ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Sunday, November 7, 2010
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
'Prima donna' protein doesn't work well in pairs (November 6, 2010) -- Bioengineers have found that the workhorse proteins that move cargo inside living cells behave like prima donnas. These molecular-scale machines called kinesin are two-legged mechanical motor proteins. Using an especially sensitive set of tools, scientists measured the pulling power of kinesin both singly and in pairs. It seems that kinesins don't work well together -- in part because they are so effective on their own. ... > full story
DNA fingerprinting traces global path of plague (November 6, 2010) -- Scientists have traced major plague pandemics such as the Black Death back to their roots using DNA fingerprinting analysis. ... > full story
Luminous cells from jellyfish could diagnose cancers deep within human body (November 6, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a process that uses the luminous cells from jellyfish to diagnose cancer tumors deep within the human body. The researchers have used an altered form of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) so that it shows up as red or blue, rather than its original green. Color is important in disease diagnosis, as most colors in the spectrum are rapidly absorbed, and tumors deep within the body become invisible. ... > full story
To prevent inbreeding, flowering plants have evolved multiple genes, research reveals (November 6, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a large suite of genes in the petunia plant that acts to prevent it from breeding with itself or with its close relatives, and to promote breeding with unrelated individuals. In much the same way that human inbreeding sometimes results in genetic disease and inferior health, some inbred plants also experience decreased fitness, and therefore, have developed mechanisms to ensure that their offspring benefit from hybrid vigor -- the mix that results when genetically distinct members of the same species breed. ... > full story
Potential new virus in switchgrass discovered (November 6, 2010) -- Researchers have confirmed the first report of a potential new virus belonging to the genus Marafivirus in switchgrass, a biomass crop being evaluated for commercial cellulosic ethanol production. ... > full story
New statistical model moves human evolution back three million years (November 5, 2010) -- Evolutionary divergence of humans and chimpanzees likely occurred some 8 million years ago rather than the 5 million year estimate widely accepted by scientists, a new statistical model suggests. ... > full story
New fish feeds made from fish byproducts (November 5, 2010) -- Fish byproducts may be a new source of fish feed. The scientists are taking fish parts that would normally be discarded-head, tail, bone, skin and internal organs-and fashioning them into feeds for shrimp and fish. ... > full story
Hard work improves the taste of food, study shows (November 5, 2010) -- It's commonly accepted that we appreciate something more if we have to work hard to get it, and a new study bears that out, at least when it comes to food. The study seems to suggest that hard work can even enhance our appreciation for fare we might not favor, such as the low-fat, low calorie variety. ... > full story
Insects learn to choose the right mate (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that damselflies learn how to choose the right mate when two species co-exist locally. The choice of mate is not only a matter of genetic and instinctive behavior, as has often been assumed for such small and short-lived creatures. ... > full story
Air pollution exposure increases risk of severe COPD (November 5, 2010) -- Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease. ... > full story
Evolution by religious selection: Mexican cavefish develop resistance to toxin (November 5, 2010) -- A centuries-old religious ceremony of an indigenous people in southern Mexico has led to small evolutionary changes in a local species of fish, according to researchers from Texas A&M University. ... > full story
Fly stem cells on diet: Scientists discovered how stem cells respond to nutrient availability (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have revealed that stem cells can sense a decrease in available nutrients and respond by retaining only a small pool of active stem cells for tissue maintenance. When, or if, favorable conditions return, stem cell numbers multiply to accommodate increased demands on the tissue. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2010 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
|
 To update/change your profile click here  |
