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Biological evolution was preceded by a long phase of chemical evolution during which precursors of biopolymers accumulated. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich chemists have discovered an efficient mechanism for the prebiotic synthesis of a vital class of such compounds.

Argonne, IL (May 17, 2016) - Despite the rigors of scientific inquiry and the methodical approaches of the world's most talented researchers, sometimes science has a surprise in store.

Distinction Between Genetic Engineering and Conventional Plant Breeding Becoming Less Clear, Says New Report on GE Crops

Have you ever racked your brains trying to make out even a single word of an uninterrupted flow of speech in a language you hardly know at all? It is naïve to think that in speech there is even the smallest of pauses between one word and the next (like the space we conventionally insert between words in writing): in actual fact, speech is almost always a continuous stream of sound. However, when we listen to our native language, word "segmentation" is an effortless process. What are, linguists wonder, the automatic cognitive mechanisms underlying this skill?

BAR HARBOR, MAINE - Wound healing is not a one-size-fits-all process. MDI Biological Laboratory Assistant Professor, Vicki P. Losick, Ph.D, has recently discovered a new healing mechanism, which she has called wound-induced polyploidy (WIP).

As the human brain develops, neurons leave their birthplace and take a trip to distant locations. Once they reach their final destination, the neurons then send out axons and dendrites -- the branches that receive and send messages from other cells.

Humans' most basic functions depend on this journey of neurons getting to where they need to go, and making correct connections once they arrive. This ensures that our eyes can see, our ears can hear, our fingers can touch and so on.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), of which Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the main types, is on the increase in the United States, affecting more than 1.6 million people and explaining perhaps the increase in advertisements offering treatments and cures. Another intestinal disease is colon cancer, a leading cause of death, which is linked to diet and one's genetic predisposition to the disease.

DALLAS - May 17, 2016 - The "acid" in "acid reflux" may not be the direct cause of damage to the esophagus as previously suspected, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Dallas VA Medical Center.

For more than 80 years, it has been assumed that stomach acid backing up through the esophagus damaged the lining of the esophagus by causing chemical burns, but their research suggests that the damage in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) actually occurs through an inflammatory response prompted by the secretion of proteins called cytokines.

The older we get, the more likely our circadian rhythms are disrupted. For example, blood pressure (BP), not only tends to increase but as well become more irregular. Luckily, as we show in our research, melatonin helps to ameliorate both trends.

63 senior respondents of a mean age of 80 were studied during 3 consecutive weeks. First week control data were collected for 7 successive days. Over the next 2 weeks, the seniors were administered a low dose of melatonin (1.5 mg) each day by night at 10:30 p.m. On the third week data were monitored again.

DNA-based straight and branched polymers or nanomaterials that can be created and dissolved using biocompatible methods are now possible thanks to the work of Penn State biomedical engineers.

Synthetic polymers may lead to advances in a broad range of biological and biomedical applications such as drug delivery, molecular detection and bioimaging.

Five songbird species in California's oak woodlands each seek out a different habitat to maximize their reproductive success, according to new research in The Auk: Ornithological Advances.

Neighborhood parks across the United States are geared primarily toward younger people, limiting their use by adults and seniors, but surprisingly attract fewer female youth as well, according to a new RAND Corporation study that offers the first national examination of parks, what they offer, who uses them and how they are used.

PITTSBURGH--Researchers led by Carnegie Mellon University Professor of Biological Sciences Chien Ho have developed a new method for preparing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that not only leads to the production of more native stem cells, but also labels them with a FDA approved iron-oxide nanoparticle (Ferumoxytol). The technology could allow researchers to track the cells in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during preclinical and clinical trials. The findings are published by Scientific Reports.

The myocardium (muscular tissue) of the pediatric heart exhibits structural and functional differences as compared to adult myocardium. As a result, different myocardial protection techniques have been developed for clinical use in neonates, infants, and children undergoing cardiac surgery.

Scientists at the University of East Anglia have discovered how a tiny yet abundant ocean organism helps regulate the Earth's climate.

Research published today in Nature Microbiology reveals how a bacterial group called 'Pelagibacterales' plays an important function in keeping the Earth's atmosphere stable.

The project was led by Prof Steve Giovannoni and Dr Jing Sun at Oregon State University, in collaboration with researchers from UEA among others.