ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• New insights into how stem cells determine what tissue to become
• Epileptic seizures may be linked to an ancient gene family
• Mining bacterial genomes reveals valuable 'hidden' drugs
• 15,000 beams of light: Pens that write with light offer low-cost, rapid nanofabrication capabilities
• Scientists find gas pedal -- and brake -- for uncontrolled cell growth
• 'Guardian of the genome': Protein helps prevent damaged DNA in yeast
• Unique light-activated membrane acts like a traffic signal for gas
• Short and long sleep durations are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, study suggests
• SIDS surprise: Study finds that infant boys are more easily aroused from sleep than girls
• Catching up is hard to do: Negative effects of sleep restriction may linger after one night of recovery sleep

New insights into how stem cells determine what tissue to become Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT Within 24 hours of culturing adult human stem cells on a new type of matrix, researchers were able to make predictions about how the cells would differentiate, or what type of tissue they would become.

Epileptic seizures may be linked to an ancient gene family Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT New research points to a genetic route to understanding and treating epilepsy. The research has identified an ancient gene family that plays a role in regulating the excitability of nerves within the brain.

Mining bacterial genomes reveals valuable 'hidden' drugs Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT A new tool to excavate bacterial genomes that potentially hide a rich array of pharmaceutical treasures has led to the discovery of a novel antibiotic. The study could lead to new treatments for serious diseases that are rapidly acquiring multi-drug resistance.

15,000 beams of light: Pens that write with light offer low-cost, rapid nanofabrication capabilities Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT One city skyline is dazzling enough. Now imagine 15,000 of them. Researchers have done just that -- drawing 15,000 identical skylines with tiny beams of light using an innovative nanofabrication technology called beam-pen lithography. BPL uses an array of pens made of a polymer to print patterns over large areas with nanoscopic through macroscopic resolution. The method could do for nanofabrication what the desktop printer has done for printing and information transfer.

Scientists find gas pedal -- and brake -- for uncontrolled cell growth Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new way to regulate the uncontrolled growth of blood vessels, a major problem in a broad range of diseases and conditions.

'Guardian of the genome': Protein helps prevent damaged DNA in yeast Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT Like a scout that runs ahead to spot signs of damage or danger, a protein in yeast safeguards the yeast cells' genome during replication -- a process vulnerable to errors when DNA is copied, according to new research.

Unique light-activated membrane acts like a traffic signal for gas Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT A newly developed membrane blocks gas from flowing through it when one color of light is shined on its surface, and permits gas to flow through when another color of light is used. It is the first time that scientists have developed a membrane that can be controlled in this way by light.

Short and long sleep durations are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, study suggests Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT A new study suggests that regularly sleeping for more or less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

SIDS surprise: Study finds that infant boys are more easily aroused from sleep than girls Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT A new study shows that at 2 to 4 weeks of age male infants are easier to arouse than females during quiet sleep, and by 2 to 3 months of age there are no significant gender differences in arousability. The results suggest that the increased rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in males may not reflect a pre-existing vulnerability involving arousal responses.

Catching up is hard to do: Negative effects of sleep restriction may linger after one night of recovery sleep Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT A new study suggests that a dose of extra sleep on the weekend may be good medicine for adults who repeatedly stay up too late or wake up too early during the workweek. However, even a night of 10 hours in bed may not be enough to cure the negative effects of chronic sleep restriction.

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