Sandia researchers take new approach to studying how cells respond to pathogens
...state. This can only be done cell by cell. We also want to study populations, but one cell at a time." The research is possible because of advances in several Sandia-developed tools, including: Microfluidics that allows researchers to do single-cell experiments Advanced imaging that allow...Joslin study indicates insulin receptors play a critical role in promoting islet growth
... Kulkarni and others at Joslin Diabetes Center who want to better understand beta cell growth and functioning so that these essential cells can be increased in people with diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn't produce enough insulin and/or is unable to use insulin properly (insulin resistance)....Discovery of 'master switch' for the communication process between chloroplast and nuclei of plants
...etabolisms when faced with a lot of stress. If you want to generate a plant that is more tolerant, you need to deal with these two things." Added Koussevitzky: "Were trying to put the signaling pathways in the context of the plants stress response. It will take a little more tweaking, but at least knowing...University of Alaska Fairbanks awarded $3.8M for bird flu research
...d evolution of influenza viruses worldwide. "We want to understand how influenza viruses evolve, adapt and are successfully transmitted in nature," said Runstadler. "No one fully understands how these viruses move around between species and in our environment." "Alaska is recognized as a prime locati...Research project tackles 'regeneration' gap
... we did in the early stages of our development. We want to learn how to turn those systems back on in people." Recently, studies have shown humans possess some of the same genes and communication pathways used by some of natures most remarkably regenerative animals. Already, UF McKnight Brain Institu...Case Western researcher, international team call for better global warming forecasting
...ictions about global changes, the researchers also want better forecasting to unravel "the Quaternary conundrum," which is evidence suggesting that many of the estimated 1.5 million species on earth are in danger of extinction from global warming, yet over the past 2.5 million years little extinction is d...MIT device draws cells close -- but not too close -- together
...hat supports it. "If you can get away with it, you want to get rid of the supporting cells," she says. This simple device will also be useful for exploring a host of other cellular interactions. Most prominently, the device could be very useful in exploring embryonic development, during which the local ...Biologists call for better choice of model organisms in 'evo-devo'
...illuminate all evo-devos central themes. "If we want to understand how insects evolved wings or how legs developed from fins, we need to judiciously choose several models from specific parts of the phylogenetic tree. "There is little point in blindly increasing the diversity of model systems, without...No need to thank dinosaur-killing asteroid for mammalian success
...at risk. "The overarching philosophy is that we want to maximize the information we have for immediate conservation action," Gittleman said. "We want to conserve, manage and protect the maximum amount of biodiversity. Knowledge of the past gives us i...Fruit fly gene research may shed light on human disease processes
...bryos of mammals and flies. That's why biologists want to understand the process of "chromosome counting." Early in his career, Erickson was part of the research team that identified the genes involved in counting Drosophilia sex chromosomes. Now, he and Avila have made another breakthrough, identifyi...MIT: Pulsing light silences overactive neurons
...you are patient and think carefully about what you want to do, you can find a molecule that is very close to what you want, and with a little bit of luck it will turn out to work," Boyden said. The halorhodopsin work is one of the first projects from the Media Lab Neuroengineering and Neuromedia Group, ...LED array signals successful binding of drug-delivery molecules to DNA
...y is important in terms of what color of light you want to use to activate the molecules to bind to or cleave the DNA, Brewer said. The research poster, Validation of an LED array for use in DNA photocleavage assays (INOR 726), was selected for both the Bioinorganic: DNA and RNA poster session, from 7 t...Test finds manufactured nanoparticles don't harm soil ecology
...soil are the basis of the food chain, so you don't want to change them because then you affect everything up the food chain - plants, animals, people." Two levels of carbon-based buckyballs were tested in soil collected from no-till plots at the Purdue University Agriculture Research and Education Cente...Severe mental retardation gene mutation identified
... we can offer prenatal testing to the carriers who want it." In the broader picture, this research is not only benefiting families with X-linked mental retardation, but it is also defining the genes involved in intellectual development. "If you find genes that are abnormal, it is a reasonable assumpt...Neighbors gone, fruits gone, species gone
...ey cannot move around freely all the time, if they want to avoid predators. Thus, the geckos spend a lot of time hiding. A favorite hideout of Phelsuma cepediana is the maze of spiky leaves offered by dense patches of Pandanus plants. In an experiment carried out in 2003 and 2004 and reported in the April...Homing pigeons get their bearings from their beaks
...ions of years, the main problem for scientists who want to find benefits from their use will be the technical production of these particles"....Chemical cues turn embryonic stem cells into cerebellar neurons
...s through a long series of maturation steps. So we want to be absolutely sure that we're generating neurons that will aid, rather than hamper, brain function."...500,000 years of climate history stored year by year
...s an incomparable treasure house of data which we want to tap for at least the last 500,000 years. 250...o a thorny problem: using high tech equipment they want to cut drill cores as thick as a mans arm out of the lakebed sediment from a big floating platform ...Stress and nerve cells survival in rats; finding may open window for depression treatment
... stress reduced this survival," says Peterson. "We want to determine if anti-depressant medications might be able to keep these vulnerable new neurons alive."...Iowa State University botanists identify new species of North American bamboo
... anatomy, ecology and other characteristics. "We want to get the big picture of how all the temperate bamboos are related to each other. That means taking inventory of what exists, then comparing notes," Clark said. They already know that the closest relatives of native North American bamboos are not...