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Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Biology: Genetics
Published Cracking the code of life: new AI model learns DNA's hidden language
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With GROVER, a new large language model trained on human DNA, researchers could now attempt to decode the complex information hidden in our genome. GROVER treats human DNA as a text, learning its rules and context to draw functional information about the DNA sequences.
Published Why virus causing cold sores does not spread to devastating brain infection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A previously unknown defence mechanism in the brain prevents herpesvirus from infecting the brain's nerve cells.
Published Discovery of a new population of macrophages promoting lung repair after viral infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a new population of macrophages, important innate immune cells that populate the lungs after injury caused by respiratory viruses. These macrophages are instrumental in repairing the pulmonary alveoli. This groundbreaking discovery promises to revolutionize our understanding of the post-infectious immune response and opens the door to new regenerative therapies.
Published Coinfecting viruses impede each other's ability to enter cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The process by which phages -- viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria -- enter cells has been studied for over 50 years. In a new study, researchers have used cutting-edge techniques to look at this process at the level of a single cell.
Published Fossil shows how penguins' wings evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiny fossil penguin plays a huge role in the evolutionary history of the bird, an international study shows.
Published Circular RNAs: The new frontier in cancer research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Unravelling the complexities of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer biology has positioned scientists on the cusp of revolutionary breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A new study predicts remarkable potential for circular RNAs to improve cancer treatment and patient outcomes within the next 5-10 years.
Published What gave the first molecules their stability?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The origins of life remain a major mystery. How were complex molecules able to form and remain intact for prolonged periods without disintegrating? A team has demonstrated a mechanism that could have enabled the first RNA molecules to stabilize in the primordial soup. When two RNA strands combine, their stability and lifespan increase significantly.
Published Genetic signatures of domestication identified in pigs, chickens
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wild boars and red junglefowl gave rise to common pigs and chickens. These animals' genes evolved to express themselves differently, leading to signatures of domestication -- such as weaker bones and better viral resistance -- in pigs and chickens, according to a research team.
Published Climate anomalies may play a major role in driving cholera pandemics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests that an El Nino event may have aided the establishment and spread of a novel cholera strain during an early 20th-century pandemic, supporting the idea that climate anomalies could create opportunities for the emergence of new cholera strains.
Published When it comes to DNA replication, humans and baker's yeast are more alike than different
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Humans and baker's yeast have more in common than meets the eye, including an important mechanism that helps ensure DNA is copied correctly, reports a pair of studies. The findings visualize for the first time a molecular complex -- called CTF18-RFC in humans and Ctf18-RFC in yeast -- that loads a 'clamp' onto DNA to keep parts of the replication machinery from falling off the DNA strand.
Published Half a billion-year-old spiny slug reveals the origins of mollusks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Exceptional fossils with preserved soft parts reveal that the earliest mollusks were flat, armored slugs without shells. The new species, Shishania aculeata, was covered with hollow, organic, cone-shaped spines. The fossils preserve exceptionally rare detailed features which reveal that these spines were produced using a sophisticated secretion system that is shared with annelids (earthworms and relatives).
Published Novel nanosensing technique for quality control of viral vectors in gene therapy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers develop a nanosensing platform that can assess the quality of individual viral vector particles Viral vectors hold much potential for gene editing and gene therapy, but there is a pressing need to develop quality control methods to minimize potential side effects on patients. Addressing this, researchers from Japan developed a nanosensing-based approach that can differentiate between functional and faulty viral vectors at the single-particle level. This convenient and inexpensive technique will hopefully get us one step closer to advancing treatments for genetic disorders.
Published Talking about regeneration
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers transferred genes from simple organisms capable of regenerating their bodies into common fruit flies, more complex animals that cannot. They found the transferred gene suppressed an age-related intestinal issue in the flies. Their results suggest studying genes specific to animals with high regenerative capability may uncover new mechanisms for rejuvenating stem cell function and extending the healthy lifespan of unrelated organisms.
Published Warming stops tiny organisms working together
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hotter conditions prevent two tiny organisms working together for mutual benefit, new research shows.
Published Mass extinction 66 million years ago triggered rapid evolution of bird genomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Study finds that the mass extinction caused by an asteroid about 66 million years ago led to critical changes in bird genomes that ultimately sparked the incredibly diversity living birds.
Published The next generation of RNA chips
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has succeeded in developing a new version of RNA building blocks with higher chemical reactivity and photosensitivity. This can significantly reduce the production time of RNA chips used in biotechnological and medical research. The chemical synthesis of these chips is now twice as fast and seven times more efficient.
Published Researchers explore cancer susceptibility in birds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In one of the largest studies of cancer susceptibility across bird species, researchers describe an intriguing relationship between reproductive rates and cancer susceptibility.
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 Scientists discover entirely new wood type that could be highly efficient at carbon storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world's most iconic trees and shrubs have discovered an entirely new type of wood.