Genetics & Molecular Biology

VB-111 Gene Therapy Doubles Survival In Recurrent Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer that kills two-thirds of patients within five years. A patient's outlook with recurrence of the disease is considered to be weeks or months. An experimental gene therapy essentially doubled the overall survi ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 3 2015 - 7:24am

New Diversity For Lager Beers

Unlike ales, lager beers differ little in flavor. But now, by creating new crosses among the relevant yeasts, Kevin Verstrepen, PhD, Stijn Mertens, and their collaborators have opened up new horizons of taste.  The relative uniformity of flavor among lage ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 7 2015 - 11:12am

Pinpointing Gene That Regulates Repair And Regeneration In Adult Lungs

The sonic hedgehog gene, best known for controlling embryonic development, also maintains the normal physiological state and repair process of an adult healthy lung, if damaged, according to new research.  Tissues are not all created equal in their abilit ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 5 2015 - 12:39pm

Lab Grown 3-D Intestine Regenerates Gut Lining In Dogs

Working with gut stem cells from humans and mice, scientists from have successfully grown healthy intestine atop a 3-D scaffold made of a substance used in surgical sutures.  In a further step that takes their work well beyond proof of concept, researcher ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 9 2015 - 8:00am

Plant Biosensor Could Help African Farmers Fight Parasitic Witchweed

Researchers have developed a new strategy for helping African farmers fight a parasitic plant that devastates crops- plants in the genus Striga, also known as witchweed. Though their purple flowers are pretty to look at, a field full of Striga plants is i ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 13 2015 - 7:53am

Gauging Heritability Of Childhood-Onset Autoimmune Diseases

Scientists have calculated more precise measurements of heritability--the influence of underlying genes--in nine autoimmune diseases that begin in childhood. The research may strengthen researchers' abilities to better predict a child's risk for ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 14 2015 - 5:53pm

What Do EU Countries Give Up When They Opt-out Of GMO Crops? And For Whom?

A deadline passed on Oct. 3  for countries in the EU to opt out of future "GMO Crop" planting approvals. ...

Article - Steve Savage - Oct 9 2015 - 1:30pm

Gene Facilitating Repair Of Acutely Injured Kidney Found

In the kidney, injured cells can be kicked into reparative mode by a gene called Sox9, according to a new paper.  Sox9 also plays a key role in the normal development of the kidney and the authors found that surviving injured cells switch on the Sox9 gene ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 17 2015 - 8:00am

Biochemists Uncover Structure Of Cellular Memory Mechanism

Calcium is a crucial element in the body that controls thought, movement and other bodily functions. These events are directed by specialized proteins called ion channels that allow the flow of calcium ions in and out of cells and among cell compartments. ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 15 2015 - 7:29am

Natural Antioxidants Show Promise For Use In Preservation Of Meat And Meat Products

Antioxidants are often added to fresh and processed meat and meat products to prevent lipid oxidation (decomposition), stop the development of off-flavors, and improve color stability. Recently food manufacturers have moved towards using natural antioxida ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 19 2015 - 2:11pm