http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Using yeast as a model, a team of Spanish researchers has made predictions about how individuals differ from one another by analysing genome sequences. http://phys.org/news240740746.html Biology Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:50:01 EST news240740746 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have shed new light on Ewing’s sarcoma, an often deadly bone cancer that typically afflicts children and young adults. Their research shows that patients with poor outcomes have tumors with high levels of a protein known as GSTM4, which may suppress the effects of chemotherapy. The research is published online today in the journal Oncogene. http://phys.org/news170683466.html Medicine & Health Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:00:03 EST news170683466 A research team led by Associate Professor Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has developed a sensitive and accurate way of identifying gene copy number variations (CNVs). The method, which is described in a paper published online ahead of print in Genome Research, uses new DNA sequencing technologies to look for regions of the genome that vary in copy number between individuals in the population. Capable of detecting a wide range of different classes of CNVs, large and small, this method allows researchers to extract more genetic information from the complete genome sequence of an individual. http://phys.org/news170342066.html Medicine & Health Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:30:01 EST news170342066 Lichens are the classic example of a symbiotic relationship. Both the fungal and photobiont components of the lichen benefit from the relationship and often are unable to survive without each other. Recent research by Dr. Robert Lücking (The Field Museum, Chicago), Dr. James Lawrey (George Mason University, Virginia) and a team of colleagues from around the world has put a new spin on this relationship. http://phys.org/news170093604.html Biology Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:13:50 EST news170093604 A new study published in Disease Models and Mechanisms, reports new tools for generating specifically targeted genetic mutations in bacteria, mammalian cells and mice. The new recombinase, Dre, is similar to its predecessor, Cre, but targets unique sites within DNA for recombination. It may be used in combination with currently available methods to produce more complex mouse models to understand disease. http://phys.org/news169885035.html Medicine & Health Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:30:01 EST news169885035 A study published in this week's online issue of Nature Biotechnology, demonstrates a unique and highly sensitive method for detecting methylation-associated cancers. http://phys.org/news169650435.html Biology Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:07:55 EST news169650435 In a pioneering effort that generated massive amounts of DNA sequence data from 12 people, a team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has demonstrated the feasibility and value of a new strategy for identifying relatively rare genetic variants that may cause or contribute to disease. The proof-of-concept findings were published online today in the journal Nature. http://phys.org/news169650321.html Medicine & Health Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:06:43 EST news169650321 Better tools for manipulating DNA in the laboratory may soon be possible with newly discovered deoxyribozymes (catalytic DNA) capable of cleaving single-stranded DNA, researchers at the University of Illinois say. http://phys.org/news169649497.html Biology Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:52:05 EST news169649497 Edith Hessel and colleagues, at Dynavax Technologies Corporation, Berkeley, have identified the reason that humans and rodents respond differently to a molecule that is being developed to treat allergic diseases. http://phys.org/news169147890.html Medicine & Health Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:00:05 EST news169147890 Peering into the DNA of tiny yeast, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and the San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have pinpointed a large number of genes that can prevent a type of genetic rearrangement that may lead to cancer and other diseases. http://phys.org/news168786880.html Medicine & Health Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:15:17 EST news168786880 (PhysOrg.com) -- Mary had a little lamb, but only once a year. However, Cornell Sheep Program researchers have discovered an unusual form of a gene that prompts ewes to breed out of season as well as conceive at younger ages and more frequently. http://phys.org/news168774058.html Biology Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:00:01 EST news168774058 (PhysOrg.com) -- A group of nanoengineers, biologists and physicists have used innovative approaches to deduce the internal structure of chromatin, a key player in DNA regulation, to reconcile a longstanding controversy in this field. This new finding could unlock the mystery behind the origin of many diseases such as cancer. http://phys.org/news168270003.html Chemistry Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:40:36 EST news168270003 (PhysOrg.com) -- Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among evolution's "winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among the losers, according to new research by UCLA scientists and colleagues. http://phys.org/news168084703.html Biology Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:12:14 EST news168084703 High-throughput sequencing has turned biologists into voracious genome readers, enabling them to scan millions of DNA letters, or bases, per hour. When revising a genome, however, they struggle, suffering from serious writer's block, exacerbated by outdated cell programming technology. Labs get bogged down with particular DNA sentences, tinkering at times with subsections of a single gene ad nauseam before moving along to the next one. http://phys.org/news167833209.html Biology Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:20:43 EST news167833209 Genetic research indicates that Australian Aborigines initially arrived via south Asia. