Source in Biological News

Spallation Neutron Source sees first target replacement

OAK RIDGE, July 27, 2009 -- Having outlasted all expectations of its service life, the original mercury target of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science's record-setting neutron science facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is being replaced for ...

Children's Hospital Oakland scientists first to discover new source for harvesting stem cells

June 23, 2009Oakland, Calif. A groundbreaking study conducted by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the first to reveal a new avenue for harvesting stem cells from a woman's placenta, or more specifically the discarded placentas of healthy newborns. The study also finds there are fa...

'The Vision Revolution': Eyes are the source of human 'superpowers'

Troy, N.Y. For Mark Changizi, it's all in the eyes. About half of the human brain is used for vision, and sight is the best understood and most thoroughly investigated of the five senses. This is why Changizi, a neurobiology expert and assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive Science...

Biomass as a source of raw materials

This release is available in German . For the protection of the environment, and because of the limited amount of fossil fuels available, renewable resources, such as specially cultivated plants, wood scraps, and other plant waste, are becoming the focus of considerable attention. Processe...

Wetlands likely source of methane from ancient warming event

An expansion of wetlands and not a large-scale melting of frozen methane deposits is the likely cause of a spike in atmospheric methane gas that took place some 11,600 years ago, according to an international research team led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The finding ...

UNH: Pavement sealcoat a source of toxins in stormwater runoff

DURHAM, N.H. Driveways and parking lots may look better with a layer of sealcoat applied to the pavement, but the water running off the surface into nearby streams will be carrying more than just oxygen and hydrogen molecules. New research conducted at the University of New Hampshire Stormwater C...

Amniotic fluid may provide new source of stem cells for future therapies

(WASHINGTON, March 31, 2009) - For the first time, scientists have shown that amniotic fluid (the protective liquid surrounding an embryo) may be a potential new source of stem cells for therapeutic applications. The study was prepublished online on February 12, 2009, in Blood , the official jour...

Dana-Farber oncologists present at ASCO GU -- predict prostate cancer survival using Source MDx test

Orlando, Fla., February 27, 2009 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Source MDx today announced that Source MDx's whole blood RNA transcript-based Precision Profiles diagnostic test predicted survival in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). In a study of 62 CRPC patients, th...

Montana State researchers receive grant to study algae as a source of biofuel

BOZEMAN -- Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Montana State University and Utah State University a three-year, $900,000 grant to study the oil produced by algae, which could be a renewable source of biodiesel. The two universities will split the money more or less down the middle, ...

Major source of radon exposure overlooked at former Ohio uranium-processing plant

CINCINNATIUniversity of Cincinnati (UC) scientists say that a recent scientific study of a now-closed uranium processing plant near Cincinnati has identified a second, potentially more significant source of radon exposure for former workers. That sourcesix silos filled with uranium ore in the p...

Pittsburgh researchers identify source of multipotent stem cells with broad regenerative potential

In a promising finding for the field of regenerative medicine, stem cell researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a source of adult stem cells found on the walls of blood vessels with the unlimited potential to differentiate into human tissues such as bone, cartilag...

Researchers tap into a new and potentially better source of platelets for transfusion

Clot-forming blood cells, or platelets, can drop to dangerously low levels in diseases such as anemia and in patients undergoing chemotherapy. To replace these critical cells, doctors filter platelets from donated blood, but this approach can increase the risk of transmitting blood infections and ...

Algae from the ocean a sustainable energy source of the future

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Research by two Kansas State University scientists could help with the large-scale cultivation and manufacturing of oil-rich algae in oceans for biofuel. K-State's Zhijian "Z.J." Pei, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, and Wenqiao "Wayne"...

New source of heart stem cells discovered

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are continuing to document the heart's earliest origins. Now, they have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicard...

A novel X-ray source could be brightest in the world

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 20, 2008) The future of high-intensity x-ray science has never been brighter now that scientists at U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have devised a new type of next generation light sources. "The free electron laser oscillator (X-FELO) we are proposin...

Deadly dose: Rensselaer heparin expert helps uncover source of lethal contamination

Troy, N.Y. -- The mysterious death of patients around the world following a routine dosage of the common blood thinner, heparin, sent researchers on a frantic search to uncover what could make the standard drug so toxic. A researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was among a small group of s...

New source for biofuels discovered

AUSTIN, TexasA newly created microbe produces cellulose that can be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, report scientists from The University of Texas at Austin who say the microbe could provide a significant portion of the nations transportation fuel if production can be scaled up. Along w...

Menstrual blood -- a valuable source of multipotential stem cells?

Tampa, Fla. (Apr. 23, 2008) Researchers seeking new and more abundant sources of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine have identified a potentially unlimited, noncontroversial, easily collectable, and inexpensive source menstrual blood. Stromal stem cells - cells that are present in ...

Dental chair a possible source of neurotoxic mercury waste

Mercury is a large component of dental fillings, but it is not believed to pose immediate health risks in that form. When exposed to sulfate-reducing bacteria, however, mercury undergoes a chemical change and becomes methylated, making it a potent, ingestible neurotoxin. While the major source ...

Meteorites a rich source for primordial soup

Washington, DCThe organic soup that spawned life on Earth may have gotten generous helpings from outer space, according to a new study. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have discovered concentrations of amino acids in two meteorites that are more than ten times higher than levels previously ...

