Research teams uncover risk genes for multiple sclerosis
...ch teams scanned the entire genome of MS patients, their families and a control group for similarities and ...than 10,000 samples of DNA from people with MS and their families, the largest such collection nationwide. A similar database, in both quantity and quality, ...Reading ability protects brain from lead exposure
...tive effect that allowed these workers to maintain their functioning, even though lead affected their nervous system as shown by its effect on their motor skills. Bleecker says there are multiple theo...Learning to evolve: With a little help from my ancestors
...n through practice, and that they gradually refine their innate ability into a finely tuned skill. Accordin...ay's birds depends indirectly on the learning that their ancestors did, which leaves a genetically specified latent memory for flying. The theory has been ...Negative effects of plastic's additive blocked by nutrient supplements
... the gene sequence without altering its code. In their most recent experiments, Duke University Medical C...s of the National Academy of Science July 30. In their experiments, the Duke team studied a well-documented strain of animals known as agouti mice. Normall...Does EPA have an adequate strategy to oversee nanotechnologies?
...s they are using to manufacture products and about their steps to ensure safety? What incentives, if any, exist for firms to take part in this new EPA program" And how appropriate is the agencys approach for classifying nanoscale substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)? Former EPA Assist...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
...unit composition of hippocampal NMDA receptors and their differential contributions to functions ranging fr...teristic frequency of firing, the authors adjusted their models until they found one that reliably predicted the ISI distribution. The models assumed that ex...Jan Lwe awarded 2007 EMBO Gold Medal
...n and actin and analysed the filamentous nature of their assemblies. Two years after starting his post-doc at the MRC-LMB, Jan fast-tracked to become a Group Leader, and has focused on Molecular Machines. Recently, his group has discovered another protein in bacteria that was thought to be a 'signature' ...MIT team building robotic fin for submarines
...nfish fin. They reported the successful testing of their most recent fin, which is made of a cutting-edge p...ly placing Mylar strips along the fins to restrict their movement to the desired direction has proven successful, but the team continues to seek alternative ...MIT model could predict cells' response to drugs
...ers identify the ideal compounds on which to focus their research. In addition, the model could help test..., differentiation, death-in response to stimuli in their environment," said Lauffenburger. "The signaling pathways are the biomolecular circuits that process...Waters off Washington state only second place in world where glass sponge reefs found
... has not been detected by Canadian scientists near their glass sponge reefs, thus the Washington margin ree...ohnson says. The glass sponges so-called because their skeletons are made of silica (the same material as beach sand) come in un-sponge-like shapes simila...Insulin grown in plants relieves diabetes in mice; UCF study holds promise for humans
... mice had normal blood and urine sugar levels, and their cells were producing normal levels of insulin. ...ief, Daniell said. Diabetics still have to monitor their blood and urine sugar levels. They have to inject themselves with insulin several times a day. Havin...Researchers find pathway that controls cell size and division
...s when and where the cell wants it to happen. In their most recent paper, published in the July 27, 2007 ...an one function, said Levin, There is no hint from their sequence that they have other activities so you really need to delve deeper and apply different meth...Caffeine and exercise can team up to prevent skin cancer
...at generated UVB radiation that damaged the DNA in their skin cells. Some degree of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, was observed in the DNA-damaged cells of all four groups, but the caffeine drinkers and exercisers showed an increase over the UVB-treated control group. Apoptosis is a way...Zebrafish: It's not your parents' lab rat
...r at the pet store. They grow from eggs to hunting their own food in three days. Adults can lay up to 500 e...ore in common with them than you think. "For all their differences, humans and zebrafish aren't that dissimilar," said Rice University zebrafish expert Mar...Strains of laboratory mice more varied than previously thought
...uman disease and normative biology, partly because their genomes are highly conserved. And, since 99 percen...e genome has unexpected levels of variation within their subspecies origin. The common laboratory mouse is not what we thought it was, said coauthor Gary C...First new multiple sclerosis gene found in 30 years
...mmon elements. From studies involving patients and their families in the United States and Great Britain, t...nes to the IL-7R gene, the researchers then tested their findings on a different set of patient populations to confirm their findings. One of the greatest ...GI Caramba! Blue tortillas may help dieters and diabetics
...orn had less starch and a lower glycmic index than their white counter parts. They also found that the blue...lycmic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates according to their effects on blood glucose levels. Foods with a lower GI are considered healthier as they slowly relea...After a decades-long search, scientists identify new genetic risk factors for multiple sclerosis
... of Cambridge, U.K. The other team, which focused their search on a set of genes they considered potential risk factors for MS, was co-led by Jonathan Haines, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Human Genetics Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. and Margaret A. Pericak-Vance...Using stem cells to help heart attack victims
...ocyte cells in the UK. The researchers hope that their research could provide more detailed information o...yocytes. In the longer term, this could facilitate their use in regenerating the damaged hearts of heart attack victims. Dr Chris Denning, of the Universi......hered 931 sets of DNA samples from MS patients and their parents. They analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), that is, small differences in DNA sequence that represent the most common genetic variations between individuals, and looked for variations that were more commonly inherited by people wit...