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News | Archive (December 2010)
New research shows virus previously linked to chronic fatigue syndrome is a lab contaminant
— 20 Dec 2010 | HealthA virus previously thought to be associated with chronic fatigue syndrome is not the cause of the disease, a detailed study has shown. The research shows that cell samples used in previous research were contaminated with the virus identified as XMRV and that XMRV is present in the mouse genome…
Without intervention, Mariana crow to become extinct in 75 years
— 20 Dec 2010 | BiologyResearchers from the University of Washington say the Mariana crow, a forest crow living on Rota Island in the western Pacific Ocean, will go extinct in 75 years…
Despite damage, membrane protein structure can be seen using new X-ray technology
— 20 Dec 2010 | BiologyAustralian researchers have identified a way to measure the structure of membrane proteins despite being damaged when using X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs), a discovery that will help fast track the development of targeted drugs using emerging XFELs technology…
Scientists take plasmon lasers out of deep freeze
— 20 Dec 2010 | TechnologyResearchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a new technique that allows plasmon lasers to operate at room temperature, overcoming a major barrier to practical utilisation of the technology…
The genetic basis of brain diseases
— 19 Dec 2010 | HealthIn research published today, scientists have studied human brain samples to isolate a set of proteins that accounts for over 130 brain diseases. The paper also shows an intriguing link between diseases and the evolution of the human brain…
Scientists decipher 3 billion-year-old genomic fossils
— 19 Dec 2010 | Geology and palaeontologyAbout 580 million years ago, life on Earth began a rapid period of change called the Cambrian Explosion, a period defined by the birth of new life forms over many millions of years that ultimately helped bring about the modern diversity of animals. Fossils help palaeontologists chronicle the evolution of life since then, but drawing a picture of life during the 3 billion years that preceded the Cambrian Period is challenging, because the soft-bodied Precambrian cells rarely left fossil imprints. However, those early life forms did leave behind one abundant microscopic fossil: DNA…
CSHL study finds that 2 non-coding RNAs trigger formation of a nuclear subcompartment
— 19 Dec 2010 | BiologyThe nucleus of a cell, which houses the cell's DNA, is also home to many structures that are not bound by a membrane but nevertheless exist as distinct compartments. A team of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists has discovered that the formation of one of these nuclear subcompartments, called paraspeckles, is triggered by a pair of RNA molecules, which also maintain its structural integrity…
A lunar eclipse at sunrise
— 19 Dec 2010 | AstronomyPeople in the UK will have the chance to see a total eclipse of the Moon at sunrise on the morning of 21 December, the date of the winter solstice. Unusually, for British observers this eclipse includes a brief period when both the Sun and eclipsed Moon are above the horizon and precisely opposite each other in the sky…
Why humans are more sensitive to certain viruses: Primate immune system differences identified
— 18 Dec 2010 | HealthThe greater susceptibility of humans to certain infectious diseases when compared to other primates could be explained by species-specific changes in immune signalling pathways, a University of Chicago study finds. The first genome-wide, functional comparison of genes regulated by the innate immune system in three primate species discovers potential mediators of differences in disease susceptibility among primates. These findings are published on December 16 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics…
NASA's LRO creating unprecedented topographic map of moon
— 18 Dec 2010 | AstronomyNASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is allowing researchers to create the most precise and complete map to date of the moon's complex, heavily cratered landscape…
Air-filled bones helped prehistoric reptiles take first flight
Diamond-like films on board NASA satellite