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The doctoral dissertation of Milja Veps�l�inen, 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-Universit�t 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 Link�ping 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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A new video-protocol in JoVE details steps to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from cells in the peripheral blood. The technique has been developed by Boston University's Dr. Gustavo Mostoslavsky and his colleagues.
Nov 1st, 2012
Read moreBy decoding the genomes of more than 1,000 people whose homelands stretch from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas, scientists have compiled the largest and most detailed catalog yet of human genetic variation. The massive resource will help medical researchers find the genetic roots of rare and common diseases in populations worldwide.
Oct 31st, 2012
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A research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed a model for making quantifiable predictions of how a group of cells will react and change in response to a given environment or stimulus - and how quickly. The NIST model, in principle, makes it possible to assign reliable numbers to the complex evolution of a population of cells, a critical capability for efficient biomanufacturing as well as for the safety of stem cell-based therapies, among other applications.
Oct 31st, 2012
Read moreBlocking production of a pyruvate kinase splice-variant shows therapeutic promise.
Oct 31st, 2012
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Scientists have discovered that breaking a biological signaling system in an embryo allows them to change the destiny of a cell. The findings could lead to new ways of making replacement organs.
Oct 31st, 2012
Read moreThe dream of regaining the ability to stand up and walk has come closer to reality for people paralyzed below the waist who thought they would never take another step.
Oct 30th, 2012
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