Soil bacteria as biocatalysts for producing pharmaceutical ingredients
Researchers from Bochum and Leipzig have successfully used a soil bacterium to specifically produce prodrugs. The key to this step was a detailed understanding of the metabolization of indole. The natural compound is first activated in microorganisms.....»»
Strange Noises Are Coming from Inside Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft
Speakers inside the spacecraft are producing a pulsing noise, and neither astronauts nor Mission Control can identify its cause......»»
New discovery of how bacteria navigate their environment could change how we treat infection
Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered a new sensory capability in bacteria which could transform treatments for bacterial infections......»»
Healthy soils are good for your gut, brain and well-being, researcher says
Often overlooked, soil is one of our planet's largest living ecosystems and the foundation of our lives. It provides 95% of our food, supports global biodiversity and helps balance the climate by storing atmospheric carbon......»»
Bacteria able to overcome cost of vancomycin resistance in lab setting
Staphylococcus aureus has the potential to develop durable vancomycin resistance, according to a study published August 28, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Samuel Blechman and Erik Wright from the University of Pittsburgh, U.S.......»»
Chemists achieve PFAS-free synthesis of fluorinated pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds
Chemists at the University of Amsterdam have developed a method to furnish a range of molecules with a trifluoromethyl group attached to a sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen atom. Their procedure, which is published in Science, avoids the use of PFAS reagent.....»»
Novel probiotics identified in traditional Brazilian cheeses
Research conducted at the Center for Dairy Technology (Tecnolat) in Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil, has identified lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that have probiotic properties and are beneficial to human health in samples of traditional Brazilian ch.....»»
Nanoplastics put stress on trees and impair photosynthesis
It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they are able to enter living org.....»»
Tattoo ink sold on Amazon has high levels of weird and rare bacteria
The recall announcement noted that the germs "present a health concern." Enlarge / BARCELONA, SPAIN - 2021/10/02: Spanish tattoo artist Oscar Garcia works on a man, during the Expo. Fira de Barcelona hosts the XXIV edition of the.....»»
Algorithm raises new questions about Cascadia earthquake record
The Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest has a history of producing powerful and destructive earthquakes that have sunk forests and spawned tsunamis that reached all the way to the shores of Japan......»»
Scientists use evolution to bioengineer new pathways to sustainable energy and pharmaceuticals
Using evolution as a guiding principle, researchers have successfully engineered bacteria-yeast hybrids to perform photosynthetic carbon assimilation, generate cellular energy and support yeast growth without traditional carbon feedstocks like glucos.....»»
Researchers investigate cell-free DNA as early sepsis marker in foals
It's hard to be a horse. It's especially hard to be a newborn foal, dropped into a world of microbes and bacteria with your sole initial defense against devastating infections being the antibodies you get from your mother's milk, or colostrum. Resear.....»»
Hybrid imaging approach reveals microbes in 3D
Caltech researchers have developed a new method to create three-dimensional images of complex communities of bacteria and plant roots. The technology synthesizes two traditional methods of imaging: visualizing microbes with fluorescence and a noninva.....»»
Researchers identify effective materials for protecting astronauts from harmful cosmic radiation on Mars
Researchers have identified specific materials, including certain plastics, rubber, and synthetic fibers, as well as Martian soil (regolith), which would effectively protect astronauts by blocking harmful space radiation on Mars. These findings could.....»»
Coaxing purple bacteria into becoming bioplastic factories
In a world overrun by petroleum-based plastics, scientists are searching for alternatives that are more sustainable, more biodegradable and far less toxic to the environment......»»
Carbon emissions from forest soil will likely grow with rising temperatures
The soils of northern forests are key reservoirs that help keep the carbon dioxide that trees inhale and use for photosynthesis from making it back into the atmosphere. But a unique experiment led by Peter Reich of the University of Michigan is showi.....»»
From recycling to food: Can we eat plastic-munching microbes?
Researchers are trying to turn plastic-eating bacteria into food source for humans. Enlarge (credit: Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images) In 2019, an agency within the US Department of Defense released a call for resear.....»»
New "chiral vortex" of light allows chemists to "see" molecules through the mirror
An entirely new structure of light is helping to measure chirality in molecules more accurately and robustly than ever before, in a major potential step for the pharmaceutical industry......»»
How human urine can disrupt soil health and water quality
Festival season is in full flow, and like any self-respecting plant-soil biogeochemist attending a local music festival, I'm curious about how these outdoor events might modify important nutrient cycles......»»
Breaking boundaries: The unexpected routes of minerals in crop growth
Imagine plants not just sipping nutrients dissolved in water, but actually munching on tiny mineral particles straight from the soil. A study sheds light on how wheat and lettuce aren't just passive feeders—they actively grab, transport, and utiliz.....»»
How particles of light may be producing drops of the perfect liquid
The world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator may be producing the world's tiniest droplets of liquid, right under scientists' noses. Researchers are digging into this subatomic enigma......»»