http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Emory researchers are tapping the latest-generation DNA sequencing technology to become the first explorers of the genomics of agricultural ant societies. http://www.physorg.com/news166355602.html Biology Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:53:45 EST news166355602 A team of researchers from DuPont and Lehigh University has reported a breakthrough in the quest to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are suitable for use in electronics, medicine and other applications. http://www.physorg.com/news166279485.html Nanotechnology Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:45:42 EST news166279485 People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. http://www.physorg.com/news165254989.html Biology Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:10:17 EST news165254989 A math-based game that has taken the world by storm with its ability to delight and puzzle may now be poised to revolutionize the fast-changing world of genome sequencing and the field of medical genetics, suggests a new report by a team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). The report will be published as the cover story in the July 1st issue of the journal Genome Research. http://www.physorg.com/news165064642.html Biology Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:18:12 EST news165064642 Detailed, accurate evolutionary trees that reveal the relatedness of living things can now be determined much faster and for thousands of species with a computing method developed by computer scientists and a biologist at The University of Texas at Austin. http://www.physorg.com/news164553586.html Biology Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:20:03 EST news164553586 For many years scientists have known that the numerous biological functions of an organism are not regulated solely by the DNA sequence of its genes: Superordinate regulatory mechanisms exist that contribute to determining the fate of genes. Although they are not anchored in the DNA, they can even be passed on to subsequent generations to a certain extent. Intensive research in recent years has shown that these mechanisms - bundled under the term epigenetics, are very multifaceted and complex. http://www.physorg.com/news164376644.html Biology Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:11:00 EST news164376644 Vancouver scientists from the Ovarian Cancer Research (OvCaRe) Program at BC Cancer Agency and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered that there appears to be a single spelling mistake in the genetic code of granulosa cell tumours, a rare and often untreatable form of ovarian cancer. http://www.physorg.com/news163904357.html Medicine & Health Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:00:54 EST news163904357 In this week's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS, Uppsala University scientists describe a new mechanism behind an important process that causes a rapid reduction of DNA in the chromosomes of bacteria. The findings advance our knowledge of how DNA content has been reduced, which is something that has occurred in bacteria that live as parasites inside the cells of other organisms. http://www.physorg.com/news163699985.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:13:28 EST news163699985 There is growing interest in using crop residues as the feedstock of choice for the production of cellulosic-based ethanol because of the more favorable energy output relative to grain-based ethanol. This would also help provide a solution to the debate of food versus fuel, because less of the grain would be diverted to ethanol production, leaving more available for food and feed consumption. http://www.physorg.com/news163159091.html Space & Earth Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:58:36 EST news163159091 The health of our skin -- one of the body's first lines of defense against illness and injury - depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface. To better understand this balance, National Institutes of Health researchers have set out to explore the skin's microbiome, which is all of the DNA, or genomes, of all of the microbes that inhabit human skin. Their initial analysis, published today in the journal Science, reveals that our skin is home to a much wider array of bacteria than previously thought. http://www.physorg.com/news162740258.html Medicine & Health Thu, 28 May 2009 14:38:11 EST news162740258 Corrupt lifestyles and vices go hand in hand; each feeds the other. But even the worst miscreant needs customary societal amenities to get by. It's the same with cancer cells. While they rely on vices in the form of genetic mutations to wreak havoc, they must sustain their activity, and that requires equal parts vice and virtue. http://www.physorg.com/news162736489.html Medicine & Health Thu, 28 May 2009 13:35:25 EST news162736489 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have called it "junk DNA." They have long been perplexed by these extensive strands of genetic material that dominate the genome but seem to lack specific functions. Why would nature force the genome to carry so much excess baggage? http://www.physorg.com/news162043805.html Biology Wed, 20 May 2009 13:10:36 EST news162043805 A new tool will help researchers identify the minute changes in DNA patterns that lead to cancer, Huntington's disease and a host of other genetic disorders. The tool was developed at North Carolina State University and translates DNA sequences into graphic images, which allows researchers to distinguish genetic patterns more quickly and efficiently than was historically possible using computers. http://www.physorg.com/news161935232.html Biology Tue, 19 May 2009 07:01:07 EST news161935232 (PhysOrg.com) -- Through sophisticated statistical analyses and advanced computer simulations, researchers are learning more about the genomic patterns of human population structure around the world. http://www.physorg.com/news161528365.html Medicine & Health Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:01 EST news161528365 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Purdue University have found a way to save time, money and a little frustration in searches for specific genes that shed light on the biological processes associated with all forms of life. http://www.physorg.com/news160763946.html Biology Tue, 05 May 2009 17:50:31 EST news160763946 Cells of higher organisms are in a constant