Uniting with the enemy: Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have discovered how benign strains of Pseudomonas protect against their harmful bacterial relatives. The study, now published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, shows that the coexistence of beneficial and pathogenic Pseudomonas on Arabidopsis thaliana improves plant health, but that the exact extent depends on the genetic makeup of both the plant and the microbes. The findings could help to design natural alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Plants host…
A recent study shows that certain immune cells can restore their normal functions when introduced back into the body, even after being multiplied in the laboratory to large numbers – the results pave the way to new cell therapies. Macrophages are immune cells crucial for immune response, tissue repair, and the removal of cancer cells. Scientists see macrophages as promising living therapeutics. However, to be effectively used for therapies, macrophages have to be grown to large numbers in laboratory culture…
Living organisms produce an abundance of small molecular compounds, called metabolites. Although, it is clear that small molecules are central to all aspect of life, their exact functionalities are often unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, and because small molecules act by binding with proteins, Aleksandra Skirycz’s group at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology developed a novel strategy to identify such protein-molecule complexes. An important group of small molecules identified by this novel strategy are 2′,3′-cAMP nucleotides,…
Researchers create minimalistic Sars-CoV-2 virions and discover the spike protein switching mechanism. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and their collaborators at the Max Planck Bristol Center for Minimal Biology at the University of Bristol have developed a new approach to study Sars-CoV-2. For systematic and standardized research of Sars-CoV-2 they built minimalistic synthetic virus particles where they can incorporate distinct structures of the Sars-CoV-2 virus like the spike protein. This allowed scientists to study…
New proof-of-concept study reveals a way to make ‘universal’ organs that could be used in all recipients regardless of blood type. A study published in Science Translational Medicine performed at the Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories and UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre has proved that it is possible to convert blood type safely in donor organs intended for transplantation. This finding is an important step towards creating universal type O organs, which would significantly improve fairness in organ allocation and decrease mortality…
… by which the bacterium Legionella pneumophila regulates the immune response of its host cells. Legionellosis or Legionnaires’ disease affected more than 1 800 people in France in 2019 and caused 160 deaths. This emerging disease is caused by Legionella pneumophila, an environmental bacterium that thrives in hot water systems. Researchers from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, the University of Paris have discovered a mechanism that allows Legionella pneumophila to target the immune response of the cells it infects by…
University of Jena biologists discover in fossils earliest proof of cooperative behaviour in ants. An international research team led by biologists from Friedrich Schiller University Jena has discovered material evidence that ants already lived in a special social system based on the division of labour more than 100 million years ago. Ants live in states organised according to the division of tasks. There are three castes, each of which has a different role: the queen lays eggs and the males…
A COVID-19 risk variant inherited from Neandertals reduces a person’s risk of contracting HIV by 27 percent. The genetic variants we are born with can increase or decrease our risk of falling seriously ill with COVID-19. The major genetic risk variant for severe COVID-19, one we inherited from Neandertals, is surprisingly common. This raises the question whether it may actually be of advantage to carry this variant. A study by Hugo Zeberg, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for…
UNC-Chapel Hill scientists sequenced the genes expressed in individual single cells from human GI tracts to discover new cell-type characteristics and gain insights into important cell functions such as nutrient absorption and immune defense. If you get nervous, you might feel it in your gut. If you eat chili, your gut might revolt, but your friend can eat anything and feel great. You can pop ibuprofen like candy with no ill effects, but your friend’s belly might bleed and might…
A recent study by ITQB NOVA scientists unravelled the role of a small marker protein in increasing metabolic activity for sulfate respiration. The metabolism of sulfur compounds is among the most important microbial processes sustaining life in many anoxic environments where oxygen is not present. This metabolic activity cycles sulfur between sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Sulfate, in particular, is an extremely important molecule in the geological, biological and chemical processes of the sulfur cycle. Some anaerobic bacteria and archaea play…
Genetic networks mimic electronic circuits to perform a range of logic functions. Northwestern University synthetic biologists have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use, hand-held device that can let users know — within mere minutes — if their water is safe to drink. The new device works by using powerful and programmable genetic networks, which mimic electronic circuits, to perform a range of logic functions. Among the DNA-based circuits, for example, the researchers engineered cell-free molecules into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a ubiquitous…
Scientists obtain first high-resolution 3D image of muscle protein. Max Planck Institute’s researchers visualise the structure of the muscle protein nebulin using electron cryo-tomography. Scientists have obtained the first high-resolution 3D image of nebulin, a giant actin-binding protein that is an essential component of skeletal muscle. This discovery has brought to light the chance to better understand the role of nebulin, as its functions have remained largely nebulous due to its large size and the difficulty in extracting nebulin in…
The carnivorous Venus flytrap can be anaesthetised with ether. Some surprising parallels to anaesthesia in humans emerge. Medicine has a broad repertoire of anaesthetics at its medication allows patients to better endure painful treatments or even sleep through them. As early as 1842, ether was first used for a dental treatment in New York. Since then, this anaesthetic has served as one of the main anaesthetics worldwide for over 100 years. Remarkably, anaesthetisation is also possible in plants. Claude Bernard…
Green hydrogen is an important component in a climate-neutral energy system. It is produced by electrolytically splitting water with wind or solar power and stores this energy in chemical form. But currently, the production of green hydrogen is not yet economical or efficient enough. The key to solving this problem is through the development of innovative electrocatalysts, which should not only work with high efficiencies but should also be available and inexpensive. In addition to transition metals, which are already…
A pH-sensitive drug delivery system in T cells using C-terminal dendrimers with Phenylalanine. T cells, also known as lymphocytes, have important roles in various immune reactions. However, there are only a few reports on delivery systems into T cells. Realizing this, it is essential to work and actively contribute in controlling immune systems. Associate Professor Chie Kojima and her co-workers from Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), collaborating with Professor Ikuo Fujii and Ikuhiko…
It happens in the first hours after fertilization: The cells of the early embryo begin to independently produce proteins, the building blocks for cells and organs. Their own, uniquely composed genetic material serves as the blueprint. In vertebrates, the starting signal for this process comes from three maternal proteins that bind to the DNA of the offspring. New findings from Dr. Meijiang Gao from a research team led by Dr. Daria Onichtchouk in the University of Freiburg’s Institute of Biology…
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