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Categories: Biology: Cell Biology, Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published One in eight grown-ups love extreme tartness
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For most people, biting into a lemon would leave them puckered up and desperate to lose that sour flavor, but a new study revealed that roughly one in eight adults like intensely sour sensations. The cross-cultural study demonstrated there is a subset of 'sour likers' who enjoy exceptionally sour foods.
Published Possible alternative to antibiotics produced by bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many bacteria produce substances to gain an advantage over competitors in their highly competitive natural environment. Researchers have discovered a new so-called lantibiotic, namely epilancin A37. It is produced by staphylococci that colonize the skin and acts specifically against their main competitors there, the corynebacteria. This specificity is presumably mediated by a very special mechanism of action, which the researchers were able to decipher in detail.
Published More plants on the menu of ancient hunter-gatherers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It has long been thought that meat played an important role in the diet of hunter-gatherers before the Neolithic transition. However, due to the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Paleolithic sites, little information exists about the dietary habits of pre-agricultural human groups. A new study challenges this notion by presenting compelling isotopic evidence of a strong preference for plants among 15,000-year-old hunter-gatherers from Morocco. This is the first time a significant amount of plant consumption has been measured for a pre-agricultural population, shedding new light on the dietary practices of ancient human societies.
Published Speeding up spectroscopic analysis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ultrafast laser spectroscopy allows the ascertainment of dynamics over extremely short time scales, making it a very useful tool in many scientific and industrial applications. A major disadvantage is the considerable measuring time this technique usually requires, which often leads to lengthy acquisition times spanning minutes to hours. Researchers have now developed a technique to speed up spectroscopic analysis.
Published Fixin' to be flexitarian: Scrap fish and invasive species can liven up vegetables
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Greening the way we eat needn't mean going vegetarian. A healthy, more realistic solution is to adopt a flexitarian diet where seafoods add umami to 'boring' vegetables. A gastrophysicist puts mathematical equations to work in calculating the umami potential of everything from seaweed and shrimp paste to mussels and mackerel.
Published Study details a common bacterial defense against viral infection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report on the molecular assembly of one of the most common anti-phage systems -- from the family of proteins called Gabija -- that is estimated to be used by at least 8.5%, and up to 18%, of all bacteria species on Earth.
Published Mobile device location data is already used by private companies, so why not for studying human-wildlife interactions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When did you last go anywhere without your cell phone? From maps and weather apps to social media platforms, we give consent for our phones to trace our footsteps and behavior. These curated mobility data are often used for personalized advertisements. Scientists now argue mobility data can offer so much more -- it is key to understanding human-wildlife interactions for guiding policy decisions on sustainability-related issues and should be free and accessible for research.
Published Imaging technique shows new details of peptide structures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers outline how they used a chemical probe to light up interlocking peptides. Their technique will help scientists differentiate synthetic peptides from toxic types found in Alzheimer's disease.
Published Surprising evolutionary pattern in yeast study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research study reports intriguing findings made through innovative artificial intelligence analysis about yeasts -- small fungi that are key contributors to biotechnology, food production, and human health. These findings on simple yeast organisms not only challenge widely accepted ideas about yeast evolution, but also provides access to an incredibly rich yeast analysis dataset that could have major implications for future evolutionary biology and bioinformatics research for years to come.
Published Genetic hope in fight against devastating wheat disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fungal disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) is on the rise due to increasingly humid conditions induced by climate change during the wheat growing season, but a fundamental discovery could help reduce its economic harm.
Published Barley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study.
Published Food in sight? The liver is ready!
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What happens in the body when we are hungry and see and smell food? A team of researchers has now been able to show in mice that adaptations in the liver mitochondria take place after only a few minutes. Stimulated by the activation of a group of nerve cells in the brain, the mitochondria of the liver cells change and prepare the liver for the adaptation of the sugar metabolism. The findings could open up new avenues for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Published Curiosity promotes biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cichlid fishes exhibit differing degrees of curiosity. The cause for this lies in their genes, as reported by researchers. This trait influences the cichlids' ability to adapt to new habitats.
Published With hybrid brains, these mice smell like a rat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mice lacking an olfactory system have had their sense of smell restored with neurons from rats, the first time scientists have successfully integrated the sensory apparatus of one species into another.
Published Nanomaterial that mimics proteins could be basis for new neurodegenerative disease treatments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly developed nanomaterial that mimics the behavior of proteins could be an effective tool for treating Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The nanomaterial alters the interaction between two key proteins in brain cells -- with a potentially powerful therapeutic effect.
Published Synthetic droplets cause a stir in the primordial soup
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Our bodies are made up of trillions of different cells, each fulfilling their own unique function to keep us alive. How do cells move around inside these extremely complicated systems? How do they know where to go? And how did they get so complicated to begin with? Simple yet profound questions like these are at the heart of curiosity-driven basic research, which focuses on the fundamental principles of natural phenomena.
Published Scientists replace fishmeal in aquaculture with microbial protein derived from soybean processing wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have successfully replaced half of the fishmeal protein in the diets of farmed Asian seabass with a 'single cell protein' cultivated from microbes in soybean processing wastewater, paving the way for more sustainable fish farming practices.
Published Diamond dust shines bright in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An unexpected discovery surprised a scientist: nanometer-sized diamond particles, which were intended for a completely different purpose, shone brightly in a magnetic resonance imaging experiment -- much brighter than the actual contrast agent, the heavy metal gadolinium. Could diamond dust -- in addition to its use in drug delivery to treat tumor cells -- one day become a novel contrast agent used for MRI?
Published 'Like a nanoscopic Moon lander': Scientists unlock secret of how pyramidal molecules move across surfaces
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have watched a molecule move across a graphite surface in unprecedented detail. It turns out this particular molecule moves like a Moon lander -- and the insights hold potential for future nanotechnologies.
Published Advanced cell atlas opens new doors in biomedical research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a web-based platform that offers an unprecedented view of the human body at the cellular level. The aim is to create an invaluable resource for researchers worldwide to increase knowledge about human health and disease.