Pakistan Science News API

{
    "totalArticles": 18866,
    "articles": [
        {
            "id": "0b1538385b89a5fbc72520ebf9f11b0a",
            "title": "Predicting probiotic success: lessons from Oxalobacter and oxalate metabolism",
            "description": "The gut microbiota influences host metabolism, immunity, and organ physiology, making it an attractive therapeutic target. However, clinical probiotic trials often produce inconsistent results, reflecting context-dependent effects shaped by metabolic, ecological, dietary, and host-specific factors. We critically synthesized the literature on hyperoxaluria, a condition of elevated urinary oxalate associated with kidney stones and chronic kidney disease, as a mechanistically tractable model for probiotic development. We examined evidence from clinical studies, microbiome analyses, and mechanistic experiments to identify factors influencing efficacy, with a focus on Oxalobacter formigenes, a specialist oxalate-degrading anaerobe. Across trials, probiotic success depended less on dose, strain identity, or persistence, and more on the ecological context - particularly the baseline abundance of oxalate-degrading genes (oxc, frc) in the native microbiota. Efficacy was highest when these metabolic niches were vacant. Diet, delivery format, and broader microbial community structure also shaped outcomes. A taxon-centric approach is insufficient for predicting probiotic efficacy. We propose a three-phase framework for rational design: (1) case–control microbiome studies to identify metabolically relevant deficits; (2) mechanistic in vivo and in vitro validation to establish causality; and (3) complex systems modeling to predict context-specific responses. This metabolism-first, ecology-grounded strategy is generalizable to other microbiota-linked conditions and supports precision microbial therapeutics.",
            "content": "Fan, Y. & Pedersen, O. Gut microbiota in human metabolic health and disease. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 19, 55–71 (2021).\nOkolie, M. C. et al. Gut microbiota and immunity in health and diseases: A review. Proc. Indian Natl. Sci. Acad. 91, 397–414 (2025).\nK... [12545 chars]",
            "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-025-00896-3?error=cookies_not_supported&code=1757a0a6-22dd-40fd-a54e-bff26d2098b7",
            "image": "https://www.nature.com/static/images/favicons/nature/favicon-48x48-b52890008c.png",
            "publishedAt": "2026-01-06T21:07:38Z",
            "lang": "en",
            "source": {
                "id": "7abf0df285fbe93cdccffcc7c4088737",
                "name": "Nature",
                "url": "https://www.nature.com"
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "22f3a6738b039c112cc4d88737c5e988",
            "title": "A Legacy of Airflow Innovation Grows: Labconco® Adds Prism™ to Biosafety Cabinet Family",
            "description": "Labconco Corporation is excited to mark its 50th anniversary of biosafety cabinet innovation by adding another BSC to its already comprehensive portfolio. The new Prism Class II, Type A2 Biosafety Cabinet builds on a trusted legacy of engineering excellence in laboratory containment – a legacy rooted in the company’s expertise in ventilation, airflow and safety. […]",
            "content": "Labconco Corporation is excited to mark its 50th anniversary of biosafety cabinet innovation by adding another BSC to its already comprehensive portfolio. The new Prism Class II, Type A2 Biosafety Cabinet builds on a trusted legacy of engineering exc... [1322 chars]",
            "url": "https://www.kcchamber.com/current-topics/a-legacy-of-airflow-innovation-grows-labconco-adds-prism-to-biosafety-cabinet-family/",
            "image": "https://www.kcchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Favicon.svg",
            "publishedAt": "2026-01-06T20:40:58Z",
            "lang": "en",
            "source": {
                "id": "7fe6efcc556e41e4ee4cc02bd25412fd",
                "name": "KC Chamber",
                "url": "https://www.kcchamber.com"
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "160fc5684b9aa2cdb54f9a03f8422dff",
            "title": "New hybrid state of matter is a mix of solid and liquid",
            "description": "Finding could be important for catalysis and other thermally-activated industrial processes",
            "content": "The boundary between a substance’s liquid and solid phases may not be as clear-cut as previously believed. A new state of matter that is a hybrid of both has emerged in research by scientists at the University of Nottingham, UK and the University of ... [5064 chars]",
            "url": "https://physicsworld.com/a/new-hybrid-state-of-matter-is-a-mix-of-solid-and-liquid/",
            "image": "https://physicsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/atomic-dynamics.jpg",
            "publishedAt": "2026-01-06T15:03:11Z",
            "lang": "en",
            "source": {
                "id": "1dd3759cb6657cd7ae475f4c1193d66b",
                "name": "Physics World",
                "url": "https://physicsworld.com"
            }
        }
    ]
}