They are tiny signalling molecules that play important roles in many processes in living organisms. However, the exact function of these substances is often still unknown, which is why scientists are constantly on the lookout for new methods with which they can further investigate them. Researchers at the Universities of Münster (Germany) and Nanjing (China) have developed such a method for an important messenger substance in plants, called phosphatidic acid.
HOUSTON - (Aug. 26, 2019) - A new piece of a difficult puzzle -- the nature of memory -- fell into place this week with a hint at how brain cells change structure when they learn something.
Interactions between three moving parts -- a binding protein, a structural protein and calcium -- are part of the process by which electrical signals enter neural cells and remodel the molecular structures thought to enable cognition and the storage of memories.
HOUSTON -- (Aug. 26, 2019) -- A cancer therapy invented at Rice University has crossed a milestone in clinical trials, a major development in a decadeslong quest to develop a treatment that destroys tumors without the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy, invasive surgery and radiation.
Water is everywhere on Earth, but maybe that just gives it more space to hide its secrets. Its latest surprise, Stanford researchers report Aug. 26 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is that microscopic droplets of water spontaneously produce hydrogen peroxide.
The discovery could pave the way for greener ways to produce the molecule, a common bleaching agent and disinfectant, said Richard Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science and a professor of chemistry in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- The nanomaterial graphene has received significant attention for its potential uses in everything from solar cells to tennis rackets. But a new study by Brown University researchers finds a surprising new use for the material: preventing mosquito bites.
The evolutionary process that occurs when a species colonizes a new environment provides an opportunity to explore the mechanisms underlying genetic adaptation, which is essential knowledge for understanding evolution and the maintenance of biodiversity. An international team of scientists, led by researchers from Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, reports that a single amino acid change in the light-sensing rhodopsin protein played a critical role when herring adapted to the red-shifted light environment in the Baltic Sea.
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 26, 2019 - Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provide the first concrete evidence for the long-held belief that sick mitochondria pollute the cells they're supposed to be supplying with power.
The paper, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves a causal experiment to kick off a mitochondrial chain reaction that wreaks havoc on the cell, all the way down to the genetic level.
Passion fruit woodiness caused by cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), the disease that most affects passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) grown in Brazil, can be combated with a relatively simple technique.
A study published in the journal Plant Pathology shows that systematic eradication of plants with symptoms of the disease preserves the crop as a whole and keeps plants producing for at least 25 months.
In a first-ever study investigating the risk of neonicotinoid insecticides to ground-nesting bees, University of Guelph researchers have discovered at least one species is being exposed to lethal levels of the chemicals in the soil.
Examining the presence of these commonly used pesticides in soil is important given the majority of bee species in Canada make their nests in the ground.
This study focused on hoary squash bees, which feed almost exclusively on the nectar and pollen of squash, pumpkin and gourd flowers.
«This work is an important milestone in the framework of a large project, aimed at full characterization of a novel bioluminescent system, including the luciferase enzyme, luciferin substrate, key reaction products, the mechanism of light-emission, and biosynthetic pathways for luciferin and its analogs.