Category Biology/Biotechnology

Do you have a sweet tooth but need to keep a wary eye on your weight and blood sugar level? Then a new cocktail consisting of lime, stevia and β-glucans may be the answer to your prayers. In a study at Aarhus University the effect on the sensory experience of adding these 3 ingredients to juice was investigated. This trinity of ingredients means it is possible to make a tasty fruit beverage that is both low in sugar and high in fiber.

Fruit juice contains beneficial vitamins but often has high sugar and low fiber contents. The challenge is to increase the nutritional value of the juice without spoiling the taste...

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New research from Weill Cornell Medicine can help mitigate stroke – the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the study mice received a combination of antibiotics. 2 weeks later, ischemic stroke was induced in them. Mice treated with antibiotics experienced a stroke that was about 60% smaller than rodents that did not receive the medication. The microbial environment in the gut directed the immune cells there to protect the brain from the stroke’s full force.

Modifying the microbiotic makeup of the gut can become an innovative method to preven...

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Chemists have identified the complex chemical structure of the protein that stacks together to form fibrils in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. Thus researchers can identify specific targets for diagnosis and treatment. In Parkinson’s, the protein alpha-synuclein forms long fibrils that disrupt brain activity. This is similar to the beta-amyloid fibrils that form in Alzheimer’s disease patients. However, while the beta-amyloid structure is known, the alpha-synuclein structure has eluded researchers as a result of its complexity, its insolubility and the difficulty of characterizing one protein within a fibril.

“This is the first structure of the full-length fibril protein, which is now well established to be important for the patho...

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The first scientific Roadmap for European Astrobiology was published on 21 March 2016. This strategic landmark for European astrobiology was produced through the European Commission-funded AstRoMap project (2013-2015). In putting this research roadmap document together, the 19 authors relied on the outcome and findings of the AstRoMap project as well as on wide community consultation and four disciplinary workshops organised between 2013 and 2014. The AstRoMap European Astrobiology Roadmap considers astrobiology in a wide context: it is understood as the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the context of cosmic evolution; this includes habitability in the Solar System and beyond...

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