scientist

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Scientists create protective gel for probiotics

Prebiotics (fermentable fibers) and probiotics (beneficial microbes) are key to establishing a healthy gut microbiome. While most dietary prebiotics can successfully traverse the digestive system, most dietary probiotics cannot survive digestion. Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have developed a gel to help probiotics reach their destination: the colon. Probiotics are live microorganisms […]

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Scientists discover how oilseed plants regulate oil production

Plant scientists are seeking ways to increase seed oil production, and researchers at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory may have found the molecular factors that limit the oil production of oilseed plants. According to John Shanklin, a biochemist at Brookhaven, an enzyme called ACCase—a protein containing four subunits—determines the rate of oil […]