Posts Tagged ‘molecular biology’
Science & Technology - Jan 8, 2010 15:58 - 1 Comment
New clues to how RNA gets in shape
U. MICHIGAN—Researchers have discovered that the rules dictating the 3-D shapes of RNA molecules are not based on complex chemical interactions, but simply on geometry. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jan 5, 2010 12:49 - 0 Comments
‘Macho’ receptor slows wound healing
U. ROCHESTER (US)—A molecular receptor pivotal to the action of male hormones such as testosterone also plays a crucial role in the body’s ability to heal, report scientists in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jan 4, 2010 17:34 - 0 Comments
Protein ‘makeover’ key to muscular dystrophy
U. IOWA (US)—The discovery of a novel type of chemical modification on a particular muscle protein promises to shed light on certain muscular dystrophies. The finding may also have implications for cancer detection. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 29, 2009 11:18 - 0 Comments
Protein key to blood pressure sensors
U. IOWA (US)—A protein channel helps nerve sensors in blood vessels keep blood pressure in check, new research shows. Without the protein channel, known as ASIC2, the sensors are unable to send the brain the signals it needs to properly control blood pressure. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 28, 2009 11:49 - 0 Comments
Following the rules of cell division
INDIANA (US)—No matter how complex things get, it comes down to this: Cells are either directed to divide, or they are not. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 14, 2009 17:52 - 0 Comments
Cancer catalog advances targeted therapies
PRINCETON (US)—A systematic listing of the ways a particular cancerous cell has “gone wrong,” gives researchers a powerful tool that could eventually make possible new, more targeted therapies for patients. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 10, 2009 18:15 - 1 Comment
Surprising weakness found in H1N1
RICE (US)—The H1N1 influenza virus has been keeping a secret that may be the key to defeating it and other flu viruses as well. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 7, 2009 10:55 - 1 Comment
AIDS forerunner hijacked animal gene
U. ROCHESTER (US)—An ancestor of the AIDS virus hijacked an entire gene—perhaps from some prehistoric cat it had infected. Researchers say the gene makes it easier for the virus to infect humans. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 4, 2009 18:14 - 1 Comment
DNA discovery: ‘New trick from an old horse’
UC DAVIS (US)—A protein that plays a key role in copying DNA also plays a vital role in repairing breaks in it. The findings will clarify how cancer cells can resist radiation and chemotherapy, as well as how cells become cancerous in the first place, say researchers. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 19, 2009 19:08 - 2 Comments
Tool decodes biology’s key players
PRINCETON (US)—A team has engineered a faster, more accurate method for analyzing histones, enigmatic proteins that influence almost every aspect of how cells and tissues function. The approach offers a long-sought tool for studying stem cells, cancer, and other critical areas of biology and medicine. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 12, 2009 17:38 - 4 Comments
Reading chemical memories of past drug use
VANDERBILT (US)—A research team is trying to determine if an individual’s white blood cells retain chemical memories of exposure to drugs—like cocaine and alcohol—that can be read reliably and unambiguously. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 10, 2009 18:24 - 0 Comments
Getting personal with cancer treatment
MCGILL (CANADA)—Researchers have discovered a previously unknown series of interactions between genes that control whether cells become cancerous. The discovery may lead to a new generation of targeted therapies tuned to individual patients. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 9, 2009 13:54 - 0 Comments
Keeps whites white and living cells on time
USC (US)—If a circadian rhythm is like an orchestra—the united expression of the rhythms of millions of cells—hydrogen peroxide may serve as the conductor, or at least as the baton. (more…)
Earth & Environment, Health & Medicine - Oct 26, 2009 12:07 - 0 Comments
Zebrafish do it. Why can’t we?
U. MICHIGAN (US)—Biologists long have marveled at the ability of some animals to re-grow lost body parts—newts regrow legs and zebrafish re-grow fins—and even repair damaged heart and eye tissue. Now researchers have discovered that some of the same genes underlie the process in different types of tissues. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 5, 2009 12:34 - 0 Comments
Flip of switch illuminates cell function
UC BERKELEY (US)—A new way to select and switch on one cell type in an organism using light has helped answer a long-standing question about the function of one class of enigmatic nerve cells in the spinal cord. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Oct 5, 2009 11:30 - 0 Comments
Bioengineer a better hydrocarbon?
IOWA STATE (US)—Researchers are looking to plants and algae as a source of green, renewable hydrocarbons—and second-generation biofuels. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 2, 2009 12:12 - 0 Comments
Enzyme offers target for curing tuberculosis
IOWA STATE (US)—Researchers have identified an enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human’s natural defense system. Neutralizing that enzyme may someday lead to a cure for tuberculosis, a contagious disease that’s on the rise. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 10, 2009 16:42 - 0 Comments
A cell’s private life revealed
The Yale University team was able to visualize the so-called “BK” channel protein by using single-particle reconstruction. In this technique, individual protein molecules are imaged in an electron microscope, and information from thousands of images is combined to produce a three-dimensional map of the protein structure. This was the first time this reconstruction technique was extended to proteins embedded in membranes.
