Extracellular cytochrome nanowires appear to be ubiquitous in microbes
A Geobacter bacteria isolated from a contaminated ditch in Oklahoma has an unusual appendage—a long extracellular nanowire that can conduct electricity. The electron transport chain in this nanowire carries electrons from the bacteria to an insolub.....»»
Researchers discover new family of bacteria with high pharmaceutical potential
Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds, also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or vira.....»»
From roots to resilience: Investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
Georgia's saltwater marshes—living where the land meets the ocean—stretch along the state's entire 100-mile coastline. These rich ecosystems are largely dominated by just one plant: grass......»»
Research explores ways to mitigate the environmental toxicity of ubiquitous silver nanoparticles
Silver has long been used to thwart the spread of illness and in recent years silver nanoparticles have been incorporated into products ranging from sanitizers, odor-resistant clothes and washing machines to makeup, food packaging and sports equipmen.....»»
Natural biosurfactants: The future of eco-friendly meat preservation
A recent study has unveiled the potential of biosurfactants—natural compounds produced by microbes—to dramatically improve the preservation of meat products. This innovative approach could replace synthetic chemicals, enhancing food safety and qu.....»»
A photocatalyst for sustainable syngas production from greenhouse gases
Researchers have developed a novel photocatalyst, named Rh/InGaN1-xOx, which is a nanoarchitecture consisting of rhodium nanoparticles anchored on oxygen-modified indium gallium nitride nanowires grown on silicon substrates......»»
Study sheds light on cancer cell "tug-of-war"
Understanding how cancerous cells spread from a primary tumor is important for any number of reasons, including determining the aggressiveness of the disease itself. The movement of cells into the extracellular matrix (ECM) of neighboring tissue is a.....»»
Apple"s new Photos app will utilize generative AI for image editing
A new teaser on Apple's website could be indicative of some of the company's upcoming software plans, namely a new version of its ubiquitous Photos app that will tap generative AI to deliver Photoshop-grade editing capabilities for the average consum.....»»
What can AI learn about the universe?
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become ubiquitous, with applications ranging from data analysis, cybersecurity, pharmaceutical development, music composition, and artistic renderings......»»
Why do male chicks play more than females? Study finds answers in distant ancestor
Play is widespread, but far from ubiquitous, across the animal kingdom. Especially common in mammals, play is also known to occur in taxa as diverse as birds, fish, octopuses, and even insects. But what is its function, given that natural selection n.....»»
Archaea can be "picky eaters": Study shows a group of parasitic microbes can change host metabolism
A parasite that not only feeds off its host, but also makes the host change its own metabolism and thus biology: NIOZ microbiologists Su Ding and Joshua Hamm, Nicole Bale, Jaap Damsté and Anja Spang have shown this for the very first time in a speci.....»»
A new tool for plant long non-coding RNA identification
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are ubiquitous transcripts with crucial regulatory roles in various biological processes, including chromatin remodeling, post-transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic modifications. While accumulating evidence elucid.....»»
Sourdough under the microscope reveals microbes cultivated over generations
Sourdough is the oldest kind of leavened bread in recorded history, and people have been eating it for thousands of years. The components of creating a sourdough starter are very simple—flour and water. Mixing them produces a live culture where yea.....»»
Bacteria "nanowires" could help develop green electronics
Engineered protein filaments originally produced by bacteria have been modified by scientists to conduct electricity. In a study published recently in the journal Small, researchers revealed that protein nanowires—which were modified by adding a si.....»»
Barley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study led by Jacob Malone of the John Innes Center, UK, published in the op.....»»
Scientists replace fishmeal in aquaculture with microbial protein derived from soybean processing wastewater
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Temasek Polytechnic have successfully replaced half of the fishmeal protein in the diets of farmed Asian seabass with a "single cell protein" cultivated from microbes in.....»»
Astrophysicists work toward unification of turbulence framework—weak-to-strong transition discovered in turbulence
Turbulence is ubiquitous in nature. It exists everywhere, from our daily lives to the distant universe, while being labeled as "the last great unsolved problem of classical physics" by Richard Feynman. Prof. Dr. Huirong Yan and her group from the Ins.....»»
Q&A: Why are we drowning in single-use plastics, and what can we do about it?
Plastic is ubiquitous. It's in the clothes we wear, wrapped around the food we eat and in the toothpaste we use. It floats in the oceans and litters the snow on Mount Everest......»»
In life cycle diagrams, small changes make a big difference
Life cycle diagrams are ubiquitous in science textbooks, and they may be due for some updates. A new study finds simple design changes in these diagrams can have a dramatic impact on the ability of undergraduate students to understand key biology con.....»»
Discovery of bacterial proteins that induce asexual reproduction in insects
From microbes in the human gut to symbiotic algae in coral reefs, research in recent decades has increasingly revealed the pivotal roles that microorganisms (or microbial species) play in shaping the biology of host organisms and of broader ecosystem.....»»
Scientists discover how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments
Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall—how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by an ERC project led by microbiologist Dagmar Woebken from the Centre fo.....»»