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A new source of nitrogen has been discovered. Researchers from RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau in southwestern Germany are unraveling the mysteries of a bygone era. As part of ongoing studies, they are investigating how life could have developed on early Earth. Contrary to previous assumptions, biologically available nitrogen does not appear to have been a limiting factor.

Researchers from Osaka University have discovered that the protein subunit AP2A1 may play a role in the unique structural organization of senescent cells.

There are countless products on the market that claim to restore a youthful appearance by reducing wrinkles or tightening the jawline. But what if aging could be reversed at the cellular level? Researchers in Japan may have uncovered a way to do just that.

A recent study published in Cellular Signaling by scientists at Osaka University identifies a key protein that regulates the transition between “young” and “old” cell states.

An international team of researchers has discovered that rifaximin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic for liver disease patients, is contributing to the global rise of a highly resistant strain of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). This superbug, which frequently causes severe infections in hospitalized patients, is becoming increasingly difficult to treat.

The study, published in Nature, reveals that rifaximin use is accelerating resistance to daptomycin—one of the last remaining effective antibiotics against VRE infections.

Led by scientists from the University of Melbourne’s Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) and Austin Health, the research underscores the urgent need for a more comprehensive understanding of the unintended consequences of antibiotic use. It highlights the critical importance of responsible antibiotic prescribing to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The eye protein rhodopsin of the Greenland shark was found to have amino acid variations that made them more adept at processing blue-light wavelengths – a feature that is advantageous when living in the dim deep ocean waters.

“These genomic analyses offer new insights into the molecular basis of the exceptional longevity of the Greenland shark and highlight potential genetic mechanisms that could inform future research into longevity,” scientists wrote in the study.

A newly unveiled photo captured by an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) provides a rare glimpse at an upward-shooting “gigantic jet” of lightning likely extending more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) above the U.S. coast.

The striking image was taken by an unnamed ISS crewmember on Nov. 19, 2024, but it was not initially shared by NASA or any other space organization. However, photographer Frankie Lucena, who specializes in capturing giant lightning sprites, stumbled across photos of the event on the Gateway to Astronaut photography of Earth website and shared them with Spaceweather.com, which reshared the shots Feb. 26.

In a trailblazing advancement in cancer therapy, researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a technology that transforms colon cancer cells into normal-like cells without destroying them.

This innovative approach, led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, represents a significant departure from traditional cancer treatments that rely on killing cancer cells, often leading to severe side effects and risks of recurrence.

An expanded clinical trial that tested a groundbreaking, experimental stem cell treatment for blinding cornea injuries found the treatment was feasible and safe in 14 patients who were treated and followed for 18 months. In addition, there was a high proportion of complete or partial success.

The study developed a two-stage manufacturing process utilizing cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cells (CALEC), the first xenobiotic-free, serum-free, antibiotic-free protocol developed in the United States to treat blindness caused by unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD).

The procedure consists of removing stem cells from a healthy eye with a biopsy, expanding them into a cellular tissue graft in a novel manufacturing process that takes two to three weeks, and then surgically transplanting the graft into the eye with a damaged cornea.