American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac -- Aug. 8, 2007
...n the same soil for several weeks. The genetically modified plants significantly reduced the toxicity of the TNT-contaminated soil. This is the first report to demonstrate that transgenic plants engineered for the phytoremediation of organic pollutants can increase the functional and genetic diversity of t...Argonne wins three R&D 100 awards for innovative technologies
...iple sites, enriching diagnostics. For example, a modified version of the Access Grid enabled epidemiologists and immunologists to treat patients without exposing others to infection during the SARS epidemic in 2003. Developers are Argonne Senior Software Developers Ivan R. Judson and Thomas D. Uram, Resea...Identified mechanism in the malaria parasite to help it adapt to infected individuals
...promising the parasites ability to enter normal or modified red blood cells. According to Corts, this suggests that the varied expression of these genes may help the parasite to escape the host organisms immune responses, although the researcher points out that this is yet to be confirmed. The researchers d......ave labeled with fluorescent stains. These include modified histones, which are part of the chromosomal material, and other proteins that seek out DNA breaks and recruit repair machinery to fix them," says Costes. "The first question we had to answer was how closely RIF are associated with DSBs." Costes re...News tips from ACS Chemical Biology
... How tricking cells with a mimic of a chemically modified protein can help identify components of cell signaling pathways. http://www.eurekalert.org/jrnls/acs/index.php?page=chemicalbiology ...Phase II study of therapeutic vaccine shows efficacy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
...e safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine, called modified vaccinia Ankara-encoding 5T4 (TroVax), when used ...non-disease causing) version of the vaccinia virus modified to deliver the gene for 5T4, a protein found in many tumors. The idea is that the modified virus ...... with the attenuated version of the microbe. It is modified so that it cannot infect laboratory workers but remains infectious in mice and other animals. The form is also used in animal anthrax vaccines. The scientists were able to profile all the significant genetic activities in the microbe at several po...Cell damage caused by brushing may help keep gums healthy
... brushed the teeth, gums and tongue of rats with a modified electric toothbrush. We saw lots of bright cells, says Dr. Miyake, co-director of the MCG Cell Imaging Core Facility. (W)e suggest that, in addition to its well-know ability to remove bacteria and their harmful products from teeth, brushing may, b...Insulin grown in plants relieves diabetes in mice; UCF study holds promise for humans
Capsules of insulin produced in genetically modified lettuce could hold the key to restoring the bodys ability to produce insulin and help millions of Americans who suffer from insulin-dependent diabetes, according to University of Central Florida biomedical researchers. Professor Henry Daniells rese...Researchers find pathway that controls cell size and division
... previously shown to be involved in synthesizing a modified component of the cell membrane. The Levin labs data indicates the pathway also has a major role in cell division. So far this has been the only pathway thats been identified in bacteria that directly regulates cell size, says Levin. Typically, cel...St. Jude study solves mystery of mammalian ears
...herefore, the team developed a line of genetically modified mice that carried only mutant prestin in their outer hair cells. The researchers then tested the animals responses to sound. Results of the studies showed no alteration in hearing, which suggested that it did not matter whether the outer hair cell...Report recommends off-site disposal of secondary waste
...of wastes was scarce. While the permits have been modified somewhat since then, great disparity still exists between how each site manages waste. For instance, in three of the five states, all waste from chemical agent disposal operations is considered hazardous, regardless of whether it exhibits hazardous ......aks and colleagues, have now developed genetically modified mice that carry a promising candidate reporter named ferritin, which could circumvent these problems. Ferritin works by sequestering iron from cells. When it is overexpressed, iron uptake increases, causing signal changes in the surrounding environm...MicroRNA works with Ago2 protein to regulate blood cell development
...ficient stem cells with either wild type Ago2 or a modified version of it that rendered the slicer activity inactive. A few weeks later, both conditions the anemia and the enlarged spleen in both groups of mice were cured, suggesting that this feature of Ago2 makes only a minor contribution to its biologica...Gene-transcription machinery seen poised for action, held in check until needed
...on and removal of a small protein called ubiquitin modified particular histones to regulate gene expression. Histones are molecular structures around which DNA is tightly spooled as part of the cells scheme for maintaining order in the genome and securely storing away genes until needed. Eight histones compri...Fedoroff, of Penn State, to receive National Medal of Science
...ssions surrounding the introduction of genetically modified crop plants. She co-authored a book with science writer Nancy Marie Brown titled "Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist's View of Genetically Modified Foods," published by the Joseph Henry Press of the National Academy of Sciences. She has done many r...Immune system 'escape hatch' gives cancer cells traction
...sed when subsequent tests showed that ROS actually modified the T cells, altering their structure so they could no longer bind to tumor-cell antigens. When a known byproduct of ROS, the chemical peroxynitriate, was neutralized, T-cell tolerance failed to develop in test tube studies, pinning down peroxyni...New use for a cell toxin found to inhibit survival proteins in cancer cells
...ed Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report that a modified version of antimycin called 2-Methoxy antimycin is selective in killing cells that have high levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins. The over expression of these proteins in many types of cancer cells correlates with resistance to chemotherapy and radia...Tiny tweezers and yeast help St. Jude show how cancer drug works
...n into RNAa process called transcription. RNA is a modified form of the gene that the cell uses to make the protein for which the gene codes. Bjornstis team inserted rings of double-stranded DNA called plasmids into yeast cells to create a model for studying camptothecins effect. Topotecan is an analog or r...Size and positioning of floral anthers facilitates pollen collection by bees
... from a plant can determine whether or not a plant modified to resist an insect pest will also have an effect on other more beneficial insects. Scientists are racing to understand these minute differences and interactions, even as habitat loss and climate change threaten the existence of many plants as well...