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Males have evolved to deliver sperm more effectively to females with multiple partners

A review of the latest research in sexual adaptation shows that evidence is building for what researchers call "sperm competition."

9 May 2007

Gene mutation linked to cognition is found only in humans

The human and chimpanzee genomes vary by just 1.2 percent, yet there is a considerable difference in the mental and linguistic capabilities between the two species.

9 May 2007

Fluorescent nanoparticles open up new possibilities for cellular imaging

Scientists from the University of Twente, the Netherlands, have successfully exploited the optical properties of fluorescent nanoparticles to broaden the scope of single-cell microscopy.

9 May 2007

Plant chemical harmine fights diabetes in mice

After screening hundreds of compounds for their effects on fat development, researchers have discovered that an ingredient found in some plants fights diabetes in mice without some of the side effects attributed to other antidiabetes drugs.

9 May 2007

First comprehensive profile of cell movement

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have developed new technology which, combined with proteomics, the large-scale study of the structure and function of proteins and their functions, has allowed them to map an extensive network of the signaling proteins that control cell movement.

8 May 2007

The health effects of climate change in the UK

The Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency have today published an updated report of the Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK .

7 May 2007

Little-known cell networks vital to circadian rhythm

Circadian rhythm is the basic 24-hour cycle that involves various behaviors, including sleeping and eating, in all living organisms.

4 May 2007

New view of photosynthesis

During the remarkable cascade of events of photosynthesis, plants approach the pinnacle of stinginess by scavenging nearly every photon of available light energy to produce food.

4 May 2007

Gene-for-gene interactions help bacteria kill their host

Scientists have discovered that a cousin of the plague bacterium uses a single gene to out-fox insect immune defences and kill its host.

4 May 2007

Noise effects in ion channels in the brain are much larger than previously assumed

Addressing a current issue in neuroscience, Aldo Faisal and Simon Laughlin from Cambridge University investigate the reliability of thin axons for transmitting information.

4 May 2007

There may be a real code to chromosomal organization

The identification of a cluster of essential genes on mouse chromosome 11 as well as similar clusters on the chromosomes of other organisms , including humans , buttresses the argument that there may be rules as to how genes are structured or laid out on chromosomes, said the Baylor College of Medicine senior author of a report that appears online in the Public Library of Science Genetics, an open-access publication.

4 May 2007

Elastic interactions of membrane proteins

Cellular survival relies crucially on the ability to receive and communicate signals from and to the outside world.

4 May 2007

Scientists work out mechanism underlying asymmetric cell division in nematode worms

When a cell divides, normally the result is two identical daughter cells. In some cases however, cell division leads to two cells with different properties. This is called asymmetric cell division and plays an important role in embryonic development and the self-renewal of stem cells.

4 May 2007

Nanoparticles for 'on-the-spot' virus detector

Chemical engineers from the University at Buffalo have collaborated with scientists from other institutions to solve a critical bottleneck in the transport and capture of virus nanoparticles, making possible a device that could rapidly sample and detect infectious biological agents, such as viruses.

4 May 2007

Scientists film pairs of molecules during recognition process

The body is an almost perfect machine. For it to function properly, each individual component, that is each molecule, must reliably fulfill its specific function. Each molecule must thus "recognize" other molecules and work with them.

4 May 2007

To live longer - eat less!

Scientists have known for a long time that animals fed diets which border on starvation live longer, but they are now saying that a particular gene is linked to calorie restriction.

3 May 2007

Methods for marking molecules to identify gene alterations and metabolic shifts

Physical alterations of DNA in chromosomes can cause serious diseases such as Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, or cancer.

2 May 2007

Scientists find new way to analyze the moving parts of large proteins

Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Rice University have discovered a new way to analyze the moving parts of large proteins , a breakthrough that will make it easier for structural biologists to classify and scrutinize the active sites of proteins implicated in cancer and other diseases.

1 May 2007

Ape gestures offer clues to evolution of human communication

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have found bonobos and chimpanzees use manual gestures of their hands, feet and limbs more flexibly than they do facial expressions and vocalizations, further supporting the evolution of human language began with gestures as the gestural origin hypothesis of language suggests.

1 May 2007

Unicellular microRNA discovery

In the May 15th issue of Genes & Development, an international collaboration of researchers, led by Dr. Yijun Qi (National Institute of Biological Sciences, China), report on their discovery of microRNAs in the unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

30 Apr 2007