Microbiology Research and News
Innate lymphoid cells protect boundary tissues such as the skin, lung, and the gut from microbial onslaught. They also have shown they play a role in inflammatory disease. Researchers have found that maturation of ILC2s requires T-cell factor 1 to move forward. They describe in Immunity that one mechanism used to build ILCs is the same as that in T cells.
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The Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Neiker-Tecnalia, has developed a new method for the early detection of the diseases mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis in vines. The new methodology based on molecular biology techniques makes it possible to detect the disease before the symptoms appear on the plant.
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A protein known as Alix is present in cells during viral infections. It is also found in build-ups of cholesterol. So what does it do? Researchers from the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science at UNIGE have detailed the role in the journey that it makes from the inner wall of the membrane towards the outside; they have also uncovered that its main activity consists of opening a final exit in the evacuation process and the treatment of cellular waste.
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 | Stowers investigators discover how an unusual interplay of signaling pathways shapes a critical eye structure. ...> Full Article |
 | Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers have developed an enzyme-free ionic liquid pretreatment of cellulosic biomass that makes it easier to recover fermentable sugars for biofuels and to recycle the ionic liquid. ...> Full Article |
 | New engineered spider protein could be the start of a new generation of anti-venom vaccines, potentially saving thousands of lives worldwide. The new protein, created from parts of a toxin from the reaper spider, is described today in the Elsevier journal Vaccine. ...> Full Article |
Bacteria play a huge role when inflammations attack our body. Now researchers from University of Southern Denmark have succeeded in revealing one of the devastating effects of bacteria, and thus it will be possible for the pharmaceutical industry to treat even very complicated bacterial infections.
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Researchers at the Monell Center have identified a protein that is critical to the ability of mammals to smell. Mice engineered to be lacking the Ggamma13 protein in their olfactory receptors were functionally anosmic -- unable to smell. The findings may lend insight into the underlying causes of certain smell disorders in humans.
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Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a new technique to see how different types of cells interact in a living mouse.
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Scientists from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg have discovered that immune cells in the brain can produce a substance that prevents bacterial growth: namely itaconic acid. Until now, biologists had assumed that only certain fungi produced itaconic acid. A team working with Dr. Karsten Hiller, head of the Metabolomics Group at LCSB, and Dr. Alessandro Michelucci has now shown that even so-called microglial cells in mammals are also capable of producing this acid.
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 | The Ebola virus is among the deadliest viruses on the planet, killing up to 90 percent of those infected. A study published in the Biophysical Journal reveals how the most abundant protein making up the Ebola virus -- viral protein 40 -- allows the virus to leave host cells and spread infection to other cells throughout the human body. The findings could lay the foundation for the development of new drugs and strategies for fighting Ebola infection. ...> Full Article |
Like pioneers in search of a better life, bacteria on a surface wander around and often organize into highly resilient communities, known as biofilms. It turns out that a lucky few bacteria become the elite cells that start the colonies, and they organize in a rich-get-richer pattern similar to the distribution of wealth in the US economy, according to a new study in Nature by researchers at UCLA, Northwestern University and the University of Washington.
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Environment molds behavior -- and not just that of people in society, but also at the microscopic level. This is because, for their function, neurons are dependent on the cell environment, the so-termed extracellular matrix. Researchers at the Ruhr-Universität have found evidence that this complex network of molecules controls the formation and activity of the neuronal connections.
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Enzymes could break down cell walls faster -- leading to less expensive biofuels for transportation -- if two enzyme systems are brought together in an industrial setting, new research by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggests.
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Researchers have discovered the mechanism behind one of the Ebola virus' most dangerous attributes: its ability to disarm the adaptive immune system.
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Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs
New quantitative analysis for open source software projects
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Computer scientists develop video game that teaches how to program in Java
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Keep moving and have fun
New strategy for fingerprint visualization developed at Hebrew University
Children's bicycle helmets shown to be effective in impact and crush tests
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New advance in biofuel production
Engineered spider toxin could be the future of anti-venom vaccines
New insights into Ebola infection pave the way for much-needed therapies