http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/biology/ Biology news. Full-text biology news, articles and photos from research institutes around the world. Updated daily. en-us Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:05:01 EST Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/biology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222154633.htm As scientists warn that the Earth is on the brink of a period of mass extinctions, they are struggling to identify ecosystem responses to environmental change. But to truly understand these responses, more information is needed about how the Earth's staggering diversity of species originated. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222154633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222154359.htm If you were to discover that a fundamental component of human biology has survived virtually intact for the past 25 million years, you’d be quite confident in saying that it is here to stay. Such is the case for a team of scientists, whose latest research on the evolution of the human Y chromosome confirms that the Y -— despite arguments to the contrary —- has a long, healthy future ahead of it. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222154359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133131.htm Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating disease. However, it may be necessary to search through billions of other cells to collect rare cells such as tumor cells, stem cells or fetal cells. Researchers have now demonstrated a new microfluidic device that can isolate target cells much faster than existing devices. Such technology could be used in applications such as point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222133131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132938.htm Scientists are reporting use of a new technology for sifting through the world's largest remaining pool of potential antibiotics to discover two new antibiotics that work against deadly resistant microbes, including the "superbugs" known as MRSA. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132930.htm Sparrows, blackbirds and the great tit are all birds known to sing at a higher pitch in urban environments. It was previously believed that these birds sang at higher frequencies in order to escape the lower frequencies noises of the urban environment. Now, researchers have discovered that besides noise, the physical structure of cities also plays a role in altering the birds' songs. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132741.htm Researchers have recently studied the response of human NK cells against porcine chondrocytes. The results of the research indicate that these cells, characteristic of the innate immune system, play an important role in the rejection of xenotransplantation of porcine chondrocytes. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132116.htm Can animals’ survival instincts shed additional light on what we know about human emotion? Neuroscientists pose this question in outlining a pioneering theory, drawn from two decades of research, that could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of emotions in both humans and animals. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222132116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212614.htm Bacteria normally found 30 kilometers above Earth have been identified as highly efficient generators of electricity. Bacillus stratosphericus -- a microbe commonly found in high concentrations in the stratosphere -- is a key component of a new 'super' biofilm that has been engineered by a team of scientists from Newcastle University. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212534.htm Not that long ago in a hot spring in Kamchatka, Russia, two groups of genetically indistinguishable microbes decided to part ways. They began evolving into different species – despite the fact that they still encountered one another in their acidic, boiling habitat and even exchanged some genes from time to time, researchers report. This is the first example of what the researchers call sympatric speciation in a microorganism. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221145915.htm Researchers have discovered more details about how an energy sensing “thermostat” protein determines whether cells will store or use their energy reserves. The researchers have shown that a chemical modification on the thermostat protein changes how it’s controlled. Without the modification, cells use stored energy, and with it, they default to stockpiling resources. When cells don’t properly allocate their energy supply, they can die off or become cancerous. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221145915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125409.htm Evolutionary biologists have shed light on the early events leading to photosynthesis, the result of the sequencing of 70 million base pair nuclear genome of the one-celled alga Cyanophora. They consider this study the final piece of the puzzle to understand the origin of photosynthesis in eukaryotes. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125203.htm Along with photosynthesis, the plant cell wall is one of the features that most set plants apart from animals. A structural molecule called cellulose is necessary for the manufacture of these walls. Cellulose is synthesized in a semi-crystalline state that is essential for its function in the cell wall function, but the mechanisms controlling its crystallinity are poorly understood. New research reveals key information about this process. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221125203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124823.htm A gene known to control lens development in mice and humans is also crucial for the development of neurons responsible for mechanosensory function, as neurobiologists have now discovered. They found that in mice in which they had removed the c-Maf gene in the nerve cells, touch sensation is impaired. This similarly applies to human carriers of a mutant c-Maf gene. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124821.htm Some of Ireland's oldest inhabitants are facing serious threat and possible extinction because of foreign species, according to researchers. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124810.htm Scientists have shed light on how vertebrates evolved closed circulation systems designed to more effectively carry blood to organs and tissues. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124711.htm A strain of the potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium known as MRSA has jumped from livestock to humans, according to a new study. