Did you know that tiny worms like C. elegans can teach us a lot about human diseases? Scientists have been studying a protein called sigma-1 receptor (σ1R) to understand how it interacts with different drugs, or ligands, and affects lifespans. They found that some drugs stick better to the σ1R prote
Scientists have discovered mutations in the H5N1 bird flu virus from a recent Louisiana patient that could make it easier for the virus to spread among humans. This patient likely got infected from sick or dead birds in their backyard. The changes weren't found in the birds, suggesting they happened
You might have seen videos of people cutting grapes in half and zapping them in the microwave, just to watch the sparks fly. But did you know this fun trick could actually help make better quantum sensors? That's what a new study in Physical Review Applied suggests. Back in 1994, scientists noticed
Osteoporosis is a global issue that weakens bones and raises the risk of fractures. It's a tricky disease to manage because it's caused by many factors. Scientists have been digging into how genes and hormones play a role in this. Lately, they've found some exciting stuff using single-cell RNA seque
Feeling lonely and anxious in social situations are two issues that have been on the rise in recent years, posing significant health challenges. But how are these two problems connected? This study set out to find out how common these feelings are among regular people and if one can make the other w
Israel's top legal officer, Gali Baharav-Miara, has kicked off an investigation into Sara Netanyahu, the spouse of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes after a TV report claimed she was harassing witnesses in her husband's trial. The report, aired on Channel 12, also hinted that sh
Scientists have found a hidden superpower in a type of grass called Thinopyrum. This grass can help wheat plants tough it out against rust diseases, drought, and still keep their yields steady. The key is a special swap between two parts of the grass' DNA. This swap, called a chromosome translocatio
Punctal agenesis, or PA, is a rare birth defect that might show up on its own or be part of a bigger syndrome. Scientists haven't really looked into how useful it is to check genes in people with PA and some specific symptoms. This study aimed to find out what eye and other body problems are linked
Imagine growing up with one side of your face noticeably larger than the other— this is what congenital infiltrating lipomatosis does to young people. This rare disorder has baffled scientists for years, but recent discoveries are uncovering its secrets. The key seems to lie in the PIK3CA gene, whic
Scientists have been puzzled about how bacteria come to prefer certain temperatures for growth. To shed light on this, they studied 64 bacteria from the Thermotogota phylum. They found that the last common ancestor of these bacteria was a thermophile, which means it loved high temperatures. However,