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology have found telltale mutations in modern-day Indian populations that are exclusively shared by Aborigines. http://phys.org/news167423399.html Biology Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:30:43 EST news167423399 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have discovered that the sea lamprey, which emerged from jawless fish first appearing 500 million years ago, dramatically remodels its genome. Shortly after a fertilized lamprey egg divides into several cells, the growing embryo discards millions of units of its DNA. http://phys.org/news167325215.html Biology Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:14:13 EST news167325215 A single evolutionary event appears to explain the short, curved legs that characterize all of today's dachshunds, corgis, basset hounds and at least 16 other breeds of dogs, a team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, reported today. In addition to what it reveals about short-legged dogs, the unexpected discovery provides new clues about how physical differences may arise within species and suggests new approaches to understanding a form of human dwarfism. http://phys.org/news166974957.html Biology Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:50:12 EST news166974957 Southern Elephant seals responded rapidly to climate and habitat change and established a new breeding site thousands of kilometres from existing breeding grounds, according to new research. http://phys.org/news166425287.html Biology Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:30:01 EST news166425287 Emory researchers are tapping the latest-generation DNA sequencing technology to become the first explorers of the genomics of agricultural ant societies. http://phys.org/news166355602.html Biology Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:53:45 EST news166355602 A team of researchers from DuPont and Lehigh University has reported a breakthrough in the quest to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are suitable for use in electronics, medicine and other applications. http://phys.org/news166279485.html Nanotechnology Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:45:42 EST news166279485 People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. http://phys.org/news165254989.html Biology Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:10:17 EST news165254989 For many years scientists have known that the numerous biological functions of an organism are not regulated solely by the DNA sequence of its genes: Superordinate regulatory mechanisms exist that contribute to determining the fate of genes. Although they are not anchored in the DNA, they can even be passed on to subsequent generations to a certain extent. Intensive research in recent years has shown that these mechanisms - bundled under the term epigenetics, are very multifaceted and complex. http://phys.org/news164376644.html Biology Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:11:00 EST news164376644 Vancouver scientists from the Ovarian Cancer Research (OvCaRe) Program at BC Cancer Agency and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered that there appears to be a single spelling mistake in the genetic code of granulosa cell tumours, a rare and often untreatable form of ovarian cancer. http://phys.org/news163904357.html Medicine & Health Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:00:54 EST news163904357 In this week's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS, Uppsala University scientists describe a new mechanism behind an important process that causes a rapid reduction of DNA in the chromosomes of bacteria. The findings advance our knowledge of how DNA content has been reduced, which is something that has occurred in bacteria that live as parasites inside the cells of other organisms. http://phys.org/news163699985.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:13:28 EST news163699985 The health of our skin -- one of the body's first lines of defense against illness and injury — depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface. To better understand this balance, National Institutes of Health researchers have set out to explore the skin's microbiome, which is all of the DNA, or genomes, of all of the microbes that inhabit human skin. Their initial analysis, published today in the journal Science, reveals that our skin is home to a much wider array of bacteria than previously thought. http://phys.org/news162740258.html Medicine & Health Thu, 28 May 2009 14:38:11 EST news162740258 Corrupt lifestyles and vices go hand in hand; each feeds the other. But even the worst miscreant needs customary societal amenities to get by. It's the same with cancer cells. While they rely on vices in the form of genetic mutations to wreak havoc, they must sustain their activity, and that requires equal parts vice and virtue. http://phys.org/news162736489.html Medicine & Health Thu, 28 May 2009 13:35:25 EST news162736489 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have called it "junk DNA." They have long been perplexed by these extensive strands of genetic material that dominate the genome but seem to lack specific functions. Why would nature force the genome to carry so much excess baggage? http://phys.org/news162043805.html Biology Wed, 20 May 2009 13:10:36 EST news162043805 A new tool will help researchers identify the minute changes in DNA patterns that lead to cancer, Huntington's disease and a host of other genetic disorders. The tool was developed at North Carolina State University and translates DNA sequences into graphic images, which allows researchers to distinguish genetic patterns more quickly and efficiently than was historically possible using computers. http://phys.org/news161935232.html Biology Tue, 19 May 2009 07:01:07 EST news161935232 (PhysOrg.com) -- Through sophisticated statistical analyses and advanced computer simulations, researchers are learning more about the genomic patterns of human population structure around the world. http://phys.org/news161528365.html Medicine & Health Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:01 EST news161528365 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Purdue University have found a way to save time, money and a little frustration in searches for specific genes that shed light on the biological processes associated with all forms of life. http://phys.org/news160763946.html Biology Tue, 05 May 2009 17:50:31 EST news160763946