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• High-resolution lab experiments show how cells ‘eat’
• Leveraging space to advance stem cell science and medicine
• Possible chemical leftovers from early Earth sit near the core
• Scientists retool CAR T cells to serve as ‘micropharmacies’ for cancer drugs
• Cancer deaths rose to 10 million worldwide in 2019
• Best time for COVID-19 vaccination during your pregnancy may be now, study finds
• Healthy diet in early pregnancy reduces risk of gestational diabetes
• Substantial weight loss can reduce risk of severe COVID-19 complications, study finds
• Safer carbon capture and storage
• Stopping dementia at the nose with combination of rifampicin and resveratrol
• Smart and sustainable food packaging keeps harmful microbes at bay
• Nits on ancient mummies shed light on South American ancestry
• Study of fully vaccinated patients with cancer who had breakthrough COVID-19 shows 13 percent mortality rate
• How DNA is preserved in archaeological sediments for thousands of years
• Immune response to seasonal coronaviruses may offer protection against COVID-19
• Parkinson’s protein blueprint could help fast-track new treatments
• 'Heavy' hydrogen stabilizes drugs
• Novel semiconductor gives new perspective on anomalous Hall effect
• Nanotube fibers stand strong -- but for how long?

High-resolution lab experiments show how cells ‘eat’ Posted: 30 Dec 2021 10:09 AM PST A new study shows how cell membranes curve to create the 'mouths' that allow the cells to consume things that surround them.

Leveraging space to advance stem cell science and medicine Posted: 30 Dec 2021 10:09 AM PST The secret to producing large batches of stem cells more efficiently may lie in the near-zero gravity conditions of space. Scientists have found that microgravity has the potential to contribute to life-saving advances on Earth by facilitating the rapid mass production of stem cells.

Possible chemical leftovers from early Earth sit near the core Posted: 30 Dec 2021 10:09 AM PST Down near the Earth's core, there are zones where seismic waves slow to a crawl. New research finds that these enigmatic and descriptively-named ultra-low velocity zones are surprisingly layered. Modeling suggests that it's possible some of these zones are leftovers from the processes that shaped the early Earth -- remnants of incomplete mixing like clumps of flour in the bottom of a bowl of batter.

Scientists retool CAR T cells to serve as ‘micropharmacies’ for cancer drugs Posted: 30 Dec 2021 10:09 AM PST Immunotherapies called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells use genetically engineered versions of a patient's own immune cells to fight cancer. These treatments have energized cancer care, especially for people with certain types of blood cancers. Now, scientists have developed new CAR T cells that can do something their predecessors cannot: Make drugs.

Cancer deaths rose to 10 million worldwide in 2019 Posted: 30 Dec 2021 10:09 AM PST Cancer deaths rose to 10 million and new cases jumped to over 23 million globally in 2019, according to a new scientific study.

Best time for COVID-19 vaccination during your pregnancy may be now, study finds Posted: 29 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST COVID-19 vaccination of expectant mothers elicits levels of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 outer 'spike' protein at the time of delivery that don't vary dramatically with the timing of vaccination during pregnancy and thus don't justify delaying vaccination, according to a new study.

Healthy diet in early pregnancy reduces risk of gestational diabetes Posted: 29 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A healthy, comprehensive diet that lowers the body's inflammation reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, reveals a new study.

Substantial weight loss can reduce risk of severe COVID-19 complications, study finds Posted: 29 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A new study shows that among patients with obesity, prior weight loss achieved with bariatric surgery was associated with a 60 percent lower risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 infection.

Safer carbon capture and storage Posted: 29 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have increased significantly over the last 50 years, resulting in higher global temperatures and abrupt changes to Earth's climate. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the new technologies that scientists hope will play an important role in tackling the climate crisis. It involves the capture of CO2 from emissions from industrial processes, or from the burning of fossil fuels in power generation, which is then stored underground in geological formations. CCS will also be key if we want to produce 'clean-burning' hydrogen from hydrocarbon systems.

