ATAR Notes: Forum

National Education => General National Education Discussion => Interstate Discussion and Comparison => Topic started by: sweetiepi on December 30, 2018, 11:19:50 am

Title: Recent Bio News!
Post by: sweetiepi on December 30, 2018, 11:19:50 am

(http://funnyminionsmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/27-biology-memes1.jpg)

Biology isn’t just about the mitochondria, so I'll occasionally share some interesting/recent articles from the interwebs about biology- feel free to share some you find too! ^-^


Here's some to get us started:

Getting yeast to make artificial sweets (ScienceDaily)

Social animals have more parasitic infections, but lower infection costs (ScienceDaily)

The importance of 'edge' populations on biodiversity (ScienceDaily)

Pilot whale groups have different dialects (Phys.Org)

A method of visualising genetic mutations has been developed (Phys.Org)

Oldest known plant virus has been found. (Sci-News)

Bees can count with just four neurons! (Sci-News)

Knock-out gene mice uncover genetic eye disease causes. (Science Daily)

The mystery of how DNA replication is regulated is uncovered (Science Daily)

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Bri MT on January 07, 2019, 12:18:22 pm

Another fantastic news thread by insanipi :)


Thought I'd share this article published today: five lessons from your immune system (the conversation)

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: sweetiepi on January 07, 2019, 03:03:18 pm

Another couple of articles I've found:

- Forest soundscapes is an inexpensive way to monitor conservation efforts! (ScienceDaily)

- In cell development, new discoveries have been made that change the way we understand how genes shape early embryos! (ScienceDaily)

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Erutepa on January 07, 2019, 03:18:25 pm

Heyyyyyyyyy.
I have been doing some reading and found some articles. In addition to putting the links and titles, I have tried putting a little summary below them (I have tried to be accurate but if I make some errors please point them out).

Newborn insects trapped in amber show first evidence of how to crack an egg
While these amber-trapped bugs may not hold the secret to creating a Jurassic park – they do suggest an earlier evolutionary existence of the egg than the fossil record had previously proved. These “four green lacewing newborn larvae” were preserved in amber dated at 130 million years old and, within the screenshot of the green lacewing larval development which they provided, show distinctly hatching from an egg structure. Interestingly, the mechanisms of the hatching suggested by the preserved insects as well as the egg structure are highly similar to those of modern-day relatives. While expected by some researchers, this new finding does provide hard evidence for a new earliest emergence of an “a sophisticated hatching mechanism which endures to this day”

Feisty hummingbirds prioritize fencing over feeding
Hummingbirds feed of nectar from all sorts of shaped flowers and in order to do so, have highly specialized and specifically shaped beaks to reach that nectar (usually soft, long and slender).  However, scientists studying the shapes of different hummingbird beaks have noticed some rather unintuitive features of the beaks of certain males (like being serrated, hook-shaped and very stiff) which would impede nectar collection and seem, for that purpose, unintuitive. Although, by using high-speed video to observe their fighting behaviors, this group has identified the purpose of these initially unintuitive structures in providing a fighting advantage. Here the group has then identified the competing pressures of being able to feed on nectar from flowers, and being able to fight off completion, on the shape and form of the hummingbird beak; finding that certain males have success in suffering a reduced feeding ability for the ability to fight off surrounding competition.

Living a stronger and longer life: What scientists are learning from worms
A group of scientists working with worms, namely Millimetre-long roundworms called nematodes, have uncovered interesting aging patterns and mechanisms. The researchers discovered a molecule called SLO-1 which they describe to be involved in the process of aging as it “dampens neurons' activity, slowing down the signals from neurons to muscle tissue and reducing motor function”. Most interestingly they found that blocking the activity of SLO-1 in young nematodes caused detrimental effects to lifespan while blocking the molecule's effect in mid-adulthood actually increase lifespans of the nematodes. Since SLO-1 is known to be present in many other species, further studies are encouraged to better understand this molecule and its role in aging.

