Life Science News. Updated daily with science research articles in all the life sciences.
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Advanced genomics study improves detection of hard-to-find diarrheal infections
A study has used advanced genetic and genomic techniques to offer a major step forward in understanding and diagnosing infectious intestinal diseases. The large-scale study analyzed more than 1,000 stool samples from people with diarrheal illness to harness two cutting edge tools. The study used metagenomic (DNA-based) and metatranscriptomic (gene or RNA-based) sequencing. Unlike traditional methods, these techniques do not rely on growing organisms in a lab. Instead, they detect and analyze the genetic material directly from patient samples.
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'Sharkitecture:' A nanoscale look inside a blacktip shark's skeleton
Using synchrotron X-ray nanotomography with detailed 3D imaging and in-situ mechanical testing, researchers are peering inside shark skeletons at the nanoscale, revealing a microscopic 'sharkitecture' that helps these ancient apex predators withstand extreme physical demands of constant motion. After hundreds of millions of years of evolution, scientists can now finally see how shark cartilage works at the nanoscale -- and learn from them.
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Thousands of animal species threatened by climate change
A novel analysis suggests more than 3,500 animal species are threatened by climate change and also sheds light on huge gaps in fully understanding the risk to the animal kingdom.
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A head and a hundred tails: How a branching worm manages reproductive complexity
Scientists have uncovered the genetic underpinnings of one of the ocean's most bizarre animals: a branching marine worm named Ramisyllis kingghidorahi that lives inside sea sponges and reproduces in a truly extraordinary way. Living hidden in tropical waters, this worm grows multiple body branches within a host sponge, each tail capable of producing separate living reproductive units called 'stolons'. But how does a single animal coordinate reproduction across so many branches?
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Scientists describe 71 new Australian bee species
A team of researchers has discovered 71 new native bee species belonging to the resin pot bees, or Megachile (Austrochile), which are unique to Australia and present in every state and territory except Tasmania.
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First-of-its-kind global study shows grasslands can withstand climate extremes with a boost of nutrients
Fertilizer might be stronger than we thought. A new international study found that fertilizer can help plants survive short-term periods of extreme drought, findings which could have implications for agriculture and food systems in a world facing climate stressors.
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How did plants evolve the ability to transport massive amounts of protein into seed vacuoles?
A research team has revealed the molecular steps that led to the emergence of this plant-specific vacuolar transport system. Their work shows that the acquisition of this pathway was driven by the stepwise neofunctionalization of a membrane fusion protein called VAMP7.
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Could nanoplastics in the environment turn E. coli into a bigger villain?
Nanoplastics are everywhere. These fragments are so tiny they can accumulate on bacteria and be taken up by plant roots; they're in our food, our water, and our bodies. Scientists don't know the full extent of their impacts on our health, but new research suggests certain nanoplastics may make foodborne pathogens more virulent.
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Capuchin monkeys develop bizarre 'fad' of abducting baby howlers
Animal abduction: Biologists documented five male capuchin monkeys carrying at least eleven different infant howler monkeys -- a behavior never before seen in wild primates. Rise and spread: The sightings were remotely recorded by over 85 camera traps, which allowed scientists to pinpoint the origin and subsequent spread of this social tradition over a 15-month period.
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How antibiotic resistance to fusidic acid works
Researchers describe a fundamental mechanism of antibiotic resistance. What happens in a bacterium that is resistant to the antibiotic fusidic acid? With a stop-motion movie at the atomic level, they can show that the resistance protein FusB works nearly like a crowbar.
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Novel molecular maneuver helps malaria parasite dodge the immune system
Researchers have discovered how a parasite that causes malaria when transmitted through a mosquito bite can hide from the body's immune system, sometimes for years. It turns out that the parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, can shut down a key set of genes, rendering itself 'immunologically invisible.'
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In healthy aging, carb quality counts
Intakes of dietary fiber and high-quality carbohydrates in midlife are linked to increased likelihood of healthy aging and other positive health outcomes in older women. Higher intakes of refined carbohydrates and starchy vegetables were associated with lower odds of healthy aging.
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Very different mammals follow the same rules of behavior
In the natural world -- where predators pounce, prey flee, and group members feed and sleep in solidarity -- animal behavior is glorious in its variety. Now, new research suggests there may be an underlying architecture that orders the movements of animals as they go about their very different lives. And it's more widespread than previously imagined.
