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Categories: Anthropology: General, Biology: Molecular

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A new study, which centers on evidence from skulls of a 6-million-year-old fossil ape, Lufengpithecus, offers important clues about the origins of bipedal locomotion courtesy of a novel method: analyzing its bony inner ear region using three-dimensional CT-scanning. The inner ear appears to provide a unique record of the evolutionary history of ape locomotion.

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Researchers found that when mice were fed a high-fat diet, mitochondria within their fat cells broke apart and were less able to burn fat, leading to weight gain. They also found they could reverse the effect by targeting a single gene, suggesting a new treatment strategy for obesity.

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A valuable molecule sourced from the soapbark tree and used as a key ingredient in vaccines, has been replicated in an alternative plant host for the first time, opening unprecedented opportunities for the vaccine industry.

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Around one million individuals worldwide become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, each year. To replicate and spread the infection, the virus must smuggle its genetic material into the cell nucleus and integrate it into a chromosome. Research teams have now discovered that its capsid has evolved into a molecular transporter. As such, it can directly breach a crucial barrier, which normally protects the cell nucleus against viral invaders. This way of smuggling keeps the viral genome invisible to anti-viral sensors in the cytoplasm.

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A team of researchers is delving deeper into the science behind how spiny mice can regenerate lost tissue and using what they learn to trigger regeneration in other types of mice -- advances which one day may be translated into humans. Whereas adult laboratory mice heal injuries with scar tissue, spiny mice have the unique ability to regrow lost skin and regenerate musculoskeletal tissues in their body.

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Researchers were able to control the growth of thin, branching networks that support cellular structure and help cells function. The networks, called microtubules, can exert force and precisely transport chemicals at a subcellular level.

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The intricate dance of nature often unfolds in mysterious ways, hidden from the naked eye. At the heart of this enigmatic tango lies a vital partnership: the symbiosis between plants and a type of fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. New groundbreaking research delves into this partnership, revealing key insights that deepen our understanding of plant-AM fungi interactions and could lead to advances in sustainable agriculture.

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A new study has revealed how HIV squirms its way into the nucleus as it invades a cell.

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Antiretroviral therapy (ART) does an excellent job at suppressing HIV to undetectable levels in the blood. However, small amounts of latent virus hide throughout the body, and when treatment is stopped, it opens the door for the virus to rebound. Researchers identified which tissues SIV, the nonhuman primate version of HIV, reemerges from first, just seven days after ART is stopped.

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UNSW Sydney medical scientists have cracked a mystery whose solution has long eluded researchers. UNSW Sydney medical scientists have cracked a mystery whose solution has long eluded researchers.

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Analysis of the remains of 24 individuals from the Wilamaya Patjxa and Soro Mik'aya Patjxa burial sites in Peru shows that early human diets in the Andes Mountains were composed of 80 percent plant matter and 20 percent meat.

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DNA from ancient feces can offer archaeologists new clues about the life and health of Japanese people who lived thousands of years ago, according to a new study.

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Scientists have experimental evidence that the key step in protein formation can occur in droplets of pure water.

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Researchers showed that the way in which genes are turned on and off as bacteria grow provide clues to their regulation.

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Reactive oxygen species (ROS), though generally regarded as toxic byproducts of biological processes, serve many important functions in plants. However, the precise mechanism that plants use to regulate the production of ROS remains elusive. In a recent study, researchers clarified how an important ROS-generating enzyme is activated, revealing mechanisms likely conserved across all land plants. Their findings could pave the way for breakthroughs in agricultural and environmental remediation tools.

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Of all the organisms that photosynthesize, land plants have the most complex form. How did this morphology emerge? A team of scientists has taken a deep dive into the evolutionary history of morphological complexity in streptophytes, which include land plants and many green algae. Their research allowed them to go back in time to investigate lineages that emerged long before land plants existed.

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In a world where the intricacies of molecular biology often seem as vast and mysterious as the cosmos, a new groundbreaking study delves into the microscopic universe of proteins, unveiling a fascinating aspect of their existence. This revelation could hold profound implications for the understanding and treatment of a myriad of human diseases.

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By tightly regulating nitrogen uptake, microorganisms avoid overeating nitrogen and thus wasting energy. Scientists now reveal how some methanogenic archaea manage to do so.

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You suddenly feel sick -- pathogenic bacteria have managed to colonize and spread in your body! The weapons they use for their invasion are harmful toxins that target the host's defense mechanisms and vital cell functions. Before these deadly toxins can attack host cells, bacteria must first export them from their production site -- the cytoplasm -- using dedicated secretion systems.

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An international team of researchers has uncovered a remarkable genetic phenomenon in lycophytes, which are similar to ferns and among the oldest land plants. Their study reveals that these plants have maintained a consistent genetic structure for over 350 million years, a significant deviation from the norm in plant genetics.