BioSAFE Announces Zero Waste Solution
Jul 29, 2010
With the cost of bio-hazardous waste disposal ever increasing, the search for alternative waste disposal methods for future waste disposal is essential in controlling rising operating costs of any institution or facility.
Cancer Vaccines Could Spin Out of Research into Deer, Elk Disease
Jul 28, 2010
B.C. scientists hope a serendipitous discovery about human cells and a brain-wasting disease affecting deer and elk may lead to a cure for common cancers such as melanoma and lymphoma.
MIT Study Links Mouse Model to Genetics of Alzheimer's
Jul 28, 2010
MIT biologists report that they have discovered the first link between the amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and a gene previously implicated in the aging process, SIRT1.
Can Ozone Cause Heart Attacks?
Jul 28, 2010
A new animal study offers the first direct bit of evidence that ozone, a major component of smog, may trigger the death of heart cells.
Can You Ask a Pig if His Glass is Half Full?
Jul 28, 2010
Babe may be the most famous sensitive pig in the world but new research from Newcastle University suggests he is by no means the only one.
Experts from the university’s School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development have shown for the first time that a pig’s mood mirrors how content he is, highlighting that pigs are capable of complex emotions which are directly influenced by the environment in which they live.
Mice Cages Can Alter Rodent Brains
Jul 28, 2010
Researchers at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus have found the brains of mice used in laboratories worldwide can be profoundly affected by the type of cage they are kept in, a breakthrough that may require scientists to reevaluate the way they conduct future experiments.
Annual Report Looks at Animal Research in UK
Jul 27, 2010
The number of scientific experiments carried out on animals in the UK dropped 1% in 2009 to just over 3.6 million, according to data released by the Home Office. The report, released July 27, is performed annually as an assessment of the scientific procedures performed using living animals subject to the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Highlights of the report included:
Scientists 'Reprogram' Mouse Fat Cells into Clinically Useful Stem Cells
Jul 27, 2010
Australian scientists from the Monash Institute of Medical Research have "reprogrammed" adult mouse fat cells and neural cells to become stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of different cells (pluripotency). The cells, called "induced pluripotent stem cells" (iPS), are nearly identical to the naturally occurring pluripotent stems cells, such as embryonic stem cells, which are highly pluripotent, in short supply and their access restricted in the U.S.
International Researchers Meet in Singapore to Discuss Research Integrity
Jul 23, 2010
Research plays a crucial role in economies that value knowledge creation and innovation. As more countries develop their research and development (R&D) capabilities and embark on research initiatives and partnerships at the international level, research integrity becomes all the more important. Increasing globalization and international collaborations also highlight the importance of promoting integrity in cross-border research.
ESF Releases New Code of Conduct for Researchers
Jul 22, 2010
A new European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity was announced on July 21 by the European Science Foundation at the World Conference on Research Integrity. The code addresses good practice and bad conduct in science, offering a basis for trust and integrity across national borders.
Bee Study Adds Insight into Human Development and Aging
Jul 22, 2010
What makes a bee grow up to be a queen? Scientists have long pondered this mystery. Now, researchers in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University have fit a new piece into the puzzle of bee development. Their work not only adds to understanding about bees, but also adds insight into our own development and aging.
Anti-obesity Effects of Soy in Rat Model
Jul 22, 2010
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that a diet rich in soy prevents weight gain in post-menopausal female rats.
Whisker Stimulation Prevents Strokes in Rats
Jul 21, 2010
Talk about surviving by a whisker. The most common type of stroke can be completely prevented in rats by stimulating a single whisker, according to a new study by UC Irvine researchers.
Strokes are the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer. About 795,000 Americans suffer them annually, according to the American Heart Association, and more than 137,000 die as a result.
TurnKey Conference Presentations – On Demand
Jul 21, 2010
For the first time EVER you can order the TurnKey Conference Sessions for download at your viewing convenience. In today's overscheduled work day and global marketplace, the ability to view content on demand despite work schedules and time zones is not a luxury; it's a necessity.
Ramp up quickly with our training and certification sessions: Prepare for AAALAC Accreditation with a 3-part Preparatory Seminar; Qualify for Continuing Education Learning Units and Certificates from The American Institute of Architects.
