A Pungent Play in the Game of Cat and Mouse
It was discovered a few years ago that the parasite Toxoplasma gondii has the diabolical effect of short circuiting the fear of cats in the brains of mice, making them easy picking. Researchers at the A.N. Severtov Institute of Ecology and Evolution in Moscow now show that a more readily abundant substance has a similar effect: the cats’ own urine.
Breastmilk and Human Microbiome Development
The importance of gut microbes to well-being is one of the hottest topics in health. Another is the benefits of breastfeeding. It’s popularly assumed that breastmilk supports a healthy microbiome in infants, but what does the research show? A new review article in Science outlines what we know and don’t know about how this support may work.
Revealing the Secrets of How Cancers Could Occur
In an article recently published in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Toronto, along with scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital, demonstrated how what they call DNA ambulances work. These DNA ambulances transport severely injured DNA to specialized locations, or hospitals, within the cell to be repaired. In addition to the mode of transport, the researchers also found the road traveled by these healing transporters.
From Child to Mother: Fetal Cells in Maternal Tissue May Impact Maternal Health After Childbirth
Most of us probably know that the mother’s health is important for the well-being of their developing fetus. However, a recent study published in BioEssays suggests that the fetus may also affect the health of its mother — even after the pregnancy is over. The study showed that fetal cells migrate from the placenta and reside in several parts of the mother’s body, where they may exert benefits (such as improved milk production and thermoregulation), harms (such as autoimmune diseases and cancer), or have no effect (such as their presence in the lung).
A New Way to PCR Could Get You Results in Minutes Instead of Hours
Whether you are using PCR to clone, assess gene expression, or diagnose disease, modern science is difficult to imagine without PCR. Scientists at UC Berkeley have rethought how we heat and cool samples during PCR, shortening a process that once took hours to minutes.
TOR Pathway Allows Yeast to Optimize Their Genome in Response to Environmental cChanges
It is generally accepted that changes to a cell’s genome are driven by random mutation. Changes that confer a growth advantage become established in a population through the process of natural selection. A study published in PNAS suggests that cells can play a more active role in the evolution of their genomes — in response to caloric excess the TOR pathway in budding yeast initiates an expansion of the number of ribosomal genes.
Cannabis-Based Therapies Without the Side Effects: A New Treatment Paradigm for Cancer?
Recently, scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain identified that inhibition of a signaling pathway in the brain, involving both a cannabinoid receptor and a serotonin receptor, prevented the undesirable side effects of THC while maintaining its therapeutic potential.
Aliens in Our Midst
As we seek out organic compounds and water on the surface of Mars, ponder the potential for hidden oceans on Europa, and discover new Earth-like exoplanets, the promise of astrobiology — namely, alien life in some form — seems closer than ever to reality. Yet what if aliens are already here on Earth, not as otherworldly visitors but alternative organisms, separately evolved and existing in a shadow biosphere?
Our Cells Unwittingly Support Viral Entry and Infection
Human adenoviruses comprise 25% of all gene therapy clinical trials due, in part, to their ability to infect both dividing and nondividing cells with persistent expression. Recently, researchers at the University of Zurich demonstrated how these viruses gain entry into our cells — and it’s quite sneaky!
How the Microbiome of Soil Affects Global Warming
The ground beneath our feet is teeming with microbial life—approximately 10 billion organisms in an average handful of soil. Now, thanks to modern genetic sequencing methods, researchers are getting surprising insights into the vibrant world of dirt.