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Categories: Biology: Genetics, Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published New principle for treating tuberculosis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have succeeded in identifying and synthesizing a group of molecules that can act against the cause of tuberculosis in a new way. They describe that the so-called callyaerins act against the infectious disease by employing a fundamentally different mechanism compared to antibiotic agents used to date.
Published Unraveling a key junction underlying muscle contraction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using powerful new visualization technologies, researchers have captured the first 3-D images of the structure of a key muscle receptor, providing new insights on how muscles develop across the animal kingdom and setting the stage for possible future treatments for muscular disorders.
Published Precise genetics: New CRISPR method enables efficient DNA modification
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research group has developed a new method that further improves the existing CRISPR/Cas technologies: it allows a more precise and seamless introduction of tags into proteins at the gene level. This technology could significantly improve research on proteins in living organisms and opens up new possibilities for medical research.
Published Platypus and chicken reveal how chromosomes balance between the sexes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Geneticists uncover new insights into how sex chromosome systems work in the platypus and the chicken -- which will lead to better understandings of our own sex chromosome evolution and gene regulation.
Published How researchers turn bacteria into cellulose-producing mini-factories
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have modified certain bacteria with UV light so that they produce more cellulose. The basis for this is a new approach with which the researchers generate thousands of bacterial variants and select those that have developed into the most productive.
Published MicroRNA study sets stage for crop improvements
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source MicroRNAs can make plants more capable of withstanding drought, salinity, pathogens and more. However, in a recent study scientists showed just how much we didn't know about the intricate processes plants use to produce them.
Published How an emerging disease in dogs is shedding light on cystic fibrosis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A canine gallbladder disease that involves the accumulation of abnormal mucus similar to that seen in human cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is caused by improper expression of the gene associated with CF in humans. The finding could have implications for human CF patients as well as for animal models of CF.
Published From genes to jeans: New genetic insights may lead to drought resilient cotton
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cotton is woven into the very fabric of our lives, from soft T-shirts to comfortable jeans and cozy bedsheets. It's the world's leading renewable textile fiber and the backbone of a global industry worth billions. As climate change intensifies, cotton farmers face increasing challenges from drought and heat. However, new research offers hope for developing more resilient varieties that can maintain high yields even under water-stressed conditions.
Published New progress in research into malignant catarrhal fever in cattle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has published a groundbreaking study on malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). This disease is caused by the alcelaphine gammaherpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), which infects its natural host, the wildebeest. This study sheds light on the mechanisms by which this virus, which is asymptomatic and latent in the wildebeest, causes an oligoclonal expansion of CD8+ T lymphocytes in cattle, leading to the development of MCF.
Published Researchers decipher new molecular mechanisms related to biological tissue regeneration
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study opens new perspectives to better understand how the molecular mechanisms involved in regenerative medicine work. The study focuses on tumor necrosis factor- (TNF- ) and its receptors TNFR, molecules of key interest in biomedicine due to their involvement in multiple diseases such as obesity related to type 2 diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease and several types of cancer.
Published The ancestor of all modern birds probably had iridescent feathers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Birds tend to be more colorful in the tropics, and scientists wanted to find out how they got there: if colorful feathers evolved in the tropics, or if tropical birds have brightly-colored ancestors that came to the region from somwhere else. Scientists built a database of 9,409 birds to explore the spread of color across the globe. They found that iridescent, colorful feathers originated 415 times across the bird tree of life, and in most cases, arose outside of the tropics -- and that the ancestor of all modern birds likely had iridescent feathers, too.
Published Lampreys possess a 'jaw-dropping' evolutionary origin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lampreys are one of only two living jawless vertebrates Jaws are formed by a key stem cell population called the neural crest New research reveals the gene regulatory changes that may explain morphological differences between jawed and jawless vertebrates.
Published New drug shows promise in clearing HIV from brain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An experimental drug originally developed to treat cancer may help clear HIV from infected cells in the brain, according to a new study. By targeting infected cells in the brain, drug may clear virus from hidden areas that have been a major challenge in HIV treatment.
Published Chemical analyses find hidden elements from renaissance astronomer Tycho Brahe's alchemy laboratory
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Danish Tycho Brahe was most famous for his contributions to astronomy. However, he also had a well-equipped alchemical laboratory where he produced secret medicines for Europe's elite.
Published Ancient marine animal had inventive past despite being represented by few species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Brachiopods were evolving in new directions but this did not turn into evolutionary success in terms of the numbers of species, researchers have found.
Published Rock art and archaeological record reveal humans' complex relationship with Amazonian animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rock art explored by archaeologists in the Colombian Amazon has provided an insight into the complex relationship between the earliest settlers on the continent and the animals they encountered.
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.
Published Komodo dragons have iron-coated teeth to rip apart their prey
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that the serrated edges of Komodo dragons' teeth are tipped with iron. The study gives new insight into how Komodo dragons keep their teeth razor-sharp and may provide clues to how dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex killed and ate their prey.
Published Scientists assess how large dinosaurs could really get
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study looks at the maximum possible sizes of dinosaurs, using the carnivore, Tyrannosaurus rex, as an example. Using computer modelling, experts produced estimates that T. Rex might have been 70% heavier than what the fossil evidence suggests.
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.