All Asia & Oceania articles – Page 9
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NewsThe secret room a giant virus creates inside its host amoeba
Researchers examined Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus-infected amoeba cells using a combination of sequencing methods, including Ribosome profiling to estimate the frequency of translation pausing and tRNA sequencing to determine tRNA composition.
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NewsTB harnesses part of immune defense system to cause infection
Scientists have made a discovery that helps explain why humans and animals are so susceptible to contracting tuberculosis – and it involves the bacteria harnessing part of the immune system meant to protect against infection. They team discovered that MTB survives within the cells of its host by targeting Dectin-1.
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NewsBiodegradable and conventional plastics shape very different antibiotic resistance risks in river microbiomes
Biodegradable plastics are not always safer for rivers and oceans, according to a new study that tracked how different plastics change the risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria over time in a real river.
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NewsMelting glaciers may release hidden antibiotic resistance into vital water sources
Researchers report that glaciers act as long-term reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes. Once released by glacier melt, these genes can enter rivers, lakes, and ecosystems that supply drinking water and support wildlife in polar and high-altitude regions.
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NewsScientists find microbes enhance the benefits of trees by removing greenhouse gases
Australian researchers have discovered a hidden climate superpower of trees. Their bark harbours trillions of microbes that help scrub the air of greenhouse and toxic gases.
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NewsNew biosensor technology could transform how viruses are detected
A new review highlights major advances in a promising class of diagnostic tools known as aptamer-based biosensors, which could help deliver faster, cheaper, and more portable virus testing in clinics, communities, and the field.
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NewsNew research uncovers mechanics behind the skillful movement of shelled amoeba
Researchers have characterized the unique mechanics that enable Arcella, a shelled, single-celled amoeba, to move skillfully across different surfaces. Their findings have shed light on how this tiny microorganism maintains mechanical balance during movement.
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NewsRising temperatures reshape microbial carbon cycling during animal carcass decomposition in water
Using metagenomic sequencing across a realistic temperature gradient, researchers show that carcass decay triggers a surge in carbon-degradation genes, while warming selectively favors pathways that rapidly consume easily degradable carbon.
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NewsA single gene underlies begomovirus resistance in eggplant
Researchers identified a gene in eggplant (Solanum melongena) that provides resistance to begomovirus infection. The work reveals a previously unknown defense mechanism and highlights clear biological differences between virus-resistant and virus-susceptible plants.
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NewsHow do biodegradable plastic films affect microplastics and soil microorganisms in paddy fields?
A study shows that biodegradable plastic films not only have the yield-preserving advantages of traditional plastic films, but also reduce the environmental risks of long-term accumulation of microplastics through synergistic effect with soil microorganisms.
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NewsUshikuvirus: A newly discovered giant virus may offer clues to the origin of life
Researchers have reported the discovery of a giant DNA virus that infects amoeba. Named ushikuvirus after Lake Ushiku in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan, where it was isolated. This discovery offers further support for the nuclear virus origin hypothesis.
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NewsNew research decodes the bacterial “zip code” of colorectal cancer for prediction and survival
A recent study shows that bacteria living inside colorectal tumors form distinct ecosystems that are closely linked to how the disease progression and patient outcomes.
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NewsCooperation: A costly affair in bacterial social behaviour?
A new study reveals that population bottlenecks can fundamentally reshape how cooperation evolves and persists in complex microbial societies. Researchers explored how repeated bottlenecks affect cooperative traits of Myxococcus xanthus, a model social bacterium.
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NewsSub-lethal water disinfection may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance
A new study reveals that environmental stressors do not merely kill bacteria; they can also prime surviving cells to take up resistance genes more efficiently, raising concerns about how antibiotic-resistant bacteria may spread in aquatic environments.
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NewsNew study uncovers how rice viruses manipulate plant defenses to protect insect vectors
Rather than passively “hitchhiking” within insect vectors, rice viruses actively manipulate plant defense pathways to protect their insect carriers.
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NewsRibosomal engineering creates ‘super-probiotic’ bacteria
Using ribosome engineering (RE), researchers introduced mutations affecting the protein synthesis mechanism of probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). These mutant LGGs exhibit altered surface protein expression, including increased presentation of so-called “moonlighting proteins.”
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NewsFrom sediment to surface: How invisible plumes trigger harmful algal blooms
A new study shows that algal blooms can begin days earlier than previously recognized, originating from chlorophyll-rich plumes rising from lake sediments before any surface discoloration appears.
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NewsPlant-derived phenolic acids revive the power of tetracycline against drug-resistant bacteria
A study demonstrates that plant-derived phenolic acids can act as powerful antibiotic adjuvants by restoring and enhancing tetracycline efficacy against multidrug-resistant bacteria through multi-target disruption of key resistance mechanisms.
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NewsViruses in wastewater: Silent drivers of pollution removal and antibiotic resistance
New findings suggest that current monitoring strategies, which rely heavily on bacterial indicators alone, may miss critical viral-driven risks and opportunities for safer wastewater reuse.
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NewsStudy identifies a molecular switch that controls transitions between single-celled and multicellular forms
How did multicellular life evolve from single cells? Researchers have identified genes in marine yeast that may help answer this fundamental question.