التكنولوجيا الحيوية الزراعية

To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs -- also known as gene editing --- are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks.

Researchers find high-fat diets set off metabolic dysfunction in cells, leading to weight gain, but these effects can be reversed by treatment with an antioxidant.

A new study proves that a type of genetic element called 'introners' are the mechanism by which many introns spread within and between species, also providing evidence of eight instances in which introners have transferred between unrelated species in a process called 'horizontal gene transfer,' the first proven examples of this phenomenon.

Newly discovered weapons of bacterial self-defense take different approaches to achieving the same goal: preventing a virus from spreading through the bacterial population.

Scientists are using artificial intelligence to determine which genes collectively govern nitrogen use efficiency in plants such as corn, with the goal of helping farmers improve their crop yields and minimize the cost of nitrogen fertilizers.

A recent study marks the first reported instance of generative AI designing synthetic molecules that can successfully control gene expression in healthy mammalian cells. As a proof-of-concept, the authors of the study asked the AI to design synthetic fragments which activate a gene coding for a fluorescent protein in some cells while leaving gene expression patterns unaltered. They created the fragments from scratch and dropped them into mouse blood cells, where the sequence fused with the genome at random locations. The experiments worked exactly as predicted and pave the way for new strategies to give instructions to a cell and guide how they develop and behave with unprecedented accuracy.

Scientists inserted DNA-encoding methylmercury detoxification enzymes into the genome of an abundant human gut bacterium. The engineered bacterium detoxified methylmercury in the gut of mice and dramatically reduced the amount that reached other tissues, such as the brain and liver. Mice given an oral probiotic containing the engineered microbe and fed a diet high in bluefin tuna had much lower methylmercury levels than expected, suggesting that a probiotic might eventually make it safer for people to consume fish. Researchers performed the tests using pregnant mice and found lower levels of methylmercury in both maternal and fetal tissues, and lower signs of mercury toxicity in the fetal brain.

Researchers have developed silk iron microparticles (SIMPs) -- magnetic, biodegradable carriers designed to deliver therapies directly to disease sites like aneurysms or tumors. The particles are created by chemically bonding iron oxide nanoparticles to regenerated silk fibroin using glutathione, enhancing their magnetic responsiveness while maintaining biocompatibility. These nanoscale carriers, roughly one-hundred-thousandth the width of a human hair, can potentially be guided externally to precise locations in the body. The platform enables localized delivery of therapeutic agents such as extracellular vesicles, regenerative factors, or drugs, offering a minimally invasive approach to treating conditions like abdominal aortic aneurysms and expanding the potential for targeted therapies in regenerative medicine.

A team was able to edit the DNA of Lactobacillus strains directly without a template from other organisms. This technique is indistinguishable from natural variation and enabled the researchers to create a strain that doesn't produce diabetes-aggravating chemicals.

New research shows Glycolysis -- the process of converting sugar into energy -- plays a key role in early development. More than fuel, Glycolysis doesn't just power cells -- it helps steer them toward specific tissue types at critical moments in development.

A team discovers a new family of enzymes capable of inducing targeted cuts in single-stranded DNA A few years ago, the advent of technology known as CRISPR was a major breakthrough in the scientific world. Developed from a derivative of the immune system of bacteria, CRISPR enables double strands of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to be cut. This makes it possible to specifically modify a targeted gene in plant, animal and human cells. Ultimately, CRISPR became a preferred method in the search for treatments for acquired or hereditary diseases.

Scientists have developed an innovative system -- called MetaFlowTrain -- that allows the study of metabolic exchange and interactions within microbial communities under different environmental conditions.

Research into transcription factors deepen understanding of the 'language' of the genome, offering insights into human development.

Could it be that one of only three known markers directly targeting the DNA does not exist outside the realm of microbes? Now, researchers have demonstrated that this marker -- N4-methylcytosine (4mC) -- is essential for sperm development and maturation in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, a key organism in plant evolution.

