https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. The densely-populated island of Luzon is home to over half of the Philippines' population, many of whom consume shellfish on a regular basis. An international team of scientists has just confirmed the presence there of two species of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms capable of producing a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause severe sickness and memory loss. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-amnesia-diatoms-luzon-shellfish-farms.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:58:05 EST news650213882 Programmed cell death-1, or PD-1, has become a headline-grabbing molecule best known for its role in cancer immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors. A study from Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers is offering an improved understanding of why these inhibitors work—and how to make them effectively fight cancer for more patients. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-physical-affects-cancer-treatment-explores.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:27:05 EST news650204821 Chromosphaera perkinsii is a single-celled species discovered in 2017 in marine sediments around Hawaii. The first signs of its presence on Earth have been dated at over a billion years, well before the appearance of the first animals. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ancient-unicellular-embryonic-prior-animals.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:00:01 EST news650127378 Wastewater treatment fails to kill several human pathogens when they hide out on microplastics in the water, reports a study led by Ingun Lund Witsø of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, published November 6, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-pathogens-microplastics-survive-wastewater-treatment.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EST news650105086 Between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, earthly life was in the doldrums. During this period, called the "boring billion," the complexity of life remained minimal, dominated by single-celled organisms with only sporadic ventures into multicellular forms. This era set the stage for the later emergence of complex multicellular life, marking a key chapter in evolutionary history. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-high-complexity-explores-energy-multicellular.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:11:23 EST news650121078 Billions of years ago, Earth was home to extreme environments, including intense UV radiation, frequent volcanic eruptions, and very high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet, under these conditions, biofilms formed and within these dense, slimy conditions, exciting things were happening. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-microbial-slime-ultimate-planet.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:10:06 EST news650110193 A survey of a waterway on Wurundjeri land has led to the discovery of new viruses that kill the superbug Klebsiella. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-creek-survey-uncovers-bacteriophages-combat.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 17:33:03 EST news650050381 Over the past two decades, new technologies have helped scientists generate a vast amount of biological data. Large-scale experiments in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and cytometry can produce enormous quantities of data from a given cellular or multicellular system. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-complex-biological-insights-genomic-huge.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 12:25:35 EST news650031930 Eggs pop out of ovaries. But what propels them has been unknown. Now, researchers from the University of Connecticut explain in an article published in the September 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that tiny, muscle-like fibers in the ovary's cells squeeze the egg out. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mechanics-ovulation-muscle-fibers-eggs.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:02:33 EST news650023349 The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling pathway is one of the most critical and extensively investigated signaling pathways. It is the central regulator of various cellular processes including cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and survival. Hyperactivation of PI3K-AKT signaling is highly related to a significant number of human diseases, particularly cancers. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-uncover-focal-adhesions-subcellular-hubs.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:42:03 EST news650022121 Mosquito larvae grow faster if they're exposed to particular bacteria, according to a new study that could help global health programs. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-bacteria-discovery-mosquito-schemes.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:00:01 EST news649932301 Dysfunctions of the tiny cell processes (primary cilia) of the pancreatic beta cells could be a cause of type 2 diabetes. Little is known about the structure and function of these cilia. An international research team led by DZD researchers from the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) at Helmholtz Munich of the Faculty of Medicine of the Technical University of Dresden has used various new imaging techniques to visualize the primary cilia in their natural environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-beta-cells-insights-interactions-neuronal.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:51:52 EST news649957903 A German-American research team has discovered two highly unusual bacterial species in the tissue of two deep-sea corals from the Gulf of Mexico. These previously unknown coral symbionts have an extremely reduced genome and lack the ability to obtain energy from carbohydrates, the team reports in an article published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-deep-sea-corals-home-previously.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:41:04 EST news649942862 Like humans and other complex multicellular organisms, single-celled bacteria can fall ill and fight off viral infections. A bacterial virus is caused by a bacteriophage, or, more simply, phage, which is one of the most ubiquitous life forms on earth. Phages and bacteria are engaged in a constant battle, the virus attempting to circumvent the bacteria's defenses, and the bacteria racing to find new ways to protect itself. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-newly-anti-viral-defense-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:40:06 EST news649939200 A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has discovered that a group of cells located in the skin and other areas of the body, called neural crest stem cells, are the source of reprogrammed neurons found by other researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-longstanding-theories-cellular-reprogramming.