/ en-us Â鶹ŇůÔş internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ŇůÔşics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. In the past decade, there has been significant interest in studying the expression of our genetic code down to the level of single cells, to identify the functions and activities of any cell through the course of health or disease. /news/2025-08-reveals-world-protein-technique-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:00:17 EDT news674909810 Corn was domesticated from its ancestor teosinte in central Mexico beginning about 9,000 years ago by humans selectively breeding the wild plant, transforming its small, hard-shelled kernels into the large, palatable ears of corn we know today. Over the centuries, root traits of corn—now the most widely planted crop in the U.S., and second globally (by acreage)—evolved in response to both changing environmental conditions and human agricultural practices. /news/2025-08-corn-root-traits-evolved-human.html Evolution Agriculture Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:17:04 EDT news674831822 Serving as the representative plant species in most plant research across the last half century, Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) has revealed how plants respond to light, which hormones control plant behavior, and why some plants grow long, deep roots while others grow them shallow and wide. But despite its beloved reputation among plant biologists worldwide, many elements of the Arabidopsis life cycle have remained a mystery. /news/2025-08-foundational-atlas-spans-entire-arabidopsis.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 19 Aug 2025 11:35:05 EDT news674822102 A new study, led by researchers at the University of Missouri, has uncovered how poplar trees can naturally adjust a key part of their wood chemistry based on changes in their environment. This discovery—the result of a collaboration with scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Georgia—could help create better biofuels and other sustainable products. /news/2025-08-poplar-tree-discovery-future-energy.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:19:17 EDT news674817548 More than one-sixth of adults around the world experience infertility in their lifetime. There is a high unmet need not only for increased access to affordable, high-quality fertility care for those in need but, importantly, also for new biomedical solutions that can address the root causes of infertility. /news/2025-08-lab-grown-stem-cells-key.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Sun, 17 Aug 2025 06:24:48 EDT news674630549 Researchers at San Diego State University and Michigan State University are shedding new light on how viruses meticulously pack their genetic material — a breakthrough that could help researchers engineer antivirals and gene therapies. /news/2025-08-viruses-diverse-rna-traits-genomes.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:16:21 EDT news674486171 A new generation of CRISPR technology developed at UNSW Sydney offers a safer path to treating genetic diseases like sickle cell, while also proving beyond doubt that chemical tags on DNA—often thought to be little more than genetic cobwebs—actively silence genes. /news/2025-08-chemical-tag-crispr-technique-genetic.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:28:05 EDT news674483281 Features of spaceflight such as gravitational changes and circadian rhythm disruption—not to mention radiation—take a toll on the body, including muscle wasting and decreased bone density. These may even affect the ability to produce healthy offspring. /news/2025-08-space-mice-babies-stem-cells.html Space Exploration Fri, 15 Aug 2025 11:04:25 EDT news674467790 Similar to the way the caps on the ends of a shoelace prevent it from fraying, telomeres—regions of repetitive DNA sequences and a protein structure—protect the tips of chromosomes from damage. /news/2025-08-telomerase-rna-polygenic-scores-reveal.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:27:04 EDT news674411221 A detailed picture of what happens when DNA transcription is paused early in the process has been obtained by structural biologists at RIKEN. This could inform the development of new therapies. /news/2025-08-dna-transcription-imaging-technique-reveals.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:32:03 EDT news674213521 Research led by a Swansea University academic has revealed a synthetic glycosystem—a sugar-coated polymer nanoparticle—that can block COVID-19 from infecting human cells, reducing infection rates by nearly 99%. /news/2025-08-lab-sugar-coated-particle-covid.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:13:03 EDT news674136781 Around 5,000 years ago, a mysterious form of plague spread throughout Eurasia, only to disappear 2,000 years later. Known only from ancient DNA, this enigmatic "LNBA plague" lineage has left scientists puzzled about its likely zoonotic origin and transmission. /news/2025-08-livestock-played-role-prehistoric-plague.html Archaeology Mon, 11 Aug 2025 11:00:06 EDT news674123461 Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, have documented their use of a new RNA sequencing technology to uncover molecular drivers of cellular differentiation that could lead to better regenerative therapies. /news/2025-08-nascent-rna-profiling-uncovers-molecular.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:44:04 EDT news673865041 Hydrogen fuel cells, which produce electricity with high efficiency and zero greenhouse gas emissions, are gaining attention as a next-generation clean energy technology. However, their commercialization has been limited by performance degradation during prolonged operation and the high cost of catalyst replacement. /news/2025-08-room-temperature-synthesis-hollow-nanodome.html Nanomaterials Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:07:04 EDT news673862822 The thyroid, a vital endocrine organ in vertebrates, plays a key role in regulating metabolism and supporting growth. The first gland of both the nervous system and endocrine system to mature during an embryo's development, it initially evolved more than 500 million years ago out of a "primitive" precursor organ in chordates known as the endostyle. /news/2025-08-jawless-parasite-uncovers-neural-crest.