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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Geoscience: Earth Science
Published Down to the core of poxviruses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent re-emergence and outbreak of Mpox brought poxviruses back as a public health threat, underlining an important knowledge gap at their core. Now, a team of researchers lifted the mysteries of poxviral core architecture by combining various cryo-electron microscopy techniques with molecular modeling.
Published Computer-engineered DNA to study cell identities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new computer program allows scientists to design synthetic DNA segments that indicate, in real time, the state of cells. It will be used to screen for anti-cancer or viral infections drugs, or to improve gene and cell-based immunotherapies.
Published Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New study reveals how gene expression shapes the diverse smelling and tasting abilities of different fly species. Most genes are surprisingly stable, but thousands have evolved to create unique olfactory landscapes. Sex differences in sensing are widespread and involve specific cell types in key tissues. The study provides insights into the evolution of sensory systems in general, with potential implications for understanding human olfaction.
Published Microbial division of labor produces higher biofuel yields
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have found a way to boost ethanol production via yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach relies on careful timing and a tight division of labor among synthetic yeast strains to yield more ethanol per unit of plant sugars than previous approaches have achieved.
Published Scientists 'break the mould' by creating new colors of 'blue cheese'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Experts have discovered how to create different colors of blue cheese. After discovering how the classic blue-green veining is created, a team of experts were able to create a variety of different fungal strains that could be used to make cheese with colors ranging from white to yellow-green to red-brown-pink and light and dark blues.
Published Study challenges the classical view of the origin of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and warns of its vulnerability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Circumpolar Current works as a regulator of the planet's climate. Its origins were thought to have caused the formation of the permanent ice in Antarctica about 34 million years ago. Now, a study has cast doubt on this theory, and has changed the understanding of how the ice sheet in Antarctic developed in the past, and what this could mean in the future as the planet's climate changes.
Published Vitamin B12 adaptability in Antarctic algae has implications for climate change, life in the Southern Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The algae P. antarctica has two forms of the enzyme that makes the amino acid methionine, one needing B12, and one that is slower, but doesn't need it. This means it has the ability to adapt and survive with low B12 availability. The presence of the MetE gene in P. antarctica gives the algae the ability to adapt to lower vitamin B12 availability, giving it a potential advantage to bloom in the early austral spring when bacterial production is low. P. antarctica takes in the CO2 and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. Understanding its ability to grow in environments with low vitamin B12 availability can help climate modelers make more accurate predictions.
Published New technology unscrambles the chatter of microbes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new search tool to that can match microbes to the metabolites they produce with no prior knowledge, an innovation that could transform our understanding of both human health and the environment.
Published Understanding how soil traps carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With 2,500 billion tons of carbon, soil is one of Earth's largest carbon sinks. Researchers used experiments and computational modeling to study interactions between carbon molecules and clay minerals in soil. New research gives clues to why some plant-based carbon molecules are sequestered in soils but others are respired as CO2. Findings show that electrostatic charges, surrounding nutrients in soil and competition from other molecules all play roles in facilitating carbon trapping.
Published In a warming world, climate scientists consider category 6 hurricanes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For more than 50 years, the National Hurricane Center has used the Saffir-Simpson Windscale to communicate the risk of property damage; it labels a hurricane on a scale from Category 1 (wind speeds between 74 -- 95 mph) to Category 5 (wind speeds of 158 mph or greater). But as increasing ocean temperatures contribute to ever more intense and destructive hurricanes, climate scientists wondered whether the open-ended Category 5 is sufficient to communicate the risk of hurricane damage in a warming climate.
Published Common food preservative has unexpected effects on the gut microbiome
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Analysis of a common preservative used to kill pathogens in food shows that it affects beneficial bacteria as well, threatening the healthy balance of the gut microbiome.
Published Scientists see an ultra-fast movement on surface of HIV virus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Seeing a glycoprotein on the envelope of the HIV virus snap open and shut in mere millionths of a second is giving investigators a new handle on the surface of the virus that could lead to broadly neutralizing antibodies for an AIDS vaccine. Being able to attach an antibody specifically to this little structure that would prevent it from popping open would be key.
Published Mechanism discovered that protects tissue after faulty gene expression
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has identified a protein complex that is activated by defects in the spliceosome, the molecular scissors that process genetic information. Future research could lead to new therapeutic approaches to treat diseases caused by faulty splicing.
Published How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants and provide insights into future biofuels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists developed a new method to map exactly how a fungus works with leafcutter ants in a complex microbial community to degrade plant material at the molecular level. The team's insights are important for biofuels development.
Published Disrupted cellular function behind type 2 diabetes in obesity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Disrupted function of 'cleaning cells' in the body may help to explain why some people with obesity develop type 2 diabetes, while others do not. A study describes this newly discovered mechanism.
Published Zebrafish navigate to find their comfortable temperature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Zebrafish are smaller than your little finger, with a brain no more than half the size of a pinhead. Yet these animals possess an efficient navigation system that enables them to find their way back to spots in the water where the temperature suits them.
Published Permafrost alone holds back Arctic rivers -- and a lot of carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides the first evidence that the Arctic's frozen soil is the dominant force shaping Earth's northernmost rivers, confining them to smaller areas and shallower valleys than rivers to the south. But as climate change weakens Arctic permafrost, the researchers calculate that every 1 degree Celsius of global warming could release as much carbon as 35 million cars emit in a year as polar waterways expand and churn up the thawing soil.
Published The arrangement of bacteria in biofilms affects their sensitivity to antibiotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many bacteria form an antibiotic-resistant slime. Research detailing that slime's structure could help lead to new treatments.
Published Resistant bacteria can remain in the body for years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fighting disease-causing bacteria becomes more difficult when antibiotics stop working. People with pre-existing conditions in particular can carry resistant germs and suffer from repeated infections for years, according to a new study.
Published Plant receptors that control immunity and development share a common origin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have traced the origin and evolutionary trajectory of plant immune receptors. Their discovery will make it easier to identify immune receptor genes from genomic information and could help in the development of pathogen-resistant crops.