Mastodawn

CellBioNews Jul 13, 2024

'A history of contact': #Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of #Neanderthals and other ancient #humans.

#anthropology #evolution #genomics #out_of_Africa

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-history-contact-geneticists-rewriting-narrative.html

'A history of contact': Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of Neanderthals and other ancient humans

Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much are they like us? Did our ancestors get along with them? Fight them? Love them? The recent discovery of a group called Denisovans, a Neanderthal-like group who populated Asia and South Asia, added its own set of questions.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jul 7, 2024

#Pear-derived discovery: A #genetic mechanism to fortify #crops against #drought.

#transcription #PbERF3 #PbHsfC1a #regulator #food_security #agriculture

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-pear-derived-discovery-genetic-mechanism.html

Pear-derived discovery: A genetic mechanism to fortify crops against drought

A recent study has shed light on a critical genetic mechanism that boosts plants' ability to withstand drought. The research uncovers the role of the transcription factor PbERF3, native to wild pears, which works in concert with the protein PbHsfC1a to regulate genes key to drought tolerance.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jul 6, 2024

Researchers reveal how #myrtle #rust #pathogen breaks into a host #plant.

#infection #transciptomics #Leptospermum #Austropuccinia #fungus

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-reveal-myrtle-rust-pathogen-host.html

Researchers reveal how myrtle rust pathogen breaks into a host plant

A recent study looking at the molecular foundation of myrtle rust reveals how the pathogen breaks into a host plant and how the host plant responds. This insight will inform the design of useful tools to prevent future break-ins and safeguard plant health.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jul 6, 2024

We mapped the entire #bilby #genome—and now we can use #poo to save Australia's 'Easter bunny' from #extinction.

#Macrotis #conservation #faecesomics

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-entire-bilby-genome-poo-australia.html

We mapped the entire bilby genome—and now we can use poo to save Australia's 'Easter bunny' from extinction

Commonly known as Australia's "Easter bunny" due to its large ears and hopping movement, the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is the last of its kind. Today we published its reference genome—all 3.66 billion pieces of it.

CellBioNews Jul 5, 2024

Engineers find a way to protect #microbes from extreme conditions

#biotechnology #Escherichia #Ensifer #Lactobacillus #Saccharomyces

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-microbes-extreme-conditions.html

Engineers find a way to protect microbes from extreme conditions

Microbes that are used for health, agricultural, or other applications need to be able to withstand extreme conditions, and ideally the manufacturing processes used to make tablets for long-term storage. MIT researchers have now developed a new way to make microbes hardy enough to withstand these extreme conditions.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jul 3, 2024

Two new #species of #Psilocybe mushrooms discovered in southern Africa.

#genomics #fungi #biodiversity #psychoactive

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-species-psilocybe-mushrooms-southern-africa.html

Two new species of Psilocybe mushrooms discovered in southern Africa

Two new species of psychoactive mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe have been described from southern Africa, bringing the list to six known species indigenous to Africa. Psilocybe species are among the most well-known and well-studied species of psychoactive mushrooms in the world, with around 140 described species.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jul 2, 2024

An #out_of_Africa story hiding in our #DNA.

#anthropology #GWAS #FTO #UCP1

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-africa-story-dna.html

An out-of-Africa story hiding in our DNA

"Who are we and where do we come from?" This quintessential question has intrigued humanity for millennia. Currently, the "Out-of-Africa (OOA) theory" is prevailingly accepted regarding the origin of modern humans, as a line of evidence indicates that Homo sapiens originated in Africa.

CellBioNews Jul 1, 2024

#Locusts adapt sense of #smell to detect food in #swarms, study shows.

#sensing #olfaction #signalling

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-locusts-food-swarms.html

Locusts adapt sense of smell to detect food in swarms, study shows

Locusts adapt their sense of smell to better detect sparse food sources in crowded swarms of up to billion animals, as researchers from the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz discovered. They published their results in the journal Nature Communications.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jun 28, 2024

Study reveals the #microbes vital to a healthy Brisbane #River.

#genomics #biodiversity #ecosystem_health #metagenomic #biogeochemical_cycles #eutrophy

https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-microbes-vital-healthy-brisbane.html

Study reveals the microbes vital to a healthy Brisbane River

A unique method of monitoring river health has uncovered an army of tiny organisms fighting to protect the Brisbane River.

Phys.org

CellBioNews Jun 24, 2024

Improving #transformation_frequency in #maize.

#model_organism #genetics #GRF_GIF #chimeras

https://phys.org/news/2024-06-frequency-maize.html

Improving transformation frequency in maize

Maize is one of the classical model organisms for genetic research. However, the low transformation frequency remains an important bottleneck for many gene-editing applications.

Phys.org