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How a protein pair ensures that faulty mRNA is destroyed

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is one of the most important processes in our cells to ensure that no faulty or incomplete proteins are produced. Scientists have now identified a central mechanism behind this control system.

A new 'molecular switch' for inborn immunity identified

Innate immune sensors—known as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)—detect specific molecular components of bacterial or viral intruders. The PRRs forward the signals which results in the production of interferons, which ...

How cells work together: The mathematics behind biological shapes

How do biological cells join forces to form a structure? In her Ph.D. research, Daphne Nesenberend uses mathematics to show how forces and cooperation between cells create structure—and how simulations and experiments can ...

How moss helped solve a grave-robbing mystery

In 2009, a scandal was exposed at a cemetery just outside of Chicago. Workers at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, were accused of exhuming old graves, dumping the remains elsewhere on the cemetery grounds, and reselling ...

Microbial assembly line makes plastic upcycling programmable

By converting plastic waste into a microbe-friendly food source, scientists have built an upcycling pipeline that turns the waste into a variety of useful products. The findings are detailed in the journal Nature Sustainability.

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Cell & Microbiology
One-of-a-kind microscope reveals living cells in unprecedented detail
Evolution
Ctenophore research points to earlier origins of brain-like structures
Cell & Microbiology
Nitrous oxide, a product of fertilizer use, may harm some soil bacteria
Cell & Microbiology
Discovery of natural mechanism behind ferroptosis solves longstanding puzzle in cell biology
Cell & Microbiology
A common CRISPR platform enables comparative studies of multicellularity in social amoebae
Cell & Microbiology
Newfound third cell type enables fully functional hair follicles in the lab
Cell & Microbiology
Self-propelling microbes switch up swimming strategy to optimize light intake
Cell & Microbiology
Tech upgrade reveals even finer transcription detail inside cells
Cell & Microbiology
How flatworms keep their regeneration powers on track
Cell & Microbiology
High-performance cell atlas workflow driven by manifold fitting
Cell & Microbiology
Stale bread and bacteria could power a new era in green chemicals
Cell & Microbiology
Q&A: How can microbiome science solve problems in agriculture?
Cell & Microbiology
Integrating genomics insights with game theory
Cell & Microbiology
How a common fungus outsmarts drugs and our immune system
Cell & Microbiology
Filamentous cyanobacteria exhibit a unique navigation strategy due to their chiral gliding
Cell & Microbiology
How immune cells spot viral RNA fast: LGP2 helps MDA5 respond to short dsRNA
Ecology
Over 70% of global ecosystems remain unsampled for critical underground fungi
Cell & Microbiology
Food safety question: Could nanoplastics nudge Salmonella toward antibiotic resistance?
Evolution
Single-celled organism becomes multicellular via three different pathways
Cell & Microbiology
Mitochondria can reshape lipid storage in cells by repurposing a protein-insertion complex

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Plants & Animals
Key protein SYFO2 enables 'self-fertilization' of leguminous plants
Evolution
Scientists trace crop viruses back to the last Ice Age
Optics & Photonics
Ultrafast light pulses make molecules rotate on quantum materials
Astrobiology
Nearby red dwarf star hosts at least four planets—with one in the habitable zone
Earth Sciences
Microbes hitchhiking on marine snow could limit how deep carbon sinks
Ecology
Baltic herring fishing rules may need an update after new genetic mapping
Earth Sciences
How a shift in the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of a major ocean current system
Earth Sciences
Ocean carbon removal looks promising, but nutrient cycling could curb long-term gains
Environment
Antarctic sea ice rebounds in 2026, nearing average after four years
Plants & Animals
From carp to crocodilians: Why deliberately introduced freshwater giants may bring hidden risks
Evolution
Recent pandemic viruses jumped to humans without prior adaptation, study finds
Nanophysics
2D topological Kondo insulator observed in a moiré superlattice
Astronomy
Record-energy neutrino may have begun its journey in blazars
Evolution
How changes on the Y chromosome may make species reproductively incompatible
Evolution
'Peculiar' crocodile ancestor started life on four legs before learning to walk on two
Plants & Animals
Camera captures first video of a red fox attacking a wolf pup
Quantum Physics
Strontium optical clock accurate to within 1 second over 30 billion years
Earth Sciences
Ancient hydrothermal carbon fuels microbes and crabs off Taiwan, study reveals
Astronomy
Multi-wavelength observations track bright gamma-ray blazar's three-year cycle
Plants & Animals
A brighter future may not suit everyone: Polar cod face difficulties due to warming

A yeast enzyme helps human cells overcome mitochondrial defects

Nucleotide synthesis—the production of the basic components of DNA and RNA—is essential for cell growth and division. In most animal cells, this process depends closely on properly functioning mitochondria, the organelles ...

Molecular 'knitting machine' for bacterial capsules mapped in 3D

Most bacteria, including many bacterial pathogens, are surrounded by an outer protective layer of sugar molecules, known as a capsule. This primarily protects the bacteria from environmental influences, but also serves as ...