Amount of mitochondrial DNA predicts frailty and mortality
New research from The Johns Hopkins University suggests that the amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found in peoples' blood directly relates to how frail they...
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Thumbs-up for mind-controlled robotic arm
A paralysed woman who controlled a robotic arm using just her thoughts has taken another step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm...
‘Microlesions’ in epilepsy discovered by novel technique
Using an innovative technique combining genetic analysis and mathematical modeling with some basic sleuthing, researchers have identified previously undescribed microlesions in brain tissue from epileptic...
Stunning zinc fireworks when egg meets sperm
Sparks literally fly when a sperm and an egg hit it off. The fertilized mammalian egg releases from its surface billions of zinc atoms in...
New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role
As the main component of connective tissue in the body, fibroblasts are the most common type of cell. Taking advantage of that ready availability, scientists...
Proteins drive cancer cells to change states
When RNA-binding proteins are turned on, cancer cells get locked in a proliferative state. Musashi proteins, stained red, appear in the cell cytoplasm, outside the...
Stanford team combines logic, memory to build a ‘high-rise’ chip
Today circuit cards are laid out like single-story towns; Futuristic architecture builds layers of logic and memory into skyscraper chips that would be smaller, faster,...
Brain stimulation may hold key to treating anxiety
Researchers at The University of Western Australia have found that that brain stimulation may help retrain unhelpful cognitive habits associated with anxiety and depression. The...
Are you genetically predisposed to antisocial behavior?
Both positive and negative experiences influence how genetic variants affect the brain and thereby behaviour, according to a new study. "Evidence is accumulating to show...
Genes Tell Story of Birdsong and Human Speech
A massive international effort to sequence and compare the entire genomes of 48 species of birds, representing every major order of the bird family tree,...
World-first ‘bionic bra’ inches closer to reality
The bra, made using intelligent components, will be discussed at the 9th Australasian Biomechanics Conference (ABC9) at UOW from Sunday 30 November to Tuesday 2...
Human DNA shows traces of 40-million-year battle for survival between primate and pathogen
Examination of DNA from 21 primate species – from squirrel monkeys to humans – exposes an evolutionary war against infectious bacteria over iron that circulates...
Study supports the theory that men are idiots
Sex differences in risk seeking behaviour, emergency hospital admissions, and mortality are well documented. Males are more likely to be admitted to an emergency department...
For stem cells, it’s a case of home sweet home
Scientists at McMaster have discovered that human stem cells made from adult donor cells “remember” where they came from. Human blood cells in a dish....
3-D maps of folded genome
In a triumph for cell biology, researchers have assembled the first high-resolution, 3D maps of entire folded genomes and found a structural basis for gene...