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Aug 2025 12:37:53 EDT news673789068 Research from an international team finds that the human gut is a site of rapid change, with recent and important deviations from other mammals, including our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. /news/2025-08-human-intestine-rapid-evolutionary-mammals.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Aug 2025 14:41:02 EDT news673710058 A research team led by Professor Takuya Yamamoto and Assistant Professor Ryusaku Matsumoto (Department of Life Science Frontiers) has developed a machine learning model that enables early prediction of hypothalamus–pituitary organoid formation from human iPS cells to aid in organoid research and regenerative medicine. /news/2025-08-stem-cell-derived-organoid-quality.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:01:03 EDT news673606861 Gram-negative bacteria pose a significant threat to global health due to their high resistance to antibiotics compared to that of Gram-positive bacteria. Their formidable defensive capabilities stem from their outer membrane (OM), which acts as a selective barrier against harmful compounds. /news/2025-08-small-protein-big-impact-insights.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:00:02 EDT news673606227 A team of Chinese researchers has developed two new genome editing technologies, known collectively as Programmable Chromosome Engineering (PCE) systems. /news/2025-08-megabase-scale-precision-genome-eukaryotic.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:40:03 EDT news673529861 Scientists from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a lipid-rich mutant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a high-throughput, label-free screening technique, opening new possibilities for microbial production of palmitoleic acid—an omega-7 fatty acid with proven anti-inflammatory and metabolic benefits. /news/2025-08-yeast-mutant-strain-boosts-omega.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Fri, 01 Aug 2025 09:01:51 EDT news673257708 An international research team has uncovered that natural interbreeding in the wild between tomato plants and potato-like species from South America about 9 million years ago gave rise to the modern-day potato. /news/2025-07-modern-day-potato-hybridization-event.html Evolution Agriculture Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:00:10 EDT news673094282 Researchers from Japan and France have successfully reconstituted the development of mouse egg cells, known as oocytes, from embryonic stem cells entirely in vitro, without the need for ovarian support cells. This new method offers researchers a powerful new platform to investigate the molecular mechanisms that control oogenesis, the process by which egg cells develop, and lays important groundwork for future applications in human reproductive biology. The findings are published in the journal Developmental Cell. /news/2025-07-scientists-recreate-mouse-egg-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:10:21 EDT news672401126 Inside each cell of the human body are proteins that control which genes are expressed at the right place and time. However, intriguingly, many of the most important proteins involved in gene regulation lack stable structure. Exactly how these disorganized molecules give rise to precise gene expression has become a highly debated question in the field of molecular biology. /news/2025-07-bridge-protein-links-disordered-gene.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:40:03 EDT news672330616 A new international study suggests that ancient viral DNA embedded in our genome, which were long dismissed as genetic "junk," may actually play powerful roles in regulating gene expression. Focusing on a family of sequences called MER11, researchers from Japan, China, Canada, and the US have shown that these elements have evolved to influence how genes turn on and off, particularly in early human development. /news/2025-07-reveals-hidden-regulatory-roles-junk.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:00:03 EDT news671958989 According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30% to 40% of the nation's food supply ends up being wasted. That adds up to billions of pounds every year rotting in landfills and emitting greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. /news/2025-07-food-biodegradable-plastic.html Biotechnology Tue, 15 Jul 2025 03:31:52 EDT news671769107 A new tool allows researchers to probe the metabolic processes occurring within the leaves, stems, and roots of a key citrus crop, the clementine. The big picture goal of this research is to improve the yields, flavor and nutritional value of citrus and non-citrus crops, even in the face of increasingly harsh growing conditions and growing pest challenges. /news/2025-07-genome-scale-tracks-citrus-stress.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 14 Jul 2025 15:00:05 EDT news671698749 While humans can regularly replace certain cells, like those in our blood and gut, we cannot naturally regrow most other parts of the body. For example, when the tiny sensory hair cells in our inner ears are damaged, the result is often permanent hearing loss, deafness, or balance problems. In contrast, animals like fish, frogs, and chicks regenerate sensory hair cells effortlessly. /news/2025-07-regrowing-cells-gene-functions-zebrafish.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 14 Jul 2025 05:00:04 EDT news671448440 In biology textbooks and beyond, the human genome and DNA therein typically are taught in only one dimension. While it can be helpful for learners to begin with the linear presentation of how stretches of DNA form genes, this oversimplification undersells the significance of the genome's 3D structure. /news/2025-07-core-3d-gene.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:13:19 EDT news671469194 When people think of DNA, they usually think of genes, the parts that code for proteins and drive inherited traits. But there's a whole lot of DNA beyond genes that we are just starting to understand. One such mysterious region is the centromere, the area where chromosomes narrow, which helps them divide properly. /news/2025-07-genetic-barcode-discovery-code-centromeres.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:10:02 EDT news671364536 A new process could help to treat liver disease without needing an organ transplant, a new study reveals. /news/2025-07-sugar-coated-sticky-stem-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 10 Jul 2025 05:00:07 EDT news671267462