A new study reveals that afforestation and reforestation efforts face significant social and institutional challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, and weak governance. This threatens to limit the global potential for forests to capture CO2, with the biggest hurdles facing tropical countries.
Researchers develop a method to retrofit existing large language models to operate at the byte level, overcoming character-level limitations. The resulting models outperform previous byte-level models and have the potential to improve tasks such as spelling and text analysis in various scientific fields.
Genetic research challenges a decades-old model on cattle pregnancy, finding embryos lacking interferon tau can establish and maintain pregnancies, resulting in healthy calves. The team used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to eliminate IFNT genes and generated cloned embryos, which developed normally and successfully established pregnancies.
Researchers used AI to analyze 70 million cells and identified genes involved in autophagy and the immune system, including STING and GPHR. The study demonstrates the potential of combining AI with scalable image-based genetic screening to advance biological discovery.
A new study published in the journal Cognition found that people attribute less consciousness to AI than humans, even when AI behaves identically. Participants rated AI's responsiveness to its surroundings as more conscious than humans', but drew a clear line between intelligent behavior and consciousness.
A new study by LMU reveals that microorganisms could survive in Enceladus' hidden ocean, overcoming carbon scarcity through unique metabolism. The findings strengthen the scientific case for future missions to retrieve samples from the moon's ocean-derived plumes.
Researchers at LMU identified a specific bacterial signal that shapes immune response to stroke, worsened brain injury in mice. Indole-producing bacteria acted on AHR receptor in dendritic cells, promoting protective T cells and reducing damage. The study raises potential for targeting gut microbiota to improve stroke outcome.
The non-profit Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung has awarded 600,000 Euros to Dr. Daniel Kotlarz to advance precision medicine for inflammatory bowel disease in children. The project focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms driving chronic intestinal inflammation and identifying novel therapeutic targets.
A new study identifies high-affinity autoreactive antibodies in atherosclerosis, accelerating disease progression, and provides a potential link to autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Diabetes Type 1.
Researchers at LMU have secured European Research Council Starting Grants for projects investigating immune cells, stroke biology, and pension reform. Kami Alexander Pekayvaz aims to develop a new therapy for thrombosis, while Steffen Tiedt seeks to improve stroke treatment through high-frequency multi-omics testing.
Research reveals that the visual systems of mice and monkeys follow the same efficient coding principle, but process different sensory inputs. This principle explains why mice have stronger responses to movement due to their coarse patch-based vision.
Specific plastid ion channels enable rapid calcium signal transmission to chloroplasts, strengthening plant defense response to recurring stress. Calcium waves relay information about attacks, triggering jasmonic acid synthesis and defense gene expression.
Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München identify a molecular mechanism enabling single-celled parasites to move and invade host cells through lysine methylation. This regulatory layer connects signaling, cytoskeletal activation, and mechanical force, offering a promising starting point for drug development.
Researchers have developed an artificial protein-foldamer pair that can be used to combine proteins and synthetic molecules with high structural precision. The new building block can be used to create complex nanostructures, including ring-shaped architectures and one-dimensional networks.
A machine learning pipeline developed by LMU researchers reveals notable imbalances in global health aid allocation, with non-communicable diseases receiving only 2.5% of disease-specific aid funding despite making up 60% of the global disease burden. The study's findings suggest that health aid is being directed to the wrong areas, an...
Astronomers observed a rare cosmic event where a massive star's shock breakout was detected without a typical gamma-ray burst. The star's characteristics matched other supernovae that produced gamma-ray bursts, but no jet was found.
Researchers at LMU discovered that mitochondria act as sensors for heme, a key component of hemoglobin. Heme deficiency triggers mitochondrial protein DELE1 to activate the HRI switch, reducing protein production.
Researchers have deciphered the role of an ion channel, TPC1, in regulating iron homeostasis, which is essential for preventing iron deficiency and overload disorders. The study demonstrates that TPC1 activity influences both iron absorption and endosomal pH levels, paving the way for new therapeutic approaches.
Researchers elucidated how different organs use the same clock machinery to regulate unique biological processes. The study identified key transcription factors that modulate circadian function in a tissue-specific manner, providing new insights into organ-specific temporal control.
The study presents a novel 3D brain tissue model that accurately replicates the complex interactions in human brain tissue with Alzheimer's disease. The model uses human stem cells to form neurons, astrocytes, and microglial cells, which exhibit key functions similar to those in a real human brain.
A team of LMU researchers identified a signaling pathway in mice through which dietary changes influence the development of the immune system. The study found that dendritic cells are activated by dietary signals, which shape how T cells respond to environmental substances.
A recent study found that exposure to specific bacteria in barn air can protect against allergies, asthma, and hay fever. Researchers identified two key bacteria, Romboutsia timonensis and Glutamicibacter arilaitensis, which mediate the farm effect through certain receptors.
Childhood lymphoid leukemia mortality rates vary significantly across Brazil due to socio-economic disparities. The study highlights the need for region-specific strategies to improve access to specialized pediatric oncology services and timely diagnosis.
Researchers have discovered a new type of magnetotactic ciliate that uses an unusual three-way partnership with bacteria and archaea to orient itself in the Earth's magnetic field. This symbiosis enables all partners to survive more efficiently in low-oxygen sediments.
A study reveals that gut bacteria can process chemically modified amino acids from heated foods, such as CML. This enzyme, SpeC, is a 'Swiss pocket knife' that breaks down these compounds, which are not absorbed in the small intestine and pass to the large intestine.
