Category Biology/Biotechnology

As inevitable fellow travellers on the bodies of astronauts, spaceships, or equipment, terrestrial microorganisms will undoubtedly come into contact with extraterrestrial environments. Researchers from the Radboudumc describe in an article in Astrobiology that bacteria can survive on an ‘extraterrestrial diet’, which affected their pathogenic potential.

No matter how well astronauts and material are decontaminated, co-travelling microorganisms into space cannot be prevented. Given the enormous adaptability potential of bacteria, it is conceivable that they will sometimes survive space travel and be able to settle in an extraterrestrial environment.

For this study, four non-fastidious environment-derived bacterial species with pathogenic features were selected, including Klebsiel...

The normal functioning of our hearts is maintained by our body’s control center—the brain—via an intricate network of nerves. When this communication is disrupted, it results in heart disease, including heart attacks, sudden cardiac death and problems in blood supply. As an added layer of safety, the heart has its own ‘little brain’, called the intracardiac nervous system (ICN) to monitor and correct any local disturbances in communication. The ICN is essential in supporting heart health and can even protect cardiac muscle during a heart attack...

In a new study, researchers have discovered how the protein PP2A can inhibit tumor growth in mice. The protein turns off an enzyme that stimulates cell growth, thus inhibiting the development of cancer.

Proteins are found throughout our cells and regulate a lot of biological processes that are important forour survival. But some of them also regulate processes that can make us sick. Now, an international research team, with researchers from the University of Copenhagen at the forefront, has achieved a much better understanding of one such protein.

In a new study, the researchers discovered how the protei...

Simpler test that can be done in doctor’s office offers results in 30 minutes. An improved urine-testing system for people suffering from kidney stones inspired by nature and proposed by researchers from Penn State and Stanford University may enable patients to receive results within 30 minutes instead of the current turnaround time of a week or more.

Kidney stones occur due to buildup of certain salts and minerals that form crystals, which in turn stick together and enlarge to form a hard mass in the kidneys...