108 articles from MONDAY 30.12.2019

How bacteria control their cell cycle

Researchers at the Biozentrum of the University have demonstrated how bacteria coordinate cell division with the replication of their genetic material. In an interdisciplinary study they explain why the current concept of the bacterial cell cycle has to be rewritten. The results were published in eLife.

How cells learn to 'count'

One of the wonders of cell biology is its symmetry. Mammalian cells have one nucleus and one cell membrane, and most humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Learning from the bears

Grizzly bears spend many months in hibernation, but their muscles do not suffer from the lack of movement. In the journal 'Scientific Reports', a team led by MDC researcher Michael Gotthardt reports on how they manage to do this. The grizzly bears' strategy could help prevent muscle atrophy in humans as well.

Life could have emerged from lakes with high phosphorus

Life as we know it requires phosphorus, and lots of it. But phosphorus is scarce. A University of Washington study, published Dec. 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports that certain types of carbonate-rich lakes, which could have formed on early Earth, have the right chemistry to keep phosphorous levels high and available to organisms.

More Chinese scientists in America are going back home

A growing number of Chinese scientists working in the United States and other parts of the world are returning to their homeland, enhancing China's research productivity.In a new study, researchers found that more than 16,000 researchers have returned to China from other countries since that nation has opened up to international engagement. More than 4,500 left the United States for China in 2017...

North Atlantic Current may cease temporarily in the next century

The North Atlantic Current transports warm water from the Gulf of Mexico towards Europe, providing much of north-western Europe with a relatively mild climate. However, scientists suspect that meltwater from Greenland and excessive rainfall could interfere with this ocean current. Simulations by scientists from the University of Groningen and Utrecht University showed that there is a 15 percent...

Novel combination of antibodies leads to significant improvement in cancer immunotherapy

The simultaneous use of antibodies based on two differing mechanisms of action leads to a more effective destruction of tumors. This has been demonstrated by a study in animal models by medical oncologists and scientists at the University of Basel that has been published in the scientific journal PNAS. Patients who do not respond to current immunotherapy options could benefit most from this new...

Replacing one gas with another helps efficiently extract methane from permafrost

Scientists from Skoltech and Heriot-Watt University proposed extracting methane by injecting flue gas into permafrost hydrate reservoirs. Since the flue gas contains carbon dioxide, the new technology will also contributes to reduction of this greenhouse gas in the Arctic atmosphere. The results of their study were published in the journal Scientific reports.

Scientists link La Niña climate cycle to increased diarrhea

A study in Botswana by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health scientists finds that spikes in cases of life-threatening diarrhea in young children are associated with La Niña climate conditions. The findings published in the journal Nature Communications could provide the basis for an early-warning system that would allow public health officials to prepare for periods of increased...

Short or long sleep associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis

Scientists have discovered that people who regularly sleep for more than 11 hours or less than 4 hours are 2-3 times more likely to have the incurable disease, pulmonary fibrosis, compared to those that sleep for 7 hours in a day. They attribute this association to the body clock.

Strategies to generate larger pores in metal-organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials assembled from organic ligands and metal nodes. Construction of hierarchically porous MOFs is vital to achieve the augmentation of pore size to mesopores or macropores, which can enhance the diffusion kinetics of guests and improve the capacity. Recently, researchers from Texas A&M University summarized the latest advances in MOFs...

The growing Tibetan Plateau shaped the modern biodiversity

The growing Tibetan Plateau since the Cenozoic has shifted the life's history by changing the regional geography and global climate; however, little is known about the details of the process. Based on fossils discovered from the plateau, a recent paper reviewed the role of the rising Tibetan Plateau played in shaping the modern biodiversity. Three evolutionary patterns have been recognized: Local...

The mysterious case of the ornamented coot chicks has a surprising explanation

The American coot is a somewhat drab water bird with gray and black feathers and a white beak, common in wetlands throughout North America. Coot chicks, however, sport outrageously bright orange and red feathers, skin, and beaks. A new study explains how the bright coloring of coot chicks fits in with the reproductive strategy of their less colorful parents.