324 articles from WEDNESDAY 2.6.2021

Regulation of the genome affects its 3D structure

The Molecular Modelling lab at IRB Barcelona describes the impact of DNA methylation, a known gene regulation mechanism, on the 3D structure of the genome and on gene expression.Published in Nature Communications, the work highlights the connections between epigenetic changes, chromatin structure and gene regulation and may have implications for the study of cancer and ageing, among others.

Replicating patients' tumors to test different treatments

In order to offer a personalised treatment that best suits the case being treated, scientists led by UNIGE had already developed a spheroidal reproduction of tumours that integrates the tumour cells, but also their microenvironment. Today, the Geneva team has succeeded in integrating two types of immune cells that come directly from the patient into the spheroidal structure, making it possible to...

Researchers identify how to prevent cancer metastases

Metastases can develop in the body even years after apparently successful cancer treatment. They originate from cancer cells that migrated from the original tumor to other organs, and which can lie there inactive for a considerable time. Researchers have now discovered how these "sleeping cells" are kept dormant and how they wake up and form fatal metastases. They have reported their findings in...

RUDN University chemists created cheap catalysts for ethanol conversion

RUDN University chemists proposed a new way to synthesize catalysts for the conversion of ethyl alcohol. The obtained materials are promising catalysts for the selective conversion of ethanol, which is an important stage in the development of an alternative technology for obtaining valuable chemical synthesis products based on plant raw materials.

Shining light on two-dimensional magnets

Atomically thin van der Waals magnets are seen as the ultimately compact media for future magnetic data storage and fast data processing. Controlling the magnetic state of these materials, however, is difficult. But now, an international team of researchers led by Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) has managed to use light in order to change the anisotropy of a van der Waals...

Sinai Health scientists provide detailed map to understanding human cells

Researchers from Sinai Health have published a study providing an ultra-detailed look at the organization of a living human cell, providing a new tool that can help scientists around the world better understand what happens during disease.The new study, published in the journal Nature, was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras, a senior investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum...

Spiders can sniff out and avoid killer ants, SFU study finds

Spiders avoid building webs near European fire ants, their natural predators, by sensing the chemicals they give off in the environment, Simon Fraser University researchers have found.The findings, published recently in Royal Society Open Science, give us a peek inside the enduring struggle between spiders and ants, and could lead to the development of natural repellents for homeowners worried...

Study exposes increasing flood risk in the UK

As climate change continues to cause unpredictable and extreme weather events around the world, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University researchers are calling for engineers to rethink how they design for flood prevention.

Synthetic SPECIES developed for use as a confinable gene drive

Scientists have developed a gene drive with a built-in genetic barrier that is designed to keep the drive under control. The researchers engineered synthetic fly species that, upon release in sufficient numbers, act as gene drives that can spread locally and be reversed if desired.

Target protein identified for improving heart attack treatment

A new study led by researchers at Washington State University has identified a protein that could be the key to improving treatment outcomes after a heart attack. Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, it suggests that protein kinase A (PKA) plays a role in heart muscle cell necrosis, a major type of cell death that commonly occurs after reperfusion therapy, the treatment used to...

The best strawberries to grow in hot locations

It's strawberry season in many parts of the U.S, and supermarkets are teeming with these fresh heart-shaped treats. Although the bright red, juicy fruit can grow almost anywhere with lots of sunlight, production in some hot, dry regions is a challenge. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry have identified five cultivars that are best suited for this climate,...