Bioinformatics: Publication in Science Bioinformaticians from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the university in Linköping (Sweden) have established that the genes in bacterial genomes are arranged in a meaningful order. In the renowned scientific journal Science, they describe that the genes are arranged by function: If they become increasingly important at faster growth, they are located near the origin of DNA replication. Accordingly, their position influences how their activity changes with the growth rate. Are genes distributed randomly along…

Mechanical compression induces multicellular organization in archaeaIn a discovery that reframes our understanding of life’s fundamental organization, researchers at Brandeis University, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have found that mechanical compression can induce the formation of tissue-like multicellular structures in archaea. This novel finding, focusing on the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii, reveals a previously unknown pathway for the emergence of multicellularity within this domain of life, offering new insights into the evolutionary…

Capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial emissions is crucial in the fight against climate change. But current methods, like chemical absorption, are expensive and energy-intensive. Scientists have long eyed graphene—an atom-thin, ultra-strong material—as a promising alternative for gas separation, but making large-area, efficient graphene membranes has been a challenge. Now, a team at EPFL, led by Professor Kumar Agrawal, has developed a scalable technique to create porous graphene membranes that selectively filter CO₂ from gas mixtures. Their approach slashes production…

Researchers developed a cell-based reporter assay that can quantify epigenetic changes induced by chemicals and potential carcinogens Chemicals used as food preservatives, flavoring agents, dyes, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaners, and other industrial materials are being increasingly recognized as a health hazard. Their rampant use has led to an increase in the prevalence of various chemical toxicity-induced diseases, including hormonal disruption, cancer, neurological disorders, skin conditions, and occupational poisoning. Numerous chemicals are known to trigger “carcinogenesis” or cancer development by exerting genotoxic…