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:36:04 EDT news649683362 Antibiotics have saved millions of lives from infectious diseases and are considered one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century. However, as the use (and abuse) of antibiotics has increased over the years, many bacteria have developed resistance to these drugs. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-human-histones-bacterial-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:33:04 EDT news649675981 Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have created the first blueprint of the human spliceosome, the most complex and intricate molecular machine inside every cell. The scientific feat, which took more than a decade to complete, is published in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-human-spliceosome-decade-reveals-blueprint.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:37:10 EDT news649611425 A new method developed by Penn State biologists allows them to turn stripped-down plant cells into other types of cells, similar to the way stem cells differentiate into different cell types. Using this method, the research team explored the banding patterns that increase the stability of plant cell walls—much like the corrugated patterns in cardboard—and how they are created. Additionally, the researchers revealed how the assembly of these structures can go astray in different mutant plant cells, which they said could ultimately inform methods to break down plant cells for biofuels. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-stem-cell-approach-specialized-wall.html Plants & Animals Cell & Microbiology Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:00:13 EDT news649609202 Particular ice-nucleating proteins produced by certain bacteria have the ability to control the freezing point of water—so efficiently that no other known material can compete. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-ice-nucleating-proteins-uncover-mechanism.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:33:03 EDT news649607581 Scientists have discovered the mechanism which allows the superbug methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to become highly resistant to antibiotics, paving the way for new approaches to control infectious disease. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-mrsa-defense-antibiotics-superbug-evolved.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:00:01 EDT news649584181 A research team led by Prof. Hans-Curt Flemming from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has reported on the role of extracellular polymeric substances of biofilms in a study published in Nature Reviews Microbiology on Sep. 27. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-explore-role-extracellular-polymeric.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 31 Oct 2024 11:14:45 EDT news649592082 Unseen and ongoing, thousands of times every second: to keep a complex organism like humans alive, an immense number of new cells must be continuously produced. Up close, each of these cell divisions is nothing short of a miracle. Within just a few hours, not only must the entire genome—billions of "letters" long—be replicated, but most other cellular structures must be doubled so that in the end, two complete daughter cells can emerge. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-multiple-centrosomes-trigger-cell-death.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:16:04 EDT news649523761 Marine animals like jellyfish, corals and sea anemones often live with algae inside their cells in a symbiotic relationship. The animals give the algae nutrients and a place to live; in return, algae give the animals some of the food they make from sunlight via photosynthesis. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-algae-jellyfish-relationship-insight-immune.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:57:03 EDT news649522621 One of the main challenges of contemporary medicine is posed by the resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. An important step in countering it has now been made by researchers from IOCB Prague, in collaboration with colleagues from the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-mycobacteria-evade-effects-antibiotics.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:56:03 EDT news649518961 Energy-making chloroplasts from algae have been inserted into hamster cells, enabling the cells to photosynthesize light, according to new research in Japan. It was previously thought that combining chloroplasts (chlorophyll containing structures in the cells of plants and algae) with animal cells was not possible, and that the chloroplasts would not survive or function. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-solar-powered-animal-cells-combining.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:30:28 EDT news649517425 Hydra are small, invertebrate, predatory animals that live in water. They're tubular, radially symmetric and up to 10 mm long, with a head (mostly a mouth), a single, adhesive foot, and tentacles. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-constraining-body-hydra.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:50:01 EDT news649507253 Unlike most cells in the human body, stem cells have the unique ability to divide indefinitely. This property makes them especially appealing to scientists exploring ways to extend human lifespans or develop new methods for repairing damaged tissues. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-compact-incubator-imaging-device-real.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:24:04 EDT news649499041 A study led by the University of Bremen suggests that on algae-dominated coral reefs, it is not the algae but the corals themselves that may contribute to the growth of harmful bacteria. This discovery suggests that a disturbance in the natural composition of the water jeopardizes marine ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-coral-exudates-algae-linked-bacterial.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:42:03 EDT news649420922 A living cell is a bustling metropolis, with countless molecules and proteins navigating crowded spaces in every direction. Cell division is a grand event which completely transforms the landscape. The cell starts behaving like the host of an international competition, reconfiguring entire streets, relocating buildings and rerouting its transportation systems. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-molecular-cell-division-demand.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 29 Oct 2024 06:00:02 EDT news649390073 Malaria kills over 600,000 people a year, and as the climate warms, the potential range of the disease is growing. While some drugs can effectively prevent and treat malaria, resistance to those drugs is also on the rise. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-discovery-critical-iron-protein-malaria.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:18:04 EDT news649354681