EurekAlert! - Biology

Researchers develop new method for creating tissue engineering scaffolds

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Northwestern University) Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new method for creating scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, providing an alternative that is more flexible and less time-intensive than current technology.

Protein libraries in a snap

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Rice University) A Rice University undergraduate will depart with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular research.

Grass to gas: UGA researchers' genome map speeds biofuel development

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Georgia) Researchers at the University of Georgia have taken a major step in the ongoing effort to find sources of cleaner, renewable energy by mapping the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perennial grass with promise as a source of ethanol and bioenergy.

Curry spice component may help slow prostate tumor growth

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Thomas Jefferson University) Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy, a study from researchers at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center suggests.

3-D laser map shows earthquake zone before and after

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(National Science Foundation) Geologists have a new tool to study how earthquakes change the landscape -- down to a few inches. It's giving scientists insights into how earthquake faults behave.

Arthritic knees, but not hips, have robust repair response

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Duke University Medical Center) Researchers at Duke University Medical Center used new tools they developed to analyze knees and hips and discovered that osteoarthritic knee joints are in a constant state of repair, while hip joints are not.

No entry without protein recycling: RUB researchers discover new coherence in enzyme transport

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Ruhr-University Bochum) The group of professor Dr. Ralf Erdmann at the Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum discovered a connection of peroxisomal protein import and receptor export. In the Journal of Biological Chemistry, they disclosed that enzymes only get imported into certain cell organelles (peroxisomes) upon coupling of their import to the recycling of their transport protein (receptor).

St. Michael's and King Saud University receive first joint patent

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(St. Michael's Hospital) St. Michael's Hospital and King Saud University have received their first joint US patent to use the BRCA1 gene as a therapy for cardiovascular disease.

New drugs schedule makes horse racing a sure thing

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Queensland University of Technology) QUT professor of biosciences, Martin Sillence, said the new research pinpointed the length of time it took for 18 of the most commonly used therapeutic drugs to work their way out of a horse's system, providing greater certainty for horse owners, trainers and vets."Because horses are prohibited from racing with any trace of drugs in their system, the administration of therapeutic drugs to horses in need of care has been a risky business," professor Sillence said.

Georgetown hosts forum to discuss government request of journals to redact scientific data

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Georgetown University Medical Center) Georgetown University hosts "Censoring Research on Contagious H5N1 Influenza in 2012? -- A Panel Discussion on Global Public Health, Legal, and Policy Controversies" on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the New Research Building Auditorium on the campus of Georgetown University Medical Center. The panel is free and open to the public.

BGI opens genome research center in Europe

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(BGI Shenzhen) BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, today opens its first European Genome Research Center located in Copenhagen Bio Science Park.

The power of estrogen -- male snakes attract other males

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Oregon State University) A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest snake in the neighborhood -- attracting dozens of other males eager to mate.

Autism experts to gather at USC symposium

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Southern California) USC faculty and community experts are slated to convene on March 9 at the USC Occupational Science Symposium to share research and perspectives on autism and autism spectrum disorders with an audience of university colleagues and students, health professionals and public advocates.

News of plaque-clearing drug tops week of major advances against Alzheimer's disease

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(AHAF-American Health Assistance Foundation) In the last eight days, scientists have delivered a powerful one-two punch in the fight to defeat Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, the White House and members of Congress are proposing increases in Alzheimer's research funding. This has been a big week for all who seek to end this disease, says the CEO of the American Health Assistance Foundation.

UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering faculty elected to National Academy of Engineering

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - San Diego) Three faculty members in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Peter C. Farrell, founder, chairman and CEO of ResMed, and a member of the Council of Advisors of the Dean of the Jacobs School, also was elected to the academy.

New method makes culture of complex tissue possible in any lab

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - San Diego) Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a new method for making scaffolds for culturing tissue in three-dimensional arrangements that mimic those in the body. This advance, published online in the journal Advanced Materials, allows the production of tissue culture scaffolds containing multiple structurally and chemically distinct layers using common laboratory reagents and materials.

An economic analysis of Emerald Ash Borer management options

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Entomological Society of America) A new study in the Journal of Economic Entomology examines several options for managing the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that is destroying US ash trees.

Advancing global health through informatics -- NI2012 Congress

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(American Medical Informatics Association) Informatics leaders, practitioners and other healthcare professionals will meet in Montreal, June 23-27, for the 11th International Congress on Nursing Informatics.

New avenue for treating colon cancer

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - Riverside) A research team led by cell biologists at the University of California, Riverside has uncovered a new insight into colon cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The team analyzed human colon cancer specimens and found that in nearly 80 percent of them the variants of a gene (HNF4A) are out of balance. This imbalance appears to be the result of a complex, multi-step process by an enzyme (Src kinase).

Ultraviolet protection molecule in plants yields its secrets to Scripps research team

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Scripps Research Institute) Lying around in the sun all day is hazardous not just for humans but also for plants. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can damage proteins and DNA inside cells, leading to poor growth and even death. But plants have evolved some powerful adaptive defenses, including a complex array of protective responses orchestrated by a UV-sensing protein molecule known as UVR8. Now, scientists have put together a detailed picture of UVR8's structure and inner workings.

From the University of Houston's Texas Obesity Research Center

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Houston) TORC and the CDC: Recently awarded more than $4 million dollars over four years from the Center for Disease Control, the Texas Obesity Research Center has developed a research group to create a comprehensive evaluation system to examine three childhood obesity programs.

Scripps research scientists identify most lethal known species of prion protein

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Scripps Research Institute) Scientists from the Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have identified a single prion protein that causes neuronal death similar to that seen in "mad cow" disease, but is at least 10 times more lethal than larger prion species.

Aid missions get cutting-edge assistance from ONR

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Office of Naval Research) A Web-based tool suite that helps first responders rapidly coordinate resources during disasters, co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, is being introduced at a University of Connecticut panel Feb. 8-11 as part of a month-long rollout. The Resiliency Assessment and Coordination System tool takes data from United Nations sites and displays it on a map-based diagram showing the locations of various resources, such as food, shelter, sanitation and health supplies and provides a checklist.

UofL receives Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges TB biomarkers grant

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Louisville) The University of Louisville has been awarded its first Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, $576,800 over two years to pursue an innovative research project to identify and validate tuberculosis biomarkers, titled "Disposable Sampling Plate and Breath Test to Identify Patients with Active Tuberculosis."

Could antidepressants help reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Elsevier) A groundbreaking study published in Elsevier's Epilepsy & Behavior provides evidence in mouse model that drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; one category of antidepressants) may reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.