Genetics & Molecular Biology

Enjoying Genetically Modified Beauty

On Memorial Day my sister and brother-in-law took me to visit an extraordinary commercial nursery West of Chicago called “ The Planter’s Pallet. ” ...

Article - Steve Savage - Jun 3 2016 - 1:09pm

Better Brains With Beer

Some cultures have demonized alcohol while others have welcomed it. Modern research has confirmed that over indulgence in alcohol is bad for you but also shown that moderate drinking increases health and life expectancy. Most of the beneficial effects app ...

Article - David Clark - Jun 21 2016 - 6:40pm

The Academic Biomedical Workforce Is Aging, And It Will Affect Academic Funding

Though basic research is incredibly valuable, without applied results it has limited use for the public. And that means limited funding. The U.S. government spent $5 billion this century convincing young scholars that government-funded research was real r ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 8 2016 - 9:59am

Defining What It Means To Be A Naive Stem Cell

Whitehead Institute scientists have created a checklist that defines the "naive" state of cultured human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Such cells can mature into almost any cell type and more closely resemble the unique molecular features of plu ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 17 2016 - 6:46pm

Dietary Restriction Increases Lifespan Through Effects On The Gut

Dietary restriction, or limited food intake without malnutrition, has beneficial effects on longevity in some species, like rats, but they have to be weaned on it.  Despite that, a paper in PLoS Genetics claims it works in humans, probably to get mainstre ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 15 2016 - 5:19pm

The First Stage Of The G Cascade

G proteins are molecular switches on the insides of cell membranes. They convey important signals to the inner workings of the cells. The associated receptors are targeted by all kinds of medications. Scientists are now shedding light on precisely how the ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 20 2016 - 9:20am

Your Coffee Habits May Be Written In Your DNA

Researchers have identified a DNA variation in a gene called PDSS2 that appears to curb coffee consumption. The authors suggest that the gene reduces the ability of cells to breakdown caffeine, causing it to stay in the body for longer. This means that a ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 25 2016 - 1:08pm

Sudden Death In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy- The Exercise Didn't Do It

Sudden death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is sometimes associated with exercise,  but that may be just medical reductionism looking for any answer. Instead, a number of factors could have been involved, since nearly 80% of patients i ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 28 2016 - 3:48pm

Should You Sleep Wearing Earplugs?

“Never put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear” is something we’ve been wisely cautioned against at some stage or another. But more of us are ignoring this advice. We use in-the-ear-headphones to listen to music, car keys and hair pins to scrat ...

Article - The Conversation - Sep 5 2016 - 8:40am

Nrk Suppressor Gene For Breast Cancer In Mice

In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer has been increasing worldwide, and breast cancer is becoming a serious object of public concern. The onset of breast cancer is closely related to the sex hormone estrogen, and estrogen antagonists such as ta ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 3 2016 - 6:32am