Brainy bumblebees still succumb to the temptations of caffeine and sugar
A bumblebee's brain is smaller than a sesame seed. But it can still accomplish quite a bit......»»
Glycans are crucial in COVID-19 infection
A research group at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) has found that glycans—sugar molecules—play an important role in the structural changes that take place when the virus which causes COVID-19 invades human cells. Their discove.....»»
Weekly insulin helps patients with type 2 diabetes achieve similar blood sugar control to daily insulin
A new once-weekly basal insulin injection demonstrated similar efficacy and safety and a lower rate of low blood sugar episodes compared with a daily basal insulin, according to a phase 2 clinical trial. The study results compared an investigational.....»»
A strong coffee half an hour before exercising increases fat-burning
In the afternoon, the effects of the caffeine are more marked than in the morning......»»
Eating before 8:30 a.m. could reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes
People who start eating before 8:30 a.m. had lower blood sugar levels and less insulin resistance, which could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study......»»
How ESA helps South Africa share water fairly
Clustered at the edge of the Crocodile River in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, stand thousands of farms and small holdings growing fresh fruit and sugar cane. Water to irrigate the crops is taken from the river, but this slows its flow rate and l.....»»
Insulin rises before cells develop resistance, new diabetes research implies
Researchers have now presented results that may change our basic view of how type 2 diabetes occurs. Their study indicates that free fatty acids (FFAs) in the blood trigger insulin release even at a normal blood-sugar level, without an overt uncompen.....»»
Consumption of added sugar doubles fat production
Too much sugar is unhealthy - that we know, but it's not just down to the many calories. Even moderate amounts of added fructose and sucrose double the body's own fat production in the liver, researchers have shown. In the long term, this contributes.....»»
Helping stevia plants brave the cold
It's a fact—humans love sugar. For those of us who also like to watch our calories, sugar substitutes can help......»»
Researchers design a new highly-selective tool to study "undruggable" proteins through the sugars they depend on
Sugar has been called "evil," "toxic," and "poison." But the body needs sugars, too. Sugar molecules help cells recognize and fight viruses and bacteria, shuttle proteins from cell to cell, and make sure those proteins function. Too much or too littl.....»»
First the treats, then the tough stuff: A bacterial dinner plan for degrading algal blooms
Each spring in the North Sea, tiny algae grow in large numbers and release loads of sugar into the water—a feast for bacteria. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology and the University of Greifswald have now investigated t.....»»
Time needed to sequence key molecules could be reduced from years to minutes
Using a nanopore, researchers have demonstrated the potential to reduce the time required for sequencing a glycosaminoglycan—a class of long chain-linked sugar molecules as important to our biology as DNA—from years to minutes......»»
Graph theory helps biologists study homeostasis
Healthy human bodies are good at regulating: Our temperatures remain around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, no matter how hot or cold the temperature around us. The sugar levels in our blood remain fairly constant, even when we down a glass of juice. We kee.....»»
Common bacteria modified to make designer sugar-based drug
Envisioning an animal-free drug supply, scientists have reprogrammed a common bacterium to make a designer polysaccharide molecule used in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals......»»
Common bacteria modified to make designer sugar-based drug
Envisioning an animal-free drug supply, scientists have—for the first time—reprogrammed a common bacterium to make a designer polysaccharide molecule used in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Published today in Nature Communications, the resear.....»»
To sustain a thriving café culture, we must ditch the disposable cup.
Takeaway coffees—they're a convenient start for millions of people each day, but while the caffeine perks us up, the disposable cups drag us down, with nearly 300 billion ending up in landfill each year......»»
Recycled cotton becomes new fabric
A lot of us recycle our old textiles, but few of us know that they are very difficult to re-use, and often end up in landfills anyway. Now, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a method that converts cotton into sugar, that in turn.....»»
Has a startup finally found one of food science’s holy grails with its healthy sugar substitute?
A little less than three years ago at the Computer Science Museum in Mountain View, Calif. the founders of a young company hailing from Cambridge, England addressed a crowd of celebrities, investors and entrepreneurs at Y Combinator’s August De.....»»
How SARS-CoV-2"s sugar-coated shield helps activate the virus
One thing that makes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, elusive to the immune system is that it is covered in sugars called glycans. Once SARS-CoV-2 infects someone's body, it becomes covered in that person's unique glycans, making it diffic.....»»
How SARS-CoV-2"s sugar-coated shield helps activate the virus
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is coated with sugars called glycans, which help it evade the immune system. New research shows precisely how those sugars help the virus become activated and infectious and could help with vaccine and drug.....»»
Eat this, exercise now; new personalized software predicts and helps prevent blood sugar spikes
Not everyone has Type 2 diabetes, the disease that causes chronically high blood sugar levels, but many do. Around 9% of Americans are afflicted, and another 30% are at risk of developing it. Enter software by January AI, a four-year-old, subscriptio.....»»