Potent trivalent inhibitors of thrombin from anticoagulation peptides in insect saliva
Thrombosis, the clogging of blood vessels, is a major cause of heart attacks and embolism. Scientists have now engineered the first inhibitors of thrombin, a protease promoting thrombosis, that is three-fold efficient. In a study published in the jou.....»»
Newly-engineered versions of bacterial enzyme reveal how antibiotics could be more potent
Modern medicine depends on antibiotics to treat infections by disabling targets inside bacterial cells. Once inside these cells, antibiotics bind to certain sites on specific enzyme targets to stop bacterial growth. Randomly occurring changes (mutati.....»»
What makes Idalia so potent? It"s feeding on intensely warm water that acts like rocket fuel
Feeding on some of the hottest water on the planet, Hurricane Idalia is rapidly strengthening as it bears down on Florida and the rest of the Gulf Coast. It's been happening a lot lately......»»
Titanium micro-spikes skewer resistant superbugs
A new study suggests rough surfaces inspired by the bacteria-killing spikes on insect wings may be more effective at combating drug-resistant superbugs, including fungus, than previously understood......»»
Curious and cryptic: New leaf insects discovered
An international research team including the University of Göttingen has described seven previously unknown species of leaf insects, also known as walking leaves. The insects belong to the stick and leaf insect order, which are known for their unusu.....»»
Study: Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor promotes mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into cardiac progenitor cells
Cardiovascular diseases, particularly myocardial infarction (MI), are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity around the globe. Because cardiac tissue possesses very limited regeneration potential, use of a potent small molecule, inhibitor Wnt p.....»»
Insecticides affect aquatic insects in unexpected ways
Pesticide pollution of streams in agricultural areas has adverse effects for stream organisms. A new study, led by researchers from the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), provides evidence that aquatic insect larvae resp.....»»
Wild tobacco mutants are more susceptible to insect attack but grow faster, shows study
Plants are not exposed to herbivores without defenses. When an insect feeds on a leaf, thereby wounding it and releasing oral secretions, a signaling cascade is elicited in the plant, usually starting with a rapid increase in the amount of the plant.....»»
Small urban greening projects can dramatically increase number of insect species in cities
By increasing the diversity of indigenous plants in urban areas, researchers from the University of Melbourne have seen a seven-fold increase in the number of insect species in just three years, confirming the ecological benefits of urban greening pr.....»»
More than half of life on Earth is found in soil—here"s why that"s important
A recent study has found that soil is home to 59% of all life on Earth, from an insect feeding on the soil surface to a tiny microbe nestled in a soil pore. This discovery crowns soil as the most biodiverse habitat on the planet......»»
Mapping methane emissions from rivers around globe reveals surprising sources
Freshwater ecosystems account for half of global emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Rivers and streams, especially, are thought to emit a substantial amount of that methane, but the rates and patterns of.....»»
How a Firefly Course Is Saving Japan’s Favorite Glowing Insect
The fireflies of Moriyama City have long been prized (and hunted) for their yellow-green glow. To bring populations back up, amateur conservationists are hitting the books......»»
Researchers identify peptides for pollen tube growth in rice
Double fertilization is a complex mechanism in flowering plants, wherein two sperm cells fuse with the embryo sac. To achieve this, pollens released from anthers must interact with the plant's stigma, hydrate, and germinate into pollen tubes. Thus, p.....»»
New study: Even treated wastewater affects our rivers
Effluents from wastewater treatment plants have a dual effect: Some species disappear, while others benefit. Especially certain insect orders, such as stonefly and caddisfly larvae, are decimated. Certain worms and crustaceans, by contrast, can incre.....»»
Good smells, bad smells: It"s all in the insect brain
Everyone has scents that naturally appeal to them, such as vanilla or coffee, and scents that don't appeal. What makes some smells appealing and others not?.....»»
When cheating pays: Survival strategy of insect uncovered
Researchers have revealed the unique 'cheating' strategy a New Zealand insect has developed to avoid being eaten—mimicking a highly toxic species......»»
Five mosquito myths and one truth that really bite
Nothing kills a hammock hangout, Sunday hike or backyard barbecue faster than the stealthy blitz of the mosquito, those vampires of the insect world that strike fast and leave red, itchy bumps—or worse—in their wake......»»
Fast electrical signals mapped in plants with new bioelectronic technology
What happens inside the carnivorous plant Venus Flytrap when it catches an insect? New technology has led to discoveries about the electrical signaling that causes the trap to snap shut. Bioelectronic technology enables advanced research into how pla.....»»
Prodrugs: Pills your body converts into an illicit drug can evade detection, but we don"t know how big the problem is
Drug traffickers have found a way to trick enforcement agencies by using one of the most potent tools our bodies have: our metabolism. Welcome to the world of prodrugs......»»
Study shows glyphosate impairs learning in bumblebees
What impacts do agrochemicals have on the ongoing global insect decline? Biologists at the University of Konstanz have found out that aversive learning is impaired in bumblebees exposed to glyphosate. Their study is published in the journal Science o.....»»
Potent anti-cancer therapy created using "click chemistry"
A potent anti-cancer therapy has been created using Nobel prize-winning "click chemistry," where molecules click together like LEGO bricks, in a new study by UCL and Stanford University researchers......»»