Physicists from the University of Pennsylvania tackle the fundamental question of how DNA can seemingly violate physics. That is, if DNA is such a rigid molecule, how can it bend and coil without requiring large amounts of force? They used a technique called atomic force microscopy to determine that DNA is much more flexible than previously believed when examined over nano-sized lengths
A protein with the ironic name “Srcasm” can counteract the effects of tumor-promoting molecules in skin cells, according to new research by investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Using animal models, the researchers discovered that Srcasm acts like a brake in epithelial cells, preventing uncontrolled cell growth caused by a family of proteins called Src kinases. This finding, published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, suggests a target for future gene therapy to treat skin, head, neck, colon, and breast cancers.
There is no known cure for multiple myeloma, so its diagnosis means high-dose chemotherapy followed by repeated treatments with each relapse of the cancer ? a watch and wait approach. A new approach of providing patients with continuous therapy to keep the cancer at bay was explored by a team of international researchers from France, Switzerland, and Belgium; their findings will be published in the November 15, 2006, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Infant abuse may be perpetuated between generations by changes in the brain induced by early experience, research shows. A research team found that when baby rhesus monkeys endured high rates of maternal rejection and mild abuse in their first month of life, their brains often produced less serotonin, a chemical that transmits impulses in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and depression and impulsive aggression in both humans and monkeys.
Dartmouth biologists are leading a research team that has learned where and how some plant seeds store iron, a valuable discovery for scientists working to improve the iron content of plants. This research helps address the worldwide issue of iron deficiency and malnutrition. Their findings were published online on Nov. 2 at ScienceExpress, the advance publication site for the journal Science.
A groundbreaking study, which provides the first ever comprehensive analysis of sexual behaviour around the world, is published today in the Lancet, as part of a major series on sexual and reproductive health.
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have found that reducing the core body temperature of mice extends their median lifespan by up to 20 percent. This is the first time that changes in body temperature have been shown to affect lifespan in warm-blooded animals.
In poor light the eyes of mice react like some digital cameras: they reduce their resolution while at the same time increasing their sensitivity. Specialists in the retina focus the information of several light sensor cells for this purpose. Scientists from the University of Bonn and their colleagues from Oldenburg, Bochum and Kobe (Japan), have now discovered how all this works. The study will be published on 3 November in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry.
University of Manchester researchers are recruiting people with backache caused by nerve root pain — commonly known as sciatica — in the first ever study to discover if therapeutic ultrasound can help their condition.
A breakthrough in the harnessing of “T-rays” — electromagnetic terahertz waves — which could dramatically improve the detecting and sensing of objects as varied as biological cell abnormalities and explosives has been announced by a team led by the University of Bath.