Zinc News and Research

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Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies.

Zinc Inhibits Plasmid Transfer in Gut Microbes

Genes responsible for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can spread from microbe to microbe through circular genetic material called plasmids, and this lateral transfer occurs in the gut. This week in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, researchers in Iowa report that the transmission of some AMR plasmids may be inhibited by a readily available source-;dietary zinc supplements.

4 Oct 2024

Potassium Isotope Ratios: A Potential Biomarker for Early Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis

Potassium isotope ratios in serum show promise as biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, revealing significant differences between patients and healthy controls.

16 Sep 2024

Clock Genes Drive Evolutionary Split in Two Moth Species

Investigating moth speciation, this research highlights the impact of clock genes on behavior, providing a rare glimpse into evolutionary processes.

28 Aug 2024

Cryo-EM Reveals CDCA7's Hemimethylation Sensing in Nucleosome Core Particles

DNA methylation, a process by which methyl groups are added to DNA molecules, is essential for the maintenance of DNA and the overall health of an organism. Disruptions in the standard DNA methylation patterns can lead to immunodeficiency and diseases such as cancer.

27 Aug 2024

Novel Drug Targets in Gardnerella Vaginalis: A Bioinformatics Approach to Combat Bacterial Vaginosis

A computational approach to identify proteins in G. vaginalis that could be potential drug targets.

20 Aug 2024

From CRISPR-Cas to Fanzor system: New frontiers in gene editing

The features of various CRISPR-Cas systems, including CRISPR-associated transposons (CASTs) and the eukaryotic equivalent of CRISPR-Cas systems, Fanzor systems.

9 Aug 2024

New research identifies and mitigates bias in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing

A phenomics approach to study proximity bias and the unrelated chromosomal truncations.

10 Jun 2024

Decoding Chromatin Modifications: A Breakthrough in Epigenome Editing

An epigenome editing platform and a method to program nine major chromatin modifications.

14 May 2024

Using Nanoparticles to Inactivate Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

An article published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering describes a possible strategy for promoting selective inhibition of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are increasingly abundant owing to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and are therefore a major human health hazard.

4 Apr 2024

Unveiling the Role of Heat Shock Proteins

A protective function against protein clumping is provided by a heat shock protein within cells.

27 Nov 2023

Study: Swimming and Tubing Can Alter Stream Chemistry and Microbiology

With Labor Day approaching, many people are preparing to go tubing and swimming at local streams and rivers.

19 Sep 2023

Oregon State Receives $7.5M Grant to Modernize Zebrafish Research Lab

Oregon State University has received a $7.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to modernize a lab focused on using zebrafish to address pressing human health challenges.

19 Sep 2023

New Insights Into How Cells Maintain Optimal Health

A group of researchers has unearthed the secrets behind a tiny but crucial protein that shuttles zinc ions (Zn2+) within our bodies. The discovery offers a deeper understanding of how our cells maintain optimal health.

4 Sep 2023

Smart Agrochemical Delivery Platform Shows Promise for Precision Agriculture

Improvements in crop productivity and nutritional value are needed to meet increased global demand for food in terms of both quantity and quality.

1 Aug 2023

The Future of Nanobiotechnology: Ethical Considerations

Prosthetics moved by thoughts. Targeted treatments for aggressive brain cancer. Soldiers with enhanced vision or bionic ears.

13 Jul 2023

Researchers Use the Bionanoprobe to Explore Role of Zinc in Follicle Development

The discovery that zinc is involved in the fertilization process earlier than initially thought was made with the help of the Bionanoprobe, a cutting-edge instrument at Argonne.

18 May 2023

Researchers Discover How Deadly Hospital Pathogen can Survive Harsh Environments

The deadly hospital pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii can live for a year on a hospital wall without food and water. Then, when it infects a vulnerable patient, it resists antibiotics as well as the body's built-in infection-fighting response.

17 May 2023

Common Food Additives may Have Negative Effects on Your Gut Health

Common food additives known as metal oxide nanoparticles may have negative effects on your gut health, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York and Cornell University.

10 May 2023

Speeding Up Forest Restoration Using New Biotechnological Approaches

Investigators from Brazil reveal that Amazonian dark earth (ADE), soils enriched by Amerindian people thousands of years ago, enhances the establishment and growth of seedlings of tree species vital for reforestation.

8 May 2023

Zinc Biofortification in Microgreens Could Help to Mitigate Global Malnutrition

When the seeds of plants such as pea and sunflower are biofortified with zinc, the seedlings they quickly produce -; harvested as microgreens -; could both help to mitigate global malnutrition and boost the odds of people surviving a catastrophe.

5 May 2023