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Study investigates schizophrenia risk across African ancestry

Researchers have identified two previously unknown genes linked to schizophrenia and newly implicated a third gene as carrying risk for both schizophrenia and autism. Led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the multi-center study further demonstrated that the schizophrenia risk conferred by these rare damaging variants is conserved across ethnicities. The study may also point to new therapeutics.

14 Mar 2023

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

As conventional antibiotics continue to lose effectiveness against evolving pathogens, scientists are keen to employ the bacteria-killing techniques perfected by bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used machine learning to automate the identification of defects in sister chromatid cohesion. They trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with microscopy images of individual stained chromosomes, identified by researchers as having or not having cohesion defects. After training, it was able to successfully classify 73.1% of new images. Automation promises better statistics, and more insight into the wide range of disorders which cause cohesion defects.

14 Mar 2023

Chemical compound found in common tropical plant helps kill cancer cells

A scientific instrument at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could help create a noninvasive cancer treatment derived from a common tropical plant.

13 Mar 2023

New class of oral drugs inhibits a diverse range of SARS-CoV-2 strains

The constant evolution of new COVID-19 variants makes it critical for clinicians to have multiple therapies in their arsenal for treating drug-resistant infections. Researchers have now discovered that a new class of oral drugs that acts directly on human cells can inhibit a diverse range of pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 strains.

13 Mar 2023

Study investigates the complex evolutionary history of jewel beetles' vision

Jewel beetles are striking insects, easily recognized by their vivid colors and metallic sheen. Possessing large, well-developed eyes, jewel beetles use vision and color for a range of different behaviors, including finding mates and host plants.

13 Mar 2023

Rest boosts the immune system of migratory birds, study finds

Exercising too much and not getting enough rest is bad for your health. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the same is true for migratory birds. They need to rest not only to renew their energy levels but also in order to boost their immune system.

13 Mar 2023

Microorganisms can help tackle conflicts across the globe: Study

Microorganisms should be 'weaponized' to stave off conflicts across the globe, according to a team of eminent microbiologists.

13 Mar 2023

Novel platform identifies genes that control biologic processes

Inflammatory neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), can arise when cell-to-cell communication between cells in the central nervous system (CNS) goes awry. But exactly how this cellular crosstalk leads to the molecular changes that drive disease remain unknown.

13 Mar 2023

A reliable way to downregulate gene translation in plants

By carefully constructing upstream open reading frames (uORFs), Caixia Gao’s team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has created a new technique for downregulating gene translation to a predictable and desirable level in plants.

10 Mar 2023

The mechanism behind fruit fly germ cells forming ring canals

Cell division is the process through which the majority of cells in the bodies of living beings duplicate their contents and physically split into new cells.

10 Mar 2023

Antibiotic usage in livestock leaves an impact on soil carbon and climate

Soils are dependable carbon sinks, which is critical for minimizing the consequences of climate change. Grazing by large mammals promotes soil carbon storage in grasslands, but livestock is progressively replacing wild herbivores across the world.

10 Mar 2023

Investigating the potential cellular effects of C-reactive protein

The biological function of the C-reactive protein, CRP, has long been unidentified. Investigators at LiU have discovered that this protein has a useful function in the inflammatory disease systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE.

10 Mar 2023

Study identifies previously unknown cell types that drive the onset of osteoarthritis

A Michigan Medicine study has identified a new potential target for treating osteoarthritis – a debilitating joint disease that affects over 31 million Americans and is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

10 Mar 2023

Bean genome sequencing to boost nutritional quality

The faba bean genome, which has been sequenced for the first time and published in Nature on March 8th, 2023, is more than four times as large as the human genome at 13 billion bases.

From University of Reading 10 Mar 2023

Study shows mothers provide necessary microbes to babies born via cesarean

Can newborns delivered by cesarean surgery lack vital microbes? Recent data suggests that “no” could be the answer. Mothers are able to transmit bacteria to their babies through alternative, compensating channels, according to research published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe on March 8th, 2023.

10 Mar 2023

Novel model tracks hippocampal synaptic plasticity to reveal molecular mechanisms

The accumulation of amyloid beta proteins, which encourage synaptic malfunction, causes cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to scientific evidence.

10 Mar 2023

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Two proteins help in protecting and stabilizing RNA as it travels through the cell carrying muscle-forming code. Studying this RNA-stabilizing complex further may have ramifications for muscle recovery and disease treatment.

10 Mar 2023

COVID-19 has taken a limited toll on the mental health, finds study

COVID-19 has taken a relatively limited toll on the mental health of most people around the globe, according to a paper published today in the BMJ by a McGill University-led research team involving collaborators from McMaster University, the University of Toronto, and other institutions.

10 Mar 2023

Experts receive funding to analyze individualized hemodialysis as a dynamic treatment

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) recently awarded researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine $10.2 million to study the effectiveness of an individualized model of hemodialysis, a procedure in which the blood is cleaned by a dialysis machine. The project is a collaboration between the School of Medicine, the Renal Research Institute and other health care systems across the country.

10 Mar 2023