News and applications for life science research professionals
Stem Cells Recovered from Embryo Clones
May 15, 2013 12:39 pm | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsScientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. A prominent expert called the work a landmark, but noted that a different, simpler technique now under development may prove more useful.
New Biomaterial Can Improve Implant Success
May 15, 2013 12:16 pm | News | CommentsExpensive, state-of-the-art medical devices and surgeries often are thwarted by the body’s natural response to attack something in the tissue that appears foreign. Now, engineers have demonstrated in mice a way to prevent this sort of response.
Using Clay to Grow Bone
May 15, 2013 11:57 am | News | CommentsNew research reports that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets (also known as layered clay) can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors. Synthetic silicates are made up of simple or complex salts of silicic acids.
Bacteria Photosynthesis Decoded
May 15, 2013 11:30 am | News | CommentsPurple bacteria are among Earth’s oldest organisms, and among its most efficient in turning sunlight into usable chemical energy. Now, a key to their light-harvesting prowess has been explained by scientists through a detailed structural analysis.
Harvard Bioscience CEO Graziano will retire
May 15, 2013 11:26 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMedical instruments maker Harvard Bioscience Inc. said Wednesday that CEO Chane Graziano has stepped down and is retiring. President David Green will take over as interim CEO as the board starts a search for a new CEO. Graziano, 74, has been CEO of the company since March 1996, and Green has...
Brains Re-wire to Compensate After Damage
May 15, 2013 10:56 am | News | CommentsScientists have advanced our understanding of brain plasticity by showing that the brain forms complex new circuits after damage, often far from the damaged site, to compensate for lost function. The study identified the exact regions of the brain that take over when a learning and memory center, known as the hippocampus, is damaged.
New Drug Slows Alzheimer's
May 15, 2013 10:17 am | News | CommentsA drug developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, known as J147, reverses memory deficits and slows Alzheimer's disease in aged mice following short-term treatment. The findings may pave the way to a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease in humans.
St. Louis doctor with cerebral palsy offers hope
May 15, 2013 1:40 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTougher drunken driving threshold recommended
May 14, 2013 3:52 pm | by JOAN LOWY - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsStates should cut their threshold for drunken driving by nearly half_from .08 blood alcohol level to 0.05_matching a standard that has substantially reduced highway deaths in other countries, a U.S. safety board recommends. That's about one drink for a woman weighing less than 120 lbs., two for a...
Endothelium Healing Mechanism Revealed
May 14, 2013 2:31 pm | by Harvard Medical School | News | CommentsThe endothelium, the cellular layer lining the body’s blood vessels, is extremely resilient. Measuring just a few hundred nanometers in thickness, this super-tenuous structure routinely withstands blood flow, hydrostatic pressure, stretch and tissue compression to create a unique and highly dynamic barrier that maintains the organization necessary to partition tissues from the body’s circulatory system.
Study questions how sharply US should cut the salt
May 14, 2013 1:46 pm | by LAURAN NEERGAARD - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsA surprising new report questions efforts to get Americans to sharply cut back on salt, saying getting to super-low levels may not be worth the struggle. Make no mistake: Most Americans eat way too much, not just from salt shakers but because of sodium hidden inside processed foods and restaurant...
Biotech Potato Breeds Pitched to FDA
May 14, 2013 1:44 pm | by JOHN MILLER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA dozen years after a customer revolt forced Monsanto to ditch its genetically engineered potato, another company aims to resurrect high-tech spuds. This month, tuber processing giant J.R. Simplot Co. asked the U.S. government to approve five varieties of biotech potatoes. They're engineered not to develop ugly black bruises.
Columns for Biopharmaceutical Discovery
May 14, 2013 1:16 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAgilent Technologies Inc. introduced the new AdvanceBio Peptide Mapping BioHPLC and ZORBAX RRHD 300-HILIC columns for the separation, characterization and analysis of a wide range of proteins, monoclonal antibodies, peptides and additional biologics.
Dual-axis Positioning System for Liquid Handling
May 14, 2013 1:09 pm | Product Releases | CommentsSteinmeyer Inc. announced a new positioning system, ideal for liquid handling systems and medical dispensing applications.
Monitoring System Safeguards Lab Storage
May 14, 2013 12:59 pm | Product Releases | CommentsThe Thermo Scientific Smart-Vue wireless monitoring solution is an innovative system that safeguards the integrity of important laboratory storage by continuously monitoring critical parameters of laboratory equipment such as temperature, CO2 concentration and relative humidity.
