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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Space: Astronomy
Published Jupiter's great red spot is not the same one Cassini observed in 1600s
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot has persisted for at least 190 years and is likely a different spot from the one observed by the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1665, a new study reports. The Great Red Spot we see today likely formed because of an instability in the planet's intense atmospheric winds, producing a long, persistent atmospheric cell, the study also finds.
Published Wooden surfaces may have natural antiviral properties
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can get passed from person to person via contaminated surfaces. But can some surfaces reduce the risk of this type of transmission without the help of household disinfectants? Wood has natural antiviral properties that can reduce the time viruses persist on its surface -- and some species of wood are more effective than others at reducing infectivity.
Published Blessing in disguise: Mycoviruses enhance fungicide effectiveness against plant pathogens
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers discovered that mycoviruses, or oomycete viruses, can increase the sensitivity of plant pathogenic oomycete to fungicides like metalaxyl. Their findings suggest greater potential for mycoviruses in biocontrol and contributing to sustainable agriculture.
Published Astronomers see a massive black hole awaken in real time
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In late 2019 the previously unremarkable galaxy SDSS1335+0728 suddenly started shining brighter than ever before. To understand why, astronomers have used data from several space and ground-based observatories, including the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), to track how the galaxy's brightness has varied. In a study out today, they conclude that they are witnessing changes never seen before in a galaxy -- likely the result of the sudden awakening of the massive black hole at its core.
Published Treating the gut-brain connection with B vitamins to treat Parkinson's Disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has revealed a link between gut microbiota and Parkinson's disease. The researchers discovered a decrease in bacterial genes related to the synthesis of vitamins B2 and B7. The lack of these genes was associated with reduced intestinal short-chain fatty acids and polyamines, agents that maintain the intestinal barrier and prevent the leakage of toxins into the blood that can then access the brain. Using B vitamin therapy to address these deficiencies may restore the barrier and treat Parkinson's disease.
Published A high-fat diet may fuel anxiety
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows when animals are fed a diet high in saturated fat for nine weeks, their gut bacteria change in ways that influence brain chemicals and fuel anxiety.
Published Computable species descriptions: Scientists develop a new computer language to model organismal traits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Understanding organismal traits and learning how they evolve and adapt to different environments is crucial for biologists and the battle against biodiversity loss. To be truly efficient, however, the researchers need to use huge amounts of data, including physical traits and DNA. Furthermore, those different data types need to be accurately linked to each other, so that computers and next-age AI technology can correctly process it. Currently, this process of accurate linking is extremely difficult and largely inefficient. To solve this problem, researchers created a brand new computer language called Phenoscript.
Published Modified gravity theory: A million light years and still going
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a breakthrough discovery that challenges the conventional understanding of cosmology, scientists have unearthed new evidence that could reshape our perception of the cosmos. New research shows that rotation curves of galaxies stay flat indefinitely far out, corroborating predictions of modified gravity theory as an alternative to dark matter.
Published Previously uncharacterized parasite uncovered in fish worldwide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using genome reconstruction, scientists unveiled a once 'invisible' fish parasite present in many marine fish world-wide that belongs to the apicomplexans, one of the most important groups of parasites at a clinical level. However, it had gone unnoticed in previous studies. The parasite is geographically and taxonomically widespread in fish species around the planet, with implications for commercial fishing and oceanic food webs.
Published Pair of merging quasars at cosmic dawn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have discovered a double-record-breaking pair of quasars. Not only are they the most distant pair of merging quasars ever found, but also the only pair confirmed in the bygone era of the Universe's earliest formation.
Published Investigating the origins of the crab nebula
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to parse the composition of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus.
Published When bacteria are buckling
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Filamentous cyanobacteria buckle at a certain length when they encounter an obstacle. The results provide an important basis for the use of cyanobacteria in modern biotechnology.
Published A new weapon in the battle against antibiotic resistance: Temperature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have shown in laboratory experiments that an increase in temperature from 37 to 40 degrees Celsius increased the resistance rate for two antimicrobials, while for a third antimicrobial, the higher temperature reduced the resistance rate. If these results can be replicated in human patients, fever control could be a new way to mitigate the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Published The genetic 'switches' of bone growth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In mammals, only 3% of the genome consists of coding genes which, when transcribed into proteins, ensure the biological functions of the organism and the in-utero development of future individuals. But genes do not function alone. They are controlled by other sequences in the genome, called enhancers, which, like switches, activate or deactivate them as required. A team has now identified and located 2700 enhancers -- among millions of non-coding genetic sequences -- that precisely regulate the genes responsible for bone growth. This discovery sheds light on one of the major factors influencing the size of individuals in adulthood, and explains why their failure could be the cause of certain bone malformations.
Published Infectious H5N1 influenza virus in raw milk rapidly declines with heat treatment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The amount of infectious H5N1 influenza viruses in raw milk rapidly declined with heat treatment in laboratory research. However, small, detectable amounts of infectious virus remained in raw milk samples with high virus levels when treated at 72 degrees Celsius (161.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 seconds -- one of the standard pasteurization methods used by the dairy industry. The authors of the study stress, however, that their findings reflect experimental conditions in a laboratory setting and are not identical to large-scale industrial pasteurization processes for raw milk.
Published Can engineered plants help make baby formula as nutritious as breast milk?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research may help close the nutrition gap between infant formula and human breast milk. The study shows how plants can be programmed to produce a diverse array of beneficial sugars found in human breast milk. The findings could lead to healthier and more affordable formula for babies, or more nutritious non-dairy plant milk for adults.
Published Modifying genomes of tardigrades to unravel their secrets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some species of tardigrades are highly and unusually resilient to various extreme conditions fatal to most other forms of life. The genetic basis for these exceptional abilities remains elusive. Researchers have now successfully edited genes using the CRISPR technique in a highly resilient tardigrade species previously impossible to study with genome-editing tools. The successful delivery of CRISPR to an asexual tardigrade species directly produces gene-edited offspring. The design and editing of specific tardigrade genes allow researchers to investigate which are responsible for tardigrade resilience and how such resilience can work.
Published The scary, yet promising world of phages, the pathogen's pathogen
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are unlocking the mystery of how bacteria harness viruses to wipe out the competition. The answers could help spur the development of alternatives to antibiotics.
Published Watery planets orbiting dead stars may be good candidates for studying life -- if they can survive long enough
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The small footprint and dim light of white dwarfs, remnants of stars that have burned through their fuel, may make excellent backdrops for studying planets with enough water to harbor life. The trick is spotting the shadow of a planet against a former star that has withered to a fraction of its size and finding that it's a planet that has kept its water oceans for billions of years even after riding out the star's explosive and violent final throes. A new study of the dynamics of white dwarf systems suggests that, in theory, some watery planets may indeed thread the celestial needles necessary to await discovery and closer scrutiny.
Published Mysterious mini-Neptunes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source This study discovered mini-Neptunes around four red dwarfs using observations from a global network of ground-based telescopes and the TESS space telescope. These four mini-Neptunes are close to their parent stars, and the three of them are likely to be in eccentric orbits.