Science - Biology latest news

According to a study published in the open-access journal PLoSPathogens, researchers at the University of Amsterdam havediscovered how to conquer the wilting tomato. Dr. Martijn Repand colleagues reached their conclusions by studying the molecularlevel of the tomato.Plants pathogens are remarkably talented when it comes to evolvingalong with the immune systems of their hosts, farmers andagriculturalists have to constantly adapt to this evolutionary ability.

A set of molecules found in certain plants appears to have a beneficial effect in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study conducted in mice. The study was led by researchers at the University of South Florida and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. An article in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine is available online.Terrence Town, Ph.D., one of the senior authors of the study, is available to provide more information about this study.

"Collectively, similar approaches to inhibit c-Kit, in addition to Gleevec or other inhibiting compounds could alleviate multiple cancers." For the first time, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified genetic components of dendritic cells that are key to asthma and allergy-related immune response malfunction. via Physics Org

Now that the genome (DNA) of humans and many other organisms have been sequenced, biologists are turning their attention to discovering how the many thousands of structural and control genes -- the "worker bees" of living cells that can turn genes on and off -- function.To do that, they need to develop new techniques and tools.

Gamers have devoted countless years of collective brainpower to rescuing princesses or protecting the planet against alien invasions. This week researchers at the University of Washington will try to harness those finely honed skills to make medical discoveries, perhaps even finding a cure for HIV.A new game, named Foldit, turns protein folding into a competitive sport.

Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that mice lacking an enzyme that contributes to Alzheimer disease exhibit a number of schizophrenia-like behaviors. The finding raises the possibility that this enzyme may participate in the development of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders and therefore may provide a new target for developing therapies.

 Researchers from the United States and Switzerland have developed mathematical and statistical tools for reconstructing viral populations using pyrosequencing, a novel and effective technique for sequencing DNA. They describe their findings in an article published May 9th in the open-access journal PLoS Computational biology .

Real or perceived threats can trigger the well-known "fight or flight response" in humans and other Animals. Adrenaline flows, and the stressed individual's heart pumps faster, the muscles work harder, the brain sharpens and non-essential systems shut down. The whole organism responds in concert in order to survive.

Scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have genetically sequenced the Steno bacterium. Steno is a quickly emerging hospital superbug that is extremely drug resistant. There are no known drugs capable of...

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org Researchers have discovered that the hormone ghrelin plays an important role in overeating by stimulating the brain's pleasure center. Ghrelin stimulates our appetite and also increases...