Why the number of single male Magellanic penguins is rising at this breeding colony
Washington biology professor P. D. Boersma and her team have been watching the Magellanic Penguins at Punta Tombo closely and have identified two frightening trends. Fisrtly, the population is declining, and secondly, the male to female ratio keeps on increasing. After some population analysis and investigating, the group has suggested that this is due to the much higher rates of juvenile female Magellanic Penguins dying compared to Juvenile male penguins, causing the skewed gender ratio of up to 3 males per female. They then suggest that the falling population numbers are a result of this observed skewed gender ratio

Extraordinary treefrog discovered in the Andes of Ecuador
After hiking for 2 days up to “a largely unexplored range in the eastern Andes” the team of field biologists was rewarded with the discovery of a new species of tree frog. Perhaps not the ‘extraordinary’ the article claims, but it certainly had interesting “enlarged claw-like structure located at the base of the thumb. Its function is unknown, but it could be that it is used either as a defense against predators or as a weapon in fights between competing males”. Sadly though, this new-found treefrog is already endangered.

Essential amino acid in humans, methionine, controls cell growth
Methionine is an essential amino acid in humans and is, in fact, the start amino acid of all polypeptide chains. No multiple research groups are suggesting that it may be a signaling metabolite for the control of cell growth. This discovery was made primarily by cancer research groups when it was found that the amino acid played controlled cancer growth rates to a certain degree. However, Currently, the exact mechanisms are unknown.

Scientists engineer shortcut for the photosynthetic glitch, boost crop growth 40%
Here is exposed photosynthesis’ dirty little secret – that it has been wasting energy doing photorespiration. As the article explains “Unable to reliably distinguish between the two molecules, Rubisco grabs oxygen instead of carbon dioxide about 20 percent of the time, resulting in a plant-toxic compound that must be recycled through the process of photorespiration”. Researchers have managed to shortcut this photorespiration process in plants and have shown an increase in growth rate of up to 40% in “real-world agronomic conditions”.

Warming warning over turtle feminization
Green turtles may not know it, but they are in for an interesting ride. Turtle sex is determined by the temperature which at current is working out pretty good for them, with 52% being female, however, our good friend climate change is here to mess with that whole thing. As per the temperature projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios, researchers have calculated that up to 93% of green turtle hatchlings may be female by 2100. This will apparently have detrimental effects on the green turtle populations (who would have guessed). In addition, they also comment that the higher temperatures will lead to higher mortality rates and that rising sea levels will ruin nesting grounds. Sorry miniturtle and calebark, but it ain't looking good for your green brothers and (mostly) sisters.

A cause of possible genetic problems in mitochondria is revealed
Scientists from the Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER) have further understood the action of mitochondrial protein complex Degradasome. Degradasome acts to degrade (who would have guessed!) mRNA molecules as an integral part of maintaining the mitochondrial genome. With the impaired functionality of the protein complex, RNA accumulates and forms abnormal RNA-DNA hybrids which themselves can build up and essentially clog up the DNA replication process of the mitochondria. This may allow for greater understanding and, subsequently the treatment, of numerous mitochondrial diseases which may arise or involve the reduced functionality attributed to the aberrant activity of Degradosome.

Scientists produce 'designer triacylglycerols' in industrial microalgae
Firstly a bit of background chem. Triacylglycerol (TAG) is an important biomolecule in many organisms and are composed of three fatty acid tails and a glycerol backbone. These fatty acids are variable and different TAGs can have different combinations of tails. Two of these are  "linoleic acid (LA) [which] can lower blood cholesterols and prevent atherosclerosis... and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) [which] can treat hypertension and inflammation" . These are two important fatty acids for human function, yet we (as humans) cannot produce these as we have not the enzymes for it, so instead we rely on consuming TAGs which contain these fatty acids. However, this chienese research group have described a method by which an industrial microalgae strain can be modified to produce TAGs of desirable fatty acid composition. This work is said to be the foundation for "producing on a large scale "designer TAGs," whether present in nature or not, for tailored or even personalized health benefits"

