Scientists from Konstanz unravel the genetic mechanisms controlling fin spine formation across fish lineages. In the movie “A Fish Called Wanda”, the villain Otto effortlessly gobbles up all the occupants of Ken`s fish tank. Reality, however, is more daunting. At least one unfortunate fan who re-enacted this scene was hospitalized with a fish stuck in the throat. At the same time this also was a painful lesson in ichthyology (the scientific study of fishes), namely that the defense of some…
Next generation material for skin-healing. Recently, with the help of a steady-state strong magnetic field experimental device, scientists constructed nano-scale borate bioactive glass (Nano-HCA@BG), which can effectively reduce the biological toxicity of borate bioglass, improve the biocompatibility of the glass, and promote the effect of borate bioglass on skin repair. Prof. WANG Junfeng from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), collaborating with Prof. ZHANG Teng from Fuzhou University in this study, said,…
Scientists from Tohoku University and the University of Maryland have pinpointed the strong magnetic field of the early sun as the reason behind the radial variation of rock and metal in rocky planets’ cores. This magnetic field, which pulled small iron grains inward, explains Mercury’s big iron core and why Mars has so little iron in its core. The details of their research were published in the journal Progress in Earth and Planetary Science on July 5, 2021. Planets have…
…when they pass close to their parent galaxies. Historically most scientists thought that once a satellite galaxy has passed close by its higher mass parent galaxy its star formation would stop because the larger galaxy would remove the gas from it, leaving it shorn of the material it would need to make new stars. However, for the first time, a team led by the researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Arianna di Cintio, has shown using numerical…
Medical researchers at LMU have uncovered how signal proteins of the immune system regulate the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is one of the most common causes of death in Germany. The condition is characterized by the build-up of cholesterol and other fatty metabolites in the arterial wall directly below the endothelial cell layer, which is in direct contact with the bloodstream. This process results in constriction of the artery, which obstructs blood flow and can trigger heart attacks and strokes….
Scientists at the University of Leeds have developed an approach that could help in the design of a new generation of synthetic biomaterials made from proteins. The biomaterials could eventually have applications in joint repair or wound healing as well as other fields of healthcare and food production. But one of the fundamental challenges is to control and fine tune the way protein building blocks assemble into complex protein networks that form the basis of biomaterials. Scientists at Leeds are investigating…
For the first time, University of Basel researchers have equipped an ultrathin semiconductor with superconducting contacts. These extremely thin materials with novel electronic and optical properties could pave the way for previously unimagined applications. Combined with superconductors, they are expected to give rise to new quantum phenomena and find use in quantum technology. Whether in smartphones, televisions or building technology, semiconductors play a central role in electronics and therefore in our everyday lives. In contrast to metals, it is possible…
Xue Sherry Gao and team isolate natural catalysts for better drug synthesis. A small fungal enzyme could play a significant role in simplifying the development and manufacture of drugs, according to Rice University scientists. The Rice lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Xue Sherry Gao and collaborators isolated a biocatalyst known as CtdE after identifying it as the natural mechanism that controls the chirality — the left- or right-handedness — of compounds produced by the native fungal host. The open-access…
A study conducted at the University of São Paulo suggests that tissues specializing in saliva production and secretion serve as reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2, magnifying its infectious potential. In Brazil, researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Medical School (FM-USP) have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the salivary glands. Analysis of samples from three types of salivary gland obtained during a minimally invasive autopsy procedure performed on patients who died from complications of COVID-19 at Hospital das Clínicas, FM-USP’s…
Methane in the plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. A study published in Nature Astronomy concludes that known geochemical processes can’t explain the levels of methane measured by the Cassini spacecraft on Saturn’s icy moon. An unknown methane-producing process is likely at work in the hidden ocean beneath the icy shell of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, suggests a new study published in Nature Astronomy by scientists at the University of Arizona and Paris Sciences & Lettres University. Giant water plumes erupting from…
Research identifies cadre of immune cells that sculpt inhibitory neurons to regulate brain wiring. From the bark of a puppy to the patter of rain against the window, our brains receive countless signals every second. Most of the time, we tune out inconsequential cues–the buzz of a fly, the soft rustle of leaves in the tree–and pay attention to important ones–the sound of a car horn, a bang on the door. This allows us to function, navigate and, indeed, survive…
A research team at POSTECH has uncovered a promising new zeolite, anticipated to be a turning point for the oil refining and petrochemical industries. This research was recently published in the scientific journal Science on July 2, 2021. The team of researchers led by Suk Bong Hong, a professor in the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering at POSTECH, synthesized two thermally stable three-dimensional (3D) large-pore (12-ring)1 zeolites – PST-32 (POSTECH No. 32) and PST-2, the hypothetical SBS/SBT intergrowth structure2…
Scientists at the IST Austria rejuvenate mouse brains with ketamine or flickering light. In defining periods of development, the brain re-organizes connections between its neurons more freely than in its adult form. Researchers around Sandra Siegert at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria have now discovered two methods to reopen such plasticity: repeated ketamine anesthesia and non-invasive 60 hertz light flickering. The journal Cell Reports now published their findings, which have the potential to become a therapeutic tool…
SAGA detects tumour potential of viral vectors for blood stem cells. When the causes of serious diseases are based on a defective gene, medicine relies on gene therapy. In this strategy, defect-free genes are introduced into the body with the help of certain viruses. In this way, individual forms of congenital blindness, hereditary muscular atrophy or certain diseases of the blood and immune system can already be treated today. However, the viral vectors used as gene shuttles work in different…
The ATR protein plays an important role in the response to replication stress as a regulator of the DNA damage response (DDR) and controls cell viability. Mutations of ATR in humans lead to, among other pathologies, neurological defects; indicating a yet unknown role for ATR in non-dividing cells. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena and the Section of Neuroimmunology of Jena University Hospital have shown that ATR deletion in neurons does not affect brain development and…
In the design and manufacture of a wide range of electronic devices, such as smartphones and self-driving vehicles, new and expanded functionalities must constantly be accommodated in the smallest possible space. Advanced packaging – complex assembly and interconnection technology for semiconductor components – has emerged as an essential technology for the integration of photonics, optics and electronics. In the ongoing EU project APPLAUSE, the participants are focusing on the development of new tools, methods and processes for the mass production…
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