Landmark gene agreement announced by Samoan government and UC Berkeley for anti-AIDS drug Prostratin
APIA, SAMOA -- The University of California, Berkeley, has signed an agreement with the Samoan government to isolate from an indigenous tree the gene for a promising anti-AIDS drug and to share any royalties from sale of a gene-derived drug with the people of Samoa....... The agreement, announced today (Thursday, Sept. 30) in Apia, the capital of Samoa, supports Samoa's assertion of national sove...St. Petersburg/New Haven Partnership for HIV/AIDS Care, Treatment and Support launched
The St. Petersburg/New Haven Partnership for HIV/AIDS Care, Treatment and Supportwas launched on September 20. ... The Partnership is made possible by a two and half year grant funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Yale AIDS Program and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA). The goal is to develop a partnership between the Yale School o...USAID, Conservation International & Starbucks launch Conservation Coffee Alliance in Central America
Seeking to improve the livelihoods of small-scale coffee farmers while conserving the environment, the United States Government, working through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today joined forces with Conservation International (CI) and Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) to create the Conservation Coffee Alliance. ...... With a focus on Central America and Me...Preclinical safety study shows adipose-derived stem cells improve heart function after heart attack
San Diego, CA, September 27, 2004 - MacroPore Biosurgery, Inc. (Frankfurt: XMP) today announced that adipose tissue-derived regenerative cells improved heart function following myocardial infarction in a large-animal preclinical safety study. This study, performed in swine, confirms previous preclinical work by MacroPore Biosurgery and others suggesting that the Company's proprietary, patented te...Punching the timeclock of life
Ten years ago, Valter Longo had an inkling of a theory of aging that is now challenging the dogma of one of science's heavyweights Charles Darwin.... ...From graduate school to a career as an assistant professor in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Longo's ideas were questioned by peers and students alike as he explored a new way to...Secretary of Energy announces seven E.O. Lawrence Award Winners
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today named the seven winners of the 2004 E.O. Lawrence Award. Each winner will receive a gold medal, a citation and $50,000. The award is given in seven categories for outstanding contributions in the broadly defined field of atomic energy.... ..."We are all enriched by the contributions these researchers have made ranging from engines with no moving parts...Abstract poster contest finalists announced
(Spokane, WA) --Six finalists were announced in the poster competition at the annual Environmental and Subsurface Science Symposium, hosted by the Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA). The finalists include students from Washington State University, Idaho State University, the University of Idaho and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Students from both INRA and non-INRA universities partic...'Fossil genes' reveal how life sheds form and function
MADISON - Reading the fossil record, a paleontologist can peer into evolutionary history and see the surface features that plants and animals and, occasionally, microbes have left behind....... Now, scouring the genome of a Japanese yeast, scientists have found a trackway of fossil genes in the making, providing a rare look at how an organism, in response to the demands of its environment, has ch...Loss of the neuronal adhesion protein d-catenin leads to severe cognitive dysfunction
By specifically deleting the adhesion protein d-catenin, which is found exclusively in the brain, researchers at UCLA have found evidence that loss of d-catenin produces severe cognitive and synaptic dysfunction. Researchers have been particularly interested in d-catenin because clinical observations suggest it plays a critical role in brain function. Human chromosome-5 truncations that disrupt t...Resveratrol synthase uncovered: Cyclization specificity of type III polyketide synthases
A group from the Salk institute illuminates the structural basis for tetraketide cyclization in stilbene synthase, the enzyme that produces resveratrol, the beneficial phytonutrient found in red wine.... ...Plant natural products called stilbenes can confer antifungal resistance to host plants and have been shown to possess health benefits for humans and other animals when present in their d...Popular Science announces Third Annual 'Brilliant 10'
New York, NY, September 14, 2004--Popular Science magazine names its third annual "Brilliant 10" today, a list of ten young scientists to watch. All are extraordinary thinkers who are gaining recognition in their fields, yet remain virtually unknown to the general public. The article appears in the October issue of Popular Science, on newsstands today. ...... "Brilliant 10 is our way of bringing...The American Phytopathological Society announces 2004 awards
St. Paul, Minn. (September 16, 2004) - The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is pleased to announce its 2004 award recipients. These awards were presented at the APS Annual Meeting, August 2004, in Anaheim, Calif.... ...APS grants the Fellow designation to current members in recognition of distinguished contributions to plant pathology or to the Society. The 10 members named Fellows in the...NSF announces six 'FIBR' awards to tackle some of biology's most challenging questions
ARLINGTON, Va.-- How exactly do animals move? How do organisms adapt to newly acquired genes? What genetic forces draw members of an ecological community together? And does social behavior originate in nature, nurture or both? To tackle these and other major questions in biology, the National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced six new awards totaling nearly $30 million over five years from...Protein is key to fatal disorder and normal cell function
