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Light impulses can be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants

Optogenetics denotes the manipulation of cellular processes by light-based biological techniques. An international research team led by the Würzburg plant scientists Rainer Hedrich, Georg Nagel and Dirk Becker has succeeded in applying this method to higher plants: Light impulses can now be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants.

11 Aug 2020

Researchers show how boundaries of adaptations become bridges in evolution

There's a paradox within the theory of evolution: The life forms that exist today are here because they were able to change when past environments disappeared.

11 Aug 2020

Using genetic engineering to study evolutionary assimilation of foreign DNA in a new host

All life is subject to evolution in the form of mutations that change the DNA sequence of an organism's offspring, after which natural selection allows the 'fittest' mutants to survive and pass on their genes to future generations.

11 Aug 2020

Researchers describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea

In a publication in Nature Communications last Friday, NIOZ scientists Nina Dombrowski and Anja Spang and their collaboration partners describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea that are likely dependent on partner organisms for growth while potentially being able to conserve some energy by fermentation.

11 Aug 2020

UC Riverside physicist receives NIH grant to study how pathogens evolve

For several years, physicist John Barton at the University of California, Riverside, has been working on developing models to understand and predict how pathogens, such as HIV, evolve. This research pursuit has just received support from the National Institutes of Health.

11 Aug 2020

Study may reduce transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, offers hope for treating human cancers

A rare, transmissible tumor has brought the iconic Tasmanian devil to the brink of extinction, but new research by scientists at Washington State University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle indicates hope for the animals' survival and possibly new treatment for human cancers.

10 Aug 2020

New theory shows why Y chromosome may be more resilient than previously believed

The Y chromosome, which is relatively smaller than its counterpart, the X chromosome, has significantly reduced in size across 200 million years of evolution.

7 Aug 2020

New study can help develop longevity-promoting drugs

Scientists have successfully dialed up and down the lifespan of creatures by changing the activity of proteins present in roundworm cells.

4 Aug 2020

Chemical analysis provides new explanation for dramatic period of global cooling

Scientists have long known the earth cooled dramatically about 13,000 years ago, dropping temperatures by about 3 degrees Centigrade.

3 Aug 2020

'Little brain' contains almost 80% of the cerebral cortex’s surface area

When we say someone has a quick mind, it may be in part thanks to our expanded cerebellum that distinguishes human brains from those of macaque monkeys, for example.

3 Aug 2020

Biologists identify a molecular mechanism that underlies phenotypic plasticity

Evolutionary and developmental biologist Craig Albertson and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report that they have identified a molecular mechanism that allows an organism to change the way it looks depending on the environment it is exposed to, a process known as phenotypic plasticity.

29 Jul 2020

Scientists discover evolutionary lineage of SARS-CoV-2 virus

By reconstructing the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, an international research team of Chinese, European and U.S. scientists has discovered that the lineage that gave rise to the virus has been circulating in bats for decades and likely includes other viruses with the ability to infect humans.

29 Jul 2020

Study sheds new light on core regulatory networks that govern cell types in vertebrates

The FANTOM Consortium has shed new light into the main regulatory networks that govern the types of cells found in different vertebrate species.

29 Jul 2020

Study validates new pharmacological target for Alzheimer’s disease

A UB study published in the journal Neurotherapeutics has validated a new pharmacological target for Alzheimer's disease.

28 Jul 2020

Artificial intelligence-based process can help design novel proteins

Proteins are known to perform complex tasks and catalyze chemical reactions, making them crucial for cell survival.

27 Jul 2020

Study shows genetic mutations allow MRSA to develop antibiotic resistance

Researchers have discovered that genetic mutations that occur in MRSA enable it to evolve and turn out to be more resistant to antibiotics like penicillin.

27 Jul 2020

Large-brained species can master complex motor skills than primates with smaller brains

People are very skilled with their hands, but take a very long time to learn various dexterous abilities. It takes babies generally around five months before they can purposely grip an object.

27 Jul 2020

Study shows how cancer develops resistance to chemotherapy

Cancer's knack for developing resistance to chemotherapy has long been a major obstacle to achieving lasting remissions or cures. While tumors may shrink soon after chemotherapy, many times they eventually grow back.

24 Jul 2020

Epigenomic data can help characterize genes that play key role in cancer progression

As cancer cells evolve, many of their genes become overactive while others are turned down. These genetic changes can help tumors grow out of control and become more aggressive, adapt to changing conditions, and eventually lead the tumor to metastasize and spread elsewhere in the body.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 24 Jul 2020

Humans are mutating SARS-CoV-2, but natural selection enables the virus to bounce back

Scientists investigating the evolution of the virus that causes Covid19 say that its mutation seems to be directed by human proteins that degrade it, but natural selection of the virus enables it to bounce back. The findings could help in the design of vaccines against the virus.

From University of Bath 23 Jul 2020

Evolution News and Research

Light impulses can be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants

Researchers show how boundaries of adaptations become bridges in evolution

Using genetic engineering to study evolutionary assimilation of foreign DNA in a new host

Researchers describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea

UC Riverside physicist receives NIH grant to study how pathogens evolve

Study may reduce transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, offers hope for treating human cancers

New theory shows why Y chromosome may be more resilient than previously believed

New study can help develop longevity-promoting drugs

Chemical analysis provides new explanation for dramatic period of global cooling

'Little brain' contains almost 80% of the cerebral cortex’s surface area

Biologists identify a molecular mechanism that underlies phenotypic plasticity

Scientists discover evolutionary lineage of SARS-CoV-2 virus

Study sheds new light on core regulatory networks that govern cell types in vertebrates

Study validates new pharmacological target for Alzheimer’s disease

Artificial intelligence-based process can help design novel proteins

Study shows genetic mutations allow MRSA to develop antibiotic resistance

Large-brained species can master complex motor skills than primates with smaller brains

Study shows how cancer develops resistance to chemotherapy

Epigenomic data can help characterize genes that play key role in cancer progression

Humans are mutating SARS-CoV-2, but natural selection enables the virus to bounce back

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

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