Showing 20 articles starting at article 1281
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Engineering: Biometric
Published Fungi blaze a trail to fireproof cladding
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have shown it's possible to grow fungi in thin sheets that could be used for fire-retardant cladding or even a new kind of fungal fashion.
Published Researchers visualize activity of CRISPR genetic scissors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a new method to measure the smallest twists and torques of molecules within milliseconds. The method makes it possible to track the gene recognition of CRISPR-Cas protein complexes, also known as 'genetic scissors', in real time and with the highest resolution. With the data obtained, the recognition process can be accurately characterized and modeled to improve the precision of the genetic scissors.
Published Ticks may be able to spread chronic wasting disease between Wisconsin deer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study finds that ticks can harbor transmissible amounts of the protein particle that causes Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), implicating the parasites as possible agents in the disease's spread between deer in Wisconsin.
Published Researchers develop digital test to directly measure HIV viral load
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A milliliter of blood contains about 15 individual drops. For a person with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), each drop of blood could contain anywhere from fewer than 20 copies of the virus to more than 500,000 copies. Called the viral load, this is what is measured to allow clinicians to understand how patients are responding to anti-viral medications and monitor potential progression. The time-consuming viral load testing needs to be repeated several times as a patient undergoes treatment. Now, a research team has developed a time and cost-efficient digital assay that can directly measure the presence of HIV in single drop of blood.
Published Some black truffles grown in eastern U.S. may be less valuable lookalike species, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Black truffle growers are unintentionally growing less-expensive winter truffles, which may lead to mix-ups in the market as well.
Published 50-million-year-old katydid fossil reveals muscles, digestive tract, glands and a testicle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 50 million years ago in what is now northwestern Colorado, a katydid died, sank to the bottom of a lake and was quickly buried in fine sediments, where it remained until its compressed fossil was recovered in recent years. When researchers examined the fossil under a microscope, they saw that not only had many of the insect's hard structures been preserved in the compressed shale, so had several internal organs and tissues, which are not normally fossilized.
Published Groundbreaking bacterial discovery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers discover viruses impact the genetic coding of purple (PSB) and green (GSB) sulfur bacteria.
Published How coral reefs can survive climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Similar to the expeditions of a hundred or two hundred years ago, the Tara Pacific expedition lasted over two years. The goal: to research the conditions for life and survival of corals. The ship crossed the entire Pacific Ocean, assembling the largest genetic inventory conducted in any marine system to date. The team's 70 scientists from eight countries took around 58,000 samples from the hundred coral reefs studied.
Published All the immunity, none of the symptoms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists found pairing specific diets with diarrheal disease-causing bacteria can create lasting immunity in mice without a need to ever experience symptoms. The findings pave the way for vaccine development that could reduce symptoms and mortality of diarrheal illness and other diseases in humans.
Published Drug decelerates bacterial race to antibiotic resistance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that, in laboratory cultures and animal models, a drug significantly reduces the ability of bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance, which might prolong antibiotic effectiveness.
Published Is the U.S. ready for an African swine fever outbreak?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers used a computer model to understand how African swine fever (ASF) might spread among swine farms in the southeastern U.S. -- and examined the effectiveness of existing response plans. They found that although control actions would help, an outbreak could still prove persistent and costly.
Published Researcher uses pressure to understand RNA dynamics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Just as space holds infinite mysteries, when we zoom in at the level of biomolecules (one trillion times smaller than a meter), there is still so much to learn. Scientists are studying the conformational landscapes of biomolecules and how they modulate cell function. When biomolecules receive certain inputs, it can cause the atoms to rearrange and the biomolecule to change shape. This change in shape affects their function in cells, so understanding conformational dynamics is critical for drug development.
Published 'We're all Asgardians': New clues about the origin of complex life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source According to a new study, eukaryotes -- complex life forms with nuclei in their cells, including all the world's plants, animals, insects and fungi -- trace their roots to a common Asgard archaean ancestor. That means eukaryotes are, in the parlance of evolutionary biologists, a 'well-nested clade' within Asgard archaea, similar to how birds are one of several groups within a larger group called dinosaurs, sharing a common ancestor.
Published Are viruses keeping sea lice at bay in wild salmon?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More than 30 previously unknown RNA viruses in sea lice have been identified. Sea lice are parasitic copepods (small crustaceans) found in many fresh and saltwater habitats, and have been implicated in the decline of wild salmon populations. The research sheds greater light on the types of viruses being carried by sea lice, and how the viruses and host are interacting.
Published The clue is in the glue -- Nature's secret for holding it together
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An obscure aquatic plant has helped to explain how plants avoid cracking up under the stresses and strains of growth.
Published Do hummingbirds drink alcohol? More often than you think
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Animals that eat fruit or sip nectar often ingest alcohol because naturally occurring yeasts turning sugar into ethanol. But how do animals feel about that? A new study details an experiment to determine whether hummingbirds are turned off by alcohol in sugar water. At 1% by volume, no. At 2% by volume, they consume much less. The implication is that hummingbirds have adjusted to small amounts of alcohol likely present in flowers and backyard feeders.
Published Studying herpes encephalitis with mini-brains
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The herpes simplex virus-1 can sometimes cause a dangerous brain infection. Combining an anti-inflammatory and an antiviral could help in these cases, report scientists.
Published RSV is a serious heath threat, but the public knows little about it
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new survey finds that the American public is ill-informed about RSV, unfamiliar with its most common symptoms, and more hesitant to recommend a vaccine against it to pregnant people than to older adults.
Published A roadmap for gene regulation in plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For the first time, researchers have developed a genome-scale way to map the regulatory role of transcription factors, proteins that play a key role in gene expression and determining a plant's physiological traits. Their work reveals unprecedented insights into gene regulatory networks and identifies a new library of DNA parts that can be used to optimize plants for bioenergy and agriculture.
Published Now, every biologist can use machine learning
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have built a new, comprehensive AutoML platform designed for biologists with little to no ML experience. New automated machine learning platform enables easy, all-in-one analysis, design, and interpretation of biological sequences with minimal coding. Their platform, called BioAutoMATED, can use sequences of nucleic acids, peptides, or glycans as input data, and its performance is comparable to other AutoML platforms while requiring minimal user input.