News by Subject Biology

The E75 protein is a key regulator of some biological rhythms through interactions with nitric oxide. Suppression of E75 results in longer molt cycles and reduced numbers of offspring in the water flea, Daphnia magna. The work also raises questions about the ability of nitric oxide from environmental sources to disrupt biological rhythms that are critical to population sustainability.

Baby girls, born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy, exhibit signs of increased testosterone exposure, which may affect their hormone and reproductive function, according to research presented today at the 58th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting.

Texas is ranked in the top quarter of the US for its worksite lactation support initiatives, according to research led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. The study, published recently in the Journal of Human Lactation, was the first of its kind to identify and describe statewide worksite breastfeeding initiatives. These initiatives recognize employers in the state that support their breastfeeding employees.

Babies born vaginally have different gut bacteria -- their microbiome -- than those delivered by caesarean, research has shown. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UCL, the University of Birmingham and collaborators discovered that whereas vaginally born babies got most of their gut bacteria from their mother, caesarean babies instead had more bacteria associated with hospital environments in their guts. It isn't known if these differences at birth will have any effect on later health.

A molecule once designed to cure the skin disease psoriasis appears to be particularly effective against malaria. The antimalarial properties were revealed thanks to one researcher's inspired hunch when the psoriasis drug discovery program came to a dead end. The candidate drug offers considerable potential for combating this infectious disease.