https://phys.org/biology-news/molecular-computational en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news on molecular and Computational biology Many cereal crops, such as wheat and barley, are prey to devastating fungal diseases caused by infection with so-called grass powdery mildews. A key battleground between the plants and the powdery mildews is the interaction between plant immune receptors and pathogen effectors, molecules which are delivered into host cells by pathogens to establish infection. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-insights-illuminate-arms-crop-fungal.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 02 Aug 2023 12:33:58 EDT news610198430 New research published today in Nature has revealed the importance of mineral forms of iron in regulating the cycling of this bio-essential nutrient in the ocean. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-highlights-importance-mineral-iron-ocean.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 12:31:48 EDT news610198302 Building on the Middle East's reputation as one of the historical birthplaces of cereal crop domestication, a KAUST-led team has compiled the first complete genome map of an ancient grain known as einkorn. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-ancient-grain-genetic-secrets-bread.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:00:02 EDT news610128139 In a compost heap, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans finds a richly laid table: at a length of just one millimeter, the worm feeds on bacteria that decompose organic material. It is essential that the animal avoids sunlight—and not just to ensure its body remains at an optimal temperature and does not dry out. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-nematode-artificial-intelligence-elucidate-sensor.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:40:54 EDT news610191648 Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are one of the most pressing issues in medicine, a situation that is only expected to worsen in the coming decades. The problem is being addressed not only by developing new antibiotics but also by studying antibiotic alternatives, such as phages. Among them is the Microbial Molecular Evolution Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-evolving-viruses-bacterial-infections.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:21:12 EDT news610190469 Known as the power plant of the cell, mitochondria are essential to human metabolism. Human mitochondria consist of 1,300 different proteins and two fatty biomembranes. The vast majority of mitochondrial proteins are produced with a cleavable transport signal and have to be actively transported into the mitochondria. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-signal-dependent-formation-mitochondria.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:39:56 EDT news610184393 For some years now, biochar has been studied extensively as an alternative to phosphate fertilizer. Biochar is a recyclate produced by biomass pyrolysis, i.e., organic feedstocks are incinerated without oxygen at temperatures ranging from 400°C to 700°C. The biochar bases may differ considerably. Waste wood, chicken manure, or leaves can be processed to fertilizers. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-alternative-phosphate-fertilizer-biochar-basis.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:39:32 EDT news610184369 Human cells are protecting their proteins from unfolding and aggregating. That's what biophysicist Alireza Mashaghi and his team discovered after seven years of in-depth research into the folding mechanisms of proteins. With an unprecedented approach, the team was able to study the folding of a single protein molecule. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-biological-origami-molecular-cytosolic-interactome.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:33:43 EDT news610112020 Ion channels play a crucial role in many cellular processes, including neuronal communication, muscle contraction or cell proliferation. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-gating-mechanism-ion-channels.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:19:02 EDT news610107541 North Carolina State University researchers have identified the specific blend of pheromone chemicals—including a newly revealed aphrodisiac—used by male moths during courtship as they attempt to entice females to mate. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-male-moth-aphrodisiac-revealed.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:00:01 EDT news610098586 Discovering and developing drugs can be slow, costly and high-risk, but harnessing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) can help with these processes, say Brock University researchers. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-explore-ai-covid-drug.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:31:04 EDT news610104662 Researchers have revealed the unique 'cheating' strategy a New Zealand insect has developed to avoid being eaten—mimicking a highly toxic species. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-pays-survival-strategy-insect-uncovered.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:17:03 EDT news610103821 Sperm play a critical role in the creation of new life, delivering essentially half of the genetic material required. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-modifications-amino-acids-sperm-infertility.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:53:28 EDT news610041204 Scientists at the Children's Nutrition Research Center of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) helped develop healthier sorghum varieties containing significant concentrations of provitamin A carotenoids while also increasing mineral absorption to meet the nutritional needs of mothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-healthy-sorghum-crop-healthier.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:11:04 EDT news610035062 For years, we've known that a special kind of molecular assembly known as a "polyelectrolyte complex" helps your cells keep themselves organized. These complexes are very good at forming interfaces to keep two liquids separated: your cells use them to create compartments. These abilities have led scientists to consider them for technological applications, including filtering water, better batteries, and even underwater glue, as well as for better pharmaceutical drugs. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-reveals-long-debated-makeup-molecules-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:00:01 EDT news610015098 Future therapies to help people live healthy lives for longer could be developed from drugs that release tiny amounts of the gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S), new research has indicated. