https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. Why are so few species able to regenerate damaged or missing body parts, even though regeneration might seem an obvious survival advantage? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, Germany, and colleagues have now found a possible explanation in planarian flatworms. Analyzing head regeneration abilities in a large collection of planarian species, they found that these capacities vary greatly and depend on how the different species reproduce. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-worms-regenerate.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:27:04 EDT news617020021 The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), a serious respiratory infection, to form snake-like cords was first noted nearly 80 years ago. In a study published October 20 in the journal Cell, investigators report the biophysical mechanisms by which these cords form and demonstrate how several generations of dividing bacteria hang together to create these structures that enable resistance to antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cord-like-aggregates-bacteria-tuberculosis-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news617009720 Scientists have discovered flagella in an unexpected place: hot spring-dwelling bacteria from the phylum Chloroflexota. Research shows that flagella were lost in other forms of Chloroflexota that adapted to marine environments hundreds of millions of years ago. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-marine-bacteria-ditched-flagella-traits.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 09:45:48 EDT news617013944 In a Finnish study, significant differences in the gene activity of the fetal intestine, brain and placenta were identified, depending on the microbes in the mother's body and the compounds produced by them. The findings indicate that maternal microbes are important to her offspring's development and health. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-maternal-microbiota-affect-fetal.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 09:32:02 EDT news617013119 Touch plays a fundamental role in our physical, emotional, and social well-being. From a primary way of conveying emotions to sensory integration, it is crucial for the complex growth of cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral abilities especially during the early development of infants and children. Touch allows us to build connections with others, eases pain and stress, and helps us to understand the world around us giving crucial information such as the texture, temperature, and shape of objects. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-rigidity-function-protein-condensates-involved.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:49:42 EDT news616934978 Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have created a cutting-edge platform consisting of a dual-laser nonlinear optical microscope to investigate the dynamics of muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) during the process of muscle regeneration. This breakthrough has identified new mechanisms of MuSC behavior in muscle repair, paving the way for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for muscle-related disorders. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-microscope-platform-unveil-intricacies-skeletal.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:15:05 EDT news616932784 Scientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have developed a genome-scale metabolic model or "subway map" of key metabolic activities of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Using this map, they have successfully identified two compounds that selectively target routes only used by Lyme disease to infect a host. Their research was published October 19 in the journal mSystems. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-subway-lyme-disease-pathways-potential.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616926170 A Ph.D. researcher at the University of St Andrews studying microbes in the human gut has discovered a new molecule that acts as a "distress signal" when viruses are detected. The research is published in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-molecule-combats-viral-infection.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:57:03 EDT news616931821 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and most diverse group of cell surface proteins in humans. These receptors, which can be seen as "traffic directors," transmit signals from the outside to the inside of cells and are involved in many physiological processes. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-function-human-cell-surface-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:38:04 EDT news616930681 Scientists have breathed new life into the study of a protein with an outsized link to human cancers because of its dangerous mutations, using advanced research techniques to detect its hidden regions. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-revealing-secrets-key-cancer-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:28:04 EDT news616847281 A new study finds that greenspace—the vegetation in a neighborhood's yards, parks and public spaces—has a positive impact on a key genetic marker associated with exposure to stress. However, the study also finds that the positive impact of greenspace isn't enough to compensate for other environmental challenges, such as air pollution. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-greener-neighborhoods-usat-cellular.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:26:03 EDT news616847161 A microscopic discovery will not only enable scientists to understand the microbial world around us but could also provide a new way to control CRISPR-Cas biotechnologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-uncover-viruses-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:02 EDT news616844968 A research team led by Professor Megumu K. Saito (Department of Clinical Application) examined the dynamic transcriptional and epigenetic landscape during definitive hematopoiesis and revealed the non-redundant roles of ZEB2 and MEIS1 vital to producing hematopoietic stem cells from the hemogenic endothelium. The study is published in the journal iScience. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-delineating-dynamic-transcriptional-epigenetic-landscape.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:46:49 EDT news616844807 Lysosomes, tiny compartments within cells known as the garbage disposals for molecules that need to be degraded, are critical to cell function and a person's health; disruption of lysosomal protein function is linked to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Identifying how mutations in the genes coding for these proteins lead to disorders could provide scientists not only a better understanding of disease, but also a path to new treatments. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-lysosomal-protein-driver-neurodegenerative-diseases.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:39:02 EDT news616844338 A research group from the University of Turku and Turku Bioscience Center together with Misvik Biology Ltd in Finland have developed a new method for studying how cancer cells function in softer and stiffer tissue environments. This insight challenges the existing paradigm, opening up new possibilities for research in cancer biology and tissue engineering. The results of the study have been published in PNAS. