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For the first time, researchers have observed how HIV penetrates the nuclear pores to the genome of human immune cells Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and the University of Heidelberg have discovered how Hi viruses enter the nucleus of a human cell. The conical protein capsules in which the genetic material of the pathogens is packed accumulate at nuclear pores in human immune cells such as macrophages and pass through them.

Shell-dwelling cichlids take intense care of their offspring, which they raise in abandoned snail shells. A team at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence used 3D-printed snail shells to find out what happens inside. The young and the mother each follow their own, but synchronized schedules: as soon as the larvae prefer light, they leave the shell on the ninth day after fertilization.

Nitrogen isotopes in Australopithecus tooth enamel show no evidence of meat consumption Pre-humans such as Australopithecus, who lived in southern Africa around 3.5 million years ago, ate little or no meat - this has been proven by Tina Lüdecke and her team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry using isotope measurements on fossil teeth.

News from Understanding biological relationships is often critical when studying animal populations. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig University, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Freie Universität Berlin have now developed a transformative approach that identifies stretches of DNA that two individuals inherited from a common ancestor.

Real-time observation of certain biochemical processes in blood vessels from mice has revealed a previously unknown similarity between atherosclerosis, also known as vascular calcification, and bone growth. A research team led by Professor Robert Feil at the University of Tübingen's Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry discovered that a molecular signaling pathway that plays an important role in bone growth can slow down the development of atherosclerosis in blood vessels.

Ancient genomes show integration of genetically different groups to the same early medieval Avar society in the Vienna Basin, Austria Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, together with an international team, carried out an archeogenetic study of human remains from more than 700 individuals from the Early Middle Ages.

Researchers led by chemist Claudia Höbartner have now uncovered the 3D structure of the RNA enzyme SAMURI. Their study provides insights into the development of ribozymes and the evolution of catalytically active RNA. RNA molecules are an integral part of the human body: In cells, they ensure the transfer of genetic information and regulate the activity of genes.

University of Bonn study opens the door to neural networks that require much less energy AI applications like ChatGPT are based on artificial neural networks that, in many respects, imitate the nerve cells in our brains. They are trained with vast quantities of data on high-performance computers, gobbling up massive amounts of energy in the process.

Our genetic material contains tens of thousands of genes. Like a gigantic orchestra, their interaction is the basis for all vital processes in our body. Errors in this interaction can lead to serious illnesses and are one of the reasons why we age. Researchers in biology and medicine are therefore working hard to understand how the orchestra of genes is organized and how genes are activated or deactivated.

The soil fungus "Mortierella alpina" has the potential to make agriculture greener and more sustainable: The fungus produces bioactive molecules called malpinins, which could protect plants from destructive worms. A research team from Jena has now been able to understand and describe their mode of action for the first time.

Scientists use ultra-light sensors connected like cell phones to study how bats migrate over Europe Birds are the undisputed champions of epic travel-but they are not the only long-haul fliers. A handful of bats are known to travel thousands of kilometers in continental migrations across North America, Europe, and Africa.

After migrating to their wintering grounds, the animals move as little as possible to conserve energy In the fall, reindeer migrate from their northern grazing areas to the south.

Bonn researchers show how disease-relevant genes can be identified more easily The identification of genes involved in diseases is one of the major challenges of biomedical research. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) have developed a method that makes their identification much easier and faster: they light up genome sequences in the cell nucleus.

International research team describes for the first time the structure and function of the Zorya system, a highly specialized antiviral protection mechanism against bacteria. Bacteria are constantly infected by viruses, so-called phages, which use the bacteria as host cells. However, in the course of evolution, bacteria have developed a variety of strategies to protect themselves from these attacks.

Genomes of seven early Europeans show they belonged to a small, isolated group that had recently mixed with Neandertals but left no present-day descendants Few genomes have been sequenced from early modern humans, who first arrived in Europe when the region was already inhabited by Neandertals. An international team led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has now sequenced the oldest modern human genomes to date.

Scientists unravel timing and impact of Neandertal gene flow into early modern humans Ancient DNA research suggests that our non-African ancestors mixed with Neandertals about 50,000 years ago, resulting in one to two percent Neandertal DNA in non-African modern humans. In a study of 300 genomes, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig and the University of California, Berkeley found that this likely occurred in a single instance about 47,000 years ago, suggesting a human migration out of Africa no later than 43,500 years ago.

International research team describes for the first time the structure and function of the Zorya system, a highly specialised antiviral protection mechanism of bacteria.

A team of Würzburg neuroscientists investigates communication pathways in the brain and predicts intelligence. A new study approach uses machine learning to improve our conceptual understanding of intelligence. The human brain is the central control organ of our body. It processes sensory information and enables us, among other things, to form thoughts, make decisions and store knowledge.

Many animals orient themselves using their sense of magnetism. However, this can be based on different physical mechanisms. A research team from Oldenburg and Würzburg has now investigated the navigation of the desert ant. Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth's magnetic field for spatial orientation, but these tiny insects rely on a different component of the field than other insects, a research team led by Dr Pauline Fleischmann from the University of Oldenburg reports in the journal Current Biology.

Researchers from the University of Jena and the Leibniz Institutes in Jena have published new findings on the adaptability of the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The interdisciplinary study, largely carried out by researchers from the Cluster of Excellence -Balance of the Microverse-, shows how the tiny green alga can adapt its shape and metabolism under natural conditions without changing its genome.