Colistin is an antibiotic of last resort for the treatment of infections caused by extremely multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The recent emergence and global spread of the mobile colistin resistance gene mcr-1 among many bacterial species in different environments poses a significant public health threat. However, the workings and success of mcr-1 as a resistance factor have not been fully understood. Led by scientists of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), a study recently published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum…

Fix the slide, adjust, start with the lowest magnification and then focus through the specimen: This routine is particularly familiar to biology students from microscopy classes. Now, the process also works digitally. More than 200 specimens of plants, animals and microorganisms can be viewed in detail online – without a microscope, free of charge and accessible to everyone. A biologist at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is making this possible with his project UDE BioSLiDES. “During the pandemic, we were…

More complete and sophisticated collection of genome sequences captures significantly more human diversity. Researchers have released a new high-quality collection of reference human genome sequences that captures substantially more diversity from different human populations than what was previously available. The work was led by the international Human Pangenome Reference Consortium, a group funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The new “pangenome” reference includes genome sequences of 47 people, with the…

Another step away from the farm: Reducing the need to biopsy animals, the stem cells provide a potentially endless source for cultured meat. To make it possible for cellular agriculture—the process of growing meat in bioreactors—to feed millions of people, several technical challenges will have to be overcome. Muscle cells from chicken, fish, cows, and other food sources will have to be grown to produce millions of metric tons per year. Toward this goal, researchers at Tufts University Center for…

An unusual quasicrystal has been discovered by a team from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the University of Sheffield and Xi’an Jiaotong University. It has a dodecagonal honeycomb structure that has never been seen before. Until now, similar quasicrystals were only known to come in a solid – not liquid – form. The team presents its results in the scientific journal “Nature Chemistry”. Quasicrystals have a special structure. They have a regular pattern similar to normal crystals, however, in…

Feature combination of Siglec-16 and polysialic acid increases survival in patients with glioblastoma. Glioblastomas are malignant brain tumours with a poor prognosis because they usually do not respond to common cancer therapies. One reason for this is that the tumour cells have developed mechanisms to evade immune defence. Even more: certain cells of the innate immune system, so-called tumour-associated macrophages (TAM), are influenced in such a way that they not only do not attack the tumour cells, but even stimulate…

What cell types are found in which human tissue, and where? Which genes are active in the individual cells, and which proteins are found there? Answers to these questions and more are to be provided by a specialised atlas – in particular how the different tissues form during embryonic development and what causes diseases. In creating this atlas, researchers aim to map not only tissue directly isolated from humans, but also structures called organoids. These are three-dimensional clumps of tissue…

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular, lower the prognosis of ischemic strokes by causing inflammation in the brain. Air pollution has been shown to have a negative effect on the prognosis of ischemic stroke, or stroke caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, but the exact mechanism is unknown. A team of researchers recently conducted a study to determine whether or not increased inflammation of the brain, also known as neuroinflammation, is the main culprit. The team published their findings…

… could be used to detect cancer, lung disease. Quantum laser-based technology a big step forward toward using exhaled breath to diagnose illness. With each breath, humans exhale more than 1,000 distinct molecules, producing a unique chemical fingerprint or “breathprint” rich with clues about what’s going on inside the body. For decades, scientists have sought to harness that information, turning to dogs, rats and even bees to literally sniff out cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and more. Scientists from CU Boulder and…

Microorganisms can help to extract dangerous heavy metals from wastewater. A research team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has managed to purify water containing uranium using a special kind of bacteria known as magnetotactic bacteria. The name derives from their ability to react to magnetic fields. They can accumulate dissolved heavy metal in their cell walls. These research findings (DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129376) also shed new light on the interaction between uranium and bioligands. “Our experiments are geared towards potential industrial applications…

… is suitable for packaging and food products. The innovative and universally applicable barrier layer is both impermeable to water and heat-resistant, mechanically resilient and also suitable for consumption or compostable. It is suitable for packaging, but also to separate individual components in food from each other. Sustainability is also a major challenge in the food and packaging industry. Plastic packaging is being replaced by organic-based and biodegradable materials, but it must still fulfill high functional requirements. For example, both…

TeMoRett project develops computer-assisted therapy. The Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) is coordinating the newly launched project “Technology-supported Motor Rehabilitation for People with Rett Syndrome” (TeMoRett). Intending to devise an interactive computer-assisted motor rehabilitation therapy, TeMoRett is designed as a collaborative project for the duration of three years and will run until January 2026. Generously funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the total budget is 1.62 million euros. The Fraunhofer HHI receives about 650 thousand euros from the…

Research team investigates links between molecular structure, function, and dynamics in enzymes. Professor Nicolas Doucet and his team at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) made a major breakthrough earlier this year in the field of evolutionary conservation of molecular dynamics in enzymes. Their work, published in the journal Structure, points to potential applications in health, including the development of new drugs to treat serious diseases such as cancer or to counter antibiotic resistance. As a researcher specializing in…

One of the most basic and crucial embryonic processes to unfold in virtually every living organism is the formation of hollow, tubular structures of various kinds. These tubes may form blood vessels or a digestive tract, and through branching and differentiation, complex organs including the heart, kidneys, and mammary glands. Abnormalities in these processes can cause congenital disorders such as dysfunctional, displaced, or non-symmetrical organs, as well as regeneration defects in blood vessels or in other regenerative organs. Despite its…

… provide early failure warning while preventing infection. Newly developed “smart” coatings for surgical orthopedic implants can monitor strain on the devices to provide early warning of implant failures while killing infection-causing bacteria, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report. The coatings integrate flexible sensors with a nanostructured antibacterial surface inspired by the wings of dragonflies and cicadas. In a new study in the journal Science Advances, a multidisciplinary team of researchers found the coatings prevented infection in live mice and mapped strain…

… like Parkinson’s and Chronic Wasting Disease. Researchers’ groundbreaking new diagnostic technique will allow for faster and more accurate disease detection. University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a groundbreaking new diagnostic technique that will allow for faster and more accurate detection of neurodegenerative diseases. The method will likely open a door for earlier treatment and mitigation of various diseases that affect humans, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and similar diseases that affect animals, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD)….