News & HighlightsNews
Researchers unearth unusual enzyme lacking genetic code
"Brute force biochemistry" still required to isolate novel proteins Since their fiery beginnings on earth over three billion years ago, bacteria have evolved some unusual strategies for dealing with the problems of life, a kind of odd bag of tricks specialized for survival. The most recent idiosy...
Backstage with a command performer
B cell chromatin study strikes physiological chord Some cells sing with the chorus, while others unwittingly achieve fame on their own. The immune system's B cell is a true diva that spends its early days preparing for the ultimate audition. Its repertoire of possible antibodies to invading micro...
Obesity not a personal failing, says leptin discoverer Jeffrey Friedman, but a battle against biology
Broad-based basic and clinical research program needed to better understand interactions of genes and environment "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean," goes the classic children's nursery rhyme, implying that Jack's trim figure and his wife's portly profile were a conscious c...
Young plant's natural defenses amount to more than just its seed
Chua lab discovers protein that regulates early growth arrest An infant plant sleeps peacefully within its seed, entirely shielded from drought and other harsh conditions that might otherwise threaten its well-being. When the time comes at last to wake up and stretch its budding leaves, the young...
Rockefeller University Names Sir Paul Nurse President
Nobel laureate, British cancer biology researcher elected ninth RU President The Rockefeller University announced today that its Board of Trustees has elected Sir Paul Nurse, Ph.D., as the ninth President of the university. Nurse currently is Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, the world's lar...
Hardworking sodium/ potassium pump fundamentally similar to free-flowing ion channel
Deadly coral toxin exposes ion pump's deepest secret Right now, in your body, tiny pumps in the fatty membranes surrounding all your cells are hard at work pushing select charged ions, such as sodium, potassium or calcium, through those membranes. Like a water pump in a high-rise apartment buildi...
Observing Proteins and Cells in the Wild
"Quantum dots" may allow researchers to track proteins and cells in their natural environments Imagine if molecular and cell biologists could watch proteins and cells at work in their natural habitat in the same way that wildlife biologists observe animals in the wild. They'd sit back and witness...
Search for cholesterol absorption genes narrows to two chromosome regions
Findings with lab mice may lead to novel cholesterol-lowering drugs against heart disease Two people eat the same egg, cheese and ham muffin for breakfast, yet one absorbs significantly more cholesterol into his or her blood than the other. Why? The answer, and all of its implications for combat...
First quantum dots applied to living organism
"The most exciting, and beautiful, scientific images I have ever seen" Quantum dots are nano-sized crystals that exhibit all the colors of the rainbow due to their unique semiconductor qualities. These exquisitely small, human-made beacons have the power to shine their fluorescent light for month...
"Outlaw" organism turns informant
African trypanosome source of scientific insight In a critical scene in the film remake of the classic 1960s TV series "The Fugitive," actor Harrison Ford sheds his coat and replaces it with another. This simple deception allows him to escape detection by the swarm of police officers trailing him...
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