Biochemistry News and Research

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Non-coding RNAs linked to cancer and cancer survival

Several scientists, including one at Simon Fraser University, have made a discovery that strongly links a little understood molecule, which is similar to DNA, to cancer and cancer survival.

21 Feb 2014

New DNA Quantification kits may help scientists to quickly assess highly compromised human DNA

Forensic scientists can now more quickly assess the quantity and quality of human DNA in highly compromised and degraded casework samples and provide the critical information needed to drive informed decisions on subsequent steps in the analysis process, thanks to two new Life Technologies quantification solutions announced today by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

21 Feb 2014

Ten researchers receive 2014 Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes

This year's recipients of the most important prize for early career researchers in Germany have been announced. The selection committee, appointed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has chosen ten researchers, three women and seven men, to receive the 2014 Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes.

20 Feb 2014

Deficiency in SNX27 explains learning impairment in Down's syndrome

Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have identified the precise role of the protein, SNX27, in the pathway leading to memory and learning impairment.

20 Feb 2014

Tel Aviv University researchers win two prestigious melanoma research awards from MRA

Tel Aviv University researchers won two out of three prestigious melanoma research awards granted this year by The Melanoma Research Alliance and The Saban Family Foundation. The Team Science Awards are the centerpiece of the MRA research fund, which seeks to promote transformational melanoma research for swift clinical implementation.

18 Feb 2014

Two new mechanisms open alternative approaches to antibiotics development

The first mechanism disrupts the arrangement of amino acids required for the cohesion of the protease subunits. As a result the protease breaks into two parts. The second acts directly on the core of the active center.

14 Feb 2014

Researchers reveal how genome-editing tool works as 'guided missile' to correct errors in genetic code

Researchers from the Broad Institute and MIT have teamed up with colleagues from the University of Tokyo to form the first high definition picture of the Cas9 complex - a key part of the CRISPR-Cas system used by scientists as a genome-editing tool to silence genes and probe the biology of cells. Their findings, which are reported this week in Cell, are expected to help researchers refine and further engineer the tool to accelerate genomic research and bring the technology closer to use in the treatment of human genetic disease.

13 Feb 2014

UMMS launches Voyager Therapeutics to develop life-changing treatments for fatal diseases

UMass Medical School (UMMS) recognizes the launch today of Voyager Therapeutics, a gene therapy company founded by four world leaders in the fields of AAV gene therapy, RNA biology and neuroscience, to develop life-changing treatments for fatal and debilitating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS).

13 Feb 2014

Researchers discover highly accurate, noninvasive test to identify benign pancreatic cysts

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered a highly accurate, noninvasive test to identify benign pancreatic cysts, which could spare patients years of nerve-racking trips to the doctor or potentially dangerous surgery.

12 Feb 2014

EMT program in human cells may provide an effective approach for treating triple-negative breast cancer

A new study led by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researcher Peter Zhou shows that targeting Twist, a nuclear protein that is an accelerant of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in human cells, may provide an effective approach for treating triple-negative breast cancer.

12 Feb 2014

Mayo Clinic researchers shed light on new mechanism by which prostate cancer develops in men

Mayo Clinic researchers have shed light on a new mechanism by which prostate cancer develops in men. Central to development of nearly all prostate cancer cases are malfunctions in the androgen receptor - the cellular component that binds to male hormones.

11 Feb 2014

Researchers identify protein that regulates how genetic information transcribed from DNA to mRNA

Molecular biologists from Indiana University are part of a team that has identified a protein that regulates the information present in a large number of messenger ribonucleic acid molecules that are important for carrying genetic information from DNA to protein synthesis.

7 Feb 2014

Researchers design new vaccine for human-infecting respiratory syncytial virus

Vaccines are the safest, cheapest and most effective way to protect against infectious diseases. But to make a good one is still a challenge, and traditional approaches are now stretched to the limit while fatal diseases, like HIV and malaria, remain without vaccine.

6 Feb 2014

Psoriasis registry: an interview with Dr. Andrew D. Robertson, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, National Psoriasis Foundation

Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the US, affecting 2 to 3% of all Americans. What causes psoriasis in any one individual will stem from a mixture of their genetic background and their environment.

4 Feb 2014

Researchers discover new signaling pathway that could impact treatment of autoinflammatory diseases

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Cancer Center have discovered a new signaling pathway in sterile inflammation that could impact the treatment of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

4 Feb 2014

Protein study opens new avenue for cancer researchers

One of the hopes for victory against cancer hinges on naturally-occurring proteins whose job is to make their host cell die. Since their natural role is to stop unhealthy cell proliferation, the idea is that one or more of these proteins could be harnessed to stop the growth of tumors.

3 Feb 2014

New noninvasive chemical probe detects common species of staph bacteria in the body

Chances are you won't know you've got a staph infection until the test results come in, days after the symptoms first appear. But what if your physician could identify the infection much more quickly and without having to take a biopsy and ship it off for analysis?

From Integrated DNA Technologies 3 Feb 2014

Vitamin A may help keep immune system under control for autoimmune and transplant patients

The same form of Vitamin A used by teenagers to combat acne might offer benefits that are more than skin deep. That's because an international team of researchers have found that it may also help keep the immune system under control for people with autoimmune disorders or those who have received transplants.

31 Jan 2014

Neuroscientist, researchers receive Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

The Vilcek Foundation is pleased to name Thomas M. Jessell as the winner of the 2014 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science. Awarded annually, the Vilcek Prizes honor the contributions of immigrants to the American arts and sciences, and include $100,000 cash awards.

30 Jan 2014

Researchers use natural DNA molecules to build DNA nanoarchitectures

A Rutgers-Camden scholar is performing research as part of a collaborative effort with Arizona State University to make significant advancements in nanotechnology.