More News – Page 34
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NewsVaccine strategy induces broadly neutralising HIV antibodies
Researchers have developed a new vaccine strategy that has generated antibodies capable of neutralising highly divergent HIV variants. The study provides new insights into how the immune system can be guided towards a particularly protected part of the virus.
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NewsSimple new system keeps microscopes in focus automatically
Anyone who has ever used a microscope knows that it takes time to bring a sample into sharp focus. Now a team of scientists has developed an inexpensive robust fix for this problem that involves little more than a couple of LED lights and some physics-based processing.
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NewsResearch gaps and regional disparities revealed in global Lassa virus research landscape
A comprehensive bibliometric analysis spanning 55 years of Lassa virus (LASV) research has uncovered significant disparities in scientific output between high-income and endemic countries, while revealing a persistent shortage of studies addressing environmental factors influencing viral spread.
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NewsFrom gut to brain: scientists engineer bacteria to treat severe liver-related brain dysfunction
In vivo studies showed that programmable “living medicines” could reduce brain toxins and prevent neurological symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy, offering distinct advantages over a widely prescribed antibiotic.
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NewsNew study suggests seasonal flu vaccines may reduce severity of H5N1 bird flu infections
Researchers have found that seasonal influenza vaccines in routine global use may significantly reduce the risk of death from H5N1 infection. The findings that readily available tools may offer protection while the world races to develop more targeted solutions.
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NewsData from Earth’s most remote atoll show soil fungi are key to island regeneration
Palmyra Atoll, a remote, uninhabited speck of land, coral and sea halfway between Hawaiʻi and American Samoa, is one of the healthiest, intact atolls on the planet—so ecologically sensitive that visiting researchers freeze their clothes at night to kill invasive species. Source: NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) ...
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NewsThe handbook that can prepare countries for the next pandemic
A new handbook has been published to pave the way for better decision-making and greater preparedness for the next pandemic. It provides practical guidance on how mathematical models can be used to inform decision-making, and how the results can be communicated in times of crisis.
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NewsScientists source anti-cancer treatment in bacteria
Researchers have developed an anti-cancer therapy inspired by bacteria found in cancer tumors. The therapy is made from a fragment of a bacterial protein, a peptide called aurB. In cancer tumors in the animal models, aurB prevented energy production in the tumor cells’ mitochondria, essentially cutting off the tumor’s fuel.
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NewsTracking a persistent threat: How antibiotic-resistant bacteria travel from poultry farms to fresh produce
A new study develops an integrated quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to trace the pathway of ESBL-producing E. coli from broiler farms to lettuce consumption, quantifying human health risks and identifying effective intervention strategies.
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NewsPlasmodium uses its own PI3K to suppress eat-me signal and evade host immune clearance
A study finds that Plasmodium PI3K actively suppresses the externalization of phosphatidylserine on the surface of infected erythrocytes. When the activity of parasite PI3K was chemically inhibited or genetically disrupted, phosphatidylserine exposure on infected red blood cells increased markedly.
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NewsHow the immune system battles lifelong viral infections acquired at birth
Millions of people worldwide carry viral infections they acquired at birth, often for life. For a long time it was assumed that the immune system hardly fights these pathogens. Researchers show that the body’s defenses do indeed act against the virus.
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NewsHow bacteria circumvent plants’ immune system
In order to defend themselves, plants have to quickly produce proteins that detect and combat infiltrating microbes. Researchers discovered that Pseudomonas syringae disrupts this process by triggering the formation of P-bodies – small, droplet-like structures in the cell that store and regulate RNA molecules.
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NewsSelf‑replicating circular RNA persists in extreme environments: Insights from hot spring microbiomes
Researchers who previously identified a highly unusual RNA virus in a high-temperature hot spring ecosystem searched for distinct types of self-replicating RNAs in a similar extreme environment, and a novel circular RNA replicon was identified within the microbial community inhabiting the hot spring.
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NewsDecades-long study finds ‘stable’ soil carbon degrades
After nearly four decades, the world’s longest-running soil warming experiment is revealing a surprising result: even ‘stable’ carbon in forest soils can break down as temperatures rise, releasing more CO₂ into the atmosphere.
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NewsLifestyle, diet, and clinical factors shape the gut microbiome in cancer patients
Lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and dietary modifications can beneficially modulate the gut microbiome of cancer patients - however their effects are often shaped by non-modifiable variables.
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NewsTibet’s thawing lakes accelerate greenhouse gas release
Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau are undergoing a dramatic transformation; once stable carbon sinks, they are rapidly becoming significant sources of greenhouse gases due to climate warming.
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NewsStick-on gel offers new way to treat and monitor plants
Scientists have developed an adhesive gel that can be loaded with substances, such as small molecule drugs or nanoparticles, and applied directly onto a plant to deliver those materials into its tissues. In tests, a gel loaded with antibiotics cleared a bacterial infection in a plant within about 48 hours.
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NewsTick threats in the context of climate change: One Health response strategies in the Middle East and North Africa region
A new study examines the multifaceted dimensions of tick-borne disease management in the MENA region through the lens of the One Health approach. The research synthesizes insights from a symposium that brought together experts to assess current threats and identify pathways forward.
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NewsBeyond outbreaks: zoonotic disease prevention at the human–animal interface in China
A study synthesizes evidence on 93 zoonotic diseases currently monitored by China’s public health, agricultural, and forestry sectors, and argues that meaningful risk reduction will require shifting from reactive outbreak response toward earlier prevention at the human–animal–environment interface.
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NewsHemp waste biocomposites offer a lower-carbon alternative for packaging and agricultural films
A new study explores how hemp hurd can be converted into microfiber-based biocomposites for packaging films and agricultural mulch films, and shows anaerobic digestion delivers the best environmental outcome for hemp hurd-based bioplastic systems.