All Asia & Oceania articles
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NewsBacteria deployed to fix cracks in space bricks
Researchers have developed a bacteria-based technique to repair bricks that can be used to build lunar habitats, if they get damaged in the moon’s harsh environment.
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NewsUrbanization reshapes soil microbes: Bacteria adapt, fungi resist
A groundbreaking study reveals that urban environments favor bacterial generalists, which adapt to diverse conditions, whereas fungi maintain specialized ecological roles. Despite these divergent responses, the functional overlap between bacteria and fungi ensures ecosystem resilience.
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NewsMicroalgae and bacteria team up to convert CO2 into useful products
Most methods of genetically modifying the bacterium Escherichia coli and other microbes to convert carbon dioxide into useful biological products require additional carbon sources. A new study overcomes this limitation by combining the photosynthetic finesse of a single-celled algae with the production capabilities of the bacteria E. coli.
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NewsUse of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast
Genomic changes in the infectious yeast Candida tropicalis may play a role in its resistance to antifungals, according to a new study. These genomic changes can be brought on by a common antifungal, TBZ. The study demonstrates that the use of TBZ in agriculture may contribute to the increasing problem of antifungal resistance.
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NewsA borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet
A group of diatom species belonging to the Nitzschia genus gave up on photosynthesis and now get their carbon straight from their environment, thanks to a bacterial gene picked up by an ancestor, a new study shows.
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NewsScientists devise comprehensive resource on microbial cell factories for sustainable chemical production
Scientists evaluated the production capabilities of various industrial microbial cell factories using in silico simulations and, based on these findings, identified the most suitable microbial strains for producing specific chemicals as well as optimal metabolic engineering strategies.
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NewsDeadly antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’ bacteria spreading in Malaysian hospital
A virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’ that causes severe disease has been found circulating in a Malaysian hospital - posing significant challenges to global public health, a new study reveals.
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NewsInter-trophic networks reveal the central role of methanogens in deposited estuarine soils
A new study focused on exploring the distribution patterns, driving factors and microbial interaction patterns of methane-metabolizing microorganisms along the sedimentation gradient in the Yellow River estuary.
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NewsSoil carbon-degrading enzyme activities more sensitive to warming in alpine meadow than swamp meadow
A new study demonstrates that the activities of soil extracellular enzymes are significantly altered in the alpine meadow, but not significantly in the swamp meadow, which coincided with the soil organic carbon content of these grasslands.
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NewsYellow pigment from Streptomyces coelicolor offers potential weapon against breast cancer
A new study aims to explore the effect of a yellow pigment (OR3), from a new isolate of Streptomyces coelicolor JUACT03 on metastatic breast cancer.
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NewsDistinct patterns of soil bacterial and fungal communities in the treeline ecotone
A study was carried out to understand the biodiversity of the microbial communities in the treeline ecotone that might affect alpine ecosystems and other potential ecological effects in response to climate change.
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NewsWere our blue oceans once green?
Scientists find evidence that our oceans used to be green, suggesting that this may be a sign of primitive life, including that on alien worlds. The study suggests that cyanobacteria once flourished in green seas.
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NewsProbiotic may improve sleep quality: new research findings
A recent study has identified a potential new approach to managing sleep disorders. The research focuses on the role of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-producing probiotics in regulating sleep and circadian rhythms.
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NewsScientists zoom in on structure of still lethal Ebola virus
The first high-resolution visualisation of the Ebola virus nucleocapsid provides detailed insights into the interactions within the nucleocapsid complex, unveiling the relationship between molecular interactions and functional regulation.
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NewsStudy reveals how dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis exacerbates periodontitis
A new study provides strong evidence that the NOX2/ROS axis plays a key role in the exacerbation of periodontitis in the presence of colitis.
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NewsSea buckthorn extract exerts anti-free radical, antibacterial and whitening effects on skin
Sea buckthorn flavonoids exhibited excellent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and whitening effects in a new study. The inhibitory effect of sea buckthorn flavonoids on Propionibacterium acnes were assessed by plate antibacterial assays.
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NewsProposed cuts to foreign aid could result in millions of HIV deaths, new modelling study estimates
New modelling analysis suggests that proposed funding cuts by major donor countries to foreign aid could undo decades of progress made to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat and new infections and deaths could surge back to levels not seen since the early 2000s.
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NewsScientists develop eco-friendly, nylon-like plastic using microorganisms
Scientists have developed microbial strains through systems metabolic engineering to produce various eco-friendly, bio-based poly(ester amide)s from glucose derived from biomass sources such as waste wood and weeds.
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NewsHepatitis B: new rapid diagnostic test to halt mother-to-child transmission
Scientists have assessed a new rapid diagnostic test to identify pregnant women at elevated risk of transmitting hepatitis B to their babies. This diagnostic tool could help eliminate hepatitis B by preventing mother-to-child transmission during childbirth.
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NewsThe gut microbiota-metabolites-brain axis mediates social behavior dysfunction following anaesthesia
New research shows that the anaesthetic Sevoflurane (Sev) influences social functioning via the gut-brain axis, with microbiota-derived bile acids serving as critical mediators in this pathway.