Genes News and Research

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Scientists gain insight into how brains process memory and sense of orientation

How do our brains process memory and sense of orientation? Scientists are gaining insight by studying rats with implanted genes that prompt neurons to fire on command.

24 Jun 2011

Bodies resist weight loss efforts when food intake is reduced drastically

If you've been trying to lose weight and suspect your body's working against you, you may be right, according to a University of Illinois study published in Obesity.

24 Jun 2011

Epilepsy may arise from complex mixture of altered ion channels

Imagine two flat screen televisions tuned to the same channel and sitting side-by-side. From a distance, their pictures are virtually the same, however up close, you can see subtle variations in the pixels - one blurred here, another dropped out there.

24 Jun 2011

Maize-derived collagen has proline hydroxylation levels similar to human collagen

Synthetic collagen has a wide range of applications in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery and in the food industry. For proper function in animals a certain number of prolines within the protein need to be hydroxylated. BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Biotechnology reports that for the first time the α1 chain of type 1 collagen has been produced in maize with similar levels of proline hydroxylation to human collagen.

24 Jun 2011

Stresses can change gene expression without DNA sequence change

None of us are strangers to stress of various kinds. It turns out the effects of all those stresses can change the fate of future generation, influencing our very DNA without any change to the underlying sequence of As, Gs, Ts and Cs. Now, researchers reporting in the June 24th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, have new evidence that helps to explain just how these epigenetic changes really happen.

24 Jun 2011

RIKEN researchers reveal mechanism for stress-induced epigenetic change

Researchers at RIKEN have uncovered a mechanism by which the effects of stress in the fly species Drosophila are inherited epigenetically over many generations through changes to the structure of chromatin, the material that makes up the cell nucleus.

24 Jun 2011

Growth-braking tumor-suppressor gene slows growth of childhood brain tumors

Johns Hopkins researchers have found a likely explanation for the slow growth of the most common childhood brain tumor, pilocytic astrocytoma. Using tests on a new cell-based model of the tumor, they concluded that the initial process of tumor formation switches on a growth-braking tumor-suppressor gene, in a process similar to that seen in skin moles.

24 Jun 2011

CBMi creates iPad app for exploring human genomic information

Navigating the human genome with software that you can view on an iPad® sounds pretty impressive, until perhaps you reflect that nature has already encoded trillions of copies of this in your chromosomes. Then again, printing that data using ink and paper would produce a mind-staggering pile of pages—so viewing it on an iPad® may be impressive after all.

24 Jun 2011

Majority of cancers are due to epigenetic influences

Dr. Ajay Goel, Ph.D., Director of Epigenetics and Cancer Prevention at the Gastrointestinal Research Center at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX, has announced plans for a series of upcoming studies to continue to unlock the mechanisms by which curcumin prevents cancer via its influence on epigenetic activity.

23 Jun 2011

GAD vaccine DIAPREV-IT study in high-risk children continues as planned

Despite the disappointing results in trying to treat children suffering from type 1 diabetes with the GAD vaccine, the treatment has not been written off entirely. DIAPREV-IT, the study in which healthy high-risk children are vaccinated, is continuing as planned, and now with more money behind it. "I am still hopeful that the GAD vaccine will work", says Helena Elding Larsson.

23 Jun 2011

New proteomics-based approach to analyze bone quality

A new technique developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute allows researchers to collect large amounts of biochemical information from nanoscale bone samples.

23 Jun 2011

Veredus Labs develops ‘Lab-on-Chip’ to detect and differentiate several food-borne pathogens, including Escherichia coli

Veredus Laboratories, a leading provider of molecular detection tests, and its technology partner, STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), today announced the successful development and deployment of VereFoodborne™, a Lab-on-Chip application that is able to detect 10 to 12 food-borne pathogens in one test, including the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) responsible for the recent severe food poisoning outbreak in Europe.

23 Jun 2011

Veredus Lab-on-Chip application can diagnose and differentiate food-borne pathogens

Veredus Laboratories, a leading provider of molecular detection tests, and its technology partner, STMicroelectronics, today announced the successful development and deployment of VereFoodborne, a Lab-on-Chip application that is able to detect 10 to 12 food-borne pathogens in one test, including the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli responsible for the recent severe food poisoning outbreak in Europe.

23 Jun 2011

Experts to focus on Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome at New York Academy of Sciences conference

On June 28-30, 2011, the New York Academy of Sciences will bring together scientists and clinicians from a wide range of subspecialties, in addition to patients and caregivers, to discuss the most important recent advances in our understanding of the clinical features, management, and treatment of Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS)-a rare disorder involving multiple organ systems and affecting children and young adults.

23 Jun 2011

Nine young clinical investigators earn recognition from Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators at its spring 2011 Clinical Investigator Award Committee review.

22 Jun 2011

Genetic mutation linked to peripartum cardiomyopathy during pregnancy

Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City have identified the first genetic mutation ever associated with a mysterious and potentially devastating form of heart disease that affects women in the final weeks of pregnancy or the first few months after delivery.

22 Jun 2011

Blueberry compounds might aid in building strong bones

Compounds in blueberries might turn out to have a powerful effect on formation of strong, healthy bones, if results from studies with laboratory rats turn out to hold true for humans.

22 Jun 2011

AusBiotech supports ‘Raising the Bar’

AusBiotech welcomes a legislative Bill that has been introduced into the Australian Parliament today - The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Bill 2011.

21 Jun 2011

Research provides important insight into 'systemizing' theory of autism

A new study from Cambridge University has for the first time found that autism diagnoses are more common in an IT-rich region.

21 Jun 2011

Meditation increases concentration and decreases stress

The nation's current healthcare crisis has added a new dimension to the old saying, "Prevention is the best medicine." With rising co-pays, high deductibles, confusion over coverage, and prescription drug headaches, healthcare consumers recognize that getting sick is more complicated than ever.

20 Jun 2011