Researchers from Oregon State University (OSU) have unveiled a novel "electricity-conducting organism” that could spark medical and environmental innovations.According to the new study, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the OSU team has named the organism — a new species of cable bacteria — Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis, in honor of the Yaqona people, whose ancestral land the new bacteria were found in. The research team hopes that the new discovery could help develop imp ...read more
Climate change could fuel the spread of a fungus that can sicken and even kill people, as well as threaten crops, according to a study posted on the preprint server Research Square.Fungal infections already kill about 1.5 million a year. There are now few effective antifungal agents available, with many fungi developing resistance to them. One particular mold-like fungus called Aspergillus is responsible for most such deaths in the Northern Hemisphere.What Is Aspergillus?Aspergillus is sometimes ...read more
From the snow leopard to the pangolin, there are many animals that evade human contact. These elusive animals move secretly and silently through hard-to-reach habitats and are often at risk of endangerment. One of these animals, known as the Asian unicorn, is now one step closer to being found by humans – and in this case, that’s a good thing.The saola is commonly referred to as the Asian unicorn because of its mythic existence. Scientists first became aware of it as late as 1992, making it ...read more
Social drinking can sit on the slippery slope to alcoholism. People — and culture — can sometimes intertwine solitary drinkers with addiction. However, alcoholism often starts out when drinking among others, according to a review article in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.“Evidence for the centrality of social motives in problem drinking surround us,” according to the article. “While solitary drinking might serve as a useful early indicator of alcohol use disord ...read more
Global research into the gut microbiome has exploded over the past decade, with most of the spotlight shining on the complex, health-shaping roles of bacteria in our intestines. But the gut isn’t home to bacteria alone — it also harbors a bustling community of fungi and other microorganisms that are only beginning to get the scientific attention they deserve.The latest study from immunologists at Peking University, published in Science, reveals that a common gut fungus may do more than just ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine