A nationwide team of researchers has determined how a genetic mutation found in mice and monkeys interferes with viruses such as HIV and Ebola. They say the finding could eventually lead to the development of medical interventions in humans.
Critical groundwater supplies may never recover from drought
New research shows groundwater takes an average of three years to recover from drought -- if it ever recovers at all. In the largest study of its kind, scientists found that this recovery time only applies to aquifers that aren't touched by human activity, and the recovery time might be...
Primordial ‘hyper-eye’ discovered
Trilobites of the suborder Phacopina had a unique eye in which about 200 large lenses in each eye spanned at least six individual facets, each of which in turn formed its own small compound eye.
Cell labelling method from microscopy adapted for use in whole-body imaging
Scientist have utilized so-called SNAP-tag technology to radioactively label cells in living organisms. In a proof-of-principle study they developed a SNAP-tag substrate equipped with the radioactive signal emitter fluorine-18 and used it to make tumor cells in the bodies of mice visible in PET images. The labeling method, already established...
Expanding the genetic code with quadruplet codons
Cells working with an expanded genetic code could make more diverse medicines. A new study shows scientists are within striking distance.
Wiggling worms suggest link between vitamin B12 and Alzheimer’s
Worms lose their wiggle when they get Alzheimer's disease, but researchers found that worms fed a diet of E. coli with higher levels of vitamin B12 were given a layer of protection from the dreaded degenerative brain disease.
European fishing communities face their own specific climate risks
Of all European fisheries and coastal communities, the ones in the UK and the Eastern Mediterranean have the highest risk of being affected by climate change. To reduce climate risks, researchers are advising regional policy makers to focus on sustainable and diverse fisheries management.
Strikingly simple means of diagnosing ecosystem health uncovered
Scientists say the health of a terrestrial ecosystem can be largely determined by three variables: vegetations' ability to uptake carbon, its efficiency in using carbon and its efficiency in using water.
Clover growth in Mars-like soils boosted by bacterial symbiosis
Clover plants grown in Mars-like soils experience significantly more growth when inoculated with symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria than when left uninoculated, researchers report.
Team rewires a behavioral circuit in the worm using hydra parts
New research highlights the development of HySyn, a system designed to synthetically reconnect neural circuits using neuropeptides from Hydra, a small, freshwater organism, into the model organism C. elegans.