Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General
Published

Daily rhythms depend on receptor density in biological clock      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tweaking the numbers of receptors in a key brain area changes the daily rhythms of rest and wake in mice.

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

Researchers are closing in on a mouse model for late-onset Alzheimer's      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are working to create the first strain of mice that's genetically susceptible to late-onset Alzheimer's, with potentially transformative implications for dementia research.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology
Published

Proof-of-concept study to find functional cure for HIV      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers conducted a breakthrough proof-of-concept study that found an HIV-like virus particle that could cease the need for lifelong medications.

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

Research sheds light on the role of PTPRK in tissue repair and cancer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has advanced our knowledge of multiple roles for PTPRK, a receptor tyrosine phosphatase linked to the regulation of cell-cell adhesion, growth factor signalling and tumor suppression. Through a characterization of the function of PTPRK in human cell lines and mice, the team distinguished catalytic and non-catalytic functions of PTPRK. The findings extend what is known about the signalling mechanisms involving PTPRK as a phosphatase and its role in colorectal health but also shed new light on the extent of its function via non-catalytic signalling mechanisms.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology
Published

The rhythm led by plants is crucial for symbiosis with nutrient-providing bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Recent research on Lotus japonicus, a model leguminous plant, has unveiled that the interaction between legume roots and rhizobia is characterized by periodic gene expression with a six-hour rhythm. This rhythmic gene expression influences the regions of the root susceptible to rhizobial infection and the distribution of nodules. It was also discovered that the plant hormone cytokinin is crucial for maintaining this gene expression rhythm.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Small animals acquire genes from bacteria that can produce antibiotics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A group of small, freshwater animals (bdelloid rotifers) protect themselves from infections using antibiotic recipes 'stolen' from bacteria, according to new research. This raises the potential that rotifers are producing novel antimicrobials that may be less toxic to animals, including humans, than those we develop from bacteria and fungi.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Minerals play newly discovered role in Earth's phosphorus cycle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers found that iron oxide in soil performs the same transformation. Discovery is important for food security, which requires phosphorus as a crop fertilizer.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature
Published

Using AI to scrutinize, validate theories on animal evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

By harnessing the power of machine learning, researchers have constructed a framework for analyzing what factors most significantly contribute to a species' genetic diversity.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Ecology: Animals
Published

Secrets behind viral precision      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research is shedding light on how viruses ensure their survival by precisely timing the release of new viruses. The discovery offers a new theoretical framework for understanding these dynamic biological phenomena.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

New antidote for cobra bites discovered      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cobras kill thousands of people a year worldwide and current antivenom treatment is expensive and does not effectively treat the necrosis of the flesh where the bite occurs. Using CRISPR technology, scientists have discovered a commonly available drug can stop the necrosis, potentially saving thousands of lives a year.

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

Ancient viruses fuel modern-day cancers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The human genome is filled with flecks of DNA left behind by viruses that infected primate ancestors tens of millions of years ago. Scientists used to think they were harmless, but new research shows that, when reawakened, they help cancer survive and thrive.

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

Paleolithic diets are not without risks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

High-protein diets, known as 'Paleolithic diets', are popular. Using mouse models, scientists have studied their impact. While effective in regulating weight and stabilizing diabetes, these diets are not without risks. Excess protein greatly increases ammonium production, overwhelming the liver. Excess ammonium can cause neurological disorders and, in severe cases, lead to coma. These results suggest caution when following these diets.

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

What fat cats on a diet may tell us about obesity in humans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pet cats may be excellent animal models for the study of obesity origins and treatment in humans, a new study of feline gut microbes suggests -- and both species would likely get healthier in the research process, scientists say.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General
Published

Switching off inflammatory protein leads to longer, healthier lifespans in mice      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered that 'switching off' a protein called IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25 percent.

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

Genome recording makes living cells their own historians      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Genomes can now be used to store information about a variety of transient biological events inside of living cells, as they happen, like a flight recorder collecting data from an aircraft. The method, called ENGRAM, aims to turn cells into their own historians. ENGRAM couples each kind of biological signal or event inside a cell to a symbolic barcode. This new strategy traces and archives the type and timing of biological signals inside the cell by inserting this information into the genome. For example, this record-keeping can track the commands that turn genes on or off.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals
Published

Influenza viruses can use two ways to infect cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Most influenza viruses enter human or animal cells through specific pathways on the cells' surface. Researchers have now discovered that certain human flu viruses and avian flu viruses can also use a second entry pathway, a protein complex of the immune system, to infect cells. This ability helps the viruses infect different species -- and potentially jump between animals and humans.

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

Llama nanobodies: A breakthrough in building HIV immunity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biology researchers have developed a new antibody therapy that can neutralize a wide variety of HIV-1 strains. They found success in an unlikely source -- llamas.

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

A new addition to the CRISPR toolbox: Teaching the gene scissors to detect RNA      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

CRISPR-Cas systems, defense systems in bacteria, have become a plentiful source of technologies for molecular diagnostics. Researchers have now expanded this extensive toolbox further. Their novel method, called PUMA, enables the detection of RNA with Cas12 nucleases, which naturally target DNA. PUMA promises a wide range of applications and high accuracy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Immune system in the spotlight      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Our immune system is always on alert, detecting and eliminating pathogens and cancer cells. Cellular control mechanisms cause diseased cells to present antigens on their surface like signs for the immune system. For analysis of the necessary complex antigen processing and transport processes in real time, researchers have developed a 'cage' that is opened with light to release trapped antigens at a specific place and time.