Scientists have discovered that oxygenic photosynthesis is possible with only one photosystem, overturning a long-held assumption in biology. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that the absence of one photosystem can be compensated by an alternative mechanism.
A study analyzing 2.9 million sustainability indicators from 10 years of annual reports found that companies are increasingly disclosing climate data, but coverage of value chains and social factors remains patchy. Sustainability performance and transparency are converging, with a significant increase in disclosed indicators.
Researchers at LMU München have created a light-based high-throughput method to analyze individual perovskite nanocubes. The new technology allows for quality control at the single-particle level, differentiating how strongly individual particles contribute and varying within samples.
Researchers have developed a new CRISPR-based method to control protein production in cells by targeting ribosomal RNA. This method, known as TAPIR, has been shown to increase protein synthesis and promote the growth of cancer cells. The results offer new insights into stem cell biology and disease-relevant processes.
Sofia Doello will investigate how microorganisms reactivate their metabolism after prolonged dormancy using the prestigious Emmy Noether grant. Her project aims to uncover fundamental principles of survival and cell regeneration in bacteria.
A team of international researchers has identified a previously unknown genetic cause of Crohn's disease in children, specifically pathogenic variants in the BIRC3 gene. The study found that loss of BIRC3 function leads to dysregulation of the RIPK1 signaling pathway, promoting chronic inflammations and increasing epithelial cell death.
Alyssa Ney's MetaQ project aims to combine physics and philosophy to understand the quantum world, while Martin Kerschensteiner's TACO project targets new strategies for multiple sclerosis therapy using single-cell technologies. Both projects will advance our understanding of complex diseases and forge ahead into new research territories.
Zebrafish and fruit flies have been found to share the same internal compass mechanism, with researchers identifying three intermingled rings that behave like a single circuit. The study provides evidence for convergent evolution of spatial navigation mechanisms in animals, with implications for understanding navigation in vertebrates.
A new study reveals that fungi in Arctic fjords assimilate dissolved organic matter efficiently, retaining more carbon as microbial biomass rather than remineralizing it to CO2. This finding suggests that fungal metabolism promotes carbon retention at the seafloor and may enhance long-term carbon sequestration.
A new framework for chemical bonding is introduced using maximally entangled atomic orbitals, capturing conventional and complex bonding phenomena, including multicenter bonds and aromatic systems.
Researchers discovered that certain organelles in plants can efficiently compensate for mistranslated proteins, a key to their environmental stress acclimation. Plants tolerate high rates of plastid mistranslation via regulated proteostasis.
Neuropsychology researchers have identified a unique brain rhythm in the thalamus that distinguishes between different states of consciousness. The discovery, published in Nature Human Behaviour, reveals a rapid oscillation pattern in the frequency range of 20 to 45 Hertz exclusively during waking hours and REM sleep.
Researchers have discovered that inflammation plays a dual role in atherosclerosis, both driving the disease's progression and limiting it. Macrophages, often seen as solely harmful, also clear cellular debris and attack endothelial cells, while microRNA miR-147 helps regulate this balance.
A study published in PNAS found that faster decision-making in complex strategic situations leads to better outcomes. Researchers analyzed professional chess games, correlating speed with quality and suggesting intuition plays a key role in human decision-making.
A new study reveals how sulfur compounds are metabolized under oxygen-deficient conditions, with microorganisms like Flavobacteria playing a key role. Taurine, an organic sulfur compound found in red meat and energy drinks, is assimilated only in low-oxygen waters.
Researchers studied cyanobacteria Synechocystis to understand how it adapts to fluctuating light conditions, revealing mutations that enhance resilience. These findings may provide new strategies for improving crop tolerance to changing light intensities.
A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases explores a new host-response assay to detect active tuberculosis and predict future disease. The Cepheid Xpert MTB Host Response test shows good accuracy for detecting active TB, but its ability to predict future disease is moderate.
Scientists found that the brain adapts to noise-induced damage within 24 hours by increasing excitability and inhibitory inputs in the superior paraolivary nucleus. This enables the restoration of critical timing information for sound processing, despite diminished sensitivity to quieter sounds.
Researchers at LMU have demonstrated that patterns of DNA methylation in early embryos can be described by universal dynamic rules, governed by physical laws. The study reveals a dynamic feedback loop and self-similar scaling behavior, providing new mechanistic explanations for embryonal development.
Researchers at LMU Munich develop a surface treatment method to optimize the molecular contact in perovskite solar cells, resulting in improved efficiency, reproducibility, and stability. The approach provides a scalable solution for industry-compatible fabrication workflows.
A research team developed an innovative method to analyze histone modifications during cell division, revealing three distinct phosphorylation programs that follow a clear temporal sequence. The study refutes the previous assumption that removal of certain chemical groups from histones is crucial for DNA compaction.
A new human cell model has been developed to realistically replicate the pathological processes of neurodegenerative dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. The model exhibits tau aggregates and neuronal damage typical of these diseases, opening up prospects for drug development and therapy.
A new method developed at LMU reconstructs precise energy spectra without lengthy calculations, revealing previously hidden details. This approach uses complex time evolutions to supplement time-dependent data and effectively overcomes the resolution limit, allowing finer structures to be resolved.
Researchers found a 100-million-year-old forest ecosystem's diversity in Kachin region amber. The fossil, a true water bug with striking chelae, is the fourth known case of these structures evolving independently.
Researchers at LMU Munich have overcome two major hurdles in working with perovskite quantum dots: stabilization in solution and precise control of their growth. By using Gemini ligands, they created stable quantum dots that can disperse in polar solvents and exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields.