Neurons in a visual brain area of zebrafish are arranged as a map for catching prey. Spotting, pursuing and catching prey – for many animals this is an essential task for survival. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology now show in zebrafish that the localization of neurons in the midbrain is adapted to a successful hunting sequence. Far away, in the periphery of its visual field, a tiny zebrafish larva detects a small dot moving sideways. Is it…
Changing the surface chemistry of electrodes leads to the preferential growth of a novel electroactive bacterium that could support improved energy-neutral wastewater treatment. To grow, electroactive bacteria break down organic compounds by transferring electrons to solid-state substrates outside their cells. Scientists have utilized this process to drive devices, such as microbial electrochemical systems, where the bacteria grow as a film on an electrode, breaking down the organic compounds in wastewater and transferring the resultant electrons to the electrode. Scientists are…
Nearly every organism hosts a collection of symbiotic microbes–a microbiome. It is now recognized that microbiomes are major drivers of health in all animals, including humans, and that these symbiotic systems often exhibit strong daily rhythms. New research led by University of Hawai’i at Manoa scientists revealed that, in the mutually beneficial relationship between with the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the luminescent bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, an immune protein called “macrophage migration inhibitory factor” or “MIF,” is the maestro…
The happiness neurotransmitter serotonin can act as a growth factor for the stem cells in the fetal human brain that determine brain size. During human evolution, the size of the brain increased, especially in a particular part called the neocortex. The neocortex enables us to speak, dream and think. In search of the causes underlying neocortex expansion, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, together with colleagues at the University Hospital Carl…
The way DNA is organized in the cell nucleus is very important for the normal development and function of the cell. A mutation that affects the packaging of the genetic material in the cell nucleus can lead to developmental disorders or diseases such as cancer. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Münster, the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences in London and the Center for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona has developed a method for automated analysis…
The present SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic with all its effects on society – both health and economic – highlights the urgency of developing new therapies for COVID-19 treatment. At the same time, it demonstrates the necessity to become well prepared for new virus infections we may be facing in the future. To help control the current pandemic and brace for novel pathogens that may cause future pandemics, Fraunhofer researchers have initiated the project BEAT-COVID to develop independent novel therapy strategies and build…
Scientists develop a technique that improves the resolution of cryo-electron microscopy. We’ve all seen that moment in a cop TV show where a detective is reviewing grainy, low-resolution security footage, spots a person of interest on the tape, and nonchalantly asks a CSI technician to “enhance that.” A few keyboard clicks later, and voila – they’ve got a perfect, clear picture of the suspect’s face. This, of course, does not work in the real world, as many film critics and…
The brain and its functions still pose many open questions. One of them is how exactly we form long-term memories about the environment. In a new study Ryuichi Shigemoto and his group from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) together with researchers from Aarhus University and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Japan discovered a new signaling pathway in the hippocampus area of the brain that regulates how information about new environments is transferred into long-term…
The most important pathogenicity factors of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori are centrally regulated by a small RNA molecule, NikS. And this was not the only surprise that NikS provided. More than half of the world’s population carries the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in their stomach mucosa. It often causes no problems throughout life, but sometimes it can cause inflammation, and in some cases, it can even lead to the development of stomach cancer. Helicobacter pylori uses several “virulence” factors that…
LIKAT Chemists Reveal the Business Secret of a Catalyst Chemists at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock were able to observe the molecular functioning of the catalyst in a redox reaction and identify important intermediate steps. For this purpose, they coupled, for the first time worldwide, four highly modern measuring methods that work in different wavelength ranges: with infrared, UV and X-ray radiation as well as with microwaves in the magnetic field. In this way, they uncovered the complete…
DSMZ scientist offers new insights into the molecular processes of antibiotic-producing Streptomyces (Braunschweig, 15th October 2020): Researchers led by Prof. Yvonne Mast of the Leibniz-Institute DSZM – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, have for the first time managed to partially decipher the autoregulation of the biosynthesis of pristinamycin. This antibiotic is used as emergency drug against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria. The researchers recently published their findings in the renowned journal Frontiers in Microbiology (https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.580990). Regulation…
A research group from Würzburg has now been able to clarify the long-standing question of how the protein complex CDK-activating kinase (CAK), which controls the central processes of cell division and transcription, is activated. The group analyzed the active form of the protein/CAK complex and was able to decipher its function on a molecular level. These new findings provide the basis for further research on cancer drugs and were published in the renowned scientific journal PNAS. Cell division and transcription,…
Scientists at Oregon State University have shown that viral infection is involved in coral bleaching – the breakdown of the symbiotic relationship between corals and the algae they rely on for energy. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the research is important because understanding the factors behind coral health is crucial to efforts to save the Earth’s embattled reefs – between 2014 and 2017 alone, more than 75% experienced bleaching-level heat stress, and 30% suffered mortality-level stress. The planet’s largest…
It might look like a little game at the molecular scale. Filament-like proteins in heart muscle cells have to be exactly the same length so that they can coordinate perfectly to make the heart beat. Another protein decides when the filament is the right size and puts a wee little cap on it. But, if that protein makes a mistake and puts the cap on too early, another protein, leiomodin, comes along and knocks the cap out of the way….
First scientific description of a previously unknown Streptococcus species of Chacoan peccaries. The species richness of zoo and wild animals is reflected in the diversity of infectious agents they harbour. However, our knowledge is sparse and pathogen detection remains challenging. For streptococci, a bacterial family of importance to human and animal health, wildlife research has taken a step forward: A research team led by Kristin Mühldorfer from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and Tobias Eisenberg from…
International research team led by pharmacists of the University of Jena uncovers molecular regulation mechanism: toxic substance found in Staphylococcus aureus does not just damage cells, but also stimulates tissue regeneration. Normally they are among the many harmless organisms found in and on the human body: one in four people have millions of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on their skin and on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, without being aware of it. In some cases, however, the harmless…
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