Stopping dementia at the nose with combination of rifampicin and resveratrol Posted: 29 Dec 2021 05:42 AM PST Researchers have shown in mice models of Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies, that the intranasal administration of rifampicin and resveratrol in combination is safer and improves cognitive function more than rifampicin alone. The research results are expected to lead to the development of safe and effective nasal spray for the prevention of dementia.

Smart and sustainable food packaging keeps harmful microbes at bay Posted: 29 Dec 2021 05:42 AM PST A team of scientists has developed a 'smart' food packaging material that is biodegradable, sustainable and kills microbes that are harmful to humans. It could also extend the shelf-life of fresh fruit by two to three days.

Nits on ancient mummies shed light on South American ancestry Posted: 28 Dec 2021 07:08 PM PST For the first time, scientists have recovered ancient human DNA from the sticky glue head lice use to attach their eggs to their host's hair. The new technique was trialled on mummified remains and the DNA has revealed clues about how the people died and the movements of populations thousands of years ago.

Study of fully vaccinated patients with cancer who had breakthrough COVID-19 shows 13 percent mortality rate Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:43 PM PST Research to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of fully vaccinated patients with cancer who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections indicates they remained at high risk for hospitalization and death.

How DNA is preserved in archaeological sediments for thousands of years Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:43 PM PST The analysis of ancient DNA preserved in sediments is an emerging technology allowing for the detection of the past presence of humans and other animals at archaeological sites. Yet, little is known about how DNA is preserved in sediment for long periods of time. Scientists have now shed light on the matter by isolating DNA from solid blocks of undisturbed sediment that are embedded in plastic resin. The study reveals that ancient human and animal DNA is concentrated in small 'hot spots', particularly in microscopic particles of bone or feces. Micro-sampling of such particles can recover substantial amounts of DNA from ancient humans, such as Neanderthals, and other species and link them to archaeological and ecological records at a microscopic scale.

Immune response to seasonal coronaviruses may offer protection against COVID-19 Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:41 PM PST Researchers have found that individuals with a certain HLA type may be able to mount a killer T cell response to COVID-19, thanks to the T cells responding to a portion of the virus's spike protein that is also present in seasonal coronaviruses that cause the common cold. This work could help explain the different responses between populations, and could potentially be used as a way to develop a new type of vaccine against the disease.

Parkinson’s protein blueprint could help fast-track new treatments Posted: 23 Dec 2021 07:14 AM PST Researchers have solved a decade-long mystery about a critical protein linked to Parkinson's disease that could help to fast-track treatments for the incurable disease. The research has produced a 'live action' view of the protein, called PINK1, in exquisite molecular detail. The discovery explains how the protein is activated in the cell, where it is responsible for initiating the removal and replacement of damaged mitochondria. When the protein is not working correctly, it can starve brain cells of energy, causing them to malfunction and -- in the long term -- die, as happens to dopamine-producing cells in Parkinson's disease. The discovery is the culmination of a project spanning eight years and provides the first detailed blueprint for the discovery and development of therapeutic agents that could help to slow or even stop the progression of Parkinson's disease.

'Heavy' hydrogen stabilizes drugs Posted: 23 Dec 2021 07:14 AM PST Researchers have presented a method that allows the heavier hydrogen 'brother' deuterium to be introduced specifically into many different molecules. The deuterated compounds obtained in this way are more stable against degradation by certain enzymes. Drugs produced using this method can be effective for longer, meaning they have to be taken in lower doses or less frequently.

Novel semiconductor gives new perspective on anomalous Hall effect Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST A large, unconventional anomalous Hall resistance in a new magnetic semiconductor in the absence of large-scale magnetic ordering has been demonstrated, validating a recent theoretical prediction. Their findings provide new insights into the anomalous Hall effect, a quantum phenomenon that has previously been associated with long-range magnetic order.

Nanotube fibers stand strong -- but for how long? Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST A study calculates how cyclic strain and stress affects nanotubes and describes how fibers under cyclic loads can fail over time.

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