Studying the genes behind surplus X chromosomes
Stem cell analyses could reveal how extra doses of some genes lead to the characteristics seen in males born with one or more surplus X chromosomes......»»
New tool simplifies cell tracking data analysis
Studying cell migration is vital because it plays a crucial role in many biological processes, including immune response, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. Understanding how cells move and behave can lead to breakthroughs in treating diseases, de.....»»
Enhanced model enables more realistic biofilms for studying ventilator pneumonia
Scientists at The University of Warwick have made a breakthrough which could help find new treatments for a deadly infection that can affect up to 40% of hospital patients using mechanical ventilators. The study is published in Microbiology......»»
Surprise finding in study of environmental bacteria could advance search for better antibiotics
In what they labeled a "surprising" finding, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial.....»»
Studying the journey, not the destination, provides new insight into songbird migrations
Migration is an adaptive phenomenon, typically triggered by a change of season, that is vital to ecosystem health. Animals may journey thousands of miles, in some cases, in search of food, better living conditions, or to find a mate. Conversely, huma.....»»
Revealing the mysteries within microbial genomes with a new high-throughput approach
A new technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will make it much easier for researchers to discover the traits or activities encoded by genes of unknown function in microbes, a key step toward understanding the role.....»»
Unraveling modern bread wheat from the genes up
A genomic resource for the wild grass species Tausch's goatgrass (Aegilops tauschii) has been developed by a team of international researchers led by KAUST. This new understanding will accelerate gene discovery research and shed new light on the stor.....»»
An affordable tracking microscope to democratize microorganism research
Studying the complex motility patterns of cells and microorganisms is key to understanding their behaviors and biomechanics. However, many conventional microscopes are constrained by fixed lenses and the lack of ability to track organisms over extend.....»»
New technology offers a better look at tardigrade fossils embedded in amber
A trio of evolutionary biologists at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology has learned more about the evolutionary history of tardigrades by studying two fossils embedded in amber. In their study, published in Communications Biology, Mar.....»»
Cosmic count exceeds expectation: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on ISS reveals surplus of cosmic rays
Cosmic rays confound scientists once again. The latest analysis of data collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on board the International Space Station has revealed a surprising surplus of cosmic rays made of deuterons—atomic nuclei mad.....»»
Studying the skin of the great white shark could help reduce drag in aircraft
High-ridged dentricles reduce drag at low speeds; alternating ridges do so at high speeds. Enlarge / Great white sharks can reduce drag at different swimming speeds thanks to high and low ridged dentricles in its skin. (credit: T.....»»
Research team uses tunable laser to develop straightforward broadband spectroscopy method with Hz-level precision
Since the first demonstration of the laser in the 1960s, laser spectroscopy has become an essential tool for studying the detailed structures and dynamics of atoms and molecules. Advances in laser technology have further enhanced its capabilities. Th.....»»
Researchers discover new material for optically-controlled magnetic memory
Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have made unexpected progress toward developing a new optical memory that can quickly and energy-efficiently store and access computational data. While studying a.....»»
Bacteria encode hidden genes outside their genome; do we?
Since the genetic code was first deciphered in the 1960s, our genes have seemed like an open book. By reading and decoding our chromosomes as linear strings of letters, like sentences in a novel, we can identify the genes in our genome and learn why.....»»
Scientists take atomic look at a protein complex that grants access to our DNA
To transcribe the information contained in our genes or to repair the dozens of breaks that occur daily in our DNA, our enzymes must be able to directly access the DNA to perform their functions. However, in the cell nucleus, this access is limited b.....»»
New book explores emergence of touch-based language in DeafBlind communities
As deaf individuals lost their sight in the DeafBlind community that Asst. Prof. Terra Edwards was studying, she discovered that an entirely new language had emerged—one that doesn't try to negotiate with a seeing world, but is rooted in a tactile.....»»
Engineers develop general, high-speed technology to model, understand catalytic reactions
Researchers have been studying the industrial production of ammonia for a century. But they've struggled to find ways to improve the low-yield, low-efficiency process......»»
Horse miscarriages offer clues to causes of early human pregnancy loss
A study of horses—which share many important similarities with humans in their chromosomes and pregnancies—revealed that 42% of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions in the first two months of pregnancy were due to complications from an extra se.....»»
Path to precision: Targeted cancer drugs go from table to trials to bedside
What started in a scientist's dining room is now in tissue-agnostic combo trials. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson) In 1972, Janet Rowley sat at her dining room table and cut tiny chromosomes from photographs she had taken.....»»
Researchers identify useful emission lines in the sun"s outer atmosphere
When studying the solar spectrum, researchers often search for specific emission lines: prominent wavelengths emitted by ions as their electrons transition from higher to lower energy levels. Emission spectra of two iron ions, Fe IX and Fe X, are par.....»»
Human muscle cells come back from space, look aged
Astronauts' muscles atrophy in space, but we can identify the genes involved. Enlarge / Muscle atrophy is a known hazard of spending time on the International Space Station. (credit: NASA) Muscle-on-chip systems are thr.....»»