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
Bee venom isn't just something to be feared; it's a powerful tool in modern medicine. Honeybees, known for their sweet nectar, also produce a venom that can help treat various diseases. This venom is a mix of proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other compounds. Scientists have found that it can fight c
Imagine you're looking for movies on a streaming service. You want comedies, but they shouldn't be romances, and they have to be British. This is a compositional query, a bit more complex than just finding comedies. Currently, machine learning uses dot-products to connect items like movies to attri
Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aim to slash $2 trillion in federal spending. They've singled out several agencies like the Pentagon and Department of Education for cuts. Musk's SpaceX has contracts with some of these agencies, rais
You know how sometimes people get a job they're not really ready for? That's what's happening with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. She's been given a new role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thinks she's in over her head. AOC tweeted that Greene does
Damian Williams, the U. S. Attorney who's been making waves with big indictments, is calling it quits. He's resigning just as Donald Trump is about to nominate someone new for the job. Williams has gone after some big names, like New York Mayor Eric Adams, Ghislaine Maxwell, and even Sean "Diddy" Co
Veteran stage actor Julien Arnold, aged 60, passed away suddenly during a performance of A Christmas Carol at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre. He collapsed onstage and could not be revived despite efforts by paramedics. Arnold was a beloved figure in the local theatre community, known for his charisma an
Have you ever thought about what happens to the plastic bags that hold your traditional Chinese herbal decoction? It's convenient for sure, but there might be some hidden trouble brewing inside. When these bags are filled with hot water, they release tiny bits of plastic, known as micro and nanoplas
These days, pharmaceutical companies are big fans of medicinal plants. Why? Because they are cheap and have fewer side effects than regular drugs. But, identifying these plants can be tough, time-consuming, and prone to errors. That's why researchers are excited about automatic classification of the
