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Phys.org / Captured mid-reaction, RNA polymerase reveals universal blueprint for gene transcription
The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and a process fundamental to all life. But the inner workings of this essential enzyme have long baffled ...
Phys.org / Hemp-based thermoplastic offers a greener alternative to plastic packaging
As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic alternative derived from the hemp plant—a non-psychoactive type ...
Medical Xpress / Silencing stress signals could pave the way to a longer life
Silencing a major cellular stress signal could be the key to a longer life, according to new University of Sheffield research. While previous studies suggested that mild stress might help organisms live longer, new research ...
Phys.org / Universal patterns emerge across 22 languages, mapping how vocabularies evolve
Human languages are known to have grown and changed considerably over the course of history, often reflecting technological, cultural, and societal shifts. Studying the evolution of languages can thus offer valuable insight ...
Tech Xplore / Extended reality tool lets dancers analyze movement
It's been said that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Writing, or talking, about dancing can be similarly futile. A Cornell doctoral student has helped develop a tool that lets dancers use video and ...
Medical Xpress / Microplastics turn up in nearly every human brain sample, including healthy tissue
Tiny micro- and nanoplastic fragments seem to be turning up everywhere, including one of the most well-protected parts of the human body—the brain. In a recent study conducted by Chinese researchers, they found microplastics ...
Phys.org / Western US is fending off more fires before they start—and still getting hit by its biggest blazes yet
The number of wildfires burning in the Western United States each year dropped roughly 28% over the past three decades, even as annual burned area and damage from wildfires have soared. A decline in fires accidentally sparked ...
Phys.org / Deep under Antarctic ice, a long-predicted cosmic whisper finally breaks through in 13 strange bursts
A detector buried deep in Antarctic ice has captured the first experimental evidence of a predicted but never-before-seen phenomenon: radio pulses generated when high-energy cosmic rays slam into the ice sheet and trigger ...
Medical Xpress / Years before pregnancy, routine bloodwork may already signal which women will face one of its riskiest complications
Small abnormalities in blood sugar, blood lipids and inflammation several years before pregnancy are linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and preeclampsia, according to a study from Karolinska ...
Science X / Wild parrots quickly learn to eat new foods by copying their friends
Wild parrots learn whether new types of food are safe to eat by observing other members of their social group, allowing dietary knowledge to spread rapidly through the community, according to a study by Julia Penndorf at ...
Medical Xpress / Disease-causing pathogen rewires gut metabolism to secure nutrients for growth, research shows
An intestinal pathogen reshapes the gut environment to fuel its own colonization and cause diseases, a multi-institutional team including researchers at Vanderbilt Health has discovered. The investigators show that enterotoxigenic ...
Medical Xpress / Treatment of rare childhood epilepsy could begin before birth
Research has shown early diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy disorders can improve outcomes. The question of when to administer treatment so it gets ahead of the disease, however, has remained stubbornly elusive. A new Northwestern ...