German SME developed a new treatment/operation accompanying aseptic storage for instruments with an additional sterilization mechanism for medical instruments….
It’s a case of evolutionary detective work. Biology researchers at Lewis & Clark College and the University of Arizona have found evidence for an ancient transfer of a toxin between ancestors of two very dissimilar organisms–spiders and a bacterium. But the mystery remains as how the toxin passed between the two organisms. Their research is published this month in the journal Bioinformatics, 22(3): 264-268, in an article titled “Lateral gene transfer of a dermonecrotic toxin between spide
UF scientists find weakness in cancer’s armor
Much as the famed starship Enterprise would deploy a deflector shield to evade enemy attack, tumor cells are capable of switching on a molecular force field of their own to fend off treatments aimed at killing them. Now University of Florida researchers have found a chink in their armor.
The cells churn out an enzyme that bonds with a protein, creating a protective barrier that deflects damage from radiation or chemothe
From lions to honey badgers are ranked by conservationists
It may still be “king of the beasts,” but the African lion’s kingdom is dwindling, according to a new report released by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) that says these emblematic big cats have disappeared from 82 percent of their historic distribution over the past several decades. The 200-page report looked at the conservation status of the 20 largest species of African carnivores and exam
With world oil demand growing, supplies dwindling and the potential for weather- and conflict-related supply interruptions, other types of fuels and technologies are needed to help pick up the slack.
A group of experts in science, engineering and public policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory recommend a comprehensive research and policy plan aimed at increasing the practicality of using biofuels and biomat
Anyone who has recognized a person but then struggled with the particulars – “I know I know her, but how…?” – can also appreciate the distinction between “familiarity” and “recollection.”
Recollection, as defined by memory specialists, is the ability to call up specific details about an encounter, while familiarity is simply knowing that someone or something has been encountered before. Both are elements of recognition memory and both, new research suggests, are functions of the
A bound pair of icy comets similar to the dirty snowballs circling outside the orbit of Neptune has been found lurking in the shadow of Jupiter.
Astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, working with colleagues in France and at the Keck Telescope in Hawaii, have calculated the density of a known binary asteroid system that shares Jupiter’s orbit, and concluded that Patroclus and its companion probably are composed mostly of water ice covered by a patina of dirt.
Rett syndrome is a debilitating neurological disorder occurring primarily in girls. While some existing therapies might ease particular symptoms of the condition, there is no current way to address the syndrome at a molecular level. Now, researchers at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, in collaboration with scientists at Brandeis University, have dramatically reduced certain manifestations of Rett Syndrome in mice, marking a clear path in which to explore possible therapies for peop
Climate forecasting systems help predict malaria risk in Africa
The Earth Institute at Columbia University—Malaria is one of the world’s biggest killers, taking the lives of more than 1 million people every year, as well as infecting a staggering 500 million worldwide. Although endemic in several regions of the world, malaria is most acute in Africa, home to an estimated 90 percent of all cases. Early warning systems can assist health programs and services in preventing and con
Insight into the workings of previously inscrutable viruses has been made possible by a team of biologists whose improvements to computer software may one day contribute to the fight against viral disease.
With a few deft lines of computer code, Purdue University’s Wen Jiang and his research group have created a powerful new tool for lab research that should allow scientists to obtain high-resolution images of some of the world’s smallest biological entities — the viruses. To
Study offers first molecular insight into eosinophilic esophagitis
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have discovered the first gene associated with eosinophilic esophagitis, one of a number of eosinophil-related diseases in which the body produces abnormally large amounts of white blood cells that can lead to allergy related illnesses. In eosinophilic esophagitis, the esophagus is overwhelmed with white blood cells and as a result patients of all ag
Two are one too many – this is the motto used by cells of a female organism: These contain two X chromosomes, one of which always becomes inactivated. How does the cell recognize that it contains two of these sex chromosomes and how does it choose which one to turn off? Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), working together with French colleagues, have now been able to elucidate an early step in this complex process.
Forty-five years
Bacterial infections can strike anyone, and they can sometimes be fatal. Because more and more bacteria are becoming resistant to the pre-eminent remedy – antibiotics – the search for new remedies against bacterial infections is in high gear. Research by scientists from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected to Ghent University shows that certain mice, by nature, can withstand particular bacterial infections. Elucidation of the biological process that underlies
In the digital age, cultural institutions face new technical and organisational challenges. They must improve and sometimes radically change how they acquire, store and preserve their collections as well as how they provide access to users. European research is helping them rise to the challenge.
For some years now the European Commission has been working to help cultural organisations, particularly archives, libraries and museums, develop the technological infrastructure, applicat
Copper could help prevent the spread of flu infections. Recent research at the University of Southampton shows that the Influenza A virus is virtually eradicated within six hours on copper surfaces. Influenza A viruses cause seasonal infections resulting in around 12,000 deaths a year in the UK1. The influenza A family of viruses includes the avian flu strain.
Professor Bill Keevil and Dr Jonathan Noyce, microbiology researchers at the University’s School of Biological Sciences,
Radar satellites such as ESA’s Envisat and ERS-2 maintain constant watch on the Earth’s surface, their signals able to cut through clouds, rain or darkness. This surveillance extends beyond the land to the 71% of the planet covered by ocean – acquiring unique imagery of the ever-shifting face of the sea that is proving a boon to oceanographers.
Last week around 100 researchers from 20 countries met at ESRIN, ESA’s European Centre for Earth Observation in Frascati, I
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