Russia's war in the Ukraine has severe consequences not only for humans, it also has detrimental effects on populations of urban and semi-urban wildlife in the attacked cities and regions. Scientists recently examined the effects of war-related damages to buildings on urban populations of one important and widespread bat species,...
Remission from HIV-1 infection: Discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies that contribute to virus control
Some HIV-1 carriers who have received an early antiretroviral treatment during several years are able to control the virus for a long term after treatment interruption. However, the mechanisms enabling this post-treatment control have not been fully elucidated. Scientists have now investigated and revealed how neutralizing antibodies, including those described...
‘Spider-like’ mitochondrial structure initiates cell-wide stress response
Scientists discovered the unique molecular structure, which could have implications in age-related diseases like neurodegeneration.
Potential novel breakthrough treatment for fungal infections
Fungal infections are killing thousands of Americans each year, some with a morbidity rate of nearly 80%. To make matters worse, only a handful of antifungal treatments are available, and even those are becoming less effective as fungi become more resistant. However, researchers recently published findings indicating that a novel...
Mineralization of bone matrix regulates tumor cell growth
Tumor cells are known to be fickle sleeper agents, often lying dormant in distant tissues for years before reactivating and forming metastasis. Numerous factors have been studied to understand why the activation occurs, from cells and molecules to other components in the so-called tissue microenvironment.
Carbon dioxide — not water — triggers explosive basaltic volcanoes
Geoscientists have long thought that water -- along with shallow magma stored in Earth's crust -- drives volcanoes to erupt. Now, thanks to newly developed research tools, scientists have learned that gaseous carbon dioxide can trigger explosive eruptions.
Discovery in nanomachines within living organisms — cytochromes P450 (CYP450s) unleashed as living soft robots
A new study suggests that Cytochromes P450 (CYP450s) enzymes can sense and respond to stimuli, acting like soft robots in living systems.
Nitrogen fixation hotspots in Atlantic seaweed
A new study examined nitrogen fixation among diazotrophs--microorganisms that can convert nitrogen into usable form for other plants and animals -- living among sargassum. Sargassum, a brown macroalgae in the seaweed family, floats on the surface of the open ocean and provides habitat for a colorful array of marine life...
Astonishing complexity of bacterial circadian clocks
Bacteria make up more than 10% of all living things but until recently we had little realization that, as in humans, soil bacteria have internal clocks that synchronize their activities with the 24-hour cycles of day and night on Earth. New research shows just how complex and sophisticated these bacterial...
Sustainable plastic made more compostable
Researchers have developed a way to make a promising, sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics more biodegradable. A team has made a bio-based polymer blend that's compostable in both home and industrial settings.