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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Paleontology: Fossils
Published How did sabre-toothed tigers acquire their long upper canine teeth?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a groundbreaking study an international team of scientists has investigated the evolutionary patterns behind the development of sabre teeth, with some unexpected results along the way.
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 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 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 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 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.'
Published Scientists unlock key to breeding 'carbon gobbling' plants with a major appetite
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The discovery of how a critical enzyme 'hidden in nature's blueprint' works sheds new light on how cells control key processes in carbon fixation, a process fundamental for life on Earth. The discovery could help engineer climate resilient crops capable of sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently, helping to produce more food in the process.
Published New light shed on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has discovered how carboxysomes, carbon-fixing structures found in some bacteria and algae, work. The breakthrough could help scientists redesign and repurpose the structures to enable plants to convert sunlight into more energy, paving the way for improved photosynthesis efficiency, potentially increasing the global food supply and mitigating global warming.
Published New sex-determining mechanism in African butterfly discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a study of a species of African butterfly, researchers have discovered a previously undescribed molecular mechanism of how the sex of an embryo is initially specified.
Published An epigenome editing toolkit to dissect the mechanisms of gene regulation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent study led to the development of a powerful epigenetic editing technology. The system unlocks the ability to precisely program chromatin modifications at any specific position in the genome, to understand their causal role in transcription regulation. This innovative approach will help to investigate the role of chromatin modifications in many biological processes, and to program desired gene activity responses, which may prove useful in disease settings.
Published Human activity is making it harder for scientists to interpret oceans' past
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows human activity is significantly altering the ways in which marine organisms are preserved, with lasting effects that can both improve and impair the fossil record.