Genetics & Molecular Biology

Australian Sheep Blowfly Gets A Genetic Modification Solution

Researchers have developed a new technique to control populations of a major livestock pest in Australia and New Zealand. They genetically modified lines of female Australian sheep blowflies (Lucilia cuprina), making female flies dependent upon a common a ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 19 2014 - 12:34pm

Giving Worms Anorexia Doubles Their Lifespan In Study

If you could live longer, would you be weaned on an extreme, emaciating diet? The search for the foundation of youth has been happening forever and a popular idea in recent years has been caloric restriction- mice weaned on starvation diets live long and  ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 19 2014 - 5:10pm

Mitochondrial Mutation Linked To Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome Identified

Significant progress has been made over the last 25 years to identify genetic abnormalities associated with congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) but many patients remain genetically undiagnosed. A new report identifies a gene defect in mitochondria, spec ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 22 2014 - 12:30am

Osteoporosis: MicroRNA That Blocks Bone Destruction Could Be New Therapeutic Target

A promising molecule that blocks bone destruction could provide a potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis and bone metastases of cancer, according to a new study. The molecule, miR-34a, belongs to a family of small molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 25 2014 - 10:30pm

Cdk5 Discovery: Blocking Key Enzyme Minimizes Stroke Injury

In rodent models, a drug that blocks the action of the enzyme Cdk5 could substantially reduce brain damage if administered shortly after a stroke, according to a new paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, because aberrant Cdk5 activity causes nerve cell de ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 26 2014 - 11:00pm

Johnny Rosin Up Your Bow, And Play Your Genes Hard

A new study has affirmed what most of us knew- practice makes perfect, but only if you have some ability. In the nature versus nurture debate, Usain Bolt is still going to run faster than most people no matter how much they practice. And that goes for mus ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 28 2014 - 9:51am

Genetics Matter: Sorry, Malcolm Gladwell, You Will Not Be Usain Bolt No Matter How Hard You Practice

Sorry Malcolm Gladwell, and you positive thinking book buyers at Whole Foods, you are not going to be a world-class sprinter no matter how much you practice unless you were born with exceptional speed. A new paper by Michael Lombardo, professor of biology ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 28 2014 - 12:06pm

"Tom Sawyer" Proteins Get Other Genes To Do The Work For Them

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists have shown regulatory proteins in the nucleus to adopt a kind of “Tom Sawyer” behavior when it comes to the work of initiating gene activation.  Transcription factors are proteins t ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 27 2014 - 6:00am

Genetics Are Dominant Risk Factor In Common Cancers

Though cultural advocates invoke cancer for their causes, genetics is the dominant risk factor in common breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.  ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 27 2014 - 9:36am

Biology Of Fat: Process That Affects Metabolic Syndrome Identified

A new study has discovered that microRNAs (miRNAs), small RNA molecules that play important roles in regulation in many types of tissue, play a major role in the distribution and determination of fat cells and whole body metabolism. The study also finds t ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 2 2014 - 1:24pm