Interaction of just 2 genes governs coloration patterns in mice
...darker mice on the white sand beaches, providing a powerful opportunity for natural selection to evolve increased camouflage. Through a detailed genomic analysis, Hoekstra, Steiner, and Weber identified two pigmentation genes, for the melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) and an agouti signaling protein (Agouti) t...Features of replication suggest viruses have common themes, vulnerabilities
... appear to cross over among many viruses." Using powerful electron microscopy techniques, Ahlquist's group and their collaborators made the first three-dimensional maps of a viral replication complex using flock house virus, which, like all viruses, requires a host cell to make new genetic material and main...Swarming starlings help probe plasma, crowds and stock market
...e for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics have found a powerful technique that could be used to detect precisely when ordered patterns form in everything from plasma in the solar wind and fusion reactors, to crowds of people, or flocks of birds. The technique could even be used to find unusual patterns in s...Climate change and permafrost thaw alter greenhouse gas emissions in northern wetlands
...hane is an important greenhouse gas, which is more powerful than carbon dioxide in its ability to trap heat in the earths atmosphere. Turetsky said it seems the permafrost degradation initially causes increased soil carbon sequestration, rather than the large releases of carbon to the atmosphere originally...A unique arrangement for egg cell division
...ated from the egg before it is fertilised. Using a powerful microscope, researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have now revealed how the molecular machinery functions that is responsible for chromosome reduction of egg cells in mice. In the current issue of Cell they report the asse...UF, French scientists seek test to detect gene doping in athletes
...letes have begun searching for stealthier and more powerful alternatives. The next variation of boosting red blood cell production is to actually inject the EPO gene itself, which would cause increases in red blood cells, said Richard Snyder, Ph.D., an assistant professor of microbiology and molecular gen...Multicenter study nets new lung tumor-suppressor gene
...mall cell lung cancer in mice, it also may be more powerful than other, better-known suppressors. The study will be published on the journal's Web site on Aug. 5 and later in a print version. If further research shows LKB1 has a similar effect in human lung cells, it could influence the way non-small cell l...Defects in critical gene lead to accelerated lung tumor growth
...vard Medical School have added to the list another powerful tumor suppressor, a gene called LKB1. Their research indicates that this gene is mutated in almost a quarter of all human lung cancers. In mice, these mutations result in tumors that are more aggressive and more likely to spread throughout the body. ...MIT study: Maturity brings richer memories
...textual memories. The older the subjects, the more powerful the activation in that area, explains senior author John Gabrieli of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. That makes sense, because th...Discredited Korean embryonic stem cells' true origins revealed
... Cell Research, notes that scientists now have two powerful tools: human parthenogenesis, which appears to be an efficient means of producing human embryonic stem cells, and genetic screening, which can be used to scan stem cells and help define their origins. Daley imagines a future in which scientists c...Forsyth scientists gain new understanding of adult stem cell regulation
...ell regulatory mechanisms in vivo. Planarians have powerful regeneration capability that makes them ideal for studying this process. The Forsyth team uses planarians and other animal models to study development and regeneration. The Forsyth team will publish this research in the August 16 issue of Developme...Cost-effective method for gene silencing is featured in Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
...cific genes. Today, scientists routinely use this powerful method, termed RNA interference, to study the functions of specific genes in mammalian systems. In order to conduct these experiments, scientists generally rely on chemical synthesis of RNA molecules, which can be quite costly. A freely accessible...Under magnetic force, nanoparticles may deliver gene therapy
...hiladelphia. This system has the potential to be a powerful tool. The proof-of-principle study, performed on vascular cells in culture, appears in the August issue of the FASEB Journal, published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Impregnated with iron oxide, the nanoparticl...New UD tissue-engineering research focuses on vocal cords
...replace scarred, rigid tissue in these petite, yet powerful organs is the goal of a new University of Delaware research project. It is funded by a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Xinqiao Jia, UD assistan...UF to lead research on life-threatening fungus
...aid. "With advancing medical technology and more powerful antibiotics,patients are living longer," he said. "We have a growing population of patients who are susceptible to very serious infections by viruses,bacteria and fungi that in years past were not medical problems." ...Research shows NPD1 protects a key component of vision
...and his colleagues that represents one of the most powerful endogenous (made by the body) neuroprotective mediators known. Its precursor is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an essential fatty acid (must be provided by the diet) of the omega-3 fatty acid family enriched in RPE cells in the retina and brain. DHA is ...MIT team building robotic fin for submarines
...ed which ones are critical to achieving the fish's powerful forward thrust. We don't want to replicate exactly what nature does, said Tangorra, who will soon be joining the faculty of Drexel University. We want to figure out what parts are important for propulsion and copy those. So far, the team has buil...Surprising new species of light-harvesting bacterium discovered in Yellowstone
...e to grow in the lab. Metagenomics has given us a powerful new tool for finding these hidden organisms and exploring their physiology, metabolism, and ecology." Metagenomics is a means of studying organisms without having to culture them. Bulk samples are collected from the environment, then DNA is isolat...Innovative research technique reveals another natural wonder in Yellowstone Park
...le to grow in the lab. Metagenomics has given us a powerful new tool for finding these hidden organisms and exploring their physiology, metabolism, and ecology." Metagenomics is a means of studying organisms without having to culture them. Bulk samples are collected from the environment, then DNA is isolate......an be a serious side effect of cancer therapies or powerful painkillers like morphine. For some people, chronic itching can be very disruptive, interfering with sleep or giving rise to scratching that leads to scarring. Effective treatment options for itchy patients are limited. Historically, scientists regar...