Microscopy News and Research

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Clostridium botulinum exposed

A discovery by Institute of Food Research (IFR) scientists is set to improve the food industry’s ability to predict foodborne botulism.

28 Sep 2005

Pulsing heart cell provides clues into how heart disease develops

A pulsing heart cell is giving Oregon Health & Science University researchers insight into how it sends and receives signals, and that's providing clues into how heart disease and other disorders develop.

27 Sep 2005

Discovery of molecule that causes transverse myelitis

Hopkins researchers have discovered a single molecule that is a cause of an autoimmune disease in the central nervous system, called transverse myelitis (TM), that is related to multiple sclerosis.

26 Sep 2005

Researchers gain insights into how malaria pathogen destroys the cells in which it resides

By specially tagging the outer and inner membranes of red blood cells infected with the malaria parasite and tracking the cellular changes that precede the cell bursting event that disperses parasites to other blood cells, a group of researchers has deepened our understanding of how the malaria pathogen destroys the cells in which it resides.

26 Sep 2005

Chronically high levels of insulin may block specific hormones that trigger energy release into the body

Their findings, which may point to new approaches to developing improved treatment options for the disease, are published in the journal Nature.

26 Sep 2005

Extreme gene pin-pointed

One teenager likes to snowboard off a cliff. Another prefers to read a book and wouldn't think of trading places. Why these differences exist is a mystery, but for the first time researchers have identified a possible genetic explanation behind risk-seeking behavior.

26 Sep 2005

New way to create a permanent chemical bond between antibiotics and titanium

Infections associated with inserting a medical device can be devastating, painful, and cause prolonged disability, costing tens of thousands of dollars.

26 Sep 2005

Dilute bleach neutralizes the mold allergens that cause most mold-related health complaints

Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center have demonstrated that dilute bleach not only kills common household mold, but may also neutralize the mold allergens that cause most mold-related health complaints.

22 Sep 2005

Study clarifies insulin's role in blocking release of energy in patients with type II diabetes

Chronically high levels of insulin, as is found in many people with obesity and Type II diabetes, may block specific hormones that trigger energy release into the body, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

22 Sep 2005

O-GlcNAc sugar is a critical regulator of cells' natural life cycle

The discovery reveals that, when disturbed, this process could contribute to cancer or other diseases by failing to properly control the steps and timing of cell division, the researchers say. The findings are described in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, available online now.

20 Sep 2005

Researchers determine the sequence in which the malaria parasite disperses from the red blood cells it infects

Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have determined the sequence in which the malaria parasite disperses from the red blood cells it infects. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is one of the Institutes comprising the National Institutes of Health.

19 Sep 2005

Sperm testing in UK labs fails to meet World Health Organization standards

Teams from the Universities of Bristol and Sheffield found only five per cent of the clinics met all WHO standards for assessing the size and shape of sperm.

30 Aug 2005

New way to "image" the internal chemistry of bacteria

As part of the search for better ways to track and clean up soil contaminants, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have developed a new way to "image" the internal chemistry of bacteria.

29 Aug 2005

Pigment explains why red heads are more at risk of skin cancer

A team of scientists have discovered that tiny chemical differences in how our skin reacts to ultraviolet light could explain why red heads are more likely to suffer skin cancer.

29 Aug 2005

Using muscle tissue from tarantulas scientists discover how muscles relax

Using muscle tissue from tarantulas, an HHMI international research scholar and his colleagues have figured out the detailed structure and arrangement of the miniature molecular motors that control movement.

24 Aug 2005

Immune system more concerned with damage detected than foreign invaders, such as viruses

A well-respected researcher who is now a chief of an immunology laboratory of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has rocked the boat in the past few years for the experts in the understanding of the autoimmune system.

15 Aug 2005

How negatively charged lipids stick to negatively charged DNA and self-organize into structures

Scientists studying the structure and interaction of negatively charged lipids and DNA molecules have created a "cookbook" for a class of nontoxic DNA delivery systems that will assist doctors and clinicians in the safe and effective delivery of genetic medicine.

13 Aug 2005

New prostate cancer test could save thousands from unnecessary surgery

Doctors at present lack a test that can distinguish fast-developing tumours that need urgent attention from slow-growing ones that are not a threat and need only watching, and as a result many men have operations that can leave them impotent and incontinent for prostate tumours that would never have killed them.

10 Aug 2005

Open nephron-sparing surgery remains the most desirable for the patients

Urologists often view less-invasive surgery techniques as more desirable for the patient, but in a study of open nephron-sparing surgeries (NSS) from 1985 to 2001 at Mayo Clinic, researchers found that the "gold standard" of open surgery for kidney tumors should remain the first choice for many patients. The study appears online today in The Journal of Urology.

10 Aug 2005

Faster and more objective way to examine the surfaces of fossilized teeth

Using a powerful microscope and computer software, a team of scientists from Johns Hopkins, the University of Arkansas, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and elsewhere has developed a faster and more objective way to examine the surfaces of fossilized teeth, a practice used to figure out the diets of our early ancestors.

10 Aug 2005