Genetics & Molecular Biology

Since when has systems biology been a synonym for genomics? This is from a Perspective piece in the Oct. 2 issue of Science: The relative value of discovery aimed at hypothesis generation versus hypothesis testing has been debated. High-profile journals publish systems biology studies, including the human genome sequence, but most papers focus on hypothesis-driven investigations. The human genome sequence is systems biology? Really? I can't blame the author here: most "systems biology" conferences I've attended have been indistinguishable from genomics conferences. For some, systems biology…

A new study in Biological Chemistry suggests that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, may counter the effects of Crohn's disease. Researchers from McGill University and the Université de Montréal found that Vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an antimicrobial peptide, and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells to the presence of invading microbes. Both Beta-defensin and NOD2 have been linked to Crohn's disease. If NOD2 is deficient or defective, it cannot combat invaders in the intestinal tract. The study's authors say the most promising…

Photosynthesizing sea slugs take 'you are what you eat' to an extreme: by eating photosynthesizing algae, these "solar-powered" sea slugs are able to live off photosynthesis for months. How does this work? Is this just a straightforward case of symbiosis between algae and sea slugs? It turns out that this is not a case of symbiosis: this is a case of the amazing and ubiquitous power of viruses to dramatically reshape the genetic landscape. Cheap, powerful sequencing has enabled scientists to sample the viral world like never before. Our understanding of marine viruses, in particular, has…

I've lamented multiple times the negative influence on scientific culture of some trends in the use of computational tools to analyze large datasets, particularly in biology. Over at Nobel Intent, John Timmer brings up another issue related to computational models of complex phenomena: reproducibility: In the past, reproduction was generally a straightforward affair. Given a list of reagents, and an outline of the procedure used to generate some results, other labs should be able to see the same things. If a result couldn't be reproduced, then it could be a sign that the original result was…

Production of recombinant proteins in plants for pharmaceutical use   Preťová Anna, Klubicová Katarína, Obert Bohuš   Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Akademická 2, P.O. Box 39A, 950 07 Nitra, Slovak Republic,   Summary Plants can be used as a production system for specific heterologous proteins, even those not naturally occurring in plants. Plants represent a new, simple and inexpensive system that allows the large-scale production of safe recombinant proteins.  Plants can be utilized as bio-reactors for the large-scale…

Nature has put up some free pieces on syntehtic and systems biology on their Synthetic Systems Biology Web Focus. Unfortunately they haven't made it all free, but you can go read this one: Five hard truths for Synthetic Biology. The conclusion? Complex biological systems are hard to deal with: To read some accounts of synthetic biology, the ability to manipulate life seems restricted only by the imagination. Researchers might soon program cells to produce vast quantities of biofuel from renewable sources, or to sense the presence of toxins, or to release precise quantities of insulin as a…

Biologists know that Chaperonins ensure proteins are folded properly to carry out their assigned roles in cells, and according to a new letter published in Nature, they may also know how these molecular chaperones function. In the new study of archaea (single-celled organisms without nuclei to enclose their genetic information), researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Stanford University in California discovered how the Group II chaperonins close and open folding chambers to initate the folding event and to release the functional protein to the cell. Archaea is one of three major…

Genetic (in)stability in Hypericum perforatum L.: physiological and induced sources of genetic variation Eva CELLAROVA, Matus SKYBA, Jan KOSUTH PAVOL JOZEF SAFARIK UNIVERSITY IN KOSICE, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, MANESOVA 23, 04154 KOSICE, SLOVAKIA Introduction Medicinal plants from the genus Hypericum, especially H. perforatum that is the most studied one from about 450 species, are attracting considerable interest for centuries. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrate high efficacy of some metabolites, namely naphthodianthrones and phloroglucinols with a wide…

“In vitro propagation of stone pine (Pinus pinea L). Molecular and physiological bases” Ana Rodríguez, Candela Cuesta, Millán Cortizo, Belén Fernández and Ricardo Ordás Área de Fisiología Vegetal. Dpto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas. Instituto de Biotecnología de Asturias. Universidad de Oviedo. C/ Catedrático Rodrigo Uría, s/n E-33071 Oviedo (Spain)   Pinus pinea L. is one of the most important tree species of the Mediterranean area and is of great economical importance because of its edible pine nuts. The wide commercial potential of pine nuts ensures there is considerable…

 Iowa State University researchers say they have discovered how the Ebola Virus is able to elude the immune response of host cells that it invades. The problem has stumped scientists for many years, and in a new study published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, the Iowa team says that host cells can't recognize and respond to the virus because of a dirty little trick it plays. When most viruses invade cells, they begin producing RNA in order to replicate. In response,  the healthy host cells activate anti-viral defenses that halt replication and eventually help clear the…