Tag: "altering" at biology news

St. Jude study solves mystery of mammalian ears

...rates. The St. Jude researchers reasoned that if altering the position of the cilia in the fluid changes the ability of the cilia to amplify sound, then hearing should be affected when the mutant prestin made the cell extend itself. Therefore, the team developed a line of genetically modified mice that carr...

Research identifies protein that signals flowering in squash plants

...nts, it is not possible to manipulate flowering by altering the daylength. By contrast, obligate SD plants will remain in the vegetative state until and unless inducing conditions (such as long nights) occur, and therefore they represent the ideal system for experimental manipulation to investigate this pheno...

Discovery in orange cauliflower may lead to more nutritious crops

...nell, is currently working on transgenic potatoes, altering genes to increase both the metabolic sink and beta-carotene synthesis. Orange cauliflower was first discovered in a farmer's white cauliflower field in Canada about 30 years ago and is now available at supermarkets....

Salty oceans provide early warning for climate change

...r slows down it causes significant climate change, altering the hydrological cycle and affecting atmospheric circulation patterns too. Currently there is no large-scale salt monitoring system in place in the southern hemisphere oceans. Zahn thinks that regular measurements taken in the waters around South...

Surprising origin of cell's internal highways

... and paclitaxel (Taxol) can block cell division by altering microtubule dynamics. "Many classic chemotherapy strategies affect microtubules, although it's not quite clear how these drugs influence cancer cells differently than normal cells," said Kaverina. "Both microtubule regulation of proliferation and...

Mice with a migraine show signs of brain damage

... leaving parts of the brain starved for oxygen and altering the brain in significant ways. A paper describing the work by neuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center appeared online April 29 in Nature Neuroscience. The scientists say the work makes it crucial for migraine sufferers to do...

Veterinary scientists explore poultry virus as cancer killer

...rent investigation, Subbiah and his associates are altering the fusion protein of NDV to replicate only in the presence of prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is found exclusively in cancerous prostate cells. Normal, healthy cells have an interferon antiviral system that activates upon infection with N...

Cold sore virus might play role in Alzheimer's disease

...her herpes somehow disturbs the receptor, possibly altering the structure and function of the synapse. Damage to synapses is one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease. Another possibility is that the body's immune response against herpes somehow damages the brain, and that such damage is worse in pe...

Link found between immune system and high plasma lipid levels

...play a key role in immunity). They determined that altering the expression level of LIGHT (a specific type of molecule that binds to a receptor site of another cell) and also lymphotoxin (LT) on T cells significantly impacted the cholesterol and triglyceride levels. When T cells expressing LIGHT were intro...

Manipulating nature: Scientists query wildlife birth-control method

...t. "Unless we are certain about these effects, altering the genetic capacity of a wild population to mount immune responses should not be permitted. "The third concern is that animals are suffering side-effects from multiple injections and adjuvant substances (catalysts that modify the action of other ...

Scripps research study reveals structural dynamics of single prion molecules

...verts into self-perpetuating amyloid fibrils, thus altering its function in an inheritable manner. The research team used a combination of advanced biophysical methods to investigate these processes. "By focusing on single unfolded prions, we were able to define the dynamics of two distinct regions or doma...

Scientists find new genetic clue to cause of Alzheimer's disease

...isease. In laboratory experiments, they found that altering the levels of SORL1 changed the way APP was moved around in cells, with low levels of SORL1 resulting in increased production of amyloid beta fragments while high levels decreased production. However, the researchers note, other genetic and non-genet...

Salamanders suffer delayed effects of common herbicide

...le frogs to develop both male and female organs by altering their production of sex hormones. Findings from Rohr's study, which was funded by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, and the Kentucky Academy of Sciences, could have implications for global amphibian declines. ...

Researcher examines polymers created with poultry feathers

...s them hard and strong. Barone has found that altering the amino acid structure of keratin can improve the strength and longevity of the polymer. In addition, the viscosity can be improved with reducing agents such as sodium sulfite and lubricants such as poultry fat. The solid-state properties can also ...

Fight weeds with plant pathogens

...ecological problems. Invasive weeds are capable of altering ecosystem processes and displacing native plant and animal species. In addition, weeds serve as reservoirs for plant pathogens that impact crops. According to Rosskopf, there are two approaches used for managing weeds with plant pathogens-the clas...

Peering into the shadow world of RNA

... been seen to have significant biological effects, altering the expression of certain neurotransmitter genes, for example. Last year, this work converged with that of researchers investigating an extensive family of small molecules called microRNAs, or miRNAs, non-coding forms of RNA that appear to target ...

Gene therapy inhibits epilepsy in animals

...Medicine. "This provides a 'proof of concept' that altering specific signaling pathways in nerve cells after a brain insult or injury could provide a scientific basis for treating patients to prevent epilepsy." Dr. Brooks-Kayal and Shelley J. Russek, Ph.D., of Boston University School of Medicine were senio...

Genome archaeology illuminates the genetic engineering debate

...nologists insert genes at seemingly random places, altering the normal order of genes in the genome. The view of genes being fixed in their position in the genome is largely based on studies in animal genomes. In contrast to those studies, however, the authors show that plant genomes evolved from a far more d...

RNA map provides first comprehensive understanding of alternative splicing

...ed to the extracts, it bound to the mRNA clusters, altering the outcome of the how the splicing machinery was able to assemble in a manner that again conformed to the predictions of the RNA map. In one case Nova blocked specific components of the splicing machinery, in another it enhanced the ability of this ...

Archerfish tune their shots to universal properties of prey adhesion

...adjusting the mass of water in a shot, rather than altering the initial release pressure and speed of the shot. This turns out to be the most efficient way of adjusting force--by doubling the mass of water shot, the fish double the force that is applied to prey in a way that only doubles the energetic cost of...

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