Scientists recently dived into the genetic world of a bacterial strain called Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HMX2, which they found in Chinese Sauerkraut. They used advanced sequencing tools to study its DNA and see if it could be a helpful probiotic. This little bacterium, they discovered, has a lot
Scientists grew tobacco plants both outdoors in natural sunlight and under conditions that blocked UV rays. They found that the sunlight, especially its UV-A and UV-B components, significantly impacted the production of leaf phenolics. UV-A boosted anthocyanins but not flavonoids, leading to better
Imagine you're in a lab, mixing a few simple ingredients together in one pot. Now, zap it with some microwave heat, and voila! You've just made a batch of lactones, including the important chemical γ-valerolactone. This isn't some magical trick, but a clever method using sodium borohydride and micro
Did you know that some bacteria can use a powerful antioxidant called ergothioneine as their main source of nitrogen? Burkholderia sp. HME13 is one of them. This microbe has a clever set of enzymes that help it break down ergothioneine for its own use. One of these enzymes, ErtE, is particularly int
Sixty years ago, the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) started as a small group aiming to connect scientists in Europe. Today, it's a global force with over 30, 000 members across 39 societies. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, FEBS Letters held a writing contest asking participan
Did you know that plants have tiny powerhouses called organelles? And these powerhouses come in different forms, called plasmotypes. Scientists have been studying a small plant called Arabidopsis thaliana to see how these variations affect photosynthesis. They found that the genetic diversity among
How do computers grasp human language? They either follow grammar rules or learn from extensive data, similar to us humans. A Dutch study had two computer systems doing just that. One stuck to rules, while the other soaked up loads of data. After three years, the verdict was in. The rule-follower su
Did you know that inflammation in your bile ducts can sometimes look a lot like cancer? This can make it tough for doctors to manage the real deal—biliary tract cancer (BTC). But what if we told you that there's a genetic connection between these two? Scientists have been trying to figure out the mo
Ever wondered how neural electrodes can be kept in top shape? Scientists have unveiled a simple method. By freeze-drying these electrodes, which are typically coated with a polymer called PEDOT-PSS, they can remain effective for much longer. Normally, electrodes begin to wear out after a few weeks,
In the heart of Albania, wine production has been booming due to the growing fascination with native grape varieties like Kallmet, Shesh i zi, Shesh i bardhe, and Cerruje. These grapes produce wines with distinctive tastes and are widely planted. A recent study explored how the region and the year o
