Genetics & Molecular Biology

Manipulate Biological Circuits To Set The Circadian Clock

Often referred to as the "body clock", circadian rhythm controls what time of day people are most alert, hungry, tired or physically primed due to a complex biological process that is not unique to humans. Circadian rhythms, which oscillate over ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 19 2015 - 7:57am

Rare Autoimmune Syndrome May Have A Common Form

A hereditary autoimmune disease that was thought to be exceedingly rare may have a less severe form that affects one in 1,000 people or even more. The results suggest that a number of different autoimmune diseases and syndromes may be tied to mutations in ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 17 2015 - 3:54pm

New Mechanism For Male Infertility Discovered

A new study in Sweden links male infertility to autoimmune prostatic inflammation.   Infertility- involuntary childlessness- is common, and in half of all cases attributable to infertility in the man. Although male infertility has many possible causes, it ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 24 2015 - 1:30pm

The Simple Beauty Of A Free Radical

Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly stable molecule that is also highly reactive and a free radical, meaning a single, unpaired electron is present in its molecule. NO plays the role of a mediator between elements and helps them combine. Radicals are regularly ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 24 2015 - 7:48am

GlaxoSmithKline Gene Discovery In Poppies Paves Way For Better Painkillers

A long sought after gene that is a critical gateway step in the synthesis of the morphinan class of alkaloids, which include the painkiller drugs morphine and codeine, has been discovered.  The gene, called STORR, is only found in poppy species that produc ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 29 2015 - 10:00am

High-Fat Diet And Natural Hormone May Alleviate Mitochondrial Disease

Mice that have a genetic version of mitochondrial disease can easily be mistaken for much older animals by the time they are nine months old: they have thinning gray hair, osteoporosis, poor hearing, infertility and heart problems. Despite having this dise ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 4 2015 - 9:31am

Human Antibody Blocks Dengue Virus In Mice

Researchers have discovered that a human antibody specific to dengue virus serotype 2, called 2D22, protects mice from a lethal form of the virus-- and they suggest that the site where 2D22 binds to the virus could represent a potential vaccine target. Th ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 7 2015 - 7:30am

Two Are Better Than One – Another Checkpoint Enzyme For Flawless Cell Division

The error-free distribution of genetic material during cell division is important for preventing the development of tumor cells. Prof. Erich Nigg’s research group at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has uncovered a new important function of the human ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 16 2015 - 8:01am

Gene Therapy Restores Hearing In Deaf Mice

Using gene therapy, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have restored hearing in mice with a genetic form of deafness. Their work, published online July 8 by the journal Science Translational Medicine, could pave the ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 10 2015 - 2:37pm

New Cell Division Mechanism Discovered

Researchers have discovered that chromosomes play an active role in animal cell division. This occurs at a precise stage – cytokinesis – when the cell splits into two new daughter cells. It was observed by a team of researchers including Gilles Hickson, an ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 13 2015 - 3:51pm