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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published Researchers grow embryonic humanized kidneys inside pigs for 28 days
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have successfully created chimeric embryos containing a combination of human and pig cells. When transferred into surrogate pig mothers, the developing humanized kidneys had normal structure and tubule formation after 28 days. This is the first time that scientists have been able to grow a solid humanized organ inside another species, though previous studies have used similar methods to generate human tissues such as blood or skeletal muscle in pigs.
Published Blood-brain barrier governs ant behavior by altering hormone levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In many animals, including ants, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) ensures normal brain function by controlling the movement of various substances in and out of the brain. Now, researchers have made the unexpected discovery that the BBB in carpenter ants plays an active role in controlling behavior that's essential to the function of entire ant colonies. The key is production in the BBB of a particular hormone-degrading enzyme.
Published Engineers design more powerful RNA vaccines
(via sciencedaily.com) By adding synergistic self-adjuvanting properties to COVID-19 RNA vaccines, researchers showed they could significantly boost the immune response generated in mice.
Published Genetic tools probe microbial dark matter
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genetic manipulation of a puzzling, miniscule bacteria that has lived in human mouths at least since the Middle Stone Age is elucidating the genes needed for its unusual lifestyle. These Patescibacteria in the human oral microbiome reside on the surface of another, larger host microbe. Found in many water and land environments, Patescibacteria in general lack the genes required to make many molecules necessary for life, such as the amino acids that make up proteins, the fatty acids that form membranes, and the nucleotides in DNA. This has led researchers to speculate that many of them rely on other bacteria to grow. In a new study, researchers present the first glimpse into the molecular mechanisms behind their relationship with their host cells. They also share details gleaned from fluorescent, time-lapse microsopic imaging of these bacteria as they bud and send out swarms of tiny progeny, only a fraction of which are able to establish a host relationship.
Published New compound unleashes the immune system on metastases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new nanocomplex renders a tumor harmless -- and, on top of that, it trains the immune system to detect and eliminate metastases.
Published Keeping herpes in check
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Herpes is not only unpleasant but it can, in some cases, also have dangerous complications and life-threatening consequences. A research team has now introduced a completely new approach for treating herpes. Their method is based on the inhibition of an enzyme that is needed for the release of newly formed virus particles from infected cells.
Published Study illuminates mechanism that annotates genetic information passed from fathers to offspring
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have identified a key part of a mechanism that annotates genetic information before it is passed from fathers to their offspring. The findings shed new light on genomic imprinting, a fundamental, biological process in which a gene from one parent is switched off while the copy from the other parent remains active. Errors in imprinting are linked to a host of diseases, such as the rare disease Silver-Russell syndrome along with certain cancers and diabetes.
Published Discovery of new cell type in thymus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biomedical scientists have confirmed that newly discovered cells in the thymus are just like M cells, which are mostly known for their presence in the intestinal epithelium.
Published Unveiling the mechanism of 3D folding of cell sheets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has revealed that the Dumpy protein, a component of extracellular matrices -- or ECM -- is the key factor in regulating the stereotypic origami-like folding of wing-cell sheets. Their findings that wing cells never divide during folding nor do they exhibit spatially distinct behaviors suggest how external cues can create consistent 3D tissue structures.
Published Researchers to study Alzheimer's disease in marmosets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Neuroscientists created the first non-human primate model of hereditary Alzheimer's in marmosets to accelerate the pace of drug discovery and rebuild the foundation for future translational studies.
Published New ribozyme can make RNA molecules accessible for click chemistry in living cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Important progress for RNA research: A team has discovered a new ribozyme that can label RNA molecules in living cells.
Published 3D-printed 'living material' could clean up contaminated water
(via sciencedaily.com) A 'living material,' made of a natural polymer combined with genetically engineered bacteria, could offer a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to clean pollutants from water. Researchers developed their living material using a seaweed-based polymer and bacteria that have been programmed to produce an enzyme that transforms various organic pollutants into harmless compounds. In tests, heir material decontaminated water solutions tainted with a pollutant from textile manufacturing: indigo carmine, a blue dye that is used to color denim.
Published Red blood cells exposed to oxygen deficiency protect against myocardial infarction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Red blood cells exposed to oxygen deficiency protect against myocardial infarction, according to a new study. The study also shows that the protective effect is enhanced by a nitrate-rich vegetable diet.
Published Mutation rates in whales are much higher than previously reported
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of marine scientists has studied the DNA of family groups from four different whale species to estimate their mutation rates. Using the newly determined rates, the group found that the number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic before whaling was 86 percent lower than earlier studies suggested.
Published Newly discovered fungus helps destroy a harmful food toxin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Patulin is a harmful mycotoxin produced by fungi typically found in damaged fruits, including apples, pears, and grapes. In a recent breakthrough, researchers identified a new filamentous fungal strain that can degrade patulin by transforming it into less toxic substances. Their findings provide important insights into the degradation mechanisms for patulin found in nature, and can lead to new ways of controlling patulin toxicity in our food supplies.
Published Two out of three volcanoes are little-known. How to predict their eruptions?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What is the risk of a volcano erupting? To answer this question, scientists need information about its underlying internal structure. However, gathering this data can take several years of fieldwork, analyses and monitoring, which explains why only 30% of active volcanoes are currently well documented. A team has developed a method for rapidly obtaining valuable information. It is based on three parameters: the height of the volcano, the thickness of the layer of rock separating the volcano's reservoir from the surface, and the average chemical composition of the magma.
Published The search for the super potato
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As climate change continues to pose severe challenges to ensuring sustainable food supplies around the world, scientists are looking for ways to improve the resilience and nutritional quality of potatoes. Scientists have assembled the genome sequences of nearly 300 varieties of potatoes and its wild relatives to develop more nutritious, disease-free, and weather-proof crop. A team has now created a potato super pangenome to identify genetic traits that can help produce the next super spud.
Published How some ion channels form structures permitting drug delivery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A member of an important class of ion channel proteins can transiently rearrange itself into a larger structure with dramatically altered properties, according to a new study. The discovery is a significant advance in cell biology, likely solves a long-standing mystery about an unusual feature of some ion channels and has implications for the development of drugs targeting these proteins and for drug delivery.
Published Inhalable molecules neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in mice, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nanofitins, which are derived from a protein in an archaeal microorganism found in hot springs -- successfully neutralized SARS-CoV-2 in mice and were well-tolerated. When inhaled by the rodents, the engineered nanofitins, which inhibit the virus by binding to its spike proteins, were observed to quickly reach the lungs in high doses both preventing and clearing early infections, researchers report.
Published New 'droplet battery' could pave the way for miniature bio-integrated devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a miniature battery that could be used to power tiny devices integrated into human tissues. The design uses an ionic gradient across a chain of droplets -- inspired by how electric eels generate electricity. The device was able to regulate the biological activity of human neurons. This could open the way to the development of tiny bio-integrated devices, with a range of applications in biology and medicine.