DURHAM, N.C. The aberrant protein that causes juvenile Batten disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder of childhood, also plays a key role in normal cell function, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found....... The Duke study is the first to identify where the cln3 protein resides in human brain cells and to link the protein's location to its function. The researchers discovered...Protein is key for digestive function of the pancreas
Scientists have identified a protein that is necessary for secretion of digestive enzymes by the pancreas. The research, published in the September issue of Developmental Cell, enhances the understanding of the normal physiology of the pancreas and provides some insight into abnormal processes that may lead to pancreatic disease.... ...While the most famous role of the pancreas is the productio...ConocoPhillips & Conservation International launch 'Biodiversity Action Plan' in Venezuela
Working to protect one of the Caribbean's two most important regions for marine species, Conservation International and ConocoPhillips have launched a 'Biodiversity Action Plan' (BAP) to promote environmental protection and regional economic development as part of the company's oil production strategy in Venezuela's Gulf of Paria. ... ...Home to over 200 species of mollusks, 50 species of crusta...White House to honor UNC School of Medicine scientist for 'early career' achievement
CHAPEL HILL -- Dr. Brian Strahl, assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, will attend a White...House ceremony Thursday (Sept. 9) afternoon in honor of his selection for the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.... The annual award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outsta...New research shows air pollution can reduce children's lung function
Children who live in polluted communities are five times more likely to have clinically low lung function--less than 80 percent of the lung function expected for their age. New data from the Children's Health Study suggests that pollutants from vehicle emissions and fossil fuels hinder lung development and limit breathing capacity for a lifetime.... ...The study was funded by the National Institu...NHGRI launches Centers for Excellence in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research
BETHESDA, Md., Tues., Aug. 31, 2004 The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today the funding of four interdisciplinary centers as part of a new initiative to address some of the most pressing ethical, legal and social questions raised by recent advances in genetic and genomic research.... ...The initiative, the Centers for...Protemix corporation announces discovery of way to repair hearts damaged by diabetes
Auckland, New Zealand (August 31, 2004): New Zealand biopharmaceutical company Protemix Corporation has announced the discovery of a treatment which appears to reverse heart disease in people suffering from diabetes and may lead to a more effective intervention in a major cause of death worldwide.... ...A study , brought about a significant reduction towards normal heart size in diabetic patient...Winner of 2004 EMBO Science Writing Prize announced
The EMBO Science Writing Prize is awarded annually for an outstanding piece of science writing that effectively communicates a topical issue to a non-scientific audience. Matthew Bottomley's innovative text fulfils this criterion on every level. The lively dialogue relates double agent James Pond's mission to combat the deadly 'Pseudo' bacteria currently a leading cause of hospital-acquired infe...Researchers uncover secrets of immune system's munitions factory
Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have discovered a new component of the machinery immune cells use to generate a remarkably diverse array of antibodies from a relatively small number of genes....... The discovery reveals important links in the molecular pathway by which complex genetic alterations arm the immune system to target myriad potential bacterial and viral invaders with swiftn...JGI announces community sequencing program portfolio
WALNUT CREEK, CA--Despite the perception that the genetic diversity among animals--ranging from humans to worms--is enormous, the reality is that it pales in comparison to the diversity between the microbes that make up the bulk of the biomass on the planet. ...... Accordingly, to close conspicuous gaps in our understanding of the tree of life, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Ins...New compound could give some types of cancer the one-two punch
PHILADELPHIA Ohio State University researchers are working on developing a multi-purpose cancer drug that might one day scale back the number of medications some cancer patients need to take.... ...In laboratory tests, a dual-action compound called OSU 111 has shown promise in killing prostate cancer cells. ......"It had a direct toxic effect on cancer cells, and also prevented angiogenesis the...The solving of the human genome sequence was hailed a few years ago as biology's equivalent to landing a man on the moon -- a mammoth milestone of monumental importance.... ...However, unlike the first moon shot, the real milestone of the human genome project is not a singular event. The genome project's giant leap for mankind is coming not with a single small step taken on one summer's night b...APS announces the winners of its 2004 postdoctoral fellowship in physiological genomics
August 11, 2004 - Bethesda, Md. - The American Physiological Society (APS) has announced the winners of its 2004 Postdoctoral Fellowships in Physiological Genomics. The two-year award will provide funds totaling $73,000 to each of the two winning scientists including stipend and a mini research grant for each year. Winners of the 2004 APS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Physiological Genomics are:.....Joslin Diabetes Center launches research section on developmental and stem cell biology
BOSTON -- Joslin Diabetes Center, the global leader in diabetes research, care and education, today announced that it has established a new Section on Developmental and Stem Cell Biology. Research in this field has been ongoing at Joslin for a number of years, particularly in identifying ways to get adult pancreatic cells to grow and produce insulin. The new section will complement Joslin's exi...Common call for action on European Research Council (ERC)
