NSF awards 22 new projects for plant genome research
...Columbia will lead a project to understand how DNA packaging in the nucleus can control whether genes are turned on or off, a step toward providing tools for manipulating gene expression in maize and other crop plants. University of Georgia researchers will study the structure and function of maize centromeres...Scientists discover proteins involved in spread of HIV-1 infection
...which then participates in the protein sorting and packaging process. However, the analogous pathway in humans is not quite as defined--scientists have found the human equivalent of Vps28p, but not Vps37p. Missing this protein has made it hard to understand what exactly goes on in humans. Now, Wesley Sundq...No longer just for biology, RNA can now be built into 3-D arrays
... particular type of RNA molecule known as pRNA, or packaging RNA, that forms six-unit rings that can drive a tiny but powerful molecular motor." Peixuan Guo "Our future research will focus on incorporating these nanomachines into nanodevices for such applications as drug or gene delivery, gears for nano-equip...Clemson University spin-off uses corn to make plastics, provide cleaner air
...ll business program. Most plastics, varnishes and packaging foams are made from oil-based chemicals, which are derived from petroleum. Stiffer environmental regulations and consumer conscience are driving the search for materials that are recyclable, renewable and less polluting. Polylactic acid is a byproduc...Study reveals surprising 'remodeling' property of gene regulation process
...mosomal "remodeling" is accomplished by moving DNA packaging structures called nucleosomes to different spots in the genome. Once a nucleosome is moved from a site, the appropriate gene then can be expressed much more efficiently. The new findings appear online in the journal Nature Genetics. The study will be...Labs-on-a-chip to detect milk contamination
... possible, however, to incorporate sensors in food packaging that could tell if the package is disturbed or the contents are contaminated. Beebe's group reported in a paper to be published in the journal Electrophoresis that disposable sensors can be manufactured on-demand in an inexpensive process. With colla...Discovery helps explain how cells package DNA
...and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. "So the packaging of DNA into chromatin is very important for contro...at's not going to work right," he says. The proper packaging of DNA is important for cancer cells, too. Cancer is caused by unrestricted cell division. Parthun's...Nanotechnology highlights from the ACS national meeting in Anaheim, Calif., March 28-April 1
...ics that show promise for a variety of uses - from packaging to transportation to aerospace applications. This could ultimately lead to structural plastic composite materials, including car parts, which could be recycled through composting. ( IEC 209 , Wednesday, March 31, 9:35 a.m., Anaheim Marriott, Orange C...Ribozyme package effective against hepatitis B virus
... on hepatitis B virus, our method of targeting and packaging ribozymes should also be applicable to the development of therapies to fight other viruses." The study was published March 5 in the online version of the journal, Molecular Therapy, the official journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy, and w...'Suicide proteins' contribute to sperm creation
...lar process--elimination of cytoplasm and membrane packaging of individual spermatids--also occurs in mammals, and its disruption is associated with male infertility. Hay's group studied the consequences of inhibiting caspase activity in the male germline cells of fruitflies and found that individualizat...Study suggests new view of gene activation as a dynamic process
...A number of histones are generally involved in the packaging of a single gene, and the picture had emerged of d...ss, a required sequence of changes to the histones packaging the DNA, involved in turning genes on. Order is vital. Gene activation is an intricate, highly orche...Study provides new insights into emerging theory of gene regulation
...that gene's location, the compact coils of DNA and packaging proteins called chromatin. The findings bolster th...anism of how two specific modifications to the DNA packaging proteins interact synergistically to promote the expression of a particular gene," says Ronen Marmor...Findings in frog oocytes may help study of chromosome physiology
... At the critical time of cell division, chromosome packaging is vital. Genetic errors can result in deformities, diseases such as cancer and/or the death of the organism. Frog oocytes are large, allowing researchers to easily manipulate genetic material. A nucleus, for example, is 400 microns in diameter. A h...Vacuum technology developed to control insects in wood
... basis for vacuum control of insects in solid wood packaging materials, which would serve as an alternative to the current method of eliminating insects in wood. Chen and his research partners project that low pressure, achieved by applying a vacuum to a system, will create an environment sufficiently low in ...Silent DNA architecture helps block cancer cell growth
... found that cellular senescence involves the tight packaging of specific regions of chromosomal DNA into an inactive or silent architecture called heterochromatin. To distinguish these newly identified regions of specialized DNA architecture from previously known forms of heterochromatin, the researchers dubbe...Consumer education and development of bio-sensitive alternatives can revive the plastics industry
... plastics is vital to the survival of the plastics packaging industry. "The annual worldwide production of plas...n, they could provide a fresh lease of life to the packaging industry as it proves itself to be more ecologically sensitive," concludes Rosato. New analysis by T...Virginia Tech inventions, creations can improve lives
...an Lu received a patent for "Low-cost 3D flip-chip packaging technology for integrated power electronics module..., from transistors to integrated circuits, require packaging for electrical connection, mechanical protection and support, and heat dissipation. However, develop......lps to illuminate the issue. Whereas the costs of packaging account for only about 10 to 20 percent of the tot...a traditional silicon electronic device, photonics packaging accounts for about 60 to 80 percent of the total cost of a photonics device. "Transmitting digital ...Diamond film may enable critical new sensors for bioterror
...sors become practical, significant engineering for packaging and fluid-handling systems for sample introduction must be completed. But while some work remains, he says, "the hardest part appears to be over." In the past, scientists tried in vain to develop surfaces with long-term stability for use as biosensor...Researchers discover that DNA packaging in living cells is dynamic
...nd DNA, and not static as previously thought. This packaging is one way in which the cell limits which genes are turned on, 'locking-in' different patterns of gene expression in different cell types. Dr Richard Festenstein from Imperial College London and the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, at the Hammersmith Ho...