Showing 20 articles starting at article 741

< Previous 20 articles        Next 20 articles >

Categories: Biology: Genetics, Paleontology: Fossils

Return to the site home page

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Mountains of used plastic bottles get thrown away every day, but microbes could potentially tackle this problem. Now, researchers report that they've developed a plastic-eating E. coli that can efficiently turn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into adipic acid, which is used to make nylon materials, drugs and fragrances.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sunflowers famously turn their faces to follow the sun as it crosses the sky. But how do sunflowers 'see' the sun to follow it? Plant biologists show that they use a different, novel mechanism from that previously thought.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, large, carnivorous aquatic lizards that lived during the late Cretaceous. With 'transitional' traits that place it between two well-known mosasaurs, the new species is named after a sea serpent in Norse mythology, Jormungandr, and the small North Dakota city Walhalla near to where the fossil was found.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers introduce the 'Telomouse'. By making a subtle genetic alteration in standard lab mice, they've made the mouse telomeres, which protect the chromosome ends, more closely resemble those in humans. The Telomouse model, developed by incorporating a genetic variation from a mouse species with naturally shorter telomeres, provides a valuable resource for in-depth aging and cancer research. This discovery promises to reveal new insights into the genetics of aging and may contribute to enhanced longevity and well-being.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There are high hopes for hydrogen as the key to the energy transition. A specific enzyme group found in algae and in bacteria can produce molecular hydrogen simply by catalyzing protons and electrons. However, the enzyme group is so sensitive to oxygen that commercial use of the hydrogen produced by this process as a green energy source is not yet possible. Researchers have now increased the oxygen stability of a hydrogen-producing enzyme by genetically generated channel blockages.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cat hair could be the purr-fect way to catch criminals, according to researchers.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dendritic cells are immune cells that capture and present antigens to T cells, activating an immune response. Researchers have discovered that short-chain fatty acids produced by intestinal bacteria regulate a crucial step in this process, the extension of dendritic 'arms.' This breakthrough finding could potentially lead to the development of disease prevention strategies involving beneficial bacteria and new drugs targeting the regulation of dendritic cell function.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Organoids help researchers understand biological processes in health and in disease. It is, however, difficult to influence the way in which they organize themselves into complex tissues. Now a group has found a new way to do so.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a protein that seals plant roots to regulate the uptake of nutrients and water from the soil, the discovery could help develop climate proof crops that require less water and chemical fertilizers.   

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have uncovered that proteins use a common chemical label as a shield to protect them from degradation, which in turn affects motility and aging.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cyanobacteria are a key species in Earth's history, as they introduced atmospheric oxygen for the first time. The analysis of their evolution therefore provides important insights into the formation of modern aerobic ecosystems. For a long time, a certain type of fossil lipid, so-called 2-methylhopanes, was considered to be an important biomarker for Cyanobacteria in sediments, some of which are hundreds of millions of years old. However, this came into doubt when it turned out that not only Cyanobacteria but also Alphaproteobacteria are genetically capable of producing these lipids.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Bacteriophages, also called phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, their natural hosts. But from a macromolecular viewpoint, phages can be viewed as nutritionally enriched packets of nucleotides wrapped in an amino acid shell. A study suggests that mammalian cells internalize phages as a resource to promote cellular growth and survival.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Special proteins -- known as membrane transporters -- are key to the mobility of sperm cells. A research team has, with the aid of cryo-electron microscopy, succeeded in decoding the structure of such a transporter and its mechanism. These findings will enable a better understanding of the molecular foundations of reproductive capacity and could, in the long term, contribute to developing new approaches to treating fertility disorders and new methods of specific contraception.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Human populations in Neolithic Europe fluctuated with changing climates, according to a new study.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists analyzed open-source data to track vegetation changes across North America since the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, and conclude that humans have had as much of an impact on the landscape as the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age. 

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers has gained new insights into the respiratory system of fruit flies -- the so-called tracheal system -- which could be important for future research into aneurysms. Scientists carried out genetic, cell biological and biochemical studies on Drosophila embryos. They found that the cells in the fruit fly's tracheal system are connected to the extracellular matrix by the proteins Dumpy and Piopio.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Recently discovered microfossils date back half a billion years. Resembling modern-day algae, they provide insight into early life in our oceans.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Opening a clamshell of berries and seeing them coated in fuzzy mold is a downer. And it's no small problem. Gray mold and other fungi, which cause fruit to rot, lead to significant economic losses and food waste. Now, researchers report that compounds from sunflower crop waste prevented rotting in blueberries. They suggest the food industry could use these natural compounds to protect against post-harvest diseases.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Eggs of the mosquito that carries Zika virus can tolerate extended desiccation by altering their metabolism, according to a new study. The finding offers potential new ways to control the spread of this mosquito.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research reveals how the bacteria strain Wolbachia pipientis enhances the fertility of the insects it infects, an insight that could help scientists increase the populations of mosquitoes that do not carry human disease.