August 6, 2004 'Science magazine' today published a letter co-signed by over 50 European scientific organisations calling for urgent action on the establishment of a European Research Council (ERC) a pan-European funding organisation for basic research at a European level. A mass petition of this kind on science policy is almost unheard of in Europe and indicates the importance these organisati...Method to visualize gene activity may provide insight into normal development & genome function
A technique developed by University of California, San Diego biologists, which uses bright fluorescent dyes to reveal the activity of genes in individual cells of an organism, promises to be a boon to developmental biologists, and may provide new insight into how cancerous tumors begin and grow. ... ...The advance, described in the August 6 issue of , allows researchers, for the first time, to s...APS/IUPS launch PHYSIOLOGY bimonthly
BETHESDA, MD (July 30, 2004) The American Physiological Society and the...International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) in August are launching Physiology, a bimonthly journal of invited articles that identify, review and critically discuss the most important research and developments in the broad, integrative science of physiology. ... ...The editor is Dr. Walter Boron, MD, PhD, profess...UNC researchers awarded $8.65 million from National Institute on Aging
CHAPEL HILL A team of scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has been awarded a federal grant of $8.65 million to investigate the molecular basis of blood vessel aging and its role in the development of vascular disease, including heart attack.... ...The five-year grant comes from the National Institute on Aging, a component of the National Institu...Researchers uncover surprising degree of large-scale variation in the human genome
A new study by Michael Wigler's group at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has revealed surprising differences in the DNA of normal cells from different people.... ...The study, which appears this week in the journal Science, used a powerful new DNA profiling technique, originally developed by Wigler's group, called ROMA (representational oligonucleotide microarray analysis). The technique was initia...Carnegie Mellon neuroscientist develops tool to image brain function at the cellular level
......PITTSBURGH--Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Alison Barth has developed the first tool to identify and study individual neurons activated in a living animal. This advance, described in the July 21 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, ultimately could lead to the development of targeted drugs that directly affect specific neurons involved in neurological diseases that alter behavi...National Corn Growers Association announces valuable maize genome data now available to scientists
ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 13, 2004 Valuable maize (corn) research is now available to research scientists working to sequence the maize genome, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced today. Ceres, Inc., Monsanto Company, and DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., have transferred their maize sequencing information to a searchable database on the Internet hosted at the...UNC scientists uncover crucial mechanism for blood vessel development
CHAPEL HILL -- New research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides insights into the fundamental mechanisms controlling blood vessel formation and may have implications for therapies such as non-surgical restoration of circulation....... The study findings appear in the June 15 issue of the journal Blood....... Blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis, is an integral part of n...Stanford launches public lecture series on genomic medicine
Stanford University is offering a series of free monthly lectures designed to enhance public understanding of the Human Genome Project and the revolution in genomic medicine. The lecture series, titled ''Sequencing the Human Genome: What Does It Tell Us About Ourselves,'' will be held in Fairchild Auditorium on the Stanford campus.... ...The first lecture, "Biomedical Innovations: Confronting the...AGI announces the winners of Earth Science Week 2003 contests
The American Geological Institute is proud to announce the winners of the Earth Science Week 2003 contests. The contests are designed to encourage students and the public to participate in this annual celebration that recognizes the importance of Earth sciences in our lives. The most recent contests included an art contest for elementary-school children, an essay contest for secondary-school stud...GenSAT (Gene Expression Nervous System Atlas) project announced
For scientists studying the brain, this week's Nature announces a remarkable new map describing previously uncharted territory, plus the means of exploring the new horizons for themselves. Rockefeller University scientists led by Nat Heintz, Ph.D., and Mary Beth Hatten, Ph.D., are well under way on a genetic atlas of the mammalian brain that provides unprecedented access to central nervous system...New clinical study uncovers mechanism by which chromium picolinate may enhance insulin sensitivity
PARIS, France, August 28, 2003 (Nutrition 21, Inc. Nasdaq: NXXI) The results of a new double-blind randomized placebo controlled human trial of people with type 2 diabetes revealed a potential mechanism that may explain the ability of chromium picolinate to improve insulin resistance in human skeletal muscle the primary site for glucose metabolism. These data suggest that when chromium picolin...Canada, US launch collaborative research programs for circulatory and respiratory health
The leading federal health research agencies in Canada and the United States -- the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- have formed a partnership to advance research of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. ... ...Three research programs are being launched collaboratively between CIHR's Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (...