All USA & Canada articles – Page 2
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NewsScientists blaze new path to fighting viral diseases
Scientists have identified a potential new drug against the virus that causes COVID-19 - and devised a powerful new platform for finding medicines to fight many types of infectious diseases. Compound 6, led SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins to misfold, malfunction, and ultimately, be destroyed and removed by cells, in lab tests.
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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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NewsMarine heatwaves have hidden impacts on ocean food webs and carbon cycling
A new study analyzing data from robotic floats and plankton records reveals how marine heatwaves reshape ocean food webs and slow transport of carbon to the deep sea.
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NewsResearch reveals fetuses exposed to Zika virus have long-term immune challenges
Researchers discovered that when a pregnant mother is infected with Zika virus, the resulting inflammatory response in the placenta permanently changes how the offspring’s immune system develops - even if the infection is mild or asymptomatic in the mother.
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NewsThe essential role of the urban tree microbiome: A key to city health
Researchers studied the difference in microbial communities of street trees and non-urban forest trees. By analyzing fungal and bacterial diversity, tree size, and soil properties, their research shows the impacts of urban environmental stressors upon city tree microbiomes.
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NewsLong Ebola: Sudan virus can persist in survivors for months, study shows
More than half of survivors of the Sudan Ebola virus still suffer serious health problems two years post-infection and the virus can persist in semen and breast milk for months after recovery, according to the first study examining the virus’s long-term effects.
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NewsScientists explore how viruses replicate and infect
Herpes viruses cultivated using one kind of host cell – known as a producer cell – exhibited differences from the same virus cultivated with a different producer cell.
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NewsResearchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine development
Researchers analyzed more than 80 outbreaks of chikungunya virus to improve prediction of future outbreaks and inform vaccine trial development.
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NewsThe RESTART trial: a drug to block a toxic HIV molecule
What if the presence of a well-known but misunderstood viral protein explains why some people living with HIV (PLWH) never recover their health, even with antiretroviral treatment? Researchers will explore this in a groundbreaking clinical trial this fall.
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NewsSome human GII.4 norovirus are better than others at infecting cells; researchers have found out why
A study reveals that human GII.4 noroviruses have evolved a uniquely potent entry mechanism with clear strain-specific differences. The findings open new possibilities for identifying the elusive human norovirus receptor as well as developing vaccines and treatments.
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NewsNew antibiotic targets IBD — and AI predicted how it would work before scientists could prove it
The new antibiotic, enterololin, attacks and kills only a specific group of disease-causing bugs, which includes the type of E. coli that drives Crohn’s disease. It is a promising new treatment option for people affected by Crohn’s and other IBD-related conditions.
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NewsAncient plankton hint at steadier future for ocean life
A team of scientists has uncovered a rare isotope in microscopic fossils, offering fresh evidence that ocean ecosystems may be more resilient than once feared. They analyzed nitrogen isotopes preserved in the shells of tiny plankton called foraminifera.
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NewsCould a fungus provide a blueprint for next-gen hydrogels?
New research finds one fungal species, Marquandomyces marquandii, shows promise as a potential building block for new biomedical materials. It can grow into hydrogels, materials that hold lots of water and mimic the softness and flexibility of human tissues.
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NewsGenetic ‘Trojan horse’ selectively kills cancer cells linked to Kaposi’s sarcoma
A highly targeted gene therapy that could revolutionize treatment for cancers linked to a common herpesvirus harnesses an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a genetic “Trojan horse” into infected cells.
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NewsDo stranded dolphins have Alzheimer’s disease - and how are cyanobacteria involved?
Scientists have come up with an unusual hypothesis: perhaps dolphins become disoriented by suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s disease. It appears that Alzheimer’s-type neuropathology and disorientation may result from chronic exposure to toxic molecules produced by cyanobacteria.
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NewsGene editing, traditional crossbreeding produce disease-resistant cacao plants
Researchers reported that they edited the gene TcNPR3 in cacao plants, ultimately resulting in disease-resistant cacao plants that had 42% smaller disease lesions when infected with phytophthora, compared to non-edited plants.
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NewsCorals might be adapting to climate change, study shows
Researchers showed that despite a gradual increase in ocean acidity levels over the past 200 years, some corals seem to be able to adjust and continue to generate their hard, stony skeleton structures.
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NewsPeptide study paves path toward new weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
New research into antimicrobial peptides, small chains of amino acids able to damage bacterial cells, shows why some peptides are more effective at doing that and also why some cells are more vulnerable.
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NewsCould bacteria help fix the smoky taste of wildfire-tainted wine?
New laboratory experiments show that a bacterium that lives on grape plants can break down guaiacol—an unpleasant-tasting substance which ruins wines made from grapes exposed to wildfire smoke.
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NewsEngineers use bacterial nanowires to create first artificial neurons that could directly communicate with living cells
Engineers have created an artificial neuron with electrical functions that closely mirror those of biological ones. Using protein nanowires synthesized from electricity-generating bacteria, the discovery could herald immensely efficient computers built on biological principles.