Pack-MULEs are toting a new look at plant evolution
...d the Pack-MULEs are numerous. They appear to copy themselves prolifically some 3,000 times throughout the sequence, carrying various types of genes. And not only do they copy, but they rearrange a gene an instigator of variation which likely makes them newly discovered players in evolution. At MSU, Jiang wi...Cancer vaccine based on pathogenic listeria bacteria shows promise targeting metastases
...inal tumor and kill them before they can establish themselves elsewhere in the body. "The first place to start is to treat patients with minimal residual disease, that is, use the vaccine to prevent recurrence after surgery and chemotherapy," Cook said. Ovarian cancer is a good example of a tumor that has a hig...New research shows plants can shuffle and paste gene pieces to generate genetic diversity
...s TEs, which are pieces of DNA that make copies of themselves that can then be inserted throughout the genome. The process can be highly efficient. Almost half of the human genome is derived from TEs and, this value can go to an astounding 95 percent or even higher for some plants, such as the lily. "Normall...Researchers identify protein promoting vascular tumor growth
...e first month of life. About 90 percent go away by themselves over time, but until they do, children are forced to accept a period of deformity, sometimes up to age 9," Gordillo said. In addition to her Ohio State posts, Gordillo is director of the Hemangioma and Vascular Malformations Clinic at Colum...Researchers create nanotubes that change colors, form 'nanocarpet' and kill bacteria
...rst "nanocarpet," whereby these nanotubes organize themselves into an expanse of upright clusters that when magnified a million times resemble the fibers of a shag rug. Moreover, unlike other nanotube structures, these tubes display sensitivity to different agents by changing color and can be trained to kill ba...Poplar DNA code cracked -- a step in combating global warming?
...ronize their growth with the seasons, and to adapt themselves to changing environmental conditions. They have these vital properties, because they must be able to survive for many years in the same location. Knowledge of the genome of the poplar (Populus trichocarpa) allows researchers to look for the genes - D...UAF scientists discover new marine habitat in Alaska
... coral. But unlike coral, rhodoliths do not attach themselves to the rocky seabed. Rather, they drift like tumbleweeds along the seafloor until they grow heavy enough to settle and form brightly colored beds. And while corals are animals that filter plankton and other organisms from the water for food, rhodolit...DuPont introduces in-home personal protection from dangers of hurricanes
...ily had a plan and some type of shelter to protect themselves from the violent winds and debris. The lack of a quickly accessible protective shelter can make a difference in survival, since the option of driving or running to a distant shelter is often unrealistic."...Green, leafy spinach may soon power cellphones and laptops
...body, when in fragments called peptides, transform themselves like tiny LEGOs TM into millions of substances. Shuguang Zhang, associate director of MIT's Center for Biomedical Engineering, discovered that these same peptides can be tweaked into forming completely new natural materials that perform useful funct...Washington University in St. Louis leads group studying aging process
...hers want to determine how these organisms protect themselves from radicals, which are chemical culprits in the ...itamins, the antioxidant ones, A and E, to protect themselves against oxidants. We will extend what we find to all aspects of cell function. The proteins and en...AACR applauds NCI initiative on nanotechnology
...f biology. Such nanoscale objects can be useful by themselves or as part of larger devices containing multiple nanoscale objects. The new effort is designed to enhance cross-disciplinary and cross-sector collaborations in nanotechnology, which scientists now believe is poised for prime time application. "En......ization of groups of cells. Epithelial cells array themselves into flat sheets or rolled tubes, while mesenchymal cells appear less coordinated in their structure-forming activities and form fewer and looser connections with other cells. These tissue-level differences are reflected at the level of the individua...OutFoxed! New research may redefine late-stage cardiac development
...ngly, Foxp4 is not expressed in heart muscle cells themselves but rather in the primitive gut tube, which will develop into the stomach and intestines. In the early mammalian embryo, the gut tube helps direct the fusion of the two tubes of pre-cardiac cells into one tube. Dr. Morrisey thinks that expression ...Breaking new ground in germ cell guidance
...ing them to die; too little Wun2 in the germ cells themselves would have the same effect. The putative substrate has yet to be identified, but if the Hanyu-Nakamura model can be validated, it may well represent a new paradigm for explaining the function of LPPs in developmental processes from axon growth and pa...Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, September 2004
... confirmed, that dilute polymer solutions organize themselves into compact shapes. Using these techniques with photosensitive materials, ORNL researchers produced nanoparticles with superior optical and electronic "quantum dot" properties that function similarly to light-emitting diodes or transistors. The vers...Sandia experiments may reduce possibility of future water wars
...re exploring the development and use of trays that themselves would be edible by livestock, thus making washing and sanitizing trays unnecessary. Such tray material could also add nutrition content to the overall forage product, making it a more balanced ration for the livestock. Consumption of water, seed, and...Second call for proposals for the European Young Investigator Award
...tific track record. They should have distinguished themselves through outstanding research achievements and demonstrate the potential to become world class leaders in the respective research area. Due to the differing ages at which a doctorate may be awarded in the various European countries there is no age lim...Computer scientists at UH developing 'nurturing' computers
...s, headaches and anxiety disorders, often manifest themselves intermittently for short intervals in a random manner, involving any number of situational and environmental variables." Pavlidis will collaborate with the Medical Usability Lab of Columbia University in New York and the Physiology Lab of Mayo Clin...Common cold virus can cause polio in mice when injected into muscles
...Viruses are extremely adaptable and they can alter themselves dramatically based upon their environment. Coxsackievirus A21 is one of a large group of cold viruses that are genetically very similar to polioviruses. "Our study reveals how similar these viruses actually are," he said. "It is fascinating that a mi......n-coding "junk" DNA and much more likely to insert themselves within highly active genes. Such insertions can cause disease, as shown by the recent discovery of a hemophilia patient with a NUMT interrupting his clotting factor gene. Much remains to be learned about the functional and temporal dynamics of NUMT ...