Published in Current biology : CB
Like many organisms, bacteria and archaea have both innate and adaptive immune systems to defend against infection by viruses and other parasites. Innate immunity most commonly relies on endonuclease cleavage of any incoming DNA that lacks a specific epigenetic modification, through a system known as Restriction-Modification. CRISPR-Cas adaptive im...
Published in Current biology : CB
Recently, a petition was offered to the European Commission calling for an immediate ban on animal testing. Although a Europe-wide moratorium on the use of animals in science is not yet possible, there has been a push by the non-scientific community and politicians for a rapid transition to animal-free innovations. Although there are benefits for b...
Published in Current biology : CB
The invasive yellow-fever mosquito Aedes aegypti preferentially feeds on human blood. A new study finds that human-biting in this important disease vector might just be an unfortunate side effect of breeding in human-stored water. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Published in Current biology : CB
Published in Current biology : CB
Modern life is replete with function-expanding dongles, and life at the molecular scale is, it turns out, no exception. Hanging out of the back of the Kif14 molecular motor is an intrinsically disordered domain that gives it superpowers. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Published in Current biology : CB
A classic distinction in spatial ecology is between range-residency and migration. A new study - on dozens of ungulate populations worldwide - demonstrates how the dynamics of food resources help determine which movement pattern animals will exhibit. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Published in Current biology : CB
Tim Caro introduces why zebras are striped. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Published in Current biology : CB
Astrocytes, the star-shaped brain cells, are known chemosensitive cells in the respiratory system. A new study shows that trafficking of TRPA1 channels in and out of the cell membrane in brainstem astrocytes contributes to their role as central respiratory oxygen sensors. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Published in Current biology : CB
A new study establishes genetic tools to ablate tendon progenitor cells in zebrafish larvae, finding that larval tendons display high regenerative capacity. The authors employ this musculoskeletal repair model to explore the source of tendon progenitors by fate mapping and live imaging, as well as underlying molecular stimuli like BMP signaling. Co...
Published in Current biology : CB
Solid vertebrae evolved multiple times across vertebrates, but the origins and relationships of different spine forms remain unclear. A new study reveals teleost fishes evolved their solid vertebrae following genome duplication, when a novel gene repressed ancestral spine programming. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
