All California Institute of Technology articles
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NewsArtificial ocean carbon recycling system converts seawater CO2 into valuable chemicals
Researchers have developed an artificial ocean carbon recycling system that captures CO2 from seawater and uses microbes to directly convert it into succinic acid.
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NewsResearchers wake up microbes trapped in permafrost for thousands of years
In a new study, a team of geologists and biologists resurrected ancient microbes that had been trapped in ice—in some cases for around 40,000 years.
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NewsTwo-drug combination shows promise in helping heal chronic wounds
By adding small doses of a simple molecule called chlorate to standard antibiotics, researchers foundthe combination proved 10,000 times more effective at killing bacterial cells in the lab than single-drug antibiotics.
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NewsScientists ID new drug target for treating cancer and viral infections
An international team of researchers has identified a molecular mechanism that regulates the activity of N-myristoyltransferases, enzymes that ensure the proteins’ function by chemically modifying them during their production.
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NewsBat viruses similar to MERS have potential to jump to humans
A group of bat viruses closely related to the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) could be one small mutation away from being capable of spilling over into human populations and potentially causing the next pandemic.
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NewsDiscovery of a common ‘weapon’ used by disease-causing fungi could help engineer more resilient food crops
The discovery of a powerful “weapon” used by many disease-causing fungi to infect and destroy major food crop staples, such as rice and corn, could offer new strategies to bolster global food security
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NewsA new vaccine approach could help combat future coronavirus pandemics
Researchers are able to create a mosaic nanoparticle vaccine - mosaic-8, based on the sarbecovirus receptor-binding proteins (RBDs), which would help combatting SARS-CoV-2 variants and other coronavirus subtypes.
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NewsMicrobes: atmospheric methane increase during pandemic due primarily to wetland flooding
A new analysis of satellite data finds that the record surge in atmospheric methane emissions from 2020 to 2022 was driven by increased inundation and water storage in wetlands, combined with a slight decrease in atmospheric hydroxide (OH).
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NewsNew genetic editing technique could modify wild populations with less risk
A new technique developed by researchers from Macquarie University and the California Institute of Technology described in Nature Communications on 13 August could allow scientists to more simply and controllably alter the genetic makeup of wild populations than with the use of gene-drives. Coral in Nagoya Aquarium Japan. ...
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NewsUnraveling cell death protein may inspire new biotechnology tool
Scientists have unraveled the step-by-step activation process of a protein with a deep evolutionary history in all domains of life, opening the door to harnessing its functions for use as a biotechnology tool. The protein belongs to the ‘superfamily’ of Argonaute proteins, which previous research has suggested ...