New 'Twist' In Proteins Offers Possible Route To Improved Antibiotics
... are planning experiments in which theyselectively alter various amino acids in the enzyme and then study the effectsof those alterations, to understand how the natural enzyme works. Roderickis currently attempting to locate the active site by determining the X-raystructure of the enzyme with one of its bo...Changing Continental Runoff Patterns Could Change Ocean Circulation
...Aral Sea is drying up. We do have the capacity to alter the amounts of freshwater that run off into the oceans and that could alter ocean circulation patterns." Bice, Dr. Eric J. Barron, professor of geosciences and director of...Duke's Russian Laser Making Ultraviolet Light And Gamma Rays
...ightednessby surgically removing corneal tissue to alter the eye's shape. But doctorshave found that "193 nanometers isn't necessarily the best match, noris the pulse structure or peak power generated by excimer lasers ideal forthis procedure," Madey said. Since the OK-4 is much more flexible than excimer...Pinpoint Gene Control Holds Promise For Nervous System Studies
...velops as it normally would,"says Brooks. "Then we alter it later and study the molecular andbehavioral changes. We can go into any region of the centralnervous system, at any time during adulthood, and make apermanent genetic modification." Such control is especially noteworthy in the brain becauseof...Learning From Birds And Bees: Engineers Study Insects For Ideas On Tiny "Micro Air Vehicles"
...tuated piezoelectric structuresthat differentially alter lift. Robert J. Englar, a principal researchengineer in GTRI, is applying techniques for directing engine thrustacross the wings. Researchers at several institutions are studying tiny jet turbineengines, pulsejets, ducted fans and other concepts fo...Stronger Evidence That Global Climate Change Can Reduce The Variety Of Life
...he other planets.These changes in the Earth's tilt alter the amount of solar radiationreaching Earth at different latitudes. Cronin and Raymo discovered that orbital cycles of tilt alsoinfluence biodiversity: diverse species-rich communities characterize warminterglacial periods like today (high t...Scientists Determine 3-D Crystal Structure Of Cancer-Causing Protein
...te their differentiation and growth. Mutationsthat alter the normal function of control proteins result in unchecked growthand differentiation--cancer. In a process called phosphorylation--often thefirst step of signal transmission inside a cell--an enzyme called a kinaseattaches a highly charged phosphate...Eating After Exertion May Be A Key To Speeding Body's Recovery
...n ofimprovement. The goal of the research was to alter blood chemistry, specifically theratio of tryptophan, an essential amino acid, to large neutral amino acids,said principal investigator Donald K. Layman, a U. of I. professor of nutrition.Tryptophan levels in the blood help regulate the release of se...Subtle Biotic Changes Have Big Environmental Impact
...wever, the new understanding of the processes that alter the exchange of carbon dioxide between lakes and the atmosphere can be generalized to other ecosystems such as oceans. "Although the consequences ... are much less known for marine systems than for lakes, we should expect that the ecological res...UF Researcher Designs Pill To Control Mosquitoes
... Unlike DDT and some other pesticides, it does not alter the environment in any way, except for poisoning the larval lunch. Mosquitoes that feed on the hormone-laced chlorella starve to death within 72 hours. "This is a natural bullet that we can use in the environment because the hormone doesn't stay in t...Promising Fatty Acid Research Leads To MS Clinical Trial
... that fattyacids from various plants and fungi can alter the course of the disease inanimal models of MS. When fed these fatty acids, in a purified form, rodentswith an experimental disease resembling MS did not develop disease. MS is thought to be due to the body's immune system attacking our own tissue....Researchers Discover New Genetic Risk For Alzheimer's Disease
...We've discovered changes in the APOE gene that can alter your risk, andwe found those changes in the regulatory part of the gene, which controls howmuch APOE protein our cells produce," said Alison M. Goate, Ph.D., associateprofessor of genetics in psychiatry and a lead author of the study. Goate...Genes May Affect The Response To Drugs That Treat Mental Illness
...finities for antipsychotic drugs which may in turn alter the drug'stherapeutic action. This hypothesis was supported by the finding, made byresearchers at The Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, England, of anassociation between a silent polymorphism in the serotonin-2A (5-HT2A) receptorgene and...Experimental Trial Combines DNA Vaccine With Triple-Drug Therapy To Stop HIV
...nificant rise in antibodies, but did not appear to alter the course of theinfection. The hope in the current trial is that, in HIV-positive patients whosevirus levels have been lowered by drug therapy to allow their immune systems torebound, the vaccine will boost immune activity sufficiently to c...Gene Therapy Enables Transplantation Without Immunosuppressive Drugs
...ientific first, a gene therapy strategy was usedto alter the donor liver prior to surgery so that the immune system of therecipient became permanently tolerant of the new organ. The new findings arereported in the February issue of Nature Medicine. Although additional animal studies will be require...Low B Vitamin Levels Common In Many People Linked To Increased Heart Disease, Stroke Risk
...the blood clots that can obstruct blood vessels or alter levels of cholesterol. Cholesterol builds up in the blood vessels, creates fatty deposits, or plaque that can unleash blood clots that trigger a heart attack or stroke.The current study expands on previous research and shows that both vitamin B-6 an..."Genes, Vitamins, Homocyst(e)ine And Cardiovascular Diseases"
... maydetermine whether vitamin supplementation will alter the course ofatherosclerotic diseases; results are expected to be available probably withinthe next 5 years. Until this pivotal study is completed, it would be advisablethat the population consumes a diet rich in green-leaf vegetables, fruits andleg...Cancer Cells Self-Destruct When "Sweet Tooth" Is Thwarted
...hebrain," says Dang. "It might even be possible to alter 2-deoxyglucose so it behaves in this manner." Dang and colleagues plan to begin testing 2-deoxyglucose and othersugar-stopping compounds in animal models of tumors soon. Other authors on the paper were Yoon Chun and Brian Lewis. Media cont...Biotech Approach To Feral Cat Problem Devised
...th concerns as they spread infectious diseases and alter delicate ecological balances. Controlling the birth rates of feral cats has proven a vexing task, since conventional spay and neuter techniques require surgery in a controlled environment. Animal control experts also note that eliminating or removi...Wistar Scientists Identify New Tumor Suppressor Gene For Breast And Lung Cancer
...tter explain how mutations of the BRCA1 gene might alter thatprocess. Laboratory studies have revealed that BRCA1 and BAP1 form a complex inthe cell that controls BRCA1's activities, including its deterioration. The Wistar investigators have also learned that, like BRCA1, the BAP1 gene is acancer gene. ...