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Categories: Biology: Botany, Biology: Molecular
Published World's largest database of weeds lets scientists peer into the past, and future, of global agriculture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new database of weeds that can help scientists understand how traditional agricultural systems were managed throughout history, could also provide insights into how global trends like the climate crisis could affect the resilience of our modern day food systems.
Published Study offers rare long-term analysis of techniques for creating standing dead trees for wildlife habitat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ecologists have long known that standing dead trees, commonly referred to as snags, are an important habitat element for forest dwellers and act as a driver of biodiversity. They're so important that in some managed forests, snag creation is part of the conservation tool kit -- i.e., crews sometimes convert a percentage of live trees into dead ones through techniques ranging from sawing off their tops to wounding their trunks to injecting them with disease-causing fungi.
Published Innovative tech shows promise to boost rubber production in US
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With disease and high demand posing threats to the world's primary natural rubber supply in Southeast Asia, scientists are working to ramp up the U.S. rubber market by advancing methods to extract latex from two sustainable North American plant sources: a dandelion species and a desert shrub.
Published Complex green organisms emerged a billion years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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.
Published Tiny worm, giant leap: Discovery of highly specific fatty acid attachment to proteins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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.
Published Don't overeat: How archaea toggle the nitrogen-uptake switch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By tightly regulating nitrogen uptake, microorganisms avoid overeating nitrogen and thus wasting energy. Scientists now reveal how some methanogenic archaea manage to do so.
Published Single-celled kamikazes spearhead bacterial infection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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.
Published A window into plant evolution: The unusual genetic journey of lycophytes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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.
Published DNA construction led to unexpected discovery of important cell function
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used DNA origami, the art of folding DNA into desired structures, to show how an important cell receptor can be activated in a previously unknown way. The result opens new avenues for understanding how the Notch signalling pathway works and how it is involved in several serious diseases.
Published New technique visualizes mechanical structure of the cell nucleus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The cell nucleus is considered to be the control center of vital cellular processes, but its material properties continue to puzzle scientists. An international research team has now developed a new technique that provides a previously unattainable view of the mechanical properties inside this control center. For the first time, it has been possible to visualize over time its peculiar dynamic structural features in living cells, which appear to be crucial for cell function.
Published Nearly dead plants brought back to life: Keys to aging hidden in the leaves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have known about a particular organelle in plant cells for over a century. However, scientists have only now discovered that organelle's key role in aging.
Published Study throws our understanding of gene regulation for a loop
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To function properly, the genetic material is highly organized into loop structures that often bring together widely separated sections of the genome critical to the regulation of gene activity. Scientists now address how these loops can help repress or silence gene activity, with potentially far-reaching effects on human health.
Published Machine learning reveals sources of heterogeneity among cells in our bodies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists discovered the secrets of cell variability in our bodies. The findings of this research are expected to have far-reaching effects, such as improvement in the efficacy of chemotherapy treatments, or set a new paradigm in the study of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Published Glowing COVID-19 diagnostic test prototype produces results in one minute
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cold, flu and COVID-19 season brings that now-familiar ritual: swab, wait, look at the result. But what if, instead of taking 15 minutes or more, a test could quickly determine whether you have COVID-19 with a glowing chemical? In a new study, researchers describe a potential COVID-19 test inspired by bioluminescence. Using a molecule found in crustaceans, they have developed a rapid approach that detects SARS-CoV-2 protein comparably to one used in vaccine research.
Published Artificial 'power plants' harness energy from wind and rain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fake plants are moving into the 21st century! Researchers developed literal 'power plants' -- tiny, leaf-shaped generators that create electricity from a blowing breeze or falling raindrops. The team tested the energy harvesters by incorporating them into artificial plants.
Published Silkmoths: Different olfactory worlds of females and males
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Female moths primarily use their sense of smell to find the best host plants on which to lay their eggs, with the deterrent effect of caterpillar feces playing an important role, according to new research.
Published Climate change threatens global forest carbon sequestration, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change is causing Western U.S. forests to be less effective carbon sinks, even as it boosts the productivity of forests in the Eastern U.S., according to new research.
Published Unraveling the role of supersulfides in regulating mitochondrial function and longevity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Supersulfides, many of which are produced by cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS), are essential compounds across many different lifeforms. However, the precise physiological roles of CARS-produced supersulfide are unclear. Now, using a strategically engineered yeast mutant with a deficient CARS gene, researchers from Japan have shown that supersulfides control cell longevity by mediating mitochondrial energy metabolism and regulating protein quality.
Published Bioinformatics: Researchers develop a new machine learning approach
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To combat viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, synthetic biology offers new technological approaches whose performance is being validated in experiments. Researchers applied data integration and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a machine learning approach that can predict the efficacy of CRISPR technologies more accurately than before.
Published A novel pathway regulating lipid biosynthesis by fatty acids
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) play a crucial role in lipid biosynthesis. In a recent study, researchers identified a novel cleavage enzyme of SREBP-1c, a key player in fatty acid biosynthesis. Moreover, the team unveiled, for the first time, that the biosynthesis process of fatty acid in the liver is activated by saturated fatty acids and inhibited by polyunsaturated fatty acids, providing new insights into the intricate workings of this cleavage system.