Nutrients News and Research

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The Surprising Impact of Temperature on Bacterial Predator-Prey Interactions

In a recent study, the predator-prey connection between two species of lab-grown bacteria was reversed when one species was cultivated at a lower temperature. These results were published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on January 23rd by Marie Vasse of MIVEGEC, France, and colleagues.

24 Jan 2024

‘Mini-Placentas’ Help Scientists Study the Causes of Pre-eclampsia and Pregnancy Disorders

Scientists have grown ‘mini-placentas’ in the lab and used them to see how the placenta develops and interacts with the inner lining of the womb – findings that could help scientists better understand and, in future, potentially treat pre-eclampsia.

17 Jan 2024

Honeybees Directly Provide Nutrients to Gut Bacteria

Bacteria have adapted to all terrestrial environments. Some have evolved to survive in the gut of animals, where they play an important role for their host; they provide energy by degrading indigestible food, they train and regulate the immune system, they protect against invasion by pathogenic bacteria, and they synthesize neuroactive molecules that regulate the behavior and cognition of their host.

16 Jan 2024

Bacterial "Freight Elevator" Transports Camouflage Molecule for Immune Evasion

Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane.

9 Jan 2024

Unlocking the Gut's Metabolic Secrets

The variety of enzymes that microbes employ to make energy in the low-oxygen environment of the gut is highlighted by a survey of bacterial genomes.

8 Jan 2024

B12-Producing Gut Bacteria Modulate Neurotransmitter Levels and Reduce Seizures in C. elegans

A new study published in Nature Cell Biology by Mark Alkema, PhD, professor of neurobiology, establishes an important molecular link between specific B12-producing bacteria in the gut of the roundworm C. elegans and the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important to memory and cognitive function.

5 Jan 2024

Researchers Discover How Microbes Enhance Fruit Fly Reproduction

For many of us, when we think of microbiomes, our first thoughts are probably about the beneficial microorganisms that live in our guts.

26 Dec 2023

Plants Use Stealth Molecular Weapon to Attack Cells of Invading Gray Mold

UC Riverside scientists have discovered a stealth molecular weapon that plants use to attack the cells of invading gray mold.

22 Dec 2023

Sticky Secrets Revealed: Epithelial Cells Stick and Signal for Perfect Tissues

Australian researchers have discovered a new way that epithelial cells, which form layers in organs like the skin and stomach, attach to one another, and how they perceive growth signals at these attachments, helping them form tissues of the right size and shape.

22 Dec 2023

Gut Mitochondria Hold the Key to Balanced Fat Metabolism

The maintenance of a balanced lipid homeostasis is critical for our health. While consumption of excessive amounts of fatty foods contributes to metabolic diseases such as obesity and atherosclerosis, fat is an indispensable component of our diet.

22 Dec 2023

Intermittent Energy Restriction Diet Alters Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis

Worldwide, more than one billion people are obese. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

21 Dec 2023

Unmasking the Energy Secrets of a Marine Bacterial Giant

Not all bacteria are created equal. Most are single-celled and tiny, a few ten-thousandths of a centimeter long. But bacteria of the Epulopiscium family are large enough to be seen with the naked eye and 1 million times the volume of their better-known cousins, E. coli.

19 Dec 2023

Oceanography, Seafloor Mapping and Satellite Combine to Map World’s Strongest Current

From space to the seafloor, an Australian and international research voyage has mapped a highly energetic "hotspot" in the world’s strongest current simultaneously by ship and satellite, and uncovered an underwater mountain range.

19 Dec 2023

The Impact of Gut Microbiome Communities on Pathogen Protection

The gut microbiome, comprising numerous bacterial species, serves as a residence for various bacteria within the human digestive system.

15 Dec 2023

Nature-Powered Nutrient Recovery: UW-Madison Develops Innovative Manure Processing Technique

An interdisciplinary team led by University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists has developed a new technique that could help farmers extract useful nutrients such as ammonia and potassium from livestock manure to efficiently make fertilizer and other useful chemical products.

13 Dec 2023