The focus of two recent Nobel prizes, a species of roundworm has made possible another advance in the understanding of how cells talk to one another. A new mechanism through which cells in the worm's intestine signal for nearby muscle cells to flex by briefly making the area between them more acidic has been discovered. Researchers believe that short-lived changes in acidity may have implications for cell signaling throughout the animal kingdom, from the sending of human nerve messages to worm defecation.
A new study on effects of mobile phone radiation on human skin strengthens the results of the human cell line analyses: living tissue responds to mobile phone radiation. Earlier studies have shown that mobile phone radiation alters protein expression and activity in human endothelial cell line. This new study is unique, because for the first time it has examined whether a local exposure of human skin to RF-EMF will cause changes in protein expression in living people.
While pondering the challenges of distinguishing one nano-sized probe image from another in a mass of hundreds or thousands of nanoprobes, researchers made an interesting observation. The tiny, clustered dots of light looked a lot like a starry sky on a clear night. The biomedical researchers realized that astronomers had already made great strides in solving a problem very similar to their own — isolating and analyzing one dot (in this case a star) in a crowded field of light. They hypothesized that a computer system designed for stellar photometry, a branch of astronomy focused on measuring the brightness of stars, could hold the solution to their problem. Researchers have created a technology based on astronomy software that provides more precise images of single molecules tagged with nanoprobes. The clearer images allow researchers to collect more detailed information about a single molecule, such as how the molecule is binding in a gene sequence, taking scientists a few steps closer to truly personalized and predictive medicine as well as more complex biomolecular structural mapping.
Patients suffering from fibromyalgia could benefit significantly from regular exercise in a heated swimming pool, a study in Arthritis Research & Therapy shows. The findings suggest a cost effective way of improving quality of life for patients with this often-debilitating disorder.
Chemists have developed a new technique harnessing the power of nanotechnology to help doctors identify and treat bacterial infections in record time. Research shows identification can happen in a few hours instead of days. As more bacterial strains resistant to many drugs emerge, it becomes more critical to quickly identify infections and the antibiotics that would most effectively treat them. Such quick identifications become even more important during epidemics because large numbers of samples would have to be tested at once.
Biological and medical research is on the threshold of a new era based on better understanding of how large organic molecules bind together and recognize each other. There is great potential for exploiting the molecular docking processes that are commonplace in all organisms to develop new drugs that act more specifically without adverse side effects, and construct novel materials by mimicking nature. One application close to fruition is the engineering of bacteria to produce silks as strong for their thickness as spider webs.
Giving children with Down's syndrome antioxidants and nutrients does not help their condition improve at all, according to a new study. UK researchers studied the effect of giving such supplements to 156 babies under 7 months old with Down's syndrome over an 18-month period. Down's syndrome is the most common genetic cause of learning disability in the UK affecting around 1 in 1,000 new born babies. Previous studies have investigated the possibility that giving folate, antioxidants, or both might improve the effects of Down's syndrome, particularly language and psychomotor development. Although none have reported any significant effect, use of vitamin and mineral supplements is widespread in children with Down's syndrome in Europe and the USA due to marketing of commercial preparations claiming substantial benefits.
Many studies on cocaine addiction - and attempts to block its addictiveness - have focused on dopamine transporters, proteins that reabsorb the brain's "reward" chemical once its signal is sent. Since cocaine blocks dopamine transporters from doing their recycling job, it leaves the feel-good chemical around to keep sending the pleasure signal. Now a new study suggests that cocaine's effects go beyond the dopamine system. In the study, cocaine had significant effects on brain metabolism, even in mice that lack the gene for dopamine transporters.
A new anti-cancer agent that targets breast cancer can overcome resistance to cancer drugs, according to a new study. Many tumours that are initially responsive to chemotherapy can develop resistance to it, allowing the cancer to progress. Studies have shown that one of the key reasons for the development of resistance is a protein pump called P-glycoprotein. Resistant cancer cells express P-glycoprotein and this removes anti-cancer drugs from the cell before they are able to kill the cell.
Gaps in the soup of high energy particles near the orbits of two of Saturn's tiny moons indicate that Saturn may be surrounded by undiscovered, near-invisible partial rings. And, the larger Saturnian moons may not be the only ones contributing material to Saturn's ring system.
The $15bn US food industry is being stung by a mysterious phenomenon - honeybees are flying away from their colonies and never coming back. By John Sterlicchi Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 25 Feb 2008 | 11:58 am
We discuss science, culture and philosophy with controversial physicist Alan Sokal. Plus, we locate the G spot. And a song by Chumbawamba - all about Charles Darwin Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 24 Feb 2008 | 10:51 pm
