Tuberculosis Resistance to Backup Drugs Increases
According to a new study, more than 40% of tuberculosis infections that are resistant to front-line antibiotic treatments have also become resistant to some common…
Biology News
Ancient Genome Reveals Relationships between Denisovans and Present-Day Humans
A newly published study compares the Denisovan genome with those of the Neandertals and eleven modern humans from around the world, finding that modern populations…
Extra Gaits in Horses Traced to Single Mutation
In horses, unusual gaits have been traced to a single mutation. This endows them with a wider repertoire of gaits, showing that some seemingly complex…
Genetics and Healthy Diets Are More Important for Longevity than Calorie Restriction
Drastically cutting back on calorie intake doesn’t seem to lengthen the lifespan in primates. This conclusion comes from a 25-year study in rhesus monkeys fed…
Heavy Teenage Cannabis Use Leads to Drop in IQ
It seems like something straightforward in essence, but apparently being a heavy cannabis smoker as a teenager results in a significant cognitive decline in adulthood,…
Biologists Create Computational Model of Gene Networks
By translating their biological knowledge into very simple Boolean statements, biologists at the California Institute of Technology have created the first predictive computational model of…
High Pyruvate Kinase Activity May Suppress Tumor Growth
A newly published study from MIT scientists suggests that high pyruvate kinase activity may suppress tumor growth, finding that pharmaceutical compounds that force PKM2 to…
Early Intake of Antibiotics Linked to Obesity in Mice
Bacteria living within the gut could have a link to obesity, possibly explaining how antibiotics fatten farm animals, and humans as well, and predispose some…
Brucella Blocked From Bonding with Host, Could Lead to Superbug Cure
Pathogenic bacteria without their virulent factors could be rendered harmless and eliminated by the human immune system. That’s the goal that a group of researchers…
The Neuroscience of Threat Response
It’s a biological imperative how organisms respond to threats, and humans are no exception. Humans respond to threats, perceived or real, in an instinctual way,…
Neurologists Repair Neurons Associated with Traumatic Nerve Injury Pain
In an effort to find new treatments for people suffering from neuropathic pain, Yale University neurologists have managed to repair neurons associated with traumatic nerve…
Generational Conflict between Unrelated Childbearing Women Affects the Child’s Survival
Menopause affects humans, pilot whales and killer whales. These are the only organisms on Earth that stop being able to reproduce long before their lifespan…
Role of the Frontal Lobes in Reasoning and Decision Making
A team of neuroscientists studied data from roughly 350 patients to gain a better understanding about what different parts of the frontal lobes do, seeing…
Treatment for Alzheimer’s May Lie in Modifying the Length of Mitochondria
A new study from scientists at The University of Queensland and Harvard University suggests that treatment for Alzheimer’s disease may lie in modifying the length…
Researching the Link between VEGF, Stem Cells and Osteoporosis
In what may lead to better treatments for osteoporosis, Harvard researchers discovered a new role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a common signaling protein…
A Better Understanding of “Muscle Synergies” Could Lead to Improved Stroke Rehabilitation
A newly published study from a team of researchers found that cortical damage altered the brain’s ability to activate muscles in groups, known as “muscle…
Trogloraptor Marchingtoni Is a New Species of Spiders Discovered in the Pacific Northwest
A completely new genus and species of spiders was discovered in the Pacific Northwest, by spelunkers. Trogloraptor marchingtoni was first discovered by a group of amateur…
Molecular Code for How PPR Proteins Recognize their RNA Targets Discovered
A team of scientists have cracked a code underlying recognition of RNA molecules by a superfamily of RNA-binding proteins called pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, providing…