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Categories: Biology: Genetics, Ecology: Extinction
Published Genetic research revealed several new fern species in tropical America



Researchers have clarified the evolutionary history of a previously poorly known group of ferns from the tropical rainforests of America using DNA methods. The study discovered many new fern species, 18 of which have now been given official names and species descriptions.
Published Older African elephants will be most severely affected by the changing climate



Older elephants in East Africa will be most severely impacted by climate change, threatening the long-term survival of this vulnerable African mammal, according to a new study.
Published New tool helps decipher gene behavior



Scientists have extensively researched the structure and sequence of genetic material and its interactions with proteins in the hope of understanding how our genetics and environment interact in diseases. This research has partly focused on 'epigenetic marks', which are chemical modifications to DNA, RNA, and the associated proteins (known as histones).
Published Radio waves can tune up bacteria to become life-saving medicines



Scientists have found a new way to alter the DNA of bacterial cells -- a process used to make many vital medicines including insulin -- much more efficiently than standard industry techniques.
Published Nanocarrier with escape reflex



Protein-based drugs must be transported into cells in a way that prevents their immediate degradation. A new approach is intended to ensure that they remain intact only in certain cells, such as cancer cells. A Japanese research team has introduced a nanocarrier that can 'escape' from endosomes before its cargo is destroyed there. This ability to escape is only triggered within the endosomes of certain tumor cells.
Published Counting rays: Aerial surveys reveal ample populations in Southeast Florida



A unique long-term study quantified the abundance of whitespotted eagle and giant manta rays in Southeast Florida. Researchers conducted 120 survey flights between 2014 and 2021 from Miami north to the Jupiter Inlet. One or both species were seen on nearly every flight and both populations appear to be stable in the region. The giant manta rays were more abundant in the south and the whitespotted eagle rays were found all along the coast. Neither species seems to be deterred by the greater human population density in Fort Lauderdale/Miami.
Published Double trouble at chromosome ends



New findings suggest the end-replication problem, an old standby of biology textbooks, is twice as intricate as once thought.
Published Change in gene code may explain how human ancestors lost tails



A genetic change in our ancient ancestors may partly explain why humans don't have tails like monkeys.
Published New disease testing component facilitates lower-cost diagnostics



Biomedical researchers have developed a new, less expensive way to detect nuclease digestion -- one of the critical steps in many nucleic acid sensing applications, such as those used to identify COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Published First DNA study of ancient Eastern Arabians reveals malaria adaptation



People living in ancient Eastern Arabia appear to have developed resistance to malaria following the appearance of agriculture in the region around five thousand years ago.
Published Low-Temperature Plasma used to remove E. coli from hydroponically grown crops



In a new study, a team sterilized a hydroponic nutrient solution using low-temperature plasma generated from electricity and the oxygen in the atmosphere. This new sterilization technique may allow farmers to grow crops without the use of chemical pesticides, representing an important advance in agricultural technology for sustainable crop production.
Published New discovery shows how cells defend themselves during stressful situations



A recent study has unveiled an exciting discovery about how our cells defend themselves during stressful situations. The research shows that a tiny modification in the genetic material, called ac4C, acts as a crucial defender, helping cells create protective storage units known as stress granules. These stress granules safeguard important genetic instructions when the cell is facing challenges. The new findings could help shed light on relevant molecular pathways that could be targeted in disease.
Published Extinctions could result as fish change foraging behavior in response to rising temperatures



Fish species respond to temperature increases by going after more readily available prey. Models suggest this behavior could lead to more extinctions.
Published Scientists use blue-green algae as a surrogate mother for 'meat-like' proteins



Researchers have not only succeeded in using blue-green algae as a surrogate mother for a new protein -- they have even coaxed the microalgae to produce 'meat fiber-like' protein strands. The achievement may be the key to sustainable foods that have both the 'right' texture and require minimal processing.
Published Microbial comics: RNA as a common language, presented in extracellular speech-bubbles



Decoding the conversations between microbes of hypersaline environments reveals deep insights into the origins of complex life.
Published 'Janitors' of the Sea: Overharvested sea cucumbers play crucial role in protecting coral



Researchers discovered that sea cucumbers -- sediment-eating organisms that function like autonomous vacuum cleaners of the ocean floor -- play an enormous role in protecting coral from disease.
Published Cutting-edge 'protein lawnmower' created



Scientists have designed the first synthetic protein-based motor which harnesses biological reactions to fuel and propel itself. 'Imagine if a Roomba could be powered only by the dirt it picks up,' says one of the authors of the study. The motor uses the digestive enzyme trypsin to cut the peptides and convert them into the energy it needs to propel itself.
Published Blindness from some inherited eye diseases may be caused by gut bacteria



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.
Published The small intestine adapt its size according to nutrient intake



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.
Published Biomolecular condensates -- regulatory hubs for plant iron supply



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.