The direction of movement of a microbe directly depends on the curvature of its environment – this is the key finding of a recent publication in the journal PNAS with participation of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS) in Göttingen. The researchers investigated the navigation of a model microbe, a small self-propelling microalga, in confined compartments with different shapes. They also developed theoretical models to predict the probability flux of that microswimmer which was confirmed by experiments….
Empa researcher Peter Nirmalraj wants to image proteins with unprecedented precision – and thus gain insights into the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s. This should pave the way for an earlier diagnosis of the dementia disorder via a simple blood test. Together with neurologists from the Kantonsspital St.Gallen, a successful pilot study has now been completed. If the suspicion of Alzheimer’s disease creeps up, those affected must prepare themselves for lengthy and complex procedures until the case is clear. A team…
Machine learning algorithms are shedding light on neoantigen T cell-receptor pairs. Researchers and data scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed an artificial intelligence technique that can identify which cell surface peptides produced by cancer cells called neoantigens are recognized by the immune system. The pMTnet technique, detailed online in Nature Machine Intelligence, could lead to new ways to predict cancer prognosis and potential responsiveness to immunotherapies. “Determining which neoantigens bind to T cell receptors and which…
Poxviruses have found a unique way of translating their genes into proteins in the infected organism. For the first time, scientists of the University of Würzburg’s Biocenter have been able to gain atomic-level insights into the functioning of the molecular machinery involved in the process. The pictures taken enable them to represent the early phase of transcription in a movie-like manner. The last case of smallpox worldwide occurred in Somalia in October 1977. In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO)…
Fertilisation is one of the most fundamental biological processes, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms are unresolved. An international team of scientists at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) and at Osaka University unveiled the role of the protein SPACA4, which allows mammalian sperm to traverse the protective layers of the egg to reach its membrane. Their results are now published in PNAS. In most animals and plants, the life cycle of an individual begins with fertilisation, when egg and…
The heady math that describes how bubbles form in a glass of Champagne has inspired a framework for engineering living cells. A study published Sep. 22 in Nature details how an established physics theory governing bubble and droplet formation led to a new understanding of the principles organizing the contents of living cells. The work marks a seismic shift in researchers’ ability both to understand and control the complex soft materials within our cells. “This approach is common in materials…
The technique is an alternative to using donated embryos resulting from IVF. Research on human embryos is vital to understanding the earliest stages of human development. Currently, this research is conducted on surplus embryos willingly donated by individuals who have undergone in vitro fertilization. Nevertheless, this research is limited by the availability of embryos and strict international ethical time limits on how long an embryo is allowed to develop in the laboratory (14 days maximum). Now, Caltech researchers have created…
Cancer-fighting T cells from patients whose cancers responded to immunotherapy and from those whose tumors did not respond showed marked differences in gene activity that could eventually serve as targets to boost effectiveness. Cancer-fighting immune cells in patients with lung cancer whose tumors do not respond to immunotherapies appear to be running on a different “program” that makes them less effective than immune cells in patients whose cancers respond to these immune treatments, suggests a new study led by researchers…
Hoverflies use a combination of the sun and their body clock to navigate when they fly south for the winter, new research shows. The insects keep the sun on their left in the morning, then gradually adjust to maintain a southward route as the day goes on. Pied and yellow-clubbed hoverflies – which are important pollinators – spend their summers in locations such as the UK and Scandinavia, then fly to the Mediterranean and North Africa in autumn. These migrations…
Study provides new target for increasing oil content of plant tissues for potential applications in bioenergy, chemical engineering, and nutrition. Scientists seeking to unravel the details of how plants produce and accumulate oil have identified a new essential component of the assembly line. They discovered a particular sterol—a molecule related to cholesterol—that plays a key role in the formation of oil droplets. “This research greatly extends our understanding of the molecular factors that govern the formation of lipid droplets, which…
Rice engineers find more efficient models to analyze contrast agents that find disease. Gadolinium-based contrast agents, the gold standard in magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) to determine the health of a patient, can be improved, according to Rice University engineers who are refining models they first used to enhance oil and gas recovery. The team led by Dilip Asthagiri and Philip Singer of the George R. Brown School of Engineering had studied how nuclear magnetic resonance tools, commonly used in the oil industry to characterize deposits underground, could be optimized through…
For centuries, humans have mined materials to build the tools we use every day, from batteries and cell phones to airplanes and refrigerators. While the process of obtaining these important minerals used to rely entirely on heavy machinery, fire, and human labor, scientists have learned how to harness the natural power of microbes to do some of the work. This process, called biomining, has become common as a cost efficient and environmentally friendly way to obtain the metals around us…
Is it a Rembrandt or a Vermeer? For lay people, it is often challenging to distinguish paintings by these two old masters. For the trained eye of an expert, on the other hand, it is not difficult at all. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have now demonstrated that mice can also become experts in sorting images into categories. The study shows that part of the category knowledge is already present in early visual areas, highlighting how widespread…
The research team led by Prof. GONG Weimin from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), collaborating with Dr. ZHOU Zhenghong from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), clarified the architecture of tube-forming proteins that function as a protein transport tube across the mycobacterial outer envelope. The study was published in Science Advances. Tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria have been plaguing human society as the leading cause of death by a single infectious agent. Due to the distinctive structure of a…
New tool could help increase food supply. Seeds that would otherwise lie dormant will spring to life with the aid of a new chemical discovered by a UC Riverside-led team. Plants have the ability to perceive drought. When they do, they emit a hormone that helps them hold on to water. This same hormone, ABA, sends a message to seeds that it isn’t a good time to germinate, leading to lower crop yields and less food in places where it’s…
Cells are characterized to be stable yet highly flexible. They constantly modify their shape and even move through tissue. These vital properties are based on a dynamically organized network of branched actin filaments, which generates pushing forces to move the cell membrane. An interdisciplinary team lead by Peter Bieling and Stefan Raunser from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology (MPI) in Dortmund has now revealed a previously unknown mechanism, explaining how stopping the growth of older actin filaments within…
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