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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
| 'Feel good' brain messenger can be willfully controlled, new study reveals Posted: 23 Jul 2021 09:15 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that spontaneous impulses of dopamine, the neurological messenger known as the brain's 'feel good' chemical, occur in the brain of mice. The study found that mice can willfully manipulate these random dopamine pulses for reward. |
| New measure of tropical forest vulnerability to help avoid 'tipping point' Posted: 23 Jul 2021 09:15 AM PDT Humid tropical forests, vital in global efforts to limit rising temperatures, are under threat as a result of changes in land use and climate. Now, researchers have developed a new way to keep tabs on the vulnerability of these forests on a global scale using satellite data called the tropical forest vulnerability index (TFVI). |
| Why four-legged animals are better sprinters Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:53 AM PDT Scientists have studied the characteristics determining the maximum running speed in animals. The model they developed explains why humans cannot keep up with the fastest sprinters in the animal kingdom. Based on these calculations, the giant spider Shelob from 'The Lord of the Rings' would have reached a maximum speed of 60 km/h. |
| Reverse optogenetic tool developed Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:53 AM PDT A new optogenetic tool, a protein that can be controlled by light, has been characterized by researchers. They used an opsin -- a protein that occurs in the brain and eyes -- from zebrafish and introduced it into the brain of mice. Unlike other optogenetic tools, this opsin is not switched on but rather switched off by light. Experiments also showed that the tool could be suitable for investigating changes in the brain that are responsible for the development of epilepsy. |
| Bio-based coating for wood outperforms traditional synthetic options Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:53 AM PDT Researchers have used lignin, a natural polymer abundant in wood and other plant sources, to create a safe, low-cost and high-performing coating for use in construction. As there is a global urge to meet the rising sustainability standards, this new coating has great potential to protect wood, whose use in construction is continually increasing. The new coating is non-toxic, hydrofobic, it retains wood's breathability and natural roughness while being resistant to color changes and abrasion. |
| Potential role of 'junk DNA' sequence in aging, cancer Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:52 AM PDT Researchers have recently identified a DNA region known as VNTR2-1 that appears to drive the activity of the telomerase gene, which has been shown to prevent aging in certain types of cells. Knowing how the telomerase gene is regulated and activated and why it is only active in certain cell types could someday be the key to understanding how humans age and how to stop the spread of cancer. |
| New insights into immune responses to malaria Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:52 AM PDT Advanced technologies have been used to solve a long-standing mystery about why some people develop serious illness when they are infected with the malaria parasite, while others carry the infection asymptomatically. |
| Blushing plants reveal when fungi are growing in their roots Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:52 AM PDT Scientists have created plants whose cells and tissues 'blush' with beetroot pigments when they are colonized by fungi that help them take up nutrients from the soil. This is the first time this vital, 400 million year old process has been visualized in real time in full root systems of living plants. Understanding the dynamics of plant colonisation by fungi could help to make food production more sustainable in the future. |
| Scientists identify five new plant species in Bolivia Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:52 AM PDT Scientists have identified five new plant species in the Bolivian Andes. The species are all part of the genus Jacquemontia, which are twining or trailing plants with pretty blue flowers. |
| Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:52 AM PDT A phenomenon known from quantum systems could now make its way into biology: Researchers show that the notion of topological protection can also apply to biochemical networks. The model which the scientists developed makes the topological toolbox, typically used only to describe quantum systems, now also available to biology. |
| The impact of climate change on Kenya's Tana river basin Posted: 23 Jul 2021 07:52 AM PDT Many species within Kenya's Tana River Basin will be unable to survive if global temperatures continue to rise as they are on track to do - according to new research. A new study outlines how remaining within the goals of the Paris Agreement would save many species. The research also identifies places that could be restored to better protect biodiversity and contribute towards global ecosystem restoration targets. |
| DeepMind and EMBL release the most complete database of predicted 3D structures of human proteins Posted: 23 Jul 2021 06:56 AM PDT DeepMind is partnering with EMBL to make the most complete and accurate database yet of the predicted human protein structures freely and openly available to the scientific community. The AlphaFold Protein Structure Database will enable research that advances understanding of these building blocks of life, accelerating research across a variety of fields. AlphaFold's impact is already being realized by early partners researching neglected diseases, studying antibiotic resistance, and recycling single-use plastics. |
| Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly Posted: 22 Jul 2021 08:28 AM PDT Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly but their flying abilities may have been different from adult pterosaurs, according to a new study. Researchers found that hatchling humerus bones were stronger than those of many adult pterosaurs, indicating that they would have been strong enough for flight. |
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