News of Science
Role of adipokinetic hormones in antioxidative stress response
29.7.2015 | News of Science
Adipokinetic hormones (AKHs) are insect neuropeptides that control energy metabolism via the mobilization of stored nutrients, however, their activities also include stimulation of the heart, locomotor and immune systems, and even regulation of some reproductive processes. Thus, AKHs behave as typical stress hormones: they stimulate anti-stress...
Regulation of energy homeostasis in Drosophila melanogaster
17.7.2015 | News of Science
Multicellular organisms are made up of many specialized cells performing different functions. The cells differ dramatically by their energy requirements as well as their ability to store excess energy. Homeostatic regulation of energy balance is tightly connected to cell growth and involves a signaling nexus of AMPK and TOR, which is highly...
Fertilizer and fuel: Nitrogen-fixing enzyme also produces hydrocarbons
11.6.2015 | News of Science
Plants need nitrogen and carbon to grow. Photosynthesis allows them to take in the latter directly from the air, but they have to procure nitrogen through their roots in the form of organic molecules like ammonia or urea. Even though nitrogen gas makes up approximately 80 percent of Earth's atmosphere, the plant can only access it in a bound...
Link discovered between severe scoliosis and rare mutations
8.6.2015 | News of Science
Children with rare mutations in two genes are about four times more likely to develop severe scoliosis than their peers with normal versions of the genes, scientists have found. The research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified genetic risk factors that predispose children to develop s-shaped curves in their...
DNA nano-foundries cast custom-shaped metal nanoparticles
19.1.2015 | News of Science
Researchers have unveiled a new method to form tiny 3-D metal nanoparticles in prescribed shapes and dimensions using DNA, nature's building block, as a construction mold. The ability to mold inorganic nanoparticles out of materials such as gold and silver in precisely designed 3-D shapes is a significant breakthrough that has the potential to...
\'Super bananas\' could be on sale by 2020
5.1.2015 | News of Science
The world's first human trial of 'super bananas' will start soon in the hope of providing a more nutritious source of food to Ugandans and East Africans. The bananas will be enriched in pro-vitamin A, which the human body can break down into 'regular' vitamin A, to tackle the consequences of vitamin A deficiency in the regions. And, if the...
Achilles\' heel in antibiotic-resistant bacteria discovered
1.12.2014 | News of Science
A breakthrough in the race to solve antibiotic resistance has been made by scientists. New research reveals an Achilles' heel in the defensive barrier that surrounds drug-resistant bacterial cells. The findings pave the way for a new wave of drugs that kill superbugs by bringing down their defensive walls rather than attacking the bacteria...
Could the cause of cerebral palsy run in the family?
24.11.2014 | News of Science
A study published by The BMJ has reported that there could be a link between cerebral palsy and the family. The research suggests that babies born into families in which a member has the condition are at an increased risk of developing cerebral palsy themselves.
Genomic adaptations of the halophilic Dead Sea filamentous fungus Eurotium rubrum
17.11.2014 | News of Science
The Dead Sea is one of the most hypersaline habitats on Earth. The fungus Eurotium rubrum (Eurotiomycetes) is among the few species able to survive there. Here we highlight its adaptive strategies, based on genome analysis and transcriptome profiling. The 26.2?Mb genome of E. rubrum shows, for example, gains in gene families related to stress...
