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Flying spider-monkey tree fern, scientifically known as Alsophila spinulosa is a species of tree fern widely distributed in Asia. Alsophila spinulosa . Image credit: Quanzi Li. Land plants evolved 470 million years ago from aquatic algae and have since changed terrestrial ecosystems. The body of land plants has undergone a series of developmental, biochemical and physiological adaptations, one of which is the emergence of vascular tissue. In seed plants, xylem, with thickened cell walls, provides stems with high water-conducting efficiency and strong structural support. Lignin is an important component of the secondary cell wall of xylem – it not only provides mechanical support in fiber cells but also forms a hydrophobic surface in vessels to aid water transport. Outside of seed plants, tree ferns—members of the order Cyatheales—are one of the few lineages that have tree-like trunks. This plant has high ornamental value and is considered a resource for natural products with pharmaceu

Newswise — Genome sequencing, in which scientists use laboratory methods to determine the genetic makeup of a particular organism, is becoming a common practice in insect research. A greater understanding of insect biology helps scientists better manage insects, both those that benefit ecosystems and those that damage food supplies and threaten human health by carrying disease. Researchers have developed a workflow method, called Fanflow4Insects, which describes the function of genes in insects. In functional annotations, scientists collect information about the biological identity of genes. The team’s new method uses transcribed sequence information as well as genome and protein sequence databases. With Fanflow4Insects, the team has annotated functional information of Japanese stick insects and silkworms, including gene expression and sequence analysis. The functional annotation information provided by their workflow will greatly expand the possibilities of entomological research

Genome sequencing, in which scientists use laboratory methods to determine the genetic makeup of a particular organism, is becoming a common practice in insect research. A greater understanding of insect biology helps scientists better manage insects, both those that benefit ecosystems and those that damage food supplies and threaten human health by carrying disease. Researchers have developed a workflow method, called Fanflow4Insects, which describes the function of genes in insects. In functional annotations, scientists collect information about the biological identity of genes. The team’s new method uses transcribed sequence information as well as genome and protein sequence databases. With Fanflow4Insects, the team has annotated functional information of Japanese stick insects and silkworms, including gene expression and sequence analysis. The functional annotation information provided by their workflow will greatly expand the possibilities of entomological research using geno

Immunotherapy, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, has changed the treatment of advanced cancers. Unlike chemotherapy which kills cancer cells, these drugs help the immune system to find and destroy the cancer cells themselves. Unfortunately, only a subset of patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors in the long term; and these treatments can be expensive and with side effects. Researchers have developed a two-step approach using whole-exome sequencing to target genes and pathways that predict whether cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy. Studies published in Nature Communication and conducted by researchers at New York University, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the New York Genome Center, illustrates how using whole-exome sequencing can better predict treatment response than current laboratory tests. “Can we better predict who will benefit from immunotherapy? Scientists have developed a variety of biomarkers that help anticipate immunotherapy treatment responses, b

The human genome is littered with “selfish genetic elements”, which do not appear to benefit the host, but only seek to reproduce. Selfish genetic elements can wreak havoc by, for example, distorting sex ratios, impairing fertility, causing dangerous mutations, and potentially even causing population extinction. Biologists at the University of Rochester, including Amanda Larracuente, professor of biology, and Daven Presgraves, University Dean’s Professor of Biology, are using population genomics for the first time to explain the evolution and consequences of known selfish genetic elements. as Segregation Distortion ( SD ). In a paper published in the journal eLife the researchers reported that SD has led to dramatic changes in chromosomal organization and genetic diversity. Sequencing the genome first Researchers use fruit flies as model organisms to study SD , a selfish genetic element that deviates from the rules of just genetic transmission. Fruit flies share about 70 percent of