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Yale University awarded $36 million ARRA funds for over 100 research projects

Faculty at Yale University have been awarded over 100 research grants totaling $36 million since February 2009, when the federal stimulus package was signed into law. Known as the American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009 (ARRA), the law aims to reinvigorate the economy and lay the foundation for long-term economic recovery by increasing investments in infrastructure, education, the environment and scientific research.

3 Sep 2009

T cells influence aggressive immune cells by regulating the chemical environment between cells

University of Michigan scientists say they have uncovered a fundamentally new mechanism that holds in check aggressive immune cells that can attack the body's own cells. The findings open a new avenue of research for future therapies for conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases to organ transplants to cancer.

2 Sep 2009

New ARRA-funded research on white blood cell functioning

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has provided funding for new research to learn more about how white blood cells work. Jonathan Reichner, PhD, of the department of surgery at Rhode Island Hospital has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health with funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Reichner's hope is that the research will lead to new immune-enhancing therapies, with potential implications for improvements in both cancer treatment and controlling inflammation accompanying injury and infection.

2 Sep 2009

University of California's entomology professors selected as fellows of ESA

Brian A. Federici and Alexander S. Raikhel, distinguished professors of entomology at the University of California, Riverside, have been selected as fellows of the Entomological Society of America (ESA).

29 Aug 2009

Two human biomarker assays that play a key role in the early detection of kidney damage provide assistance in drug development

Geneuity Clinical Research Services announces the recent validation and use in clinical trials of two human biomarker assays that play a key role in the early detection of kidney damage.

29 Aug 2009

Enzymes could be targeted to kill dangerous pathogens

Researchers at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and University of Maryland have demonstrated that an enzyme that is essential to many bacteria can be targeted to kill dangerous pathogens.

28 Aug 2009

Rutgers University Professor receives $3.5 million MERIT Award from NIH

Rutgers University Professor Dipak Sarkar has received a $3.5 million MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue researching the damaging effects of alcohol on the nervous systems of the unborn.

27 Aug 2009

Waters exhibits the SYNAPT G2 system at the 18th International Mass Spectrometry Conference in Europe

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today exhibited for the first time in Europe the Waters((R)) SYNAPT(TM) G2 a system offering scientists greater power, versatility and speed at the 18(th) International Mass Spectrometry Conference (IMSC). Rounding out its display of mass spectrometry (MS) and UltraPerformance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC((R)))/MS systems at IMSC will be Waters Xevo(TM) family of tandem quadrupole and time-of-flight mass spectrometers noted for their ease-of-use and versatility.

27 Aug 2009

$201,339 grant offered to a professor for developing a database on enzyme functions

Since the advent of the Human Genome Project an explosion of data has sent the science world scrambling. There is a growing demand to fine-tune genomic codes, which list the "ingredients for life," but do not adequately explain how those ingredients function. A Rutgers University-Camden biochemist is addressing this knowledge gap through the creation of a database for quick "background checks" on all known enzyme functions. Thanks to a National Institute of Health grant, Peter Palenchar, an assistant professor of chemistry at Rutgers-Camden, will categorize decades-worth of scholarship on enzymes into a database, beginning with those that bind to molecules that contain adenosine.

27 Aug 2009

Herbalscience research throws light on causes of allergic rhinitis

Most people might think of nettle as simply a common and aggressive weed that can sting and cause skin irritation. But nettle has also been used for hundreds of years to treat seasonal allergies and other inflammatory diseases, although the precise nature of its anti-inflammatory effect was unknown. Now, scientists with HerbalScience have identified specific bioactives in nettle leaf extracts that inhibit in vitro receptors and enzymes known to be key in generating symptoms of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.

26 Aug 2009

Kinase inhibitors can arrest growth of cancer cells at early stages

Scientists have discovered a way of allowing healthy cells to take charge of cancerous cells and stop them developing into tumours in what could provide a new approach to treating early-stage cancers.

From The University of Manchester 26 Aug 2009

University of Manchester researchers discover kinase inhibitors for treating early-stage cancers

University of Manchester researchers found that a special type of the chemicals known as 'kinase inhibitors' opened up communication channels on the surface of cells that enabled healthy cells to 'talk' to the cancer cells.

