Evidence of 600-million-year old fungi-algae symbiosis discovered in marine fossils
Researchers from China and the United States have found evidence of lichen-like symbiosis in 600-million-year-old fossils from South China. The previous earliest evidence of lichen was 400 million years old, discovered in Scotland. The discovery also adds to the scarce fossil record of fungi and raises new questions about lichen evolution. Xunlai Yuan, a paleontologist with the Nanjing Ins...Deep sea algae connect ancient climate, carbon dioxide and vegetation
Assistant Professor Mark Pagani in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Yale and his colleagues mapped the first detailed history of atmospheric carbon dioxide between 45 - 25 million years ago based on stable isotopes of carbon in a National Science Foundation study reported in Science Express. "Through the energy we consume, each of us makes a contribution to increasing greenhouse...'Cellular antennae' on algae give clues to how human cells receive signals
By studying microscopic hairs called cilia on algae, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that an internal structure that helps build cilia is also responsible for a cell's response to external signals. Cilia perform many functions on human cells; they propel egg and sperm cells to make fertilization possible, line the nose to pick up odors, and purify the blood, among...A new male-specific gene in algae unveils an origin of male and female
By studying the genetics of two closely related species of green algae that practice different forms of sexual reproduction, researchers have shed light on one route by which evolution gave rise to reproduction though the joining of distinct sperm and egg cells. The findings, which indicate that a gene underlying a more primitive system of reproduction was likely co-opted during evolution to part...New Cancer-Blocking Algae Found
Scientists have found a compound derived from red algae to be a potent inhibitor of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancers and genital warts//. The study has been published in the July issue of PLoS Pathogens. The compound carrageenan, a commercial thickening agent, blocks the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) from sticking to the cells and prevents it from infecting them....Fresh Water Algae Filtered Out With Water Filtration Technique
Ohio State University study has found that a water filtration technique which is used to clean up agricultural chemicals is proving beneficial in removing a toxin //produced by an algae found in lakes and rivers. Engineers are extremely happy with this technique, far more efficient than any other method, with a 95% success rate of removal of the toxins. Some water filtration plants a...Anti Cancer Drug from Blue Green Algae
Anti cancer drugs have been created from blue green algae by scientists with the knowledge of synthetic chemistry techniques//. Besides this, the information on properties and actions of enzymes is also taken into consideration. This accomplishment is expected to make it possible to produce enough of the promising drugs for use in clinical trials. In a study featured on the co...Toxic Algae Pose New Health Scare in China
Two of China's biggest lakes are under renewed attack from toxic algae that destroy plant and fish life and threaten humans in the country's latest pollution scare, state media reported on Sunday . New satellite pictures of eastern China show the blue-green foul-smelling algae spreading in Taihu and Chaohu lakes, the Workers Daily newspaper said. The toxic algae scare in Lake Taihu...