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G-quadruplex-forming DNA molecules enhance enzymatic activity of myoglobin
A collaboration led by Distinguished Professor Dr. Kazunori Ikebukuro from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan, discovered that G-quadruplex (G4)-forming DNA binds myoglobin through a parallel-type G4 structure. Through the G4 binding, the enzymatic activity of myoglobin increases over 300-fold compared to that of myoglobin alone (Figure). This finding indicates that DNA may work as a carrier of genetic information in living organisms and act as a regulator of unknown biological phenomena.
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New data science platform speeds up Python queries
Data queries written in Python, a commonly used programming language, can grind data analytics platforms to a crawl, but a new platform developed by researchers from Brown and MIT may finally solve the Python efficiency problem.
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RUDN University chemists synthesize biodiesel from jatropha curcas plant
RUDN University chemists have proposed a new method of producing fuel from Jatropha Curcas, a poisonous tropical plant. Natural minerals and a non-toxic additive from vegetable raw materials are used for that. The reaction efficiency is 85%. The fuel can be used in diesel internal combustion engines.
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From meadow to plate: The cultured meat that replaces animals with grass
An affordable lab system that uses grass blades to turn cells into cultured meat, by creating a scaffold that animal stem cells can attach to and grow on, has been developed at the University of Bath in the UK.
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Near-death experiences, a survival strategy ?
A new study conducted jointly by the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) and the University of Liege (Belgium) and published in Brain Communications shows how near-death experiences in humans may have arisen from evolutionary mechanisms. Researchers attribute for the first time a biological purpose to NDEs.
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A remote laboratory for performing experiments with real electronic and communications equipment
New research shows that students rate the usefulness and usability of this virtual tool very positively
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New ternary hydrides of lanthanum and yttrium join the ranks of high-temperature superconductors
Welcome a new member in the family of superconducting polyhydrides: A team led by Skoltech professor Artem R. Oganov studied the structure and properties of ternary hydrides of lanthanum and yttrium and showed that alloying is an effective strategy for stabilizing otherwise unstable phases YH10 and LaH6, expected to be high-temperature superconductors.
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Good food in a nice setting: wild bees need diverse agricultural landscapes
Mass-flowering crops such as oilseed rape or faba bean provide valuable sources of food for bees, which, in turn, contribute to the pollination of both the crops and nearby wild plants. But not every arable crop that produces flowers is visited by the same bees. A team from Göttingen University and the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Braunschweig investigated how the habitat diversity of the agricultural landscape and the cultivation of different mass-flowering crops affect wild bees.
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Turning yeast cells into labs for studying drivers of gene regulation
Researchers have developed a more efficient platform for studying proteins that play a key role in regulating gene expression. The approach uses engineered yeast cells to produce enzyme and histone proteins, conduct biochemical assays internally, and then display the results.
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Recent technology cost forecasts underestimate the pace of technological change
A comparison of observed global energy technology costs, with forecasts generated by models and forecasts predicted by human experts, showed that both forecasting methods underestimated cost reductions. This suggests that decisions based on forecasts may be overestimating the cost of climate mitigation and points to the need to further improve forecasting methods.
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Prenatal exposure to THC, CBD affects offspring's responsiveness to fluoxetine
Scientists have found that significant amounts of the two main components of cannabis, THC and CBD, enter the embryonic brain of mice in utero and impair the mice's ability as adults to respond to fluoxetine, a drug commonly known by the brand name Prozac.
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Advances in optical engineering for future telescopes
In a new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances; DOI 10.29026/oea.2021.210040, Researchers led by Professor Daewook Kim from The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA consider advances in optical engineering for future telescopes.
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Healthcare professionals are failing smell loss patients
People who have lost their sense of smell are being failed by healthcare professionals, new research has revealed.
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Genetics plays important role in age at first sex and birth
An Oxford-led team has discovered hundreds of genetic markers driving two of life's most momentous milestones - the age at when people first have sex and become parents
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Scientists find genetic cause, underlying mechanisms of new neurodevelopmental syndrome
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and colleagues have demonstrated that variants in the SPTBN1 gene can alter neuronal architecture, dramatically affecting their function and leading to a rare, newly defined neurodevelopmental syndrome in children.
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Folate deficiency demystified -- why some people may be at a greater risk of disease
Why some people may be at a greater risk of health problems due a folate insufficiency and what can be done about it.
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Instant water cleaning method 'millions of times' better than commercial approach
A water disinfectant created on the spot using just hydrogen and the air around us is millions of times more effective at killing viruses and bacteria than traditional commercial methods, according to scientists from Cardiff University.
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Multimodality care improves treatment outcomes for aggressive prostate cancer
Men with high-risk prostate cancer with at least one additional aggressive feature have the best outcomes when treated with multiple healthcare disciplines, known as multimodality care, according to a UCLA study.
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Global climate dynamics drove the decline of mastodonts and elephants, new study suggests
Elephants and their forebears were pushed into wipeout by waves of extreme global environmental change, rather than overhunting by early humans, according to new research.
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Last ice-covered parts of summertime Arctic Ocean vulnerable to climate change
Last August, sea ice north of Greenland showed its vulnerability to the long-term effects of climate change. The region, part of what's known as the "Last Ice Area" that could serve as a refuge for ice-dependent species, may be ice-free in summertime sooner than expected.
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