Canadian researchers, working in partnership with Brazilian colleagues, have developed 13 bioluminescence sensors for use in testing the effectiveness of new medical drugs in the laboratory. The study, published in the journal Science Signaling, paves the way for new drugs to be tested and characterized. The biosensors are based on the action of G protein-coupled…
The ability to comprehensively map the architecture of connections between neurons in primate brains has long proven elusive for scientists. But a new study, conducted in Japan with contributing neuroscientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), has resulted in a 3D reconstruction of a marmoset brain, as well as information about neuronal connectivity across the…
Growing older and a high-fat diet enriched with omega 6 fatty acids are major contributors to health risks ranging from diabetes to heart failure. How these two factors regulate the immune response is not well-understood. Ganesh Halade, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and other institutions have investigated how aging and…
Scientists have revealed for the first time the natural weapon used by marigolds to protect tomato plants against destructive whiteflies. Researchers from Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, carried out a study to prove what gardeners around the world have known for generations — marigolds repel tomato whiteflies. Publishing their findings today (1…
In the past few decades, a lethal disease has decimated populations of frogs and other amphibians worldwide, even driving some species to extinction. Yet other amphibians resisted the epidemic. Based on previous research, scientists at the INDICASAT AIP, Smithsonian and collaborating institutions knew that skin bacteria could be protecting the animals by producing fungi-fighting compounds.…
The human body is made up of 30 to 40 million cells, a large and complex network of blood cells, neurons, and specialized cells that make up organs and tissues. Until now, figuring out which mechanisms control communication between them has proven a significant challenge for the field of cell biology. Research led by Virgil…
With a growing wealth of seismic data and computing power at their disposal, seismologists are increasingly turning to a discipline called machine learning to better understand and predict complicated patterns in earthquake activity. In a focus section published in the journal Seismological Research Letters, researchers describe how they are using machine learning methods to hone…
There is a significant association between the rise of populism across Europe and the level of mistrust around vaccines, according to a study by Queen Mary University of London. Lead author Dr Jonathan Kennedy from Queen Mary University of London said: “It seems likely that scientific populism is driven by similar feelings to political populism,…
Chemical processes that are more efficient and less expensive may be coming to industries ranging from battery manufacturing to detergent production thanks to an Oregon State University researcher’s work advancing metal oxides as catalysts. The findings, by a collaboration that included scientists from the University of Delaware, were published in Nature Catalysis. A catalyst increases…
The data showed that a seabird ingesting a single piece of plastic had a 20 per cent chance of mortality, rising to 50 per cent for nine items and 100 per cent for 93 items. Led by IMAS-CSIRO PhD student Lauren Roman and published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study found that although hard…