A research team has developed an advanced delivery system that transports gene-editing tools based on the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system into living cells with significantly greater efficiency than before. Their technology, ENVLPE, uses engineered non-infectious virus-like particles to precisely correct defective genes -- demonstrated successfully in living mouse models that are blind due to a mutation. This system also holds promise for advancing cancer therapy by enabling precise genetic manipulation of engineered immune cells making them more universally compatible and thus more accessible for a larger group of cancer patients.

An AI model trained on large amounts of genetic data can predict whether bacteria will become antibiotic-resistant. The new study shows that antibiotic resistance is more easily transmitted between genetically similar bacteria and mainly occurs in wastewater treatment plants and inside the human body.

In silico analysis of five industrial microorganisms identifies optimal strains and metabolic engineering strategies for producing 235 valuable chemicals.

Scientists say they have shed new light on how bacteria protect themselves from certain phage invaders -- by seizing genetic material from weakened, dormant phages and using it to 'vaccinate' themselves to elicit an immune response.

Advances in the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 over the past 15 years have yielded important new insights into the roles that specific genes play in many diseases. But to date this technology -- which allows scientists to use a 'guide' RNA to modify DNA sequences and evaluate the effects -- is able to target, delete, replace, or modify only single gene sequences with a single guide RNA and has limited ability to assess multiple genetic changes simultaneously. Now, however, scientists have developed a series of sophisticated mouse models using CRISPR ('clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats') technology that allows them to simultaneously assess genetic interactions on a host of immunological responses to multiple diseases, including cancer.

In the microscopic world of bacteria, gene transfer is a powerful mechanism that can alter cellular function, drive antibiotic resistance and even shape entire ecosystems. Now an interdisciplinary group of researchers has developed an innovative RNA 'barcoding' method to track these genetic exchanges in microbial communities, providing new insights into how genes move across species.

Researchers have discovered a handful of new CRISPR-Cas systems that could add to the capabilities of the already transformational gene editing and DNA manipulation toolbox. Of the new recruits, one system from bacteria commonly found in dairy cows shows particular promise for human health.

Transposons, or 'jumping genes' -- DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another -- are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance. Researchers have discovered a new mechanism these genes use to survive and propagate in bacteria with linear DNA, with applications in biotechnology and drug development.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is the most common fungal pneumonia in children. But current diagnostic methods can take days an require an invasive bronchoscopy procedure. Now, a new CRISPR-based test has been developed to diagnose PJP more quickly and less invasively.

Antibiotic resistance is a global concern that threatens our ability to prevent and treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. To better monitor the emergence and spread of resistance, researchers have developed a CRISPR-enriched metagenomics method for the enhanced surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes, ARGs, in wastewater.

A novel protein cage system can control and visualize orientational changes in aromatic side chains upon ligand binding. By inducing coordinated molecular changes, this approach enables precise control over protein dynamics while also enhancing fluorescence properties. Their breakthrough could lead to applications in biomolecular robotics, drug delivery, and advancing the development of responsive biomaterials.

A comprehensive encyclopedia of the known functions of all protein-coding human genes has just been completed and released. Researchers used large-scale evolutionary modeling to integrate data on human genes with genetic data collected from other organisms. This has culminated in a searchable public resource that lists the known functions of more than 20,000 genes using the most accurate and complete evidence available.

Two new papers describe a significant advance in understanding the complex functions of the metabolic network.

Messenger RNA can travel between different types of stem cells through tunnel-like structures, as revealed by a new study. By studying interactions between mouse and human stem cells, they discovered that this RNA transfer can reprogram human cells to an earlier developmental state. This groundbreaking finding not only sheds light on an underexplored form of cellular communication but also suggests promising applications in regenerative medicine without using artificial genetic modifications or external chemicals.

A new study unravels the relationship between mitofusins (mitochondrial proteins) and autophagy. Using gene editing with CRISPR-Cas9, the team has been able to study these proteins without altering them or producing them in excess, thereby allowing observation of their true function. The research paves the way for the development of therapeutic strategies to regulate autophagy, address metabolic diseases, and promote healthy aging.