Antibiotics for the Prevention of Malaria
Jul 21, 2010
A recent study found that when mice are given antibiotics for three days and then infected with malaria, no parasites appear in the blood and the life-threatening disease is averted. In addition, the animals treated in this manner develop robust, long-term immunity against subsequent infections. This discovery was made by the team headed by Dr. Steffen Borrmann from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Heidelberg University Hospital in cooperation with Dr. Kai Matuschewski of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin.
Omega Imbalance Can Make Obesity Inheritable
Jul 18, 2010
Environmentally caused obesity can passed onto one’s offspring if a parent eats an unbalanced ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to researchers from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis in France.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3 are both critical to good health, but the French researchers found that too much omega-6 and too little omega-3 can cause obesity to become inheritable from generation to generation. Previous studies had indicated a link between increased omega-6, decreased omega-3, and heart disease.
Low Calorie Diet Can Extend Life
Jul 18, 2010
New research is giving scientists insight into why a restricted diet can lead to a longer lifespan and reduced levels of age related diseases in a wide variety of animals.
Scientists have known for some time that a restricted diet can extend the lifespan of certain animals but this new work shows how it affects ageing mechanisms—and show that the effects occur even if the restricted diet is adopted later in life.
The work could help scientists to better understand, and ultimately prevent, a range of age-related diseases in humans.
Stem Cell Project Awarded Technology Strategy Board Grant
Jul 16, 2010
A new collaborative research project has secured a government investment of £200,000 to develop technology which could pave the way for dramatic advances in life science research.
Orla Protein Technologies Ltd, the UK Stem Cell Bank (UKSCB), and Newcastle University, have been awarded a grant by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to develop technology which could improve the way cells are grown in a laboratory.
Hyperoxia May Slow Formation of Wrinkles
Jul 14, 2010
It's no secret that UVB radiation from the sun causes wrinkles. However, a Japanese study published in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology indicates that oxygen may help combat the formation of wrinkles by lessening tissue damage done by UVB rays.
In the study, mice who were placed in an oxygen chamber after exposure to UVB radiation developed fewer wrinkles and showed fewer signs of tissue damage than mice who were exposed to UVB radiation alone.
Ovarian Transplantation Restores Fertility to Old Mice
Jul 14, 2010
Scientists have discovered that when they transplant ovaries from young mice into aging female mice, not only does the procedure make the mice fertile again, but also it rejuvenates their behavior and increases their lifespan. The question now is: could ovarian transplants in women have the same effect?
Biologists Find Key Gene in Competition Between Cancer, Normal Cells
Jul 14, 2010
A landmark study is the first to identify a life-or-death "cell competition" process in mammalian tissue that suppresses cancer by causing cancerous cells to kill themselves.
Insects as Model Animals
Jul 14, 2010
Jeremy Niven spends his days at Cambridge University running locusts across ladders and through mazes, trying to figure out how bugs think. In an interview with the NY Times, Dr. Niven, 34, discusses his studies on the evolution of brains and neurons in insects and other animals, like humans.
Q. YOUR RESEARCH SUBJECTS ARE LOCUSTS. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, “LOCUSTS, YUCK!” WHY STUDY THEM?
Voles Help Scientists Study Alcohol Abuse
Jul 14, 2010
Prairie voles, by their nature, stick with one mate for life and devotedly care for babies together. But given alcohol to drink, many become staggering drunkards prone to stepping out on their partners.
Mental Decline Thwarted in Aging Rats
Jul 14, 2010
Scientists have discovered a compound that restores the capacity to form new memories in aging rats, likely by improving the survival of newborn neurons in the brain's memory hub. The research, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, has turned up clues to a neuroprotective mechanism that could lead to a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Mouse Stem Cell Study Offers New Insights into Body Fat Distribution
Jul 12, 2010
New research presented on July 12 at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Nottingham shows that adding fat to mouse stem cells grown in the lab affects their response to the signals that push them to develop into one or other of the main types of fat storage cells—subcutaneous (under the skin) or visceral (around the organs).
