RNA inner workings partly unveiled in Stanford study
... structure of the protein layers, the group passed extremely bright X-rays - generated at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, or SSRL - through a crystallized version of the proteins. The crystal scatters the X-rays, generating a distinctive diffraction pattern that reveals the sample's three-dimens...Human embryonic stem cells may promise medical advances
...ers attribute their apparent success to the use of extremely fresh donor eggs, stringent timing protocols, and a special method for gently extruding rather than suctioning the DNA-spindle complex from eggs. Suctioning the DNA may damage spindles, possibly causing chromosomal defects called aneuploidy, they not...Symposium focuses on unique challenges of environmental pathogens
...hrax), or can cause persistent infections that are extremely difficult to treat (e.g., Mycobacterium avium complex, or MAC). This raises intriguing questions about how these microorganisms evolved the ability to cause disease and resist antibiotic treatment. Global climate change and the threat of biowarfare c...New evidence points to pollution as main cause of much coral reef destruction
...vels typical of surrounding waters. The team found extremely high amounts of seaweed on reefs near the mouth of the channel, and less farther away as nutrient levels decreased. With the exception of one site, reefs far enough away from the channel were healthy with little or no seaweed overgrowth. The exceptio...ESA to select new Earth Explorer missions
...ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere is extremely important. In order to address issues such as clim...dget the amount that is available as freshwater is extremely small. Precipitation is a crucial element affecting life on Earth and constitutes the foremost excha...Substances found in blood may predict development of preeclampsia
..., infants born to mothers with preeclampsia may be extremely small for their age or may be born prematurely. This may, in turn, place them at risk for a variety of other birth complications. The Flt-1 molecule belongs to a class of molecules known as receptors, explained the study's principal investigator, R...Puffer fish biotoxin provides promising relief in cancer pain
...fish in patients with refractory cancer pain show extremely promising results. The study, reported in the January/February issue of the Journal Supportive Oncology , details the findings from the open-label dose finding trial, showing that the majority of patients who received the novel analgesic experienced...Houston scientist named as rising star in chemistry
...ur fundamental understanding of chemistry." "I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award. It is especially meaningful since I received my first grant in Texas from The Welch Foundation, which has undoubtedly played a vital role in my career and allowed me to carry out much of my research," said D...Avian flu: Shut down wild bird markets, experts say
... "The wild bird trade in Asia is conducted on an extremely large scale, and is highly fluid," said Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, WCS's director of hunting and wildlife trade. "The one common theme is that wild birds are being caught, sold and transported in very large numbers, and that effective controls, both in ...Two-drug approach might shorten painful labor, reduce Caesarean sections
...s, but in humans it declines, and blood levels are extremely low in the third trimester when relaxin is needed the most, Sherwood said. The experimental rats used in the study were treated with antibodies to block relaxin's actions in the late stages of pregnancy to reflect the lack of hormonal activity of the...Microbial biofilm yields community genomes, metabolic clues
...esearch team found its biofilm atopa hot, flowing, extremely acidic solution-laden withdissolved iron, copper, zinc and arsenic-emanating from amine on Iron Mountain, about nine miles northwest ofRedding. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the mine,which shut down in 1963 after nearly a century...Activation of receptor ups development of precancerous intestinal polyps
...ted receptor delta (PPAR-delta). "This is extremely significant because it is these larger polyps that are most likely to develop into intestinal cancer," said Raymond N. DuBois, MD, PhD, Hortense B. Ingram Professor of Molecular Oncology, a professor of Medicine, and associate director of cancer prev...UN report: Accelerate global agreement to oversee exploitation of South Pole 'extremophiles'
... genetic properties that make survival possible in extremely cold, arid and salty conditions, says a new UN University report. Bioprospectors are starting to turn their attention to many of the world's last frontiers, such as hydrothermal vents, the deep seabed, the water column of the high seas and polar ice ...Dazzling new light source opens at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
...ientists from around the country will use SPEAR3's extremely bright x-ray light each year to illuminate the long-kept secrets of materials, chemical and biological matter. SPEAR3, was formally opened at a dedication ceremony at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) on January 29. SPEAR3 incorporates t...Rare ant may help solve some mysteries of social evolution
...d found in an Ohio park and discovered a colony of extremely rare ants. They had uncovered Leptothorax minutissimus, an ant species that has been found in only four other areas of the eastern United States. The researchers found the acorn at a Columbus metro park the first time the ant has been found in Ohio....'Elves' makes protein crystallography easier
...m from current information about the project. It's extremely versatile because it's not a black box, Holton said. At any stage, the user can manually direct the underlying calculation and hand the results back to the automation system for the subsequent steps. Alternatively, if the user says so, Elves can oper...Human migration tracked in Stanford computer simulation
...igh numbers. In these cases, the mutation remained extremely rare in the local population. If a mutation appeared in a person at the edge of the migration front where the population was scarce, the mutation was more likely to spread through the population. The mutation-carrying person multiplied and the offspr...Progress in probing the mosquito's sense of smell
...e of the olfactory system in other insects must be extremely similar to that of the mosquito. "As a result, our research should have a direct bearing not only on the mosquito, but also on other insects that carry disease and act as agricultural pests," Zwiebel says....Rodents bred for alcohol preference live longer than rats bred for alcohol avoidance
... be related to this paradox in humans? These are extremely important questions that merit further investigation."......t feed to farm animals has been acknowledged to be extremely dangerous, says Krull. The high concentration of nerve and brain tissue in ruminant feed is thought to greatly increase the risk of transmission of mad cow disease. In the 1990s, the U.S., along with most other beef-producing nations, introduced a ba...