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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Ecology: Endangered Species
Published Bioengineered enzyme creates natural vanillin from plants in one step
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Vanilla, the most widely used flavoring compound in confectionaries and cosmetics, gets its sweet flavor and aroma from the chemical compound -- 'vanillin'. However, the large-scale production of natural vanillin is impeded by the lack of microbial processes and enzymes which can commercially generate vanillin. Now, researchers have genetically engineered a novel enzyme which can convert ferulic acid from plant waste into vanillin in a one-step sustainable process.
Published From roots to resilience: investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Understanding how salt marsh grass stays healthy is of crucial ecological importance, and studying the ways bacteria interact with these plants is key. Thanks to recent advances in genomic technology, biologists have begun to reveal never-before-seen ecological processes.
Published Access to gardens and citizen science helps encourage conservation among children, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils, a new study shows.
Published Bees and butterflies on the decline in western and southern North America
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bee and butterfly populations are in decline in major regions of North America due to ongoing environmental change, and significant gaps in pollinator research limit our ability to protect these species, according to a new study.
Published Heating proteins to body temperature reveals new drug targets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some proteins shift their shape when exposed to different temperatures, revealing previously unknown binding sites for medications. The findings could revolutionize wide swathes of biology by fundamentally changing how protein structure is studied and leveraged for drug design.
Published Now we know, what gets roots to grow: Can help in future droughts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A biological mechanism familiar to people who fast helps plant roots grow strong. The discovery provides an answer to a long-unanswered question and a deeper understanding of the 'mouths' of plants that can help to develop climate-resilient crops.
Published Exploring the mechanism behind drug eruptions in the skin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Although drug eruptions are often linked to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), the mechanism of its involvement in presenting symptoms of the skin remains unclear. In a recent study, researchers used genetically engineered mice to demonstrate the role of HLA in mediating intracellular reactions in keratinocytes, leading to drug eruptions in the skin. Their findings could lead to improved preventive and treatment measures for drug eruptions.
Published Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security. The research suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.
Published Drug compounds to combat neurodegenerative diseases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Prions are the abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins. Prion disease is an umbrella term for a group of fatal and currently untreatable neurodegenerative diseases that not only affect humans, but also wild and captive animals. These diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or 'mad cow disease'), and chronic wasting disease (CWD) affecting deer, elk and moose.
Published Some mice may owe their monogamy to a newly evolved type of cell
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What makes the oldfield mouse steadfastly monogamous throughout its life while its closest rodent relatives are promiscuous? The answer may be a previously unknown hormone-generating cell. Scientists discover the cells and hormones that inspire mice to nurture their young; the same hormones are also present in humans.
Published Genetics provide key to fight crown-of-thorns starfish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a study into the pest's genetics.
Published Most dangerous areas for whale shark-shipping vessel collisions revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Heavily-used shipping lanes that pass through whale shark feeding grounds pose a threat to the species, according to scientists who have revealed areas where the creatures are at the highest risk.
Published High genetic diversity discovered in South African leopards
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say the discovery of very high genetic diversity in leopards found in the Highveld region of South Africa has increased the need for conservation efforts to protect leopards in the country.
Published Persistent strain of cholera defends itself against forces of change, scientists find
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A longstanding mystery about the strain of Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) responsible for the seventh global cholera pandemic is how this lineage has managed to out-compete other pathogenic variants. The team identified a unique quirk of the immune system that protects the bacteria from a key driver of bacterial evolution.
Published Insights into protein evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has unveiled a breakthrough in understanding how specific genetic sequences, known as pseudogenes, evolve.
Published New viruses that could cause epidemics on the horizon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Suddenly they appear and -- like the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus -- can trigger major epidemics: Viruses that nobody had on their radar. They are not really new, but they have changed genetically. In particular, the exchange of genetic material between different virus species can lead to the sudden emergence of threatening pathogens with significantly altered characteristics.
Published Like dad and like mum ... all in one plant
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design the genomes of offspring. The fertilization of a clonal egg from one parent by a clonal sperm from another parent led to plants containing the complete genetic information of both parents.
Published How do genetically identical water fleas develop into male or female?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used a novel combination of short-read and long-read RNA sequencing to identify the different isoforms of genes expressed in the crustacean Daphnia magna. Males and females are genetically identical, but using this technique the team revealed genes that switch the predominant isoform in a male-female-dependent manner. This study may help further advance technologies in crustacean aquaculture.
Published Research shows that 'softer' proteins can cross into the nucleus quicker
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that how soft or rigid proteins are in certain regions can dictate how fast or slow they enter the nucleus.
Published Cellular activity hints that recycling is in our DNA
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Introns are perhaps one of our genome's biggest mysteries. They are DNA sequences that interrupt the sensible protein-coding information in your genes, and need to be 'spliced out.'