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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 9, 2021 at 9:14am

Plate tectonic evolution from 1 Billion years ago to the present.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 9, 2021 at 9:09am

'Magnetic graphene' forms a new kind of magnetism

Researchers have identified a new form of magnetism in so-called magnetic graphene, which could point the way toward understanding superconductivity in this unusual type of material.

They were able to control the conductivity and magnetism of iron thiophosphate (FePS₃), a two-dimensional material which undergoes a transition from an insulator to a metal when compressed. This class of magnetic materials offers new routes to understanding the physics of new magnetic states and superconductivity.

Using new high-pressure techniques, the researchers have shown what happens to magnetic graphene during the transition from insulator to conductor and into its unconventional metallic state, realized only under ultra-high pressure conditions. When the material becomes metallic, it remains magnetic, which is contrary to previous results and provides clues as to how the electrical conduction in the metallic phase works. The newly discovered high-pressure magnetic phase likely forms a precursor to superconductivity so understanding its mechanisms is vital.

Their results, published in the journal Physical Review X, also suggest a way that new materials could be engineered to have combined conduction and magnetic properties, which could be useful in the development of new technologies such as spintronics, which could transform the way in which computers process information.

Matthew J. Coak et al. 'Emergent Magnetic Phases in Pressure-Tuned van der Waals Antiferromagnet FePS₃.' Physical Review X (2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.11.011024

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-magnetic-graphene-kind-magnetism.html...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 9, 2021 at 8:59am

How rocks rusted on Earth and turned red

How did rocks rust on Earth and turn red in some areas? A study has shed new light on the important phenomenon and will help address questions about the Late Triassic climate more than 200 million years ago, when greenhouse gas levels were high enough to be a model for what our planet may be like in the future.

All of the red color we see in rocks in some parts of the globe is due to the natural mineral hematite. As far as we know, there are only a few places where this red hematite phenomenon is very widespread: one being the geologic 'red beds' on Earth and another is the surface of Mars. this new study takes a significant step forward toward understanding how long it takes for redness to form, the chemical reactions involved and the role hematite plays.

The hematite is indeed old and probably resulted from the interactions between the ancient soils and climate change.

Christopher J. Lepre el al., "Hematite reconstruction of Late Triassic hydroclimate over the Colorado Plateau," PNAS (2021). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2004343118

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-rusted-earth-red.html?utm_source=nwle...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 9, 2021 at 8:25am

Uncovering how some corals resist bleaching
Coral reefs are beautiful and diverse ecosystems that power the economies of many coastal communities. They're also facing threats that are driving their decline, including the planet's warming waters. This threat hit extreme levels in 2015, when high temperatures were turning corals white around the globe.
Hidden in the aftermath of this extreme event, however, were biochemical clues as to why some corals bleached while others were resistant, information that could help reefs better weather warming waters in the future. These clues have now been uncovered by researchers.
The researchers discovered chemical signatures in the corals' biology, or biomarkers, that are present in organisms that were most resistant to the bleaching. This previously hidden insight could help researchers and conservationists better restore and protect reefs around the world.

Usually, we think of biomarkers as signatures of disease, but this could be a signature of health. This could help us restore reefs with the most resistant stock.Corals are symbiotic communities where coral animal cells build homes for algae that provide them energy and create their colors. When corals bleach, however, the algae are lost and leave behind skeletons that are susceptible to disease and death.This symbiosis also plays a role in a coral's resistance and resilience to bleaching.
Neighboring corals could behave completely differently in response to high temperatures. One coral could bleach completely while its neighbor maintained a healthy golden hue.
Researchers now thoroughly analyzed the biochemicals of corals collected from this biological library using a method called metabolomics. The corals are completely different in their chemistry, but you can't tell until you run the mass spec and they did just that now.
The team found that corals that were resistant to bleaching and those that were susceptible hosted two different communities of algae. The distinguishing feature between these algal populations was found in their cells, in compounds known as lipids.
The researchers' metabolomic analysis detected two different lipid formulations. Bleaching-resistant corals featured algae that have what are known as saturated lipids. Susceptible corals had more unsaturated lipids.This knowledge can be used to protect corals in the future. Conservation biology has some of the more successful stories in modern scientific history
Metabolomic signatures of coral bleaching history, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01388-7 , www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-01388-7
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-uncovering-corals-resist.html?utm_sou...

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...

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