Streptomyces bacteria produce a group of signalling molecules that trigger a variety of processes. Bacteria of the genus Streptomyces produce chemical substances called arginoketides, to which many other microorganisms react: Bacteria form biofilms, algae join together to form aggregates, and fungi produce signalling substances that they would not otherwise produce triggering new responses from other organisms. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) show this in a study, in which they investigated various Streptomyces…
New assistant professor at ISTA develops chemical reactions powered by light. The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) welcomes Assistant Professor Bartholomäus Pieber. The chemist started in June and tries to harness the safe and waste-free power of light as an energy source for synthetic chemistry. With his team, he develops novel reactions that are fueled by visible light, aiming to provide powerful and sustainable strategies for the synthesis of fine chemicals such as pharmaceuticals. Lacing up his running…
Bacteria that “sense” Earth’s magnetic field found on deep undersea vents. Magnetotactic bacteria, which can align with the Earth’s magnetic field, have been discovered in a new location. Previously observed on land and in shallow water, analysis of a hydrothermal vent has proven that they can also survive deep under the ocean. The bacteria were able to exist in an environment that was not ideal for their typical needs. Magnetotactic bacteria are of interest not only for the role they…
… creating uniform DNA-encapsulating microgels that mimic a living cell. Researchers devise a new method for producing cell-sized microgel structures using water/water phase separation. The living cell harbors physiologically relevant components such as the genetic material (DNA) and proteins in a ‘self-organized’ setting. Understanding this process of self-assembly can reveal the underlying mechanism of self-organization of living matter. Water/oil (w/o) or water/water (w/w) droplets may be used as prototypes or “models” that mimic cells and can be used to study…
New approach could provide insights into cancer progression and treatment response, leading to more precise therapie. Using 3-D models of ovarian cancer tumors, scientists found differences in gene activity based on where a cell is in a tumor, demonstrating how a cell’s location and environment in a cancerous tumor can strongly influence which genes are active and the cell’s role in the cancer’s biology. More specifically, the team co-led by researchers at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS),…
Salk scientists discover that pairing disease-causing bacteria with dietary interventions creates long-term immunity in mice. Worldwide, more than a million deaths occur each year due to diarrheal diseases that lead to dehydration and malnutrition. Yet, no vaccine exists to fight or prevent these diseases, which are caused by bacteria like certain strains of E. coli. Instead, people with bacterial infections must rely on the body taking one of two defense strategies: kill the intruders or impair the intruders but keep…
More than 30 previously unknown RNA viruses in sea lice have been identified by University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers. Sea lice are parasitic copepods (small crustaceans) found in many fresh and saltwater habitats, and have been implicated in the decline of wild salmon populations. The research sheds greater light on the types of viruses being carried by sea lice, and how the viruses and host are interacting. “We found many more types of viruses than are known in sea…
– Nature’s secret for holding it together. An obscure aquatic plant has helped to explain how plants avoid cracking up under the stresses and strains of growth. The finding by researchers Dr Robert Kelly-Bellow and Karen Lee in the group of Professor Enrico Coen at the John Innes Centre, started with a curious observation in a dwarf mutant of the carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba. The stems of this floating plant are filled with airspaces and this hollowness means that the…
… aided by deep learning and holographic imaging, can help accelerate vaccine and drug development. In a new paper published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a team of scientists led by Professor Aydogan Ozcan from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UCLA and an associate director of the California NanoSystems Institute, developed a rapid, stain-free, and automated viral plaque detection system enabled by holography and deep learning. This system incorporates a cost-effective and high-throughput holographic imaging device that continuously monitors…
Successfully reducing animal testing: Scientists at the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) are increasingly using cell cultures to draw conclusions about the consequences of climate change. According to animal experimentation statistics, fish are the second most commonly used group of animals in research after mice. They play an important role in aquaculture and also serve as model animals in various research areas. “Applying the 3Rs principle means reducing, refining and replacing animal experiments to improve ethical standards and…
… and immune system. In the quest to find the origin of the puzzling symptoms in four children, researchers from St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), and the Medical University of Vienna have discovered a completely new disease, linking disruptions of blood formation, the immune system, and inflammation. This groundbreaking discovery provides the basis for a better understanding of similar diseases. It is a milestone that…
A gel that combines both stiffness and toughness is a step forward in the bid to create biodegradable implants for joint injuries, according to new UBC research. Mimicking articular cartilage, found in our knee and hip joints, is challenging. This cartilage is key to smooth joint movement, and damage to it can cause pain, reduce function, and lead to arthritis. One potential solution is to implant artificial scaffolds made of proteins that help the cartilage regenerate itself as the scaffold…
Understanding neuronal communication with ultra-thin fiber-based endo-microscope. In order to investigate the activity of neuronal structures as well as the interaction of nerve cells, minimally invasive technologies providing images from delicate deep-brain tissues are required. A new hair-thin endo-microscope, developed by an international team with the participation of Leibniz IPHT, promises extremely gentle in-depth observations. It offers the potential to investigate areas of the brain in great detail and to study the onset and progression of severe neuronal diseases. The…
The techniques used for this “off-the-shelf” solution can be extended to improve the quality of life for cancer patients facing debilitating side effects from chemotherapy and radiation therapy. FINDINGS Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, have developed universal donor stem cells that could one day provide lifesaving therapy to children with lethal brain conditions, such as Canavan…
Researchers slow down and scan multiple times individual DNA molecules. EPFL researchers have achieved near-perfect control over the manipulation of individual molecules, allowing them to be identified and characterized with unprecedented precision. Aleksandra Radenovic, head of the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology in the School of Engineering, has worked for years to improve nanopore technology, which involves passing a molecule like DNA through a tiny pore in a membrane to measure an ionic current. Scientists can determine DNA’s sequence of nucleotides – which…
Dr. Zoltan Nagy has been accepted into the prestigious Emmy Noether Programme by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The biologist will receive over 1.7 million euros in funding for a period of six years to establish a research group at the Institute of Experimental Biomedicine, University Hospital Würzburg to investigate the maturation process of blood-forming cells known as megakaryocytes. Würzburg. Those with an increased risk of bleeding may require platelet transfusion in various medical situations such as after a severe…
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