This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The termite gut is the world’s smallest bioreactor and the most efficient system for breaking down biomass. To learn how this mini-digester might one day be scaled up to a technologically meaningful level, researchers examined the structure and function of the gut microbiomes from 11 termite genera which were grouped by diet into plant-fiber feeders and soil feeders. Both groups had similar bacterial flora. But subtle differences did emerge, with each termite species harbouring a unique set of genes encoding for breaking down plant biomass. Future metagenomics studies could help refine the specific functions of different bacterial genes within the termite gut, allowing for better insight into the termite–bacteria relationship and teasing out capabilities that could help bring these microscopic reactors to the macroscale..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Mangrove forests are home to many varieties of methanogens, microbes that digest surrounding carbon into methane under low-oxygen conditions. Despite their important role in the global carbon cycle and climate change, the metabolic potentials of two novel methanogens in mangroves remain poorly understood. A new study reports on the ecological importance of Methanofastidiosa (MF) and Methanomassiliicoccales (MMA), two recently discovered groups of methanogens found to dwell naturally in the Mangrove Nature Reserve in Shenzhen, China. Using metagenomics, researchers examined how MF and MMA produce methane. Results showed that the two groups of microbes both use hydrogen to produce methane from compounds found naturally in mangrove sediments, including methylsulfides, methanol, and methylamines. This marks the first time the two groups of methanogens have been studied in the wild and could help scientists understand how these microbes contribute to global methane emissions and a changing climate..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The bacterial symbionts of insects play a critical role in their hosts' nutrition and development. But what happens when your host shuts down? To find out, researchers examined larvae of Nasonia vitripennis, a wasp that undergoes a hibernation-like state called diapause. They compared wasp larvae raised to be bacteria-free, or axenic, with conventionally raised larvae. During diapause, the axenic larvae accumulated less weight and had consistently lower glucose and glycerol than the conventionally raised larvae, suggesting the microbiome played an important role in nutrient allocation and mobilization. Undergoing diapause during larval stages also altered microbial composition in both larvae and adult wasps. Taken together, these results underscore the importance of considering microbiome effects when studying diapause..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Survival is a complex energy-balancing act that involves a number of cell signaling pathways. One important player in this act is the protein mTORC1. Previous studies have shown that inhibiting mTORC1 is beneficial for health—and lifespan—serving as one promising way to fight cancer, for example. Now, a new computational model could reveal important details about key players in aging. This model captures the dynamic of known key players in the aging process, such as AMPK, mTORC1, and SIRT signaling pathways. Model simulations indicated that PRAS40 can be considered as another mTORC1 inhibitor. This access point is clinically important, as it provides a way of suppressing mTORC1 with the optimum dose of the inhibitor rapamycin, which at high doses and long exposure is known to cause problems such as insulin resistance. Results suggest that Sestrin2 is another potential candidate that can inhibit mTORC1..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Patients with osteoarthritis typically experience progressive cartilage degeneration, joint inflammation, and bony growth around the joints. Treatment of this painful condition remains difficult because the underlying mechanisms aren’t clear, but recent evidence suggests that an increase in aerobic glycolysis, a form of glucose metabolism, may play a role. Aerobic glycolysis is regulated in part by the enzyme hexokinase 2 (HK2), which is upregulated in the joint tissues of patients with osteoarthritis . In addition to participating in glycolysis, HK2 affects cell growth, proliferation, survival, organelle recycling, and death under the influences of various other osteoarthritis-related proteins and pathways. For example, HK2 activity is promoted by the PI3K/Akt pathway, which is activated in osteoarthritis cartilage and HK2 might activate the transcription factor NF-κB to encourage downstream inflammatory processes in joints..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Termites are one of the few animal lineages able to digest the most abundant biomolecule on earth, lignocellulose. Of the nine families of termites, all but one of them eat wood, with the last feeding on soil. While termites produce enzymes that break down lignocellulose, their gut microbes are still a critical part of the digestion process. But most termite gut microbiome research to date is based on research from wood-feeding or pest species of termites. So, a recent study examined the prokaryotic gut microbes from a sample of termite species that better represent the diversity of termites. The gut microbes possessed a similar set of carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism genes across the termite phylogenetic tree. The proportions of these genes varied with the hosts’ diet and position on the phylogenetic tree. Surprisingly, the soil-feeding termites didn't even have unique microbial metabolic genes or pathways compared to wood-feeding species..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) drives the secondary brain injury found in some central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Certain CNS diseases can be exacerbated by a dysregulated microbiota-gut-brain axis through metabolites like short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). But is there a relationship between gut dysbiosis and CCH, and does maintaining SCFA metabolism by restoring the gut microbiota protect against CCH? To answer these questions, a recent study examined the effects of fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) on a rat model of CCH. CCH was induced with bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). BCCAO caused cognitive impairment, impaired gut function, altered gut microbiota, and reduced SCFA levels. However, the transfer of a balanced microbiota to BCCAO rats reduced these symptoms. Specifically, a rebalanced microbiota improved gut motility and barrier functions. It also led to higher levels of hippocampal SCFAs and reduced neuroinflammation in response to lipopolysaccharide..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Aimed at pre-registration Nursing students studying human biology, this learning object introduces the physiology of the kidney, examining the processes by which the kidneys filter blood, control body pH and eliminate the waste products of metabolism from the body.