“Jewel beetles” are widely known for their glossy external skeletons that appear to change colors as the angle of view changes. Now they may be known for something else–providing a blueprint for materials that reflect light rather than absorbing it to produce colors.
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta recently discovered jewel beetles change color because of the light-reflecting properties of the cells that make up their external skeletons, not because of unique, light-absorbing properties in their pigment. They say the finding could be important for industries such as car manufacturers that look to reflective light paints for automobiles. Continue Reading »
Researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center have discovered a new gene fusion that is highly expressed in a subset of prostate cancers. The results may lead to more accurate prostate cancer testing and new targets for potential treatments. Experts believe that gene fusions — a hybrid gene formed from two previously separated genes — may be at the root of what causes cancer cells to grow more quickly than normal cells. Continue Reading »
A study by scientists at Penn State provides new information about the genes that are involved in a mammal’s early brain development, including those that contribute to neurological disorders. The study is the first to use high-throughput sequencing to uncover active genes in developing brains, and it is likely the best evidence thus far for the activity in the brain of such a large number of genes. Continue Reading »
Spectrum Chemicals & Laboratory Products (Spectrum) announced the launch of a new line of premium quality Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) ideal for many cell culture applications.
In partnership with an established biotechnology supplier, Spectrum now offers fetal bovine serum originating from abattoirs located in the US, Mexico, Canada, and Australia. Each FBS order includes a full biochemical and chemical profile, as well as certification of the country of origin. Continue Reading »
Slow-flying, woodland bats—which tend to be at greater risk from extinction than their speedier kin—really don’t like the light, according to a study published online on June 18th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Lesser horseshoe bats will stray from their usual flight routes to steer clear of the artificial glow from lights that are similar to everyday street lights, the new report shows. Continue Reading »
Despite great effort to reduce anxiety, fear and pain, related to health care, children still considered “being in pain” as the worst aspect of their procedure, according to Karin Enskär, associate professor at the School of Health Sciences, Jönköping, Sweden. Continue Reading »
A new type of optical particle trap can be used to manipulate bacteria, viruses and other particles on a chip as part of an integrated optofluidic platform. The optical trap is the latest innovation from researchers at the Jack Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who are developing new sensor technology for biomedical analysis and other applications. Continue Reading »
Previous studies have suggested that Indonesia’s Toba supervolcano, when it erupted about 74,000 years ago, triggered a 1,000-year episode of ice sheet advance, and also may have produced a short-lived “volcanic winter,” which drastically reduced the human population at the time.
Previous climate model simulations of the eruption have been unable to produce the glaciation, and there are no climate observations to support the volcanic winter. Continue Reading »
In a review in Science, a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher sorts out the controversy and promise around a dangerous subtype of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells, which seem capable of resisting many modern treatments.
The article proposes that this subpopulation of malignant cells may one day provide an important avenue for controlling cancer, especially if new treatments that target the cancer stem cell are developed and combined with traditional chemotherapy and/or radiation. Continue Reading »
One-step screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities has come a stage closer as scientists announced that an embryo test they have been developing has successfully screened cells taken from spare embryos that were known to have cystic fibrosis. Continue Reading »
