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. Several periods of field work during 2008 have led to the discovery of a new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice in Costa Rica's high-altitude region "Cerro de la Muerte". The discovery was made thanks to molecular data analysis of mitochondrial DNA. The collected records have also increased the overall knowledge of plant lice (one of the most dangerous agricultural pests worldwide) from the region with more that 20%. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys. http://phys.org/news247748368.html Biology Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:59:37 EST news247748368 Genetic analysis of an outbreak of drug-resistant infections in one institution shows an unprecedented level of transference of resistance among strains and even species of bacteria. Researchers from the University of Virginia and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report their findings in the current issue of the journal mBio. http://phys.org/news244879037.html Biology Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:30:01 EST news244879037 Access to clean water is a necessity often taken for granted. However UNICEF estimates that 900 million people across the world do not have access to safe drinking water. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Biotechnology shows that an enteric virus-binding protein (EVBP), isolated from bacteria found in activated sludge, is able to capture viruses often present in contaminated water. http://phys.org/news243230522.html Biology Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:02:15 EST news243230522 Within the cells, the RNA polymerase (RNAP) protein complex clutches DNA like a crab claw, scanning across gene-coding regions and transcribing these sequences into the messenger RNA molecules that will ultimately provide the blueprint for protein production. http://phys.org/news218461368.html Biology Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:43:12 EST news218461368 Crested gibbons (genus Nomascus) live in dense Asian rainforest, specifically in China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, and, because of their environment, they communicate with other gibbons by singing. Both males and females sing in order to define territory and find a mate, and couples also sing duets to strengthen their pair bonding. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology describes how gibbon song can be used to identify not only which species of Gibbon is singing but the area it is from. http://phys.org/news216279096.html Biology Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:32:27 EST news216279096 Scientists have discovered that molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the energy factories, or mitochondria, in cells, may play a role in a rare inherited disorder in which uncontrolled inflammation damages the body's tissues. Their research in human and mouse cells suggests that blocking these molecules could reduce inflammation in TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and possibly other inflammatory diseases. http://phys.org/news215703435.html Medicine & Health Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:37:58 EST news215703435 The virus that causes AIDS may undergo changes in the genital tract that make HIV-1 in semen different than what it is in the blood, according to a study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://phys.org/news201428736.html Medicine & Health Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:00:04 EST news201428736 Some people find quinine to be bitter while others can drink it like water. Now, scientists from the Monell Center and collaborators report that individual differences in how people experience quinine's bitterness are related to underlying differences in their genes. http://phys.org/news199974763.html Medicine & Health Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:33:48 EST news199974763 More than a thousand microbial genomes have been sequenced at various sequencing centers in the past 15 years to better understand their roles in tasks ranging from bioenergy to health to environmental cleanup. Conservative estimates suggest roughly 10,000 microbial genomes will be publicly available within the next two years, but genomic standards have not caught up with the technological advances that have made the sequencing process faster and cheaper. As a result, the torrent of DNA sequences being released has varying levels of quality, which impacts researchers' ability to use this information. http://phys.org/news194000811.html Biology Tue, 25 May 2010 10:07:16 EST news194000811 In the new issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, Singapore scientists report the surprising discovery that a novel transcription factor, Nr5a2, can replace one of the classical reprogramming factors, Oct 4, to significantly increase the efficiency of reprogramming differentiated stem cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). http://phys.org/news183302858.html Biology Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:27:55 EST news183302858 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new study of mice suggests that stress and trauma in early life can have an impact on the genes and result in behavioral problems later in life. http://phys.org/news177227567.html Medicine & Health Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:30:02 EST news177227567 Protein S, a well-known anticoagulant protein, keeps the blood flowing in more than one way, discovered researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The protein contributes to the formation and function of healthy blood vessels. http://phys.org/news171050977.html Medicine & Health Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:30:01 EST news171050977 A genetic analysis of data from three studies suggests that genetically elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) are associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a study in the June 10 issue of JAMA. http://phys.org/news163823424.html Medicine & Health Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:31:13 EST news163823424 Combating several human pathogens, including some biological warfare agents, may one day become a bit easier thanks to research reported by a University of Iowa chemist and his colleagues in the April 16 issue of the journal Nature. http://phys.org/news159112477.html Biology Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:55:03 EST news159112477