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Scientists find last unknown enzyme in the synthesis of vitamin C in plants

Vitamin C is possibly the most important small molecule whose biosynthetic pathway remained a mystery.

30 Apr 2007

Nanotechnology shows potential for dental procedures

The mouth is a tough environment, which is why dentists do not give lifetime guarantees.

30 Apr 2007

Gold nanoparticles used as a simple "litmus test" for mercury

With gold nanoparticles, DNA and some smart chemistry as their tools, scientists at Northwestern University have developed a simple "litmus test" for mercury that eventually could be used for on-the-spot environmental monitoring of bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, lakes and oceans, to evaluate their safety as food and drinking water sources.

30 Apr 2007

Respiratory control in insects: integration from the gene to the organism

Because of new imaging technology, researchers are getting a better understanding of a physiological paradox: how insects, which have a respiratory system built to provide quick access to a lot of oxygen, can survive for days without it.

30 Apr 2007

Important new discovery in metabolomics

St. Jude investigators have mapped out many of the dynamic genetic and biochemical changes that make up a cell's response to a shortage of a molecule called Coenzyme A (CoA), a key player in metabolism.

27 Apr 2007

World's first microRNA knockout mouse

A role for a microRNA in the immune system has been shown by study of one of the world's first microRNA knockout mouse, reported in Science.

27 Apr 2007

Stem cell identity in culture may strongly depend on the cellular microenvironment

Identification, isolation and large scale culture of stem cells for potential medical applications is a major challenge in cell biology.

26 Apr 2007

New tool to 'freeze' crime scene memories

University of Portsmouth scientists have developed a powerful new tool that 'freezes' the memory of crime scenes in the minds of witnesses.

26 Apr 2007

Teaching about evolution in a biomedical context

Three of America's best known voices in the debate about evolution in the teaching of science will meet to discuss the issue on Sunday, April 29, 2007 in Washington, DC.

26 Apr 2007

Important step towards a spatially and temporally quantifiable model of the cell

Cell membranes are like two-dimensional fluids whose molecules are distributed evenly through lateral diffusion.

26 Apr 2007

Study of planarians offers insight into germ cell development

The planarian is not as well known as other, more widely used subjects of scientific study , model creatures such as the fruit fly, nematode or mouse.

25 Apr 2007

Major revolution in human regenerative medicine

Findings described in a new study by Stanford scientists may be the first step toward a major revolution in human regenerative medicine,a future where advanced organ damage can be repaired by the body itself.

25 Apr 2007

Can a taste for poison drive speciation?

The endless struggle for survival in nature inevitably boils down to finding food and eluding predators.

25 Apr 2007

Similar brain chemicals influence aggression in fruit flies and humans

Serotonin is a major signaling chemical in the brain, and it has long been thought to be involved in aggressive behavior in a wide variety of animals as well as in humans.

24 Apr 2007

Nanoparticle-based sensors sniff out and identify proteins

A team of scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have created a kind of molecular nose that uses nanoparticle-based sensors to sniff out and identify proteins.

24 Apr 2007

Novel two-step mechanism ensures that all cilia beat in unison

Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that propel mucus out of airways, have to agree on the direction of the fluid flow to get things moving. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered a novel two-step mechanism that ensures that all cilia beat in unison.

24 Apr 2007