Category archives: Science

The ribosome world hypothesis

The ribosome world hypothesis

BiologyEvolution

By Francisco R. Villatoro

The ribosome may be a missing link in the evolution of life. This suggestive proposal has been published by Meredith Root-Bernstein, Oxford University, UK, and her father Robert Root-Bernstein, Michigan State University, USA, in the Journal of Theoretical Biology . Their hypothesis is that primordial ribosomes were self-replicating intermediates between the prebiotic world and the […]

A light on the horizon: New antibiotic without detectable resistance discovered in uncultured bacteria

A light on the horizon: New antibiotic without detectable resistance discovered in uncultured bacteria

MicrobiologyPharmacy

By Pablo Ortiz

There is a widespread concern about the increasing antibiotic resistance and the limited new drugs to treat infectious diseases, as discussed in a previous post . Consequently, the discovery of a new antibiotic active against a range of bacterial pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus has been greatly welcome, especially because no resistance to it has been […]

MI weekly selection #117

MI weekly selection #117

Humanities & Social SciencesScienceTechnologyWeekly Selection

By César Tomé

Neanderthals interbred with ancient Asians at 2 points in history Neanderthals interbred with the ancestors of Asians twice in ancient history, according to a pair of studies published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The studies approached the same question from different directions, but came to the same conclusion, looking at why Asians have […]

MI weekly selection #116

MI weekly selection #116

Humanities & Social SciencesScienceTechnologyWeekly Selection

By César Tomé

Mesozoic mammals more diverse than previously thought The discovery of two fossils dating back about 160 million years suggests an extensive ecological diversity among early mammals that coexisted with dinosaurs during the Mesozoic era. The two fossils are of a mole-like animal that lived below ground and a creature that lived in the trees, each […]