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New antibiotic and anti-cancer chemicals may one day be synthesised using biotechnology, following CSIRO?s discovery of the three genes that combine to provide soldier beetles with their potent predator defence system.
Nov 8th, 2012
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With the help of information technology (IT), Penn State professor Mark Guiltinan makes the world a sweeter place.
Nov 7th, 2012
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A new power-free microfluidic chip developed by researchers at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (ASI) enables detection of microRNA from extremely small sample volume in only 20 minutes. By drastically reducing the time and quantity of sample required for detection, the chip lays the groundwork for early-stage point-of-care diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
Nov 7th, 2012
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For the first time, researchers power an implantable electronic device using an electrical potential - a natural battery - deep in the inner ear.
Nov 7th, 2012
Read moreThe doctoral dissertation of Milja Vepsäläinen, M.Sc. (microbiology), prepared at the Finnish Environment Institute, involved developing a test pattern designed to measure soil biological diversity. The aim is to measure the activity potential of enzymes produced by soil microbes.
Nov 7th, 2012
Read moreA team of scientists researching the effect of long-term molecular evolution (the study of DNA, RNA and proteins) have produced findings which suggest most amino-acid substitutions have different fitness effects in different species. This is an important breakthrough as there is now evidence to show that a genetic background determines whether a modification, which is the main factor regulating evolution at the level of proteins, is beneficial, harmful or inconsequential.
Nov 6th, 2012
Read moreScientists at the Universities of Liverpool and Glasgow have uncovered a possible new method of enhancing nerve repair in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
Nov 5th, 2012
Read moreDNA sequence data is an indispensable source of research information in biology. But not all data are reliable. Almost 10% of all fungal DNA sequences are, for example, incorrectly identified to species level. A international team of researchers, with it?s core at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has therefore prepared a guide to assist the scientific community in the quality control process.
Nov 5th, 2012
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University of Maryland-led study is first to document environmental source of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the United States.
Nov 5th, 2012
Read moreTexas Biomedical Research Institute scientists in San Antonio have developed a faster, less expensive route to screen suitable tests for bioterror threats and accelerate the application of countermeasures.
Nov 5th, 2012
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Johns Hopkins researchers have succeeded in teaching computers how to identify commonalities in DNA sequences known to regulate gene activity, and to then use those commonalities to predict other regulatory regions throughout the genome. The tool is expected to help scientists better understand disease risk and cell development.
Nov 5th, 2012
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Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago research participant Zac Vawter made history on Sunday, November 4, 2012, by climbing 103 floors of Chicago's Willis Tower using the first "thought-controlled bionic leg", a neural-controlled prosthetic leg driven by his own thoughts.
Nov 5th, 2012
Read moreScientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) and the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have found through spectroscopic investigations on a hydrogen-producing enzyme that the environment of the catalytic site acts as an electron reservoir in the enzyme.
Nov 2nd, 2012
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Bacteria can talk to each other via molecules they themselves produce. The phenomenon is called quorum sensing, and is important when an infection propagates. Now, researchers at Linköping University in Sweden are showing how bacteria control processes in human cells the same way.
Nov 1st, 2012
Read morePlant roots are surrounded by thousands of bacteria and fungi living in the soil and on the root surface. To survive in this diverse environment, plants employ sophisticated detection systems to distinguish pathogenic microorganisms from beneficial microorganisms.
Nov 1st, 2012
Read moreResearchers identify building blocks of trust: Honesty, transparency, capability, accountability, solidarity and generosity.
Nov 1st, 2012
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