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The structure of a bacterial RNA-binding protein has been determined in the act of modifying a molecule of RNA -- an achievement that provides researchers with a unique view of the protein's function in action and could lead to clues that would help in the fight against the development of antibiotic-resistant infections. A paper describing the findings by a team of Penn State University researchers is published in the current issue of the journal Science.

HUNTSVILLE, TX (4-21-16) -- Each year, more than 100,000 children take the stand to testify in criminal, civil or juvenile courts, but legal protections for these underage witnesses and victims greatly vary from state to state.

LEXINGTON, Ky., (April 21, 2016) - Faced with a pathogen, important signaling chemicals within plant cells travel different routes to inform the plant to turn on its defense mechanisms, according to a recent University of Kentucky study.

KNOXVILLE--Scientists and clinicians often encounter road blocks in designing specific treatments for diseases like cancer or developmental disorders because proteins that regulate cell functions through complex mechanisms are misunderstood.

A researcher at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has discovered a novel aspect of a fundamental cellular process that could be a key to overcoming that barrier.

BINGHAMTON, NY - It has been disorienting to the scientific and medical community as to why different subtle changes in a protein-coding gene causes many different genetic disorders in different patients -- including premature aging, nerve problems, heart problems and muscle problems. no other gene works like this. According to a new study, co-authored by Binghamton University faculty Eric Hoffman, it has to do with cell "commitment."

HANOVER, N.H. - New funding is not enough to guarantee success against emerging infectious diseases around the world. Rather, good governance, a long-term technology investment strategy and strong product management skills are essential, say a Dartmouth College researcher and her co-author.

Their article appears in the journal Nature Biotechnology. A PDF is available on request.

Seven tiny teeth tell the story of an ancient monkey that made a 100-mile ocean crossing between North and South America into modern-day Panama - the first fossil evidence for the existence of monkeys in North America.

Since 1989, 74 people who were convicted of serious crimes, in large part due to microscopic hair comparisons, were later exonerated by post-conviction DNA analysis.

Scientists have made a discovery that could lead to improved treatment for asthma sufferers.

They have found that blocking a certain signalling molecule can alleviate symptoms such as mucus production, swelling (edema), and constriction of the airways in the lungs.

The international study, led by Dr Stephan Caucheteux, from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, believes their work could ultimately help asthma sufferers around the world.

Some 5.4m people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma, including more than a million children.

Jumping spiders are known for their excellent vision and the elaborate body language they display when encountering other members of their species. These attributes may enable them to visually size up a potential opponent and decide whether to step away from a possible fight even before it starts. However, in live fights, jumping spiders may have limited opportunity to show this skill. This is according to Rowan McGinley and Phillip Taylor of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Their findings are published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

While constantly developing, software takes over more and more aspects of our life at both individual and community level. Thus, software failures and security are easily becoming major concerns which need to be addressed on the spur of the moment.

Several species of mammoth are thought to have roamed across the North American continent. A new study in the open-access journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, provides DNA evidence to show that these mammoths, which should only mate within their species boundaries, were in fact likely to be interbreeding.

Researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center have uncovered a novel function of the gene PLK1 (polo-like kinase 1) that helps prostate cancer cells metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body. This mechanism highlights new potential targets for cancer therapies and challenges the previous understanding of PLK1's role in cancer growth and progression.

Immunotherapy represents an exciting advance in cancer treatment that harnesses the immune system to seek and destroy cancer cells. The programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway dampens immune responses to tumor cells, and several clinical trials have shown favorable outcomes by targeting PD-1 or its ligand PD-1L. In this issue of JCI Insight, David Hafler and colleagues at Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology examined PD-1-expressing regulatory T cells in glioblastoma multiforme, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease in which progressive scarring of the lungs leads to respiratory failure. Lung scarring in IPF takes the form of aggregates of proliferating fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, known as "fibroblastic foci", which deposit collagen and other fibrotic components. These foci are thought to form in response to lung injury. The nature of these lesions and their relationship to disease progression are poorly understood.