Predatory

New research has solved a long-standing mystery in microbiology, revealing how Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predates on other bacteria by using fiber-like proteins to capture a wide variety of targets. This finding opens up potential uses of these predators in combating harmful bacteria in healthcare, food, and the environment, representing a significant leap forward in the development of natural antibacterial strategies.A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill…

Scientists have uncovered fossils detailing a new huge predatory worm species thought to have hunted in the Earth’s water column more than 518 million years ago.Researchers from the University of Bristol's Schools of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences believe this worm – named Timorebestia, or ‘terror beast’ in Latin – was one of the planet’s earliest carnivorous swimming animals and part of a diverse “dynasty” of predators that until now was unknown to scientists."We have previously known that primitive arthropods…

Viruses can become “sick” when another virus impairs their function. This often involves a battle for control within a host cell. Satellite viruses, like the recently discovered MiniFlayer, can attach themselves to other viruses, such as MindFlayer, influencing their behavior. This understanding of viral interactions, particularly in the context of satellite and helper viruses, provides valuable insights into potential antiviral strategies and the broader implications for viral research and therapy.Viruses, like humans,…

Apple has removed several predatory lending apps from the App Store in India, after users took to social media and complained about them. Over the past few days, several users alleged that quick-loan apps with names like White Kash, Pocket Kash, Golden Kash had started showing up on the Top Finance Apps chart. These apps would demand unnecessary and intrusive permissions like access to the contact list and gallery, and would also harass and threaten users with dire consequences in case of a delay in payment. The apps were…

Chlorine has long been used as an effective way of removing microorganisms, including bacteria, from drinking water but it has been linked to health problems. In a new study, researchers looked at how the bacteria responded when chlorine was removed from the purification process, opening the door to using harmless 'predatory' bacteria as an alternative to chlorine.A glass of clean drinking water contains about 10 million bacteria, but they’re harmless thanks to the processes the water undergoes before it comes out of the…

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the government is not concerned about flash sales on online platforms but is against predatory pricing and other cheating methods used by e-retailers to restrict consumer choices.He also said that often consumers purchasing goods on the e-marketplace platform to avail benefits of flash sales are diverted to entities preferred or promoted by the online retailer, which is cheating and against the foreign direct investment rules."Why should I complain if somebody…

A juvenile Edmontosaurus disappears into the enormous, lipped mouth of Tyrannosaurus. Credit: Mark WittonA recent study challenges the depiction of predatory dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex with exposed teeth, suggesting they had scaly, lizard-like lips instead. By examining tooth structure, wear patterns, and jaw morphology of reptile groups, researchers concluded that theropod mouth anatomy resembles lizards more than crocodiles. The findings imply that many popular dinosaur depictions, including the iconic <span…

A brand-new law (awaiting only the president’s signature) will let the Federal Communications Commission directly regulate rates in the notoriously predatory prison calling industry. Under the threat of having to provide a solid product for a reasonable price, companies may opt to call it a day and open up the market to a more compassionate and forward-thinking generation of providers. Prison calling systems depend on the state and the prison system, and generally have run the gamut from good enough to shockingly…

Twitch says that it is rolling out a number of updates to ensure that children are not groomed on its platform. In a blog post, the company announced a number of technology implementations to ensure that children under the age of thirteen are not able to access the streaming platform and those seeking to groom those children or exhibit any kind of predatory behavior on the platform are caught, banned, and reported. In order to keep children who shouldn’t have access to the platform off of it, the company…

The Union Home Ministry recently sought urgent and strict action by law enforcement agencies against predatory lending apps as harassment, blackmail and harsh recovery practices by such Chinese-controlled entities have led to multiple incidents of death by suicide. In a communication to all states and Union territories, the home ministry said the issue has caused a serious impact on national security, economy and citizen safety. It said a large number of complaints have been reported across India related to illegal…