All Asia & Oceania articles
-
NewsNew form of plastic pollution discovered on the shores of vulnerable coral reefs
‘Plasticorals’, coral rubble fused with plastic, are long-lasting reminders of human activity and highlight a potential threat to critical marine environments. a new study shows.
-
NewsSixteen new fungus species found hiding in Thailand’s flowers
Researchers have discovered sixteen new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden and wild flowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country.
-
NewsBacteria pulled from local pond water show early promise for cleaning up sewage
A new study identifies green sulphur bacteria from Peshawar pond samples that reduced pollution markers in wastewater after a week of treatment.
-
NewsA classic metabolic enzyme reveals a hidden role in broad-spectrum antiviral defense
Researchers find that the phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) uses its non-canonical protein kinase activity to disrupt a host chaperone required by multiple viruses, suggesting a potential strategy for host-directed antiviral therapy.
-
NewsOral chiral nanozyme protects the heart during chemotherapy by reshaping the gut-heart axis
A chirality-engineered nanozyme restores gut microbiota and host metabolism to prevent doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity without compromising anticancer efficacy.
-
NewsGlobal Virus Network comments on H5N1 detections in Australian mammals
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, in several mammal species in Australia as the virus continues to spread among birds and mammals worldwide.
-
NewsScientists develop microbially produced adhesive materials from glucose instead of petroleum
Researchers have demonstrated the potential of using microorganisms to produce a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived materials for hot-melt adhesives.Using Escherichia coli, the team produced a new polymer from glucose and demonstrated performance and properties that support its potential use as a hot-melt adhesive.
-
NewsFecal microbial signatures show promise for colorectal and pancreatic cancer assessment
Gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary cancers can be difficult to detect early, creating a need for practical, noninvasive approaches for early detection and risk assessment. The gut microbiome has emerged as a potential source of cancer biomarkers, offering practical opportunities for noninvasive testing, as microbial changes can be assessed in fecal samples. ...
-
NewsKey regulator helps seafood-associated bacterium balance iron and oxidative stress
Bacteria need iron, but bioavailable iron is often scarce, and too much can fuel chemical reactions that damage cells. Many Gram-negative bacteria balance iron through ferric uptake regulator (Fur), a metal-responsive protein that controls iron-related genes. Fur’s role in V. parahaemolyticus, however, had not been clearly defined.
-
NewsBreakthrough optimization of chlamydospore fermentation for Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2
The dark septate endophyte Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2 exhibits excellent control efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt but industrial production of its chlamydospores has been challenging. Researchers have optimized the liquid fermentation process using chlamydospore yield of strain HX2 as the key response indicator.
-
NewsCan probiotics help T cells fight solid tumors more effectively?
Transferred T cells often have difficulty reaching tumors and overcoming the strongly immunosuppressive environment surrounding cancer cells. Researchers have combined therapeutic T cells with engineered probiotics, physically attaching the bacteria to the surface of T cells to create a hybrid system called T-FOLactis.
-
NewsGut bacterial enzyme worsens colitis by switching off a protective intestinal signal
Microbiome research often focuses on which microbes are present in the gut and what small molecules they produce. But gut bacteria also make enzymes that can act directly on molecules produced by the host. Researchers report that one such bacterial enzyme can weaken a protective intestinal signal and aggravate colitis in a preclinical model.
-
NewsThat sinking feeling: Testing for ocean health and carbon storage
Our oceans are in trouble and new research shows how changes in diatoms could further undermine the foundation of aquatic life’s food webs – as well as vital deep-sea carbon capture or sequestration.
-
NewsUnder pressure: How a deep-sea protein adapts to an extreme environment
Researchers have uncovered a molecular strategy that enables a deep-sea protein to remain stable under extreme pressure. As pressure increases, the protein assembles into groups of three, called a trimeric structure, and stabilizes itself through a process known as oligomerization-mediated structural stabilization.
-
NewsLong-term biochar use may help conserve nitrogen deep in alkaline paddy soils
Five years of biochar amendment shifted nitrate transformation toward a nitrogen-retaining pathway in deeper soil layers, revealing why soil depth matters when biochar is used to manage nitrogen in rice fields.
-
NewsStudy uncovers how mRNA vaccination may broaden flu antibody responses
A new study finds that mRNA vaccination sustained influenza-specific germinal-center activity for up to six months in some participants.
-
NewsDangerous strings of bacteria use flow to spread colonies
Researchers have identified how certain dangerous bacteria are spread. They studied chain-like adherence pattern (CLAP) varieties of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), finding that single bacteria attach to a surface and elongate before dividing, producing chains without ever separating.
-
NewsResearchers discover first PLP-dependent enzyme that influences bacterial protein production
Researchers discovered aminovaleramididine synthetase (AvaS), the first pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme involved in tRNA modification, expanding scientific understanding of how RNA shapes the reading of genetic information. The discovery reveals a previously unknown mechanism that bacteria use to regulate protein production.
-
NewsScientists want to 3D print houses on Mars with the help of yeast
Researchers have developed a recipe that could one day be used to 3D print houses on Mars. combining Martian rocks with gelatin and yeast. Once dried and hardened, this living building material is as strong as low-grade concrete and can be broken down, recycled, and brewed again for new construction.
-
NewsPairing biofertilizers with biochar turns farm and city waste into climate-smart soil solutions
A new review makes the case that organic waste from farms, cities and industries could become a resource for healthier soil and more resilient farming — if two waste-derived soil treatments, microbial biofertilizers and biochar, are used together rather than separately.