- New method takes snapshots of proteins as they fold - Scientists have invented a way to ‘watch’ proteins fold — in less than thousandths of a second — into the elaborate twisted shapes that determine their function.
- LED products billed as eco-friendly contain toxic metals, study finds - Those light-emitting diodes marketed as safe, environmentally preferable alternatives to traditional lightbulbs actually contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially hazardous substances, according to newly published research.
- Volatile Arsenic Measured in Field - Micro-organisms in soil can volatilize inorganic As salts to gaseous arsines, moving it from a geological setting into a biological one. Andrew Meharg and colleagues, University of Aberdeen, UK, have developed and validated a trap that captures different species of arsine at ambient temperature.
- Researchers find reduced levels of an important neurotransmitter in MS - Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have shown for the first time that damage to a particular area of the brain and a consequent reduction in noradrenaline are associated with multiple sclerosis.
- Nanoparticles May Enhance Circulating Tumor Cell Detection - Tiny gold particles can help doctors detect tumor cells circulating in the blood of patients with head and neck cancer, researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech have found.
- Firefly Glow: Berkeley Lab Scientists Develop a Safe Hydrogen Peroxide Probe Based on Firefly Luciferin - Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a probe for monitoring hydrogen peroxide levels in mice that enables them to track the progression of cancerous tumors or infectious diseases without harming the animals or even having to shave their fur. This new probe is based on luciferase, the enzyme that gives fireflies their glow.
- Researchers discover a new class of magic atomic clusters called superhalogens - An international team of researchers has discovered a new class of magnetic superhalogens — a class of atomic clusters able to exhibit unusual stability at a specific size and composition, which may be used to advance materials science by allowing scientists to create a new class of salts with magnetic and super-oxidizing properties not previously found.
- Pheromone increases foraging honey bees, leads to healthier hives - The application of a naturally occurring pheromone to honey bee test colonies increases colony growth resulting in stronger hives overall, according to a new study conducted by scientists at Oregon State University and Texas A&M University.
- Team hopes to cut years off development time of new antibiotics - Eliminating tens of thousands of manual lab experiments, two University of Houston (UH) professors are working toward a method to cut the development time of new antibiotics. While current practices typically last for more than a decade, a computerized modeling system. being developed at UH will speed up this process.
- Living in the matrix: Sugar residues regulate growth and survival of nerve cells - Researchers in Bochum have found out that certain sugar residues in the spinal cord regulate the growth and survival of nerve cells which control the movement of muscles.
Another high yielding news day from Robert Slinn for Reactive Reports in his regular column: Slinn Pickings.
