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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 22 minutes ago

 Smart tech maps moisture levels, will adjust watering automatically
A  wheat field was equipped with 86 solar-powered Bluetooth soil moisture sensors, enabling precise, real-time mapping of water levels. The system, integrated with a center pivot sprinkler and enhanced by a parabolic antenna, doubled data transmission range to 600 m. This technology allows targeted irrigation, optimizing water use and supporting crop health during drought conditions.

 Samuel Craven et al, Smart Bluetooth Stakes: Deployment of Soil Moisture Sensors with Rotating High-Gain Antenna Receiver on Center Pivot Irrigation Boom in a Commercial Wheat Field, Sensors (2025). DOI: 10.3390/s25175537

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 32 minutes ago

When the engine's manual—the mtDNA—gets damaged, it's not always by a spelling mistake, a mutation.
Sometimes, it's more like a sticky note that gets stuck to the pages, making it hard to read and use. That's what these GSH-DNA adducts are doing.
The researchers linked the accumulation of the sticky lesions to significant changes in mitochondrial function. They observed a decrease in proteins needed for energy production and a simultaneous increase in proteins that help with stress response and mitochondrial repair, suggesting the cell fights back against the damage.

The researchers also used advanced computer simulations to model the effect of the adducts.

They found that the sticky tags can actually make the mtDNA less flexible and more rigid. This might be a way the cell 'marks' damaged DNA for disposal, preventing it from being copied and passed on.

When mtDNA is damaged, it can escape from the mitochondria and trigger immune and inflammatory responses.
The findings hold promise for understanding diseases.

Problems with mitochondria and inflammation linked to damaged mtDNA have been connected to diseases such as neurodegeneration and diabetes.

Yu Hsuan Chen et al, Glutathionylated DNA adducts accumulate in mitochondrial DNA and are regulated by AP endonuclease 1 and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2509312122

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 37 minutes ago

New type of DNA damage discovered in our cells' mitochondria

A previously unknown type of DNA damage in the mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside our cells, could shed light on how our bodies sense and respond to stress. The findings of the UC Riverside-led study are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and have potential implications for a range of mitochondrial dysfunction-associated diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

Mitochondria have their own genetic material, known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is essential for producing the energy that powers our bodies and sending signals within and outside cells. While it has long been known that mtDNA is prone to damage, scientists didn't fully understand the biological processes. The new research identifies a culprit: glutathionylated DNA (GSH-DNA) adducts.

An adduct is a bulky chemical tag formed when a chemical, such as a carcinogen, attaches directly to DNA. If the damage isn't repaired, it can lead to DNA mutations and increase the risk of disease.

The researchers found in their experiments in cultured human cells that these adducts accumulate at levels up to 80 times higher in mtDNA than in the DNA of the cell's nucleus, suggesting that mtDNA is particularly vulnerable to this type of damage.

mtDNA makes up only a small fraction—about 1-5%—of all the DNA in a cell. It is circular in shape, has just 37 genes, and is passed down only from the mother. In contrast, nuclear DNA (nDNA) is linear in shape and inherited from both parents.

mtDNA is more prone to damage than nDNA. Each mitochondrion has many copies of mtDNA, which provides some backup protection. The repair systems for mtDNA are not as strong or efficient as those for nuclear DNA.

Part1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 42 minutes ago

'Trained' bacteriophages expand treatment options for antibiotic-resistant infections

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most pressing challenges to global public health as harmful microbes evolve to evade these medications.

Now researchers  have developed a new method to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria using bacteriophages, or phages, for short—viruses that infect and kill bacteria—as an alternative to traditional antibiotics.

The researchers targeted Klebsiella pneumoniae, a species of bacteria notorious for its ability to resist multiple antibiotics. The dangerous pathogen can cause severe infections in hospital settings, including pneumonia and sepsis.

While phages have been used as a treatment for bacterial infections for over a century, they are extremely specific about which strains of a bacterial species they will attack. This has limited their effectiveness against the most antibiotic-resistant strains.

To overcome this problem, the research team "trained" the phages by allowing them to evolve together with the bacteria in a controlled laboratory setting for 30 days.

