Aphids salivate at the thought of beans! In fact, if it weren’t for their saliva they would starve to death. Professor Aart van Bel (Justus-Liebig-Universität, Germany) will be speaking at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting in Barcelona, on Thursday 14th July [session P2.1] about how special dynamic proteins are involved in ‘plant rescue systems’ and how aphid’s saliva can overcome their defence mechanism.
Bean plants contain contractile protein bodies (forisomes)
Caterpillars are bleeding defensive! Insects are known to lack an antibody-mediated immune response, and research in caterpillars has recently shown that, instead, they produce protective proteins in response to bacterial infection. The pattern recognition receptors (PRR) and antibacterial effectors produced at a first infection still function to protect against a repeated challenge. These results raise important issues in insect research which will be reported by Dr. Ioannis Eleftherianos at the
Ever wondered why you aren’t able to swat a fly? The fly’s secret in avoiding death in this way lies in its decision to jump rather than to fly out of the way. “This kind of low-power decision-making could be of interest to those building autonomously navigating robots”, according to Gwyneth Card of the California Institute of Technology, who will be presenting her work on triggered escape response at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting in Barcelona, on Wednesday 13th July [s
A new way to monitor the effects of climate change on rainforests is being investigated at Cambridge University. Researchers are using biomarkers in the shape of epiphytes (‘air-plants’ which grow on other plants) to find out how their photosynthesis and water evaporation have been affected by climate change over the last 50 years.
Using types of epiphytes known as bromeliads, Monica Mejia-Chang from Professor Howard Griffiths’ lab in Cambridge has been measuring the levels of two s
Hummingbirds – elegant and light? Not all of them! Of approximately 340 species of hummingbirds, 70% weigh six grams or less, while 30% weigh between six and ten grams. The giant hummingbird, Patagona gigas, with its 20g, is a heavy weight! Other animal species, rodents for example, contain individuals ranging in body mass from 10 grams to a rather phenomenal 60 kilograms. However, unlike the hummingbird, these mass differences occur gradually, rather than with a large ‘gap’ of mass. Maria Jose F
New research published in the latest issue of the Journal of Applied Toxicology, shows that in experimental mice an estrogen-mimicking chemical, 4-nonylphenol, triggers breast cancer to a greater extent than naturally occurring estrogens based on their relative affinity for the estrogen receptor. 4-Nonylphenol is released into the environment from cleaning materials, textiles, plastics and some paper.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and environmental factors a
A systematic search through human genes has begun at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. Working within the MitoCheck consortium that includes 10 other institutes throughout Europe, the EMBL scientists will silence all human genes, one-by-one, to find those involved in cell division (mitosis) and to answer fundamental questions of how cell division is regulated.
The scientists will use a method called ‘RNA interference (RNAi)’ where chemically synthes
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterised by severe fatigue lasting for at least 6 months, for which no somatic explanation can be found and which leads to severe disability in daily life. It has been demonstrated that individual cognitive behaviour therapy is an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The aim of the study presented in the July-August issue of Psychother Psychosom was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour group therapy (CBGT) in an unselecte
EUREKA project E! 2512 MINIMOBIL has developed a vehicle specifically designed for life in Europe’s congested cities that uses a hybrid drive combining the environmental benefits of an electric motor with the range of a petrol engine. The compact city car relieves congested roads and reduces urban pollution.
The MINIMOBIL measures a slim two by one metres, and is little bigger than a motorbike. It is ideal for swiftly moving through traffic, while doors positioned at the front a
Hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) is a disease characterised by excessive absorbance and storage of iron in the body, which results from a mutation in HFE, a gene involved in iron regulation. In addition, HH patients have an abnormal immune system (IS), and it has been suggested that the IS is also involved in HH iron deregulation. And now, research by a team of Portuguese scientists about to be published on the 1st of August issue of the journal Blood, shows, that the HFE gene seems to be involved
Two new Cassini views of Saturn’s tumbling moon Hyperion offer the best looks yet at one of the icy, irregularly-shaped moons that orbit the giant, ringed planet.
The image products released today include a movie sequence and a 3D view, and are available at http://ciclops.org, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and http://www.nasa.gov/cassini.
The views were acquired between June 9 and June 11, 2005, during Cassini’s first brush with Hyperion.
Hyperion is decidedly no
Discovery could help in the development of sensors against chemical threats
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), which could play an important role in developing sensors against chemical threats, have enhanced interaction with ammonia because of the presence of oxygen groups on the nanotubes, researchers at Temple University have discovered.
Their findings, “Sensitivity of Ammonia Interaction with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Bundles to the Presence of Defect Sites
Stories of two-headed serpents and epic battles between Thunderbird and Whale, common among Northwest native peoples, have their root in the region’s seismic history. New research led by a University of Washington scientist has found stories that could relate to a large Seattle fault earthquake around A.D. 900 and specific eyewitness accounts linked to a mammoth 1700 earthquake and tsunami in the Cascadia subduction zone.
The stories come from people living in areas from nort
By discovering a crucial piece of submicroscopic information about how the brain converts fuel into energy for neurons, Cornell University biophysicists have gleaned new insights into brain cell metabolism that will allow neurologists to better interpret data from such diagnostic tests as positron emission tomography (PET) scans and a specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test.
The discovery uncovers a key piece of information that’s been missing for years about cell met
A protein called vinculin moves cylinder-like fingers to form a hand to which an arm extended by a protein partner called alpha-actinin can bind, according to St. Jude researchers
As a cell moves forward, physical stress on its skeleton triggers molecular fingers and arms to grasp each other in reinforcing links that stabilize the skeleton, according to images produced by investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The images show how a protein called al
New York University physicists have applied a ground-breaking nanotechnology method to create three-dimensional quasicrystals, highly ordered structures that, unlike conventional crystals, never repeat themselves.
Metallic quasicrystals created from exotic alloys have shown promise for storing hydrogen more efficiently than crystalline hosts. Their non-repeating structure has the potential to dramatically strengthen industrial and commercial products. The NYU quasicrystals, by
Feedback
