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Biodiversity loss can increase risk of 'extinction cascades', research shows

New research shows that the loss of biodiversity can increase the risk of "extinction cascades", where an initial species loss leads to a domino effect of further extinctions.

20 Feb 2018

Scientists visualize insulin receptor activation for the first time

As we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a wide array of its signaling pathways has been defined.

20 Feb 2018

Researchers discover that activation of specific enzyme may help suppress tumor metastasis

To stop the spread of cancer, cancer cells must die. Unfortunately, many types of cancer cells seem to use innate mechanisms that block cancer cell death, therefore allowing the cancer to metastasize.

19 Feb 2018

Study reveals functional dynamics of ion channels

Most ion channels are very selective about the ions, which may or may not pass through them. They may be conductive for potassium ions and non-conductive for sodium ions or vice versa.

19 Feb 2018

'Click chemistry' approach may improve disease-fighting properties of drugs

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have developed a quick and easy way to simultaneously modify dozens of drugs or molecules to improve their disease-fighting properties.

19 Feb 2018

Researchers identify fifteen genes that determine our facial features

Researchers from KU Leuven and the universities of Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Penn State have identified fifteen genes that determine our facial features. The findings were published in Nature Genetics.

19 Feb 2018

Lab-grown cerebellar cells may help explain how ASD develops at molecular level

Increasing evidence has linked autism spectrum disorder with dysfunction of the brain's cerebellum, but the details have been unclear. In a new study, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital used stem cell technology to create cerebellar cells known as Purkinje cells from patients with tuberous sclerosis complex, a genetic syndrome that often includes ASD-like features.

19 Feb 2018

Researchers reveal potential biological roots behind individuality

Scientists have studied the system that controls age-appropriate behavior and discovered a certain element of variation that may contribute to a species’ survival from an evolutionary point of view.

19 Feb 2018

Study sheds light on biology that guides behavior across different stages of life

Put 50 newborn worms in 50 separate containers, and they'll all start looking for food at roughly the same time. Like members of other species, microscopic C. elegans roundworms tend to act like other individuals their own age.

19 Feb 2018

IncuCyte S3 provides real-time around-the-clock live-cell analysis

No matter the time of day or night, see exactly what happened to your cells and when. Biological processes are dynamic, and a single snapshot in time may not capture rare or transient events, causing you to miss a relevant response.

19 Feb 2018

Resolving Interfacial Protein Dynamics by STReM

STReM stands for Super Time-Resolved Microscopy, and as STORM, PALM, and other methods are designed to improve spatial resolution of optical microscopy, we desire to improve the time resolution. STReM makes use of point spread function engineering to encode fast events into each camera frame.

From Pittcon 16 Feb 2018

Nature paper unveils bacterial division

The process that allows bacteria to divide is crucial for their survival and a good target for the development of new antibiotics.

16 Feb 2018

Stem cell vaccine helps protect mice against numerous cancers, finds study

Lab mice injected with inactivated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) displayed a significant immune response against lung, breast, and skin cancers. The vaccine also prevented relapses in animals with removed tumors.

16 Feb 2018

Gene editing tool used to detect cancer

Researchers have developed a DNA detection system that can detect the presence of bacterial and viral DNA, which could be a valuable diagnostic tool for a range of disorders.

16 Feb 2018

Producing Super-Swelled Lyotropic Monocrystals for Drug Development

An interview with Dr. Cecília Leal, about a new method for producing bicontinuous cubic phases that are super-swollen and exist as monocrystals in solution.

15 Feb 2018

Key proteins could help in controlling the risk of osteoarthritis during aging, Study finds

New study reveals that FOXO proteins help maintain healthy cells in the cartilage of the joints.

15 Feb 2018

Manage Your Risk: Monitoring the Environment of Aseptic Processes

Lisa G. Lawson has over 25 years’ experience in supporting large and small pharmaceutical companies in contamination control, including cleaning and disinfection strategies, aseptic manufacturing and use of risk-based approaches to microbiological quality challenges

From Particle Measuring Systems 15 Feb 2018

Scientists discover adult endothelial stem cells capable of generating fully functional blood vessels

The proper function of blood vessels is essential to life: blood vessels are responsible for transporting oxygen-rich red blood cells, nutrients, and immune cells throughout the body, to name just a few functions. Defects in blood vessels can correspondingly lead to a variety of life-threatening diseases.

15 Feb 2018

Researchers detail molecular atlas of cells that form brain's blood vessels

Even though diseases of the brain vasculature are some of the most common causes of death in the West, knowledge of these blood vessels is limited.

15 Feb 2018

Study: Fox domestication linked to changes in gene activity in the pituitary gland

A study of foxes offers new insights into the brain changes that occur in wild canids as they become more tame, researchers report. The study links fox domestication to changes in gene activity in the pituitary gland, a brain center that kicks out hormones to regulate various bodily functions, including the stress response.

14 Feb 2018