News by Subject Biology

From energy materials to disease diagnostics, new microscopy techniques can provide more nuanced insight. Researchers first need to understand the effects of radiation on samples, which is possible with a new device developed for holding tightly sealed liquid cell samples for transmission electron microscopy.

Researchers have used a scanner designed for rockets to collect the first-ever computed tomography (CT) scan of an entire minke whale. By combining the CT scan results with custom-developed computer simulation tools, the researchers model how the whales hear sounds produced by other whales or by human-created (anthropogenic) sources such as ship propellers.

A close examination of 3.6-million-year-old hominin footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania, suggests our ancestors evolved the hallmark trait of extended leg, human-like bipedalism substantially earlier than previously thought.

Researchers of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) within the framework of the Project 5-100 developed a unique method of immune diseases diagnosing before the symptoms appear. Scientists proposed a laser-correlation spectroscopic technique (also called dynamic light scattering) for studying the immune response in body fluids, for example, in saliva.

The insect moves droplet of saliva in and out of its mouth to promote evaporation and lower body temperature, according to study by researchers in Brazil.

A new mechanism for regulating stem cells in the intestine of fruit flies has been discovered by researchers at Stockholm University. In addition, it was discovered that a certain protein can slow the growth of tumors in intestinal tissue. A better understanding of these mechanisms can teach us more about how diseases in human intestines occur, as well as contribute to the development of new medicine to cure them. The results are now being published in the scientific journal Stem Cell Reports.

The Bajau, a population of sea nomads in Indonesia, are known for their ability to conduct prolonged and repeated deep dives while holding their breath. A new analysis by University of Copenhagen and UC Berkeley scientists shows that they evolved this ability by enlarging their spleen about 50 percent. A genetic analysis links this to upregulated thyroid hormone. This is a unique adaptation to living in a low-oxygen environment, the researchers say.

With a standard electron microscope, only dead T cells can be studied. Therefore, it is very hard to figure out the inner workings of the cell. New microscopy techniques, making it possible to study living T cells, have now led to surprising results: while it has been generally believed that T cell receptors must interact with one another for effective immune-signaling, the new study shows: T cell receptors act alone.

One of the most significant impairments of the quality of life after a chemotherapy is infertility. Researchers of the Goethe University and the University Tor Vergata in Rome have now identified the mechanism of chemotherapy-induced infertility in females.