New insights into the release of Candidalysin promise progress in the treatment of Candida albicans infections. The toxin Candidalysin of the yeast Candida albicans is incorporated into an unusual protein structure during an infection, the composition of which has so far been unknown to scientists. Researchers at the Leibniz-HKI have now succeeded in deciphering the function of this unusual arrangement. By modifying the protein structure, the pathogenicity of the fungus could also be reduced. The new findings were used to…

Research team at the TWINCORE and the HZI shows how an enzyme regulates the pathogenicity of a clinically relevant pathogen. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for life-threatening infections that are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Researchers from TWINCORE, the Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research in Hannover, and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig have now been able to show that an enzyme controls virulence through modification of tRNAs. They…

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena and the Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany, show that plant observations collected with plant identification apps such as Flora Incognita allow statements to be made about the developmental stages of plants – both on a small scale and across Europe. “The snowdrops have never bloomed as early as this year, have they?” Many people who explore nature with keen senses will surely have asked themselves such questions. The German Weather…

Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Bad Oeynhausen: “Three-dimensional imaging quality facilitates new ways of evaluating and treating structural cardiac diseases.” Experts have been discussing the use of holograms to support medical-clinical decision-making and treatment for more than two decades. The technology is now so far advanced that physicians can simultaneously take an exact replica of the beating heart of a patient and turn it around in their hands, look at it from all angles or measure distances with their fingertips. For…

Cooperation project involving Kiel University aims at facilitating import of sustainably produced energy. Germany can probably only meet its demand for climate-friendly hydrogen by imports, for example from South America or Australia. For such long-distance transport, hydrogen can be converted into ammonia, for example. To facilitate the release of the hydrogen afterwards, researchers from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at Kiel University (CAU) and their cooperation partners have developed a more active and cost-effective catalyst. The results were obtained as…

Contrary to common belief, not all viruses are harmful to their hosts. Sometimes viruses can even protect their hosts from infection by other viruses. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and their collaborators have now demonstrated that this is the case for so-called endogenous virophages: small DNA viruses that are mostly found inserted into the genomes of single-cell eukaryotes – organisms whose cells have a membrane-bound nucleus. Moreover, the scientists show that virophages are highly specific towards…

New platform separates biomarkers with a water droplet-based centrifuge that spins up to 6000 RPM, pushed only by sound waves. Mechanical engineers at Duke University have devised a new type of diagnostic platform that uses sound waves to spin an individual drop of water up to 6,000 revolutions per minute. These speeds separate tiny biological particles within samples to enable new diagnostics based on exosomes. This blue-glowing water is being spun around by nothing but sound waves. Reaching speeds up…

More than seven million people in Germany suffer from diabetes. Drug research is still difficult. Scientists led by Peter Loskill from the NMI and the University of Tübingen have developed a technique that significantly improves the view on the molecular and cell biological level in the pancreas. More than seven million people in Germany suffer from diabetes. At the same time, research into drugs to treat this widespread disease is still difficult. Scientists led by Prof. Dr. Peter Loskill from…

Cells form adhesion structures to anchor themselves in their environment. The coordinated assembly and disassembly of these adhesions also enables cells to move from one place to another. There are various forms of adhesions. Focal adhesions are the best-studied type. Until now, they were believed to be always built up anew when cells move. A study led by a team of researchers from Kaiserslautern has now shown for the first time that different forms of adhesions can interconvert. During this…

Researchers from the Max Planck Institutes (MPI) for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and for Biology in Tübingen have made significant progress in understanding the evolution of interactions between plants and microbes. The study focusses on Pseudomonas syringae, a globally distributed plant pathogen, and in this instance the harm done to kiwifruit production. Outbreak of a new lineage of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidae (Psa) has caused devastating plant disease in kiwifruit worldwide. The disease is a major limiting factor for kiwifruit…

Applied during endoscopic procedures, GastroShield could help prevent complications such as bleeding and leakage from weakened gastrointestinal tissues. More than 20 million Americans undergo colonoscopy screenings every year, and in many of those cases, doctors end up removing polyps that are 2 cm or larger and require additional care. This procedure has greatly reduced the overall incidence of colon cancer, but not without complications, as patients may experience gastrointestinal bleeding both during and after the procedure. In hopes of preventing…

TREM2, a receptor on the surface of macrophages, could play an important role in atherosclerosis. A publication in Nature Cardiovascular Research from the University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) and the Medical University of Vienna investigates the mechanisms by which the receptor TREM2 affects atherosclerosis and a possible therapeutic approach using an agonistic TREM2 antibody. Würzburg/Wien. Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease of the blood vessel wall. Deposits of lipids, especially cholesterol, drive the formation of plaques in the innermost layer of arteries….

Equipped with novel homing abilities, the platform activates in cancer environments to release gene-editing tools. A newly developed “GPS nanoparticle” injected intravenously can home in on cancer cells to deliver a genetic punch to the protein implicated in tumor growth and spread, according to researchers from Penn State. They tested their approach in human cell lines and in mice to effectively knock down a cancer-causing gene, reporting that the technique may potentially offer a more precise and effective treatment for…

– and they are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Researchers at DZNE provide evidence that traces of the widely used PFAS chemicals in human blood are associated with unfavorable lipid profiles and thus with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The findings are based on data from more than 2,500 adults from Bonn and the Dutch municipality of Leiderdorp. PFAS were detectable in the blood of nearly all study participants. The study results have been published in…

For the first time, scientists from the University of Cologne (UoC) have developed artificial nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, with several additional properties in the laboratory. They could be used as artificial nucleic acids for therapeutic applications / publication in ‘Journal of the American Chemical Society’. The DNA carries the genetic information of all living organisms and consists of only four different building blocks, the nucleotides. Nucleotides are composed of three distinctive parts: a sugar molecule, a phosphate group…

When a child falls off her bike and scrapes her knee, skin stem cells rush to the rescue, growing new epidermis to cover the wound. But only some of the stem cells that will ultimately patch her up are normally dedicated to replenishing the epidermis that protects her body. Others are former hair follicle stem cells, which usually promote hair growth but respond to the more urgent needs of the moment, morphing into epidermal stem cells to bolster local ranks…