How did protein interactions arise, how have they developed? In a new study, researchers have looked at two proteins which began co-evolving between 400 and 600 million years ago. How did they work, and how have they changed over time? The findings, published in eLife, show how a combination of changes in the proteins’ properties created better conditions for the regulation of a cellular process.
In a new study researchers have found that although warmer weather should benefit badger populations, the predicted human population increase in the Scottish highlands is likely to disturb badgers and counteract that effect. These results emphasise the importance of interactive effects and context-dependent responses when planning conservation management under human-induced environmental change.
The research article on consumption of microplastics by larval fish that was reported for misconduct in research will be retracted from the journal Science. The researchers behind the study themselves requested to retract the article at the end of last week, following sharp criticism of the study in an opinion from the Central Ethical Review Board.
Hydrogen gas has long been proposed as a promising energy carrier for future energy applications, but generating the gas from water has proved inefficient. In an article in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, scientists at Uppsala University now present an alternative, interdisciplinary method based on principles from nature.
In schooling fish, collective movement emerges as a result of multiple social interactions between individuals. In a new study led by researchers at Uppsala University, larger individuals have been found to display stronger attraction forces to one another than smaller individuals. Short range repulsion forces, on the other hand, are the same regardless of fish size.
Kidney dysfunction is a frequent complication in cancer patients, and is directly linked to poor survival. It is still not clear how presence of a tumour contributes to kidney dysfunction and how this can be prevented. A new study from researchers at Uppsala University shows that kidney dysfunction can be caused by the patient’s own immune system, ‘tricked’ by the tumour to become activated.
Amartya Sen awarded the 2017 Johan Skytte Prize in Political ScienceThe Johan Skytte Prize annually recognises the most valuable contribution to the field of Political Science. This year’s prize is awarded to Amartya Sen, Thomas W. Lamont Professor at Harvard University.
Birds show an amazing diversity in plumage colour and patterning. But what are the genetic mechanisms creating such patterns? In a new study published in PLOS Genetics, Swedish and French researchers report that two independent mutations are required to explain the development of the sex-linked barring pattern in chicken.
In a new study, researchers from Uppsala University sequenced the genomes of Africanized bees that have invaded large parts of the world to find out what makes them so extraordinarily successful. One particular region in the genome caught the researchers’ attention and the genes found there could be part of the explanation for the aggressive advances of these hybrid bees.
In a study published today in PNAS, scientists in Sweden and Canada have studied the genetic basis of reproduction in 25 populations of herring from both sides of the North Atlantic. They revealed a number of genes associated with the timing of reproduction, and the genetic variants associated with spring or autumn spawning were found to be largely shared between geographically distant populations
In rheumatoid arthritis, antibodies are formed that affect the inflammation in the joints. In an article published today in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers at Uppsala University show that antibodies against the cartilage protein collagen II are associated with a good prognosis.
With their measurements and samples, nearly 3,500 schoolchildren have assisted a research study on lakes and global warming, now published in the journal Scientific Reports. The results show that water temperatures generally remain low despite the air becoming warmer. This helps to curb the emission of greenhouse gases.