This technique, called "experimental evolution," permitted the phages to adapt to bacterial defenses. This resulted in significant improvements to their ability to kill a wide variety of bacterial strains, including multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant K. pneumoniae—strains that pose a significant challenge to modern medicine.

What's more, the evolved phages also demonstrated an enhanced ability to suppress bacterial growth over extended periods of time.

Genetic analysis revealed that the evolved phages acquired mutations to specific genes responsible for recognizing and binding to bacterial cells to initiate the infection process. These changes likely contributed to their improved effectiveness.

The research highlights the potential of phage therapy as a powerful tool to address the global antibiotic resistance crisis.

Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66062-7

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 1 hour ago

Microplastics detected in 100% of donkey feces: Study links plastic pollution to animal deaths and food risks
Microplastics were found in 100% of donkey and cattle fecal samples on Lamu Island, indicating widespread ingestion of plastic waste by livestock. This contamination is linked to animal health issues, including fatal colic, and raises concerns about microplastic transfer to humans through the food chain. The findings highlight urgent risks to animal welfare, food safety, and ecosystem health.

Emily Haddy et al, Ingestion of terrestrial plastic pollution by free-roaming livestock, including working donkeys: an interdisciplinary assessment, Cambridge Prisms: Plastics (2025). DOI: 10.1017/plc.2025.10036

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 1 hour ago

Bacteria 'pills' could detect gut diseases—without the endoscope

Move over, colonoscopies—researchers report in ACS Sensors that they've developed a sensor made of tiny microspheres packed with blood-sensing bacteria that detect markers of gastrointestinal disease. Taken orally, the miniature "pills" also contain magnetic particles that make them easy to collect from stool.

Once excreted from mouse models with colitis, the bacterial sensor detected gastrointestinal bleeding within minutes. The researchers say the bacteria in the sensor could be adapted to detect other gut diseases.

This technology provides a new paradigm for rapid and noninvasive detection of gastrointestinal diseases.

How it works ....

Previously, the researchers developed heme-sensing bacteria that light up in the presence of blood, but the bacterial sensors break down in the digestive system and are hard to collect. In this current study, they encapsulated their heme-detecting bacteria and magnetic particles inside globs of sodium alginate, a thickening agent used in foods.

The process creates tiny hydrogel microsphere sensors that can easily be removed from feces with a magnet after they travel through the body. Initial tests showed that the hydrogel protected the bacteria from simulated digestive fluids but also allowed heme to interact with the bacterial sensor, causing it to glow.

The team administered the microspheres orally to mouse models of colitis, representing disease levels from no activity to severe stages. After the microspheres traveled through the animals' gastrointestinal systems, the researchers retrieved the sensors from feces with a magnet and found:
Microsphere cleanup and signal analysis took about 25 minutes.
As the disease stage progressed, the intensity of the light produced by the sensor increased, which indicated more heme from mouse models with more advanced colitis.
Assessments of healthy mice given the sensor indicated the microspheres were biocompatible and safe.
Although the sensor still needs to be tested in humans, the researchers say that this method of encapsulating bacterial sensors could diagnose gastrointestinal diseases and monitor treatments and disease progression.

 Magnetic Hydrogel: Enhanced Bacterial Biosensor for Speedy Gut Diseases Detection, ACS Sensors (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.5c01813

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 1 hour ago

'Chocolate-flavored' honey created using cocoa bean shells

A group of researchers  developed a product made from native bee honey and cocoa bean shells that can be consumed directly or used as an ingredient in food and cosmetics. The results were published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

The researchers used native bee honey as an edible solvent to extract stimulants such as theobromine and caffeine, which are associated with heart health, from cocoa bean shells. These shells are usually discarded during the production of chocolate and other cocoa derivatives. The ultrasound-assisted extraction process also enriched the honey with phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The researchers who tasted it say that, depending on the ratio of honey to shells, it has a strong chocolate flavor, although they are still planning tests on the product's taste and other sensory properties.

 Felipe Sanchez Bragagnolo et al, Stingless Bee Honeys As Natural and Edible Extraction Solvents: An Intensified Approach to Cocoa Bean Shell Valorization, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04842

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 1 hour ago

Taking prenatal supplements associated with 30% lower risk of autism

Researchers  report that prenatal folic acid and multivitamin supplementation is associated with a roughly 30% lower risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, based on an umbrella review of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Global estimates in the reviewed material place ASD prevalence at up to 1% of children. ASD affects reciprocal social interaction, nonverbal communication, and understanding of social relationships. Co-occurring conditions frequently include epilepsy, depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sleep disturbance, and self-injury.