Imaging nerve-cell interactions
Out of the way uDISCO, vDISCO is here and better!
uDISCO was a bioimaging technology produced by Dr. Ali Ertürk and his research group which aimed to render organisms transparent such that systems, tissues or cells of choice can be stained and visualized as part of an intact organism. However, where uDISCO offered only a partial transparency in many cases, the new and improved vDISCO technology allows for much greater transparency. Interestingly, the actual staining and visualization of systems as part of the technology is achieved through "staining specific proteins with antibodies that have been labeled with fluorescent markers".
The group is primarily using this technology to visualize the whole nervous system of mice to "characterize the full complexity of the nervous systems of small mammals, and [to] also... trace the cellular interactions that lead to inflammation and wound healing"

Mammoth DNA found in Cambodia market items
With an estimated 30,000 elephants being killed every year for their ivory, there are many efforts to track down illegal trade routes and the illegal sale of elephant ivory. One group of scientist focusing on Cambodia - where the sales of ivory seem to be increasing - found amidst elephant ivory products, "trinkets made from woolly mammoth ivory". Needless to say, they were surprised

The Prickle1 gene regulates the differentiation of frontal bone osteoblasts in a new animal model.
A new study finds that the Prickle1 gene plays a regulatory role in the migration and differentiation of osteoblast precursors in the developing skull in mice models.
Osteoblasts are specialized cells which function to build bone both in development and in adults where new bone is continuously being 'rebuilt'. This study used mice with a missense allele of the Prickle1 gene named Beetlejuice. These Beetlejuice mutants showed "defective migration and differentiation of osteoblasts in the skull primordia (developing skull)", attributing to a "mechanically compromised skull"
The article goes into much greater depth as to what is actually going on and the methodology of the experiments, but this is the general findings of the experiment.

Huge trove of British biodata is unlocking secrets of depression, sexual orientation, and more
The UK Biobank is a massive collation of the genetic and health information of half a million brits run by researchers at Oxford University. With a key goal of making this treasure-trove of data equally and freely available to all qualified researchers, they actually gave qualified research groups three weeks to download the masses of data which was encrypted before giving out a key to unencrypt the data, such that internet speeds did not deleteriously affect the access of some groups to the data.
And then the big-data crunching began with research groups all around the world finding correlations between genetics and all sorts of healths aspects as well as behavior. Among the findings were suggestions of "how particular genes contribute to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and other conditions, as well as genes' role in shaping personality, depression, birth weight, insomnia, and other traits. More controversially, data from the trove also pointed to DNA markers linked to education level and sexual orientation"
Of course much of this is simply trends within the data and by no means offer the hard mechanistic understandings of certain relationships between genes and health characteristics, but they do point researchers in the right directions for the discoveries of such things.
The article further explains some of the findings in greater depth, explaining statistical results from some studies, however much of the article is convincing of the importance of big open data projects like the UK Biobank to serve the acceleration of scientific research.

Another related article "Genetic data on half a million Brits reveal ongoing evolution and Neanderthal legacy
" explains the efforts and findings of another research group using the UK Biobank data to study Neanderthal traits within modern-day human populations. Using fancy genetics, these researchers were able to identify Neanderthal gene variants (alleles) and correlate them to different traits. This one group found that "Neanderthal [gene] variants that boost the odds that a person smokes, is an evening person rather than a morning person, and is prone to sunburn and depression"
Another group attempting a similar goal found "Neanderthal alleles help cause baldness and mental illness and boost certain immune functions"
And yet another group is uncovering genetic causes of humans more 'rounded' skulls compared to the more 'elongated' heads of neanderthals.
This article continues to talk about much more research into genetic correlations to health aspects and behavior and hints upon genetic trends in humans occurring as we speak. If you are into genetics and evolution I would recommend this article.

‘Nanoscavengers’ could protect people from sarin gas, other nerve agents
Nerv agents like sarin gas are in a class of chemicals called organophosphates and function by - once being quickly taken into the blood - inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine which in turn causes muscles spasming followed by often by respiratory failure or a cardiac arrest.
There do exist some antidotes for nerve gasses, but they rely upon quick administration within as short a time after exposure to the nerve agent as possible - not always the most achievable thing. As such, it is a current approach of scientists to be creating 'nanoscavaging' molecules which can be administered as a preventative and remain in the body to degrade organophosphates before they cause severe effects. The issues with this current approach are that attempts have been allround pretty unsuccessful in producing scavaging molecules which remain in the body long enough to serve their function properly, often as a result of clearance by the host immune system. This group here describes their (more successful) approach to producing a scavenger molecule which involves grabbing an organophosphate-targeting enzyme and wrapping it up in a "flexible polymer gel coating" such to allow the enzyme to evade the harsh judgment of the immune system. Studies  of the efficacy of this treatment revealed that "Rats given a single injection of the “nanoscavenger” were completely protected... for up to 5 days without side effects" and "guinea pigs [were] protected from multiple sarin injections for 8 days"
The authors of the findings suggest two major uses of this potential technology would be for soldiers entering areas with the potential of nerve gas exposure, as well as for farmers working with pesticides (since pesticides contain lower levels of organophosphates)