Research at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source reveals structure and behavior of collagen

ARGONNE, Ill. (February 26, 2008) -- The structure and behavior of one of the most common proteins in our bodies has been resolved at a level of detail never before seen, thanks to new research performed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Argonne National L...

Advertisers, neuroscientists trace source of emotions in brain

GAINESVILLE, Fla. First came direct marketing, then focus groups. Now, advertisers, with the help of neuroscientists, are closing in on the holy grail: mind reading. At least, thats what is suggested in a paper published today in the journal Human Brain Mapping authored by a group of professor...

E.coli a future source of energy?

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jan. 29, 2008 For most people, the name E. coli is synonymous with food poisoning and product recalls, but a professor in Texas A&M Universitys chemical engineering department envisions the bacteria as a future source of energy, helping to power our cars, homes and more. ...

Food source threatened by carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide increasing in the atmosphere may affect the microbial life in the sea, which could have an impact on a major food source, warned Dr Ian Joint at a Science Media Centre press briefing today. Dr Joint is sequencing the DNA of different ocean bacteria to find out how they will respo...

Reversing cognitive deficits: Injectable antibody may attack source of problem

ST. LOUIS -- A special protein can be injected into the body to reverse learning problems in mice that have an animal version of Alzheimers disease, Saint Louis University researchers have found. The protein -- part of the immunoglobulin M (IgM) class -- is an antibody that grabs onto the amylo...

Pittsburgh scientists identify human source of stem cells with potential to repair muscle

For the first time, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have discovered a unique population of adult stem cells derived from human muscle that could be used to treat muscle injuries and diseases such as heart attack and muscular dystrophy. In a study using human muscle tissu...

Jet-propelled imaging for an ultrafast light source

John Spence, a physicist at Arizona State University, is a longtime user of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he has contributed to major advances in lensless imaging. It's a particularly apt propensity for someone who works with x-rays, since they can't be ...

Transport behavior of E. coli varies depending on manure source

MADISON, WI, MARCH 9, 2009 Escherichia coli is a commonly used indicator organism for detecting the presence of fecal contamination in drinking water supplies. The importance of E. coli as an indicator organism has led to several studies looking at the transport behavior of this important mic...

First images from medical beamline at Canadian Light Source

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN A University of Saskatchewan (U of S)-led research team at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron has received an early Christmas present. After several years of research, construction and testing, the unique-in-North-America BioMedical Imaging and Therapy facility (BM...

Wielding microbe against microbe, beetle defends its food source

MADISON -- As the southern pine beetle moves through the forest boring tunnels inside the bark of trees, it brings with it both a helper and a competitor. The helper is a fungus that the insect plants inside the tunnels as food for its young. But also riding along is a tiny, hitchhiking mite, whic...

Rocky water source

Gypsum, a rocky mineral is abundant in desert regions where fresh water is usually in very short supply but oil and gas fields are common. Writing in International Journal of Global Environmental Issues , Peter van der Gaag of the Holland Innovation Team, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has hit on...

Algae could one day be major hydrogen fuel source

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 1, 2008) As gas prices continue to soar to record highs, motorists are crying out for an alternative that wont cramp their pocketbooks. Scientists at U.S. Department of Energys Argonne National Laboratory are answering that call by working to chemically manipulate algae for...

New twist on life's power source

Stanford, CA A startling discovery by scientists at the Carnegie Institution puts a new twist on photosynthesis, arguably the most important biological process on Earth. Photosynthesis by plants, algae, and some bacteria supports nearly all living things by producing food from sunlight, and in th...

The power of multiples: Connecting wind farms can make a more reliable - and cheaper - power source

Wind power, long considered to be as fickle as wind itself, can be groomed to become a steady, dependable source of electricity and delivered at a lower cost than at present, according to scientists at Stanford University. The key is connecting wind farms throughout a given geographic area wit...

UNH becomes first university in nation to use landfill gas as primary energy source

DURHAM, N.H. The University of New Hampshire, in cooperation with Waste Management of New Hampshire, Inc., has launched EcoLine, a landfill gas project that will pipe enriched and purified gas from Waste Managements landfill in Rochester to the Durham campus, UNH President Mark Huddleston announc...

Scientists discover new, readily available source of stem cells

Scientists have discovered a new source of stems cells and have used them to create muscle, bone, fat, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells in the laboratory. The first report showing the isolation of broad potential stem cells from the amniotic fluid that surrounds developing embryos was published ...

Resistant bacteria increasing source of muscle infection

An antibiotic-resistant bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasingly a cause of muscle infections in children, said Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) researchers in a report in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The report appears online at http://www...

Despite acidity, orange juice could still be a source of foodborne disease

Orange juice and other foods traditionally not associated with foodborne disease outbreaks can still be a source of disease, although rare. Public health officials should be aware of this possibility and on guard, say scientists presenting today at the 106th General Meeting of the American Society...

Mushrooms as good an antioxidant source as more colorful veggies

Portabella and crimini mushrooms rank with carrots, green beans, red peppers and broccoli as good sources of dietary antioxidants, Penn State researchers say. Dr. N. Joy Dubost, who recently earned her doctorate in food science at Penn State, measured the activity of two antioxidants, polyphenols...

Illinois pig to make history as source of first complete swine genome

A pig used for research at the University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign has a home in history. Its DNA will provide the first sequence of the swine genome to be completed with the help of a two-year $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today (Jan. 13) by Agriculture ...