Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is one of the most important methods to study biological function in cells, but it is limited by potential inaccuracies in the data it generates. Now, a research team from Japan has developed a new method called terminator-assisted solid-phase complementary DNA amplification and sequencing (TAS-Seq), which overcomes these limitations and provides higher-precision data than existing scRNA-seq platforms.

Using light-capturing proteins in living microbes, UC Riverside scientists helped reconstruct what life was like for some of Earth’s earliest organisms. These efforts could help us one day recognize signs of life on other planets.

Hormone therapy is successful at keeping metastatic prostate cancer under control, but eventually the tumor cells become resistant to it. An unexpected potential solution has now emerged in medicines not designed to fight cancer, but to target proteins that regulate a cell’s circadian rhythm. An international team of researchers led by the Netherlands Cancer Institute will publish this discovery on June 27, 2022, in the renowned journal Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The first high-quality genome of the desert locust—those voracious feeders of plague and devastation infamy and the most destructive migratory insect in the world—has been produced by U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service scientists. The genome of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is enormous at just under 9 billion base pairs, nearly three times the size of the human genome. The size of the desert locust’s chromosomes is remarkable; compare them to those of the model fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the first insect genome ever assembled. Many of the desert locust’s individual chromosomes are larger than the entire fruit fly genome. Next to the fruit fly, it’s like an 18-wheeler next to a compact car.

Researchers have discovered an important link between vascular health and late-life dementia, discovering the calcification of plaques within the abdominal aorta to be a reliable marker for late-life dementia.

Tokyo, Japan – Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered the mechanism behind the rapid growth of ultra-thin nanowires or “whiskers” in organic compounds. Nanowires are both a desirable technological innovation and a hazard when they short electronics: understanding how they grow is crucial for applications. Curiously, filaments were found to grow from large crystalline fronts by following bubbles of gas. Importantly, trace impurities could suppress bubble formation and whisker growth, allowing control over crystal structure.

New research shows how migratory birds are declining globally because of the way that humans have modified the landscape in recent decades. A total of 103 species of migrating birds were studied, including rapidly declining species like the Turtle Dove and the Common Cuckoo, using large-scale datasets. Advances in satellite imagery allowed the team to map threats across Europe, Africa and Western Asia. The study reveals that declines have been greatest among species that migrate to areas with more human infrastructure - roads, buildings, power lines, wind turbines - as well as higher population densities and hunting levels. The research team hope their work will help inform how best to target conservation efforts.