Researchers have discovered that a micro-protein, which they named Nrs1, supports cell division and proliferation when nutrients are scarce. At the turn of the millennium, scientists became able to experimentally determine the DNA sequence of entire genomes. They next used this information to predict genome products: the proteins. «At this time, very short DNA sections…

Researchers have discovered a molecular mechanism that explains how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection alters a host’s epigenome to promote tumorigenesis (the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells) in certain types of stomach cancer. The findings suggest that EBV infection plays an important role in the development of EBV-associated stomach cancers, and provide fresh insights…

Food allergies cost billions of dollars and cause enormous suffering for people. Researchers are trying to remove the source of food allergies altogether — troublesome proteins made by our favorite crops. It’s critical to find ways to reduce the suffering caused by food allergies. Food processing companies already spend a lot of effort to label…

Researchers have engineered an improved biological tool that controls calcium (Ca2+) levels in the brain via blue light. This monster-OptoSTIM1 causes a change in mice’s fear learning behavior without the need of optic fiber implants in the brain. The brain utilizes Ca2+ signaling to regulate a variety of functions, including memory, emotion, and movement. Several…

Scientists have created mice with a hormone profile that causes growth and metastatic spread of implanted human breast tumors. Results show that the team created a new mouse breed, called NSG-Pro, that produces levels of human prolactin similar to those in patients with metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The majority of breast cancer deaths are…

Warmblood fragile foal syndrome is a severe, usually fatal, genetic disease that manifests itself after birth in affected horses. Due to the defect, the connective tissue is unstable. Under force, the skin tears from the tissue underneath and the joints can dislocate. Researchers have now been able to prove that the disease did not stem…

Legionellosis or Legionnaires’ disease affected more than 1 800 people in France in 2019 and caused 160 deaths. This emerging disease is caused by Legionella pneumophila, an environmental bacterium that thrives in hot water systems. Researchers have discovered a mechanism that allows Legionella pneumophila to target the immune response of the cells it infects by…

Pigtailed macaques are a candidate model organism for two hemorrhagic diseases of public health concern: Kyasanur Forest disease and Alkhurma hemorrhagic disease, researchers report. Tick-borne flaviviruses such as Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV) in India, and its close relative Alkhurma hemorrhagic disease virus (AHFV) in the Arabian Peninsula, cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans, and…

Computer scientists have devised a methodology that can recognize Holstein cows in the milking station by the pattern of their coat using artificial intelligence. The long-term vision is to develop a system that can monitor Holstein cows continuously and anywhere on a farm. Azzopardi, assistant professor in the Information Systems research group at the Bernoulli…

A new study reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first detected in southeast England and is commonly known as the UK variant or B.1.1.7. The study describes the first identification of the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant in domestic pets; two cats and one dog were positive on PCR…