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Categories: Biology: Molecular, Space: The Solar System
Published How to assemble a complete jaw
(via sciencedaily.com) The skeleton, tendons, and glands of a functional jaw all derive from the same population of stem cells, which arise from a cell population known as neural crest. To discover how these neural crest-derived cells know to make the right type of cell in the right location, researchers focused on a particular gene, Nr5a2, that was active in a region of the face that makes tendons and glands, but not skeleton. To understand the role of Nr5a2, the scientists created zebrafish lacking this gene. These mutant zebrafish generated excess cartilage and were missing tendons in their jaws.
Published Standard model of electroporation refuted
(via sciencedaily.com) Strong electric fields can be used to create pores in biomembranes. The method is known as electroporation. Inducing such defects in membranes in a targeted manner is an important technique in medicine and biotechnology, but also in the treatment of foodstuffs.
Published Scientists call for global push to eliminate space junk
(via sciencedaily.com) As almost 200 countries agree a legally-binding treaty to protect the High Seas, a collaboration of experts in ocean plastic pollution and satellite technology has urged world leaders to learn lessons from the management of the High Seas and act now to protect Earth's orbit.
Published New insights into cellular 'bridges' shed light on development, disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Most cells in the bodies of living things duplicate their contents and physically separate into new cells through the process of cell division. But across many species, germ cells, those that become eggs or sperm, don't fully separate. They remain interconnected through small bridges called ring canals and cluster together. In a new study, researchers uncover how it is that germ cells in fruit flies form these ring canals, a finding that they say will provide new insights into a widely shared feature of development and into diseases in which cell division is disrupted.
Published ALMA traces history of water in planet formation back to the interstellar medium
(via sciencedaily.com) Observations of water in the disk forming around protostar V883 Ori have unlocked clues about the formation of comets and planetesimals in our own solar system.
Published The planet that could end life on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) A terrestrial planet hovering between Mars and Jupiter would be able to push Earth out of the solar system and wipe out life on this planet, according to a recent experiment.
Published Phage attacks shown in new light
(via sciencedaily.com) New methodology and tools provide an opportunity to watch in unprecedented detail as a phage attacks a bacterium.
Published Rhythmic eating pattern preserves fruit fly muscle function under obese conditions
(via sciencedaily.com) Obese fruit flies are the experimental subjects in a study of the causes of muscle function decline due to obesity. In humans, skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in metabolism, and muscle dysfunction due to human obesity can lead to insulin resistance and reduced energy levels.
Published Biologists, chemical engineers collaborate to reveal complex cellular process inside petunias
(via sciencedaily.com) Once upon a time, prevailing scientific opinion might have pronounced recently published research as unneeded. Now, climate change implications have heightened the need for this line of research. Flowers emit scent chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Earlier this year, a study identified a protein that plays a key role in helping petunias emit volatiles.
Published DART impact provided real-time data on evolution of asteroid's debris
(via sciencedaily.com) When asteroids suffer natural impacts in space, debris flies off from the point of impact. The tail of particles that form can help determine the physical characteristics of the asteroid. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission in September 2022 gave a team of scientists a unique opportunity -- to observe the evolution of an asteroid's ejecta as it happened.
Published Fluorescent protein sheds light on bee brains
(via sciencedaily.com) An international team of bee researchers has integrated a calcium sensor into honey bees to enable the study of neural information processing including response to odors. This also provides insights into how social behavior is located in the brain.
Published Researchers provide proof of the helical coiling of condensed chromosomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In early cytological studies chromatids of metaphase chromosomes were suggested to coil into a spiral called chromonema. This assumption was recently supported by chromosomce conformation capture sequencing. Still, the direct visualization of the coiled chromonema confirming the helical model was lacking. Now, an international research team provides the direct proof of the helical coiling of condensed chromatids via super-resolution microscopy of specifically labelled chromonema regions.
Published Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumb trick inspires robotic exploration of caves on Mars and beyond
(via sciencedaily.com) Future space missions likely will send robots to scout out underground habitats for astronauts. Engineers have now developed a system that would enable autonomous vehicles to explore caves, lava tubes and even oceans on other worlds on their own.
Published Hubble captures movie of DART asteroid impact debris
(via sciencedaily.com) In 2022 NASA embarked on a bold experiment to see if they could change an asteroid's velocity by smacking it with a ballistic probe -- kind of like hitting it with a hammer. This experiment was to test a potential technique to someday deflect an asteroid on a collision course to Earth. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of the universe, an intelligent planetary species sought ways to avoid its own potential extinction by threats from outer space (something the dinosaurs, who were wiped out 65 million years ago by a rogue asteroid, never evolved to accomplish).
Published Researchers bioengineer an endocrine pancreas for type 1 diabetes
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists recently developed an efficient way to transplant pancreatic islets and demonstrated that the method can effectively reverse type 1 diabetes in nonhuman primates.
Published New NASA DART data prove viability of asteroid deflection as planetary defense strategy
(via sciencedaily.com) Astronomers offer new insight into how deflection missions can protect the planet from future Earth-bound asteroids and comets.
Published New study unveils epigenetic 'traffic lights' controlling stop and go for gene activity
(via sciencedaily.com) A major new study reveals a 'traffic light' mechanism controlling genetic activity within cells -- a system which could potentially be targeted by cancer drugs already in development. The research describes how 'epigenetic' changes to the structure of DNA can act as a stop-go signal in determining whether a gene should be read. Unlike our genetic make-up, which is well understood, the world of epigenetics is still largely unexplored and referred to as the 'dark matter' of the genome.
Published Mapping unknown territory
(via sciencedaily.com) A detailed atlas of gene expression in the zebrafish brain.
Published Baby star near the black hole in the middle of our Milky Way: It exists after all
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have detected the heaviest and youngest infant star ever discovered close to the black hole at the center of our Galaxy. They also identified the region where this 'impossible star' may have formed.
Published Liquid nitrogen spray could clean up stubborn moon dust
(via sciencedaily.com) A liquid nitrogen spray can remove almost all of the simulated moon dust from a space suit, potentially solving what is a significant challenge for future moon-landing astronauts.