A research team has shown that methanogens, micro-organisms ubiquitous in low-oxygen environments like aquifers, soil and even permafrost, can propel their growth by dissolving calcium carbonate, one of the Earth's most abundant minerals. The discovery paints a clearer picture of carbon flow through the environment and offers new information to guide bioenergy development.

A biomaterial that can mimic certain behaviors within biological tissues could advance regenerative medicine, disease modeling, soft robotics and more, according to researchers.

Rice cultivation is responsible for around 12% of global methane emissions, and these emissions are expected to increase with global warming and as the human population continues to grow. Now, scientists have identified chemical compounds released by rice roots that determine how much methane the plants emit. They report that this information enabled them to breed a new strain of rice that emits up to 70% less methane.

Cells are dynamic, fast-changing, complex, tiny, and often hard-to-see in environments that don't always behave in predictable ways when exposed to external stimuli. Now, researchers have found new ways to modulate cell activity remotely.

Tissue processing advance can label proteins at the level of individual cells across whole, intact rodent brains and other large samples just as fast and uniformly as in dissociated single cells.

While climate change is likely to present significant challenges to agriculture in coming decades, it could also mean that crops such as chickpeas, soyabeans and oranges are widely grown across the UK, and home-produced hummus, tofu and marmalade are a common sight on our supermarket shelves by 2080. A new study predicts that future warmer temperatures in this country would be suitable for a variety of produce such as oranges, chickpeas and okra that are traditionally grown in warmer parts of the world.

Scientists have completed construction of the final chromosome in the worlds' first synthetic yeast genome following more than a decade of work, opening new possibilities for creating resilient, engineered organisms.

Scientists explored the evolutionary success of leaf beetles, the most diverse herbivores on Earth. They showed that symbioses with bacteria have evolved repeatedly and independently in different beetle lineages, and contribute significantly to the efficient digestion of plant food. These symbiotic relationships provide clues as to how genetic material was exchanged between bacteria and beetles. Key findings highlight the role of horizontal gene transfer, the incorporation of foreign bacterial genetic material into the beetle genome, which is thought to be the result of earlier symbioses. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of microbial partnerships and genetic exchange in shaping the dietary adaptations of leaf beetles, which facilitated the evolutionary success of leaf beetles.

New proteins not found in nature have now been designed to counteract certain highly poisonous components of snake venom. The deep learning, computational methods for developing these toxin-neutralizing proteins offer hope for creating safer, more cost-effective and more readily available therapeutics than those currently in use. Each year more than 2 million people suffer snakebites. More than 100,000 die, and 300,000 suffer disabling complications.

New research reveals how the RapA enzyme protects against R-loop cytotoxicity in E. coli.

Pine cones as a model: Researchers have developed a new, energy-autonomous facade system that adapts passively to the weather.

Many flies are plagued by parasitic wasps, which lay their eggs in fly larvae, turning them into surrogate wombs for wasp larvae. One common fly has successfully fought off its wasp predator by stealing a gene from bacteria that originated in bacteriophage. Biologists inserted that gene into other flies, making these flies resistance to wasps. This discovery shows that horizontal gene transfer may be more common in animals that people thought.

Researchers have made a meaningful advance in the simulation of molecular electron transfer -- a fundamental process underpinning countless physical, chemical and biological processes. The study details the use of a trapped-ion quantum simulator to model electron transfer dynamics with unprecedented tunability, unlocking new opportunities for scientific exploration in fields ranging from molecular electronics to photosynthesis.

When introducing genes into yeast to make it produce drugs and other useful substances, it is also necessary to reliably switch the production on or off. Researchers have found three gene regulation design principles that provide a flexible guideline for the effective control of microbiological production.

Microorganisms produce a wide variety of natural products that can be used as active ingredients to treat diseases such as infections or cancer. The blueprints for these molecules can be found in the microbes' genes, but often remain inactive under laboratory conditions. A team of researchers has now developed a groundbreaking genetic method that leverages a natural bacterial mechanism for the transfer of genetic material and uses it for the production of new active ingredients.

