ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Using a beam of light shunted through a tiny silicon channel, researchers have created a nanoscale trap that can stop free floating DNA molecules and nanoparticles in their tracks. By holding the nanoscale material steady while the fluid around it flows freely, the trap may allow researchers to boost the accuracy of biological sensors and create a range of new 'lab on a chip' diagnostic tools.

Scientists Make Strides Toward Defining Genetic Signature Of Alzheimer's Disease

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Scientists have new information about the complex genetic signature associated with Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. The research uses a powerful, high-resolution analysis to look for genes associated with this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

African Thicket Rat Malaria Linked To Virulent Human Form

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Malarial parasites found in tree-dwelling African thicket rats share a close evolutionary relationship with Plasmodium falciparum and P. reichenowi. The analysis is based on amplification of entire mitochondrial genomes of malarial parasites that use humans, rodents, birds and lizards as their hosts.

In Lung Cancer, Silencing One Crucial Gene Disrupts Normal Functioning Of Genome

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

While examining patterns of DNA modification in lung cancer, scientists have discovered what they say is a surprising new mechanism. They say that "silencing" of a single gene in lung cancer led to a general impairment in genome-wide changes in cells, contributing to cancer development and progression.

The Culture Of Medicine

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Everybody is familiar with the stereotypes of medical education from the student perspective: grueling hours, little recognition, and even less glory. A new study pulls back the curtain on the dominant environment of academic medicine from the perspective of faculty, the providers of medical education in medical schools. The study raises questions about how the prevailing culture of academic medicine shapes the delivery of health care.

Fusing Embryonic Stem Cells With Adult Cells Using Highly Efficient New Fusing System

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Engineers have developed a new, highly efficient way to pair up cells so they can be fused together into a hybrid cell. The new technique should make it much easier for scientists to study what happens when two cells are combined. For example, fusing an adult cell and an embryonic stem cell allows researchers to study the genetic reprogramming that occurs in such hybrids.

Microbes In The Intestine: Friend Or Foe?

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Micro-organisms in the intestine live in symbiosis with humans but can cause illness or even death. Scientists have researched the factors that make a person immune to worm infections. The knowledge can now be used to develop vaccines.

Lung Cancer Cells Activate Inflammation To Induce Metastasis

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Scientists have identified a protein produced by cancerous lung epithelial cells that enhances metastasis by stimulating the activity of inflammatory cells.

Fat Tissue Is Sensitive To Irradiation

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Scientists found that irradiation damages fat tissue. Radiation therapy directed at cancer management also damages normal tissues. Autologous transplant of tissues such as fat tissue has often been used to prevent the fibrosis, organ dysfunction, and necrosis that result from radiation treatment; however, the effects of radiation on the transplanted fat tissue had not been studied.

Nutrigenomics: Developing Personalized Diets For Disease Prevention

Posted: 05 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

The emerging field of nutrigenomics aims to identify the genetic factors that influence the body's response to diet and studies how the bioactive constituents of food affect gene expression.

New Genetic Markers For Ulcerative Colitis Identified