Scientists have a new tool to help them tease out the immune system's mysteries. Researchers cultured human B and T cells inside a microfluidic Organ Chip and coaxed them to form functional lymphoid follicles (LFs) -- structures that reside in lymph nodes and other parts of the human body and...
From museum to laptop: Visual leaf library a new tool for identifying plants
Fossil plants reveal the evolution of green life on Earth, but the most abundant samples that are found -- fossil leaves -- are also the most challenging to identify. A large, open-access visual leaf library provides a new resource to help scientists recognize and classify these leaves.
Pathogen and drug work together to fight fungal lung infection
Pathogens don't always work against drug treatments. Sometimes, they can strengthen them, according to new research. Researchers have now looked at two pathogens that often occur at similar sites, particularly in cystic fibrosis and mechanically ventilated patients: Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The researchers investigated the effectiveness of an antifungal drug,...
Vaccine protects against ‘tough cookie’ parasite found in the Americas
The parasites that cause a disfiguring skin disease affecting about 12 million people globally may have met their match in vaccines developed using CRISPR gene-editing technology, new research suggests.
Permeability of the blood-brain barrier in mice
The blood-brain barrier plays an essential role in protecting the central nervous system from harmful bacteria, toxins, and other blood-borne pathogens.
Living near green areas reduces the risk of suffering a stroke by 16 percent, study finds
The risk of suffering an ischaemic stroke, the most common type of cerebrovascular event, is 16 percent less in people who have green spaces less than 300 meters from their homes. The study took into account information on exposure to three atmospheric pollutants linked to vehicle traffic in more than...
Restoring tropical peatlands supports bird diversity and does not affect livelihoods of oil palm farmers, study suggests
A new study has found that oil palm can be farmed more sustainably on peatlands by re-wetting the land - conserving both biodiversity and livelihoods.
Climate scientists reconsider the meaning and implications of drought in light of a changing world
Maps of the American West have featured ever darker shades of red over the past two decades. The colors illustrate the unprecedented drought blighting the region. In some areas, conditions have blown past severe and extreme drought into exceptional drought. But rather than add more superlatives to our descriptions, one...
Fast-melting alpine permafrost may contribute to rising global temperatures
Using lake sediment in the Tibetan Plateau, a team of researchers was able to show that permafrost at high elevations is more vulnerable than arctic permafrost under projected future climate conditions.
Model predicts cross-species contamination risk for livestock
Biosecurity efforts focused on the top 3% of farms in a particular contact network may significantly cut back cross-species disease dissemination.