All Stanford University articles
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NewsHow bats tolerate viruses: study sheds light on one of nature’s biggest immune mysteries
Researchers have found that the world’s largest family of bats has two distinct copies of the genes that produce antibodies, the specialized proteins that help the immune system recognize and fight infections. Every other known mammal has only one such set.
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NewsEvo 2 brings artificial intelligence closer to reading and writing the language of life
A new artificial intelligence model called Evo 2 can analyze and generate DNA sequences across bacteria, archaea, plants, animals, and other forms of life, marking a major step toward a unified AI system for biology.
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NewsAs California warms, cases of dengue fever are expected to grow
Historically, dengue fever has been rare in California. But according to new research, a warming climate is making parts of the state more hospitable to the illness — and the mosquitoes that carry it.
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NewsNew study provides insights into the control of photosynthesis
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in plant photosynthesis in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It helps plants adapt to changes in light conditions. A crucial protein interaction at the interface between the two photosystems I and II controls the photosynthetic machinery.
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NewsGladstone launches Center for PhAIge Therapy to harness AI in the fight against drug-resistant infections
Gladstone Institutes has received funding to establish the Center for PhAIge Therapy, a research center that will develop new phage-based treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The five-year grant makes Gladstone one of three institutions across the country selected to lead this coordinated effort.
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NewsProtein engineering and testing condensed to a single day
Engineered proteins must be created in the real world and tested for performance - a labor-intensive process that involves constructing the DNA instructions for each protein in yeast or bacteria and growing individual clones for protein production and testing. Researchers say they have condensed the time-intensive protein building and testing process to just 24 hours.
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NewsIn mice, viruses gain virulence in some individuals, depending on genetics and sex
New research demonstrates that some hosts appear to serve as “evolutionary accelerators” that could enable viruses to gain virulence more quickly.
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NewsEarly immune responses linked to protective HIV antibodies
In a new study of broadly neutralizing antibodies and their potential for an HIV vaccine, researchers analyzed fragments of cell-free RNA and DNA circulating in the blood. This makes it possible to track immune responses, viral genetic variation, and other microbes from the same blood sample.
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NewsStudy reveals how a live bacterial therapy reshapes the vaginal microbiome and identifies predictors of treatment success
A new study provides the most detailed picture yet of how a promising bacterial therapy works to prevent recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) and why it works better for some women than others.
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NewsClimate change is fueling disease outbreaks
Researchers analyzed the connection between a cyclone in Peru and a massive outbreak of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause fever, rash, and life-threatening symptoms like hemorrhage and shock. Their findings reveal that warmer, wetter weather linked to climate change is making disease epidemics more likely.
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NewsDeep ocean earthquakes drive Southern Ocean’s massive phytoplankton blooms, study finds
Researchers have uncovered evidence that deep underwater earthquakes can spur the growth of massive phytoplankton blooms at the ocean surface. The new findings point to a previously unknown relationship between the ocean floor and life at the surface.
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NewsMedications change our gut microbiome in predictable ways
A study shows that many of the changes to the gut microbiome are driven by competition for nutrients – medications reduce certain bacterial populations and change the availability of nutrients, and the bacteria most able to capitalize on those changes are the ones to survive.
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NewsResearchers map correlations between gene variants and proteomes
Scientists have discovered a way to predict the effects of numerous mutations in yeast - a valuable tool for better understanding molecular mechanisms. Key to this discovery was a detailed analysis of the proteome – the collection of all proteins inside a cell.
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NewsMicrobiome and nanoparticle discoveries hold promise for treating gut pain
In an effort to develop targeted treatments for gut pain, scientists have discovered a new enzyme in gut bacteria and are using nanoparticles to deliver drugs inside cells. PAR2, a receptor involved in pain signaling, is activated by certain enzymes called proteases.
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NewsExtreme diatoms inside the Arctic ice glide into the record books
Diatoms found in polar ice are active until temperatures drop to -15 C - the lowest ever recorded for movement by a eukaryotic cell.
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NewsStudy highlights the severity of acute necrotizing encephalopathy in kids with the flu
For a small subset of children, influenza can trigger a rare but serious complication called influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). Now, findings of a multicenter study suggest that ANE is often fatal in these children — despite intensive treatment.
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NewsGut microbes: How many molecules influence our body?
Researchers have precisely quantified how many molecules are produced by gut bacteria and arrive in the body every day, enabling them to calculate how many gut bacteria are used up and regenerated each day.
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NewsControlled human gut colonization by an engineered microbial therapeutic
Engineered gut bacteria designed to treat kidney stones successfully colonized the gut microbiome and reduced oxalate levels in animal models and early clinical trials in humans, researchers report.
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NewsEmerging viral threats combatted by a potent new dual lipid kinase inhibitor
Lipid kinases play a critical role in cell signalling and membrane trafficking by phosphorylating lipid molecules in the body. The inhibition of two of these lipid kinases, PIKfyve and PIP4K2C, could be beneficial in the treatment of diseases, particularly emerging viruses.
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NewsEstrela brings microbial research to Texas A&M AgriLife Department of Nutrition
Sylvie Estrela, Ph.D., has joined the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Nutrition as an assistant professor. Estrela’s research focuses on microbial interactions, specifically, the way nutrients can impact bacterial communities.