A surprising new study by an international team of researchers has concluded Earth’s continents most likely were in place soon after the planet was formed, overturning a long-held theory that the early planet was either moon-like or dominated by oceans.
The team came to the conclusion following an analysis of a rare metal element known as hafnium in ancient minerals from the Jack Hills in Western Australia, thought to be among the oldest rocks on Earth. Hafnium is found in assoc
A Scots-led medical research team has identified a new gene linked to major mental illness that links back to a previously discovered gene known to increase the risk of schizophrenia and depression. Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with scientists from the pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp & Dohme Limited, report the discovery of the second gene, phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) in the prestigious journal Science today (17 November). Their discoveries could lead to
USC Study suggests alternative approach to anti-aging research in humans
A counterintuitive experiment has resulted in one of the longest recorded life-span extensions in any organism and opened a new door for anti-aging research in humans.
Scientists have known for several years that an extra copy of the SIR2 gene can promote longevity in yeast, worms and fruit flies.
That finding was covered widely and incorporated into anti-aging drug development programs at seve
Like waves of soldiers guarding a castle gate, multiple genetic defenders cooperate to protect plant cells against powdery mildew disease, according to a new study. Powdery mildew is a common fungal infection in plants that attacks more than 9,000 species, including many crops such as barley and wheat, and horticultural plants such as roses and cucumbers. The researchers, including Shauna Somerville and Mónica Stein of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology, are the first
Findings could pave the way to treatment of anxiety disorders
Rutgers geneticist Gleb Shumyatsky has discovered a gene that controls both innate and learned forms of fear. The gene, known as Stathmin or Oncoprotein 18, is highly concentrated in the amygdala, a key region of the brain that deals with fear and anxiety.
“This is a major advance in the field of learning and memory that will allow for a better understanding of post traumatic stress disorder, phobias, borderline
Astrophysicists at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have exploded one of two competing theories about how stars form inside immense clouds of interstellar gas.
Using supercomputer simulations that take into account the turbulence within a cloud collapsing to form a star, the researchers conclude that the “competitive accretion” model cannot explain what astronomers observe of star-forming regions studied to date.
A research centre at the University of York dedicated to realising the potential of plant-based renewable resources to make products needed by society, has been awarded one of The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education.
The Royal accolade for CNAP (Centre for Novel Agricultural Products) announced at St James’s Palace on Thursday 17 November is the second to be conferred on the University in less than 10 years. It was previously awarded to the Universi
A satellite surveillance zone within the southern Indian Ocean is helping protect the endangered Patagonian toothfish from pirate fishing vessels.
Perched between Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica, the windswept French territory of the Kerguelen Islands is one of the remotest places on Earth. Even so, fishing vessels are lured there by the prospect of catching one valuable species found in its surrounding waters – the Patagonian toothfish, also known as Chilean sea bass, or
Issued by EPSRC on behalf of the UK e-Science Programme
A UK e-Science project has won a top award at SC05, the world’s premier supercomputing conference in Seattle this week. SPICE (Simulated Pore Interactive Computing Environment) achieved success in the HPC Analytics Challenge for demonstrating the use of innovative techniques in rigorous data analysis and high-end visualisation to solve a complex, real-world problem.
“SPICE shows how the power of supercomputers on bot
The Mars Express radar, MARSIS, has now been deployed for more than four months. Here we report on the activities so far.
For the operational period up to now, Mars Express has been making its closest approaches to Mars predominantly in the daytime portion of its orbit. The MARSIS radar’s scientists are mainly collecting data about the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere, or ‘ionosphere’, which is the highly electrically conducting layer that is maintained by sunlight.
As older workers approach 65 and the official retirement age, many say that they want the Government and employers to be more flexible over retirement age so that they can continue working if they desire. They think that people should be able to retire before 65 or continue to work if that is what they want. Many of those interviewed now want to go on working as they think they still have much to offer their employers. However, they do not want the official age of retirement to rise from 65 years a
A world-first test that assesses the damage people have done to their skin through sun exposure is being launched to the public at clinics throughout the UK.
The scientific test, whose launch comes as holidaymakers make plans to top up their tans during warm winter breaks, is able to reveal extent of the damage that sunbathers have inflicted on their skin’s genetic material, DNA, over many years.
The new test, called ‘skinphysical’, draws on pioneering work by skin c
The digital revolution sweeping through museums, art galleries and libraries is revealed in a unique exhibition to be opened at the University of Abertay Dundee tomorrow (18 November).
Entitled “Burnishing the Lamp of Memory: Documentation and Preservation in the Digital Age”, the exhibition brings together stories and displays from around the world to show how technology is changing the way we see and care for cultural artefacts like pictures, sculpture, documents and architecture.
Researchers at The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR), based at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, have pioneered a new approach for the treatment of cervical cancer.
Lead researcher Dr Nigel McMillan said the finding was based on the method of “gene silencing”, a novel technique to target and turn off single genes in a cell.
“Our research shows not only can we stop cervical cancer cells from growing in the test tube, but
Assay powerfully identifies patients’ short-term risk of death
A large-scale international study has demonstrated the usefulness of a blood test to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of acute heart failure in emergency room patients and shows that the test also can identify patients at a higher risk for death. The report from investigators in the U.S., the Netherlands, Spain and New Zealand also clarifies the importance of age-specific levels of a protein called NT-proBNP t
They’re but a tiny speck, existing in a variety of forms: particles, tubes, shells, even a soccerball-like shape. They also share a common prefix: “nano,” connoting their size, a billionth of a meter or roughly 25-millionth of an inch.
Today, cancer researchers are exploring the potential of such nanostructures to exquisitely target cancer cells without harming surrounding tissue, and to image the formation of tumors long before they have a chance to become life-threaten
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