Tracing genes, biologists show lizard migration is traced to Florida
A new study headed by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis shows that Florida is an exporter of more than just fruit and star athletes. Studying genetic variation in the common brown lizard, Anolis sagrei, the researchers found that introduced populations of the lizard in five different countries can be traced back to the Sunshine State as their site of export. ... The team...UMaine anthropologist wins Solon T. Kimball Award
University of Maine anthropology and marine sciences professor James Acheson has been named the 2004 winner of the American Anthropological Association's Kimball award for effecting change in public policy. ...Acheson, a cultural anthropologist, author and professor at UMaine since 1968, will receive the Solon T. Kimball Award for Public and Applied Anthropology at the association's annual meeti...Brown ecologist garners major National Science Foundation grant
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The National Science Foundation has awarded one of its premier biology grants to Brown University evolutionary ecologist Johanna Schmitt, who will head up a team of researchers examining how environmental cues in different climates affect genes in a single species in this case, an annual weed in the mustard family....... The European native, Arabidopsis thaliana, can be found...UCLA molecular biologists uproot the tree of life
One of science's most popular metaphors -- the "tree of life," with its evolutionary branches and roots, showing groups of bacteria on the bottom and multicellular animals on the higher branches -- turns out to be a misnomer, UCLA molecular biologists report in the Sept. 9 issue of the journal ....... "It's not a tree; it's actually a ring of life," said James A. Lake, UCLA professsor of molecul...UCSD biologists develop 'super-endurance' strain of mice
Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have transformed ordinary laboratory mice into the rodent equivalent of Olympic endurance athletes by deleting a gene that allows mammalian muscles to switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism when oxygen levels in the muscle run low....... , the scientists say the inability of these genetically modified mice to generate energy through anaer...Ecologists help keep death off the roads
Far fewer animals would be killed on the roads if planners took the findings of new research into account when designing and building new roads. According to a study published today in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, it is possible to predict where most animals will attempt to cross roads, and hence where they are most likely to be killed by vehicles. ...... Researche...Rutgers-Newark biologist links presence of protein to spread of cancerous cells
Biology researchers at Rutgers-Newark have identified a new link between a specific protein and its role in determining how cancerous cells divide, spread and form new tumors in other parts of the human body. ... ...In the article, "Rho Overexpression Leads to Mitosis-associated Detachment of Cells from Epithelial Sheets: A Link to the Mechanism of Cancer Dissemination," appearing in the August 9...Biologists deciphering complex lemur scent language
DURHAM, N.C. — A "stink fight" between ring-tailed lemurs might be dead serious to them. But to observers, the scented struggle ranks among the more odd, even comical sights at the ...— already renowned for the biological eccentricities of its exotic denizens... ....... Preparations for battle begin when male combatants load their "weapons" — vigorously rubbing their tails...Plant pathologists meeting in Anaheim, CA to discuss agricultural security, food safety, and more
St. Paul, MN (August 2, 2004) Plant pathologists (plant disease experts) from around the world are meeting in Anaheim, CA for the 2004 Annual Meeting of The American Phytopathological Society (APS) that runs through August 4. Over a five-day period, these plant scientists will present more than 30 different sessions on agricultural issues, new research discoveries, and more. Upcoming sessions of...Ecologist calls for creation of an international panel to assess human behavior
Stanford University Professor Paul R. Ehrlich is urging fellow ecologists to join with social scientists to form an international panel that will discuss and recommend changes in the way human beings treat one another and the environment....... Ehrlich is scheduled to call for the establishment of a Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior (MAHB) during a speech at the 89th annual meeting of the E...American Society of Mammalogists honors CI president Russell Mittermeier with Aldo Leopold award
Washington, DC (July 29, 2004) Conservation International President Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier was awarded the second annual Aldo Leopold Award from the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), CI announced today. The ASM created the award to honor individuals who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. In a written statement to the recip...Springtime blooms seen earlier now than in the past, say Boston University biologists
(Boston) Taking something of a back-to-the-future approach, biologists from Boston University have looked into the past to find that flowering plants growing today blossom more than a week earlier than a century ago. Their findings, being presented at the Society for Conservation Biology's annual meeting in New York City July 30 August 2, show that among the plants studied in Boston's Arnold A...Geologists discover water cuts through rock at surprising speed
In the first study to directly measure when and how quickly rivers outside of growing mountain ranges cut through rock, geologists at the University of Vermont have determined that it was about 35,000 years ago that the Susquehanna and Potomac rivers, respectively, began carving out the Great Falls of the Potomac and Holtwood Gorge. Great Falls, located about 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C.,...Study by Tufts biologist provides window into progression of some degenerative diseases
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. A Tufts University study has shed light on how some inherited diseases such as Huntington's and muscular dystrophy develop in humans.... ..."Our findings show a possible reason that cells with a certain type of mutation (expansion of repetitive DNA) die prematurely," said Catherine Freudenreich, assistant professor of biology at the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts....Register early for the AIUM regional course, Ultrasound: The Complete Perspective, and save
The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) will host Ultrasound: The Complete Perspective, led by course director Peter Doubilet, MD, PhD, October 1617, 2004, at the Le Centre Sheraton, Montral, Canada. Take advantage of early registration (prior to August 13, 2004) and SAVE. ... ...The course will provide an update of current ultrasound and Doppler practices and techniques in abdom...If airbags work well, then Mars landing sites can be chosen more boldly, says UB geologist
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The anticipated Mars landing on Jan. 24 of the Opportunity rover will be a bit more challenging than the Spirit's bounce onto the red planet earlier this month, according to a University at Buffalo geologist, but if it's successful, then scientists will be able to be much bolder about selecting future Mars landing sites. ... "If both of these landers survive with airbag technolog...UCSD biologists discover cell's defense mechanism against class of disease-causing bacterial toxins
Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered a new mechanism that allows cells to fight a class of toxins made by a wide variety of disease-causing bacteria....... Their discovery, detailed in this week's early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could eventually pave the way for the development of new, more effective treatments for bact...U of T microbiologists achieve results with pattern recognition software
University of Toronto microbiologists have used pattern recognition software to discover the function of yeast genes essential to cell life knowledge that could help scientists determine what causes cells to die, as well as what they need to live....... "Given the similarities between the yeast and human genomes, our work should promote advances in genomics research in both yeast and humans," s...Plant pathologists look to forensics to aid in biosecurity
St. Paul, MN (July 7, 2004) - In an effort to protect the nation's crops from possible bioterrorism, plant pathologists are exploring how to apply techniques typically used in crime labs as a tool to fight bioterrorism. ......According to Jacqueline Fletcher, plant pathology professor, Oklahoma State University, the potential for microbes to be used with an intent to harm people, societies, or th...American Chemical Society media registration
Media registration is now open for the 228th national meeting of the American Chemical Society August 22-26 in Philadelphia. ... ...Media can apply for credentials online at:... ... ...General information about the meeting is available at:... http://center.acs.org/applications/ccs/app...Biologists ID defense mechanism of leading fungal pathogen
HOUSTON, June 25, 2004 -- Molecular biologists at Rice University have discovered a key defense mechanism that the yeast Candida albicans uses against attack by the human immune system. This chink in the armor of Candida, the most common human fungal pathogen, could be exploited with new drugs for both lethal and non-lethal Candida outbreaks, including vaginal yeast infections and thrush....... I...Plant pathologists to discuss the future of organic farming
St. Paul, MN (June 22, 2004) Organic farming is one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. agriculture, with organic food sales reaching $9.3 billion in 2002. To ensure continued prosperity of this rapidly expanding industry, plant pathologists with The American Phytopathological Society (APS) are calling for additional organic farming research and adherence to established growing procedures....Carnegie Mellon computational biologist Russell Schwartz receives prestigious CAREER award
PITTSBURGH--Carnegie Mellon University computational biologist Russell Schwartz has received the National Science Foundation's prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. The five-year grant recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century, according to the National Science F...Parting genomes: UA biologists discover seeds of speciation
A University of Arizona graduate student may be the first eyewitness to the birth of a new species. Her new findings, appearing in the June 7, 2004 Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, could help biologists identify and understand the precise genetic changes that lead a species to evolve into two separate species.... ...Laura K. Reed and her advisor, Regents' Professor Therese Markow,...Carnegie Mellon U biologists identify critical player in yeast ribosome assembly
PITTSBURGH--Carnegie Mellon University biologists are the first to show that minor changes in the tail of one protein cripple yeast's ability to assemble protein-making machines called ribosomes. The findings, published in a recent issue of Molecular Cell, ultimately could help scientists develop better drugs to fight fungal infections. ......"Our findings are the first to link the structure of a...Continents played key role in collapse and regeneration of Earth's early greenhouse, geologists say
If a time machine could take us back 4.6 billion years to the Earth's birth, we'd see our sun shining 20 to 25 percent less brightly than today. Without an earthly greenhouse to trap the sun's energy and warm the atmosphere, our world would be a spinning ball of ice. Life may never have evolved.... ...But life did evolve, so greenhouse gases must have been around to warm the Earth. Evidence fro...Biologists discover nerve activity, not just genetics controls kinds of neurotransmitters produced
Neurobiologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that altering electrical activity in nerve cells can change the chemical messengers the cells generate to communicate with other cells, a finding that may one day lead to new treatments for mood and learning disorders.... ...In a study published in the June 3rd issue of the journal Nature, a team led by UCSD professor of b...Temple virologist receives NIH grant to continue investigation of HIV dementia complex
Jay Rappaport, Ph.D., a member of Temple University's Center for Neurovirology and Cancer Biology ( ), has been awarded a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue his research into how AIDS patients develop dementia.... Rappaport and his collaborators at the Center have been focusing on the role of macrophages--large, long-lived cells of the immune system th...Plant pathologists to meet in Anaheim, CA to discuss agricultural security, food safety, and more
St. Paul, MN (May 19, 2004) On July 31 August 4, 2004, thousands of plant pathologists (plant disease experts) from across the world will gather at the Anaheim Convention Center for The American Phytopathological Society (APS) Annual Meeting. Over a five-day period, these plant scientists will present more than 30 different sessions on agricultural issues, new research discoveries, and more. Fo...Biologists uncover genetic links to broad range of human disorders resulting from cilia dysfunctions
Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered a number of key genes that humans, mice, fruit flies and roundworms all need to produce hair-like cellular protrusions known as cilia--a structure that when absent or defective in certain cells has been linked to human infertility, blindness, kidney disease and lung dysfunction.... ... In a paper featured on the cover of the Ma...Archaeologists announce discoveries at the ancient Maya site of Waka' in northern Guatemala
DALLAS (SMU) -- An international archaeological project, sponsored by Southern Methodist University, headed by Dr. David Freidel of SMU, and Guatemalan archaeologist Hctor Escobedo of Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, is attempting to combine scientific research of the ancient Maya past of Guatemala with conservation and development in an effort to save a vital section of tropical rainfores...Radiologists provide safe delivery method for gene therapy
OAK BROOK, Ill. Computed tomography (CT)-guided injections offer a safe delivery method for gene therapy in patients with metastatic kidney cancer, according to a study in the May issue of the journal Radiology. ......Gene therapy involves introducing genetic material directly into cells to fight disease. "The new gene therapies offer promise for controlling certain types of cancer, but deliver...Plant biologists Delmer, Quail, Bennetzen elected to National Academy of Sciences
......ROCKVILLE, MD- Dr. Deborah Delmer of The Rockefeller Foundation; Dr. Peter Quail of the University of California, Berkeley; and Dr. Jeffrey Bennetzen of the University of Georgia have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the NAS announced April 20, 2004.... ...All three scientists are members of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), a non-profit science soci...New York microbiologists awarded research grants in antibiotic resistance and lyme disease
VALHALLA, N.Y., April 15, 2004--Two microbiologists at New York Medical College will further their research in antibiotics and Lyme disease with prestigious awards from the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are Felipe C. Cabello, M.D., of Hartsdale, N.Y., and Ira S. Schwartz, Ph.D., of Spring Valley, N.Y....... Dr. Cabello, professor of...Rutgers ecologists and Brooklyn Botanic Garden botanists to plan Beijing Olympics Forest Park
New Brunswick, NJ-- Ecologists at Rutgers' Cook College & New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) and botanists from Brooklyn Botanic Garden have been selected as the winning team in the international competition to design the new Forest Park for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. The ecologists and botanists are affiliated with the Center for Urban Restoration Ecology (CURE), a co...New book urges ecologists to think 'outside the helmet'
An ecologist at Washington University in St. Louis has co-authored a new book that is forcing the pith helmet set to "think outside the helmet." ...... ... Jonathan M. Chase, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology ... at Washington University and Mathew A. Leibold, Ph.D.,...associate professor of integrative biology at the University of Texas at Austin, are the authors of Ecological Niches....Biologist's find alters the bacteria family tree
The bacteria family tree may be facing some changes due to the recent work of an evolutionary biologist at Washington University in St. Louis. And that may change our understanding of when bacteria and oxygen first appeared on earth. ...Carrine Blank, Ph.D. , assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, has found that the currently accepted dates for the appearance of...American Society of Plant Biologists offers developing nations free access to science journals
ROCKVILLE, MD - The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) announced today that it is offering scientists in nearly 70 poor nations free access to its plant science journals: Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell. ... ...ASPB is participating in Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA), which is an initiative to provide free or low-cost access to over 400 major scientific jour...News tip: Duke marine biologist calls for whale-proof fishing gear
Current efforts to disentangle an endangered right whale whose flipper is wrapped in fishing gear off the North Carolina coast, while essential, are "really only a Band-Aid," says a Duke University marine mammal expert who has participated in past whale rescues.... ..."It's something to do in the interim while we search for better solutions," says Andrew Read, the Rachel Carson Associate Profes...Cell cycle research earns biologist Virginia's top scientist award
Blacksburg, Va. -- John J. Tyson of Blacksburg, Va., University Distinguished Professor of Biology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been named one of Virginia's three Outstanding Scientists of 2004, according to an announcement by Governor Mark R. Warner and Science Museum of Virginia Director Walter R.T. Witschey....... Tyson is a world leader in the newly emerging field of comput...