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.....»»
Automated counting and measuring method for efficient maize trichome identification
Plant trichomes are highly specialized structures that develop from the epidermal pavement cells of different plant tissues. They are known to defend plants from biotic and abiotic stresses such as water loss, insect-inflicted damage, pathogen attack.....»»
Autophagy mediates a direct synergistic interaction during co-transmission of two arboviruses by insect vectors
Multiple viral infections in insect vectors with synergistic effects are common in nature, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. A new study, published in Science China Life Sciences and led by Dr. Taiyun Wei (Institute of Vector-borne Virus.....»»
Neuroptera: Greater insect diversity in the Cretaceous period
Human activity is currently driving a loss of natural diversity that some experts describe as the sixth major mass extinction event in the history of the Earth. The decline in insects is particularly alarming: Insects are not just a highly diverse gr.....»»
Biologists discover bees are the brew masters of the insect world
Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have made a remarkable discovery about cellophane bees—their microbiomes are some of the most fermentative known from the insect world. These bees, which are named for their use of cellophane-like.....»»
Conventional aerobic methanotrophs have metabolic versatility under anoxia
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28 –34 times that of carbon dioxide on a centennial time scale. Microbial CH4 oxidation acts as a biofilter, preventing more than 90% of CH4 from entering the atmosphere......»»
Study determines criteria for differentiating a pollinating insect from a presumed pollinator in the fossil record
Insect pollination is a decisive process for the survival and evolution of angiosperm (flowering) plants and, to a lesser extent, gymnosperms (without visible flower or fruit). There is a growing interest in studies on the origins of the relationship.....»»
Methane from megafires: Novel detection technique raises pollution policy questions
Using a new detection method, UC Riverside scientists found a massive amount of methane, a super-potent greenhouse gas, coming from wildfires—a source not currently being accounted for by state air quality managers......»»
A novel database aimed at promoting drug design using cyclic peptides
CycPeptMPDB, a novel database created by Tokyo Tech researchers, focuses on the membrane permeability of cyclic peptides and could accelerate the development of drugs based on these promising compounds. This database was created by gathering publishe.....»»
Study shows dramatic insect decline is also occurring in forests
The number of insects has been declining for years. This has already been well documented for agricultural areas. In forests, however, temporal trends are mostly studied for insect species that are considered pests......»»
Squash bees flourish in response to agricultural intensification
While pollinator populations of many species have plummeted worldwide, one bee species is blowing up the map with its rapid population expansion. The key to this insect's success? Its passion for pumpkins, zucchinis, and other squashes, and the massi.....»»
Wastewater as a breeding ground for antibiotic resistance
Wastewater is a more potent environment for antibiotic resistance to evolve than has been previously realized. A study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that wastewaters have unique characteristics, allowing resistance genes to start t.....»»
Stinky seaweed blooms: Turning an ecological risk into an opportunity
As Atlantic beaches brace for their annual onslaught of a potent-smelling seaweed, scientists on a project led by the University of Southampton are sharing their research into how communities affected can make use of this putrid problem—by turning.....»»
How Vietnam is trying to stop rice warming the planet
As a child, Dong Van Canh watched while the rice fields of Vietnam's Mekong Delta were set alight to make way for the next crop, blackening the sky and flooding the air with potent greenhouse gases......»»
Can insights from the soapbark tree change the way we make vaccines?
The medicinal secrets of the Chilean soapbark tree have been laid bare, unlocking a future of more potent, affordable, and sustainably sought vaccines......»»
DataRobot releases AI Platform 9.0 to deliver value-driven AI
DataRobot has released DataRobot AI Platform 9.0, along with deeper partner integrations, AI Accelerators, and redesigned service offerings, all centered on helping organizations derive measurable value from their AI investments. “AI has the potent.....»»
Investigating the effects of amide-to-ester substitutions on membrane permeability of cyclic peptides
Cyclic peptides often exhibit low membrane permeability that can be significantly improved via amide-to-ester substitutions, as demonstrated by researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech). The utilization of substitutions shown in a n.....»»
Scientists discover giant insect genome
The largest genome of any insect, seven times the size of the human genome, was recently discovered in a grasshopper. In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers from the German Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) and th.....»»
Insect Farming Is Booming. But Is It Cruel?
More than a trillion insects are raised each year as high-protein, low-carbon animal feed, but the practice might have an ethical blind spot......»»
Agriculture needs fresh approach to tackle growing problem of insect resistance to biopesticides, new analysis finds
Insect pests which attack crops have extraordinary powers to develop resistance to greener pesticides and a new way to manage resistance risks is needed, according to analysis by University of Stirling scientists......»»
Ants avoid reproductive competition with close relatives, suggests study
Cooperation is a key innovation in evolution, from evolution of genomes and multicellular organisms to insect societies, such as ants and honeybees to human societies. Crucially, any cooperation is stable only when conflicts among group members are k.....»»