Evolution News and Research

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New Research Calls for a Reappraisal of Plant Domestication Process

The story of how ancient wolves came to claim a place near the campfire as humanity's best friend is a familiar tale (even if scientists are still working out some of the specifics).

11 Apr 2023

Strawberry Inflorescence Research Provides Tools for Genomics-Based Plant Breeding

Researchers from the University of Helsinki, in collaboration with their Canadian colleagues, have demonstrated how strawberry inflorescence development is dictated by the small growing points, called meristems.

7 Apr 2023

Evolutionary Encounter of Two Protein Components Could Occur Entirely by Chance

Proteins are the key players for virtually all molecular processes within the cell. To fulfil their diverse functions, they have to interact with other proteins.

7 Apr 2023

Intercropping Proves to be Very Effective Against Pests

Intercropping – the practice of planting mixtures of crops – can be an effective pest management tool worldwide, a new University of Florida study shows.

6 Apr 2023

Researchers Chart the First "Map of the Microverse"

What defines the habitat – the ecological niche – of a microorganism? It is a combination of environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient content. But the exact contribution of each of these factors is difficult to predict.

6 Apr 2023

Male Beetles Neglect Maintenance of Gametes When Competing for Mating Opportunities

Male beetles face a trade-off between competing with other males for mating opportunities and repairing damage to their sperm DNA, according to a study publishing April 4th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Mareike Koppik from Uppsala University, Sweden, and colleagues.

5 Apr 2023

New Shape-Shifting Antibiotics may Help Combat Drug-Resistant Superbugs

In the United States alone, drug-resistant bacteria and fungi infect almost 3 million people per year and kill about 35,000. Antibiotics are essential and effective, but in recent years overuse has led to some bacteria developing resistance to them.

5 Apr 2023

Tiny Protein Interacts with Ion Channels to Make Our Eyes Sensitive to Dim Light

Using cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry, researchers from PSI have deciphered the structure of an ion channel found in the eye while it interacts with the protein calmodulin – a structure that has eluded scientists for three decades.

4 Apr 2023

Researchers Explain How a Single Mutation Causes Ataxia

Worldwide, only a handful of patients are known to suffer from episodic ataxia type 6, a neurological disease that causes transient loss of muscle control.

4 Apr 2023

Cold Temperature Increases Human Life Expectancy

Cold activates a cellular cleansing mechanism that breaks down harmful protein aggregations responsible for various diseases associated with aging.

4 Apr 2023

Jumping Genes in Various Cancers may be Used to Direct Novel Immunotherapies to Tumors

New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that transposable elements in various cancers potentially may be used to harness novel immunotherapies against tumors that don't typically respond to immune-based treatments. Shown is a 3D rendering of cancer cells.

4 Apr 2023

New cold "coping" mechanism of plants could offer solutions to breeding more climate resilient crops

On bright chilly mornings you can either snuggle down under the duvet or leap up and seize the day.

31 Mar 2023

Revealing the structural basis underpinning the biophysical properties of pili

According to the World Health Organization, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria are the most common cause of traveler’s diarrhea and cause the greatest number of known community-acquired cases of childhood diarrhea in the developing world.

31 Mar 2023