https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. The polysaccharide β-1,2-glucan consists of repeating units of glucose linked together by β-1,2-glycosidic bonds. Cyclic β-1,2-glucans (CβGs) occur in different bacterial species and have a role in bacterial infections and symbiotic relationships. CβG biosynthesis is catalyzed by cyclic β-1,2-glucan synthase (CGS), an enzyme that catalyzes the cyclization (closed ring formation) of linear β-1,2-glucan (LβG). https://phys.org/news/2024-03-uncovering-cyclization-mechanism-cyclic-glucan.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:46:00 EST news628965958 Autophagy is a self-eating process for recycling and rejuvenating cellular organelles and components. Intracellular calcium dynamics has been shown to be essential for the initiation of the autophagy process. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-relationship-mitochondrial-calcium-dynamics-autophagy.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:21:03 EST news628957261 A computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid expands our understanding of virus structure and DNA dynamics, insights that could provide new research avenues and drug targets, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-atom-packaged-viral-genome-reveals.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 13:17:03 EST news628953421 Whereas humans have one receptor on their tongues that can detect all sorts of sweet things, from real sugar to artificial sweeteners like aspartame, insects have many receptors that each detect specific types of sugars. Yale researchers have now uncovered one way insect receptors are able to be so selective, an insight they say will help us understand how animals decipher the chemical world and how we might mimic that ability in the future. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-insects-sugars.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 13:13:03 EST news628953181 Stem cells are the body's wellspring of renewal. They can turn into any kind of cell the body needs, from liver to skin to bone. But the well would run dry if all the stem cells transformed. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-exploring-stem-cells-message.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 12:29:37 EST news628950550 Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, within the Department of Theoretical Biology, characterized a recently discovered dynamical regime of microbial communities and used it to explain empirical patterns of marine plankton. There, strong and diverse interactions, combined with weak dispersal, fuel a continuous turnover of the small set of very abundant species, such that success is ephemeral and every species is equivalent in alternating between rarity and dominance. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-insights-dynamics-microbial-communities.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:31:02 EST news628947061 Originally discovered in extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents, archaea, a single-celled microorganism, can also be found in the digestive systems of animals, including humans in which they play a key role in gut health. Yet, little is known about the function of these cells or how they form the distinct shapes they assume to match their environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-archaea-proteins-cell-function.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:09:04 EST news628945741 One of the fundamental goals of basic biology is understanding how diverse cell types work in concert to form tissues, organs, and organ systems. Recent efforts to catalog the different cell types in every tissue in our bodies are a step in the right direction, but only one piece of the puzzle. The great mystery of how those cells communicate with one another remains unsolved. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-universal-tool-tracking-cell-interactions.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:00:01 EST news628942911 A new study provides insights into the role of microbes and their interaction as drivers of interspecific differences in coral thermal bleaching. The study was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-microbes-impact-coral-susceptibility.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 09:00:03 EST news628938001 Kyle David, an NSF postdoctoral fellow in the Rokas lab, and co-authors have published a new paper, "Saccharomycotina yeasts defy longstanding macroecological patterns," in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This paper, which looks at the ecology of 186 species of yeast, provides evidence that not all life forms follow the rules. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-mold-ecological-norms-yeast-communities.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:56:03 EST news628937761 Strategies deployed for the restoration of degraded land have had promising results in Brazil's semi-arid region, improving the microbial properties of the soil and contributing to a return of native ecosystem services. The techniques include removal of cattle or restriction of their access to specific areas of pasture; cultivation of cover crops; and terracing to control erosion. Recovery of soil microbial properties maintains biodiversity and raises crop yields, contributing to agricultural sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-degraded-areas-semi-arid-region.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 17:06:05 EST news628880761 What are the molecular processes in a unicellular marine algae species that can cause harmful algal blooms? A research team led by microbiologist Prof. Dr. Ralf Rabus from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) has conducted the first detailed analyses of the unusual cell biology of Prorocentrum cordatum, a globally widespread species of the dinoflagellates group, using both advanced microscopic and proteomics approaches. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-microalgae-unusual-cell-biology-algal.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:28:41 EST news628878518 Bacteria can be tricked into sending death signals to stop the growth of their slimy, protective homes that lead to deadly infections, a new study demonstrates. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-trojan-horse-stubborn-bacterial-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:38:18 EST news628875496 Recent years have seen the rise of bacterial pathogens that have developed resistance to antibiotics. One such superbug, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), kills hundreds of critically ill patients in the U.S. each year, usually in hospital settings, by causing blood, lung, or urinary tract infections that don't respond to treatments. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-focus-flaws-superbugs-armor.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:12:05 EST news628873921 The mutual relationship between algae and three bacteria studied by a team at the University of Cordoba presents the highest hydrogen production obtained so far by this type of consortium https://phys.org/news/2024-03-consortium-algae-bacteria-boosts-production.