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-secrets-cell-behavior-soft-substrates.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:31:03 EDT news616843861 Different strains of E. coli can outcompete one another to take over the gut, a new study reveals. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-multi-drug-resistant-strain-coli-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:00:01 EDT news616756154 An innovative paint that contains oxygen-producing bacteria capable of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) has been created by scientists from the University of Surrey. Researchers suggest this paint, known as a "biocoating," could be used in extreme environments, such as space stations. This study was published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-bacteria-pave-oxygen-capturing-carbon.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:02:13 EDT news616752131 As biologists learn more about how microbial communities work together, a major goal is understanding how their composition determines function. What combination of strains and species makes the best team for breaking down pollutants, for example, or fighting off infections? For years, scientists attempted to crack this problem with calculations about how microbial species interact with each other, but the nearly endless potential combinations of microbes in each community render these calculations nearly impossible. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-function-microbial-communities-simpler.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 16:05:03 EDT news616691102 A new publication from a Montana State University scientist deepens existing knowledge of an ancient life-form and how it continues unique ecological processes today. The paper, titled "Methanogens acquire and bioaccumulate nickel during reductive dissolution of nickelian pyrite," was published Oct. 13 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ancient-microbes-important-metals-environment.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 14:15:03 EDT news616684501 A novel glycoengineering platform, created by the laboratory of Assistant Professor Chris Lok-To Sham from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), is poised to revolutionize future production of vaccines and therapeutics to fight infectious diseases. Glycoengineering aims to manipulate sugars to produce useful carbohydrates. This innovative platform simplifies the customizing and production of sugar carbohydrates known as glycans that plays a crucial role in various therapeutic applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-potential-genetic-glycoengineering-advance-vaccines.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 12:07:38 EDT news616676856 When Hurricane Ian struck southwest Florida in September 2022, it unleashed a variety of Vibrio bacteria that can cause illness and death in humans, according to a new study published in the journal mBio. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-flesh-eating-illness-causing-bacteria-florida-coastal.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:09:04 EDT news616673341 One of the building blocks of ocean life can adapt to cope with the effects of climate change, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). https://phys.org/news/2023-10-climate-coping-mechanism-algae.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616665726 Imagine the life of a yeast cell, floating around the kitchen in a spore that eventually lands on a bowl of grapes. Life is good: food for days, at least until someone notices the rotting fruit and throws them out. But then the sun shines through a window, the section of the counter where the bowl is sitting heats up, and suddenly life gets uncomfortable for the humble yeast. When temperatures get too high, the cells shut down their normal processes to ride out the stressful conditions and live to feast on grapes on another, cooler day. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-peering-cells-stress.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616665795 Gram-negative bacteria cause a variety of infectious diseases in plants and animals alike. Outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli infections often make headlines due to their severity, and people have to resort to allopathic as well as natural remedies, increasing the burden on the health care system. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-enzyme-family-insights-bacterial-pathogenicity.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:41:03 EDT news616671661 The gut microbiome—the population and variety of bacteria within the intestine—is thought to influence a number of behavioral and disease traits in humans. Most obviously, it affects intestinal health. Cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and celiac disease, for example, are all affected by the gut microbiome. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-method-microbiome-human-gut.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:12:26 EDT news616669943 Penn State College of Medicine researchers are using advanced imaging techniques to study how life functions at the atomic, cellular, tissue and organism levels. These research projects are driven by diseases observed in clinic, and the discoveries scientists are making in the lab could someday lead to new treatments for patients with skin diseases, cancers, neurological conditions and other disorders. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-advanced-imaging-front-row-view.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:49:13 EDT news616668550 Two new enzymes can break down one of the most common single-use plastics, according to the study "Modulating biofilm can potentiate activity of novel plastic-degrading enzymes" by Brunel University London published in the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-plastic-eating-enzymes-pollution-problem.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:20:34 EDT news616666789 Researchers from China studying soybean genome evolution have focused on the phenomenon of centromere repositioning, which involves the formation of new centromeres at different chromosomal locations without altering the underlying DNA sequences. This process has been widely observed in mammalian species and is thought to play a crucial role in genome evolution and speciation. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-reveal-centromere-repositioning-soybean.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:13:03 EDT news616414382 Scientists have for the first time revealed how blue-green algae—visible as the slippery green slime in stagnant water, riverbeds, and seashores—weaves itself into large weblike structures. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-unique-formation-ancient-algae.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616321434 A longstanding mystery in science is how the over 85 billion individual neurons work together to form a network that forms the basis of who we are—every human thought, emotion and behavior. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-generate-single-cell-atlas-primate.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 12 Oct 2023 14:00:01 EDT news616320029