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Researchers identify key cellular organelle involved in gene silencing
A team of scientists has conducted a study on plants (Arabidopsis) that shows that the site of action of the repression of target gene expression occurs on the endoplasmic reticulum, a cellular organelle that is an interconnected network of membranes - essentially, flattened sacs and branching tubules - that extends like a flat balloon throughout the cytoplasm in plant and animal cells.
April 26, 2013 Read more
Researchers 'capture' the replication of the human genome for the first time
A study led by Oscar Fernandez-Capetillo has deciphered the components of the machinery that duplicates DNA, the replisome, on which most chemotherapeutic agents currently act.
April 26, 2013 Read more
Discovery could revolutionize immunization
Immune cells in newborn humans appear to be more ready to do battle than previously thought. New Cornell research shows that small populations of preprogrammed immune cells can fight specific pathogens that they have never encountered. The findings, say the researchers, have the potential to revolutionize how and when people are immunized.
April 25, 2013 Read more
Genomics students contribute to collaborative, computerized effort to build better blueberries
Nine students who are involved in a multi-institutional effort to produce better blueberries only see the fruit as codes, symbols, numbers and letters on computer screens, rather than the nutritional, sweet treat they love.
April 24, 2013 Read more
Virtual, squishy creatures evolve to run using evolutionary algorithms (w/video)
A research team led by Cornell University's Creative Machines Lab has created a computer algorithm that can be used to witness virtual creatures evolving their squishy, muscle-like features in order to teach themselves to walk.
April 23, 2013 Read more
Antibody transforms stem cells directly into brain cells
In a serendipitous discovery, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a way to turn bone marrow stem cells directly into brain cells.
April 22, 2013 Read more
Discovery brings hope of new tailor-made anti-cancer agents
Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and their collaborators have tailor-made a new chemical compound that blocks a protein that has been linked to poor responses to treatment in cancer patients. The development of the compound, called WEHI-539, is an important step towards the design of a potential new anti-cancer agent.
April 22, 2013 Read more
More accurate, powerful genetic analysis tool opens new gene-regulation realms
Researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have developed a novel and powerful technique to identify the targets for a group of enzymes called RNA cytosine methyltransferases in human RNA.
April 22, 2013 Read more
Random walks on DNA
Scientists have revealed how a bacterial enzyme has evolved an energy-efficient method to move long distances along DNA. The findings present further insight into the coupling of chemical and mechanical energy by a class of enzymes called helicases, a widely-distributed group of proteins, which in human cells are implicated in some cancers.
April 19, 2013 Read more
Ultrafast technique unlocks design principles of quantum biology
University of Chicago researchers have created a synthetic compound that mimics the complex quantum dynamics observed in photosynthesis and may enable fundamentally new routes to creating solar-energy technologies. Engineering quantum effects into synthetic light-harvesting devices is not only possible, but also easier than anyone expected, the researchers report.
April 19, 2013 Read more
Electronic zippers control DNA strands
A research team from NPL and the University of Edinburgh have invented a new way to zip and unzip DNA strands using electrochemistry.
April 18, 2013 Read more
Scientists throw new light on DNA copying process
Research led by a scientist at the University of York has thrown new light on the way breakdowns in the DNA copying process inside cells can contribute to cancer and other diseases.
April 18, 2013 Read more
Cell reprogramming to cure leukaemia and lymphoma
Scientists at the Centre for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) at the University of Navarre and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have reprogrammed lymphfoma and leukaemia cells in such a way that they are no longer malignant. The resulting cells maintain their new condition of benign cells even when they are not being treated and reduce the possibilities of generating new tumours.
April 17, 2013 Read more
Firefly BioWorks awards $120K in grants for microRNA Rresearch
Firefly BioWorks announced today the awarding of $120,000 in twelve research grants to scientists working to expand the frontiers of microRNA research. The Firefly Frontiers Grant is designed for scientists looking to profile large numbers of samples over multiple microRNA targets.
April 17, 2013 Read more
Decoding the structure of bone
MIT researchers decipher the molecular basis of bone's remarkable strength and resiliency; work could lead to new treatments and materials.
April 17, 2013 Read more
Researchers create potential food source from non-food plants by transforming cellulose into starch
A team of Virginia Tech researchers has succeeded in transforming cellulose into starch, a process that has the potential to provide a previously untapped nutrient source from plants not traditionally thought of as food crops.
April 16, 2013 Read more
Plant protein puzzle solved
3-D model provides structure of material that provides plant structure
April 16, 2013 Read more
Ordinary skin cells morphed into functional brain cells
Scientists at CWRU School of Medicine discover new technique that holds promise for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.
April 14, 2013 Read more