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Tufts researchers propose new paradigm for cellular pathways

With broad implications for drug development and the treatment of disease, a team of researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts is developing a new paradigm for understanding biochemical and bioelectrical action at the sub-cellular level.

Israeli study detects chaos in biological systems with new ‘deep learning’ model

Mathematical models have been created to successfully describe the behavior of complex phenomena ranging from weather systems to heartbeat patterns, and are being extended to describe the biological growth process.

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Genetic study shows human influence in northward spread of European wall lizards

A study of the mitochondrial DNA of the common wall lizard shows that their spread from Italy into southeastern Europe was probably aided by human influence.

University College London geneticists suggest origin of genetic code in pre-cellular metabolism

Proceeding from a concept called the proto-metabolism hypothesis, geneticists at the University College London (UCL) provide a new framework for the origin of the genetic code in protocells growing by CO2 fixation.

Environmental Microbiology article asks: How many different types of viruses, how many independent origins?

It is estimated that there are from 10 to 100 virus particles for every living cell, making viruses the most abundant biological entities on Earth.

Edinburgh University head warns of post-Brexit ‘brain drain’

In a guest editorial in the prestigious American journal, Science, the head of the University of Edinburgh argues that the British withdrawal from the European Union (EU) caused a partial collapse of the “collaborative ecosystem of research and innovation.”

International team's population study discovers 27 new proteins associated with Alzheimer’s

Researchers in the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia have found 27 additional proteins that may help identify individuals who are at risk for Alzheimer’s in middle age or earlier.

Francis Crick Institute researchers learn how fungal invaders disable body's infection-fighting responses

About 20% of all deaths worldwide are due to severe sepsis, the poisoning of the blood by infectious microorganisms. Fungal-induced sepsis, particularly that caused by the yeast Candida albicans, is the most lethal form, accounting for 5% of all microbial sepsis deaths.

University of Maryland research shows fruit flies acquiring new DNA from bacterial infection

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have published new research showing that a species of bacteria which infects fruit flies is capable of introducing parts of its genetic material into that of the fruit fly.

Whole-genome sequencing technique helps identify, treat mitochondrial diseases

The mitochondria are organelles within the cells of all eukaryotic organisms that produce the energy to fuel the cells.

Australian biologist emphasizes role viruses may have played in origin of eukaryotes

Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a separate nucleus containing the genetic material, a protein-transcribing apparatus in the cytoplasm and energy-producing organelles such as mitochondria.

Gut microbiota could play big role in COVID-19, French researchers find

SARS CoV-2 viral protein is detected in fecal samples of up to 50% of people diagnosed with Covid-19, even when the nasopharyngeal swab test proves negative. However, the role of intestinal infection in Covid-19 disease progression remains to be clarified.

Israeli computer simulation sheds light on life’s possible origins

A new simulation by researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute shows how life could have originally evolved from simple fatty molecules known as micelles into self-reproducing structures capable of evolving to more complex forms.

Study of two isolated populations in Greece sheds light on genetic causes of blood disorders

A new study of the hematological (blood cell) traits found in two different populations of isolated villagers in Greece sheds new light on blood disorders, including sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.

U.S. scientists join international team to discover paradigm-shaking role of mutation in natural selection

An international team of plant biologists and geneticists from Germany, the United States, Sweden, and France have found evidence overturning the commonly held assumption that mutations are entirely random across the genome.

Brandeis physicists propose theoretical model for how cells form consistent gradients

How does the cell, the building block of all living organisms, “know” how to arrange its internal parts and fit itself into an overall body plan?

Israeli-Harvard mathematical model evaluates safety of anti-COVID-19 drug

A collaboration between the Weizmann Institute in Israel and Harvard University developed a mathematical model to test the safety of a class of anti-viral drugs that accelerate the mutation rate of the virus, causing “death by mutagenesis.”

Swiss biologists show new role for 'chaperone proteins'

Proteins are long coils of amino acids, the building blocks of life. They are produced when messenger RNA from the cell nucleus directs the ribosomes to link specified aminos acids together in a defined sequence.

University of London group demonstrates mitonuclear interactions change redox stress responses in fruit flies

Eukaryotes have a distinct cell nucleus that contains one set of genes (DNA), and another entity known as the mitochondrion, that contains its own unique genes. Mitochondria are the cellular hubs for energy production and much of metabolism.

Princeton-Duke team uncovers new insights into human brain evolution

The human brain is 238% larger than any other primate of similar body mass. How evolution brought about this situation has been a focus of physical anthropologists for more a century.