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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 9, 2021 at 8:11am

The direct observation of the Pauli principle
The Pauli exclusion principle is a law of quantum mechanics introduced by Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli, which offers valuable insight about the structure of matter. More specifically, the Pauli principle states that two or more identical fermions cannot simultaneously occupy the same quantum state inside a quantum system.
Researchers at Heidelberg University's Physics Institute have recently observed this principle directly in a continuous system comprised of up to six particles. Their experiment, outlined in a paper published in Physical Review Letters, could pave the way towards a better understanding of strongly interacting systems comprised of fermions.
Observation of Pauli crystals. Physical Review Letters(2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.020401.
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-pauli-principle.html?utm_source=nwlet...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 8, 2021 at 11:08am

Cyanobacteria could revolutionize the plastic industry

Cyanobacteria produce plastic naturally as a by-product of photosynthesis—and they do it in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Researchers have now succeeded for the first time in modifying the bacteria's metabolism to produce this natural plastic in quantities enabling it to be used industrially. This new plastic could come to compete with environmentally harmful petroleum-based plastics.

On the one hand, petroleum based plastic can be used in a variety of ways and is inexpensive, for example as packaging for food. On the other hand, it is the cause of increasing environmental problems. More and more plastic waste ends up in the natural environment, where it pollutes the oceans or enters the food chain in the form of microplastics. Furthermore, plastic is mainly made from petroleum, which releases additional CO₂ into the atmosphere when it is burned.

A solution to these problems may lie in a strain of cyanobacteria with surprising properties. Cyanobacteria of the genus Synechocystis produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a natural form of plastic. PHB can be used in a similar way to the plastic polypropylene but is rapidly degradable in the environment, as well as pollutant-free. However, the amount produced by these bacteria is usually very small. Researchers now succeeded in identifying a control system in the bacteria that limits the intracellular flow of fixed carbon towards PHB. After removing the corresponding regulator and implementing several further genetic changes, the amount of PHB produced by the bacteria increased enormously and eventually accounted for more than 80 percent of the cell's total mass. So they have created veritable plastic bacteria.

Since the blue-green bacteria only need water, CO₂ and sunlight, the researchers think they are ideal candidates for climate-friendly and sustainable production. Once this is established in industry, the entire production of plastics could be revolutionized. The long-term goal is to optimize the use of the bacteria and to increase it to the point where large-scale use becomes possible.

Tim Orthwein et al. The novel PII-interactor PirC identifies phosphoglycerate mutase as key control point of carbon storage metabolism in cyanobacteria, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019988118

Moritz Koch et al. Maximizing PHB content in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: a new metabolic engineering strategy based on the regulator PirC, Microbial Cell Factories (2020). DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01491-1

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-cyanobacteria-revolutionize-plastic-i...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2021 at 9:51am

Origami-inspired medical patch for sealing internal injuries

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2021 at 1:04pm

Got a sweet tooth? Your gut bacteria are asking for some sugar

The gut microbiome and the brain communicate on a desire for glucose (in mice)

found that the gut-brain axis (the connection between bacteria in your gut and your brain), is essential in the sugar preference of mice. The scientists directly injected either glucose or an artificial sweetener to the guts of mice, and saw an activation of different regions of the brain when glucose was present, but not with the artificial sweetener. 

Next, they genetically silenced that specific brain region, which completely took away the mice’s preference for sugar. They were also able to modify that region to induce the mice to enjoy new flavors.

One of the key things in the study is that all of the action is happening away from the tongue. This shows that there are circuits inducing our love for sugar, beyond our love for sweet tastes. This also helps explain why artificial sweeteners have not changed our consumption of sugar, since they fail to activate this new gut-brain circuit. Although we need to verify how this translates to humans, this new circuit offers new exciting insights.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2199-7

https://massivesci.com/notes/gut-brain-axis-sugar-microbiome/?utm_s...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2021 at 1:00pm

Ants swallow their own acidic venom to filter their gut microbiome

Spitting formic acid isn’t just a defense mechanism, it’s also a disinfectant

A new study published in the journal eLife showed that some ants might be using a formic acid-laced venom to filter out harmful bacteria from food, helping them control which bacteria reach their guts. Formicine ants, named for the formic acid in their venom, use the substance to disinfect their food. In doing so, they also seem to allow acid-tolerant bacteria to pass through to their guts.

https://elifesciences.org/articles/60287

https://massivesci.com/articles/carpenter-ant-microbiome-formic-aci...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2021 at 12:46pm

A new study shows that removing small genetic parts of our genomes called microRNAs from triple negative breast cancer cells can reverse its spread.