From The University of Manchester 25 Aug 2009

Genome BC's research projects to determine efficient methods of liberating fermentable sugars from dead pine

In order to reduce the Province's greenhouse gas emissions, the BC Bioenergy Strategy is calling for greatly increased production of renewable biofuels such as ethanol, from biomass grown in BC. Two new research projects, largely funded by Genome BC, will help to answer these questions and unlock the valuable green energy found within BC's forests.

25 Aug 2009

New research results reveal that two Parkinson genes can maintain the mitochondrial functions

Parkinson's disease is caused by the degeneration of neurons in the midbrain. The mechanisms leading to the loss of these neurons, however, are largely unknown. Recent research revealed that about ten per cent of cases are caused by defects in so-called Parkinson-associated genes. Furthermore, mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses, seem to play a major role. New results from researchers at the LMU Munich under the lead of associate professor Dr. Konstanze Winklhofer and Professor Christian Haass connect both phenomena, showing that two Parkinson genes maintain the function of mitochondria.

24 Aug 2009

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame scholarship award announced for 2009

Four 18-year olds with stellar high school careers are heading off to university with some extra change in their pockets. The students have been named the 2009 recipients of The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame / Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life Scholarship Award.

24 Aug 2009

Study reveals that treating Alzheimer's disease with DHA and EPA slows down its progression

Scientists have identified the inflammatory process as the common soil in a diverse range of chronic degenerative diseases. The news, recently reported in the LA Times article, discusses how foods like cherries may help rheumatoid arthritis or avoidance of gluten may fight off psoriasis.

24 Aug 2009

Two key circuits for controlling the cell's ability identified by UCSF researchers

UCSF researchers have identified the two key circuits that control a cell's ability to adapt to changes in its environment, a finding that could have applications ranging from diabetes and autoimmune research to targeted drug development for complex diseases.

24 Aug 2009

Primary cilia can suppress or promote skin cancer

Tiny, solitary spikes that stick out of nearly every cell in the body play a central role in a type of skin cancer, new research has found. The discovery in mice shows that the microscopic structures known as primary cilia can either suppress or promote this skin cancer, depending on the mutation triggering the disease.

24 Aug 2009

Study shows young musk oxen are not vulnerable to cold weather conditions

A new study finds that young muskoxen conserve heat almost as well as adults, a finding that runs contrary to a longstanding assumption among scientists that young animals should be more vulnerable in extreme cold. The study, by biologist Adam Munn from the University of Sydney, Australia, will be published in the forthcoming issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.

21 Aug 2009

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

The development of new antiviral drugs has had a tremendous impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of HIV-positive and AIDS patients, as the drugs effectively disrupt the replication cycle of the HIV virus. Yet the regular use of those drugs - such as zidovudine (also known as azidothymidine or AZT), protease inhibitors, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involving multidrug therapies - has led to resistant HIV strains.

20 Aug 2009

Biochemistry News and Research

Yale University awarded $36 million ARRA funds for over 100 research projects

T cells influence aggressive immune cells by regulating the chemical environment between cells

New ARRA-funded research on white blood cell functioning

University of California's entomology professors selected as fellows of ESA

Two human biomarker assays that play a key role in the early detection of kidney damage provide assistance in drug development

Enzymes could be targeted to kill dangerous pathogens

Rutgers University Professor receives $3.5 million MERIT Award from NIH

Waters exhibits the SYNAPT G2 system at the 18th International Mass Spectrometry Conference in Europe

$201,339 grant offered to a professor for developing a database on enzyme functions

Herbalscience research throws light on causes of allergic rhinitis

Kinase inhibitors can arrest growth of cancer cells at early stages

University of Manchester researchers discover kinase inhibitors for treating early-stage cancers

Genome BC's research projects to determine efficient methods of liberating fermentable sugars from dead pine

New research results reveal that two Parkinson genes can maintain the mitochondrial functions

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame scholarship award announced for 2009

Study reveals that treating Alzheimer's disease with DHA and EPA slows down its progression

Two key circuits for controlling the cell's ability identified by UCSF researchers

Primary cilia can suppress or promote skin cancer

Study shows young musk oxen are not vulnerable to cold weather conditions

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

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