Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California are reporting today at the 229th national meeting of the American Chemical Society progress toward the creation of a system for replicating a modified form of DNA containing an unnatural base pair.
According to the Scripps Research scientists, this finding is a significant step towards expanding the genetic code and the ability of DNA to act as an information storage and retrieval system in the test tube and in
Deliberately spreading disease among the enemy has been occasionally practiced over hundreds of years. But modern bioterrorism is more chilling than ever because of rapidly expanding knowledge about infectious diseases and biotoxins and their potential to wreak havoc in complex, interdependent societies. The nation is in the process of developing a strong microbial forensic program to attribute and prosecute such attacks, and perhaps deter them.
The opportunities and challenges f
Possible applications for solar cells and other small-scale circuits
Learning how to control the movement of electrons on the molecular and nanometer scales could help scientists devise small-scale circuits for a wide variety of applications, including more efficient ways of storing and using solar energy. Marshall Newton, a theoretical chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, will present at talk at the 229th National Meeting of the American
A standard drink is generally calculated as a 12-ounce glass of beer, four-ounce glass of wine, or a one-ounce shot of hard liquor. Malt liquor beers (MLBs), which have a higher alcohol content by volume compared to other beers, are typically sold in larger containers, and are priced lower by volume. MLB drinkers are more likely to be homeless, unemployed, receive public assistance, and tend to drink more alcohol, more often, than other types of drinkers. A stand
Temple University researchers have developed a new drug that halts cancer cell division, instigating tumor death. The drug works by interfering with the activity of a gene called Plk1 and is now in phase I clinical trials for human cancer therapy. Their research is published in the March issue of Cancer Cell.
Plk1 is one of several molecules that play a critical role in the spread of cancer. Previous studies have found higher levels of Plk1 in cancer tumors and in patients with poo
The global landscape for science and technology is changing, with increased competition for resources and recognition. That’s beginning to look like bad news for the innovative edge the United States has long enjoyed.
“Will the United States own the technology of the future? Probably not all of it, and only if we compete harder to maintain our current position,” said Diana Hicks, professor and chair of Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Public Policy.
A new study by Temple University School of Medicine researchers has shown why the pounds melt so quickly on low-carbohydrate diets, and it’s not related to water, metabolism or boredom. The research was conducted in a group of obese patients with type 2 diabetes who followed the Atkins diet.
According to lead researcher, Guenther Boden, M.D., “When carbohydrates were restricted, study subjects spontaneously reduced their caloric intake to a level appropriate for their heigh
Aiming to thwart persistent bacterial infections and better control group behaviors of certain microorganisms, scientists are creating artificial chemicals that infiltrate and sabotage bacterial “mobs.”
Reporting the work here today (March 13) at the 229th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry professor Helen Blackwell described the ongoing construction of a new class of molecules that conduct such chemical warfare.
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People’s perceptions of their own life expectancy can be linked to their decision on whether or not to invest in a pension, a study led by Nottingham University Business School has revealed.
Nottingham University Business School’s Centre for Risk & Insurance Studies commissioned MORI to conduct a wide ranging public opinion survey of 3,966 adults aged over 16 years across Great Britain covering various aspects of public perceptions of mortality such as general level of health, s
Women prefer men with deep voices, research from Northumbria University has discovered.
Sarah Evans, a part-time psychology lecturer and PhD student, found that women consider deep voices more attractive, dominant, masculine, sexy, assertive, confident and friendly.
Male listeners also rated deep male voices higher than high-pitched voices for attributes such as dominance, masculinity and confidence.
Men’s voices are significantly deeper than women’s due to the
The University of Manchester has been awarded £6m to open a new biocentre which will revolutionise the way future medicines are produced – making them safer and more effective.
The Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology (MCISB) will pioneer an entirely new approach to biology which will not only help pharmaceutical companies to develop better drugs, but potentially reduce the time it takes to develop them.
The centre will pioneer the development of new technologi
Contrary to the prevailing belief that the HIV epidemic in the UK can be traced back to one source, a new study suggests that HIV spread via at least six independent virus introductions and subsequent transmission chains. The findings, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also suggest that antiviral therapy has not had a significant impact on the growth of the epidemic and that changes in sexual behaviour have been more effective in slowing the sp
A team of University of Glasgow scientists have received a grant of £800,000 from the Wellcome Trust to research a mechanism that blocks a critical step in the replication cycle of retroviruses. In the long term, the research could lead to the design of new therapeutic strategies or drugs against retroviruses, which cause diseases such as AIDS and certain leukemias.
Mammals have evolved several mechanisms to fight viral infections, and insight into how humans and animals successfu
WWF and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) published results of scientific assessment of the “Sakhalin-2” oil and gas project’s (Sakhalin Energy company) impact on the Okhotsk-Korean population of grey whales. The findings are distressing: if only three females perish, this grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population will inevitably disappear.
An independent expert group of researchers has confirmed ecologists’ confidence: the “Sakhalin-2” oil and gas project threa
In search of vegetable preparations for nervous system diseases prophylaxis and treatment Russian researchers have turned to green tea. Specialists of the Kuban State University, the Kuban Research-and-Production Laboratory of Physiologically Active Substances and the Institute of Brain (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences) have discovered that ethanolic extract of green tea stimulates spinal cord neurons’ regeneration.
Spinal ganglia were cultivated in nutrient medium. Dry extract
The phoenix is a bird in Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years. Like the phoenix, hibernating animals have a mechanism for hindering the aging process, which can be transferred to other animal species. This discovery is made by biophysicists from Moscow Region supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
The research team from the Institute of Cell Biophysics and Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences has
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