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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Paleontology: Fossils
Published Bringing multidrug-resistant pathogens to their knees
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections that cannot be treated by any known antibiotics pose a serious global threat. A research team has now introduced a method for the development of novel antibiotics to fight resistant pathogens. The drugs are based on protein building blocks with fluorous lipid chains.
Published How mosquito larva guts could help create highly specific insecticides
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Did you know that the world's deadliest animal is the mosquito? And Aedes aegypti is one of the most dangerous. This bug spreads viruses that cause dengue fever, which was recently declared as an epidemic in Puerto Rico. Research reports new molecules that label proteins in the unique, alkaline environment of the Ae. aegypti digestive system that could help scientists develop insecticides to fight back.
Published Integrated dataset enables genes-to-ecosystems research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new dataset bridging molecular information about the poplar tree microbiome to ecosystem-level processes has been released. The project aims to inform research regarding how natural systems function, their vulnerability to a changing climate, and ultimately how plants might be engineered for better performance as sources of bioenergy and natural carbon storage.
Published Dinosaur study challenges Bergmann's rule
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study calls into question Bergmann's rule, an 1800s-era scientific principle stating that animals in high-latitude, cooler climates tend to be larger than close relatives living in warmer climates.
Published Can language models read the genome? This one decoded mRNA to make better vaccines
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers developed a foundational language model to decode mRNA sequences and optimize those sequences for vaccine development. The tool shows broader promise as a means for studying molecular biology.
Published eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The study underscores the crucial role of microbes in maintaining coral reef health, akin to the human gut microbiome. Hurricanes and disease outbreaks affect coral reef water microbial communities, leading to changes that may support further reef decline. Microbial analysis enables prompt assessment of disturbances' impacts on coral reefs, facilitating timely interventions to support reef ecosystems. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis offers a noninvasive approach to study coral microbial communities and diagnose reef health.
Published Rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple bacteria achieved with handheld sensor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has developed a method for simultaneous detection of multiple disease-causing bacterial species within one hour using a handheld device.
Published What four decades of canned salmon reveal about marine food webs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shown that levels of anisakid worms -- a common marine parasite -- rose in two salmon species in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay over a 42-year period. The team discovered this by studying salmon caught, killed and canned from 1979 to 2021. Since anisakid worms have a complex life cycle involving multiple types of hosts, the researchers interpret their rising numbers as a potential sign of ecosystem recovery, possibly driven by rising numbers of marine mammals thanks to the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Published New research offers insight into the future understanding of MS and its treatments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new and unique blood test to measure the immune response to the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) which is the leading risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Their findings have implications for future basic research in further understanding the biology of EBV in MS, but also has the potential to be applied in clinical trials that target the virus.
Published Heat flows the secret to order in prebiotic molecular kitchen
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biophysicists have demonstrated how heat flows through rock fissures could have created the conditions for the emergence of life.
Published Microbial signature of colorectal cancer-associated mutations identified in new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have connected KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer to microbial signatures in the gut.
Published New tools reveal how genes work and cells organize
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered how certain proteins can attach to special structures in RNA, called G-quadruplexes. Additionally, they have developed computational tools capable of predicting these protein-RNA interactions. The newfound ability to predict these interactions can help future work in understanding molecular pathways in the cell and pave the way for developing drugs targeting these RNA G-quadruplex binding proteins, that are found to be involved in disease such as cancer.
Published Evolution in action? New study finds possibility of nitrogen-fixing organelles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study finds that UCYN-A, a species of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, may be evolving organelle-like characteristics.
Published Early dinosaurs grew up fast, but they weren't the only ones
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The earliest dinosaurs had rapid growth rates, but so did many of the other animals living alongside them, according to a new study.
Published Giant phage holds promise as treatment for lung infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a new bacterial killer that can target common lung infection caused by Burkholderia bacteria that has exciting potential for biotechnological applications.
Published Discovery could end global amphibian pandemic
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.
Published Plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself grown from bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have genetically engineered bacteria to grow animal- and plastic-free leather that dyes itself.
Published New discovery unravels malaria invasion mechanism
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent breakthrough sheds light on how the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, invades human red blood cells. The study reveals the role of a sugar called sialic acid in this invasion process. The findings have major implications for malaria vaccine and drug development.
Published Scientists further our understanding of how a foodborne bacterium can survive in food preparation environments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that bacterial populations remain stable on factory floor despite cleaning efforts in ready-to-eat food production facilities.
Published When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scholars present the earliest clear archaeological and biomolecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 archaeological sites spanning one and a half millennia. The research indicates that the domestic chicken, now a staple in diets around the world, is not as ancient as previously thought.