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Category: food – Page 41

This Fungi Creates Zombies (and Other 8 Interesting Facts About Them)

Are you curious to learn more about the most diverse organisms on Earth? When it comes to fungi, there are three things you need to remember: they’re big and incredibly old, and some of them can turn ants into zombies!

To say that they’re the most popular kingdom on the planet would be an understatement. There are an estimated 3.8 million fungi all over the world, and yet, over 90% of them are currently unknown to science.

Moreover, you might be shocked to learn that the mushroom kingdom can be quite animalistic. After all, they breathe like us, and some of them even eat flesh. But there’s so much more to know, so let’s dive together into the complex world of fungi!

Discovery of new skeletal tissue advances regenerative medicine potential

An international research team led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered a new type of skeletal tissue that offers great potential for advancing regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Most cartilage relies on an external extracellular matrix for strength, but “lipocartilage,” which is found in the ears, nose and throat of mammals, is uniquely packed with fat-filled cells called “lipochondrocytes” that provide super-stable internal support, enabling the tissue to remain soft and springy—similar to bubbled packaging material.

The study, published in the journal Science, describes how lipocartilage cells create and maintain their own lipid reservoirs, remaining constant in size. Unlike ordinary adipocyte fat cells, lipochondrocytes never shrink or expand in response to food availability.

Cephalopods Pass Cognitive Test Designed For Human Children

Back in 2021, a test of cephalopod smarts reinforced how important it is for us humans to not underestimate animal intelligence.

Cuttlefish were given a new version of the marshmallow test, and the results may demonstrate that there’s more going on in their strange little brains than we knew.

Their ability to learn and adapt, the researchers said, could have evolved to give cuttlefish an edge in the cutthroat eat-or-be-eaten marine world they live in.

Seven Days of Fasting: How Your Body Transforms Inside and Out

A recent study highlights that significant health benefits and molecular adaptations from fasting are detectable after three days.

Recent findings show that prolonged fasting triggers significant and systematic changes across multiple organs in the body. These results highlight potential health benefits that extend beyond weight loss, but they also reveal that these impactful changes only begin to occur after three full days without food.

Health Benefits of Fasting Unveiled.

Researchers Find Previously Unknown Links between Microbial Bile Acids and the Risk of Colon Cancer

Microbes living in our guts help us digest food by reshaping the bile acids that our livers produce for breaking down fats. It turns out that two of these microbially-modified bile acids may affect our risk—in opposite directions—for developing colon cancer.

The link between these bile acids and colon cancer risk was recently uncovered as University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists sought to better understand the relationship between gut microbes and our bodies.

In many ways, that relationship revolves around a specific protein called the farnesoid X receptor, or FXR, which helps maintain a healthy gut through its intimate relationship with bile acids. FXR controls the production of bile acids in the liver, but it also responds in different ways to the presence of various bile acids that microbes have modified.

Scientists use plasma to enable futuristic 3D-printed food — here’s how it could revolutionize an industry

Scientists at the University of Alberta found a new way to improve plant-based foods, and it involves plasma, the same stuff that makes up stars, as reported by Phys.org.

The breakthrough makes 3D-printed pea protein hold its shape, opening doors for more affordable and tasty meat alternatives.

Pea protein is already in many foods we eat, from bread to dairy-free milk to meatless burgers. It’s cheap and packed with nutrients, but until now, it wouldn’t keep its shape when pushed through a 3D printer, limiting its use in food production.

Nanoparticle technique gauges bite force in tiny C. elegans worms

A team of materials scientists, physicists, mechanical engineers, and molecular physiologists at Stanford University have developed a nanoparticle technique that can be used to measure force dynamics inside a living creature, such as Caenorhabditis elegans worms biting their food.

In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how they used to excite luminescent nanocrystals in a way that allowed the energy levels of cells inside a C. elegans worm to be measured.

Andries Meijerink, with Utrecht University, has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue, outlining the work done by the team in California.

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