All Asia & Oceania articles – Page 2
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NewsWeaning, more than a change of food: It shapes a life-long, healthy gut
According to a team of researchers, weaning or switching from milk to solid food in early life doesn’t just change what babies eat, it helps reprogram the gut’s immune defenses to mount faster and stronger responses that can last into adulthood.
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NewsBiochar’s climate benefits may reverse over time in acidic soils, new study finds
A study reveals that biochar can both decrease and increase emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, depending on how long it has been in the soil. The findings highlight the importance of considering long-term impacts when evaluating climate solutions.
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NewsNovel biosensing platform enables fingertip blood-based micro-volume t-cell immune monitoring
A new platform, known as Tip Optofluidic Immunoassay Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (TOI-IGRA), could revolutionize how people monitor their immune health. The platform allows for the precise quantification of pathogen-specific T-cell responses using a mere 15-25 μL of fingertip blood.
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NewsLong-term biochar use reshapes soil carbon storage through microbial pathways
A new long-term study reveals that biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from crop residues, can significantly enhance soil carbon storage, but its effectiveness depends strongly on land use and soil type.
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NewsEngineered bacteria deliver cancer drug directly inside tumors in mice
New research suggests that Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) may be engineered with anticancer agents to treat cancerous tumors in mice. Researchers used EcN as a base for synthesizing Romidepsin (FK228), an FDA-approved drug with anti-tumor agents.
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NewsWhen waste becomes fertilizer: Can sludge-derived liquids reshape aquatic life in farmlands?
Hydrothermal carbonization has been proposed as a soil amendment to reduce synthetic fertilizer inputs and enhance crop productivity. Research finds it reshapes community assembly, trophic interactions, and functional expression in periphyton, with network integrity emerging as the primary driver of ecosystem functioning.
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NewsFreshwater alga captures far-red light for photosynthesis by rearranging ordinary chlorophyll
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy source by arranging ordinary chlorophyll in an extraordinary way.
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NewsPenicillin–streptomycin influences macrophage mechanical properties and microenvironment mechano-sensation
A foundational finding in mechanobiology reveals that penicillin-streptomycin (pen-strep), the antibiotic mixture universally added to mammalian cell culture media, is not a biologically inert antimicrobial agent.
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NewsStill standing but mostly dead: Recovery of dying coral reef in Moorea stalls
In 2019, a marine heat wave struck a coral reef on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, killing much of the coral and the beneficial algae that colonized it. A long-term study of the area is challenging scientists’ understanding of the cycles of destruction and repair that can occur on a coral reef.
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NewsScientists design metal-enhanced biochar to boost clean hydrogen production from agricultural waste
A new study reports that specially engineered biochar made from agricultural waste could significantly increase biohydrogen production by improving the way microbes transfer electrons during fermentation.
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NewsResearchers uncover how bacteria suppress immune defences in stubborn wound infections
A common bacterium can suppress the body’s early warning system in wounds, causing infections to persist and create an environment that allows other bacteria to take hold. Enterococcus faecalis releases large amounts of lactic acid in the wound, which lowers pH, weakens immune cells and prevents them from fighting an infection.
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NewsSeaweed has the potential to create a shield to block norovirus infection
Seaweed has certain properties which have the ability to create a shield within the human body, effectively blocking norovirus infection. Fucoidan, from brown seaweed, showed the strongest and most consistent blocking activity against two major norovirus strains, GII.4 and GII.17.
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NewsBuilding protection against infectious diseases with nanostructured vaccines
Researchers have leveraged a recently developed highly versatile DNA origami nanotechnology that is both vaccine and adjuvant, named DoriVac, as an alternative to current vaccine platforms.
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NewsStudy investigates how microbes use ancient carbon
Researchers investigated a hydrothermal vent system at a depth of about ten meters off the coast of Kueishantao island in Taiwan. They tracked the path of this carbon in the surrounding sea and its uptake by microorganisms and other living things.
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NewsTiny vesicles, big risk: Environmental sweeteners trigger antibiotic resistance transfer
A new study reveals that mixtures of artificial sweeteners can stimulate soil bacteria to release microscopic extracellular vesicles that carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
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NewsStudy writes the catalog of plasma membrane repair proteins
A new study identifies 80 proteins involved in plasma membrane repair in budding yeast, laying the foundation for membrane repair studies and future therapeutic applications.
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NewsStudy highlights gut–brain axis in pituitary tumor–related cognitive decline
Researchers conducted a prospective cross-sectional study to evaluate cognitive function in patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors and examine associations among tumor lineage, hormonal abnormalities, and gut microbiota composition.
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NewsShifting from biotic to abiotic drivers of urban microbial multifunctionality under drought and rehydration
Scientists conducting microcosm experiments on Zoysia japonica, a common urban turfgrass, simulated four drought intensities and recovery by rehydration. They analyzed alteration in microbial communities and biochemical cycling to pinpoint the drivers of urban microbial multifunctionality.
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NewsGut microbes rewrite the rules of cancer immunotherapy
A review synthesizes growing evidence showing that commensal microbes enhance anti-tumor immunity by producing immune-active metabolites, remodeling the tumor microenvironment, and activating key immune cells such as dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells.
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NewsArtificial feeding platform transforms study of ticks and their diseases
The world’s first lab-based tick feeding system for bush ticks has transformed the study of ticks and how they transmit disease. The novel, host-free technology reduces the need for animal experiments in tick studies, facilitating more ethical, reproducible research.