Biology

Summary from the 404 media newsletter

Key findings

Irene Manton was a pioneer of electron microscopy.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/53510

Many microbes and cells are in deep sleep, waiting for the right moment to activate.

cross-posted from: rss.ponder.cat/post/30414

For some fish, being born close to a new moon increases the chances they will develop as male, while female offspring are more likely when the moon is full, a new study has found.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/7680

The number of pathogens that could trigger the next pandemic has grown to more than 30, and now includes influenza A virus, dengue virus and monkeypox virus, according to an updated list published by the World Health Organization (WHO) this week. Researchers say that the list of ‘priority pathogens’ will help organizations to decide where to focus their efforts in developing treatments, vaccines and diagnostics.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/2066

Boops boops (/ˈboʊ.ɒps ˈboʊ.ɒps/; from Ancient Greek βόωψ, literally 'ox-eyed'), commonly called the bogue, is a species of seabream native to the eastern Atlantic

Link to patient profile: https://mmrpatients.org/patient/el2401-female-otter-pup-name-tbd/

Such a perfect ending for a paper!

The article is short so I recommend reading it. I started adding the key points below, but ended up including almost the entire article:

New paper from Ikeda et al. on the biogenesis of chitin bristles in the annelid #Platynereis with nice #vEM reconstructions and a chitin synthase knockout.Bristles are formed in a process of biological 3D printing. @biology #microscopy https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48044-3

From this article: https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/04/swimming-and-spinning-aquatic-spiders-use-slick-survival-strategies/

Still time to sign up to our COS Symposium 2024

Beautiful new study by Michael Bok, Macali & Garm on the high-resolution eyes of the enigmatic alciopid annelids, from Ponza island. "Our results show that the eyes of alciopids possess the anatomical, morphological, and physiological properties requisite for high resolution tasks and object vision" https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.055# # #

(sans paywall courtesy of the only reason I have a bluesky account)

For the first time, researchers have analyzed the impact of antibiotic use on the rise of treatment-resistant bacteria over the last 20 years in the UK and Norway. They show that while the increase in drug use has amplified the spread of superbugs, it is not the only driver.

To Hendry, the paradox of stasis was never a paradox at all. The issue, he said, was that biologists assumed that long-term stasis was the result of short-term stability. Throw out that assumption, and the paradox disappears. “The paradox is illusory,” he said. “Evolutionary biologists like to come up with things and call them paradoxes.”

A new study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease, and climate change.

The dark depths of southwestern China’s cave systems are patrolled by pale spiders smaller than a Tic Tac. Like many other cave creatures, these arachnids sport noticeably undeveloped eyes. Some lack eyes altogether.

A study appearing in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving.