New study reveals how human astroviruses bind to humans cells and paves the way for new therapies and vaccines Human astroviruses are a leading viral cause of the stomach bug—think vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. It often impacts young children and older adults, leading to vicious cycles of sickness and malnutrition, particularly for those in low and middle income countries. It’s very commonly found in wastewater studies, meaning it’s frequently circulating in communities. As of now, there are no vaccines for…
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…
Researchers at Tufts University have elucidated a mechanism by which the “good” bacteria that reside in our gastrointestinal tract can help protect us from…
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…
Researchers have exploited a quirk in the genetic make-up of the deadly malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, to create 38,000 mutant strains and then…
In an amazing achievement akin to adding solar panels to your body, a Northeast sea slug sucks raw materials from algae to provide its lifetime supply of…
“Most people are familiar with viruses,” said Christopher Schvarcz, the UH Mānoa oceanography graduate student who led the project as part of his doctoral…
A study by scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) points to a novel potential approach against Alzheimer’s disease. In studies…
Alzheimer's disease destroys brain cells in part by promoting the formation of insoluble clumps that contain a protein called tau. Not only are these “tau aggregates” toxic for the cells that harbor them, but they also invade and destroy neighboring brain cells, or neurons, which speeds the cognitive decline associated with the Alzheimer's. For those reasons, Alzheimer's researchers have been intensely interested in therapies aimed at either preventing tau aggregation or blocking its spread. Now, researchers at the UCLA School…
They form the basis of the Arctic food web – and are extremely tough: even when the water becomes more acidic and the available light or temperatures change,…
Experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Universities of Oldenburg and Potsdam, Germany have confirmed the existence of a new cryptic amphipod species…
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