Genetics & Molecular Biology

Reconstructing The Black Death Pathogen's Genome

The genome of the medieval form of Yersinia pestis, the pathogen responsible for the Black Death in Europe between 1347 – 1351, has been reconstructed. A surprising finding is that the genes affecting its virulence apparently haven’t changed all that much ...

Article - Gunnar De Winter - Oct 15 2011 - 7:45am

Another Step Towards Biological Computers

Earlier this year, a DNA computer was reported that could calculate square roots. A little later, a neural network was constructed out of ‘the stuff of life’. These advances strongly hinted at the possibility of using biochemicals in order to do computati ...

Article - Gunnar De Winter - Oct 19 2011 - 9:57am

Epigenetic Inheritance Of Longevity

Some genes appear to have an effect on lifespan. This shouldn’t be too surprising news. But now, a research team from Stanford has shown that there are epigenetic effects on longevity as well. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a beloved model org ...

Article - Gunnar De Winter - Oct 20 2011 - 4:32am

The Natural Killer In You

Scientists have discovered more about the intricacies of Natural Killer cells, a unique type of white blood cell important in early immune responses to tumors and viruses.   Unlike most cells of the immune system that are activated by molecules found on t ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 26 2011 - 7:00am

One Thing Males And Females Have In Common: Up-Regulating X-Linked Genes

Experiments have recently supported a longstanding hypothesis that explains how males can survive with only one copy of the X chromosome, a hotly debated topic in science. Women have two X chromosomes, while men have one X and one Y. The lack of a 'b ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 27 2011 - 6:00am

PYY And GLP-1: Gut Hormones Trick Your Brain Into Feeling Full

For millenia, science and technology have been mobilized toward a Utopian dream; making food so plentiful and cheap poor people could afford to be fat. Well, they can, and because we have freedom (sort of- some states ban trans fats for your own good) a l ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Oct 25 2011 - 2:15pm

Gene Regulation And The Difference Between Human Beings And Chimpanzees

When the DNA sequences of Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes were sequenced, the difference between the sequences of coding genes was smaller than expected based on the phenotypic differences between both species. If not the coding genes, then what is respo ...

Article - Gunnar De Winter - Oct 26 2011 - 10:07am

Tales From The Crypt- A Villi Story

Red blood cells regenerate every four months but the lining of the intestine regenerates itself every few days. The cells that help humans absorb food are constantly being produced and the various cell types that do this come from stem cells that reside d ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 11 2011 - 12:31pm

Oxygen- The Frenemy Of Proteins

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, an old saying goes.  Roman, Arabic or Chinese, it doesn't matter who claims to have credit for immortalizing it first, people have known it to be true since there were more than two people. Since physicists love Ali ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Nov 14 2011 - 9:58am

IKKbeta Enzyme Prevents Weight Gain- But At A Cost

Scientists were able to curb weight gain, improve metabolism and improve the efficacy of insulin in mice by engineering them to express a specific human enzyme, IKKbeta, in their fat tissue, but there was a significant cost; widespread inflammation. The r ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 14 2011 - 4:30pm