Mindzilla – Evolution

Evolution

Evolutionary Assimilation of Foreign DNA in a New Host

August 11, 2020
Mindzilla

La Jolla, CA — All life is subject to evolution in the form of mutations that change the DNA sequence of an organism’s offspring, after which natural selection allows the ‘fittest’...

Oldest Enzyme in Cellular Respiration Isolated

August 10, 2020
Mindzilla

Frankfurt, Germany — In the first billion years, there was no oxygen on Earth. Life developed in an anoxic environment. Early bacteria probably obtained their energy by breaking down various substances...

Tinkering with Roundworm Proteins Offers Hope for Anti-Ageing Drugs

August 3, 2020
Mindzilla

Daejeon, South Korea — KAIST researchers have been able to dial up and down creatures’ lifespans by altering the activity of proteins found in roundworm cells that tell them to convert sugar...

‘Little Brain’ or Cerebellum Not So Little After All

August 3, 2020
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San Diego, CA — When we say someone has a quick mind, it may be in part thanks to our expanded cerebellum that distinguishes human brains from those of macaque monkeys, for example. Sometimes referred...

Researchers Discover Hybrid Fungus Involved in Lung Infections

July 20, 2020
Mindzilla

São Paulo, Brazil — Aspergillus latus, a species of fungus previously found only in soil or plants, has been found for the first time in a hospital environment by an international group of researchers....

Green is More Than Skin-Deep for Hundreds of Frog Species

July 14, 2020
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Durham, NC — Frogs and toads are green for a very good reason – it makes them harder to see in their leafy environments. Good camouflage allows them to eat and not be eaten. But not all frogs...

Why are Offspring of Older Mothers Less Fit to Live Long and Prosper?

July 6, 2020
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Woods Hole, MA — The offspring of older mothers don’t fare as well as those of younger mothers, in humans and many other species. They aren’t as healthy, or they don’t live as long,...

Entry Point for Curbing the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance Discovered

June 25, 2020
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Cologne, Germany — The team of Professor Tobias Bollenbach from the Institute for Biological Physics at the University of Cologne has published a study on a new approach to improving the effectiveness...

Effects from low-level concentrations of harmful chemicals preserved in three generations of fish

June 25, 2020
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Corvallis, OR — Fish exposed to very low levels of chemicals commonly found in waterways can pass the impacts on to future generations that were never directly exposed to the chemicals, according to...

New Light Shone on Inflammatory Cell Death Regulator

June 22, 2020
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Parkville, Australia — In a trio of studies published today in the journal Nature Communications, the team used advanced imaging to visualise key steps in the activation of MLKL, revealing previously...

From Bacteria to You: The Biological Reactions that Sustain Our Rhythms

June 11, 2020
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Kyoto, Japan — Every second of every day, countless biochemical reactions take place in our bodies’ cells. The organization of this complex system is the result of billions of years of evolution,...

We’re Not All Equal in the Face of Coronavirus

June 11, 2020
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Geneva, Switzerland — The genetic variability of immunity lies particularly in the genes of the HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) system. These genes produce HLA molecules that are positioned on the surface...

Genome Evolution Goes Digital

June 4, 2020
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Charlestown, MA — Dr. Alan Herbert from InsideOutBio describes ground-breaking research in a paper published online today by Royal Society Open Science. The study focuses on the digital genome that...

‘Unnecessary’ Genetic Complexity: A Spanner in the Works?

May 5, 2020
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Hamilton, ON — The massive international effort to map the entire human genome, completed in 2003, opened a new field we now know as personalised medicine. The breakthrough, which identified the...

Antibiotic Exposure can ‘Prime’ Single-Resistant Bacteria to Become Multidrug-Resistant

April 28, 2020
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Seattle, WA — Antibiotics save lives — but using them also helps antibiotic-resistant strains evolve and spread. Each year, antibiotic-resistant bacteria infect some 2.8 million people in the...

Transposable Elements Play Important Role in Genetic Expression and Evolution

April 16, 2020
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Ann Arbor, MI — Until recently, little was known about how transposable elements contribute to gene regulation. These are little pieces of DNA that can replicate themselves and spread out in the genome....

Aha! + Aaaah: Creative Insight Triggers Neural Reward Signal

April 14, 2020
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Philadelphia, PA — Creativity is one of humanity’s most distinctive abilities and enduring mysteries. Innovative ideas and solutions have enabled our species to survive existential threats and...

Copy/Paste and Delete — or How to Thrive Without Gene Regulation

March 10, 2020
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Klosterneuburg, Austria — Natural environments are constantly changing. If the change is a familiar one–like the shift from day to night or fluctuation in food supply–organisms use gene...

Research on Soldier Ants Reveals That Evolution can Go in Reverse

March 10, 2020
Mindzilla

New York, NY — Turtle ant soldiers look like real-life creatures straight out of a Japanese anime film. These tree-dwelling insects scuttle to and fro sporting shiny, adorably oversized heads, which...

Same Genes, Same Conditions, Different Transport

March 9, 2020
Mindzilla

Groningen, Netherlands — The bacterium Lactococcus lactis, which plays an important role in the dairy industry, is unable to produce the amino acid methionine and has to rely on uptake from the environment....

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