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: PhoenixxFire on January 08, 2019, 09:32:41 am

Quote from: Erutepa on January 07, 2019, 03:18:25 pm

Warming warning over turtle feminization

But some people are trialling using sprinklers to cool sands to try and stop this.

A new species of salamander called the reticulated siren was first officially described last month.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Erutepa on January 09, 2019, 10:10:15 am

Hi!
Here is some more recent Bio news (just a bit warm) off the press

How herpesviruses shape the immune system
Herpes viruses can be pretty good at setting up shop in humans and not budging, maintaining their presence in the body for a lifetime after infection, although being kept 'in check' by the immune system and not causing any serious issues. However, these viruses can cause damage in times of a lowered immune system caused by another disease (i.e. AIDS) or when being treated with immunosuppressants for things like organ transplants. This is the case with the herpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (CMV) which is a globally widespread virus and infects many - although they don't likely know it (50-80% of Americans have it by age 40).
Because of this viruses capability to potentially cause bodily havoc in under a compromised human immune system, a research group led by Dr Andreas Moosmann produced an analysis method to usable in a clinical setting to identify if an appropriate response is being mounted to this cytomegalovirus, although it can be applied to many other viruses and pathogens. This may serve great use in, for example, the case of an organ transplant, allowing doctors to determine if the immunosuppressed patient is holding certain infections at bay.
This test produced by the research team works by sequencing RNA from a patients blood then using magic to then determine levels of different T cell receptors in the body. For those who did unit 3/4 biology this year, you will probably understand that an elevated presence of a certain T cell receptor would likely correspond to the activation of a specific immune response to an antigen of the specificity of that receptor. Thus measuring an appropriate level of a T cell receptor specific to a pathogen (cytomegalovirus in this case), would indicate that your bodies immune system is fighting that pathogen effectively.
As stated by the authors of the findings "We can now develop a test that can directly determine the immune status for different viruses in one step." The authors also suggest that, in addition to it being used in cases of immunosuppression and what not, that it may also be used to check if a vaccination has stimulated an appropriate response.

Medical scanner helps to unlock the mysteries of a giant prehistoric marine reptile
Found in farmers field 60 years ago, this fine specimen of an ichthyosaur skull fossil went under scientists radar for quite some time until recently when it was kind of 're-discovered' in a 2014 project. It was then that paleontologists recognized the skull as "excellent preservation". The praise received by the skull is mostly "because it is three-dimensionally preserved and contains bones of the skull that are rarely exposed", contrary to much of the fossils we have which are 'pancaked'. The three-dimensionality of the fossil suited it well to CT scans and digital analysis whereby the skull could be entirely reconstructed. Also from the CT scan, it was found out that one bone of the fossil was found to be fake, although so expertly modeled that it fooled most.

Scientists provide new insight on how gene expression is controlled
RNA polymerase transcribes genes to produce mRNA as part of gene expression and there are many different ways in which this gene expression is modulated and controlled by cells.  A new paper further describes one method of gene expression which involves the pausing of RNA polymerase during transcription.
They describe that in all organisms exist pause sequences which when read by RNA polymerase, induce a paused state. The pause state, and its potential maintenance is a result of "multiple biological players" and also involves a conformational change of RNA polymerase preventing its ability to feed DNA.
This process of gene expression is still quite novel and not fully understood, but ground is being made.


