'Frozen pictures' allow far-reaching glimpse into the cells protein factory
... notoriously unstable giant nucleoprotein complex, represents a daunting crystallographic challenge. To further complicate matters, it also lacks the internal symmetry and repetitions that eased the way to understanding the structure of other biological entities, such as viruses. Nevertheless, using novel cr...MGH research shows gene therapy may be able to reverse heart failure
...ify the contraction of failing human cardiac cells represents an importantstep toward gene therapy for heart failure," says Roger Hajjar, MD, of the MGH CVRC, who led thestudy. "And by confirming the role the SERCA2a protein plays in heart failure, we now have amolecular target for other therapeutic approaches...Zebrafish's powerful heart gene could lead to transplant therapy
...leasing an as-yet-unidentified factor. The finding represents the first demonstration in an animal model, Stainiersaid, that endothelial cells are necessary for the proper differentiation ofred blood cells. He said he suspects the discovery, published in Development,5will apply to the immune system's white bloo...Scientists report first complete DNA sequence of plant chromosomes
...uplicated on chromosomes 2 and 4. This duplication represents approximately one-quarter of the total length of each of these chromosomes, and its existence in plants supports the emerging view that large-scale intragenome duplications may significantly impact genome evolution in many organisms....Learning how cell's tiny motor powers its mobility
...t of the motor protein kinesin powers its movement represents an important insight into one ofthe most fundamental aspects of biology. "All cells are churning with internal motion, which involves transport of materials from oneplace in the cell to another," said Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator &#...Mouse embryo hints at how mammalian body forms
...bryo carries the genesis of the embryo's body plan represents a profound shift in common wisdom. Researchers have known that, in most other organisms, including frogs, chicks and sea urchins, the newly fertilized egg immediately takes on an organization that predicts the future body plan. Their fertilized eggs ...... protein family Kern describes in the Nature paper represents a potential target for a whole new class of antibiotics to specifically prevent pathogenic bacteria from becoming virulent and attacking the body's cells. "Most conventional antibiotics work by inhibiting processes essential to cell viability, suc...CWRU med school snares $3 million Howard Hughes Institute grant to build structural biology program
...nd cures for disease." Berger said the HHMI grant represents an important step in realizing the goal articulate...uct medical research with HHMI support. Markowitz represents the kind of potential that the medical school will seek in new researchers. He was recruited in 1987......eview 3 that the use of immune-enhancing formulas represents a level 1 recommendation." Level 1 is the highest ranking, "strength of evidence" recommendation, based on a method used by the Agency for Health Care Policy Research, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and coded by the American Society...First genetic toggle switch engineered at Boston University
...organisms, including human cells." The toggle also represents the core technology for additional genetic control devices. "Minor modifications to the toggle can be made to produce a genetic sensor with an adjustable threshold - a system in which genes are activated or repressed when a specific threshold is reac...Transgenic fish could threaten wild populations
...with the reduced viability of the young. The study represents scientists policing science, Muir says. "I hope people understand that scientistsare investigating the risks of biotechnology as well as the benefits, so decisions can be made with asmuch information as possible. It's important to understand the risk...Increased production of antibiotics in space reported by University of Colorado researchers
...ncreased antibiotic productivity," he said. "This represents one more incremental step in eventually being able to reproduce these beneficial responses on Earth." Headquartered in CU-Boulder's College of Engineering and Applied Science, BioServe is a joint venture between NASA, CU-Boulder and Kansas State U...Mental health insurance illiteracy at serious high
...ntal health benefits, and this lack of information represents a barrier in their seeking care when needed, according to a study by the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University published in the February issue of Psychiatric Services. A telephone interview of 1,358 random sample adults in Michigan ...It's not such 'a wonderful life' living next door to a liquor store
...ence, gambling and crime were rampant. This image represents the findings of a study published in the February edition of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research , that the "wetter" a community is, the greater its problems. "In the last four or five years," explained Richard Scribner, professor of preven...UF researcher develops high blood pressure drug using gene therapy technique
...anipulating the essential building blocks of life, represents a marked departure from standard drug design. The drug, described in the January issue of the journal Hypertension and in this week's issue of Circulation , regulates high blood pressure by rewriting the genetic instructions that normally tell the...NY pilot study pushes Human Genome Project toward cures for disease
... but most scientists recognize that its completion represents only a starting point from which to ask questions about other biological processes. While genes carry the "blueprints" for life, proteins perform the vital functions necessary for life to exist.Proteins, long chains of building blocks called amino ac...Sewage in urban runoff may spur growth of harmful algal blooms
...environmental agencies, research shows that urea represents an average of one-third of the total nitrogen uptake supporting growth of phytoplankton in regions where red tides can occur," Cochlan said. "In some estuarine areas, such as the Chesapeake Bay, urea can represent 60 percent of the nitrogen uptak...Researchers link genetic defect to 'head-rush' disorder
...nsporter. This discovery is doubly exciting as it represents the first mutation in this family of transporter proteins that has been linked to a human disease. The findings, reported on February 24th in the New England Journal of Medicine, offer a new explanation for some forms of orthostatic intolerance and...Researchers find structure of enzyme that catalyzes 78-million-year reaction
... yet created successful enzyme mimics. Because it represents an extreme case, biochemists have been so interested in this enzyme that at least four research teams have analyzed its structure independently in four different organisms and are reporting their results almost simultaneously, he said. Two other pape...... Zuker is satisfied that the T2R family of genes represents at least a subset of bitter taste receptors, but there's more work to be done: tracing pathways from receptor cells to the brain, generating "knockout" mice that lack T2R s and studying their taste deficits, and searching for more gustducin-linked r...