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Healthy gut microbiota contributes to normal brain function, study shows

Depression is a mental disorder that affects more than 264 million people of all ages worldwide. Understanding its mechanisms is vital for the development of effective therapeutic strategies.

11 Dec 2020

Research shows how epithelial cells ward off viruses

A team led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich Researcher Veit Hornung has shown that a protein found in skin cells recognizes a specific nucleic acid intermediate that is formed during virus replication. This recognition process subsequently induces a potent inflammatory response.

11 Dec 2020

Research reveals the transmission of parasitism among farmed and wild fish

Researchers of the SAIGAS (Service for the Analysis, Research and Management of Wild Animals) Group of the Faculty of Veterinarian Sciences of the CEU Cardenal Herrera (CEU UCH) University of Valencia recently published the results of project "Parapez-2" in order to "Assess the transmission of parasitism among farmed and wild fish" in fish farms of the Canary Islands and the Valencia region.

11 Dec 2020

Microplastic particles find their way into living cells if exposed to natural aquatic environments

The environment is polluted by microplastics worldwide. The tiny particles enter food chains, and thereby the digestive systems of animals and humans; moreover, they can be inhaled. Instead of being excreted, small microplastics can be incorporated into the body tissue.

10 Dec 2020

IGC researchers receive three out of six European Research Council grants

Since the establishment of the European Research Council in 2008, the IGC has secured 17 of their competitive grants (7 Starting, 8 Consolidator and 2 Advanced).

10 Dec 2020

Hematoxylin compounds can selectively kill CALR mutant cancer cells

Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), a group of malignant diseases of the bone marrow, often have a carcinogenic mutated form of the calreticulin gene (CALR).

10 Dec 2020

Researchers develop new serological assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed a novel serological assay for the detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

10 Dec 2020

Colon lining releases hydrogen peroxide to protect the body from gut microbes

Scientists at UC Davis Health have discovered that an enzyme in the colon lining releases hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) - a known disinfecting compound- to protect the body from gut microbes.

9 Dec 2020

Scientists shed light on how neurons form long-term memories

On a late summer day in 1953, a young man who would soon be known as patient H.M. underwent experimental surgery. In an attempt to treat his debilitating seizures, a surgeon removed portions of his brain, including part of a structure called the hippocampus. The seizures stopped.

9 Dec 2020

New consortium aims to understand principles underlying the formation of coronaviruses

The University of California, Riverside, is the recipient of a 2021 UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives, or MRPI, award allowing the campus to put together a UC Coronavirus Assembly Research Consortium.

9 Dec 2020

Tomatoes could become a new, natural source of Parkinson's disease drug

Scientists have produced a tomato enriched in the Parkinson's disease drug L-DOPA in what could become a new, affordable source of one of the world's essential medicines.

9 Dec 2020

Evolutionary gene mutation unique to humans may be to blame for risk of advanced cancers

Compared to chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, humans are particularly prone to developing advanced carcinomas -- the type of tumors that include prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers -- even in the absence of known risk factors, such as genetic predisposition or tobacco use.

9 Dec 2020

Repair protein may prevent damage to healthy cells during cancer therapy

A key way radiation therapy and chemotherapy work is by making highly lethal double-strand breaks in the DNA of cancer cells.

9 Dec 2020

Study reveals human-specific link between advanced carcinomas and a unique gene

Humans are more prone to develop carcinomas compared with our closest evolutionary cousins, the great apes.

9 Dec 2020

Chemists identify a new method to make valuable hydrocarbons

Inspired by light-sensing bacteria that thrive near hot oceanic vents, synthetic chemists at Rice University have found a mild method to make valuable hydrocarbons known as olefins, or alkenes.

8 Dec 2020

Using magnetic bacteria to control liquids at the micro level

ETH scientists use magnetic bacteria to control liquids at the micro level. They are already thinking about using them in the human bloodstream for precision delivery of cancer drugs to a tumor.

8 Dec 2020

Possible new antibiotic developed for drug-resistant pulmonary pathogen

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Medicine have developed a possible new antibiotic for a pathogen that is notoriously resistant to medications and frequently lethal for people with cystic fibrosis and other lung ailments.

8 Dec 2020

Labconco unveils 65% larger class II enclosure uniquely designed for lab instrumentation

As the automation of laboratory instrumentation continues to grow exponentially, Labconco unveils a timely advancement for biological safety.

From Labconco 8 Dec 2020

Link between evolution of microevolution and macroevolution could provide new foundation for biology

A link between evolution over short time frames (microevolution) and long time frames (macroevolution) that could open new approaches to understanding some of biology's deepest questions is proposed by Dr Owen Gilbert of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin (USA) in a new paper, published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Rethinking Ecology.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers identify new mechanism through which plants can regulate gene expression

Just like other organisms, plants must respond dynamically to a variety of cues over their lifetime. Going through different developmental stages, or altering their form in response to a drought or drastic temperature change requires altering which of their genes are expressed into proteins and when those processes occur.

8 Dec 2020