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Study sheds new light on the early stages of viral evolution

Scientists from the Universities of York and Leeds, in association with Hilvert Laboratory at the ETH Zurich, have investigated the evolution, structure, and assembly of virus-like particles. According to the researchers, this breakthrough discovery will impact the way viruses are treated in the future.

11 Jun 2021

Brain study provides new insights on dementia

The largest study to date has provided a better understanding of how genes are controlled in dementia, including the identification of 84 novel genes associated with the condition.

From University of Exeter 11 Jun 2021

Microbes help convert plastic trash into vanilla flavor

Scientists have developed a novel solution to the growing problem of plastic pollution by using microbes to convert plastic waste into a vanilla flavor. According to a new study, the ubiquitous bacterium E. coli may be used as a sustainable technique to convert post-consumer plastic into vanillin.

11 Jun 2021

Living cells can produce semi-interpenetrating polymer networks

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that a class of interwoven composite materials called semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (sIPNs) can be produced by living cells. The approach could make these versatile materials more biologically compatible for biomedical applications such as time-delayed drug delivery systems.

11 Jun 2021

Naked mole rats' unique DNA repair mechanism helps prevent cancers, dementia

Scientists say naked mole rats - a rodent native to West Africa - may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative diseases such as cancer and dementia.

11 Jun 2021

New research focuses on possible treatment options for childhood brain cancer

Medulloblastoma is a rare but devastating childhood brain cancer. This cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and be deposited elsewhere in the brain or spine.

11 Jun 2021

New understanding of the molecular basis behind continuous stem cell activity in plants

An inter-university research group has succeeded in constructing the gene expression network behind the vascular development process in plants. They achieved this by performing bioinformatics analysis using the 'VISUAL' tissue culture platform, which generates vascular stem cells from leaf cells.

11 Jun 2021

Scientists unravel the proteins that trigger some cancerous tumors

Even on a good day, DNA is constantly getting damaged. Nicks, scratches, breaks: the delicate strands that carry life's genetic code take a beating as they jumble about in the course of their work. If left untreated, errors accumulate, with fatal consequences -- such as cancerous tumors -- for the cell and the organism.

11 Jun 2021

Novel platform may lead to more improved gene therapies

Researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed polypeptide-based materials that serve as effective vectors in delivering gene therapies.

11 Jun 2021

New “phase separation” protects against premature aging, neurological disorders

According to a new study, a mechanism through which an RNA, called NORAD, drives the Pumilio protein to create liquid droplets in cells—similar to oil in water—appears to closely control the activity of this protein.

11 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 virus does not spread on hospital surfaces

By observing what was going on across the world in early 2020, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine knew that their region will soon be flooded with patients infected with COVID-19—the disease caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

From UC San Diego 11 Jun 2021

Study reveals a preliminary genetic link to dyspraxia

Researchers from Oxford Brookes University have found certain genes that can potentially reveal critical information about the biology of developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also called dyspraxia.

11 Jun 2021

ASU study reveals how diets high in saturated fats cause colon cancer

For decades, physicians and dieticians have urged people to limit their intake of high fat foods, citing links to poor health outcomes and some of the leading causes of death in the U.S., such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

10 Jun 2021

Commonly used antidepressant drugs can also help the immune system to attack cancer

A class of drug called monoamine oxidase inhibitors is commonly prescribed to treat depression; the medications work by boosting levels of serotonin, the brain's "happiness hormone."

10 Jun 2021

COVID-19 spread varies seasonally, but warmer conditions are not enough to prevent transmission

New research shows transmission of the virus behind COVID-19 varies seasonally, but warmer conditions are not enough to prevent transmission.

10 Jun 2021

Study reveals new insights into role of polyphenols in the soil microbiome

Fruits, vegetables, red wine and chocolate are all rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds that double as cancer-fighting antioxidants. We can access these foods' health benefits because the microbes in our guts happily feast on them, breaking them down into smaller chemical components.

10 Jun 2021