How algae get nitrogen to grow. Newly discovered symbiosis between Rhizobia and diatoms could also open new avenues for agriculture. In a new study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, the Alfred Wegener Institute and the University of Vienna shed light on an unexpected partnership:  A marine diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean. This symbiosis likely plays a key role for global marine…

Key Mechanism of Herpesvirus Egress Uncovered. An international team of researchers, led by the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), uncovered crucial details on how herpesviruses exit the cell nucleus without compromising the integrity of the nuclear envelope. The study, published on June 25 in the renowned journal Nature Microbiology, utilized advanced electron cryo-tomography to visualize the structures involved. These findings could pave the way for developing more effective antiviral therapies to combat herpesvirus infections. Herpesvirus infections are widespread globally and…

Random chains offer multiple advantages for medical application. Researchers discover an alternative to PEG / As a platform technology, the biocompatible rPEGs can be used in a wide range of applications. Researchers have discovered a highly promising replacement for polyethylene glycols (or PEGs), which are considered almost indispensable in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. The new substance class called rPEG offers all the advantages of PEGs, while avoiding their drawbacks and has the potential to evade adverse reactions of the…

Heidelberg chemists characterise new basic structure in the field of aromaticity. The term aromaticity is a basic, long-standing concept in chemistry that is well established for ring-shaped carbon compounds. Aromatic rings consisting solely of metal atoms were, however, heretofore unknown. The research team led by Prof. Dr Lutz Greb, a scientist at Heidelberg University’s Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, recently succeeded in isolating such a metal ring and describing it in full. Aromatic compounds, or aromatics, are a substance class in…

A new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Sheffield, has demonstrated the potential of stem cell therapy to treat those with Hirschsprung disease. Hirschsprung disease is a rare condition where some nerve cells are missing in the large intestine. This means the intestine doesn’t contract and can’t move stool, meaning that it can become blocked. This can cause constipation and sometimes lead to a serious bowel infection called enterocolitis. Around 1 in 5000 babies are born…

Monoclonal antibody developed from blood of recovering patients. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring a clinical trial to evaluate the safety of an investigational monoclonal antibody to treat enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), which can cause severe respiratory and neurological diseases such as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) – similar to polio. Scientists are striving to better understand AFM, which has emerged in the United States with spikes in cases every other year, primarily in the late-summer months over the last…

Research shows deep sea organisms have unique lipid structures to help them survive. The bottom of the ocean is not hospitable: there is no light; the temperature is freezing cold; and the pressure of all the water above will literally crush you. The animals that live at this depth have developed biophysical adaptations that allow them to survive in these harsh conditions. What are these adaptations and how did they develop? University of California San Diego Assistant Professor of Chemistry…

Researchers at LJI and Columbia University uncover exactly how a neutralizing antibody blocks measles virus infection. What happens when measles virus meets a human cell? The viral machinery unfolds in just the right way to reveal key pieces that let it fuse itself into the host cell membrane. Once the fusion process is complete, the host cell is a goner. It belongs to the virus now. Scientists in the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) Center for Vaccine Innovation are…

HIRI researchers introduce novel approach to DNA transformation and genetic mutation of bacteria. Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species. A team led by the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now introduced a novel approach that can make many more bacteria amenable to genetic engineering. Their method, called IMPRINT, uses cell-free systems to enhance…

Hand prostheses that restore tactile sensitivity to amputees. Sensors capable of detecting diseases prior to outbreaks. These applications could soon become part of conventional treatment thanks to microchips implanted in the body. At Fraunhofer IZM, the Technologies for Bioelectronics working group is busy developing ultra-thin biocompatible coatings for bioelectronics implants. The core aim is to enable decade-long functionality of miniature implants without the need for surgical interventions. Compared to current forms of diagnosis and treatment that are based on conventional…

MHH researchers find innovative approach to prolong the survival of motor nerve cells. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable, severe disease of the nervous system. As the disease progresses, misfolded proteins accumulate in the motor nerve cells responsible for muscle movement in the brain and spinal cord, causing inflammation and permanently damaging these cells, known as motor neurons. The entire musculature becomes increasingly weak and death from respiratory paralysis usually occurs after a few years. There is no cure…

Clean, safe water is a limited resource and access to it depends on local bodies of water. But even dry regions have some water vapor in the air. To harvest small amounts of humidity, researchers in ACS Energy Letters have developed a compact device with absorbent-coated fins that first trap moisture and then generate potable water when heated. They say the prototype could help meet growing demands for water, especially in arid locations. Earth’s atmosphere holds trillions of liters of…

Overview article in Redox Biology. An international team comprising 90 authors presents the status of research on “ferroptosis”, a cell death mechanism caused by excess iron and oxygen radicals. Ferroptosis plays an important role in many types of cancer, neurological diseases, stroke, heart attack and other medically relevant situations. Four researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU)/University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) have made key contributions to the comprehensive review of this cell death mechanism recently published in the scientific journal Redox…

Scientists identified beneficial bacteria that relieve eczema symptoms in adults and children. NIAID research has led to the availability of a new over-the-counter topical eczema probiotic. The probiotic is based on the discovery by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, that bacteria present on healthy skin called Roseomonas mucosa can safely relieve eczema symptoms in adults and children. R. mucosa-based topical interventions could simplify or complement current eczema…

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is helping to develop standards and safety protocols that would allow pharmacies to print drugs onsite at a dosage best for you. Chocolate-flavored pills for children who hate taking medicine. Several drugs combined into one daily pill for seniors who have trouble remembering to take their medications. Drugs printed at your local pharmacy at personalized dosages that best suit your health needs. These are just a few potential advantages of 3D drug printing, a…

The Kowalinski Group at EMBL Grenoble has revealed how one enzyme hitches a ride on another to recognise tRNA. Imagine your body as a highly organised factory where workers tirelessly assemble proteins around the clock. These proteins are the machines and scaffolds that make up your body and are essential for various functions. In this factory, special delivery trucks called transfer RNA (tRNA) deliver amino acids – the crucial building blocks of proteins  – to the protein-making machinery – ribosomes….