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Categories: Biology: Molecular, Ecology: General
Published how far can the wind can carry a plant's seeds? New model
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Playing an essential foundational role in an ecosystem, plants contribute to the well-being of human health by helping create resources like food and medicine. Therefore, to better understand how plants can maintain resiliency in the face of challenges like climate change, researchers recently developed an innovative mathematical model that can provide fast and reliable predictions of how far wind can carry a plant's seeds.
Published Clever dosage control mechanism of biallelic genes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that safeguards the biallelic expression of haploinsufficient genes, shedding light on the importance of having two copies of each chromosome. A study identified the epigenetic regulator MSL2 an 'anti-monoallelic' factor that maintains biallelic gene dosage. This discovery not only reveals a communication system between parental alleles but also points to potential therapeutic strategies for diseases associated with haploinsufficient genes.
Published Key protein in blood vessel's growth identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research identifies the class II PI3K-C2b protein, a member of the PI3 family of kinases, as one of the key regulators of blood vessels growth in humans and other mammals. Mutations in these family of proteins may lead to vascular malformations and the precise understanding of the whole process is instrumental in opening the door to new therapeutic approaches in the future.
Published Releasing brakes on biocatalysis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Enzymes from microorganisms can produce hydrogen (H2) under certain conditions, which makes them potential biocatalysts for biobased H2 technologies. In order to make this hydrogen production efficient, researchers are trying to identify and eliminate possible limiting factors. These include formaldehyde, which occurs naturally as a metabolic product in cells and inhibits the particularly efficient [FeFe] hydrogenase.
Published Scientists harness flower 'super power' to pave the way for new drug treatments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a way of joining up the head and tail of a protein, making it more stable and easier to get into cells.
Published Slash-and-burn agriculture can increase forest biodiversity, researchers find
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by many Indigenous societies across the world can actually have a positive impact on forests, according to a new study done in Belize. Researchers found that in areas of the rainforest in which Indigenous farmers using slash-and-burn techniques created intermediate-sized farm patches -- neither too small nor too large -- there were increases in forest plant diversity.
Published Scientist discovers potential brain link between stress, emotional eating
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists describe how they identified a molecule that may trigger over-consumption of comfort foods after a threatening event.
Published Deoxygenation levels similar to today's played a major role in marine extinctions during major past climate change event
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have made a surprising discovery that sheds new light on the role that oceanic deoxygenation (anoxia) played in one of the most devastating extinction events in Earth's history. Their finding has implications for current day ecosystems -- and serves as a warning that marine environments are likely more fragile than apparent. New research, published today in leading international journal Nature Geosciences, suggests that oceanic anoxia played an important role in ecosystem disruption and extinctions in marine environments during the Triassic--Jurassic mass extinction, a major extinction event that occurred around 200 million years ago. Surprisingly however, the study shows that the global extent of euxinia (an extreme form of de-oxygenated conditions) was similar to the present day.
Published How shipwrecks are providing a refuge for marine life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has highlighted how the estimated 50,000 wrecks around the UK coastline are protecting the seabed, and the species inhabiting it, in areas still open to bottom-towed fishing.
Published New clues into the head-scratching mystery of itch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists show for the first time that bacteria can cause itch by activating nerve cells in the skin. The findings can inform new therapies to treat itch that occurs in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.
Published Nutrient found in beef and dairy improves immune response to cancer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), a long-chain fatty acid found in meat and dairy products from grazing animals such as cows and sheep, improves the ability of CD8+ T cells to infiltrate tumors and kill cancer cells, according to a new study.
Published Team discovers rules for breaking into Pseudomonas
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that they have found a way to get antibacterial drugs through the nearly impenetrable outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that -- once it infects a person -- is notoriously difficult to treat.
Published Laser-powered 'tweezers' reveal universal mechanism viruses use to package up DNA
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used laser-powered ‘optical tweezers’ to reveal a universal motor mechanism used by viruses for packaging their DNA into infectious particles.
Published Deep-sea mining and warming trigger stress in a midwater jellies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The deep sea is home to one of the largest animal communities on earth which is increasingly exposed to environmental pressures. However, our knowledge of its inhabitants and their response to human-induced stressors is still limited. A new study now provides first insights into the stress response of a pelagic deep-sea jellyfish to ocean warming and sediment plumes caused by deep-sea mining.
Published Unearthing how a carnivorous fungus traps and digests worms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis sheds light on the molecular processes involved when a carnivorous species of fungus known as Arthrobotrys oligospora senses, traps and consumes a worm.
Published Coffee grounds may hold key to preventing neurodegenerative diseases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers found that caffeic-acid based Carbon Quantum Dots (CACQDs), which can be derived from spent coffee grounds, have the potential to protect brain cells from the damage caused by several neurodegenerative diseases.
Published Protect delicate polar ecosystems by mapping biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems and sustainably manage these unique habitats.
Published Idai vs. Impalas: New study shows in real-time what helps mammals survive a natural disaster
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source After a massive cyclone transformed the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park, researchers studied the immediate and knock-on impacts to garner lessons for wildlife managers around the world.
Published Heart repair via neuroimmune crosstalk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Unlike humans, zebrafish can completely regenerate their hearts after injury. They owe this ability to the interaction between their nervous and immune systems, as researchers now report.
Published New method to help with analysis of single cell data
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source CITE-seq (cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes) is an RNA sequencing-based method that simultaneously quantifies cell surface protein and transcriptomic data within a single cell readout. The ability to study cells concurrently offers unprecedented insights into new cell types, disease states or other conditions. While CITE-seq solves the problem of detecting a limited number of proteins while using single-cell sequencing in an unbiased way, one of its limitations is the high levels of background noise that can hinder analysis.