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Categories: Biology: Cell Biology, Biology: General
Published Smarter foragers do not forage smarter
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Why do primates have big brains? In the Panamanian rainforest, scientists pitted large-brained primates against smaller-brained mammals to find out who was the smartest forager.
Published A unified account of Darwinism's varieties
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article examines the question of what Darwinism is and how its nonscientific uses relate to the scientific theory of evolution. The authors observe that while some people claim Darwinism's meaning should be limited to scientific content, others call for its abolition altogether. The authors propose a unified account of these varieties of Darwinism.
Published When should you neuter or spay your dog?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study updates guidelines for when you should neuter or spay your dog to prevent increased risk of cancer or joint disorders.
Published Bringing back an ancient bird
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using ancient DNA extracted from the toe bone of a museum specimen, biologists have sequenced the genome of an extinct, flightless bird called the little bush moa, shedding light into an unknown corner of avian genetic history. The work is the first complete genetic map of the turkey-sized bird whose distant living cousins include the ostrich, emu, and kiwi.
Published Mechanisms for selective multiple sclerosis treatment strategy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have demonstrated how B cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can contribute to a pathogenic, inflammatory phenotype that contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS); the group has also shown how these problematic B cells can be selectively targeted in a way that reduces the damaging autoimmune response of multiple sclerosis.
Published 'Cloaked' proteins deliver cancer-killing therapeutics into cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have designed a way to 'cloak' proteins in a generalized technique that could lead to repurposing things like antibodies for biological research and therapeutic applications.
Published Why do Dyeing poison frogs tap dance?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The toe tapping behavior of various amphibians has long attracted attention from researchers and pet owners. Despite being widely documented, the underlying functional role is poorly understood. In a new paper, researchers demonstrate that Dyeing poison frogs modulate their taps based on specific stimuli.
Published Scientists uncover a multibillion-year epic written into the chemistry of life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Life evolved from simple geochemical processes present on the early Earth. However, the details of this transformation remain a mystery. In this study, researchers modeled the emergence of metabolic pathways from simple geochemical precursors and concluded that surprisingly few reactions in the history of metabolism may have been lost to time.
Published Genetic mosaicism more common than thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers found that approximately one in 40 human bone marrow cells carry massive chromosomal alterations without causing any apparent disease or abnormality. Even so-called normal cells carry all sorts of genetic mutations, meaning there are more genetic differences between individual cells in our bodies than between different human beings. The discovery was enabled by a single-cell sequencing technology called Strand-seq, a unique DNA sequencing technique that can reveal subtle details of genomes in single cells that are too difficult to detect with other methods.
Published Researchers have unveiled a new method to manipulate cell movement in embryos
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a new method that can manipulate the movement of embryonic cells using short-time attractors.
Published How killifish embryos use suspended animation to survive over 8 months of drought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The African turquoise killifish lives in ephemeral ponds in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. To survive the annual dry season, the fish's embryos enter a state of extreme suspended animation or 'diapause' for approximately 8 months. Now, researchers have uncovered the mechanisms that enabled the killifish to evolve this extreme survival state.
Published Transgenic expression of rubisco factors increases photosynthesis and chilling tolerance in maize
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops and is essential to global food security. But like other plants, its growth and productivity can be limited by the slow activity of Rubisco, the enzyme responsible for carbon assimilation during photosynthesis. Scientists have now demonstrated a promising approach to enhancing Rubisco production, thus improving photosynthesis and overall plant growth.
Published Secrets of sargassum: Scientists advance knowledge of seaweed causing chaos in the Caribbean and West Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team tracked and studied floating sargassum in order to unlock its potential to be used to produce sustainable products.
Published Echidnapus identified from an 'Age of Monotremes'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Australian researchers have found evidence of the oldest known platypus and a new species, dubbed 'echidnapus', which has a platypus-like anatomy alongside features that more closely resemble an echidna.
Published Investigating the origin of circatidal rhythms in freshwater snails
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While most organisms have biological clocks synchronized with the day-night cycle (circadian rhythms), marine animals in tidal areas have also developed circatidal rhythms to align with the tidal cycle. Comparing the activity and genetic expression of snails from tidal and non-tidal areas, researchers demonstrate that circatidal rhythms develop as snails adapt to tidal environments. These findings highlight the flexibility of biological clocks, enabling organisms to adjust their rhythms according to the environment.
Published On repeat: Biologists observe recurring evolutionary changes, over time, in stick insects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An evolutionary biologist reports evidence of repeatable evolution in populations of stick insects.
Published Entomologist sheds light on 250-year-old mystery of the German cockroach
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Entomologists have solved the 250-year-old origin puzzle of the most prevalent indoor urban pest insect on the planet: the German cockroach. The team's research findings, representing the genomic analyses of over 280 specimens from 17 countries and six continents, show that this species evolved some 2,100 years ago from an outdoor-living species in Asia.
Published Observing mammalian cells with superfast soft X-rays
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new technique to view living mammalian cells. The team used a powerful laser, called a soft X-ray free electron laser, to emit ultrafast pulses of illumination at the speed of femtoseconds, or quadrillionths of a second. With this they could capture images of carbon-based structures in living cells for the first time, before the soft X-ray radiation damaged them.
Published New approach to Epstein-Barr virus and resulting diseases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Epstein-Barr virus can cause a spectrum of diseases, including a range of cancers. Emerging data now show that inhibition of a specific metabolic pathway in infected cells can diminish latent infection and therefore the risk of downstream disease.
Published Psychedelic drug-induced hyperconnectivity in the brain helps clarify altered subjective experiences
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that the use of psilocybin, a compound found in the widely known 'magic mushrooms,' initiates a pattern of hyperconnectivity in the brain linked to the ego-modifying effects and feelings of oceanic boundlessness. The findings help explain the so-called mystical experiences people report during the use of psychedelics and are pertinent to the psychotherapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs to treat psychiatric disorders such as depression.