Tiny vesicles exchange genetic information between cells in the sea. Researchers around Susanne Erdmann from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen take a look at data that has so far been mostly discarded as contamination, revealing the previously underestimated role of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These are important for the exchange of genetic information between cells and thus for the microbial community in the sea. There is a lively exchange of genetic information between the numerous microorganisms in…

A new biologic “patch” that is activated by a person’s natural motion could be the key to fixing herniated discs in people’s backs, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the CMC VA Medical Center (CMCVAMC). Combining years of work from many different projects, the “tension-activated repair patches” (TARPs) provide controlled release of an anti-inflammatory molecule called anakinra from microcapsules over time, which helped discs in a large animal model regain the…

Research that could lead to the first early detection blood test for pancreatic cancer has received critical funding from PanKind, The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Pancreatic cancer is one of Australia’s biggest killers, with poor survival rates marred by a lack of distinct symptoms and screening tools needed to detect the disease in its initial stages. It’s hoped the test will, for the first time, accurately identify patients with early stages of pancreatic cancer – a crucial step towards improving…

Patient receives first ear canal implant with drug release from 3D printer. For the first time, the ENT clinic at Hannover Medical School (MHH) has provided an adult patient with a customized implant for the external auditory canal featuring drug release benefits. The implant is 3D printed and additionally designed to continuously and locally release an active ingredient to accelerate healing. “We have thus opened the door to a new type of pioneering patient care,” explains ENT clinic director Prof….

GyroTrainer with artificial intelligence. 18 percent of reported sick leave relates to musculoskeletal ailments, in particular back-related disorders. The GyroTrainer is an intelligent training device that resembles a balance board. It uses artificial intelligence to adjust the difficulty level to the individual patient’s current ability. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in cooperation with partner companies have developed a device to provide back muscle. With the GyroTrainer, back strengthening exercises are adapted to the strength and ability of…

Genetic switch rescues old fish from fasting trap. Health is thought to be improved by fasting interventions, which involve alternating periods of fasting and feeding. But this doesn’t work as well in old animals. By studying the short-lived killifish, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have shown that older fish deviate from a youthful fast and refeed cycle, and instead enter a state of perpetual fasting, even when feeding. However, the benefits of refeeding…

Researchers at the universities in Mainz, Cologne, and Oldenburg gain important insights into a cryptochrome protein involved in synchronization of marine organisms’ inner lunar calendar with moon phases. JOINT PRESS RELEASE OF JOHANNES GUTENBERG UNIVERSITY MAINZ AND THE UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE In a recent publication in “Nature Communications”, a joint research team of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the University of Cologne, and the University of Oldenburg has presented their findings on the functioning of an atypical cryptochrome protein (Cry)….

Fatty acids are essential in all living organisms: to store energy, form membranes, and multiply. They are produced by a complex cellular machinery – the fatty acid synthase (FAS). A team of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences, led by Ashwin Chari and Holger Stark, have now visualized the FAS structure in unprecedented detail. This allows the direct observation of enzymatic reactions and the reconstruction of structural transitions within a fatty acid synthesis cycle. The findings enable new…

How fungal proteins efficiently make ice. Snow and hail are formed in clouds, while fungi and other microorganisms thrive on the ground. But the fact that the two can be related, with microbes influencing ice formation in clouds, has been studied in more detail only in recent years. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research led by Konrad Meister have now investigated in more detail how microbes achieve ice formation at the molecular level and how it can…

Groundbreaking study opens new avenues for future treatment and diagnosis. Researchers at the Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling have released a groundbreaking study identifying 4,749 key gene clusters, termed “prognostic modules,” that significantly influence the progression of 32 different types of cancer. The study, published in Genome Research, serves as a comprehensive resource and lays the foundation for the development of next-generation cancer treatments and diagnostic markers. Despite significant progress in cancer research, understanding the disease’s genetic intricacies…

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) into carbon-based fuels provides a promising strategy to mitigate CO2 emission and promotes the utilization of renewable energy. The Cn (n≥2) liquid products are desirable because of their high energy densities and ease of storage. However, manipulation of C-C coupling pathway remains a challenge due to the limited mechanistic understanding. Recently, a research group led by Profs. ZHANG Tao and HUANG Yanqiang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed…

Researchers from ICIQ in Spain have designed micromotors that move around on their own to purify wastewater. The process creates ammonia, which can serve as a green energy source. Now, an AI method developed at the University of Gothenburg will be used to tune the motors to achieve the best possible results. Micromotors have emerged as a promising tool for environmental remediation, largely due to their ability to autonomously navigate and perform specific tasks on a microscale. The micromotor is…

Scientists at Université de Montréal’s Department of Chemistry have developed a new fluorogenic probe that can be used to detect and study interactions between two families of biomolecules essential to life: sugars and proteins. The findings by professor Samy Cecioni and his students, which open the door to a wide range of applications, were published in mid-October in the prestigious European journal Angewandte Chemie. Found in all living cells Sugar is omnipresent in our lives, present in almost all the…

Researchers at TU Darmstadt present two new publications. Depression, obesity or chronic pain – all of these disorders can be triggered or promoted by stress. In two recent publications in renowned scientific journals, researchers at TU Darmstadt show new ways of treating stress-related diseases. In a recent publication in in the journal “Nature Structural and Molecular Biology”, Felix Hausch and coworkers at the Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Synthetic Biology (research field Matter+Materials) at TU Darmstadt elucidated the…

Deciphering the secrets of spinal cord regeneration. Scientists have long sought to understand how certain animals, such as zebrafish, are able to regrow nerve fibers and regain lost motor function after spinal cord injury. In humans, these injuries are irreparable and result in permanent loss of function, such as paralysis. An international team led by Daniel Wehner of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin in Erlangen, Germany, has been able…

Mozambique Faces Alarming Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Epidemic. New study from the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center reveals urgent threat to public health by the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Mozambique. With one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) incidences (368 cases/100,000 population) in the African region, Mozambique is particularly affected by the TB epidemic. Drug-resistant TB is also a major problem, with an estimated 4800 new cases of multidrug resistant (MDR)/rifampicin-resistant TB in the country by 2021. Even more worrisome, researchers…