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

Ancient 'chewing gum' reveals stone age diet      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What did people eat on the west coast of Scandinavia 10,000 years ago? A new study of the DNA in a chewing gum shows that deer, trout and hazelnuts were on the diet. It also shows that one of the individuals had severe problems with her teeth.

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

Nearly dead plants brought back to life: Keys to aging hidden in the leaves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have known about a particular organelle in plant cells for over a century. However, scientists have only now discovered that organelle's key role in aging.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Chemists create a 2D heavy fermion      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have synthesized the first 2D heavy fermion. The material, a layered intermetallic crystal composed of cerium, silicon, and iodine (CeSiI), has electrons that are 1000x heavier and is a new platform to explore quantum phenomena.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Higher measurement accuracy opens new window to the quantum world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team has developed a new measurement method that, for the first time, accurately detects tiny temperature differences in the range of 100 microkelvin in the thermal Hall effect. Previously, these temperature differences could not be measured quantitatively due to thermal noise. Using the well-known terbium titanate as an example, the team demonstrated that the method delivers highly reliable results. The thermal Hall effect provides information about coherent multi-particle states in quantum materials, based on their interaction with lattice vibrations (phonons).

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

Study throws our understanding of gene regulation for a loop      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To function properly, the genetic material is highly organized into loop structures that often bring together widely separated sections of the genome critical to the regulation of gene activity. Scientists now address how these loops can help repress or silence gene activity, with potentially far-reaching effects on human health.

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

Machine learning reveals sources of heterogeneity among cells in our bodies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of scientists discovered the secrets of cell variability in our bodies. The findings of this research are expected to have far-reaching effects, such as improvement in the efficacy of chemotherapy treatments, or set a new paradigm in the study of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Glowing COVID-19 diagnostic test prototype produces results in one minute      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cold, flu and COVID-19 season brings that now-familiar ritual: swab, wait, look at the result. But what if, instead of taking 15 minutes or more, a test could quickly determine whether you have COVID-19 with a glowing chemical? In a new study, researchers describe a potential COVID-19 test inspired by bioluminescence. Using a molecule found in crustaceans, they have developed a rapid approach that detects SARS-CoV-2 protein comparably to one used in vaccine research.

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

Unraveling the role of supersulfides in regulating mitochondrial function and longevity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Supersulfides, many of which are produced by cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS), are essential compounds across many different lifeforms. However, the precise physiological roles of CARS-produced supersulfide are unclear. Now, using a strategically engineered yeast mutant with a deficient CARS gene, researchers from Japan have shown that supersulfides control cell longevity by mediating mitochondrial energy metabolism and regulating protein quality.

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Published

Experiment could test quantum nature of large masses for the first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new experiment could in principle test the quantumness of an object regardless of its mass or energy.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Energy: Nuclear Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Solid-state qubits: Forget about being clean, embrace mess      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New findings debunk previous wisdom that solid-state qubits need to be super dilute in an ultra-clean material to achieve long lifetimes. Instead, cram lots of rare-earth ions into a crystal and some will form pairs that act as highly coherent qubits, a new paper shows.

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

Bioinformatics: Researchers develop a new machine learning approach      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To combat viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, synthetic biology offers new technological approaches whose performance is being validated in experiments. Researchers applied data integration and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a machine learning approach that can predict the efficacy of CRISPR technologies more accurately than before.

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

A novel pathway regulating lipid biosynthesis by fatty acids      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) play a crucial role in lipid biosynthesis. In a recent study, researchers identified a novel cleavage enzyme of SREBP-1c, a key player in fatty acid biosynthesis. Moreover, the team unveiled, for the first time, that the biosynthesis process of fatty acid in the liver is activated by saturated fatty acids and inhibited by polyunsaturated fatty acids, providing new insights into the intricate workings of this cleavage system.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry
Published

3D in vitro human atherosclerosis model for high-throughput drug screening      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A groundbreaking 3D, three-layer nanomatrix vascular sheet that possesses multiple features of atherosclerosis has been applied for developing a high-throughput functional assay of drug candidates to treat this disease, researchers report.

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

Researchers create light-powered yeast, providing insights into evolution, biofuels, cellular aging      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have engineered one of the world's first yeast cells able to harness energy from light, expanding our understanding of the evolution of this trait -- and paving the way for advancements in biofuel production and cellular aging.

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Published

New rice lines for Africa offer virus protection      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The so-called Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (for short: RYMV) is responsible for high crop losses in Africa, particularly among small-scale farmers. A research team has now produced rice lines that are resistant to the disease by means of genome editing. The rice varieties are a preliminary step toward being able to generate resistant locally adapted elite varieties for small-scale food producers in Africa.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Published

Spying on a shape-shifting protein      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are using crystallography to gain a better understanding of how proteins shapeshift. The knowledge can provide valuable insight into stopping and treating diseases.

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

Protein complex discovered to control DNA repair      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The repair of damage to genetic material (DNA) in the human body is carried out by highly efficient mechanisms that have not yet been fully researched. A scientific team has now discovered a previously unrecognized control point for these processes. This could lead to a new approach for the development of cancer therapies aimed at inhibiting the repair of damaged cancer cells.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Generating stable qubits at room temperature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Quantum bits, or qubits, can revolutionize computing and sensing systems. However, cryogenic temperatures are required to ensure the stability of qubits. In a groundbreaking study, researchers observed stable molecular qubits of four electron spins at room temperature for the first time by suppressing the mobility of a dye molecule within a metal-organic framework. Their innovative molecular design opens doors to materials that could drive the development of quantum technologies capable of functioning in real-world conditions.

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Published

First direct imaging of small noble gas clusters at room temperature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have succeeded in the stabilization and direct imaging of small clusters of noble gas atoms at room temperature. This achievement opens up exciting possibilities for fundamental research in condensed matter physics and applications in quantum information technology. The key to this breakthrough was the confinement of noble gas atoms between two layers of graphene.

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

A new type of plant metalloreductase maintains root growth under low phosphorus      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Phosphorus is essential for undisturbed plant growth and development. However, in many soils, phosphorus is only poorly available. One mechanism used by plants to increase phosphorus availability is the release of malate, an organic acid, which can form complexes with iron or aluminium in the soil, thereby liberating sorbed phosphate. However, this response can also result in iron overaccumulation, which can inhibit root growth.