All USA & Canada articles – Page 3
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NewsFecal samples from bowhead whales link ocean warming to rising algal toxins in Arctic waters
Rising toxins found in bowhead whales, harvested for subsistence purposes by Alaska Native communities, reveal that ocean warming is causing higher concentrations of algal toxins in Arctic food webs.
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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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NewsScientists receive $1M grant to study gulf’s mesophotic coral habitats
Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has received a $999,664 grant from FLRACEP for a three-year project titled, “Influences of Upwelling and Riverine Nutrient Plumes on the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the West Florida Shelf.”
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NewsVersion 4 update to Human Oral Microbiome Database includes expanded whole-genome sequence info
A recent update to the Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD) database includes a greatly expanded set of whole-genome sequences, reflecting a significant advancement in taxonomy of bacterial species and the study of microbial states in disease and health.
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NewsStructure of tick-borne virus revealed at atomic resolution for the first time
One emerging tick-borne virus in North America is the Powassan virus (POWV), which can cause encephalitis, seizures, paralysis and coma. Rates of POWV infections have increased in recent years and currently, there are no treatments available.
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NewsGut microbes key to understanding how exercise boosts cancer immunity
A new study shows how exercise improves cancer outcomes and enhances response to immunotherapy in mice by reshaping the gut microbiome. These benefits are driven by a specific compound called formate, which is produced by gut bacteria in exercised mice.
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NewsPrairie dogs carry genes linked to surviving plague
A study of the genetic basis of plague immunity in prairie dogs has broad implications for conservation. By comparing whole-genome sequences, the authors identified genetic variants associated with survivorship.
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NewsResearchers develop superstrong, eco-friendly materials from bacteria
Scientists have developed a scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. Their biosynthesis technique aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, resulting in robust biopolymer sheets with exceptional mechanical properties.
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NewsSummer travel ‘will increase the spread of measles,’ expert says
The number of measles cases in the U.S. has reached its highest point in 33 years, and outbreaks are expected to continue, especially amid national and international travel.
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NewsFrom COVID to cancer, new at-home ‘coffee-ring’ test spots disease with startling accuracy
A new, low-cost biosensing technology could make rapid at-home tests up to 100 times more sensitive to viruses like COVID-19. The diagnostic could expand rapid screening to other life-threatening conditions like prostate cancer and sepsis as well.
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NewsStudy reveals negative consequences of trained immunity in the lungs
Exposure to a common fungal molecule can reprogram immune cells in the lungs, causing them to overreact to infection-like signals and worsen lung damage, according to new research.
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NewsVanderbilt and Parse Biosciences collaborate on new measles treatment
Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Parse Biosciences, an innovator in single-cell sequencing, are collaborating on a new treatment to help unvaccinated measles victims, as the U.S. measles outbreak has now reached its highest case count in 30 years.
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NewsNew study suggests Florida has the potential for local Chagas disease transmission
Researchers in Florida have discovered local kissing bugs are harboring the parasite that can lead to Chagas disease, demonstrating that this rare, chronic disease has a secure foothold in the U.S. and warrants more preventative measures.
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NewsFlightpath Biosciences licenses microbiome-sparing antibiotic developed at Illinois
Flightpath Biosciences, Inc., has licensed a class of antibiotics developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The original antibiotic agent, lolamicin, effectively treated bacterial infections in animal models of disease without wiping out beneficial gut microbes.
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NewsCancer-fighting herpes virus shown to be an effective treatment for some advanced melanoma
A genetically engineered herpes simplex virus, when combined with immunotherapy, reduces or eliminates tumors in one-third of clinical trial patients, according to a new study.
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NewsChemists boost the efficiency of a key enzyme in bacterial photosynthesis
Chemists have shown that they can greatly enhance a version of the photosynthesis enzyme rubisco found in bacteria from a low-oxygen environment. Using directed evolution, they identified mutations that could boost rubisco’s catalytic efficiency by up to 25 per cent.
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NewsAlgae of polar origin may impact tropical ocean biogeochemistry and food webs
A single-celled algae genus may have a big impact on how the world’s chemical building blocks cycle between living things and the non-living environment. Polarella was thought to be restricted to polar cap regions, but turns out to be abundant in the tropical Pacific ocean.
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NewsHow plants build the microbiome they need to survive in a tough environment
New research points to the idea that under some conditions plants can “curate” their microbiomes—selecting good microbes and suppressing harmful ones—to adapt to their environments.
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NewsScientists reimagine citrus greening treatment delivery
Texas A&M AgriLife Research is launching a multi-institutional study to develop and evaluate systems that deliver treatments to trees affected by citrus greening disease, also known as Huanglongbing.
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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.