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-hydrogen-sulfide-healthy-aging-therapeutic.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:00:01 EDT news610015115 A new computer program allows scientists to observe the behavior of multiple animals simultaneously and over extended periods, while automatically analyzing their motion. What may seem obvious marks a significant milestone, and paves the way for robust and accessible standardization and evaluation of such complex observations. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-machine-behavioral-neuroscience-precise-phenotyping.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:24:57 EDT news610028694 It's one of the mysteries of nature: How does the axolotl, a small salamander, boast a superhero-like ability to regrow nearly any part of its body? For years, scientists have studied the amazing regenerative properties of the axolotl to inform wound healing in humans. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-ultra-sensitive-on-off-axolotls-regrow-limbs.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:05:04 EDT news610020293 The influenza (flu) virus is constantly undergoing a process of evolution and adaptation through acquiring new mutations. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have added a new layer of understanding to explain why and how flu viruses change. The "survival of the accessible" model provides a complementary view to the more widely recognized "survival of the fittest" way of evolving. The work was published today in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-mutation-accessibility-fuels-influenza-evolution.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:08:24 EDT news609771963 In a new study published on July 27 in Matter, a research group led by Prof. Liu Jing at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators from Tsinghua University, has made a breakthrough in creating biotissue-like rhythmic agglomerates via two inanimate liquid materials, water and liquid metals assembled from the ground up. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-hydrous-liquid-metals-rhythmic.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:03:39 EDT news609764616 A research team led by Prof. Chen Yuxing and Prof. Zhou Cong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently utilized single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to decipher the 3D structure and molecular mechanism of the platelet drug transporter ABCC4. The study was published online in Nature Cardiovascular Research. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-unveiling-3d-molecular-mechanism-platelet.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:57:28 EDT news609764244 For the first time, scientists have managed to induce virgin birth in an animal that usually reproduces sexually: the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-secret-virgin-birth-ability.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:00:02 EDT news609695808 Scientists from the Giulio Superti-Furga Lab at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, have developed a new method that allows the discovery of specific inhibitors of a lactate transporter associated with cancer and other disease areas. The compound identified in the assay system could provide a new starting point for cancer treatments. The study has now been published in Cell Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-method-enabling-therapeutical-lactate.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:00:02 EDT news609695825 In recent years, a virtual tidal wave of studies linking the expression of certain genes to complex diseases as varied as cancer and diabetes has raised hopes for major advances in medical treatment and drug discovery. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-method-gene-tissues-cell.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:37:44 EDT news609759461 In the never-ending arms race between bacteriophages and their prokaryotic hosts, prokaryotes have developed diverse defense systems to fend off phage invasions. These defense systems include the restriction-modification (R-M) system and CRISPR-Cas system. The CRISPR-Cas system represents the only adaptive immune system. Consequently, phages have evolved anti-CRISPR proteins to counteract this system. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-reveal-bacteriophages-strategy-counteract-hosts.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:37:39 EDT news609759455 As life propagated across Earth in the form of the widest variety of single-celled organisms, sometime between 3.5 and 1 billion years ago one such organism managed an evolutionary coup: Instead of devouring and digesting bacteria, it encapsulated its prey and used it as a source of energy. As a host cell, it offered protection and nutrition in return. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-mitochondria-stress.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:37:00 EDT news609759417 On a rush-hour train or a crowded flight, you might draw your limbs in close, shrinking as people fill the space. As it turns out, living cells behave similarly in confinement, adjusting their size while growing alongside other cells in sheets of tissue. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-cells-confinement-people-crowds-similar.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:36:39 EDT news609759395 Microorganisms use the CRISPR-Cas system to fight viral attacks. In genetic engineering, the microbial immune system is used for the targeted modification of the genetic make-up. A research team has now discovered another function of this specialized genomic sequence: archaea—microorganisms that are often very similar to bacteria in appearance—also use them to fight parasites. The team, under the leadership of Professor Dr. Alexander Probst, microbiologist at the Research Center One Health Ruhr at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), has now published its findings in Nature Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-microorganisms-ward-parasites-potential-function.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:29:34 EDT news609758966 RIKEN researchers have uncovered how one species of gut bacteria causes fruit flies to perish early. This discovery illuminates the complex interactions between the microbes in our guts and our health. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-gut-microbe-flies-fast-die.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:14:45 EDT news609754467 Some organisms, such as tardigrades, rotifers, and nematodes, can survive harsh conditions by entering a dormant state known as "cryptobiosis." https://phys.org/news/2023-07-genome-analysis-year-old-roundworm-siberian.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:00:01 EDT news609672059