How African scientists are improving cassava to help feed the world
The Cassava is a heavily cultivated crop plant which has starchy roots and serves as a staple source of carbohydrates for more than 800 million people worldwide, although most of the cassava action happens in Africa and Asia, with Africa being the worlds largest consumer of the plant. The problem is though, that while on one hand being a staple crop for many nations, it lacks the touch of geneticists to make it a much better provider for these nations, but this exactly what Nigerian scientists are doing at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. In addition to this, the importance of a geneticists intervention is made all the more by the fact that traditional crossbreeding methods, used so successfully in other plants, is much more difficult and unsuccessful in the Cassava. So, Taking the high-yielding Asian varieties of the plant (which can produce almost three times the root mass of some African varieties), and the hardy, climate, and disease tolerant African varieties, the team used genetics to produce better plants for Africa, as well as other parts of the world. In addition to this, they also aimed to genetically enhance the vitamin and worked on important strategies for rolling this plant out into African farms in the future - such that the technology actually can help.

Fighting human disease with birth control ... for mosquitoes
We all know the devastation that mosquito-transmitted diseases like malaria and Dengue Fever cause, particularly in third world countries, with nearly one million deaths every year around the world. As such, there are widespread attempts to lower the mosquito population and interfere with their ability, as vectors, to transmit these diseases. One such group from the University of Arizona set out to produce a drug which interfered with the reproduction of mosquitos. They begun by using genetic analysis to identify 40 mosquito-specific genes and, using RNA interference, they interfered with the function of each gene to see if it caused a delirious effect on the replication of the mosquito. Luckily one of these 40 genes did end up having an effect on replication which they identified to play a role in mosquito egg formation, naming the gene Eggshell Organising Factor 1 (EOF-1). Producing a small molecule drug, the researchers introduced it to the female mosquito before laying the first batch of eggs and showed it was effective at disrupting the formation of the mosquito eggs resulting in the death of the early embryo. Additionally, lab tests also show that the drug remained in the system, interrupting the EOF-1 protein for the entire mosquito lifespan after only one injection, where many other drugs which affect mosquito reproduction only last one or a few layings.
The researchers are hopeful to further develop this chemical and further insure that its dispersal and application will not cause unintended effects in other organisms.

New anti-Wolbachia drug with potential to treat onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis
Drug screening (in this case, mass testing of different compounds against Wolbachia) at A∙WOL (anti-Wolbachia consortium) identified a good drug candidate which was further developed and optimized by researchers from LSTM and the University of Liverpool into the "first novel fully synthetic and rationally designed anti-Wolbachia drug". The Drug imaginatively named AWZ1066S targets the gram-negative bacteria Wolbachia as "as a curative treatment for onchocerciasis and LF (lymphatic filariasis)". These two diseases are termed "neglected tropical diseases" and effect over 157 million people globally. They are caused by filarial parasites of which possess the bacteria Wolbachia as an essential bacterial symbiont, the bacteria playing crucial roles in enabling the development and survival of the filarial parasites. As such, by AWZ1066S (the drug) targeting the Wolbachia, it disrupts the function of the host-parasite which is attributed to these two diseases.
The researchers comment on the promise of this new rationally-designed drug as its "high specificity is a significant advantage resulting in minimal impact on the gut microbiota" and " it has a faster kill rate compared to other known antibiotics tested against Wolbachia". The development of this drug is proceeding fast and is now entering "formal preclinical evaluation".

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: PhoenixxFire on January 20, 2019, 11:03:51 am

Potential for anitbodies to be used to help fight infections in transplant patients

Quote

"We identified antibodies as being a critical component of preventing viral reactivation in the setting of transplantation.
We will be taking serum either from the recipient or from the donor prior to transplant, purify out the fractions that we know provide protection and then give them back during the period post-transplantation to offer protection."

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: vox nihili on January 20, 2019, 05:03:42 pm

Quote from: PhoenixxFire on January 20, 2019, 11:03:51 am

Potential for anitbodies to be used to help fight infections in transplant patients

I'm surprised that this is novel, to be honest. There are already plenty of diseases that we treat this one, chickenpox being one of them. We literally just take some blood from people who are immune, take the antibodies out and then chuck them in.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: sweetiepi on January 21, 2019, 04:07:02 pm

A couple of articles I've read on ScienceAlert:

An article about the reintroduction of the wild Green Turtle being somewhat a success.

