https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Dengue fever is one of the most common tropical diseases in the world, affecting several million people every year. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-agencies-mosquitoes-bacteria.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:56:42 EST news628422997 A team of Chinese veterinary researchers has found high levels of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in dogs with diarrhea. In their study, published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, the group tested fecal samples from 185 dogs with diarrhea. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-antimicrobial-resistant-coli-dogs-diarrhea.html Cell & Microbiology Veterinary medicine Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:40:01 EST news628421385 For centuries, coronaviruses have triggered health crises and economic challenges, with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that spreads COVID-19, being a recent example. One small protein in SARS-CoV-2, the membrane protein, or M protein, is the most abundant and plays a crucial role in how the virus acquires its spherical structure. Nonetheless, this protein's properties are not well understood. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-sars-cov-virus-spherical.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:00:01 EST news628326166 A first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at the University of Oklahoma highlights a crucial biosphere feedback mechanism and its effects on releasing soil carbon into the atmosphere. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-reveals-soil-priming-climate.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 28 Feb 2024 13:04:57 EST news628347894 Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from China and Russia have discovered that the waters and soils of the Tibetan Plateau are teeming with bacteria that produce antibiotics. While none of the antimicrobial compounds identified by the team are new to science, the findings bring certain hope amid the outbreak of bacterial resistance triggered by irresponsible drug use. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-tibetan-lakes-harbor-bacteria-antibiotics.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:27:36 EST news628331251 Researchers at the University of Alberta have uncovered what they say has been the missing puzzle piece ever since the genetic code was first cracked. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-team-uncovers-universal-code-formation.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:10:51 EST news628326647 Single-celled organisms, such as bacteria and archaea, have developed many ways to communicate with each other. For example, they might use tiny so-called extracellular vesicles (EVs)—membrane-enveloped packages smaller than 200 nm in diameter (0.0002 mm). The organisms produce them by budding from their membrane into the surrounding space. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-microbial-comics-rna-common-language.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:12:20 EST news628251138 The synthesis of proteins in the cell is a key process of life. By this means, the genetic code of the genome is translated into the amino acid sequence of proteins. The process is complex—and has been studied in detail for decades. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-reveal-cells-regenerate-protein-factories.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:04:02 EST news627905041 Human cells contain ribosomes, a complex machine that produces proteins for the rest of the body. Now the researchers have come closer to understanding how the ribosome works. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-3d-ribosome-visualize.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:02:16 EST news627904933 Streams with ample connections to shallow groundwater flowpaths have greater microbial diversity and are more effective at preventing toxic forms of metals—often products of upstream mining—from entering and being transported downstream. These streams are also better at detoxifying those metals already present. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-streams-groundwater-detoxification-microbial-diversity.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:03:08 EST news627901387 Biomedical engineers at Duke University have uncovered a key link between the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and the evolution of resistance to new drugs in certain pathogens. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-gun-evolution-antibiotic-resistance.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:39:04 EST news627838742