Previous studies found that both genetic mutations and environmental influences contribute to ASD risk, with prenatal maternal nutrition identified as one modifiable environmental factor. Within that broader category of prenatal maternal nutrition, folic acid and multivitamin supplements are among the most accessible interventions offered to women before and during pregnancy.

Folic acid supports DNA methylation and epigenetic regulation that shape neurodevelopment and supports neural tube formation, processes linked to structural brain development. Multivitamin preparations typically provide vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and other micronutrients that help maintain immune balance, modulate inflammation, and support neurotransmitter synthesis and amino acid metabolism, creating a nutritional context that may favor optimal fetal brain development and potentially lower ASD risk.

Combined analysis in the umbrella review indicated that maternal prenatal folic acid and/or multivitamin supplementation was associated with a 30% reduced risk of ASD in offspring (pooled relative risk of 0.70 with 95% CI 0.62–0.78 vs. no supplementation.)

Subgroup analysis by supplement type found that prenatal multivitamin supplementation was associated with a 34% reduction in ASD risk. Folic acid supplementation alone was associated with a 30% reduction in ASD risk.

Authors conclude that maternal prenatal folic acid or multivitamin supplementation is associated with reduced ASD risk in children and that current evidence provides highly suggestive support for a protective effect.

Researchers described this pattern as strong enough to support incorporating folic acid and multivitamin supplementation into routines beginning before conception and continuing through early pregnancy.

Biruk Beletew Abate et al, The association between maternal prenatal folic acid and multivitamin supplementation and autism spectrum disorders in offspring: An umbrella review, PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0334852

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Thunderstorm clouds contain ice crystals and larger ice pellets. When these collide, they exchange electrical charges. Eventually, the cloud becomes so charged that lightning forms.
One theory suggests that the first little spark of a lightning bolt could be initiated at the charged ice crystals themselves.
Alternative theories suggest cosmic rays initiate the process as the charged particles they create accelerate from pre-existing electric fields.
While ice crystals in clouds are much larger than the model ones, the ISTA scientists are now aiming to decode these microscale interactions to better understand the big picture.

Using optical tweezers to simultaneously trap, charge and measure the charge of a microparticle in air, Physical Review Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1103/5xd9-4tjj

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Scientist captures tiny particles for clues on what sparks lightning

Using lasers as tweezers to understand cloud electrification might sound like science fiction, but at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) it is a reality. By trapping and charging micron-sized particles with lasers, researchers can now observe their charging and discharging dynamics over time.

This method, published in Physical Review Letters, could provide key insights into what sparks lightning.

Aerosols are liquid or solid particles that float in the air. They are all around us. Some are large and visible, such as pollen in spring, while others, such as viruses that spread during flu season, cannot be detected by the naked eye. Some we can even taste, like the airborne salt crystals we breathe in at the seaside.

In the new work researchers focused on ice crystals within clouds. The  scientists used model aerosols—tiny, transparent silica particles—to explore how these ice crystals accumulate and interact with electrical charge.

They developed a way to catch, hold, and electrically charge a single silica particle using two laser beams. This approach holds potential for application in different areas, including demystifying how clouds become electrified and what sparks lightning.

The scientists discovered that lasers charge the particle through a "two-photon process."

Typically, aerosol particles are close to neutrally charged, with electrons (negatively charged entities) swirling around in every atom of the particle.

The laser beams consist of photons (particles of light traveling at the speed of light), and when two of these photons are absorbed simultaneously, they can "kick out" one electron from the particle. In this way, the particle gains one elemental positive charge. Step by step, it becomes increasingly positively charged.

The researchers can now precisely observe the evolution of one aerosol particle as it charges up from neutral to highly charged and adjust the laser power to control the rate.

This observation also reveals that, as the particle becomes positively charged, it begins to discharge, meaning that it occasionally releases charge in spontaneous bursts.

Way above our heads, something similar might also be happening in clouds.

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