Genetics & Molecular Biology

You people in the developed world are certainly free to debate the merits of genetically modified foods, but can we please eat first?”- Dr. Florence Wambugu The blind girl lurched toward me across the parking lot at Tirta Empul temple, mewling. I guessed ...

Blog Post - Norm Benson - May 4 2014 - 11:04am

Adult Stem Cells Changed Into Pluripotent Stem Cells By Nuclear Transfer

In 2009, President Barack Obama slightly eased restrictions on the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research that was first funded by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, but limited to specific lines. Using an executive order, Pres. Obama allowed fo ...

Article - Hank Campbell - May 4 2014 - 12:46pm

MitoQ Antioxidant Makes Old Arteries Seem Young Again- Study

A research team gave old mice- the equivalent of 70- to 80-year-old humans- water containing an antioxidant known as MitoQ for four weeks and found that their arteries functioned as well as the arteries of mice with an equivalent human age of just 25 to ...

Article - News Staff - May 5 2014 - 6:13pm

Premature Birth Genetic Risk Factor Found

A gene that codes for a protein that scientists have found helps the body’s immune cells recognize and fight Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria has been implicated in premature birth risk. The bacteria are found in the vagina or lower gastrointestinal tr ...

Article - News Staff - May 5 2014 - 9:47pm

The Molecular High-Speed Origami Of Protein Folding

Proteins, those workhorses of the cell responsible for almost all biological functions, have to be adaptable and that means chain-like molecules must engage in an intricate three-dimensional conformation. This process- protein folding- is one of the most ...

Article - News Staff - May 10 2014 - 5:05pm

Albino Genetic Mutation In Doberman Pinschers Identified- And What It Means For Humans

A genetic mutation that causes albinism in Doberman pinschers has been identified. And the researchers discovered that type of albinism has certain characteristics that are evident in humans too. Paige Winkler, a doctoral student in the College of Veter ...

Article - News Staff - May 12 2014 - 10:11am

Male Infertility: It's All About The Package

3 million men across America experience infertility. Today, researchers described a key event during sperm development that is essential for male fertility- a protein controls DNA packaging to protect a man's genetic information. ...

Article - News Staff - May 13 2014 - 8:59am

Carbs To Treat Diabetes? Here They Come To Save The Day!

Your local multiplex has been packed with superheroes lately: Robocop, Captain America and Spider-Man have wowed us this year and Superman, Batman and the Avengers are waiting in the wings. But have you ever noticed how unlikely each hero is? A maimed pol ...

Article - David Platt - May 14 2014 - 11:48am

Can Synthetic Biology Improve Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is one of evolution's great success stories. Plants, algae and bacteria capture light energy from the sun and transform it into chemical energy. Can science improve it? Perhaps. While genetic modification is protested by anti-science gr ...

Article - News Staff - May 15 2014 - 9:14am

Naia Genetic Study Confirms Link Between Earliest And Modern Native Americans

The ancient remains of a teenage girl, researchers call her Naia, found deep in the water of a Yucatán Peninsula cave have established a definitive link between the earliest and modern Native Americans, according to a new study in Science. So, yes, they r ...

Article - News Staff - May 15 2014 - 5:25pm