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Newly discovered sperm movement could help diagnose, treat male infertility

The University of Toledo has issued the following press release:

Paleonursery offers rare, detailed glimpse at life 518 million years ago

Penn State University has issued the following press release:All life on Earth 500 million years ago lived in the oceans, but scientists know little about how these animals and algae developed.

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New discovery shows human cells can write RNA sequences into DNA

Cells contain machinery that duplicates DNA into a new set that goes into a newly formed cell.

Genetics: Biosynthesis pathway of a new DNA nucleobase elucidated

The Institut Pasteur has issued the following press release:

Probing the evolution of surface-associated multicellularity

Surface-associated multicellular organisms are found throughout the biosphere and include common land plants, corals, lichens, bacterial biofilms and slime molds. Yet despite their prevalence, little is known about how they evolved.

Remote control for plants

Plants have microscopically small pores on the surface of their leaves, the stomata. With their help, they regulate the influx of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. They also use the stomata to prevent the loss of too much water and withering away during drought.

Fast and efficient nature-inspired joints power robotic systems

Goodbye, bulky components and connectors: A team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany and at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US has now found a new way to exploit the principles of spiders’ joints to create lightweight robots.

A proposal for a cross-disciplinary approach to epidemics and invasion biology

An international team of scientists has proposed a cross-disciplinary approach to biosecurity that may benefit both invasion biologists, who study the spread of non-native species, and epidemiologists, who study human infectious pathogens.

Novel screening approach improves diagnosis of metabolic disorders in newborns

A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that a screening method known as untargeted metabolomics profiling can improve the diagnostic rate for inborn errors of metabolism, a group of rare genetic conditions, by about seven-fold when compared to the traditional metabolic screening approach.

Newly discovered role for CTP in ensuring faithful cell division in bacteria

To grow and multiply efficiently, bacteria must coordinate cell division with chromosome segregation. Crucial to this process in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a protein called Nucleoid Occlusion Factor or Noc.

How information beyond the genetic sequence is encoded in the plant sperm

Hereditary information is passed from parent to offspring in the genetic code, DNA, and epigenetically through chemically induced modifications around the DNA. New research from the John Innes Centre has uncovered a mechanism which adjusts these modifications, altering the way information beyond the genetic code is passed down the generations.

Researchers detail how biological hijackers can change the aging process

The aging process of humans and other organisms can be hijacked by another species, like a virus, for the reproductive or survival advantage of the hijacker, while distorting the age of the host organism, according to a new study.

New field of physical bioenergetics studies how cells budget energy

Physical bioenergetics, a new field of study, examines how much energy cells are using and how they apportion that energy.

U.S. scientific team learns only a few bacteria affect most carbon soil recycling

Twice as much carbon is stored in the soil as it is in vegetation on land, but how it is accumulated and processed by microorganisms is not known. This is an important element for modeling carbon in climate science and soil fertility management.

Study: Graphic cigarette warning labels are more effective with young adult smokers

A small study of young adults, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), found that graphic warning labels affected their motivation to quit smoking more than text-only warning message labels.

New design gives screen displays bright color images even in sunlight

Viewing high-quality images with optimal colors, even when looking at a tablet or smart phone in direct sunlight, may be possible when new research results are commercialized.