ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

'Good cholesterol' may protect liver

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 02:12 PM PDT

The body's so-called good cholesterol may be even better than we realize. New research suggests that one type of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a previously unknown role in protecting the liver from injury. This HDL protects the liver by blocking inflammatory signals produced by common gut bacteria.

Early-life social connections influence gene expression, stress resilience

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 01:30 PM PDT

Having friends may not only be good for the health of your social life, but also for your actual health -- if you're a hyena, that is. Strong social connections and greater maternal care early in life can influence molecular markers related to gene expression in DNA and future stress response, suggests a new study of spotted hyenas in the wild.

Cattle losing adaptations to environment

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 01:29 PM PDT

Researchers have uncovered evidence showing that cattle are losing important environmental adaptations, losses the researchers attribute to a lack of genetic information available to farmers. After examining genetic material stretching back to the 1960s, they identified specific DNA variations associated with adaptations that could one day be used to create DNA tests for cattle -- tests that could tell farmers whether their cattle are suited for one environment or another.

Eyes wide shut: How newborn mammals dream the world they're entering

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 11:20 AM PDT

As a newborn mammal opens its eyes for the first time, it can already make visual sense of the world around it. But how does this happen before they have experienced sight?

Researchers develop tool to drastically speed up the study of enzymes

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 11:20 AM PDT

A new tool that enables thousands of tiny experiments to run simultaneously on a single polymer chip will let scientists study enzymes faster and more comprehensively than ever before.

New study provides clues to decades-old mystery about cell movement

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 11:20 AM PDT

A new study shows that the stiffness of protein fibers in tissues, like collagen, are a key component in controlling the movement of cells. The groundbreaking discovery provides the first proof of a theory from the early 1980s and could have a major impact on fields that study cell movement from regenerative medicine to cancer research.

Clever cockatoos learn through social interaction

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 11:20 AM PDT

Scientists have shown that cockatoos, an iconic Australian bird species, learn from each other a unique skill -- lifting garbage bin lids to gather food. The research confirms that cockatoos spread this novel behavior through social learning. This behavior by cockatoos is actually learnt, rather than a result of genetics.

Global warming may limit spread of dengue fever, new research finds

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 11:19 AM PDT

Infection with dengue virus makes mosquitoes more sensitive to warmer temperatures, according to new research. The team also found that infection with the bacterium Wolbachia, which has recently been used to control viral infections in mosquitoes, also increases the thermal sensitivity of the insects. The findings suggest that global warming could limit the spread of dengue fever but could also limit the effectiveness of Wolbachia as a biological control agent.

Cell-analysis technique could combat tuberculosis

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 10:13 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a way to analyze how individual immune cells react to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. It could pave the way for new vaccine strategies and provide insights into fighting other infectious diseases.

Pathogens get comfy in designer goo

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 10:13 AM PDT

New hydrogels mimic intestines when lined with epithelial cells. A study demonstrated hydrogels in various stiffnesses are valuable for learning the dynamics of pathogens that cause diarrhea and other intestinal diseases.

Excess coffee: A bitter brew for brain health

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 09:06 AM PDT

It's a favourite first-order for the day, but while a quick coffee may perk us up, new research shows that too much could be dragging us down, especially when it comes to brain health.

New approach eradicates breast cancer in mice

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT

A new approach to treating breast cancer kills 95 to 100 percent of cancer cells in mouse models of human estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers and their metastases in bone, brain, liver and lungs. The newly developed drug, called ErSO, quickly shrinks even large tumors to undetectable levels.

New 3D images of shark intestines show they function like Nikola Tesla's valve

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT

For more than a century, researchers have relied on flat sketches of sharks' digestive systems to discern how they function -- and how what they eat and excrete impacts other species in the ocean. Now, researchers have produced a series of high-resolution, 3D scans of intestines from nearly three dozen shark species that will advance the understanding of how sharks eat and digest their food.

Scientists reverse age-related memory loss in mice

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT

Scientists have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age.

'Backpacking' hedgehogs take permanent staycation

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT

New research has been examining how alpine-based hedgehogs hibernate from a different perspective - their backs.

Untwisting DNA reveals new force that shapes genomes

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT

Advances in microscopy reveal how the human genome organises itself in three-dimensional space at much higher resolution than previously possible. A new study finds that transcription generates a force that moves across DNA strands like ripples through water. The discovery may have future implications for the understanding of genetic diseases such as Cornelia de Lange syndrome, developmental disorders linked to chromatin folding, and open new avenues of research in genome fragility and cancer development.

RNA breakthrough creates crops that can grow 50 percent more potatoes, rice

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:29 AM PDT

A new RNA breakthrough is allowing plants to yield dramatically more crops and increase drought tolerance, which could have an impact on food scarcity and production as climate change threatens ecosystems. In initial tests, adding a gene encoding for a protein called FTO to both rice and potato plants increased their yield by 50 percent in field tests -- and the plants grew significantly larger, produced longer root systems and were better able to tolerate drought stress.

Targeted removals and enhanced monitoring can help manage lionfish in the Mediterranean

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:29 AM PDT

New research represents one of the first studies to examine the effectiveness of targeted lionfish removals from both an ecological and a socio-economic perspective.

Structural biology provides long-sought solution to innate immunity puzzle

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:29 AM PDT

Researchers report the first structural confirmation that endogenous -- or self-made -- molecules can set off innate immunity in mammals via a pair of immune cell proteins called the TLR4-MD-2 receptor complex. The work has wide-ranging implications for finding ways to treat and possibly prevent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and antiphospholipid syndrome.

Llama 'nanobodies' could hold key to preventing deadly post-transplant infection

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:28 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a 'nanobody' - a small fragment of a llama antibody - that is capable of chasing out human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) as it hides away from the immune system. This then enables immune cells to seek out and destroy this potentially deadly virus.

Scientists harness the naturally abundant CRISPR-Cas system to edit superbugs with the hope of treating infections caused by drug resistant pathogens

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:28 AM PDT

Researchers reported the development of a transferrable and integrative type I CRISPR-based platform that can efficiently edit the diverse clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a superbug capable of infecting various tissues and organs and a major source of nosocomial infections. The technique can accelerate the identification of resistance determinants of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens and the development of novel anti-resistance strategies.

Informing policy for long-term global food security

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:28 AM PDT

More than 820 million people in the world don't have enough to eat, while climate change and increasing competition for land and water are further raising concerns about the future balance between food demand and supply. The results of a new study can be used to benchmark global food security projections and inform policy analysis and public debate on the future of food.

How does the structure of cytolysins influence their activity?

Posted: 21 Jul 2021 02:26 PM PDT

In a new study, researchers have uncovered how cytolysins from Enterococcus faecalis destroys bacterial and mammalian cells.

Reaping the benefits: Training in rice growing system ups yields and well-being

Posted: 21 Jul 2021 07:23 AM PDT

Researchers conducted randomized trials of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) agronomy method. Following SRI training of 5,486 Bangladeshi rice farmers, they compared trained and untrained farmers. The results showed compelling benefits for SRI's efficacy in increasing yield and profits, how it improves farming households' well-being, and its positive spillover effects in communities. This bolsters support for SRI's value, especially in the Global South.

Babies at risk for diabetes may have microbiota restored

Posted: 20 Jul 2021 08:44 AM PDT

Newborns at risk for Type 1 diabetes because they were given antibiotics may have their gut microorganisms restored with a maternal fecal transplant, according to a new study.