University Georgia researchers have developed an anti-microbial treatment that adheres to the skin without being toxic.

Already, the treatment has helped heal Spirit, a burned dog in a high-profile animal cruelty case, and Gasper, a beluga whale at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

The researchers envision a human application for the technology, which they’re currently seeking to patent.

Dr. Bran Ritchie, a distinguished research scientist in the department o

A new technology for implants that may improve construction or repair of bones in the face, skull and jaw, has been developed by researchers from the American Dental Association Foundation (ADAF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Described in recent and upcoming journal articles,* the new technology provides a method for making scaffolds for bone tissue. The scaffold is seeded with a patient’s own cells and is formed with a cement paste made of mi

A study published by Nature today has defined the function of p110 alpha, the flag-ship molecule of the eight member PI3K family, which is one of the most frequently activated pathways in cancer. The function of p110 alpha in the body has eluded researchers for over a decade but a new approach to generating mouse models, has allowed investigators from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research’s (LICR) UCL Branch and the UCL Centre for Diabetes & Endocrinology to solve the mystery and yield impor

LGC, Europe’s leading independent analytical laboratory, has announced that it is launching a new generic DNA-based PT scheme for quantitative PCR, designed to provide the tools for cross-sectoral benchmarking of laboratory performance. Interested participants are invited to register now.

Developed by LGC as part of the DTI-funded Measurements for Biotechnology (MfB) programme 2004-2007, this innovative approach is the first DNA-based PT scheme able to provide test mater

Scientists working with Vaccinia virus, the smallpox vaccine, have discovered a novel mechanism that allows poxviruses to enter cells and cause infection.

Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 11 April describes how the Imperial College London team discovered the mechanism allowing Vaccinia virus to shed its outer lipid membrane and enter cells. The mechanism is unique in virology and paves the way for development of new antiviral drugs.

Bacteria gain resistance from only a handful of 120 possible five-step mutational paths in a key gene

Darwinian evolution follows very few of the available mutational pathways to attain fitter proteins, researchers at Harvard University have found in a study of a gene whose mutant form increases bacterial resistance to a widely prescribed antibiotic by a factor of roughly 100,000. Their work indicates that of 120 harrowing, five-step mutational paths that theoretically could gr

Yale School of Medicine researchers have new data showing chloride ions are critical to hearing in mammals, which builds on previous research showing a chemical used to keep barnacles off boats might disrupt the balance of these ions in ear cells.

“Our data are the first to directly show that chloride ions are crucial for our exquisite sense of hearing,” said Joseph Santos-Sacchi, professor in the Departments of Surgery and Neurobiology and first author of the study in the Journal

Scientists at Yale and the University of Rhode Island report the development of a peptide that can specifically and directly deliver molecules to the inside of cells like a nanosyringe, creating a new tool for drug delivery, gene control and imaging of diseased tissues.

Their “cargo carrier” peptide called pHLIP, for pH (Low) Insertion Peptide, accumulates in the membranes of cells in acidic environments and spontaneously transfers attached molecules across the membrane. The c

Tired of fluorescent tubes? Imagine your ceiling — or any surface — as a giant light panel, thanks to research from the University of Southern California and Princeton University

Scientists studying organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) have made a critical leap from single-color displays to a highly efficient and long-lived natural light source.

The invention, described in the April 13 issue of Nature, is the latest fruit of a 13-year OLED research program led by M

Chimpanzees and humans have gene variant, for different reasons

Gene variants determine which humans and which chimpanzees can taste bitter substances. For humans, this taste sensitivity may influence nutritional choices and ultimately their health, as well as behaviors, such as smoking. For chimpanzees, it provides a way to live safely in their environments by avoiding toxic plants and other harmful compounds.

Research conducted more 65 years ago by a team of scienti

Stressed individuals might be particularly prone to binge eating or drug addiction because of the high levels of the stress hormone corticotropin-releasing factor in their brain. A study published today in the open access journal BMC Biology (http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcbiol/) shows that rats with levels of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in their brain similar to the levels experienced by humans when they are stressed show an exaggerated craving for a reward – a piece of sugar – whenever

Researchers have demonstrated that an antibiotic is effective at treating acute asthma attacks, potentially providing a new way to help asthma sufferers.

Research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the antibiotic, telithromycin, can hasten the recovery time of patients who have had asthma attacks by three days, as well as reducing their symptoms and improving lung function.

Treatment for some serious asthma attacks can involve the us

A new collaboration covers the spectrum from molecules to therapies

Today three research organisations announce the merging of their expertise to fight cardiovascular diseases, which are among the most common health problems and causes of death in the world. The Magdi Yacoub Institute (MYI) at the UK’s Harefield Heart Science Centre, Imperial College London, and a unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) near Rome will work together to connect discoveries in basic

Northwestern researcher’s study points to active rather than passive process

Research to be published in the April 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides the first explanation of an active rather than passive process that leads to heart valve degeneration, furthering a Northwestern researcher’s effort to lead a paradigm shift in the medical community’s beliefs about the cause of valve disease.

Heart valve disease is caused not by a ’we

You know slathering on the SPF helps prevent skin cancer. So why don’t you do it? A new study from the June issue of the Journal of Consumer Research explains why many people don’t end up trying a new health regimen – like regularly wearing sunscreen or eliminating transfat– even if they believe the product or behavior is effective.

Punam A. Keller (Dartmouth University) argues that while some people focus on the effectiveness of the product or program when deciding whether to try it, ot

Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for malaria, impairs the ability of key cells of the immune system to trigger an efficient immune response. This might explain why patients with malaria are susceptible to a wide range of other infections and fail to respond to several vaccines. In a study published today in the open access journal Journal of Biology (http://jbiol.com/), researchers show that if dendritic cells, the key cells involved in initiating immunity, are exposed to red blood cells inf