Life Science News

RSS

Study reveals why individuals carrying identical gene mutations have varying disease severity

Researchers at the New York Genome Center and Columbia University have uncovered a molecular mechanism behind one of biology's long-standing mysteries: why individuals carrying identical gene mutations for a disease end up having varying severity or symptoms of the disease.

20 Aug 2018

Study shows that rogue proteins may underlie some ALS and frontotemporal dementia cases

ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, slowly robbing its victims of their ability to walk, talk, breathe and swallow.

20 Aug 2018

Researchers create the world’s first artificial retina

Scientists have developed an ultrathin artificial retina that could provide a superior alternative to the visual implants currently available to the blind.

20 Aug 2018

Saliva could modify dietary choices

Saliva is crucial for tasting and digesting food, but scientists have now found that it may have another, more subtle role.

20 Aug 2018

Vaping may modify DNA

The popularity of electronic cigarettes continues to grow worldwide, as many people view them as a safer alternative to smoking. But the long-term effects of e-cigarette usage, commonly called "vaping," are unknown. Today, researchers report that vaping may modify the genetic material, or DNA, in the oral cells of users, which could increase their cancer risk.

20 Aug 2018

Study unravels cellular and molecular mechanisms behind dermal condensate formation

Hair growth is regulated by a small cluster of hair-specific fibroblasts, the dermal papilla. But exactly how dermal papilla forms has remained elusive until now.

20 Aug 2018

Understanding How Antibodies Shape the Gut Microbiome

Dr. Keiichiro Suzuki discusses the importance of IgA in the human body, and his recent research study, which showed that IgA interacts with the gut microbiome and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria.

20 Aug 2018

Scientists introduce microfluidics-based chip for manipulation and analysis of single cells

A few little cells that are different from the rest can have a big effect. For example, individual cancer cells may be resistant to a specific chemotherapy--causing a relapse in a patient who would otherwise be cured. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, scientists have now introduced a microfluidics-based chip for the manipulation and subsequent nucleic-acid analysis of individual cells.

17 Aug 2018

New tool fills gap in Small Molecules market

This news story covers the launch of SmallMolecules.com, an online tool for scientists looking to buy and compare molecules for their experiments.

From SmallMolecules.com 17 Aug 2018

New CRISPR technology may help eliminate mutated gene sequence

In a new study in cells, University of Illinois researchers have adapted CRISPR gene-editing technology to cause the cell's internal machinery to skip over a small portion of a gene when transcribing it into a template for protein building.

17 Aug 2018

Female mosquitoes quickly evolve selective mating behavior when faced with threats

Certain female mosquitoes quickly evolve more selective mating behavior when faced with existential threats from other invasive mosquito species, with concurrent changes to certain genetic regions, according to new research from North Carolina State University.

17 Aug 2018

New technique detects, measures, analyzes unevenly charged biomolecules

In clinical diagnostics, it is critical to monitor biomolecules in a simple, rapid and sensitive way. Clinicians most often monitor antibodies because these small proteins attach to antigens, or foreign substances, we face every day.

17 Aug 2018

Study: Sperm morphology differs depending on qualities of male bird

In a study published in Behavioral Ecology researchers from Uppsala University show that the same type of sperm is not always the best for all male birds.

17 Aug 2018

Brief exposures to stressors can be beneficial to cells, shows study

We've all heard the expression: "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Now, research led by a Salk Institute scientist suggests why, at a cellular level, this might be true.

17 Aug 2018

Researchers describe link between poor oocyte development and oxidative stress in obese mice

Excessive body fat is associated with negative effects on female fertility and pregnancy. In mice, maternal obesity impairs proper development of egg precursor cells called oocytes.

17 Aug 2018

Discovery may help broaden the scope of defenses against HPV

Yale Cancer Center scientists have filled in a key gap in understanding the unusual route by which the Human papillomavirus infects cells.

16 Aug 2018

Researchers use super-resolution microscope to unravel secrets of deadly Nipah virus

The deadly Nipah virus and others like it assemble themselves in a much more haphazard manner than previously thought, new UBC research has found. The discovery could allow scientists to develop more effective vaccines and rule out many approaches to fighting these viruses.

16 Aug 2018