Harnessing functions of microbiota to combat fungal pathogens
Fusarium graminearum is a widespread pathogenic fungus that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops worldwide, especially in wheat. Between 2000 and 2018, more than 4.5 million hectares were annually affected by FHB in China, or around 20%.....»»
A new mechanism for animal food caching behavior discovered
New research from Hebrew University proposes a novel, non-memory-based mechanism for how animals cache and retrieve food. Instead of relying on memory, the researchers suggest that animals use a neural mechanism similar to hash functions in computing.....»»
Microscopy technique "paves way" for improving understanding of cellular functions
Scientists have developed a new way of counting labeled proteins in living cells that could become a standard and valuable tool in the field of biomedical research......»»
These Pathogens Could Spark the Next Pandemic, Scientists Warn
Scientists have identified more than 30 different pathogens that they fear could cause the next big pandemic in humans.....»»
Smells may prime our gut to fight off infection
Many organisms react to the smell of deadly pathogens by reflexively avoiding them. But a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that the nematode C. elegans also reacts to the odor of pathogenic bacteria by preparing its int.....»»
Fungi adapt cell walls to evade antifungal drugs
Every year, life-threatening invasive fungal infections afflict more than 2 million individuals globally. Mortality rates for these infections are high, even when patients receive treatment......»»
Disaster plant pathology: Solutions to combat agricultural threats from disasters
An often-overlooked component of natural and human-driven disasters is their potential to affect plant health and thus food security at domestic and international scales. Most disasters have indirect effects on plant health through factors such as di.....»»
Scientists take atomic look at a protein complex that grants access to our DNA
To transcribe the information contained in our genes or to repair the dozens of breaks that occur daily in our DNA, our enzymes must be able to directly access the DNA to perform their functions. However, in the cell nucleus, this access is limited b.....»»
Groundwater plays an invisible role supporting lakes
Nearly 90% of North America's lakes are located in Canada. That's why they make up such an enormous part of our landscape. Among their many vital functions, lakes are essential to the biodiversity of our territory and constitute indispensable oases f.....»»
Google won’t downrank top deepfake porn sites unless victims mass report
Google starts downranking more non-consensual intimate imagery in searches. Enlarge (credit: Paper Boat Creative | Stone) Today, Google announced new measures to combat the rapidly increasing spread of AI-generated non-c.....»»
Researchers develop general framework for designing quantum sensors
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a protocol for harnessing the power of quantum sensors. The protocol could give sensor designers the ability to fine-tune quantum systems to.....»»
New derivative from long pepper shows promise against antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens are on the rise, while fewer antibiotics are being developed. Prof. Ariel Kushmaro and his local and international colleagues tackled the need by focusing on the long pepper. Known in traditional medicine for.....»»
How bacteria attach their cloaks of invisibility to immune defenses
Bacteria have different strategies for protecting themselves. Some bacterial pathogens surround themselves with a shell made of many sugar chains that lie close together, also known as capsular polymers. This protects the bacteria from drying out and.....»»
Plants" hidden allies: Root microbiota fight back against leaf-mining flies
Plants encounter various biotic stresses, with insect herbivory being particularly destructive. Traditional chemical insecticides used to combat these pests pose environmental and health risks......»»
Raman spectroscopy offers new insights into ionic liquid acidity
Researchers at the University of Liège have for the first time determined the acidity of ionic liquids using Raman spectroscopy, thanks to Hammett acidity functions. This advance promises to revolutionize our understanding and use of these organic s.....»»
Exploring the effects of initial microbiota on microbial succession during eggplant fermentation
Shibazuke is a traditional Japanese eggplant pickle produced by the process of fermentation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB which are commonly present in vegetables cause the spontaneous fermentation of vegetables, resulting in the distinctive.....»»
Underground CO₂ storage: Researchers measure carbon mineralization at unprecedented small scale
As we look to the sky above and ponder one of the biggest questions of our time—how to combat the carbon emissions that are driving climate change—a potential answer just may lie beneath our feet, in Earth's deep subsurface......»»
Scientists hijack natural delivery system to send engineered proteins to target cells
Each cell in the body has its own unique delivery system that scientists are working on harnessing to move revolutionary biological drugs—molecules like proteins, RNA and combinations of the two—to specific diseased parts of the body......»»
Capacitive controls could be the cause of a spate of VW ID.4 crashes
Unlike buttons, capacitive controls require just the slightest touch to activate. Enlarge / The left spoke has controls for adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, the right spoke is for controlling settings and audio functions.....»»
US to phase out federal purchase of single-use plastics
President Joe Biden's administration on Friday announced plans to phase out single-use plastics in all federal operations by 2035, as part of a broader effort to combat what it deemed a rising global crisis......»»
Volvo EX90 might be delivered to customers without key features
The automaker is telling customers that some functions in its flagship electric SUV may have to be added later via over-the-air update......»»