Intermittent fasting has proven benefits for metabolic health, but a new study shows that it could slow hair growth -- at least in mice. Researchers report that mice subjected to intermittent fasting regimes showed improved metabolic health but slower hair regeneration compared to mice with 24/7 access to food. A similar process might occur in humans, based on a small clinical trial that the team also conducted, but it's likely to be less severe since humans have a much slower metabolic rate and different hair growth patterns compared to mice.

Researchers developed a non-invasive imaging technique that enables laser light to penetrate deeper into living tissue, capturing sharper images of cells. This could help clinical biologists study disease progression and develop new medicines.

Researchers have revealed a new mechanism underlying how spatial distance between specific regions of DNA is linked to bursts of gene activity. Using advanced cell imaging techniques and computer modeling, the researchers showed that the folding and movement of DNA, as well as the accumulation of certain proteins, changes depending on whether a gene is active or inactive.

Scientists have 'turned up the heat' on how repeated outbreaks of coffee wilt disease threatened arabica and robusta varieties of our favorite daily coffee brew. The scientists say the fungal pathogen Fusarium xylarioides continues to pose a significant threat to coffee production and incomes across sub-Saharan Africa.

Scientists have uncovered surprising ways transcription factors, the genetic switches for genes, regulate plant development. Their findings reveal how subtle changes in a lipid-binding region called the START domain can dramatically alter gene regulation, paving the way for advancements in crop engineering, synthetic biology, and precision gene therapies.

The fungus that causes coffee wilt disease repeatedly took up segments of DNA from a related fungal pathogen, which contributed to successive outbreaks of the disease, according to a new report.

Researchers have uncovered a serious side effect of using the CRISPR-Cas gene scissors. A molecule designed to make the process more efficient destroys parts of the genome.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes are on the rise and are costly and challenging to treat. Scientists have discovered a common denominator driving these diverse diseases, which may prove to be a promising therapeutic target: proteolethargy, or reduced protein mobility, in the presence of oxidative stress.

Researchers recently developed a new approach for identifying new cellular RNA targets of snoRNAs. They uncovered thousands of previously unknown targets for snoRNAs in human cells and mouse brain tissues, including many that serve functions other than guiding rRNA modifications.

Rosalind Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA -- that molecular blueprint for life -- over 70 years ago. Today, scientists are still uncovering new ways to read it.

Researchers elucidated the molecular details of how Drosophila larval epidermal cells (LECs) undergo cell death in a controlled manner to regulate epithelial tissue remodeling. Specifically, lower activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway occurs following reduced endocytosis. Decreased EGFR pathway activity allows LECs to switch from undergoing single-cell apoptosis to more widespread cell death in clusters. This supports faster LEC elimination and allows for proper tissue remodeling.

Completely artificial proteins that produce bioluminescence can serve as a non-invasive method for bioimaging, diagnostics, drug discovery, and more.

Herbal medicine is difficult to produce on an industrial scale. A team of bioengineers have now manipulated the cellular machinery in a species of yeast so that one such molecule can now be produced in a fermenter at unprecedented concentrations. The achievement also points the way to the microbial production of other plant-derived compounds.

Genes contain instructions for making proteins, and a central dogma of biology is that this information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. But only two percent of the human genome actually encodes proteins; the function of the remaining 98 percent remains largely unknown. One pressing problem in human genetics is to understand what these regions of the genome do -- if anything at all. Historically, some have even referred to these regions as 'junk.' Now, a new study finds that some noncoding RNAs are not, in fact, junk -- they are functional and play an important role in our cells, including in cancer and human development.

The CRISPR tool is capable of repairing the genetic defect responsible for the immune disease chronic granulomatous disease. However, researchers have now shown that there is a risk of inadvertently introducing other defects.

What if farmers could not only prevent excess phosphorus from polluting downstream waterways, but also recycle that nutrient as a slow-release fertilizer, all without spending a lot of money? Researchers now show it's possible and economical.