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Researchers Find New Way to Create ‘Gradients’ for Understanding Molecular Interactions

By Guest PostAugust 16, 2013Sciencealbena ivanisevic, amino acid, biological systems, biomolecular gradients, cell receptors, gradients, human body, indium gallium nitride, indium rich end, ingan, l arginine, lauren bain, ligands, molecular behavior, molecules, new technique, north Carolina, oxide accumulation, peptides, ph level, proteins, salah bedair, semiconductor material, state university, substrate, tania paskova

Scientists use tools called gradients to understand how molecules interact in biological systems. Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating biomolecular gradients that is both simpler than existing techniques and that creates additional surface characteristics that allow scientists to monitor other aspects of molecular behavior.

A gradient is a material that has a specific molecule on its surface, with the concentration of the molecule sloping from a high concentration on one end to a low concentration at the other end. The gradient is used not only to determine whether other molecules interact with the molecules on the gradient, but to determine the threshold level at which any interactions take place. (more…)

How Neurons Get Wired

By Guest PostAugust 15, 2013Health, Sciencealzheimers, apkc, asymmetric shape, atypical protein, cognitive functions, developing nerve cells, kinase c, mechanism, multiple axons, neurodegenerative diseases, neuronal polarity, neurons, newborn nerve cell, par3, protein, sara parker, signaling enzyme, sophie hapak, sourav ghosh, spinal injuries, university of arizona

Two different versions of the same signaling protein tell a nerve cell which end is which, UA researchers have discovered. The findings could help improve therapies for spinal injuries and neurodegenerative diseases.

University of Arizona scientists have discovered an unknown mechanism that establishes polarity in developing nerve cells. Understanding how nerve cells make connections is an important step in developing cures for nerve damage resulting from spinal cord injuries or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

In a study published on Aug. 12 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UA doctoral studentSara Parker and her adviser, assistant professor of cellular and molecular medicine Sourav Ghosh, report that the decision which will be the “plus” and the “minus” end in a newborn nerve cell is made by a long and a short version of the same signaling molecule. (more…)

Scientist names new fly species after the Professor who has supported his work

By Guest PostAugust 14, 2013Nature, Scienceamber rocks, aspect of biodiversity, bishop museum, caribbean island, dave penney, dominican republic, fly, hawaii, hispaniola, journal zootaxa, keroplatidae family, neal evenhuis, new species, proceroplatus preziosii, richard preziosi, university of manchester

A Professor from The University of Manchester has had his name immortalised as a new species of fly.

Professor Richard Preziosi, from the Faculty of Life Sciences, said he was delighted with the unusual tribute from researcher Dr Dave Penney.

It follows his continued support of Dr Penney’s unfunded research into amber rocks which he has been investigating for around 20 years.

Dr Penney discovered the new species of fly, which he has named Proceroplatus preziosii, on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, after finding a fossil in 16 million-year-old amber from the Dominican Republic. His findings were confirmed by Dr Neal Evenhuis, of the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, who is the leading world expert on this group. The species is a tiny gnat just a few millimetres long belonging to the Keroplatidae family. (more…)

UCLA researcher invents new tools to manage ‘information overload’ threatening neuroscience

By Guest PostAugust 14, 2013Sciencecrowd sourcing strategy, information overload, map creation process, nano publications, pre map era

Before the digital age, neuroscientists got their information in the library like the rest of us. But the explosion of neuroscience research has resulted in the publication of nearly 2 million papers — more data than any researcher can read and absorb in a lifetime.
(more…)

‘Small World Initiative’: Engaging young students in critical research

By Guest PostAugust 13, 2013Education, Scienceeric warrick, jean schmidt, kline biology tower, manoa, neil enis, pilot program, research projects, sachie etherington, small world initiative, stem, tiffany tsang, tulsa community college, university of hawaii, university of pittsburgh, yale campus

Twenty-four faculty members from colleges and universities from around the country left the Yale campus on Aug. 1 with a new mission: to inspire their freshman and sophomore students to pursue scientific research, specifically by discovering new antibiotics from soil bacteria.

In a week-long workshop called “The Small World Initiative” and held at Kline Biology Tower, the teachers developed the tools to engage their students in real-life research projects with such life-saving potential. (more…)

The Tastemakers

By Guest PostAugust 13, 2013Scienceamericans, anne laure rouger, aroma, devin peterson, flavor, flavor research, flavoromics, food and flavor, frec, gary reineccius, general mills, human experience, nestle, pepsico, statistical correlations, tastemakers, university of minnesota

From a sweet deal to the bitter end, there’s no accounting for taste. Descriptions of flavor are littered throughout our common sayings, and there’s a good reason for that. Food and flavor sensations are a key part of the human experience, and everyone knows what “bitter” feels and tastes like.

But what happens when a scientist tries to quantify taste? What, exactly, is flavor? What makes a food taste sweet, or salty, or even cooked? (more…)

Ese’eja Nation

By Guest PostAugust 12, 2013Culture, Scienceamazon basin, Amazon rainforest, anthropological work, cultural mapping project, darlington, Environment, eseeja nation, hadza hunter, hunter gatherer, indigenous peruvian community, infierno, jonathan cox, life can work, palma real, peru, sarah driver, simple lifestyle, sonene, south america, summer scholar, tale, Tanzania, university of delaware, westernized society

UD professor, scholar document culture of Peruvian community

As the elders of a small hunter-gatherer community told the story of how their people came to be, University of Delaware assistant professor of art Jonathan Cox and Summer Scholar Sarah Driver sat and listened, intrigued by the tale.

Over the course of seven days, they learned firsthand about the Ese’eja (ess-a-eha) Nation, a community of three distinct villages living in the remote areas of Infierno, Palma Real and Sonene, Peru. (more…)

JILA researchers discover atomic clock can simulate quantum magnetism

By Guest PostAugust 11, 2013Scienceana maria rey, atomic clock, brad baxley, complex quantum system, configuration of electrons, discover, electricity without resistance, electron configuration, exotic material, high temperature superconductors, jila researcher, jila theorist, jun ye, magnetic material, magnetic spin interactions, modeling, neutral strontium atoms, nist, quantum computers, quantum mechanical behavior, quantum simulator, simulate quantum magnetism, spin down state, superposition, university of colorado boulder

Researchers at JILA have for the first time used an atomic clock as a quantum simulator, mimicking the behavior of a different, more complex quantum system.

Atomic clocks now join a growing list of physical systems that can be used for modeling and perhaps eventually explaining the quantum mechanical behavior of exotic materials such as high-temperature superconductors, which conduct electricity without resistance. All but the smallest, most trivial quantum systems are too complicated to simulate on classical computers, hence the interest in quantum simulators. Sharing some of the features of experimental quantum computers—a hot research topic—quantum simulators are “special purpose” devices designed to provide insight into specific challenging problems. (more…)

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