Body

Natural selection results in protein sequences that are only soluble to the level that is required to carry out its physiological function. However, in biotechnological applications, we need these proteins to survive concentrations that are up to 1000-fold higher that what naturally occurs, e.g. an antibody drug in the syringe prior to injection. Moreover, these proteins are isolated at high purity and can thus no longer count on the help of molecular chaperones that all living organisms employ to keep its proteins in shape.

Posing a significant threat to the native biodiversity in Japan, specifically that of threatened aquatic insects, some alien fishes, such as the bluegill, have become the reason for strict prohibitions. All activities potentially capable of introducing the species into the wild are currently punishable by either a fine of up to 3 million yen for a person (100 million yen for corporations), or a prison sentence of up to 3 years.

A multi-disciplinary team from James Cook University has been busy unlocking the secrets of the Papuan Black Bass, one of the world's toughest sportfish.

The group is working in West New Britain province in Papua New Guinea, looking to develop an eco-tourism industry around the fish.

Two new studies from the scientists say that although the fish is a mystery, with almost nothing known about it, there may be ways to commercialise it that benefit local communities.

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 29, 2016 - Both heterosexual and gay/lesbian students report less binge alcohol consumption when living in states or cities that have greater proportions of schools with programs and policies that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

In the past two decades, water frogs have spread rapidly in Central Europe. Using a new statistical model, researchers from the University of Basel were now able to show that local species such as the Yellow-bellied Toad and the Common Midwife Toad are suffering from the more dominant water frogs. The journal American Naturalist has published their results.

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have discovered that the treatment of the most deadly form of blood cancer may be improved by combining two recently developed drugs.

The combination of birinapant and p38 inhibitors showed promise in preclinical studies as a new treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Both drugs have been studied alone in clinical trials for treating cancer, offering hope that the combination could be safely given to people with AML who have few other treatment options.

Hyper-aggressive immune cells parked in arterial plaque and bingeing on glucose appear to be major drivers of coronary artery disease, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have found.

The discovery, detailed in a study to be published online Feb. 29 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, could lead to new therapeutic interventions that provide some protection from the disease, which is the No. 1 cause of death in America.

MIAMI - Researchers from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the University of New England used the same ultrasound imaging technology used by medical professionals on pregnant women to study the reproductive biology of female tiger sharks. The study offers marine biologists a new technique to investigate the reproductive organs and determine the presence of embryos in sharks without having to sacrifice the animal first, which was commonly done in the past.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that acts early in pneumococcal infections to promote bacterial survival and invasive disease by removing the bacteria's capsule. The research appears today in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

A study that revealed new findings about prostate cells may point to future strategies for treating aggressive and therapy-resistant forms of prostate cancer.

The study proved that the prostate basal cell layer contains adult stem cells which possess a unique gene expression profile resembling the deadliest form of prostate cancer. The research was led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with findings published in the Feb. 29, 2016 online issue of Nature Communications.

According to a new study by Dina Krasikova, assistant professor of management at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), the key to a successful, creative leader is confidence. Krasikova, an expert in leadership, took a closer look at the modern workplace and noted that many factors lead to a productive, well-led team.

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 28, 2016 -- When it comes to cancerous mutations, cells in soft tissues like bone marrow and the brain tend to exhibit fewer irregularities than their stiffer somatic brethren in the lungs or bone. According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, this isn't only due to differences between the cells' type and function, but also to the rigid forces of resistance that act on them when they move and divide.

WASHINGTON D.C., Feb. 28, 2016 -- The development of every animal in the history of the world began with a simple step: the fusion of a spermatozoon (the male gamete) with an oocyte, or egg (the female gamete). Despite the ubiquity of this process, the actual mechanisms through which fertilization occurs remain poorly understood. A new tool developed by a team of French biophysicists may soon shed light on this still-mysterious process, and has already captured highly detailed images of what happens when sperm and egg first touch.

The New York State Supreme Court recently upheld a New York City law requiring restaurants to put a special label on menu items containing more than "the recommended daily allowance" for salt.

This will once again lead to consumer confusion regarding how these salt allowances are created by government, what salt does in the body, and if it is as toxic as some groups have claimed.

A potential correlation between pre-labor cesarean delivery (PLCD) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) could offer new targets for cancer prevention research, according to new research from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.

The study is published in the current edition of the journal The Lancet Haematology.