struggle against some of their own DNA - repeated bits of DNA sequence called transposons that have infiltrated host genomes over the eons. Transposons damage the rest of the genome when they copy themselves and jump into new genomic sites. http://www.physorg.com/news160756336.html Biology Tue, 05 May 2009 15:32:39 EST news160756336 The Stowers Institute's Hawley Lab and Molecular Biology Facility have developed a "whole-genome sequencing approach" to mapping mutations in fruit flies. The novel methodology promises to reduce the time and effort required to identify mutations of biological interest. The work was published in the May issue of the journal Genetics. http://www.physorg.com/news160751592.html Medicine & Health Tue, 05 May 2009 14:16:47 EST news160751592 Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) have mapped a draft version of the date palm genome, unlocking many of its genetic secrets. http://www.physorg.com/news160417259.html Biology Fri, 01 May 2009 17:21:22 EST news160417259 Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital have used a genome engineering tool they developed to make a model crop plant herbicide-resistant without significant changes to its DNA. http://www.physorg.com/news160229922.html Chemistry Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:19:03 EST news160229922 Genetics plays a key role in determining risk for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Several common genetic markers have been found to be associated with the disease, but finding the biological events that lead to cancer can be much more difficult. In a study published online in Genome Research, scientists have identified a common genetic variation associated with the risk of colorectal cancer and its functional implications, shedding new light on the basis of this deadly disease. http://www.physorg.com/news159728950.html Medicine & Health Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:09:42 EST news159728950 Scientists from the University of Maryland have published their assembly of the domestic cow (Bos taurus), an important new resource for the genetics community. The new version of the cow genome improves considerably on other assemblies, in terms of both completeness and accuracy. The article describing their research is freely available in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology. http://www.physorg.com/news159712765.html Biology Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:39:57 EST news159712765 (PhysOrg.com) -- Bioengineers at UC San Diego have developed a breakthrough method for sequencing-based methylation profiling, which could help fuel personalized regenerative medicine and even lead to more efficient and cost-effective methods for studying certain diseases. http://www.physorg.com/news159643088.html Biology Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:19:15 EST news159643088 Scientists have linked a common genetic variation to the development of prostate cancer, according to a study published Monday. http://www.physorg.com/news159521068.html Medicine & Health Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:25:04 EST news159521068 (PhysOrg.com) -- A collaboration between more than 70 researchers across the globe has uncovered nine new genes on the X chromosome that, when knocked-out, lead to learning disabilities. The international team studied almost all X chromosome genes in 208 families with learning disabilities - the largest screen of this type ever reported. http://www.physorg.com/news159371223.html Medicine & Health Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:47:53 EST news159371223 A study of gene expression in chickens, frogs, pufferfish, mice and people has revealed surprising similarities in several key tissues. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Biology have shown that expression in tissues with a limited number of specialized cell types is strongly conserved, even between the mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates. http://www.physorg.com/news159081834.html Biology Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:31:33 EST news159081834 (PhysOrg.com) -- In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois have identified and visualized the signaling pathways in protein-RNA complexes that help set the genetic code in all organisms. The genetic code allows information stored in DNA to be translated into proteins. http://www.physorg.com/news158936293.html Chemistry Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:58:55 EST news158936293 The DNA in the 23 pairs of chromosomes in each of the billions of cells of the human body is so tightly packed that it would measure six feet in length if stretched end to end. A genome of this size can squeeze into a cell's tiny nucleus because it is compressed into highly condensed chromatin fibers by proteins called histones. http://www.physorg.com/news158512212.html Biology Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:11:16 EST news158512212 Biomedical engineers have developed a new type of probe that allows them to visualize single ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules within live cells more easily than existing methods. The tool will help scientists learn more about how RNA operates within living cells. http://www.physorg.com/news158245779.html Chemistry Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:10:04 EST news158245779 Researchers at the University of Westminster have used a simple and convenient method for screening female commercial sex workers (CSW) for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) without the need for them to attend clinics. The women were given tampons that they could use to collect their own samples and post them to the laboratory. The results showed that the women in the study found self-collection of samples very easy and much preferred this method of screening for STIs and in addition the testing methods used proved to be more accurate than traditional tests. http://www.physorg.com/news157805087.html Medicine & Health Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:46:27 EST news157805087 A Cancer Genomics Browser developed by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, provides a new way to visualize and analyze data from studies aimed at improving cancer treatment by unraveling the complex genetic roots of the disease. http://www.physorg.com/news157643730.html Medicine & Health Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:55:48 EST news157643730