Some of the world's smallest animals and their tiny poops could aid in the fight against climate change. A Dartmouth-led study reports that clay dust sprayed on the surface of seawater converts free-floating carbon particulates into food for zooplankton, which the microscopic animals later deposit deep into the sea as feces. The particulates are the remnants of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by marine plants that re-enters the atmosphere when the plants die. This new method redirects the carbon into the marine food chain.

Thanks for a powerful antioxidant, Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand radiation doses 28,000 times greater than what would kill a human. In a new study, scientists discovered how the antioxidant works. Finding could drive the development of designer antioxidants to shield astronauts from cosmic radiation.

A new USC Stem Cell study has identified key gene regulators that enable some deafened animals—including fish and lizards—to naturally regenerate their hearing. The findings could guide future efforts to stimulate the regeneration of sensory hearing cells in patients with hearing loss and balance disorders. The study focuses on two cell types in the inner ear: the sensory cells that detect sound, and the supporting cells that create an environment where sensory cells can thrive. In highly regenerative species such as fish and lizards, supporting cells can also transform into replacement sensory cells after injury—a capacity absent in humans, mice and all other mammals. The scientists determined how genes normally only found in the sensory cells can be re-activated in the supporting cells of regenerative species. To achieve that, the scientists determined how the genome is folded in the sensory cells and supporting cells of the inner ears of regenerative zebrafish and green anole lizards. They then compared DNA control elements for sensory genes in zebrafish and green anole lizards to those in mice, which cannot replace sensory hearing cells after injury. Their experiments revealed a class of DNA control elements known as “enhancers” that, after injury, amplify the production of a protein called ATOH1, which in turn induces a suite of genes required to make sensory cells of the inner ear. Using CRISPR the scientists deleted five of these enhancers in zebrafish, impairing both the formation of sensory hearing cells during development and their regeneration following injury.

 

Embargoed Until: 12/9/2024; 3 p.m. ET

Overview: A groundbreaking study by scientists at the University of Vermont, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uncovers a novel mechanism—Electro-Calcium (E-Ca) Coupling—that reshapes our understanding of brain blood flow regulation. The discovery bridges electrical and calcium signaling in brain capillaries, revealing how the brain ensures precise blood flow to meet its energy demands.

This finding offers a new framework for understanding and potentially treating conditions like stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, where disruptions in blood flow are an early and defining feature.

Key Findings: A) E-Ca Coupling integrates electrical and calcium signaling in capillaries, amplifying localized blood flow responses; B) electrical signals increase calcium activity by 76%, ensuring blood is evenly distributed across the capillary network; C) the research highlights how restoring cerebral blood flow could slow cognitive decline in diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Why It Matters: This discovery not only provides critical insights into how the brain balances its energy needs but also paves the way for novel therapies targeting blood flow disruptions in neurological diseases.

For Reporters: The study includes detailed experimental results, advanced imaging, and computational modeling. We can provide expert commentary from the lead researcher, Mark Nelson, Ph.D. 

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2415047121