Biosingularity

Distinguishing between other peoples voices may seem like a trivial task. However, if those people are speaking a language you dont understand, it becomes much harder. Thats because you rely on individuals differences in pronunciation to help identify them. If you dont understand the words they are saying, you dont pick up on those differences. [...]

  Yale University researchers can’t tell you where you left your car keys — but they can tell you why you can’t find them A new study published July 27 in the journal Nature shows the neural networks in the brains of the middle-aged and elderly have weaker connections and fire less robustly than in [...]

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have been able to switch on, and then switch off, social-behavior deficits in mice that resemble those seen in people with autism and schizophrenia, thanks to a technology that allows scientists to precisely manipulate nerve activity in the brain. In synchrony with this experimentally induced socially aberrant behavior, [...]

Key cells in the brain region known as the hippocampus are formed in the base of the brain late in fetal life and undertake a long journey before reaching their final destination in the center of the brain shortly after birth, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The hippocampus is involved with [...]

Recent advances in adult stem cell research could change the way doctors treat a host of debilitating diseases. At NIAID, scientists are exploring novel ways to convert adult tissue into more primitive stem cells and then use these cells to treat chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), an inherited disease of the immune system. The most exciting [...]

{EAV_BLOG_VER:13a6d03f2fd3e77f} Most health insurers are wary of genetics because, in most cases, it’s not yet clear how a particular genetic variation influences an individual’s health, or whether it should affect their care. Now Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health plan, has announced that it’s finished the first phase of a massive project to compile [...]

For modern biologists, the ability to capture high-quality, three-dimensional (3D) images of living tissues or organisms over time is necessary to answer problems in areas ranging from genomics to neurobiology and developmental biology. The better the image, the more detailed the information that can be drawn from it. Looking to improve upon current methods of [...]

The unique physiology of the human liver means that the toxicity of some candidate drugs is not picked up during preclinical tests in animals. But mice implanted with miniature human livers can mimic the ways in which the human body breaks down chemical compounds, to help spot potential problems before drugs are tested in humans. [...]

Human neural stem cells are capable of helping people regain learning and memory abilities lost due to radiation treatment for brain tumors, a UC Irvine study suggests. Research with rats found that stem cells transplanted two days after cranial irradiation restored cognitive function, as measured in one- and four-month assessments. In contrast, irradiated rats not [...]

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed an improved technique for generating large numbers of blood cells from a patient’s own cells. The new technique will be immediately useful in further stem cell studies, and when perfected, could be used in stem cell therapies for a wide variety of conditions including cancers [...]

The neurotransmitter dopamine is best known for its roles in the brain – in signaling pathways that control movement, motivation, reward, learning and memory. Now, Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have demonstrated that dopamine produced outside the brain – in the kidneys – is important for renal function, blood pressure regulation and life span.

Some foods are so healthy they star on every nutrition expert’s super food list. But often missing on those lists are some nutritional gems or underrated foods that don’t get the attention they deserve. Sorting out the best foods to eat is not always easy because the choices can be daunting. Adding to the confusion [...]

A diet rich in certain omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of developing dementia, researchers report. In a study of more than 2,000 older women and men followed for nearly five years, the more omega-3-rich oily fish they ate, the lower their risk of developing dementia. The researchers looked specifically at the omega-3 fatty [...]

Obesity is the biggest driving force behind the most common form of breast cancer in older women, say researchers. Alcohol and then cigarettes are the next largest culprits, according to Cancer Research UK. One in eight women in the UK develop breast cancer in their lifetime, data shows, and the majority of these tumours are [...]

Artificial intelligence has been the inspiration for countless books and movies, as well as the aspiration of countless scientists and engineers. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have now taken a major step toward creating artificial intelligence—not in a robot or a silicon chip, but in a test tube. The researchers are the [...]

University of Minnesota Medical School and College of Biological Sciences researchers have made a key discovery showing that male sex must be maintained throughout life. The research team, led by Drs. David Zarkower and Vivian Bardwell of the U of M Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, found that removing an important male development [...]

A new plastic surface which overcomes the difficulties associated with growing adult stem cells has been developed, according to scientists. Standard surfaces have proved limited for growing large amounts and retaining the stem cells’ useful characteristics. It is hoped the discovery could lead to the creation of stem cell therapies for re-growing bone and tissue, [...]

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed the first fluorescent protein that enables scientists to clearly “see” the internal organs of living animals without the need for a scalpel or imaging techniques that can have side effects or increase radiation exposure.

Women who are taking a baby aspirin or two a day for their heart health may be safeguarding their brain health, too, preliminary research suggests. In a five-year study of more than 100 older people at similar risk for heart disease, scores on a standardized test that gauges memory and other cognitive skills increased slightly [...]

Developing drugs to combat or cure human disease often involves a phase of testing with mice, so being able to peer clearly into a living mouse’s innards has real value. But with the fluorescent dyes currently used to image the interior of laboratory mice, the view becomes murky a few millimeters under the skin. Now [...]

A mutant protein known to be involved in the rare premature aging condition known as progeria appears to play a role in normal aging, too, scientists report. The mechanism that triggers premature aging also seems to trigger normal cell aging.The finding is expected to offer new clues about aging.”We have learned something fundamental about the [...]

Medical researchers from Harvard University have created the first “living laser”; a biological cell that’s been genetically engineered to produce a visible laser beam. Lasers need two things to generate beams. They need a gain medium that amplifies light, and an arrangement of mirrors to concentrate and align that light. Normal lasers, ever since their [...]

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered a long-sought cellular factor that works to inhibit HIV infection of myeloid cells, a subset of white blood cells that display antigens and hence are important for the body’s immune response against viruses and other pathogens. The factor, a protein called SAMHD1, is part [...]

Checking a clock may be as helpful as counting calories when it comes to controlling body weight, a new study suggests. The study shows that people who snack after 8 p.m. have higher body mass indexes (BMIs) than people who don’t nosh at night, even though they don’t eat significantly more total daily calories. Previous [...]

Although our body’s defense mechanisms are usually capable of detecting and destroying many types of pathogens, some viruses are able to evade the immune system and make us sick. In particular, “retroviruses,” such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are notorious for eluding host immune defenses and causing disease. Now, a new study published by Cell [...]

A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia – important types of brain cells – but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells. Caption: A green fluorescent [...]

A trio of large-scale genome-wide association studies, or GWAS, have identified more than 15 gene variants responsible for the diversity of white blood cell counts among whites, African-Americans, and Japanese. Supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, each study examined the genomes of tens of thousands of people. Combined, the studies offer the [...]

Winning margins in the Tour de France can be tight – last year just 39 seconds separated the top two riders after more than 90 hours in the saddle. When every second counts, riders do everything possible to gain a competitive advantage – from using aerodynamic carbon fibre bikes to the very latest in sports [...]

Ever since an ordinary office inkjet printer had its ink cartridges swapped out for a cargo of cells about 10 years ago and sprayed out cell-packed droplets to create living tissue, scientists and engineers have never looked at office equipment in quite the same way. They dream of using a specialized bio-inkjet printer to grow [...]

New research has shown that feral, untrained pigeons can recognise individual people and are not fooled by a change of clothes. Researchers, who will be presenting their work at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow on Sunday the 3rd of July, have shown that urban pigeons that have never been caught or [...]