Body | Page 3988 | Science Codex

PiggyBac joins armory in fight against cancer

Researchers have developed a genetic tool in mice to speed the discovery of novel genes involved in cancer. The system – called PiggyBac – has already been used by the team to identify novel candidate cancer-causing genes.

This new development of the PiggyBac system makes it a powerful addition to the armoury of genetic methods available to researchers for picking apart the genetic causes of cancer. It will complement advances in genomics and genetics of cancer, by providing biological validation to human mutations identified by cancer genome sequencing.

NYU, Princeton biologists find genetic explanation for evolutionary change: Location

A gene's location on a chromosome plays a significant role in shaping how an organism's traits vary and evolve, according to findings by genome biologists at New York University's Center for Genomic and Systems Biology and Princeton University's Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. Their research, which appears in the latest issue of the journal Science, suggests that evolution is less a function of what a physical trait is and more a result of where the genes that affect that trait reside in the genome.

Temperature rhythms keep body clocks in sync, UT Southwestern researchers find

DALLAS – Oct. 14, 2010 – Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that fluctuations in internal body temperature regulate the body's circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that controls metabolism, sleep and other bodily functions.

A light-sensitive portion of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) remains the body's "master clock" that coordinates the daily cycle, but it does so indirectly, according to a study published by UT Southwestern researchers in the Oct. 15 issue of Science.

Genetic data related to sodium-regulating hormone may help explain hypertension risk

New research points to the existence of a gene on chromosome 5 that influences how much aldosterone is produced — which may be excessive in African-descended populations.

"Aldosterone was very important to their early ancestors living in the arid climate of Africa," said J. Howard Pratt, study co-author. "Dietary intake of sodium in today's world is much higher, and there may not be the need for the amount of aldosterone produced, leading to a level of sodium balance that places individuals at risk for hypertension."

Researcher find fats galore in human plasma

Researcher find fats galore in human plasma

Human blood is famously fraught with fats; now researchers have a specific idea of just how numerous and diverse these lipids actually are. A national research team, led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has created the first "lipidome" of human plasma, identifying and quantifying almost 600 distinct fat species circulating in human blood.

UCSB scientists discover inner workings of potent cancer drug

UCSB scientists discover inner workings of potent cancer drug

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– A potent drug derived from an evergreen tree may soon save the lives of some patients with the deadliest form of breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer will claim approximately 40,000 lives in the U.S. this year.

Perspectives on improving patient care: Genetics, personalized medicine, and behavioral intervention

Personalized medicine — improving the fit between patient and treatment — has become a major focus of research in fields from cancer treatment to the psychopharmacology of mental disorders. Genetic studies have suggested that an individual's genetic makeup renders him either more or less sensitive to stressful social environments — but can an individual's unique genotype also determine the effectiveness of preventative or therapeutic behavioral interventions?

Of worms and women: Common causes for reproductive decline with age

In worms as in women, fertility declines at a rate that far exceeds the onset of other aging signs. And now a new report in the October 15th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, suggests that worms' and humans' biological clocks may wind down over time for similar underlying reasons.

In childhood obesity, gene variants raise risk

In childhood obesity, gene variants raise risk

A new study by pediatric researchers has added to the evidence that genes have a strong influence on childhood obesity.

Study uncovers genetic variations linked with common childhood obesity

A new study uncovers multiple genetic variations associated with common childhood obesity. The research, published by Cell Press on October 14th in the American Journal of Human Genetics, is likely to guide future studies aimed at characterizing the affected genes and unraveling the complex biology that underlies childhood obesity.

Scientists find signals that make cell nucleus blow up like a balloon

Scientists find signals that make cell nucleus blow up like a balloon

Size matters when it comes to the nucleus of a cell, and now scientists have discovered the signals that control how big the nucleus gets.

New look at multitalented protein sheds light on mysteries of HIV

New look at multitalented protein sheds light on mysteries of HIV

Charcoal biofilter cleans up fertilizer waste gases

Removing the toxic and odorous emissions of ammonia from the industrial production of fertilizer is a costly and energy-intensive process. Now, researchers in Bangladesh have turned to microbes and inexpensive wood charcoal to create a biofilter that can extract the noxious gas from vented gases and so reduce pollution levels from factories in the developing world.

NIST mini-sensor traces faint magnetic signature of human heartbeat

NIST mini-sensor traces faint magnetic signature of human heartbeat

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the German national metrology institute have used NIST's miniature atom-based magnetic sensor to successfully track a human heartbeat, confirming the device's potential for biomedical applications.

Biologists identify influence of environment on sexual vs. asexual reproduction

TORONTO, ON – Evolutionary biologists at the University of Toronto (U of T) have found that environment plays a key role in determining whether a species opts for sexual over asexual reproduction.