Summary

The green turtle's wild population in the Cayman Islands has been recovered as a result of the reintroduction process; although the wild turtles are presenting a high genetic diversity in the first generation of released turtles in comparison to their parents as a consequence of the captivity process, and they show no difficulties regarding breeding.

Forget ATCG, proteins have been found to use a 'lock and key' system in order to bind to DNA!

Summary

Traditionally, scientists have believed that proteins bind to the DNA by using it a specific combination of the DNA code (made out of ATCG) to lock into place. However it has been found that this is only one vital part of allowing proteins to bind to the DNA- another part is the DNA's 3D shape.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Erutepa on January 30, 2019, 11:31:20 am

A link between common gum disease-causing bacteria in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease has been established.
This further suggests that the ameloid beta plaques attributed to Alzheimer’s may be an action of the immune system in fighting bacterial infections in the brain.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: vox nihili on January 30, 2019, 11:47:08 am

Quote from: Erutepa on January 30, 2019, 11:31:20 am

A link between common gum disease-causing bacteria in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease has been established.
This further suggests that the ameloid beta plaques attributed to Alzheimer’s may be an action of the immune system in fighting bacterial infections in the brain

I think you forgot to paste the link :p

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Erutepa on January 30, 2019, 12:09:52 pm

Quote from: vox nihili on January 30, 2019, 11:47:08 am

I think you forgot to paste the link :p

Thanks!
All fixed now  :)

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: darkz on January 31, 2019, 04:25:03 pm

Neanderthals and Denisovans lived in same Siberian cave for 100,000 years
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-01-31/denisovans-neanderthals-siberian-cave-hominin-human-archaeology/10751116

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: vox nihili on February 03, 2019, 01:33:50 pm

This one just about takes the cake: https://www.wired.com/story/malware-dna-hack

You can alter the sequence of DNA such that it constitutes a programme that can hack the computer on which the DNA sequence is stored.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: PhoenixxFire on June 08, 2019, 07:14:32 pm

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-06-08/transmissible-cancer-tasmanian-devils-evolution-of-sex/11183112

Interesting article talking about how sex may have evolved as a way to combat transmissible cancer.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: caffinatedloz on July 07, 2019, 08:21:54 am

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-05/climate-change-tree-planting-carbon-dioxide/11267556?section=science
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/365/6448/24
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-03-26/blue-carbon-mangroves-seagrass-fight-climate-change/9564096

An article about how the restoration of forests on degraded land in six key countries could help us to limit global warming until 2050 (essentially buying 20 years) while we work on other solutions. It then goes on to explain other ecosystems that are 40X more efficient at locking away carbon (and for significantly longer).

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Bri MT on January 20, 2020, 09:25:22 pm

Here's another biology news update - feel free to reply with any comments, other news or articles :)

Wollemi pines ('dinosaur trees') saved from NSW bushfires - Science Alert

Giant squid genome sequenced - Science Daily

Dopamine signalling important in eating behaviours (in mice) - University of Virginia

Making efficient vascular networks - phys.org

Some 'non-communicable' diseases like obesity might be communicable after all - phys.org

Biological impacts of caffeine - The Conversation

Biological robots - The Conversation

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: AngelWings on January 27, 2020, 06:33:46 pm

A brand new week, a brand new set of biology articles. I've tried to get as many open access ones as possible, some more topical than others. The first link is generally the press release, the second (where applicable) is the scientific article it refers to.

Enjoy the update!

Interplay between competitive and cooperative interactions in a three-player pathogen system - Pinotti et al., Royal Society Open Science

How smart were our ancestors? Turns out the answer isn’t in brain size, but blood flow - R. S. Seymour, The Conversation

Scientists say these 6 things have to happen for us to meet our climate goals - Science Alert; original scientfic article by Otto et al., PNAS

Snakes could be original source of the Wuhan coronavirus- Science Alert; original scientific article by Ji et al., Journal of Medical Virology

Platypus on brink of extinction - Science Daily; original scientific article by Bino et al., Biological Conservation

Solving a biological puzzle: How stress causes grey hair - Science Daily; original scientific article by Zhang et al., Nature

Novel coronavirus complete genome from the Wuhan outbreak now available in GenBank - unknown author, NCBI Insights

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Sine on January 27, 2020, 10:29:41 pm

Adding onto the coronavirus news from above which I think is quite interesting - although also scary.

