News by Subject Biology

Researchers have developed a method to spur the production of new antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds hiding in the genomes of actinobacteria, which are the source of the drugs actinomycin and streptomycin and are known to harbor other untapped chemical riches. The scientists report their findings in the journal eLife.

In a step toward better control of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, researchers have mapped the patterns of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes across Africa. The new study, published June 25, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Catherine Moyes and Penelope Hancock of the University of Oxford, UK, and collaborators, found that resistance to five mainstream insecticides increased dramatically between 2005 and 2017.

Researchers think that local parasites are influencing why barn swallows in Europe, the Middle East and Colorado are choosing their mates differently. Their new research finds that these parasites could be playing an important role in changing the traits displayed to attract mates early in the process of the creation of new species.

Invasive fire ants with a nasty bite are limiting the spread of a dangerous meat allergy, new research suggests. But it's not all good news, as the ants themselves can also cause severe allergic reactions.

An international team of researchers, led by Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) scientist Sebastian Kvist, have announced the completion and results of their work to sequence the genome of Hirudo medicinalis, a European leech, and one of the most prominently used medicinal species. The team focused their efforts on unveiling the diversity and abundance of anticoagulants (blood thinners) in the leech genome. The results will guide future medical use of leeches by providing insights into which proteins are secreted by the leech during feeding.

If you're a cat owner, you might have heard of Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan that sometimes infects humans through contact with contaminated feces in litterboxes. Although harmless to most people, T. gondii can cause serious illness or death in immunocompromised individuals or fetuses of infected pregnant women. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have studied how the microorganism glides so swiftly through mammalian tissues during an infection.