Microbiology

The Biological Significance Of Modular Structures In Protein Networks

It is easy to observe that many networks naturally divide into communities or modules, where links within modules are stronger and denser than those across modules – like the way people from the same age group tend to interact more with each other than wit ...

Article - News Staff - May 31 2007 - 10:33am

Muscle-building Stem Cells Could Improve Muscular Dystrophy Treatment

A new report in the journal Cell confirms the existence of some apparently uncommitted stem cells amongst cells responsible for generating the bulging biceps of body builders and the rippling abs of fitness buffs. The findings could lead to new muscle-rege ...

Article - News Staff - May 31 2007 - 9:13pm

Do Beta-amyloids Cause Alzheimers?

Researchers tied the accumulation of the toxic brain protein beta-amyloid to Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. "Our findings show that beta-amyloid is associated with brain dysfunction—even in apparently normal elderly individuals—pr ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 4 2007 - 1:14pm

The Molecular Basis Of Obesity

Researchers have discovered the molecule that links spontaneous physical activity and food intake in mice. Scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)say Bsx is the molecular link between spontaneous physical activity and food intake. ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 5 2007 - 1:04am

Sleeping Beauty “jumping Gene” Shows Promise For Sickle Cell Gene Therapy

The Sleeping Beauty tranposon (SB-Tn) system, a gene therapy technology that avoids the pitfalls of transferring genes with viruses, shows promise in laboratory experiments for correcting the gene defect responsible for sickle cell disease (SCD), scientist ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 9 2007 - 10:45pm

Wurst Keeps You Breathing

A newly discovered transmembrane protein called "Wurst" (sausage) appears to play a decisive role in breathing – possibly in all animals, from flies to human beings. This insight is reported by scientists from the University of Bonn and the Götti ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 13 2007 - 11:34pm

Yes, You Can Use Bacteria To Clean Water

It may sound counterintuitive to use a microbial protein to improve water quality but some bacteria are doing just that to protect themselves from potentially toxic nanoparticles in their own environments, and clean up crews of the future could potentially ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 14 2007 - 4:11pm

How Food Poisoning Bacteria Get Really Mean

If the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria behind food poisoning are starved of oxygen, they are liable to turn really nasty according to research published today. Limiting oxygen produces bacteria up to 100 times more invasive than similar bacteria grown with ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 14 2007 - 6:52pm

"Nature's Clock" Even Occurs At The Genetic Level

New research from Colorado State University shows that the function of all genes in mammals is based on circadian – or daily – rhythms. The study refutes the current theory that only 10 percent to 15 percent of all genes were affected by nature’s clock. Wh ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 15 2007 - 12:42am

Genetic 'deserts' Full Of Valuable Information

Many of the areas of the human genome previously thought to be deserts are in fact teeming with life. Most known human genes in the genome map are still incompletely annotated, says Professor Alexandre Reymond, from the Centre for Integrative Genomics, Uni ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 18 2007 - 6:48pm