Recreating Google’s Android logo now requires two new ingredients: the Shift key and some shading.

Bats could hold the key to unlocking new ways to combat cancer, a new study suggests. A paper published by Oxford University Press, looks at the rapid evolution of bats for their abilities to both host and survive infections such as Covid-19 as well as cancer. The animals are known to have a strong immune system which helps fight off many viruses and diseases. These mammals are also thought to have played a role in the emergence of Covid-19 and scientists say such characteristics are interesting to investigate due to the implications it might have on human health. According to the research, understanding the mechanisms of the bat’s immune system that allows these animals to fight off viral infections – may pave the way to understanding how to prevent disease outbreaks from animals to people. To conduct the study, researchers sequenced the genomes of two bat species - the Jamaican fruit bat and the Mesoamerican mustached bat. The team used advanced technology from Oxford Nanopore Technologies and bat samples collected by the American Museum of Natural History in Belize. They then compared the bat genomes to those of other mammals. The results revealed that bats possessed genetic adaptations in proteins which are related to DNA repair and cancer suppression. It was found that bats had adaptations in six DNA repair-related proteins and 46 cancer-related proteins. The study also found that bats had more than double the number of altered cancer-related genes compared to other mammals, which provided further evidence that they have the ability to suppress cancer. “By generating these new bat genomes and comparing them to other mammals we continue to find extraordinary new adaptations in antiviral and anticancer genes,” said the paper’s lead author, Armin Scheben. “These investigations are the first step towards translating research on the unique biology of bats into insights relevant to understanding and treating ageing and diseases, such as cancer, in humans.” The results open up new paths for understanding and studying the links between cancer and immunity, which offers hope that these insights from bats might possibly lead to new treatments for human illnesses. According to the United States Department of the Interior, there are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide and are mostly found in extreme deserts and polar regions. In the US and Canada, there are about 45 species of bats. Read More British bats ‘can help identify coronaviruses with potential to infect humans’ Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic Groundbreaking migraine treatment offers ‘new hope’ for patients World Sepsis Day: What is the condition and its symptoms? Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor says he’s ‘asymptomatic’ after end-of-life diagnosis

A man who put his tiredness down to long Covid was told he actually had a brain tumour that had been growing for 10 years. Grant Churnin-Ritchie, 42, repeatedly visited his GP after a bout of Covid in July 2021 left him with constant tiredness and a tingling in his right arm. For several months, he was told it was long Covid, but Grant was convinced it was more serious. After blood tests, an ECG and an MRI scan, it was revealed he had a pituitary tumour. This type of tumour affects the pituitary gland, a pea-sized organ in the brain which controls growth and development. Grant, a Microsoft specialist from Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, said: “I kept going to my GP who said I had long Covid. This went on for several months, but I really didn’t feel well in myself and felt it was something more serious. “I was so tired and I was experiencing a tingling sensation in my arms. “I had blood tests and an ECG at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds, which revealed an abnormal heartbeat.” Grant was also told he had adrenal insufficiency - in which the adrenal gland doesn’t make enough hormones - and hypothyroidism - an under-active thyroid gland. These are both symptoms of a pituitary tumour. The father-of-three said: “An endocrinologist at St James’ University Hospital said it could be caused by Covid or a pituitary tumour. “An MRI scan confirmed it was a brain tumour which had probably been growing for 10 years.” Grant waited 11 months for his operation before the tumour was removed on January 16 2023. He said: “Soon after, I started to feel a lot better. Removing the tumour allowed some of the adrenal gland to start functioning again. “Even though I now have to take medication, I can lead a normal life. “Even though surgeons removed the tumour, there is a 20 per cent chance of it growing back. “I have an MRI scan in July so I should know more then.” Grant raised £2.5k after running Leeds Half Marathon for Brain Tumour Research on May 14 with his wife, Hannah, 40. He said: “Being able to run the half marathon with my wife Hannah was great, and I’m glad to be able to raise awareness of brain tumours. “Because I only had two months to train for the race, I found it very hard to complete. Luckily, I had my wonderful family and friends cheering me on which got me through it. “I wanted to give something back, and this was my way of saying thank you to the medical teams and Brain Tumour Research for what they do for people with this disease.” Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “We’re really grateful to Grant for taking on the Leeds Half Marathon as it’s only with the support of people like him that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like him who are forced to fight this awful disease.” SWNS Read More Boy, 8, rushed to hospital after feeling constipated diagnosed with cancer A TikTok model made viral videos of her grandmother’s choice to die. Here’s why Parents of baby who died in maternity scandal say care concerns ‘batted away’ A 1D fan claimed she had a tumour. We still don’t know the truth after her death Talented boxer reveals first sign of brain tumour after collapsing at service station Father shares cancer symptoms he thought was too much coffee

Humanity has marveled at the vivid star Betelgeuse for many millennia. Over two thousand years

TL;DR: Lifetime access to StackSkills Unlimited is on sale for £26.01, saving you 97% on

'Succession' star Jeremy Strong revealed that he actually drank the gross blended smoothie because he wanted to show what kind of a person Kendall is

Taliban-trained suicide bomber Ismail Ashuqullah regrets missing the chance to blow himself up at the height of the Afghan war -- like many other young men...

Dozens of US states on Tuesday accused Facebook and Instagram owner Meta of profiting "from children's pain," damaging their mental health and misleading people...

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for

TL;DR: Until July 12, Prime members can get a four-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited

Disney has released a study showing its economic impact in Florida at $40.3 billion, directly and indirectly through its supply chain and employee spending

Orsted A/S’s potential $2.3 billion impairment on its US projects is just the latest in a string of