(King's College London) One of the most ambitious large-scale projects in Human Genetics has been launched today: Epitwin will capture the subtle epigenetic signatures that mark the differences between 5,000 twins on a scale and depth never before attempted, providing key therapeutic targets for the development of drug treatments. The project is a collaboration between TwinsUK, a leading twin research group based at King's College London, and BGI, one of the world's largest genomic organizations headquartered in Shenzhen, China. [More]

(National Science Foundation) In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that conditional small RNA molecules can effectively kill lab-grown human brain, prostate and bone cancer cells in a mutation-specific manner. The treatment separates the "diagnosis" and "treatment" aspects of chemotherapy, so a cell is killed if -- and only if -- it is diagnosed with a mutation. [More]

(Rockefeller University Press) Like some people, cells eat when they are under pressure -- but they consume parts of themselves. A multi-function protein helps control this form of cannibalism, according to a study in the Sept. 6 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. [More]

(Rockefeller University Press) A new study in the Sept. 6 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology helps define the role of an important ciliary protein, CEP290. The results could be applied toward targeted gene therapy in cilia-related diseases. [More]

(Society for General Microbiology) Coughing and wheezing patients could someday benefit from quicker, more accurate diagnosis and treatment for respiratory infections such as flu, through a simple blood test, according to scientists. [More]

(Society for General Microbiology) Cockroaches could be more of a health benefit than a health hazard according to scientists from the University of Nottingham, who have discovered powerful antibiotic properties in the brains of cockroaches and locusts. [More]

(Society for General Microbiology) A surface molecule on bacteria that instructs bone cells to die could be the target for new treatments for bone disease, says a scientist speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting today. Blocking the death signal from bacteria could be a way of treating painful bone infections that are resistant to antibiotics, such as those caused by meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. [More]

(Carnegie Institution) By integrating satellite mapping, airborne-laser technology, and ground-based plot surveys, scientists from the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, with colleagues, have revealed the first high-resolution maps of carbon locked up in tropical forest vegetation and emitted by land-use practices. These new maps pave the way for accurate monitoring of carbon storage and emissions for the United Nations initiative on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. [More]

(American College of Physicians) This release includes information about three articles being published in the Sept. 7 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The information is not intended to substitute for articles as sources of information. Annals of Internal Medicine attribution is required for all coverage. [More]

(University of California - San Diego) Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that a gene critical for programmed cell death is also important in the loss of adult stem cells, a finding that could help to improve the health and well-being of patients undergoing cancer treatment. [More]

(University of Leicester) One of the key drivers of human evolution and diversity, accounting for changes that occur between different generations of people, is explained by new research published September 5 by world-renowned scientist Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, who discovered DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester. [More]

(Burness Communications) Against a backdrop of extreme weather wreaking havoc around the world, a new report warns that increasingly erratic rainfall related to climate change will pose a major threat to food security and economic growth, especially in Africa and Asia, requiring increased investment in diverse forms of water storage as an effective remedy. [More]

(University of Toronto) Widespread reports of a decline in the population of bees and other flower-visiting animals have aroused fear and speculation that pollination is also likely on the decline. A recent University of Toronto study provides the first long-term evidence of a downward trend in pollination, while also pointing to climate change as a possible contributor. [More]

(Society for General Microbiology) While we are often exposed to bacteria in our food which could cause food poisoning, we don't always become ill -- why should this be so? Professor Colin Hill who is presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham today describes how bacteria use different tricks to aid their survival inside the body, helping to explain why food poisoning can be so unpredictable. [More]

(Society for General Microbiology) Selfish bacterial cells that act in their own interests and do not cooperate with their infection-causing colleagues can actually reduce the severity of infection. The selfish behaviour of these uncooperative bacteria could be exploited to treat antibiotic-resistant infections, according to research being presented at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting today. [More]

(Society for General Microbiology) Plaque-causing bacteria can jailbreak from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart attack says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham. [More]

(Michigan Technological University) In 1998, Charlie Kerfoot discovered a "doughnut" of phytoplankton circulating in Lake Michigan, helping to feed the lake's famous fishery. Just 12 later, the doughnut is disappearing, and Kerfoot fears that the lake's ecosystem will crash, taking with it much of the fish biomass. [More]

(Marine Biological Laboratory) Scientists propose that an overlooked type of biological catalyst -- metal-ligand complexes -- could have jump-started metabolism and life itself, deep in hydrothermal ocean vents. [More]

(Biophysical Society) The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2011 Society awards. The eight recipients will receive their awards at the Society's 55th Annual Meeting on Monday, March 7, 2011, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Md. [More]

(Biophysical Society) The Biophysical Society is delighted to announce its 2011 Society Fellows. Fellows are chosen based on their demonstrated excellence in science, contributions to the expansion of the field of biophysics, and support of the Biophysical Society. The fellows will be honored at the awards ceremony during the Biophysical Society's 55th Annual Meeting on Monday March 7, 2011, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Md. [More]

(University of Pennsylvania) An international collaboration led by a University of Pennsylvania anthropologist has shown that environmental factors, like temperature and light, play as much of a role in the activity of traditionally nocturnal monkeys as the circadian rhythm that regulates periods of sleep and wakefulness. [More]

(Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) The Sao Paulo Research Foundation presents the Marine Biodiversity Workshop: Recent Improvements in Bioprospection, Biogeography and Phylogeography to be held on September 9 and 10. This scientific meeting is intended to stimulate the formation of research groups involving both Brazilian and foreign scientists towards the development of research on bioprospection, geographic distribution of sea organisms in the Brazilian Coast as well as the search for natural bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical production. [More]

(University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) Analysis of protein fragments released into the bloodstream after a heart attack may reveal who is at risk of heart failure. [More]

(Rice University) Theoretical physicists from Rice University have created a new model that helps define the subatomic origins of ferromagnetism -- the everyday "magnetism" of compass needles and refrigerator magnets. The model, which is detailed in a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was created to explore the inner workings of ferromagnetic compounds that are related to high-temperature superconductors. [More]

(United States Department of Agriculture-Research, Education, and Economics) Afla-Guard, a biological control used to thwart the growth of fungi on peanuts, can be used on corn as well, according to a study by US Department of Agriculture scientists who helped develop it. After extensive study and research trials in Texas, Afla-Guard was registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency for use on corn, beginning with the 2009 crop. [More]