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:21:03 EST news628870861 A study of more than 5,000 Salmonella bacteria isolated over 15 years from dairy cattle samples in the Northeast reveals a significant increase in resistance to the antimicrobial medications ampicillin, florfenicol and ceftiofur. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-emerging-salmonella-variety-dairy-cows.html Cell & Microbiology Veterinary medicine Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:59:04 EST news628858742 E. coli bacteria and an electronic device might seem to have little in common, but in a recent experiment, University of Maryland researchers linked them into the first closed-loop system able to communicate across the technological–biological divide. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-cells-electronics.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:08:03 EST news628855681 Research conducted by Dr. Shota Nakanoh in a collaboration between Dr. Teresa Rayon's lab at the Institute and Professor Ludovic Vallier's lab at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute has determined that the degree of cell crowding in the early human embryo influences whether cells develop as extra-embryonic cells or become a part of the embryo and eventually give rise to skin, hair and nails. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-degree-cell-crowding-early-human.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:12:54 EST news628787571 What's in a name? A lot, actually. For the scientific community, names and labels help organize the world's organisms so they can be identified, studied, and regulated. But for bacteria, there has never been a reliable method to organize them into species and strains cohesively. It's a problem because bacteria are one of the most prevalent life forms, making up roughly 75% of all living species on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-bacteria-reliable-species-strains.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:14:19 EST news628776855 Yale scientists have discovered a family of immune proteins, which they describe as a "massive molecular machine," that could affect the way our bodies fight infection. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-discovery-molecular-machine-immune-therapies.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:51:51 EST news628775506 Fat tissue holds the key to 3D printing layered living skin and potentially hair follicles, according to researchers who recently harnessed fat cells and supporting structures from clinically procured human tissue to precisely correct injuries in rats. The advancement could have implications for reconstructive facial surgery and even hair growth treatments for humans. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-3d-skin-wounds-hair-follicle.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:54:07 EST news628757596 The xylem of the plant stem performs several important functions. Elucidating the coordination or trade-offs between xylem functions is critical for understanding plant ecological strategy and adaptation to different environments. However, how xylem cell tissues influence their functions among different growth forms remains unresolved. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-lianas-trees-varied-stem-xylem.html Plants & Animals Cell & Microbiology Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:38:31 EST news628504707 Assistant Professor Takahiro Kosugi from the Institute for Molecular Science, assistant Professor Yoshiaki Kamada at the National Institute for Basic Biology, and colleagues have developed an advanced molecular cell biology approach by integrating computational redesigning of protein complexes based on the predicted three-dimensional structure in yeast genetics. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-unveils-unique-roles-yeast-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Mar 2024 07:36:04 EST news628500961 Human bodies make 2 million red blood cells per second. They each live for 120 days and spend that time zooming completely around the body every 20 seconds, carrying oxygen from the lungs to other tissues and bringing back carbon dioxide that is exhaled. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-cell-health-issues.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Mar 2024 06:59:52 EST news628498788 Fonio (Digitaria exilis), a type of millet, is the oldest indigenous crop in West Africa and one of the fastest-maturing cereals. Despite its low yield, the combination of quick maturation and drought tolerance and its ability to thrive in poor soils make it a useful model for understanding how cereals can adapt to future climate change conditions. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-seed-microbes-resilience.html Cell & Microbiology Agriculture Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:56:40 EST news628444598 In a new study, scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-microbial-viruses-secret-drivers-climate.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:15:55 EST news628442152 The metabolic process of bilirubin has been a focus of medical research since the abnormal accumulation of bilirubin has been found to be associated with a variety of diseases. Bilirubin is a substance produced by the breakdown of aging or damaged red blood cells, and its effective removal is essential for human health. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-molecular-mechanism-transmembrane-bilirubin-human.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:44:50 EST news628429488 Researchers report February 29 in the journal Cell Reports that the Golgi ribbon, an organelle structure previously thought to be exclusive to vertebrates, is also present in animal taxa, including mollusks, earthworms, and sea urchins. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-golgi-organelle-ribbon-exclusive-vertebrates.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news628421356 In a paper published February 28 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a research team describes the discovery of 18 never-before-seen species of bacteria of the Enterococcus type that contain hundreds of new genes—findings that may offer new clues into antibiotic resistance as scientists hunt for ways to curb these infections. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-species-gut-microbes-antibiotic.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:26:03 EST news628424761 Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have developed an innovative methodology for measuring the electrical conductivity of microbial communities. This methodology holds promise for the development of batteries and electrochemical sensors using microorganisms and may serve as a pivotal tool in elucidating the role of electricity within microbial ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-method-successfully-electrical-microorganisms.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:18:02 EST news628424281