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Categories: Biology: Molecular, Environmental: Water
Published How the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus enters our cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified how the tick-borne Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus enters our cells. The results are an important step in the development of drugs against the deadly disease.
Published Researchers discover key gene for toxic alkaloid in barley
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Barley is one of the most important cereal crops on a global scale. Many barley cultivars produce a toxic alkaloid called gramine that affects the suitability of barley as fodder, but also helps to protect barley from pathogens. So far, the potential of manipulating gramine levels has not been harnessed for plant breeding, because the genetic basis of gramine production has been unresolved. Research groups now disclose the complete biosynthetic pathway of gramine and demonstrate how gramine biosynthesis can be introduced into model organisms or removed from barley.
Published New approach to monitoring freshwater quality can identify sources of pollution, and predict their effects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Analysing the diversity of organic compounds dissolved in freshwater provides a reliable measure of ecosystem health, say scientists.
Published Cell division quality control 'stopwatch' uncovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists have uncovered a quality control timing mechanism tied to cell division. The 'stopwatch' function keeps track of mitosis and acts as a protective measure when the process takes too long, preventing the formation of cancerous cells.
Published Connecting the dots to shape growth forces
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Branching patterns are prevalent in our natural environment and the human body, such as in the lungs and kidneys. For example, specific genes that express growth factor proteins are known to influence the development of the lungs' complex branches. Researchers have unveiled a regulatory system linking signal, force, and shape in mouse lung structure development. The team recognized that the signal protein ERK plays an active role in causing growing lung tissue to curve.
Published Artificial reef designed by MIT engineers could protect marine life, reduce storm damage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers designed an 'architected' reef that can mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs while providing pockets for marine life. The sustainable and cost-saving structure could dissipate more than 95 percent of incoming wave energy using a small fraction of the material normally needed.
Published Understanding cattle grazing personalities may foster sustainable rangelands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research finds that not all cattle are the same when it comes to grazing, and knowing that could lead to better animal health and range conditions.
Published Land under water: What causes extreme flooding?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If rivers overflow their banks, the consequences can be devastating -- just like the catastrophic floods in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate of 2021 showed. In order to limit flood damage and optimize flood risk assessment, we need to better understand what factors can lead to extreme forms of flooding and to what extent. Using methods of explainable machine learning, researchers have shown that floods are more extreme when several factors are involved in their development.
Published A solar cell you can bend and soak in water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an organic photovoltaic film that is both waterproof and flexible, allowing a solar cell to be put onto clothes and still function correctly after being rained on or even washed.
Published New technique for predicting protein dynamics may prove big breakthrough for drug discovery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Understanding the structure of proteins is critical for demystifying their functions and developing drugs that target them. To that end, a team of researchers has developed a way of using machine learning to rapidly predict multiple protein configurations to advance understanding of protein dynamics and functions.
Published What if the heavy rain would have fallen 50 kilometers away?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Floods affect more people worldwide than any other natural hazard, causing enormous damage that is expected to increase in a warming world. However, people and decision-makers in vulnerable regions are often unwilling to prepare for exceptionally severe events because they are difficult to imagine and beyond their experience.
Published Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica's ice sheets. An international research team has now used sediments taken from the South Pacific to reconstruct the flow speed in the last 5.3 million years. Their data show that during glacial periods, the current slowed; during interglacials, it accelerated. Consequently, if the current global warming intensifies in the future, it could mean that the Southern Ocean stores less CO2 and that more heat reaches Antarctica.
Published Researchers show that introduced tardigrade proteins can slow metabolism in human cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tardigrade proteins are potential candidates in technologies centered on slowing the aging process and in long-term storage of human cells.
Published Discovery of amino acid unveils how light makes plants open
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have uncovered a unique mechanism that regulates the opening of stomata in plants. Phosphorylation of the amino acid Thr881 on the plasma membrane proton pump plays a key role in this process. The study paves the way for the targeted manipulation of plant physiology, with potential applications in agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Published Climate change will see Australia's soil emit CO2 and add to global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has shown the warming climate will turn Australia's soil into a net emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), unless action is taken. Soil helps to keep the planet cool by absorbing carbon, however as the climate gets warmer its ability to retain carbon decreases -- and in some instances can start to release some carbon back into the air. A global research team has predicted the changes in the amount of carbon in Australia's soil between now and the year 2100.
Published Research lights up process for turning CO2 into sustainable fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have successfully transformed CO2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.
Published Global study of coastal seas as carbon dioxide reservoirs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation.
Published Small changes can yield big savings in agricultural water use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While Hollywood and Silicon Valley love the limelight, California is an agricultural powerhouse, too. Agricultural products sold in the Golden State totaled $59 billion in 2022. But rising temperatures, declining precipitation and decades of over pumping may require drastic changes to farming. Legislation to address the problem could even see fields taken out of cultivation.
Published Better phosphorus use can ensure its stocks last more than 500 years and boost global food production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More efficient use of phosphorus could see limited stocks of the important fertilizer last more than 500 years and boost global food production to feed growing populations. But these benefits will only happen if countries are less wasteful with how they use phosphorus, a study shows. Around 30-40 per cent of farm soils have over-applications of phosphorus, with European and North American countries over-applying the most.
Published Natural recycling at the origin of life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How was complex life able to develop on the inhospitable early Earth? At the beginning there must have been ribonucleic acid (RNA) to carry the first genetic information. To build up complexity in their sequences, these biomolecules need to release water. On the early Earth, which was largely covered in seawater, that was not so easy to do.