The study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, also identified that microRNAs could be targeted for early detection and treatment of triple negative breast cancer.

microRNAs (miRs) are small genetic materials that play important roles in cellular signaling and can have a major impact on how cancer progresses and spreads, known as metastasis.

This research study identified that the amount of a major cancer related microRNA, miR-21, is increased in triple negative breast cancer and is also linked to metastasis.

The researchers then used a genome editing method (CRISPR/Cas9) to remove the miR-21 out of the cancer cells and found that the metastatic features of the cells were reversed. In addition, these gene-edited cells released fewer extracellular vesicles, which are small lipid blobs released from cells and play important roles in cancer spread.

The team also found that less of the harmful miR-21 was carried inside the vesicles of the gene edited cells, and this may play a major role in cancer spread as these vesicles carry important disease related molecules to neighboring cells.

Elif Damla Arisan et al. MiR-21 is Required for the Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041557

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-micrornas-triple-negative-br...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2021 at 12:42pm

Study: 'Hidden' genes could be key in development of new antibiotics

A study from the Center for Phage Technology, part of Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, shows how the "hidden" genes in bacteriophages—types of viruses that infect and destroy bacteria—may be key to the development of a new class of antibiotics for human health.

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Research establishes a new method to predict individual risk of cogn...

The early prognosis of high-risk older adults for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), using noninvasive and sensitive neuromarkers, is key for early prevention of Alzheimer's disease. A recent study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, by researchers at the University of Kentucky establishes what they believe is a new way to predict the risk years before a clinical diagnosis. Their work shows that direct measures of brain signatures during mental activity are more sensitive and accurate predictors of memory decline than current standard behavioral testing.

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Removing microRNAs from triple-negative breast cancer cells can rev...

A new study led by the University of Westminster shows that removing small genetic parts of our genomes called microRNAs from triple negative breast cancer cells can reverse its spread.

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Phys.Org Vibrating nanodroplets may invade a tumor Phys.Org Researchers of the University of Twente now demonstrate a new phenomenon triggering droplet vaporization: It happens at the exact acoustic resonance frequency and causes fast and efficient lowering of the pressure inside the droplet, until below the ...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2021 at 12:22pm

Genes for face shape identified

Genes that determine the shape of a person's facial profile have been discovered by a UCL-led research team.

The researchers identified 32 gene regions that influenced facial features such as nose, lip, jaw, and brow shape, nine of which were entirely new discoveries while the others validated genes with prior limited evidence.

The analysis of data from more than 6,000 volunteers across Latin America was published today in Science Advances.

"A GWAS in Latin Americans identifies novel face shape loci, implicating VPS13B and a Denisovan introgressed region in facial variation" Science Advances (2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc6160

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2021 at 12:19pm

CRISPR editing of mitochondria: Promising new biotech?

Although the CRISPR/Cas9 system has seen widespread application in editing the nuclear genome, using it to edit the mitochondrial genome has been problematic. The main hurdles have been a lack of suitable editing sites in the small mtDNA, and the traditional difficulty of importing the guide RNA into the mitochondrial matrix where nucleoids can be accessed.

Two recently published papers suggest that significant progress is being made on both fronts. The first paper, published in the journal SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences, used CRISPR techniques to induce insertion/deletion (InDel) events at several mtDNA microhomologous regions. These InDel events were triggered specifically by double-strand break (DSB) lesions. The authors found that InDel mutagenesis was significantly improved by sgRNA multiplexing and a DSB repair inhibitor called iniparib, suggesting a rewiring DSB repair mechanisms to manipulate mtDNA. In the second paper, published in the journal Trends in Molecular Medicine, the researchers give a global overview of recent advances in different forms of nuclear and mitochondrial genome editing.

Bang Wang et al. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis at microhomologous regions of human mitochondrial genome, Science China Life Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1819-8

Jiameng Dan et al. Expanding the Toolbox and Targets for Gene Editing, Trends in Molecular Medicine (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.12.005

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-crispr-mitochondria-biotech.html?utm_...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 5, 2021 at 10:31am

Science can be magic!

https://twitter.com/PhysicsVldeo/status/1357298542692376577?s=20

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https://twitter.com/WElRDPHYSICS/status/1357294888488849409?s=20

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