TOP BIOLOGY NEWS

The top biology news of this week

Toward explaining why hepatitis B hits men harder than women

11/18/2009

Scientists in China are reporting discovery of unusual liver proteins, found only in males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV) sexually discriminates -- hitting men harder than women. Their study has been published online in ACS' Journal of Proteo... [Comments]

Toward explaining why hepatitis B hits men harder than women

Bioengineers succeed in producing plastic without the use of fossil fuels

11/22/2009

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GOOD

A team of pioneering South Korean scientists have succeeded in producing the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel based chemicals. This groundbreaking research, which may now allow for the production of environmentally conscious plastics, is published in two papers in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering to mark the jo... [Comments]

New on-off 'switch' triggers and reverses paralysis in animals with a beam of light

11/18/2009

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In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When expose... [Comments]

New on-off 'switch' triggers and reverses paralysis in animals with a beam of light

Saliva proteins change as women age

11/18/2009

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In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. The discovery could lead to a simple, non... [Comments]

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

11/18/2009

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GOOD

If you're watching the complex processes in a living cell, it is easy to miss something importantespecially if you are watching changes that take a long time to unfold and require high-spatial-resolution imaging. But new research* makes it possible to scrutinize activities that occur over hours... [Comments]

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

5 exercises can reduce neck, shoulder pain of women office workers

11/18/2009

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BETHESDA, Md. (Nov. 18, 2009) Strength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in the trapezius muscle, the large muscle which extends from the back of the head, down the neck and into the upper back. The exercises also improve the muscle's ability to respond quickly and forcefully among women suffering trapezius myalgia, a tenderness and tightness in the upper... [Comments]

Women at risk from vitamin A deficiency

11/17/2009

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Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found. The team, led by Dr Georg Lietz, has shown that almost 50 per cent of women have a genetic variation which reduces their ability to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene. Vitamin A also known as retino... [Comments]

Is 80-year-old mistake leading to first species to be fished to extinction?

11/17/2009

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GOOD

A species of common skate is to become the first marine fish species to be driven to extinction by commercial fishing, due to an error of species classification 80 years ago, reveals research published today in the journal Aquatic Conservation . The European common skate, Dipturus batis , has been on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species since 2006, with France c... [Comments]

Innovative Document Security Technology Proves Powerful in Avoiding Counterfeit Products

11/17/2009

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KIEV, Ukraine, Nov. 17 /- Fraud and counterfeiting of a wide range of valuable goods, including designer fashions, precious gems, antiques and fine art, has emerged as a multi-billion dollar epidemic costing buyers and sellers around the world. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that seven percent of world trade is in counterfeit goods. However, an excitin... [Comments]

New study finds MRSA on the rise in hospital outpatients

11/23/2009

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Washington, D.C. The community-associated strain of the deadly superbug MRSAan infection-causing bacteria resistant to most common antibioticsposes a far greater health threat than previously known and is making its way into hospitals, according to a study in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases . The new threat is easily picked up in fitness centers, schools, and other pu... [Comments]