Molecular Biology News and Research

RSS

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.

Mary Ann Liebert to launch BioResearch Open Access in March

BioResearch Open Access, a new bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal, will launch in March 2012 by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

9 Feb 2012

Researchers discover molecules that differentiate early-stage breast tumors from invasive cancer

Researchers have discovered a restricted pattern of molecules that differentiate early-stage breast tumors from invasive, life-threatening cancer. They also found a similar molecular signature that correlated with the aggressiveness of invasive tumors, and with the time to metastasis and overall survival.

8 Feb 2012

Soft drink consumption associated with increased chance of asthma, COPD

A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that a high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

8 Feb 2012

FGF21 hormone causes significant and rapid bone loss in mice

An endocrine hormone used in clinical trials as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetes drug causes significant and rapid bone loss in mice, raising concerns about its safe use, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have shown.

7 Feb 2012

High soft drink consumption associated with asthma and COPD

A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that a high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

7 Feb 2012

Whole-genome sequencing helps trace the path of European E. coli outbreak

Using whole-genome sequencing, a team led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Broad Institute has traced the path of the E. coli outbreak that sickened thousands and killed over 50 people in Germany in summer 2011 and also caused a smaller outbreak in France.

7 Feb 2012

Epilepsy surgery improves QOL and long-term seizure control

While epilepsy surgery is a safe and effective intervention for seizure control, medical therapy remains the more prominent treatment option for those with epilepsy. However, a new 26-year study reveals that following epilepsy surgery, nearly half of participants were free of disabling seizures and 80% reported better quality of life than before surgery.

7 Feb 2012

Certain strains of P. aeruginosa cause WBCs to produce high levels of histamine

Could some cases of asthma actually be caused by an allergic reaction to a common environmental bacteria? New research findings published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that this idea may not be as far-fetched as it seems. In a research report appearing in the February 2012 print issue, researchers show a link between common environmental bacteria and airway inflammation.

1 Feb 2012

ISCB honors CMU professor with Overton Prize

The International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) has awarded its Overton Prize for outstanding accomplishment to Ziv Bar-Joseph, associate professor in Carnegie Mellon University's Lane Center for Computational Biology and Machine Learning Department.

31 Jan 2012

HHMI honors EMBL Monterotondo researcher with International Early Career Scientist award

Rocio Sotillo, a staff scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, is one of 28 outstanding young biomedical scientists who have been honoured with a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Early Career Scientist award this year.

25 Jan 2012

Scientists use metabolomics to discover DMS linked with neuropathic pain

Millions of people worldwide suffer from a type of chronic pain called neuropathic pain, which is triggered by nerve damage. Precisely how this pain persists has been a mystery, and current treatments are largely ineffective. But a team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, using a new approach known as metabolomics, has now discovered a major clue: dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a small-molecule byproduct of cellular membranes in the nervous system.

23 Jan 2012

Researchers create first 3D structure of key cancer protein

Cancer Research UK scientists have created the first 3D structure of a key protein that protects against the development of cancer, according to research published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology today.

22 Jan 2012

IMB announces new International Summer School in the Life Sciences

The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) has announced a new International Summer School (ISS) in the Life Sciences. The ISS will take place from 16th July to 24th August 2012 and will provide outstanding and enthusiastic undergraduate, Master's and PhD students the opportunity to undertake exciting research projects.

21 Jan 2012

Exercise fails to improve glucose metabolism in autophagy-deficient mice

The health benefits of exercise on blood sugar metabolism may come from the body's ability to devour itself, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report in the journal Nature.

21 Jan 2012

Minuscule amounts of ethanol can double C. elegans' life span

Minuscule amounts of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, can more than double the life span of a tiny worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, which is used frequently as a model in aging studies, UCLA biochemists report. The scientists said they find their discovery difficult to explain.

21 Jan 2012

Combination of gefitinib and miRNA-inhibitor might effectively treat NSCLC

New research published in Nature Medicine indicates that targeted drugs such as gefitinib might more effectively treat non-small cell lung cancer if they could be combined with agents that block certain microRNAs.

20 Jan 2012

Inherited mutation links exploding chromosomes to cancer

An inherited mutation in a gene known as the guardian of the genome is likely the link between exploding chromosomes and some particularly aggressive types of cancer, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) and the University Hospital, all in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered.

20 Jan 2012

Elsevier to publish The Ocular Surface that focuses on external eye and vision

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is pleased to announce newly acquiring The Ocular Surface, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on the external eye and vision. As per January 2012 Elsevier will continue the publication of the quarterly journal.

20 Jan 2012

Novel technique accurately maps gene-regulation proteins

A novel technique has been developed and demonstrated at Penn State University to map the proteins that read and regulate chromosomes -- the string-like structures inside cells that carry genes.

19 Jan 2012

LabCorp announces nationwide availability of Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings announced today the nationwide availability of a new FDA cleared risk stratification tool (ROMA, Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm) that combines the results for Fujirebio HE4, Abbott's ARCHITECT CA 125 II, and menopausal status into a numerical score that, along with clinical and radiological evaluation, can aid in evaluating whether a woman over the age of 18 who presents with an ovarian mass and for whom surgery is planned is at high or low likelihood of finding malignancy on surgery.

19 Jan 2012