LMU and SNSB researchers have identified coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars in the Red Sea as distinct species that occurs only in this location. Tropical coral reefs are among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth. In addition to climate change, coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars (Acanthaster spp.) pose one of the biggest threats in parts of the Indo-Pacific region. Up to 40 cm in length, these creatures feed mainly on the polyps of fast-growing stony corals. Mass outbreaks are not uncommon, whereby the seastars…

Researchers led by Osaka University find that a molecule called ATAD3A is essential for the movement of genetic material inside mitochondria, affecting energy production. Mitochondria, famously known as the powerhouse of the cell, are important cellular structures that are vital for their role of generating energy. Mitochondria are “dynamic”, meaning they constantly fuse together and split apart. They contain a small amount of genetic information known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The mtDNA, organized into dot-like structures called “nucleoids”, also moves…

… with enhanced mechanical and coagulative capabilities for treating aneurysms. Aneurysms, abnormal enlargement or ballooning in the wall of blood vessels can result in rupture and fatal bleeding. To treat aneurysms, it is essential to stop the blood flow to the affected area and prevent rupture of the vessel. Existing treatments for treating aneurysms include catheter-delivered stainless-steel coils or injectable biomaterials placed at the aneurysm site; however, coils sometimes migrate, necessitating repeat procedures. Furthermore, there are problems with injectable biomaterials currently…

New study uses postmortem brain tissues to understand genomic differences in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have successfully identified differences in gene activity in the brains of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study, led by scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the NIH, found that individuals diagnosed with ADHD had differences in genes that code for known chemicals that brain cells use to…

Accurately predicting possible post-surgical effects on speech. Can surgeons quantify the risk of aphasia when removing a brain tumor? To find out, researchers at Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are analyzing the brain as a network. In a current study with 60 patients, they already achieved an accuracy rate with three quarters of their predictions. Brain tumors are relatively rare. According to the German Society for Neurology, the annual incidence is approximately five cases…

An international study led by the medical Faculty of the University of Bonn has identified a gene that plays an important role in the development of the human embryo. If it is altered, malformations of various organ systems can result. The gene emerged very early in evolution. It also exists in zebrafish, for example, and performs a similar function there. The results have now been published in the Journal of Medical Genetics. The researchers tracked down the gene when they…

Lipids influence the formation of protein clumps. After Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. More than six million people worldwide suffer from it. In this disease, alpha-synuclein proteins form thread-like structures called fibrils. When these fibrils clump together, they probably damage nerve cells. A research team has now shown for the first time how lipids bind to the fibril surface and influence the arrangement of the synuclein proteins within the fibrils. As it demonstrated, the…

How does manganese get to where it needs to go in plants? The protein BICAT3 is one of the most important manganese distributors in plants. If defective, this can have devastating effects on a plant’s growth; its leaves grow significantly smaller and it produces fewer seeds than usual. A team led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has recently uncovered a transport pathway for manganese in plants and the role that BICAT3 plays in this process. The results could lay…

For many blood cancer patients, a stem cell transplant is the only chance of survival. However, up to 30-50% of transplant recipients can develop the often life-threatening complication called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Dr. Yiouli Ktena, scientist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (USA), has developed a new, epigenetic approach: She hopes to use it to effectively combat GVHD while preserving the immunological power of donor cells. For the realization of her promising project, she received the DKMS John Hansen…

Synthetic hibernation could provide protection from cosmic radiation. It is still a glimpse into the future: Astronauts could be put into artificial hibernation and in this state be better protected from cosmic radiation. At present, there are already promising approaches to follow up such considerations. An international research team led by the Biophysics Department of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum in Darmstadt now has found decisive indications of the possible benefits of artificial hibernation for radiation resistance. The research partners from Germany,…

Although the coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 does not infect nerve cells, it can cause damage to the nervous system. Researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have studied the mechanisms responsible for this effect, known as “neuro-Covid”, and identified starting points for its prevention. It’s not uncommon for people to lose their sense of taste and smell due to a Covid-19 infection. In others, the disease has had an even stronger impact on the nervous system, with…

Research offers additional insights into the reproductive process. The behavior of sperm cells is due, in part, to the individual DNA make-up of these cells, rather than only to the genetics of males, finds a team of scientists. Its results, which provide a new understanding of the competition among sperm cells to fertilize the egg, have larger implications for the reproductive process. The study, which centers on the swimming behavior of sperm cells, is the first to establish a direct…

The better we understand cellular processes such as RNA regulation, the better molecular therapies can be developed. Until now, it has been especially difficult to track the regulation of non-coding RNA, which is RNA that is not further converted into proteins. A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Munich has now developed a minimally invasive reporter system that enables highly sensitive monitoring of RNA production of both coding and non-coding RNA. For cellular processes, our…

Oregon State University scientists have invented a way to make magnetic nanoparticles that get hotter than any previous nanoparticle, improving their cancer fighting ability. Faculty from the OSU College of Pharmacy spearheaded a collaboration that developed an advanced thermal decomposition method for producing nanoparticles able to reach temperatures in cancer lesions of up to 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit, when exposed to an alternating magnetic field. Findings of the preclinical study led by Oleh Taratula and Olena Taratula…

First insights into engineering crystal growth by atomically precise metal nanoclusters have been achieved in a study performed by researchers in Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Finland. The work was published in Nature Chemistry on November 10, 2022. Ordinary solid matter consists of atoms organized in a crystal lattice. The chemical character of the atoms and lattice symmetry define the properties of the matter, for instance, whether it is a metal, a semiconductor or and electric insulator. The lattice symmetry may…

… for treating inflammatory bowel diseases. Like elite firefighters headed into the wilderness to combat an uncontrolled blaze, probiotic bacteria do a better job quelling gut inflammation when they’re equipped with the best gear. A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison demonstrates just how much promise some well-equipped gut-friendly bacteria hold for improving treatments of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Led by Quanyin Hu, a biomedical engineer and professor in the UW–Madison…