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Study confirms the second-ever documented case of a plant creating blue berries

On a beautiful fall day in 2019, Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong was walking down Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado when something caught her eye: a small, particularly shiny blue fruit, on a shrub known as Lantana strigocamara.

15 Jun 2022

Origin of chromatin in ancient microbes happened 1–2 billion years ago, study reveals

Nature’s storage solution originally emerged in ancient microbes living on Earth around one and two billion years ago, according to researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG).

10 Jun 2022

Gene expression analysis helps identify genes that cause endocrine resistance in breast cancer

The most prevalent type of cancer detected in women is breast cancer (BC). BC is the second biggest cause of death among female cancer patients globally.

9 Jun 2022

Vienna researchers aim to solve a great mystery of human evolution

Using the latest scientific methods, Tom Higham and Katerina Douka from the University of Vienna want to solve a great mystery of human evolution: Why are we the only humans left? Higham and Douka were the first ones to find a first-generation offspring of two different types of human. They continuously publish new results in high impact journals, most recently in Science Advances.

3 Jun 2022

Endogenous retroviruses in the human genome are likely to pose a risk in regenerative medicine

Scientists from Kumamoto University used next-generation sequencing to analyze human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) integration sites and found that these primitive retroviruses can retrotranspose (DNA sequence insertion with RNA mediation) into iPS cells.

31 May 2022

Research reveals the origins of microbiomes and their current evolution

According to a recent study by University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists, even the tiniest marine invertebrates are host to unique and diverse microbial communities or microbiomes.

30 May 2022

Researchers analyze gut microbiome with dietary fiber through ecological model

Dietary fiber is known to be beneficial to gut health. However, it has a wide range of effects on the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiome.

27 May 2022

Researchers devise a new treatment approach to cure aggressive brain tumors

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord that are incredibly aggressive.

23 May 2022

Research sheds light on new options for organ cultivation in vitro

How do human cells organize themselves to give the organs their ultimate shape? The solution is morphogenesis, a collection of systems that controls their spatial distribution throughout embryonic development. In this sector, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) recently discovered an unexpected discovery: when a tissue curves, the volume of the cells that makes it up grows rather than decreases.

18 May 2022

Researchers identify jellyfish’s stinging cells to promote new cell function

According to a recent Cornell study, the cnidocytes—or stinging cells—that are found in sea anemones, hydrae, corals, and jellyfish and make us cautious while wading in the ocean are also an ideal way of understanding the creation of new cell types.

18 May 2022

bit.bio launches Huntington’s disease human cell model

First neurodegenerative disease model launched from bit.bio's new ioDisease Model portfolio.

From bit.bio 10 May 2022

Stunning 3D digital models visualize the surface of coral reefs in painstaking detail

Coral reefs are complex ecosystems, a jumble of microhabitats created by corals and the substrate beneath them: holes, areas that are smooth or rough, regions that have steep or shallow slopes.

6 May 2022

Two new genomic studies provide insight into evolutionarily unique traits of cephalopods

Squid, octopus, and cuttlefish – even to scientists who study them – are wonderfully weird creatures. Known as the soft-bodied or coleoid cephalopods, they have the largest nervous system of any invertebrate, complex behaviors such as instantaneous camouflage, arms studded with dexterous suckers, and other evolutionarily unique traits.

5 May 2022

Forest degradation drives bird habitat loss and population declines, study shows

Bird species that live in wooded areas are under stress from human-caused changes to forest composition, according to new research led by Oregon State University that quantifies the effects of forest "degradation" on bird habitat.

29 Apr 2022

Scientists propose a theory of brain map formation

Maps have played an important role in scientific progress. Claudius Ptolemaeus transformed our understanding of the world with his map of Earth and Tycho Brahe our understanding of the Universe with his map of the stars.

29 Apr 2022

Minor genetic differences impact the ability to utilize the energy of various nutrients

All animals require proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to survive. However, dietary differences between species, populations, and individuals can be significant.

25 Apr 2022

National DNA Day 2022: an interview with Professor Matthew Cobb

To celebrate National DNA Day 2022, we spoke to science communicator Professor Matthew Cobb.

25 Apr 2022

Researchers explore how tRNAs evolve in protein synthesis

In the process of protein synthesis, a peptide bond is formed between two amino acids that are bound to two different transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Researchers have long been perplexed as to how these tRNAs evolved to be so near to one another on the ribosome.

22 Apr 2022

Releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to protect the global community from dengue

Dengue is the most widespread mosquito-borne disease in the world, and to date, there are no medical treatments for people suffering from this disease.

21 Apr 2022

Researchers may have identified a key intermediate in the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes

All modern organisms fall into two classes, eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Eukaryotes (from the Greek meaning "true kernel") have a cell nucleus that harbors most of the cell's genetic information and includes organisms such as humans, plants and fungi.

20 Apr 2022