Genetics

Cells Defend Themselves From Viruses, Bacteria With Armor Of Protein Errors

Red Orbit (Free subscription) | 11 hours ago

When cells are confronted with an invading virus or bacteria or exposed to an irritating chemical, they protect themselves by going off their DNA recipe and inserting the wrong amino acid into new proteins to defend them against damage, scientists have discovered.These "regulated errors" comprise a novel non-genetic mechanism by which cells can rapidly make important proteins more resistant...

• When are errors and mistakes good ? Cells defend themselves from viruses, bacteria with an army of protein errors - Smart Economy
• Cells defend themselves from viruses, bacteria with armor of protein errors - Science Daily
• See the 4 articles on the same subject

Cells defend themselves from viruses, bacteria with armor of protein errors

Physorg (Free subscription) | 13 hours ago

When cells are confronted with an invading virus or bacteria or exposed to an irritating chemical, they protect themselves by going off their DNA recipe and inserting the wrong amino acid into new proteins to defend them against damage, scientists have discovered.

Decode's demise sparks privacy fears

New Scientist (Free subscription) | 20 hours ago

A personal genomics firm has gone bust, prompting fears about what will become of customers' genetic and medical data

• Decode's demise sparks privacy fears - New Scientist - Endangered Species
• Decode's demise sparks privacy fears - Science Daily

Opposites attract: Monkeys choose mating partners with different genes

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | yesterday

The world's largest species of monkey "chooses" mates with genes that are different from their own to guarantee healthy and strong offspring, according to a new research study.

Scientists unravel evolution of highly toxic box jellyfish

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | yesterday

With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists and to the public. Yet little has been known about the evolution of this early branch in the animal tree of life. In a paper published today, researchers have unraveled the evolutionary relationships among the various...

Icelandic genomics firm goes bankrupt

British Journal of Pharmacology (Free subscription) | 11/23/2009

deCODE's demise leaves fate of its valuable genetic database unclear.

Ancestry attracts, but love is blind

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | 11/23/2009

People preferentially marry those with similar ancestry, but their decisions are not necessarily based on hair, eye or skin color. Research, published in BioMed Central's open-access journal Genome Biology, shows that Mexicans mate according to proportions of Native-American to European ancestry, while Puerto Ricans are more likely to settle down with someone carrying a similar mix of African and...

Just like old times: Generating RNA molecules in water

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | 11/22/2009

A key question in the origin of biological molecules like RNA and DNA is how they first came together billions of years ago from simple precursors. Now, in a study appearing in this week's JBC, researchers in Italy have reconstructed one of the earliest evolutionary steps yet: generating long chains of RNA from individual subunits using nothing but warm water.

Sweet corn story begins

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | 11/21/2009

This week, scientists are revealing the genetic instructions inside corn, one of the big three cereal crops. Corn, or maize, has one of the most complex sequences of DNA ever analyzed, says University of Wisconsin-Madison genomicist David Schwartz, who was one of more than 100 authors in the article in the journal Science.

Bacterial 'ropes' tie down shifting Southwest

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009

Researchers from Arizona State University have discovered that several species of microbes, at least one found prominently in the deserts of the Southwest, have evolved the trait of rope-building to lasso shifting soil substrates.

NSF awards $7.5M grant to University of Oklahoma for plant genomics

Eurekalert (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009

( University of Oklahoma ) A decade ago, a group of University of Oklahoma researchers were sequencing the first human chromosome as part of the human genome project. Today, the OU Advanced Center for Genome Technology is contributing to an international effort to sequence the tomato genome with a $7.5 million grant awarded by the National Science Foundation for plant genomics.

The Modern Synthesis is Dead - Long Live the Evolving Synthesis!

Evolution List (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009

It has been almost exactly a century and a half since Darwin's Origin of Species was first published, and half a century since the conference at the University of Chicago where the "triumph" of the "modern evolutionary synthesis" was celebrated. So, isn't it a little odd that some well-respected scientists and historians of science are proclaiming in this celebratory year that the...

The Buzz: New Twists on the Double Helix

Page 3.14 (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009

Forget fashion; when it comes to expressing yourself, it's your genes that wear you! On Not Exactly Rocket Science, Ed Yong discusses the explosive evolution of AEM genes in humans and elephants—two long-lived, social animals with "very, very large brains." Big brains need more juice to function, and AEM genes, which govern how mitochondria metabolize food energy, may be a key to evolving...

Are female mountain goats sexually conflicted over size of mate?

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009

Mountain goats are no exception to the general rule among mammals that larger males sire more and healthier offspring. But University of Alberta researcher David Coltman has found a genetic quirk that might make female mountain goats think twice about their romantic partners.

Moa get fewer: Landmark study

Genetic Archaeology News (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009

The evolutionary history of New Zealand's many extinct flightless moa has been re-written in the first comprehensive study of more than 260 sub-fossil specimens to combine all known genetic, anatomical, geological and ecological information about the unique bird lineage.

fashion jewelry on www.bjbead.com

briace | 04/07/2009

Freshwater Pearl jewelry Multiple analysis, the composition of sea water pearls there has been no fundamental difference between freshwater pearls are three kinds of amino acid content than the low water, with two kinds of flat, and the remaining 13 kinds of amino acid content higher than sea water pearls (eg " China Pharmaceutical magazine "1989 No. 313 Hospital Wenglin five blessing of freshwater...

Los Angeles Rhinoplasty Surgeon? Due Diligence is Key

mark larson | 03/20/2009

Our noses give our faces character. It often becomes the object of scrutiny when we look in the mirror and, occasionally, defines us. Nose shape and size is generally decided by genetics and can be influenced by cultural heritage. However, in the melting pot of Los Angeles, the definition of beauty definitely does not include an oversized nose. Here, in the land of movie stars and delicate-featured...

Nose Surgery in Los Angeles? A Nose Surgeon Knows

mark larson | 03/11/2009

Our noses give our faces character. It often becomes the object of scrutiny when we look in the mirror and, occasionally, defines us. Nose shape and size is generally decided by genetics and can be influenced by cultural heritage. However, in the melting pot of Los Angeles, the definition of beauty definitely does not include an oversized nose. Here, in the land of movie stars and delicate-featured...