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Archive for the ‘Biology / Biochemistry’ Category

Texas A&M researchers develop tool to study complex clusters of genes

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

COLLEGE STATION, July 2, 2008 -- Two Texas A&M University researchers have developed a computational tool that will help scientists more accurately study complex units of clustered genes, called operons, in bacteria. The tool, which allows scientists to analyze many bacterial genomes at once, is more accurate than previous methods ...

Tigers disappear from Himalayan refuge

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

WASHINGTON D.C. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is alarmed by the dramatic decline of at least 30 percent in the Bengal tiger population of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, once a refuge that boasted among the highest densities of the endangered species in the Eastern Himalayas. The recent survey of April ...

Study shows quantum dots can penetrate skin through minor abrasions

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that quantum dot nanoparticles can penetrate the skin if there is an abrasion, providing insight into potential workplace concerns for healthcare workers or individuals involved in the manufacturing of quantum dots or doing research on potential biomedical applications of the tiny nanoparticles.While ...

US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute announces new genome sequencing projects

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

WALNUT CREEK, CAIn the continuing effort to tap the vast, unexplored reaches of the earth's microbial and plant domains for bioenergy and environmental applications, the DOE Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has announced its latest portfolio of DNA sequencing projects that it will undertake in the coming year. The 44 ...

Synthetic molecules emulate enzyme behavior for the first time

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When chemists want to produce a lot of a substance -- such as a newly designed drug -- they often turn to catalysts, molecules that speed chemical reactions. Many jobs require highly specialized catalysts, and finding one in just the right shape to connect with certain molecules ...

Sen. Byron Dorgan to be honored

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Grand Forks, North Dakota, July 2, 2008 Volunteers representing the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF), the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will present Senator Byron Dorgan with the 2008 Congressional Leadership Award for his leadership on extending the Special Diabetes Program (SDP) ...

Healthy or diseased?

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

This release is available in German.Metabolomics aims to determine the totality of all small molecules of a cell or a tissue. The exponents of bioinformatics analyzed data collected in the framework of a pre-clinical metabolomics study in healthy and diabetic mice. In each case, a subgroup of the animals was ...

ETH Zurich and IBM improve diagnosis of osteoporosis

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

With the goal of developing an accurate, powerful and fast method to automate the analysis of bone strength, scientists of the ETH Zurich Departments of Mechanical and Process Engineering and Computer Science teamed up with supercomputing experts at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory. The breakthrough method developed by the team ...

Scientists reveal the key mechanisms for affinity between transient binding proteins

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

This release is available in Spanish.Most of the functions performed by a cell are the result of interactions between proteins, which recognise their binding partner by affinity features localized on the protein surface. There are many kinds of interactions; however, the most complicated to study from the perspective of structural ...

HapMap browsing and DDDP methods for genetic analysis featured in CSH Protocols

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Tuesday, July 1, 2008) To aid in the study of genetic diseases, scientists with the International Haplotype Map Project have developed a haplotype map of the human genome, a tool that displays common patterns of genetic variation. While data from the project ...

Weight Watchers vs. fitness centers

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

COLUMBIA, Mo. In the first study of its kind, using sophisticated methods to measure body composition, the nationally known commercial weight loss program, Weight Watchers, was compared to gym membership programs to find out which method wins in the game of good health. A University of Missouri researcher examined the ...

Ethanol byproduct produces green results

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

PROSSER, WA Commercial flower and plant growers know all too well that invasive, ubiquitous weeds cause trouble by lowering the value and deterring healthy growth of potted ornamental plants. To control weeds, many commercial nursery owners resort to the expensive practice of paying workers to hand-weed containers. Some growers ...

Stiffness Gradients In Vascular Bundles Of Palm Trees

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

In palm trees, stiff fibres are embedded in soft surrounding tissue. The design of the interface of these tissues is crucial for the functioning of the stem. Mechanical, structural and biochemical investigations with high spatial resolution showed that independent sources acting together at different levels of hierarchy create a stiffness ...

Selection On Personality In A Songbird Affects Maternal Hormone Levels Tuned To Its Effect On Timing Of Reproduction

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

In birds, as in humans, mothers modulate offspring development by maternal hormones. We found in a wild bird species differences in testosterone within and between clutches of mothers selected for distinct personalities. Selection also affected timing of reproduction, allowing hormone mediated adjustments to seasonal variation in food availability. Therefore, hormone ...

Inbreeding And Amphibian Malformations

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

We captured 687 adult and 1259 larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum), assessed individuals for gross malformations, and surveyed genetic variation among malformed and normal individuals using both cytoplasmic and nuclear markers. The overall frequency of adults with malformations was 0.078 compared to 0.081 in larval samples. Genetic diversity ...