Molecular Biology News and Research

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Molecular biology is the study of biology at a molecular level. The field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interactions between DNA, RNA and protein biosynthesis as well as learning how these interactions are regulated.

New method for tracing brain circuits

The brain has been mapped to the smallest fold for at least a century, but still no one knows how all the parts talk to each other.

10 Aug 2010

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals reports significant progress in discovery of novel technologies for systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and collaborators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The University of British Columbia (UBC), AlCana Technologies, Inc., and Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, presented results from multiple ongoing research efforts regarding the discovery of novel technologies for the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics.

10 Aug 2010

Cancer Research Technology grants Scancell licence to use 105AD7 human antibody

Scancell Holdings Plc,, the developer of therapeutic cancer vaccines, and Cancer Research Technology Ltd - Cancer Research UK's commercialisation and development arm - today announce that they have signed an agreement under which Scancell has been granted a licence to use a human antibody known as 105AD7.

10 Aug 2010

LabCorp board authorizes new $250 million stock repurchase program

Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new stock repurchase program under which LabCorp may purchase up to an additional aggregate of $250 million of its Common Stock from time-to-time.

10 Aug 2010

New insight into protein transport mechanism can improve chemotherapy treatments

A new study conducted in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Tel Aviv University (TAU) elucidates the way in which toxic, yet essential, copper ions enter human cells. As a chemotherapy drug presumably enters the cells in a similar manner, the results of this study pave the way for the development of improved chemotherapeutic drugs. The groundbreaking work was published in the leading American scientific journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).

10 Aug 2010

Akonni Biosystems receives patent for TruTip Extraction Kits

Akonni Biosystems, a developer of low-cost, multiplex molecular diagnostic testing systems, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on July 20, 2010 for its method for rapidly purifying nucleic acids. U.S. Patent No. 7,759,112 entitled, "Apparatus, system, and method for purifying nucleic acids" protects the Company's use of its pioneering nucleic acid binding matrix when inserted into a pipette tip, tubing or cartridge for nucleic acid purification. The patent is owned by Akonni Biosystems.

6 Aug 2010

Foldit players to focus on designing novel proteins

Computer scientists and biochemists at the University of Washington two years ago launched an ambitious project harnessing the brainpower of computer gamers to solve medical problems. The game, Foldit, turns one of the hardest problems in molecular biology into a game a bit reminiscent of Tetris. Thousands of people have now played a game that asks them to fold a protein rather than stack colored blocks or rescue a princess.

5 Aug 2010

Researchers discover first combined device for probing, detecting DNA

DNA microarrays are one of the most powerful tools in molecular biology today. The devices, which can be used to probe biological samples and detect particular genes or genetic sequences, are employed in everything from forensic analysis to disease detection to drug development.

4 Aug 2010

QCMG selects SGI LiveArc storage solution for cancer genome sequence data processing

SGI, a global leader in HPC and data center solutions, today announced that the Queensland Centre for Medical Genomics at the University of Queensland has selected SGI LiveArc storage solution to increase its ability to store, manage and process human cancer genome sequence data. This project will contribute to mapping the genetic changes that lead to cancer, providing better understanding of such cancers and potentially helping to combat the disease.

4 Aug 2010

Scientists identify IRP proteins to ensure iron balance for cell survival

Most organisms need iron to survive, but too much iron is toxic, and can cause fatal organ failure. The same is true inside cells, where iron balance must also be maintained. In a study published today in Cell Metabolism, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered that a group of proteins named IRPs ensure that this iron balance is kept and as such are essential for cell survival. More specifically, they found that IRPs are required for the functioning of mitochondria, the cell's energy factories.

4 Aug 2010

Sangon Biotech, Bio Basic complete $10 million round of funding from Qiming Ventures

Sangon Biotech, a Shanghai based life science research service company, and Bio Basic Inc. (BBI), a Toronto based life science research service company, announced today the completion of a $10 million round of funding from Qiming Ventures. The company is using the funding to scale research & development, marketing and sales of its life science research tools including biochemical reagents, protein, antibody, research kit, DNA synthesis service, etc. to meet increasing demand.

3 Aug 2010

miRagen Therapeutics develop MicroRNA based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by developing innovative microRNA-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, announced today the publication of data demonstrating the essential role of microRNA-451 (miR-451) in the regulation of erythropoiesis, the process of red blood cell production in the body.

3 Aug 2010

People insensitive to quinine's bitter taste may have varied absorption, metabolization capabilities: Study

Some people find quinine to be bitter while others can drink it like water. Now, scientists from the Monell Center and collaborators report that individual differences in how people experience quinine's bitterness are related to underlying differences in their genes.The findings, published online in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, demonstrate that genetic variation in regions of DNA that encode bitter taste receptors predicts a person's perception of bitterness from quinine.

3 Aug 2010

Research findings could lead to new drugs that reduce severity of blood infections leading to sepsis

Scientists have made an important discovery that could lead to new drugs that reduce the severity of blood infections leading to sepsis. Research presented in the August 2010 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows how interfering with the function of the cell membrane protein called "Programmed Death 1" (PD-1) improves survival in a clinically relevant model of severe infection.

2 Aug 2010

Thymosin beta 4 is essential to healthy heart development, embryonic survival: Research

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that a research team from the Molecular Medicine Unit at UCL-Institute of Child Health in London reported preclinical findings that Thymosin beta 4, is essential to healthy heart development and embryonic survival.

2 Aug 2010

Researchers create artificial RNA inhibitor to block excess blood cells formation

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered a key step in the creation of new red blood cells in an animal study.They found that a tiny fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA), a chemical cousin of DNA, prompts stem cells to mature into red blood cells. The researchers also created an artificial RNA inhibitor to block this process.

2 Aug 2010

Study implicates Fritz's role in human genetic disorders

Mutations in a gene known as "Fritz" may be responsible for causing human genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome, University of Texas at Austin developmental biologist John Wallingford and Duke University human geneticist and cell biologist Nicholas Katsanis have found.

31 Jul 2010

Research establishes bases of possible future pharmaceutical drugs to combat AIDS virus

The doors are closing on the AIDS virus. The scientific community continues to strive to find the formula that will halt the advance of one of the viruses that has sparked most scientific interest over recent years. A study by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient-ficas (CSIC) and led by Mr F-lix Go-i, director of the Biophysics Unit at the CSIC-University of the Basque Country Mixed Centre, has developed a method of attack against the AIDS virus The method involves creating a prevention system, i.e. an 'armour' in the cells that are likely to be infected and thus impede, de facto, the virus from accessing them and starting to act on their immunological system.

31 Jul 2010

QVC organizes special two-hour "designer charity sale" to benefit OCRF

"Charity chic" is back in style this summer as QVC once again joins forces with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund to broadcast QVC Presents Super Saturday Live, benefiting OCRF.

31 Jul 2010

Idaho Technology signs licensing agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours

Idaho Technology, Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company acting through its DuPont Qualicon Business covering reagents or methods using SYBR® Green I technology and post-PCR melting curve analysis.

31 Jul 2010

Molecular Biology News and Research

Further Reading

New method for tracing brain circuits

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals reports significant progress in discovery of novel technologies for systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics

Cancer Research Technology grants Scancell licence to use 105AD7 human antibody

LabCorp board authorizes new $250 million stock repurchase program

New insight into protein transport mechanism can improve chemotherapy treatments

Akonni Biosystems receives patent for TruTip Extraction Kits

Foldit players to focus on designing novel proteins

Researchers discover first combined device for probing, detecting DNA

QCMG selects SGI LiveArc storage solution for cancer genome sequence data processing

Scientists identify IRP proteins to ensure iron balance for cell survival

Sangon Biotech, Bio Basic complete $10 million round of funding from Qiming Ventures

miRagen Therapeutics develop MicroRNA based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease

People insensitive to quinine's bitter taste may have varied absorption, metabolization capabilities: Study

Research findings could lead to new drugs that reduce severity of blood infections leading to sepsis

Thymosin beta 4 is essential to healthy heart development, embryonic survival: Research

Researchers create artificial RNA inhibitor to block excess blood cells formation

Study implicates Fritz's role in human genetic disorders

Research establishes bases of possible future pharmaceutical drugs to combat AIDS virus

QVC organizes special two-hour "designer charity sale" to benefit OCRF

Idaho Technology signs licensing agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours

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