Coffee beans that pass through the digestive tracts of animals get their unique flavors from the activity of gut microbes, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. The guts of Asian elephants that produce Black Ivory coffee (BIC) were rich in pectin-digesting bacteria. Heat-driven degradation of pectin during roasting makes coffee bitter. Bacterial activity that reduces the pectin content of BIC could be the source of its smoother, chocolaty, and less bitter flavor.

CRISPR–Cas9-based therapies are widely investigated for their clinical applications. However, there are limitations associated with the strategy, including off-target DNA editing. A group of researchers from Japan has explored a novel strategy involving CRISPR–Cas3 and investigated its potential using a mouse model of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). The results highlight its potential as an efficient genome-editing system. The technology can be developed as a therapeutic strategy for treating ATTR and other genetic disorders.

Infertility is a major healthcare concern. Understanding the molecular regulators governing fertilization, early embryonic development, and implantation is crucial for the success of assisted reproductive technologies. Now, researchers from Kanazawa Medical University integrated one-cell embryo cryopreservation technology, inhibitor library screening, RNA-seq analysis, and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to identify eleven novel factors essential for the development of fertilized eggs. The study contributes towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Fluorescent dyes enable the visualization of biomolecular localization and dynamics in living systems. To date, no single benzene-based fluorophores with absorption and emission at wavelengths above 600 nm, the ideal wavelength for bioimaging, have been developed. To address this challenge, researchers from Japan have developed bis-pseudoindoxyls. Owing to its unique red-shifted absorption and fluorescence properties, this dye holds promise for applications in red-light-based bioimaging studies.

A six-year study, led by PhD researcher Sarah Watts of the University’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, looked at the impact of deer management on mountain woodland.