Press monitoring
Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells
8.1.2014 | Press monitoring
Researchers had known for several decades that a certain chemical modification exists on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is essential to the flow of genetic information. But only recently did experiments at the University of Chicago show that one major function of this modification governs the longevity and decay of RNA, a process...
Imaging technology could unlock mysteries of a childhood disease
7.1.2014 | Press monitoring
A new technique for studying the structure of the RSV virion and the activity of RSV in living cells could help researchers unlock the secrets of the virus, including how it enters cells, how it replicates, how many genomes it inserts into its hosts – and perhaps why certain lung cells escape the infection relatively unscathed.
Designer plants have vital fish oils in their seeds
6.1.2014 | Press monitoring
MOVE over, cod liver oil. A biofuel crop related to cabbages, called camelina, has been genetically modified to produce components of fish oils beneficial for cardiovascular health. The approach could relieve some of the pressure on the oceans. The flesh of oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, plus the livers of white fish such as cod, are good...
Study finds patients give broad endorsement to stem cell research
3.1.2014 | Press monitoring
In an early indication of lay opinions on research with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are stem cells made from skin or other tissues, a new study by bioethicists at Johns Hopkins University indicates that despite some ethical concerns, patients give the research "broad endorsement".
DNA Barcoding to Monitor Marine Mammal Genetic Diversity
2.1.2014 | Press monitoring
Marine mammals are flagship and charismatic species, very attractive for the general public. Nowadays, they are also considered as highly relevant sentinel of the marine realm. Their presence and their welfare in an area is thought to indicate the health of the place, whereas their disappearance, their displacement, or a decrease in their...
Vapor nanobubbles rapidly detect malaria through the skin
1.1.2014 | Press monitoring
Rice University researchers have developed a noninvasive technology that accurately detects low levels of malaria infection through the skin in seconds with a laser scanner. The "vapor nanobubble" technology requires no dyes or diagnostic chemicals, and there is no need to draw blood.
Genetic discovery points the way to much bigger yields in tomato, other flowering food plants
31.12.2013 | Press monitoring
Every gardener knows the look of a ripe tomato. That bright red color, that warm earthy smell, and the sweet juicy flavor are hard to resist. But commercial tomato plants have a very different look from the backyard garden variety, which can grow endlessly under the right conditions to become tall and lanky. Tomatoes that will be canned for...
Research into axon degeneration hits a nerve
30.12.2013 | Press monitoring
University of Queensland (UQ) researchers have made a significant discovery that could one day halt a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) have identified a gene that protects against spontaneous, adult-onset progressive nerve degeneration. Dr Massimo Hilliard said that the discovery of gene...
Piglets glow green, thanks to cytoplasmic injection reproductive technique
27.12.2013 | Press monitoring
Along with red, green is the color of this holiday season. And bright green is showing up in more than just decorations. In Guangdong Province in Southern China, ten transgenic piglets have been born this year, six of them since August, and under a black light, they glow a greenish tint.
First plant-based microswimmers could propel drugs to the right location
26.12.2013 | Press monitoring
In the quest to shrink motors so they can maneuver in tiny spaces like inside and between human cells, scientists have taken inspiration from millions of years of plant evolution and incorporated, for the first time, corkscrew structures from plants into a new kind of helical "microswimmer." The low-cost development, which appears in ACS'...
