News tagged with host organisms

Mega beats Mimi for world's biggest virus

A virus found in the sea off Chile is the biggest in the world, harbouring more than 1,000 genes, surprised scientists reported on Monday.

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Oct 10, 2011 | popularity 4 / 5 (9) | comments 1

Bioelectrical signals turn stem cells' progeny cancerous

Biologists at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences have discovered that a change in membrane voltage in newly identified "instructor cells" can cause stem cells' descendants to trigger melanoma-like ...

Medicine & Health / Medical research

created Oct 19, 2010 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Amoeba offers key clue to photosynthetic evolution

(PhysOrg.com) -- The major difference between plant and animal cells is the photosynthetic process, which converts light energy into chemical energy. When light isn't available, energy is generated by breaking ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Feb 27, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Accelerated lab evolution of biomolecules could yield new generation of medicines

Scientists at Harvard University have harnessed the prowess of fast-replicating bacterial viruses, also known as phages, to accelerate the evolution of biomolecules in the laboratory. The work, reported this week in the journal ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Apr 10, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Biologists learn structure, mechanism of powerful 'molecular motor' in virus

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have discovered the atomic structure of a powerful "molecular motor" that packages DNA into the head segment of some viruses during their assembly, an essential step in their ability ...

Biology /

created Dec 24, 2008 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Major breakthrough could lead to new antibiotics for human use

(PhysOrg.com) -- The means to fully understand and exploit a type of fungus that could form the basis of a new class of antibiotics has been developed by researchers at the University of Bristol. With certain ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Oct 14, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Parasites or not? Transposable elements in fruit flies

The problem of parasitism occurs at all levels right down to the DNA scale. Genomes may contain up to 80 percent "foreign" DNA but details of the mechanisms by which this enters the host genome and how hosts attempt to combat ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Feb 03, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Computers aid in cracking deception in plants

If the growing presence of computer 'geeks' on television crime shows is any indicator, computers are increasingly becoming essential tools for detecting and combating skullduggery. However, television detectives ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jun 25, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

The world is not flat: Exploring cells and tissues in three dimensions

The cells and tissues in our bodies grow, develop and interact in a highly complex, three-dimensional world. Likewise, the various microbial pathogens that invade our bodies and cause infectious disease interact ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Oct 19, 2010 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

B chromosomes affect sex determination in cichlid fishes

B chromosomes have a functional effect on sex determination in a species of cichlid fishes from Lake Victoria, according to a study by Japanese researchers to be published in open-access journal PLoS Genetics on August 18th, ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Aug 18, 2011 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0