Archaea News and Research

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Synthesis of complete crenarchaeol molecule elucidates its structure

Crenarchaeol is a large, closed-loop lipid that is present in the membranes of ammonium-oxidizing archaea, a unicellular life form that exists ubiquitously in the oceans.

14 Jul 2021

New study maps the evolutionary history and interrelationships of protein domains

Since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, proteins have been stealthily taking over human lives.

2 Jul 2021

Scientists shed light on the origins of Mimivirus and other giant viruses

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay shed light on the origins of Mimivirus and other giant viruses, helping us better understand a group of unique biological forms that shaped life on earth.

17 May 2021

Researchers identify the biosynthesis mechanism of new DNA nucleobases

DNA is made up of nucleobases, which are depicted by the letters G, A, T, and C. They are the foundation of the genetic code.

From Institut Pasteur 13 May 2021

Metagenomic sequencing helps examine differences in the gut microbiome after injury

Researchers used metagenomic sequencing to identify variations in virus and bacterial populations that occur following spinal cord injury in mice.

13 May 2021

Gut mycobiome correlates with metabolic outcomes in response to diet

Studies of the microbiome in the human gut focus mainly on bacteria. Other microbes that are also present in the gut -- viruses, protists, archaea and fungi -- have been largely overlooked.

8 Mar 2021

New study facilitates the use of gene editing technique on plants

A new study performed by the IBMCP of UPV University enables the use of the CRISPR genomic editing technique on plants.

9 Feb 2021

Study shows how AFV3-109 protein with slipknot structure folds and unfolds based on temperature

Scientists from the Pacific Quantum Center of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) figured out how the AFV3-109 protein with slipknot structure folds and unfolds depending on temperature. The protein is typical for the viruses of the oldest single-celled organisms that can survive in the extreme conditions of underwater volcanic sources - archaea. The research outcome appears in PLOS ONE.

15 Jan 2021

Plant amyloids could improve nutritional value of plant seeds, reduce allergenicity of legume seeds

Thanks to this work, as the journal Trends in Plant Science recently noted, it is now known that functional amyloids serve biological functions in representatives of almost all large groups of living organisms: bacteria, archaea, animals, fungi, and plants.

3 Dec 2020

Research provides new insight into how the CRISPR immune system evolved

With new insights into how the genetic tool CRISPR - which allows direct editing of our genes - evolved and adapted, we are now one step closer to understanding the basis of the constant struggle for survival that takes place in nature. The results can be used in future biotechnologies.

26 Nov 2020

Researchers map the biological diversity of marine sediment

Scientists have mapped, for the first time, the biological diversity of marine sediment, which is considered as one of the largest global biomes on Earth.

22 Oct 2020

Scientists develop UK Crop Microbiome Cyrobank to facilitate sustainable yield improvement

Scientists from the UK's foremost agricultural research institutes have teamed up to create a new UK Crop Microbiome Cyrobank (UK-CMCB) to safeguard future research and facilitate the sustainable yield improvement of the UK's six major food crops including barley, oats, oil seed rape, potato, sugar beet and wheat.

12 Oct 2020

Researchers develop a new assembler for decoding genomes of microbial communities

Researchers from the Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology at St Petersburg University, as part of a group of Russian and American scientists, have developed the metaFlye assembler.

9 Oct 2020

Human gut microbiota may play a significant role in maintaining health

Bacteria and other microorganisms in the digestive tract are linked with dozens of health conditions including high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and body mass index (BMI) according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2020.

28 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

Researchers isolate fragile protein complex from heat-loving bacteria

Goethe University scientists have discovered what is probably the oldest enzyme found in cellular respiration. Now, the team has successfully isolated a highly delicate protein complex known as “Rnf” from the heat-loving bacterium called Thermotoga maritima.

10 Aug 2020

Small, compact Cas proteins found in bacteriophages are ideal for gene editing

The DNA-cutting proteins central to CRISPR-Cas9 and related gene-editing tools originally came from bacteria, but a newfound variety of Cas proteins apparently evolved in viruses that infect bacteria.

20 Jul 2020

Hypercompact CRISPR enzyme from bacteriophages expands genome editing toolbox

A recently discovered hypercompact CRISPR enzyme found only in huge bacteriophages, and known as CRISPR-CasΦ, is functional, a new study by Patrick Pausch, Jennifer Doudna and colleagues reports, and it provides a powerful new tool in the CRISPR genome editing toolbox, including because it can target a wider range of genetic sequences compared to Cas9 and Cas12

17 Jul 2020

Biophysicists shed light on how optogenetic tool works

An international research team has for the first time obtained the structure of the light-sensitive sodium-pumping KR2 protein in its active state.

29 May 2020

Single-cell gene expression studies can shed more light on disrupted genes

Scientists can gain a better understanding of the cellular roles of the disrupted gene by disturbing the expression of a specific gene and tracking how this change has an impact on the expression of other types of genes.

13 May 2020