Experiment proves that ’fly-fishing mechanism’ theory of protein-to-protein communication holds water
Proteins pass messages to other proteins much like fly-fishermen flicker their lines against water, or so a current leading theory holds. The repeated weak slapping of protein surfaces against one-another is the critical first step in a chain of events that rule all subsequent cellular behavior.
But this vital exchange between single molecules has defied direct o
US saltwater recreational fishing catch rivals commercial fisheries for many depleted fish stocks including red snapper, black seabass, and lingcod
Taking a hard look at the common belief that recreational fishing accounts for only 2-3% of total landings in the U.S., a new study published in the journal Science (August 26th) reveals that recreational catches account for nearly a quarter of the total take of over fished populations, including many of the most economically valuable sp
Equation could help decide future of land tainted with pesticides, pharmaceuticals
Building on an idea developed by medicinal chemists, Johns Hopkins researchers have devised a new mathematical tool that accurately predicts how long certain pollutants — including pesticides and pharmaceuticals — will remain in soil.
The work is timely because researchers and public officials have become increasingly concerned about pharmaceuticals and personal care products that have been de
A landmark program seeking to bring the promise of genetic research into the “real world” is underway with the first DNA samples to be collected next year. The Guilford Genomic Medicine Iniative is a partnership involving Moses Cone Health System, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Duke University.
“This project is an excellent example of solid collaboration in search of a greater good,” Dennis Barry, CEO Emeritus, Moses Cone Health System, says. “After a year of int
For millions of Americans, every day brings a new struggle against overwhelming pain and fatigue — and neither they nor their doctors know why.
The mysterious ailments that affect them have names like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, Gulf War Veterans Illness and vulvodynia. They cause symptoms like muscle aches, extreme tenderness, and ever-present tiredness. But no one really knows what causes such syndromes to start, why they linger, or how they can be controlled.
New England’s favorite summertime delicacy, the chowder clam, has just been elevated to a whole new status. An international team of scientists-who credit studying surf clam (Spisula solidissima) cells with important research breakthroughs in the study of diseases such as cancer, premature aging, and muscular dystrophy-has convened at the Marine Biological Laboratory to begin sequencing some of the clam’s active genes.
The effort, called the Clam Project, is the first step toward
In an effort that may someday lead to the treatment of hearing loss and balance disorders, which currently affect about 28 million Americans, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) visiting investigators Jeffrey Corwin and Stefan Heller are working this summer to make large numbers of mouse stem cells “grow” into inner ear sensory hair cells-acoustic receptors that are a critical part of the auditory system.
The work is important because, in humans, inner ear sensory hair cells are a p
Large, nutrient-poor expanses of the open ocean are getting a substantial nitrogen influx from an abundant group of unicellular organisms that “fix,” or chemically alter, nitrogen into a form usable for biological productivity.
First identified about five years ago, these organisms – about 7 microns in diameter – are fixing nitrogen at rates up to three times higher than previously reported for the Pacific Ocean, according to research published in the Aug. 26, 2004 edition of the jo
The importance of characterising the atomic structure of the silicon / silicon dioxide interface as an essential component in highly integrated circuits has steadily increased as a result of continuing miniaturisation of silicon chips. The physicists, Dr. Stefan Bergfeld, Bjoern Braunschweig and Prof. Dr. Winfried Daum, Institute of Physics and Physical Technologies at the Technical University of Clausthal, have succeeded in characterising the change in bond structure of interfacial atoms during the
’But I’ve just told you my postcode, damn you!’
We all know the frustrations of talking to computers down the phone. But don’t panic, help is at hand.
Scientists the world over are converging on the University of East Anglia next week to bang the stroppy robots to rights. The two-day workshop on August 30-31 will brainstorm ideas for improving human-to-machine communication of all types.
“Speaking to machines does tend to irritate people – especially when w
Loughborough University researchers have been awarded more than £200,000 to develop state-of-the-art tailor made implants for people requiring facial reconstructive surgery.
The Department of Health’s ‘New and Emerging Applications of Technology’ (NEAT) funding programme has awarded the University £234,761 for the 2 year project, which is being led by Dr Russell Harris of the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.
The aim of the work is to research and
Two new findings in the field of primary prevention for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have recently been reported by a research group led by Professor Laura Fratiglioni at Karolinska Institutet: the first is that both high and low blood pressure increase the chances of developing dementia. The second is that an active and socially integrated lifestyle protects against dementia.
“These findings are not only of scientific relevance in the contribution they make to our understand
Torkel Klingberg’s group was the first to show that working memory can be improved by computerized training and they have mapped the changes in brain activity that occur as a result of this training.
Working memory is important for attention and other mental functions. It is impaired in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and in several other neurological diorders.
The scientists in Torkel Klingberg`s group have also shown changes in brain activity and
The origins of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been studied with the help of data generated from close to 2000 patients with recent onset RA, who have been followed longitudinally be means of structured surveillance programs in Swedish Rheumatology and coordinated from the Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital.
“One interesting finding is that smoking in the context of certain genetic predispositions, increases the risk for rheumatoid arthritis in a dramatic way, i.e
Earth has entered the “Anthropocene”, a new geological era in which humans rival nature in their impact on the global environment, say scientists speaking at the EuroScience Forum in Stockholm today.
“Mankind’s use of Earth’s resources has grown so much that it seems justified to denominate the past two centuries and into the future as a new geological era,” says Professor Paul Crutzen, the Nobel prize-winning atmospheric chemist who first coined the term.
Speaking at a Eur
What do the Amazon Basin and Sahara Desert have in common? They are intricately linked by dust and climate and both belong to a family of hotspots or “Achilles’ heels” that have a profound impact on the global environment, says Professor John Schellnhuber, speaking at the EuroScience Forum in Stockholm today.
Dust from the Sahara Desert fertilises the Amazon, increasing the abundance of life there, says Professor Schellnhuber, IGBP* Science Ambassador and Director of the UK-based
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