Showing 20 articles starting at article 1121
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Physics: Quantum Computing
Published Keep it secret: Cloud data storage security approach taps quantum physics



Distributed cloud storage is a hot topic for security researchers, and a team is now merging quantum physics with mature cryptography and storage techniques to achieve a cost-effective cloud storage solution.
Published How tiny hinges bend the infection-spreading spikes of a coronavirus



Far from being stiff and pointy, a coronavirus's infectious spikes are shaped like chicken drumsticks with the meaty part facing out, and the meaty part can tilt every which way on its slender stalk. A new study suggests that disabling those hinges could block infection.
Published Evolution of taste: Early sharks were able to perceive bitter substances



New genetic data show that humans and sharks share bitter taste receptors, even though their evolutionary pathways separated nearly 500 million years ago.
Published New discovery on how green algae count cell divisions illuminates key step needed for the evolution of multicellular life



An international research team has made an unexpected discovery of a biased counting mechanism used by the single-celled green alga Chlamydomonas to control cell division.
Published How marine bristle worms use a special protein to distinguish between sunlight and moonlight



A research team has presented its findings on the functioning of an atypical cryptochrome protein (Cry). These proteins are found in a variety of organisms, and they are often involved in light-controlled biological processes. The marine bristle worm Platynereis dumerilii, for example, employs a special Cry protein designated L-Cry to distinguish between sunlight and moonlight as well as between different moon phases. This is essential for the worms to synchronize their reproduction to the full moon phase via an inner monthly calendar, also called circalunar clock.
Published Cycle of fasting and feeding is crucial for healthy aging



Fasting interventions, which involve alternating periods of fasting and refeeding, are generally thought to improve health. But these interventions don't work as well in old animals. The question is: Why? By studying the short-lived killifish, researchers have shown that older fish deviate from a youthful fasting and refeeding cycle, and instead enter a state of perpetual fasting, even when ingesting food. However, the benefits of refeeding after fasting in old killifish can be restored by genetically activating a specific subunit of AMP kinase, an important sensor of cellular energy. These mutant fish experienced improved health and longevity, indicating that both fasting and refeeding are needed to confer health benefits and act through AMP kinase to do so.
Published Forming ice: There's a fungal protein for that



New research explores how proteins produced by a common fungus trigger ice nucleation at warm temperatures. The study holds potential implications for improving our understanding of how life affects precipitation and climate.
Published Yucatán's underwater caves host diverse microbial communities



With help from an experienced underwater cave-diving team, researchers have constructed the most complete map to date of the microbial communities living in the submerged labyrinths beneath Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Researchers found the cave system's microbiome is distinct from the nearby sea, and microbial communities vary between cave systems forming distinct 'neighborhoods.'
Published The mystery of phosphite -- a scientific detective story



Biologists have discovered a phosphorus-based bacterial metabolism that is both new and ancient. In a special role: a calculation from the 1980s, a sewage plant, a new bacterial organism, and a remnant from around 2.5 billion years ago.
Published Yeast cells can produce drugs for treatment of psychotic disorders



An international team of researchers has demonstrated that genetically engineered yeast cells can produce the natural plant product alstonine, which has shown positive effects in treating schizophrenia.
Published Atomic dance gives rise to a magnet



Researchers turned a paramagnetic material into a magnet by manipulating electrons' spin via atomic motion.
Published Team creates synthetic enzymes to unravel molecular mysteries



A bioengineer has developed synthetic enzymes that can control the behavior of the signaling protein Vg1, which plays a key role in the development of muscle, bone and blood in vertebrate embryos. The team of researchers is using a new approach, called the Synthetic Processing (SynPro) system, in zebrafish to study how Vg1 is formed. By learning the molecular rules of signal formation in a developing animal, researchers aim to engineer mechanisms -- such as giving cells new instructions -- that could play a role in treating or preventing disease.
Published New way to count microbes speeds research, cuts waste, could lead to new antibiotics



Researchers have developed a new way of counting microorganisms that works as much as 36 times faster than conventional methods, cuts plastic use more than 15-fold and substantially decreases the cost and carbon footprint of biomedical research. The technique could revolutionize the way microbiology experiments are conducted, allowing researchers to test potential new antibiotics in a fraction of the time.
Published Scientists use quantum biology, AI to sharpen genome editing tool



Scientists used their expertise in quantum biology, artificial intelligence and bioengineering to improve how CRISPR Cas9 genome editing tools work on organisms like microbes that can be modified to produce renewable fuels and chemicals.
Published Bacteria-virus arms race provides rare window into rapid and complex evolution



Rather than a slow, gradual process as Darwin envisioned, biologists can now see how evolutionary changes unfold on much more accelerated timescales. Using an accelerated arms race between bacteria and viruses, researchers are documenting rapid evolutionary processes in simple laboratory flasks in only three weeks.
Published Early life exposure to broccoli sprouts protects against colitis in inflammatory bowel disease



High fiber diets, like those that include broccoli sprouts or other cruciferous vegetables, may reduce disease symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Published First live birth of a chimeric monkey using embryonic stem cell lines



A team of researchers has reported for the first time the live birth of a monkey that contains a high proportion of cells derived from a monkey stem cell line. This 'chimeric' monkey is composed of cells that originate from two genetically distinct embryos of the same species of monkey. This has previously been demonstrated in rats and mice but, until now, has not been possible in other species, including non-human primates.
Published Zen and the art of mitochondrial maintenance: The machinery of death makes a healthier life



While we all aspire for a long lifespan, what is most coveted is a long period of vigor and health, or 'healthspan,' that precedes the inevitable decline of advancing age. Researchers have discovered that instruments of death that cells use to commit suicide when things go wrong contribute to making a longer and healthier life by revitalizing the specialized cellular compartments called mitochondria.
Published Artificial bladders shine light on bugs that cause urinary tract infections



A new study reveals that numerous bacterial strains are capable of hiding in the human bladder wall, suggesting why urinary tract infections often persist after treatment.
Published Temperature increase triggers viral infection



Researchers have mapped on an atomic level what happens in a virus particle when the temperature is raised.