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Tag: "function" at biology news

RNA enzyme structure offers a glimpse into the origins of life

...) and determined which parts were critical for its function and which parts could be removed to create a "minimal construct." At UC Santa Cruz, he began trying to grow crystals of the ribozyme so that he could use x-ray crystallography to determine its structure. Crystallizing RNA molecules is extremely di...

Carnegie Mellon University research shows how sensory-deprived brain compensates

...ognition (CNBC). "This finding tells us that brain function is plastic, or reparable, when a sense like touch has been profoundly diminished. Plasticity is an important indicator that the brain is reorganizing to compensate for an injury or deficit." For a decade, neuroscientists have known that the br...

Prenatal cocaine's lasting cellular effects

...certain brain cells, which alters their ability to function normally. Though this effect has not yet been assessed in cocaine-exposed children, the findings give researchers a place to start looking. "The hysteria surrounding the 'crack baby' was sort of overblown," said Stanwood, research assistant p...

New antibacterials being developed to tackle MRSA superbug

...ivide and multiply. They do this by inhibiting the function of the bacterium's FtsZ protein, which is essential for cell division. FtsZ is not found in humans so targeting a unique protein like this should reduce the likelihood of side-effects in patients. Because of the novel mode of action of the new class ...

Erectile dysfunction in diabetes is due to selective defect in the brain

...involved in numerous functions, including erectile function and sexual behavior, and is a primary site within the forebrain that has been implicated in penile erection. The investigators also examined central nitric oxide (NO within the PVN) which plays an important role in the neurotransmission of normal pen...

Researchers first to map gene that regulates adult stem cell growth

...ffective methods to modulate stem cell numbers and function for therapeutic uses, and also provide a better understanding of the age-related changes that occur in stem cells." ...

Trojan horse strategy defeats drug-resistant bacteria

...up. Unfortunately for the bacteria, gallium can't function like iron once it's inside bacterial cells." The researchers showed that gallium killed microbes, and prevented the formation of biofilms. Importantly, gallium's action was intensified in low iron condition, like those that exist in the human bo...

Molecular signature may identify cisplatin-sensitive breast tumors

... sensitivity. The research team focused on the function of p63, a protein that plays a role in normal breast development and is related to the common tumor suppressor p53. They analyzed tissue samples from triple-negative breast tumors and normal breast tissues for the expression of several forms of p63 ...

Computer scientists join in search for ivory-billed woodpecker

...f you put a normal computer out there, it wouldn't function very long because of the humidity and the rain," Song said. The hard disks are removed routinely from the computer by birdwatcher M. David Luneau, associate professor in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Department of Engineering Techno...

Researchers discover genetic cause for word-finding disease

...however, patients eventually lose their ability to function independently. ...

Penn researchers replace organ in adult mice using 'single-parent' stem cells

...ing stages and not so much a factor in the routine function of adult tissue, which was the ultimate goal for deriving these stem cells." To study uniparental stem cells and the possible effects of genomic imprinting, McLaughlin's team created an experiment in which they would attempt to reconstitute the he...

Flavanols in cocoa may offer benefits to the brain

... have the potential to help maintain healthy brain function and chart the course for future research that coul... could be developed to help maintain healthy brain function throughout several life stages. More research examining the potential of this cocoa in this importa...

Studies yield insight into the numerical brain

...ting that the two hemispheres of the parietal lobe function differently in processing numbers. While the left lobe harbors abstract numerical representations, the right shows a dependence on the notation used for a number, they found. The researchers concluded that "results challenge the commonly held belief ...

Brain networks strengthened by closing ion channels

...hizophrenia) that normally regulates cAMP. Loss of function of DISC1 in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder would increase vulnerability to cortical network disconnection and profound PFC deficits. This may be especially problematic during exposure to even mild stress, which may explain the freque...

Scientists identify a gene that may suppress colorectal cancer

...ican sleeping sickness), the loss of Atp5a1 gene function leads to death. To date, no mutations in the huma...project. “A better understanding of the biological function of ATP5A1 will provide insights concerning its potential role in human cancer.? Colorectal cance...

Why is the heart heart-shaped?

...beating as it develops, they asked whether cardiac function influences cell shape. Using zebrafish mutants with functional defects, they found that both blood flow and cardiac contractility influence cardiac cell shape. The researchers propose that a balance of the cell’s internal forces (through contractilit...

NIH announces phase III clinical trial of creatine for Parkinson's disease

...t. Studies have suggested that it can improve the function of mitochondria, which produce energy inside cells. It also may act as an antioxidant that prevents damage from compounds that are harmful to cells in the brain. In a mouse model of PD, creatine is able to prevent loss of the cells that are typical...

Are scientists making progress in being able to regenerate bone tissue?

...t kind of progress there has been in restoring the function of diseased or damaged bone by bone tissue regeneration. Until recently, say the authors, the use of bone grafts from a different part of the patient’s own body has been the number one choice for attempting to restore function. But there are major ...

Conceptualizing a cyborg

...e. This system may one day be able to return function to people who have been paralyzed by a spinal-cord injury, lost a limb, or in other ways. "Whether it is a prosthetic device or a disabled body function, the mind could regain control," says Smith. To create the interface, the team used a newly de...

Protein key to organ growth

... that TCTP is directly involved in regulating Rheb function so that it regulates cell size as well as cell num...ler," said Choi. "If you completely knock out this function in the eye, they have no eyes." TCTP was of interest because it is over-expressed or overabundant...

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