News by Subject Biology

'Our group has been studying the proteins that are targeted by the phytoplasma effector proteins for almost 30 years,' said Günter Theißen, one of the scientists involved in the study. 'In our latest research, based on just few data and some simple assumptions, we predicted the structure of the respective effector protein (termed SAP54) about 5 years ago. With the new work, we tested our hypothesis experimentally, and found that our prediction was quite accurate.'

A new study on genetic pathways in the common liverwort could have future implications for crop manipulation.

Scientists at Fujita Health University, Japan, have discovered how deficiencies of the IL-36Ra protein -- caused by mutations in the IL36RN gene -- delay wound healing via the flooding of the wound with several types of immune cells. However, by inhibiting the functioning of proteins and the signaling pathways involved in activating the immune system at a wound, this delay can be offset. These findings could aid efforts to develop ways of regulating wound healing in IL36RN mutation-related skin disorders.

A new study helps explain why some animals are sometimes more often found in suburban areas than wild ones.

Although the link may not be obvious, healthcare and climate change -- two issues that pose major challenges around the world -- are in fact more connected than society may realize. So say researchers, who are increasingly proving this to be true.

With insights into a molecular pathway that regulates the activity of Tregs, a type of T cell involved in immunosuppression, research by the University of Pennsylvania's George Hajishengallis and colleagues opens up possibly new avenues for treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Researchers at Yale University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard screened hundreds of millions of cells exposed to the COVID-19 and MERS viruses and identified dozens of genes that both enable the viruses to replicate in cells and also those that seem to slam the door on the virus. The pro-viral and anti-viral role of these genes will help guide scientists in development of new therapies to combat COVID-19, the researchers say.

The 8th International Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention Conference: Demystifying Wound Infection: Improving Patient Outcomes was redesigned into an online Wounds Week and has proved to be so successful it will most certainly happen again.