Microbiology

Marine microorganisms have been found in amber dating from the middle of the Cretaceous period. The fossils were collected in Charente, in France. This completely unexpected discovery will deepen our understanding of these lost marine species as well as providing precious data about the coastal environment of Western France during the Cretaceous. Amber is a fossil resin with a reputation for preserving even the most minute details of insects and other terrestrial arthropods (spiders, scorpions, mites) that lived in resiniferous trees. The forest-based provenance of amber in theory makes it…

Children with heart defects may someday receive perfectly-matched new heart valves built using stem cells from their umbilical cord blood, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. When infants are born with malfunctioning heart valves that can't be surgically repaired, they rely on replacements from animal tissue, compatible human organ donations or artificial materials. These replacements are lifesaving, but don't grow and change shape as a child develops; so two or more surgeries may be needed to replace outgrown valves. The animal…

A two-year study conducted by researchers at George Mason University, INOVA Fairfax Hospital and the National Cancer Institute may open the door to new therapies for combating chronic diseases associated with obesity, a condition that affected more than 33 percent of American adults in 2005-06 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While analyzing samples taken from morbidly obese patients undergoing weight loss surgery, the researchers discovered that substantial quantities of melanin—a pigment that gives the skin, the hair and the iris of the eye their natural color—…

MIT engineers have outfitted cells with tiny “backpacks” that could allow them to deliver chemotherapy agents, diagnose tumors or become building blocks for tissue engineering. Michael Rubner, director of MIT’s Center for Materials Science and Engineering and senior author of a paper on the work that appeared online in Nano Letters on Nov. 5, said he believes this is the first time anyone has attached such a synthetic patch to a cell.  The polymer backpacks allow researchers to use cells to ferry tiny cargoes and manipulate their movements using magnetic fields. Since each patch covers…

Scientists in Italy have found bacteria in the root of a tropical grass whose oils have been used in the cosmetic and perfumery industries. These bacteria seem to promote the production of essential oils, but also they change the molecular structure of the oil, giving it different flavours and properties: termicidal, insecticidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant. Studying the root of the tropical Vetiver grass through interdisciplinary research, the microbiologists Pietro Alifano and Luigi Del Giudice, the plant biologist Massimo Maffei and their colleagues found that Vetiver root cells produce…

A fungus called microsporidia that causes chronic diarrhea in AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients and travelers has been identified as a member of the family of fungi that have been discovered to reproduce sexually. A team at Duke University Medical Center has proven that microsporidia are true fungi and that this species most likely undergoes a form of sexual reproduction during infection of humans and other host animals.  The findings could help develop effective treatments against these common global pathogens and may help explain their most virulent attacks. "Microsporidian…

A novel cell division mechanism has been discovered in a microorganism that thrives in hot acid. The finding may also result in insights into key processes in human cells, and in a better understanding of the main evolutionary lineages of life on Earth. The research group at the Department of Molecular Evolution at Uppsala University has identified a completely new cell division machinery. The discovery was made in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, a microorganism belonging to the third domain of life, the Archaea, which originally was isolated from a hot spring in Yellowstone national park in…

In November, America will vote for a new President.   The next President, whomever it is, has said he will overturn the restrictions President Bush placed on use of federal money for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research that does not meet criteria established in 2001.    The controversy surrounding hESC research is too much to go into here but here are 5 things you should know about the science of stem cell research, including the hESC kind. 1. There are three key areas of stem cell research: embryonic stem cells,  tissue/adult  stem cells and induced pluripotent…

Sneezing, runny nose and chills? You might blame the human rhinovirus (HRV), which causes 30 to 50 percent of common colds. But in reality, it's not the virus itself but HRV's ability to manipulate your genes that is the true cause of some of the most annoying cold symptoms.  For the first time, researchers have shown that HRV hijacks many of your genes and causes an overblown immune response that ends up with your nose being overblown.  The research, published in the first issue for November of the American Thoracic Society's clinical research journal, the American Journal of…

Researchers say they have assembled the most complete catalog to date of the genetic changes underlying the most common form of lung cancer. They identified 26 genes that are frequently mutated in a type of cancer called lung adenocarcinoma, a finding that more than doubles the number of genes already known to be linked to the deadly disease. More than 1 million people worldwide die of lung cancer each year, including more than 160,000 in the United States. About 40 percent of them are adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer and one that is exceedingly difficult to treat. Only…