From what I have seen there is a group of viruses called coronaviruses. There is a novel (new) one of these viruses which originated in a seafood market in Wuhan, China. I am guessing this was the first time the virus had spread from animals to humans (this is called a zoonotic disease). The coronavirus family of viruses include the common cold virus along with SARS which had a epidemic in 2002.

Those that are infected showcased pneumonia-like symptoms and most people only have mild symptoms - the ones we hear about in the news are those who are having severe responses. For the most part those that have these severe responses have certain comorbidities so they are already not in great health.

Currently, there is no anti-viral drugs which can fight against this virus which can be concerning, however, the virus doesn't seem to be as lethal as one would assume.

In Australia, I think the first case was in Clayton with someone quarantined in Monash Health 2 days ago. Now there are around 5 cases in Australia.

References:
World Health Organisation - Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
What is the coronavirus? - Guardian News - VIDEO
7NEWS - VIDEO

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Ionic Doc on January 27, 2020, 11:52:39 pm

Quote from: Sine on January 27, 2020, 10:29:41 pm

which originated in a seafood market in Wuhan, China. I am guessing this was the first time the virus had spread from animals to humans (this is called a zoonotic disease).

Yes, the virus was traced back to a 'seafood market'  (pretty much a small zoo/slaughterhouse)

The worst thing is that this isn't the first time a virus has spread from an animal to a human. The coronavirus that caused SARS was also a zoonotic disease and it was traced to the civet cat.
After the SARS outbreak in 2002, China banned the consumption/distribution/slaughtering of civet cats in 2004.

Wanna guess what they found in the 'seafood market'? Civet Cats. . .
Sorta explains the origin/creation of this new virus.

Extra info: The Civet Cat is considered a delicacy in some parts of China which explains why some people still hunted and sold them, disregarding the law. 

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: whys on January 28, 2020, 02:31:27 pm

More info on the novel coronavirus here: https://www.technology.org/2020/01/27/as-mysterious-coronavirus-spreads-an-infectious-disease-expert-explains-what-you-should-know/

The dangerous effect of bushfires: https://www.technology.org/2020/01/24/lethal-discovery-in-soil-affected-by-bushfire/

Something on evolution: https://www.technology.org/2020/01/27/paper-wasps-rapidly-evolved-ability-to-identify-faces/

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Sine on January 29, 2020, 04:02:41 pm

Harmless Cancers Are Being Overdiagnosed, According to New Evidence

Whilst cancer tests and screening can help and has helped so many people detect cancers and get treatment but problems do occur such as false positives or an over-diagnosis of cancer.

Quotes from the article:

Quote

"The problem is that some screening identifies abnormal cells that look like cancer but don't behave like cancer," says physician Paul Glasziou from Bond University.

Quote

"Many people have assumed that additional screening is the best thing for population health, but in fact it may not be. You don't test a population to health," said the investigator Gilbert Welch from Brigham Women's Hospital at the time.

Lab-Grown Heart Muscles Have Been Transplanted Into a Human For The First Time

Quote from the article:

Quote

Rather than replacing their patient's entire heart with a new organ, these researchers placed degradable sheets containing heart muscle cells onto the heart's damaged areas - and if the procedure has the desired effect, it could eventually eliminate the need for some entire heart transplants.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: ArtyDreams on January 30, 2020, 09:34:57 pm

Interesting articles on the Coronavirus  :)

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-coronavirus-outbreak-your-most-pressing-questions-answered

More specifically about a vaccination:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/health/coronavirus-vaccine.html

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: whys on February 01, 2020, 07:02:32 pm

The WHO has declared n-CoV as a global health emergency. As my biology teacher says, it is important to be alert, but not alarmed. The Doherty Institue based in Melbourne has successfully created a copy of the coronavirus (as China has refused to send it) and is sending it to other research centres around the world so that diagnosis, treatment and a cure/vaccine can be determined. As this virus has never been detected in humans, not much is known about it and it's mode of transmission other than the fact that it is zoonotic. Common symptoms include breathing issues, fever, cough, and more serious symptoms are pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death. The death toll is at 213 as far as we know, and over 9,000 have been infected. As a global citizen, it is important to be aware of what is occurring regarding this virus internationally. You can find more up-to-date info on the coronavirus here and the spread of this virus here. You can find the CDC's situation summary here. Stay informed!

