proteins and other compounds that fill floral cells. Being rooted to the ground, plants can't run away from insects, pathogens or other threats to their survival. But plant scientists have long known that they do send warnings to each other via scent chemicals called volatile organic compounds.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General
Published

AI can now detect COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Artificial intelligence can spot COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images much like facial recognition software can spot a face in a crowd, new research shows. The findings boost AI-driven medical diagnostics and bring health care professionals closer to being able to quickly diagnose patients with COVID-19 and other pulmonary diseases with algorithms that comb through ultrasound images to identify signs of disease.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Robotic metamaterial: An endless domino effect      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

If it walks like a particle, and talks like a particle... it may still not be a particle. A topological soliton is a special type of wave or dislocation which behaves like a particle: it can move around but cannot spread out and disappear like you would expect from, say, a ripple on the surface of a pond. Researchers now demonstrate the atypical behavior of topological solitons in a robotic metamaterial, something which in the future may be used to control how robots move, sense their surroundings and communicate.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Craving snacks after a meal? It might be food-seeking neurons, not an overactive appetite      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Psychologists have discovered a circuit in the brain of mice that makes them crave food and seek it out, even when they are not hungry. When stimulated, this cluster of cells propels mice to forage vigorously and to prefer fatty and pleasurable foods like chocolate over healthier foods like carrots.