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Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Biology: Microbiology
Published How does a millipede get its legs?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millipede legs grow in an unexpected way, according to new research. Previously, it was thought that when a millipede molts (sheds its exoskeleton), it grows new segments on the end of its body without legs. Then after the next molt, the previously new segments re-emerge with fully formed legs attached. However, a team has found that new segments actually contain tiny bundles of legs, which appear as transparent protrusions before molting and then become fully formed afterwards. This discovery could help us understand how not only millipedes, but also other arthropods (invertebrates with jointed legs) grow.
Published Tiny biobattery with 100-year shelf life runs on bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiny biobattery that could still work after 100 years has been developed.
Published Researchers uncover new differences in bacteria's sugar coat to aid pneumococcal vaccine development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many disease-causing bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) are encased in a sugar layer called the capsular polysaccharide (CPS). This layer is often essential for infections. In a ground-breaking discovery, features of the CPS that help the bacteria to colonize the human respiratory tract were identified. The research showed that the structures of the CPS capsule and its types of linkages and combinations matter greatly in allowing the bacteria to better attach and survive on the lining of the upper and lower human respiratory tracts.
Published Female butterflies breed despite male shortage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Female monarch butterflies have no trouble finding a mate -- even when a parasite kills most of the males, new research shows.
Published New genetic target for male contraception identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Discovery of a gene in multiple mammalian species could pave the way for a highly effective, reversible and non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans and animals. Researchers identified expression of the gene, Arrdc5, in the testicular tissue of mice, pigs, cattle and humans. When they knocked out the gene in mice, it created infertility only in the males, impacting their sperm count, movement and shape.
Published Molecular 'Superpower' of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A species of ordinary gut bacteria that we all carry flourishes when the intestinal flora is knocked out by a course of antibiotics. Since the bacteria is naturally resistant to many antibiotics, it causes problems, particularly in healthcare settings. A study now shows how two molecular mechanisms can work together make the bacterium extra resistant.
Published Different cell types in the brain are affected by tick infection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The dreaded tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus infects different types of brain cells in different parts of the brain, depending on whether the affected person's immune system is activated or not.
Published New discovery stops bacterial virus contamination
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new discovery could help stop bacteria being contaminated with viruses, reducing disruption and decreasing costs in industry and research.
Published Software to untangle genetic factors linked to shared characteristics among different species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a software package to help answer key questions about genetic factors associated with shared characteristics among different species.
Published How a virus causes chromosomal breakage, leading to cancer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers describe how the Epstein-Barr virus exploits genomic weaknesses to cause cancer while reducing the body's ability to suppress it.
Published Air pollution is not just a human problem -- it's also changing the gut of British bumblebees
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Human activity is contributing to pollution that is affecting our health. According to WHO estimates, atmospheric air pollution is estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year. Scientists and the public alike are well aware of how human activity and pollution is affecting our heath, but new research has identified how bumblebees may be caught in the crossfire.
Published Where did the first sugars come from?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Origin-of-life chemists propose that glyoxylate could have been the original source of sugars on the 'prebiotic' Earth
Published Hairs that help fish feel -- and humans hear
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are reporting a discovery about unexpected asymmetry on the hair cells of zebrafish that allow them to detect movement with greater sensitivity from the back than the front.
Published Apes may have evolved upright stature for leaves, not fruit, in open woodland habitats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anthropologists have long thought that our ape ancestors evolved an upright torso in order to pick fruit in forests, but new research from the University of Michigan suggests a life in open woodlands and a diet that included leaves drove apes' upright stature.
Published First Nations populations at greater risk of severe flu, research finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has found that First Nations populations around the world are significantly more likely to be hospitalized and die from influenza compared to non-Indigenous populations.
Published Researchers warn of tick-borne disease babesiosis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists report the first high-quality nuclear genome sequence and assembly of the pathogen B. duncani. The team also determined the 3D genome structure of this pathogen that resembles Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite.
Published Biologists determine the evolutionary age of individual cell types providing critical insights for animal development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has recently made a significant discovery about the evolutionary age of different type of cells in a small animal called Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). By using single-cell transcriptomic data and refined phylostratigraphy, the team determines the transcriptomic age of individual cells, which means they are able to estimate the evolutionary origin of different cells based on the age of the genes expressed in the cells.
Published Want better kimchi? Make it like the ancients did
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a combined experimental and theoretical study, researchers measured carbon dioxide levels in onggi during kimchi fermentation and developed a mathematical model to show how the gas was generated and moved through the onggi's porous walls. By bringing the study of fluid mechanics to bear on an ancient technology, their research highlights the work of artisans and provides the missing link for how the traditional earthenware allows for high quality kimchi.
Published Multifunctional patch offers early detection of plant diseases, other crop threats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an electronic patch that can be applied to the leaves of plants to monitor crops for different pathogens -- such as viral and fungal infections -- and stresses such as drought or salinity. In testing, the researchers found the patch was able to detect a viral infection in tomatoes more than a week before growers would be able to detect any visible symptoms of disease.
Published Study compares de novo proteins with randomly produced proteins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a series of experiments, a team of researchers have compared de novo proteins with random-sequence proteins, looking at their stability and solubility. The results are set to advance basic research in this new field.