Biology News

“There are apparently two distinct pathotypes of EHV-1 out there, and one is more likely than the other to cause the neurological disease. This study provides the ultimate proof”

Green areas show hundreds of cells infected with EHV-1. Cornell microbiologists have discovered that a change in just one amino acid in the equine herpes virus can mean the difference between triggering a cold ... via Horsetalk

“The new guidelines modify the spirometry cut points used to assign the severity of an asthma exacerbation, or flare-up”

Highlights of the 2007 asthma guidelines from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's National Asthma Education and Prevention Program were presented during the ACAAI Annual Meeting in an effort not only ... via Newswise

“If the local injected drug is not known to leave the action site, and therefore does not contribute to systemic side effects, then why does it matter if someone is on TNF blockers already?”

Recent tests run by University of Chicago scientists point to the innocence of Targeted Genetics' gene therapy for inflammatory arthritis in last summer's death of an Illinois woman in a clinical trial, one of ... via Seattle Times

New developments in genetics are advancing medicine, but some scientists and advocates fear they could be misinterpreted as support for racist theories. via The Post Chronicle

“This is the first time that we have direct evidence that by actively giving IL-27 like a drug, we can suppress EAE in mice.”

An immune system messenger molecule that normally helps quiet inflammation could be an effective tool against multiple sclerosis . via EurekAlert!

“But if the scheme catches large numbers of students indiscriminately it could put people off coming to this country.”

Britain has introduced a new security vetting scheme for all non-European Union students, including from India, who want to study in universities here in specialised areas such as mathematics, biochemistry, ... via India eNews

“It is very important to note that babies with heart disease have the potential for ongoing brain development and even recovery if there is injury”

Brain development is delayed in babies born with certain heart defects, new research shows. via Health Resources

“If you cannot control the poaching, then why penalise the very people who could benefit quite legally?”

The debate on the future of the perlemoen industry does not adequately reflect that this popular marine species is in crisis and is facing imminent extinction, a coalition of leading local environmental groups ... via Daily News

“Although these results are preliminary, they encourage new ways to make the immune system potentially target HIV infected cells”

Researchers have identified a potential new way of fighting against HIV infection that relies on the remnants of ancient viruses, human endogenous retroviruses, which have become part of the genome of every ... via EurekAlert!

“Pasteurisation is there as a safety net to kill off any bugs in milk”

Thick cream that has risen to the top of a jar of fresh raw milk Prince Charles has been a fan for years. via The Independent

“The two pathotypes replicate to similar levels in the horse's nose and spread to other horses with similar efficiency, so interventions should be equally rigorous for all infections”

Sometimes, a small change can make a big difference. Such is the case with the horse herpes virus: A change in just one amino acid can make all the difference between triggering a cold or a life-threatening ... via MediLexicon

A wildlife biologist at Grand Canyon National Park most likely died from the plague contracted while performing a necropsy on a mountain lion that later tested positive for the disease, officials said Friday. via TheBostonChannel

“In practical terms, this means that a new world of discovery is opening to scientists interested in studying the genomes of large groups of people on a comparative basis which is a prime basis for our insights about gene mutations that cause disease”

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have developed a new means of extracting and interpreting data from the human genome that is more powerful and more economical than methods currently employed. via MediLexicon

Australian biologists have determined ancient birds acted more like turkeys than common cuckoos, primarily remaining on the ground rather than in trees. via The Post Chronicle

“By rearranging the investment of nitrogen, we could almost double efficiency”

The researchers accomplished the feat using a computer model that mimics the process of evolution. via Science Daily

“You can let the genome tell you what processes have experienced adaptive evolution”

New work on fruit fly genomics suggests new ways to look at the much larger human genome, and gives insights into the role of adaptation in evolution. via EurekAlert!

Their findings, reported online today in Science Express, could have implications for the future treatment of obesity as well as adult onset diabetes. via Science Daily

“So it may not matter how hard we hit it.”

Canadian and U.S. scientists have identified a potential new "Trojan Horse" method for creating a vaccine against AIDS, even as repeated efforts by researchers to prevent HIV infection using traditional ... via Canadian Online Health News

A research project conducted by the University of Granada followed the activity of farm grounds due to the increasing presence of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate , a chemical compound whose active ingredient ... via Huliq.com

“As species become more distantly related, the number of differences in the mtDNA sequences gets larger. So mtDNA is a powerful, precise way to track ancestry.”

Brown University biologist David Rand and members of his lab have made a major contribution to a groundbreaking genome sequencing project -- single-handedly assembling the mitochondrial DNA sequences of seven ... via MediLexicon