The team say that by altering artificial cell membranes they can now get the cells to stick together like 'stickle bricks' – allowing them to be arranged into…
It is known that the metabolites of bacteria influence the composition and function of immune cells resident within the gut. These defense cells include MAIT…
“It's like we found a general control that simultaneously turns the lights on and off in many rooms, rather than having a single switch that controls each…
Just a slight movement of the hand is an intricate concert of interactions between nerve cells. For a signal from the brain to reach the spinal cord and then…
But DNA's remarkable versatility doesn't end there. Researchers have managed to coax segments of DNA into performing a host of useful tricks. DNA sequences can…
Whether working with steam pipes or in the kitchen: When boiling hot steam hits the skin, it will quickly cause burns. Firefighters are also at risk – due to…
Stem cells are our body’s emergency reserve. In the blood system, so-called hematopoietic (blood) stem cells are responsible for continuously producing immune…
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by self-imposed starvation. Often beginning in the teenage years or young adulthood, anorexia is around 10…
All cells in our body carry the dictionary of genetic information, the human genome. However, their shape and function are determined by which genes are read…
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This classical ‘chicken-or-egg’ dilemma applies in particular to the developmental processes of life on earth. The…
Pore-forming toxins are bacterial poisons that destroy cells by creating holes in the cell membranes. Many bacterial pathogens produce such toxins, including,…
If dead cells accumulate in the body, they can contribute to inflammation and pre-dispose individuals to multiple chronic inflammatory conditions such as…
Rosemary Cornell, a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University in Canada, studies the enzyme CTP:phosphocholine…
Successful reproduction not only includes mating success but also effective care of one own’s offspring for many animal species. Such brood care can demand a…
Our cerebral cortex, a sheet of neurons, connections and circuits, comprises “ancient” regions such as the hippocampus and “new” areas such as the six-layered…
The SUP05 bacterial population puzzles researchers. Why, for example, are these microbes found in the open ocean, even though there is no basis for life for…
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