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Tag: "toxins" at biology news

Heal thyself: Systems biology model reveals how cells avoid becoming cancerous

...s to boost DNA repair in response to environmental toxins and possibly treat inherited degenerative diseases...ess that is important to coping with environmental toxins and a number of congenital diseases," said Ideker, the senior author of the paper. "Over the past se...

Encoded metallic nanowires reveal bioweapons

...in for anthrax spores, smallpox virus, and protein toxins such as ricin and botulinum toxin. If a simultaneous test for all of these is desired, the anthrax antibody would be attached to stripe pattern 1, the smallpox antibodies to stripe pattern 2, and the toxin antibodies to stripe pattern 3, for example....

UCSD researchers develop 'smart petri dish'

...was able to detect changes in the cells exposed to toxins "before traditional assays are able to detect a decrease in viability, demonstrating the potential of the technique as a complementary tool for cell viability studies." In addition, they add, their method "is noninvasive and can be performed in real ...

Harmful Algal Blooms monitored from space in Chile

...ea. In the case of shellfish, such as mussels, toxins from the blooms accumulate in their body tissues and pose serious health risks for humans when consumed. For instance, in 2002 an HAB outbreak in Chile was responsible for 73 paralytic poisonings and two deaths. In 2004, more than 1500 cases of poiso...

Discovery could aid fight against cystic fibrosis infection

...shaped pore that might be involved in transferring toxins into cells. She deposited the structure of the protein, called Hcp1, into the Protein Data Bank, a resource used by biologists worldwide to find information about the proteins they are studying. While exploring the Protein Data Bank, Mougous, who ...

Nanosecond-scale release of stinging jellyfish nematocysts

... the most venomous animals known. Injection of the toxins requires an effective release mechanism that breaks the physical barrier of the prey's outer-surface tissue. It was known already that a high pressure (15 MPa) drives nematocyst discharge, and that stylets can penetrate even thick crustacean shells. ...

Vaccine combined with short-term postexposure antibiotics protects monkeys from inhalational anthrax

..., thus allowing anthrax infection to progress. The toxins are thought to act mainly by damaging defensive cells called phagocytes, causing the immune system to malfunction. The organism then spreads unimpeded to all major organs of the body, causing tissue damage and death. While most spores probably germi...

Bacterial protein shows promise in treating intestinal parasites

...CSD and co-principal author of the study. "Crystal toxins are safe to humans, mammals and other vertebrates. And it might be possible to improve the efficacy of current treatments by giving a drug like mebendazole and Cry5B simultaneously." Other authors of the study are Richard Bungiro and Lisa Harrison ...

Sandia research to focus on early detection of harmful algal blooms

...p a technology that can successfully detect deadly toxins from harmful algal blooms (HABs). The funding is p...egion. Current methods for detecting the poisonous toxins characteristic of the blooms are cumbersome, require either expensive reagents or animal testing, or...

Most widely used organic pesticide requires help to kill

...s the possibility that the genes encoding the (Bt) toxins could be deployed more effectively in transgenic c...that gut microbes mediate the effects of bacterial toxins could have application in human and animal medicine as the roles of those bacteria become better und...

Different strategies underlie the ecology of microbial invasions

...nt. The findings show that the release of chemical toxins is superior as a resident strategy to repel invasions, whereas the release of parasites is superior as a strategy of invasion. ...

New biochip helps study living cells, may speed drug development

...els. In nature, some of the most potent venoms and toxins work by blocking these channels, including the venom of certain snakes and strychnine. Porterfield's chip is technically classified as a "cell electrophysiology lab-on-a-chip." The device is further described in an article in the journal Sensors ...

A new understanding of how cells defend themselves against bacterial pore-forming toxins

...athway that cells use to defend themselves against toxins made by disease-causing bacteria. The discovery ...enesis. Bacteria and parasites often use special toxins to perforate the membranes of target cells. These pore-forming toxins are a key weapon in the attack...

Highly concentrated botulinum preparation for cosmetic injections can result in severe illness

...Botulism is a rare paralytic illness caused by the toxins of the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum and toxin-producing strains of Clostridium baratii and Clostridium butyricum. Botulism, left untreated, may result in respiratory failure and death, according to background information in the artic...

Bitter taste identifies poisons in foods

...aste genes and the presence of naturally-occurring toxins in a given vegetable. The study appears in the Sep... a defense mechanism to detect potentially harmful toxins in plants. The Current Biology paper provides the first direct evidence in support of this hypothes...

Exposure to dioxins influences male reproductive system, study of Vietnam veterans concludes

...nmental studies of the impact of dioxins and other toxins on the male reproductive system. Previous research was largely based on animal models, Dr. Gupta said, noting that the urgency of further research is underlined by a rise in disorders of the male reproductive tract over the past several decades. T...

Molecular structure reveals how botulinum toxin attaches to nerve cells

...linum neurotoxins, which are among the most potent toxins known. These neurotoxins are produced by Clostridi...bacterium found in soil and food. In the body, the toxins bind to and enter neurons, interfering with nerve transmission and disrupting the communication betw...

A new target for painkillers

... The study in rats found that cone snail toxins named RgIA and Vc1.1 can treat nerve hypersensitiv...n, stroke, traumatic brain injury, shingles, nerve toxins and electrical or other damage to peripheral nerves. Sometimes, doctors are unable to find a cause. ...

Scientists discover toxin that causes gastro disease

... diseases. "This toxin belongs to the family of toxins that cause whooping cough, a very serious bacterial infection that affects children," Dr Beddoe said. He said the research breakthrough may also provide insights into the development of age-related and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's di...

Tarantula venom and chili peppers target same pain sensor

...r species may have evolved the ability to use such toxins to target heat- and pain-sensing neuron receptors,... generate noxious sensations," Julius said. "These toxins are incredibly useful for understanding how ion channels of the nervous system work. They give us cl...

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