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: Erutepa on February 03, 2020, 10:46:55 pm

Some more bio news Incoming!!!

This article highlights the new findings that consumption of food enhances the activity of the immune system, presumably to allow for greater protection against pathogens that might be consumed with the food. The research also finds that this increased activity of the immune system will occur at times when the body expects/anticipates consumption of food, highlighting the importance of regular eating patters in maximising immune activity at the time of eating.

This article summarises a new aproach being made in the efforts to support honey bee populations. Researches have genetically modified bacteria of the bee's microbiome such that these bacteria produce RNA strands complimentary to RNAs cruicial to the functioning of various pathogens (the conplimentary RNA will bind to these integral pathogen RNA and inhibit its function). These genetically modified bacteria are then re-introduced to the microbiome of the bee's where they were shown to continuously produce these complimentatary RNAs and inhibit the activity of the pathogens within lab tests. While this aproach looks promising, it is highlighted that this method still needs to be investigated within operating hives before its efficacy in boosting bee numbers can be characterised.

These days bacteria within out microbiomes are increasinly being understood as cruical in maintaing various aspects of health, however this article here highlights another potentially important addition to our microbiome: the algae Chlamydomonas. This unicellular eukaryote apears to help various aspects of gasrointestinal health such as diarrhea, gas and bloating.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: K.Smithy on February 10, 2020, 06:55:28 pm

Woop woop woop! Some more interesting news in the world of biology!!! ;D

Allergic to cats? Well, this article may tell you why

They look cute, and they look cuddly (actually... maybe not...) - but don't get too close, as researchers have recently discovered that the Pangolin may potentially be one of the reasons the coronavirus spread to humans...

Researchers have also recently discovered that not so cute, and not so cuddly faeces may also cause the spread of coronavirus...

Not a fan of plasma derived antivenin? Well, science has had a breakthrough - here's the article for you!

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: whys on February 11, 2020, 08:18:13 pm

Some fresh news for you!

Cancer research - helped by your dog Fido!

This is an interesting read! Biological advances to do with being transgender, and why one feels the need to change genders.

More cancer research, this time into the causes.

Why bat viruses are so deadly to us weak humans (this was super interesting!)

How mammals pause their pregnancies - embryonic diapause.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: caffinatedloz on February 13, 2020, 09:27:32 am

Two names for the new coronavirus create confusion. This relates to some other new articles this week looking at the way that stigma about the coronavirus has lead to ugly bigotry and ignorance directed to many Asian people worldwide, like the Malaysian woman in Perth kicked out of her apartment.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: caffinatedloz on February 16, 2020, 09:18:38 pm

More news about the coronavirus. I found this article particularly interesting as it compares coronavirus to other major outbreaks. I think that this (to an extent) echos a lot of what Doctor Mike (the youtuber) has been saying in his videos about keeping things in perspective.

Title: Re: Recent Bio News!
Post by: AngelWings on February 23, 2020, 05:10:26 pm

A new week awaits... and more recent biological news for you! This time they're primarily press releases and briefings, except the last one (which is a direct link to a scientific article), but articles should be linked within them.

Dog domestication might have been as early as 28,500 years ago - Science Alert

Scientists Find a Wild Salamander That Hasn't Moved From Its Spot For 7 Years - Science Alert

COVID-19 predictions by scientists - when it'll peak and when it'll slow - Nature Briefing

An Antarctic Glacier has 'warm water coming from all directions' and could raise sea levels around half a metre globally if it collapses - Nature Briefing

Scientists say they’ve cracked the mystery of why whales migrate—and it’s all about healthy skin - Science

High-altitude genes could turn Himalayan wolves into a new species - Science

A Metabolic Pathway for Activation of Dietary Glucosinolates by a Human Gut Symbiont - Cell