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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Geoscience: Geography
Published Millions of gamers advance biomedical research



4.5 million gamers around the world have advanced medical science by helping to reconstruct microbial evolutionary histories using a minigame included inside the critically and commercially successful video game, Borderlands 3. Their playing has led to a significantly refined estimate of the relationships of microbes in the human gut. The results of this collaboration will both substantially advance our knowledge of the microbiome and improve on the AI programs that will be used to carry out this work in future.
Published GeoAI technologies for sustainable urban development



From heatwaves to pandemic diseases, the urban environments of the world face numerous challenges. Researchers are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics to address emerging concerns related to environmental changes and urban growth.
Published Green-to-red transformation of Euglena gracilis using bonito stock and intense red light



Euglena gracilis, often regarded as a 'superfood,' is a promising microalga with many health and nutritional benefits. In a recent study, researchers found an efficient and low-resource approach to trigger a reddening reaction in E. gracilis using red light and a bonito fish-based culture medium. This reaction is a sign of higher and diverse carotenoid content ratio, meaning the proposed method could help turn E. gracilis into an even more nutritious food source.
Published Researchers resolve old mystery of how phages disarm pathogenic bacteria



Bacterial infections pose significant challenges to agriculture and medicine, especially as cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to rise. In response, scientists are elucidating the ways that bacteria-infecting viruses disarm these pathogens and ushering in the possibility of novel treatment methods.
Published Even the simplest marine organisms tend to be individualistic



Sport junkie or couch potato? Always on time or often late? The animal kingdom, too, is home to a range of personalities, each with its own lifestyle. Biologists report on a surprising discovery: even simple marine polychaete worms shape their day-to-day lives on the basis of highly individual rhythms. This diversity is of interest not just for the future of species and populations in a changing environment, but also for medicine.
Published New radar analysis method can improve winter river safety



Researchers have developed a way to use radar to detect open water zones and other changes in Alaska's frozen rivers in the early winter. The approach can be automated to provide current hazard maps and is applicable across the Arctic and sub-Arctic.
Published Carbon beads help restore healthy gut microbiome and reduce liver disease progression



Innovative carbon beads reduce bad bacteria and inflammation in animal models, which are linked to liver cirrhosis and other serious health issues.
Published Where have all the right whales gone?



Marine researchers have mapped the density of one of the most endangered large whale species worldwide, the North Atlantic right whale, using new data to help avoid right whales' harmful exposure to commercial fisheries and vessel strikes. The resulting maps, spanning 20 years of whale observations, are publicly available to inform risk assessments, estimations of whale harm/disturbance, marine spatial planning, and industry regulations to mitigate risk to right whales.
Published How seaweed became multicellular



A deep dive into macroalgae genetics has uncovered the genetic underpinnings that enabled macroalgae, or 'seaweed,' to evolve multicellularity. Three lineages of macroalgae developed multicellularity independently and during very different time periods by acquiring genes that enable cell adhesion, extracellular matrix formation, and cell differentiation, researchers report. Surprisingly, many of these multicellular-enabling genes had viral origins. The study, which increased the total number of sequenced macroalgal genomes from 14 to 124, is the first to investigate macroalgal evolution through the lens of genomics.
Published Retention ponds can deliver a substantial reduction in tire particle pollution



New research has shown that the presence of wetlands and retention ponds alongside major highways led to an average reduction of almost 75% in the mass of tire wear particles being discharged to aquatic waters. The researchers say that while the number of retention ponds and wetlands in the UK is quite small, the study has international significance as to the most effective ways to mitigate against the potential impacts of tire pollution on a global scale.
Published Microbial food as a strategy food production of the future



Scientists have summarized microbial food production strategies.
Published Innovative antiviral defense with new CRISPR tool



The rise of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for new ways to fight them. RNA-targeting tools like CRISPR/Cas13 are powerful but inefficient in the cytoplasm of cells, where many RNA viruses replicate. Scientists have devised a solution: Cas13d-NCS. This new molecular tool allows CRISPR RNA molecules that are located within the nucleus of a cell to move to the cytoplasm, making it highly effective at neutralizing RNA viruses. This advancement opens doors for precision medicine and proactive viral defense strategies.
Published PFAS exposure from high seafood diets may be underestimated



A study suggests that people with diets high in seafood may face a greater risk of exposure to PFAS -- the family of human-made toxins known as 'forever chemicals' -- than previously thought. The researchers stress the need for more stringent public health guidelines that establish how much seafood people can safely consume to limit their exposure, particularly in coastal areas where seafood is frequently eaten.
Published Oceanographers uncover the vital role of mixing down of oxygen in sustaining deep sea health



Oceanographers have shown for the first time the important role of the 'mixing down' of oxygen in maintaining healthy conditions in the deep waters.
Published Africa's iconic flamingos threatened by rising lake levels



It is one of the world's most spectacular sights -- huge flocks or 'flamboyances' of flamingos around East Africa's lakes -- as seen in the film Out of Africa or David Attenborough's A Perfect Planet. But new research has revealed how the lesser flamingo is at danger of being flushed out of its historic feeding grounds, with serious consequences for the future of the species.
Published First step to untangle DNA: Supercoiled DNA captures gyrase like a lasso ropes cattle



Researchers reveal how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements. The findings not only provide novel insights into this fundamental biological mechanism but also have potential practical applications. Gyrases are biomedical targets for the treatment of bacterial infections and the similar human versions of the enzymes are targets for many anti-cancer drugs. Better understanding of how gyrases work at the molecular level can potentially improve clinical treatments.
Published New approach for combating 'resting' bacteria



Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick. But just as dangerous as this rapid growth can be a bacterium's resting state, which helps the pathogen evade antibiotics and contributes to severe chronic infections in the lungs and blood, within wounds, and on the surfaces of medical devices. Now, scientists have discovered how long chains of molecules called polyphosphates (polyP) are needed for bacteria to slow down movements within cells and let them enter this resting state.
Published Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems



Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific, according to new research.
Published Ocean currents threaten to collapse Antarctic ice shelves



Meandering ocean currents play an important role in the melting of Antarctic ice shelves, threatening a significant rise in sea levels.
Published Cloud engineering could be more effective 'painkiller' for global warming than previously thought



Cloud 'engineering' could be more effective for climate cooling than previously thought, because of the increased cloud cover produced, new research shows.