Biology
Mining fragmented microbial DNA identifies candidates for anticancer testing
Researchers have developed a practical strategy for recovering biosynthetic information from fragmented metagenomic data. Through this work, the researchers identified and priorit…
Small protein helps amplify cell signals from receptors targeted by many medicines
A small protein known as p11 may play a much broader role in cellular signaling than previously thought. Researchers at Karolinska institutet have now shown that p11 interacts wit…
Yosemite toad killer may be hiding in their own homes
UCLA biologists have found the hiding place of a silent killer stalking threatened Yosemite toads: their own burrows. The Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) fungus decimating amp…
Global pollination analysis reveals climate explains specialized partnerships better than latitude
An international study led by researchers from Charles University in Prague (CUNI) and the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences (BC CAS) has mapped how closely flowerin…
Salivary gland mini-organs grown from pluripotent stem cells offer potential path to treating severe dry mouth
Extreme dry mouth, caused by radiation used to treat cancer and by autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's disease, radically affects quality of life for sufferers. It can hamper sp…
Engineer brings 'surgineering' mindset to future of medicine
Farshid Alambeigi refers to one of his most ambitious research efforts as "the sci-fi project." The idea lives up to the name. He is developing robotic technology that could one d…
How the biological clock regulates phases of wakefulness
The circadian clock is an internal biological system that regulates sleep-wake cycles, as well as many physiological functions such as body temperature and hormone production. In …
Google DeepMind develops invisible watermarks for AI-designed proteins
Watermarks have long protected everything from bank notes and fine art to digital photographs and software, helping prove authenticity and trace an object's origin. Their main fun…
The ocean as a medicine cabinet: Researchers search for useful microbes
New medicines, crop protection products and treatments for fish diseases could have their origins on the seabed. That is where project coordinator Gilles van Wezel and project man…
Machine learning detects bacterial invasion and DNA damage in human cells
When scientists assess how dangerous a bacterium is, the first question often seems simple: Can it be stopped or killed? In microbiology and antibiotic research, one of the classi…
RAB1 proteins help recruit membrane-building vesicles to mitochondria during mitochondria-selective autophagy
The Intracellular Quality Control Project at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science has identified a molecular mechanism that helps initiate the formation of autophag…
Python removal index identifies large females as key targets for limiting population growth
When it comes to removing Burmese pythons, one snake does not equal another. A new study by researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (U…
Desert alga reveals how fast growth and resistance to extreme conditions can coexist
A single-celled green alga from the sand dunes of the Negev Desert has, within just a few years, become a key model organism in modern photosynthesis research. Chlorella ohadii he…
Viral enzyme cuts bacterial sensor protein, triggering defense against invading phages
In the fight to find better treatments for bacterial infections, one rapidly evolving therapy uses a group of viruses called bacteriophages (phages). Phages can attack and kill da…
Precisely patterned molecular threads boost neuron growth and synapse formation in cell cultures
Northwestern University scientists have developed remarkably long, precisely patterned molecular threads that could open new possibilities for designing advanced materials. The sc…
Growth in milk boosts Staph bacteria's resistance to antibiotics, experiments reveal
Staphylococcus aureus is frequently found in human and veterinary infections. It is named for the golden-yellow pigment it produces, which contributes to its virulence and protect…
Sea change: WildFin aims to improve fish behavior analysis in the wild
In the first year of her doctoral research, Abigail Grassick collected hours of underwater video as she studied fish communities living on bommies—individual clumps of coral—on th…
Largest-ever jaguar analysis identifies how populations are connected across the Americas
An international team of researchers has produced the most comprehensive assessment to date of connectivity across the jaguar's range, identifying key habitats and movement corrid…
SpaceX launches crew to ISS successfully: ‘Thanks for an amazing ride’
Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit, is making her second trip to the space stationFour astronauts rocketed into orbit on Thursday on a space station mi…
Urban environments may be the ultimate training grounds for invasive species
As cities grow and urban sprawl expands, could these changing landscapes be giving invasive species a competitive edge? Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food a…
Sex-like DNA exchange in starving bacteria occurs over 100 times more often than spontaneous mutations
How do bacteria adapt when resources run low? ISTA researchers have found that, under starvation stress, E. coli can use bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas immunity to transfer and inc…
Chimps plunder less pineapple from friends—and expect them to do the same
In recent years, scientists have shown that chimpanzees favor certain peers by picking whom they prefer to groom and selectively sharing food. The behavior offers a glimpse into h…
Underlying causes of recurrent bacterial vaginosis identified by Australian scientists
Melbourne researchers behind previous BV transmission breakthrough turn attention to understanding why some cases are harder to cure Australian scientists have identified two cont…
Catalog of mitochondria across life's family tree unearths unusual functions
A research consortium has generated the broadest look yet at the proteins that make up mitochondria, capturing the organelle's diversity across multiple branches on the tree of co…