Genetics: Biosynthesis pathway of a new DNA nucleobase elucidated
DNA is composed of nucleobases represented by the letters A, T, G and C. They form the basis of the genetic code and are present in all living beings. But in a bacteriophage, another base, represented by the letter Z, exists. This exception, the only.....»»
How TFIIH uses XPG to located damaged DNA
Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a critical DNA repair pathway that plays a key role in maintaining transcription and genome integrity by removing bulky DNA lesions......»»
Feline genetics help pinpoint first-ever domestication of cats
Nearly 10,000 years ago, humans settling in the Fertile Crescent, the areas of the Middle East surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made the first switch from hunter-gatherers to farmers. They developed close bonds with the rodent-eating cats.....»»
EPA proposes revamp of biofuel program to include EVs
The EPA plan would introduce a pathway for EV makers to generate credits. That would recognize the possibility that EVs could be charged using power from the grid generated by biofuels like landfill or agricultural methane......»»
New strategy to modulate reaction pathway of Zn-Fe double oxide Fenton catalyst
A research group led by Prof. Wang Junhu from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has proposed a new strategy to effectively regulate the reaction pathway of a zinc-ferrum double oxide Fenton-like.....»»
Drive male stalk-eyed flies found to avoid fertility reduction by increasing size of testes
A team of researchers at University College London's Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment has found that drive male, stalk-eyed flies do not suffer fertility reduction, despite losing half their sperm, by increasing the size of their tes.....»»
Exploring how uranium takes an alternate pathway under extreme conditions
Under normal conditions, radioactive materials such as uranium work in a predictable manner......»»
The first potent COQ8 inhibitor targets ubiquinone biosynthesis
A new collaborative study from the University of Eastern Finland, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Promega Corporation discloses the discovery and application o.....»»
Researchers identify last remaining steps in the biosynthesis of tropane alkaloids from coca
Tropane alkaloids are a particular class of plant-derived compounds that have been exploited by mankind since the domestication of medicinal plants. The distribution of these alkaloids is scattered amongst the flowering plants and the two most studie.....»»
Shining a new light on the importance of a critical photosynthesis pathway in plants
Photosynthesis is one of the most important chemical reactions, not just for plants but also for the entire world. The impact and thus the importance of photosynthesis can scarcely be underestimated. Thus, it makes sense that science has long been fa.....»»
Why do some dogs need high chairs, and how can genetics help?
Some dogs have to eat in a high chair—or, more specifically, a Bailey Chair. The chair keeps them in a vertical position while they eat so that gravity can do the work their bodies can't: moving food from the mouth to the stomach......»»
Scientists find new variations among sperm cells
The behavior of sperm cells is due, in part, to the individual DNA make-up of these cells, rather than only to the genetics of males, finds a team of scientists. Its results, which provide a new understanding of the competition among sperm cells to f.....»»
Lab discovers new pathway for antimicrobial peptides
Researchers in the Princeton University Department of Chemistry have discovered a new multi-step pathway through which bacteria found in the mammalian gut produce antimicrobial peptides......»»
COP27: Net Zero guidelines aim to drive higher standards and counter "greenwashing" accusations
To counter accusations of greenwashing and vague sustainability targets, a clear set of guidelines, has today been published at COP27, establishing standards for the pathway to net zero, by the International Standards Organization......»»
How community-engaged archaeology can be a pathway to reconciliation
We are standing in a circle on an expansive beach in front of an ancient rock-walled fish-trap—one of many archaeological sites on the small island of Xwe'etay (Lasqueti) in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the British Columbian mainland.....»»
Biotechnology is creating ethical worries—and we’ve been here before
A new book explores 3 capabilities that are here now, whether we're ready or not. Enlarge (credit: TEK IMAGE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY) Matthew Cobb is a zoologist and author whose background is in insect genetics and the.....»»
Black Death etched a mark on our genetics, warping immune responses, study finds
The plague may have put selective pressure on mutations in four genes. Enlarge / Researchers extracted DNA from the remains of people buried in the East Smithfield plague pits, which were used for mass burials in 1348 and 1349. (credit.....»»
Catnip and pea aphids came up with different ways to make the same molecule
In a new study in PNAS, a research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, shows that both catnip and pea aphids produce the substance nepetalactone, even though the plant and the insect evolved the biosynthesis of thi.....»»
Missing pathway in lysosome underlies newly discovered human disease
In a rare disease called mucolipidosis type II, people's hearts and abdomens swell, and their bones grow malformed......»»
Heart infection could be cause of death of Polish, US hero
Medical and genetics experts in Poland say that a heart infection caused by a common skin bacteria could have caused the 1817 death of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish and U.S. military leader and national hero......»»
Desperate Families Are Crowdsourcing Rescues on Social Media In the Path of Hurricane Ian
“That social media post 100% saved his life." Many people whose loved ones stayed behind in the pathway of Hurricane Ian are crowdsourcing rescue efforts as they grapple with the helplessness of waiting and not knowing. In TikTok videos.....»»