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

Blindness from some inherited eye diseases may be caused by gut bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sight loss in certain inherited eye diseases may be caused by gut bacteria, and is potentially treatable by antimicrobials, finds a new study in mice.

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

The small intestine adapt its size according to nutrient intake      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Resizing of the intestine is a highly conserved strategy employed by a wide range of organisms to cope with fluctuation in nutrient availability. Nevertheless, very little is known about the mechanisms and signals underlying nutrient-mediated gut resizing. New research has identified one of the signaling pathways implicated in this process.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Scientists closer to solving mysteries of universe after measuring gravity in quantum world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists are closer to unravelling the mysterious forces of the universe after working out how to measure gravity on a microscopic level. Experts have never fully understood how the force works in the tiny quantum world -- but now physicists have successfully detected a weak gravitational pull on a tiny particle using a new technique.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Measuring the properties of light: Scientists realize new method for determining quantum states      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have used a new method to determine the characteristics of optical, i.e. light-based, quantum states. For the first time, they are using certain photon detectors -- devices that can detect individual light particles -- for so-called homodyne detection. The ability to characterize optical quantum states makes the method an essential tool for quantum information processing.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Common plant could help reduce food insecurity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An often-overlooked water plant that can double its biomass in two days, capture nitrogen from the air -- making it a valuable green fertilizer -- and be fed to poultry and livestock could serve as life-saving food for humans in the event of a catastrophe or disaster, a new study suggests.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Biomolecular condensates -- regulatory hubs for plant iron supply      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Iron is a micronutrient for plants. Biologists now show that regulatory proteins for iron uptake behave particularly dynamically in the cell nucleus when the cells are exposed to blue light -- an important signal for plant growth. They found that the initially homogeneously distributed proteins relocated together into 'biomolecular condensates' in the cell nucleus shortly after this exposure.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General
Published

Using mussels and silkworm cocoons to stop organ bleeding      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A collaborative research team develops an absorbent multifunctional nanofiber adhesive hemostat based on a protein biomaterial.

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

Lab-spun sponges form perfect scaffolds for growing skin cells to heal wounds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new technique for electro-spinning sponges has allowed scientists to directly produce 3D scaffolds -- on which skin grafts could be grown from the patient's own skin.

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

Neurobiology: How bats distinguish different sounds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Bats live in a world of sounds. They use vocalizations both to communicate with their conspecifics and for navigation. For the latter, they emit sounds in the ultrasonic range, which echo and enable them to create an 'image' of their surroundings. Neuroscientists have now discovered how Seba's short-tailed bat, a species native to South America, manages to filter out important signals from ambient sound and especially to distinguish between echolocation and communication calls.

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

'Dynamic duo' defenses in bacteria ward off viral threats      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered that bacteria can pair up their defense systems to create a formidable force, greater than the sum of its parts, to fight off attack from phage viruses. Understanding how bacteria react to this type of virus is a big step in combating antimicrobial resistance.

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

Compound vital for all life likely played a role in life's origin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A chemical compound essential to all living things has been synthesized in a lab in conditions that could have occurred on early Earth, suggesting it played a role at the outset of life.

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

Metabolic diseases may be driven by gut microbiome, loss of ovarian hormones      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Mice that received fecal implants from donors that had their ovaries removed gained more fat mass and had greater expression of liver genes associated with inflammation, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis. The findings may shed light on the greater incidence of metabolic dysfunction in postmenopausal women.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Scientists can tell where a mouse is looking and located based on its neural activity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have paired a deep learning model with experimental data to 'decode' mouse neural activity. Using the method, they can accurately determine where a mouse is located within an open environment and which direction it is facing, just by looking at its neural firing patterns. Being able to decode neural activity could provide insight into the function and behavior of individual neurons or even entire brain regions.

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

Researchers develop molecules for a new class of antibiotics that can overcome drug resistant bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

About a decade ago, researchers began to observe a recurring challenge in their research: Some of the compounds they were developing to harness energy from bacteria were instead killing the microbes. Not good if the objective of the project was to harness the metabolism of living bacteria to produce electricity.

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

Snaking toward a universal antivenom      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists discovered antibodies that protect against a host of lethal snake venoms.

Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Increasingly similar or different? Centuries-long analysis suggests biodiversity is differentiating and homogenizing to a comparable extent      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The tendency of communities and the species within them to become more similar or more distinct across landscapes -- biotic homogenization and differentiation -- are approximately balanced, according to a new study. This analysis is the first of its kind to provide a comprehensive assessment of how local and regional biodiversity changes combine across landscapes over centuries.

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

Revealing what makes bacteria life-threatening      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered that a mutation in the cellulose making machinery of E. coli bacteria allows them to cause severe disease in people -- 'good' bacteria make cellulose and 'bad' bacteria can't. The mutations stopped the E. coli making the cell-surface carbohydrate cellulose and this led to increased inflammation in the intestinal tract of the host, resulting in a breakdown of the intestinal barrier, so the bacteria could spread through the body. Understanding how bacteria spread from intestinal reservoirs to the rest of the body is important in preventing infections and tackling antibiotic resistance.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Butterfly and moth genomes mostly unchanged despite 250 million years of evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Comparison of over 200 high-quality butterfly and moth genomes reveals key insights into their biology, evolution and diversification over the last 250 million years, as well as clues for conservation.