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124709.htm Survival and reproduction of many aquatic and semi-aquatic animals can depend upon how well they float. Tadpoles use various strategies to attain buoyancy, depending upon their stage of development and location in still or turbulent waters. Researchers have taken a closer look at the developing frog's strategies to achieve buoyancy. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221090240.htm Certain insects, such as the African variegated grasshopper or the cinnabar moth, native in Europe and Asia, feed on toxic plants in order to protect themselves from predators. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221090240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220211013.htm On the surface, it's simple: when night falls, our bodies get sleepy. But behind the scenes, a series of complex molecular events, controlled by our genes, is hard at work to make us groggy. Now, research suggests that a newly identified gene known as insomniac may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in fruit flies researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism by which sleep is regulated. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220211013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220142451.htm A distinctive echolocation frequency led to the discovery of a new species of bat within the genus Hipposideros. Although this bat is similar to the species Hipposideros armiger, differences in acoustics, size, and DNA between these bats led to the identification of the new species. This new member of the bat community, which has been found in two locations in Vietnam, has been given the scientific name Hipposideros griffini. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220142451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220090844.htm Studying the origin of life at its building blocks offers a unique perspective on evolution, says a researcher. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220090844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143321.htm Researchers have provided the first experimental evidence confirming a great British mathematician's theory of how biological patterns such as tiger stripes or leopard spots are formed. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143319.htm Global warming has driven Yosemite's alpine chipmunks to higher ground, prompting a startling decline in the species' genetic diversity, according to a new study. The genetic erosion occurred in the relatively short span of 90 years, highlighting the rapid threat changing climate can pose to a species. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143222.htm Defects in a protein that functions as a dietary fat sensor may be a cause of obesity and liver disease, according to a new study. The findings highlight a promising target for new drugs to treat obesity and metabolic disorders. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143216.htm In a standard biology textbook, cells tend to look more or less the same from all sides. But in real life cells have fronts and backs, tops and bottoms, and they orient many of their structures according to this polarity explaining, for example, why yeast cells bud at one end and not the other. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143214.htm New connections between brain cells emerge in clusters in the brain as animals learn to perform a new task, according to a new study. The findings reveal details of how brain circuits are rewired during the formation of new motor memories. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143049.htm Researchers report that they have identified a class of proteins that detect "painful touch." Scientists have known that sensory nerves in our skin detect pressure, pain, heat, cold, and other stimuli using specialized "ion channel" proteins in their outer membranes. They have only just begun, however, to identify and characterize the specific proteins involved in each of these sensory pathways. The new work provides evidence that a family of sensory nerve proteins known as piezo proteins are ion channel proteins essential to the sensation of painful touch. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217221159.htm Researchers are expressing concern about a new, under-recognized, much more potent variant of a common bacterium that has surfaced in the U.S. It's virulent, potentially drug-resistant, and strikes otherwise healthy, young patients. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217221159.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217145755.htm Improving natural photosynthesis to make new fuels and boost crop production is the focus of new research. It could see us one step closer to bottling the sun's energy or turbocharging plants to produce bumper crops. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217145755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217145621.htm For the first time, scientists follow the development of individual immune cells in a living zebrafish embryo. T-cells are the immune system's security force. They seek out pathogens and rogue cells in the body and put them out of action. Their precursors are formed in the bone marrow and migrate from there into the thymus. Here, they mature and differentiate to perform a variety of tasks. Scientists have now succeeded for the first time in observing the maturation of immune cells in live zebrafish embryos. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217145621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217115547.htm Plant and computer scientists can now study the underground world of plants with more accuracy and clarity. The revolutionary technique will improve our chances of breeding better crop varieties and increasing yields. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217115547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217115012.htm A biologist has created a sketch of what the first common ancestor of plants and algae may have looked like. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217115012.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217101703.htm American Quarter Horses are renowned for their speed, agility, and calm disposition. Consequently over four million Quarter Horses are used as working horses on ranches, as show horses or at rodeos. New research used 'next-generation' sequencing to map variation in the genome of a Quarter Horse mare. Analysis of genetic variants associated with specific traits showed that compared to a thoroughbred the Quarter Horse's genome was enriched for variants in genes involved in sensory perception, signal transduction and the immune system. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217101703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217101339.htm Recently, the complete genome of a glaucophyte alga (Cyanophora paradoxa) has been unraveled by an international consortium. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217101339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216185408.htm Billions of engineered nanoparticles in foods and pharmaceuticals are ingested by humans daily, and new study warns they may be more harmful to health than previously thought. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216185408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216165757.htm Chemical engineers have discovered a small molecule that behaves the same as cellulose when it is converted to biofuel. Studying this "mini-cellulose" molecule reveals for the first time the chemical reactions that take place in wood and prairie grasses during high-temperature conversion to biofuel. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216165757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216165500.htm Biologists have long been amazed by gecko feet, which allow 5-ounce lizards to produce an adhesive force equivalent to carrying 9 lbs. up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist have invented “Geckskin,” an adhesive device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216165500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216144238.htm A new robotic device made from DNA could potentially seek out specific cell targets and deliver important molecular instructions, such as telling cancer cells to self-destruct. Inspired by the mechanics of the body's own immune system, the technology represents a major breakthrough in the field of nanobiotechnology and might one day be used to program immune responses to treat various diseases. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216144238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216143957.htm Scientists have created the first high-resolution virtual image of cellular structures called S1P1 receptors, which are critical in controlling the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis and other diseases. This new molecular map is already pointing researchers toward promising new paths for drug discovery and aiding them in better understanding how certain existing drugs work. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216143957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216143955.htm Scientists have developed the first 3D look at the interaction between an immune sensor and a protein that helps bacteria move. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216143955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216134336.htm That our chromosomes can break and reshuffle pieces of themselves is nothing new; scientists have recognized this for decades, especially in cancer cells. The rules for where chromosomes are likely to break and how the broken pieces come together are only just now starting to come into view. Researchers have brought those rules into clearer focus by discovering that where each of the genome's thousands of genes lie within the cell's nucleus -- essentially, the genome's three-dimensional organization -- holds great influence over where broken chromosome ends rejoin. This knowledge could shed light on fundamental processes related to cancer and normal cellular functions -- for example, in immunity. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216134336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216134324.htm A mixture of current drugs and carbon nanoparticles shows potential to enhance treatment for head-and-neck cancers, especially when combined with radiation therapy, according to new research. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216134324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133924.htm The Government of Bangladesh recently declared three new wildlife sanctuaries for endangered freshwater dolphins in the world's largest mangrove ecosystem – the Sundarbans, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society whose conservation work helped pinpoint the locations of the protected areas. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133442.htm Researchers have sequenced the genome of a contagious cancer that is threatening the Tasmanian devil, the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, with extinction. Cataloguing the mutations present in the cancer has led to clues about where the cancer came from and how it became contagious. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133440.htm Evolutionary biologists have documented for the first time that plants pass genes from plant to plant to fuel their evolutionary development. The researchers found enzymes key to photosynthesis had been shared among plants with only a distant ancestral relationship. The genes were incorporated into the metabolic cycle of the recipient plant, aiding adaptation. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133436.htm Fruit flies infected with a blood-borne parasite consume alcohol to self-medicate, a behavior that greatly increases their survival rate, a new study finds. The researchers say the results are the first to show that alcohol consumption can have a protective effect against infectious disease, and in particular against blood-borne parasites. The data raises an important question: Could other organisms, perhaps even humans, control blood-borne parasites through high doses of alcohol? Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133432.htm Researchers have discovered how the "guardian of the genome'' oversees quality control in the production of sperm -- and perhaps in many other cells as well. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133426.htm Researchers have sequenced the complete genome of one immortal devil. The genomes of the Tasmanian devil and its transmissible cancer may help to explain how that cancer went from a single individual to spreading through the population like wildfire. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133252.htm In a step toward deciphering the “splicing code” of the human genome, researchers have comprehensively analyzed six of the more highly expressed RNA binding proteins collectively known as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoparticle (hnRNP) proteins. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216133252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111532.htm Discovering the relation between genetic variation and observable characteristics of individuals belonging to a species, such as a person's height or the manifestation of a hereditary disease is one of today's challenges in biology. Until now only a small part of the variation of these traits - which biologists name phenotypes - were attributed to genetic variations. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111530.htm Researchers have managed to isolate a sugar – a ribose –  in gas phase and to characterize a number of its structures. Sugars give rise to enormous biochemical interest given the importance and diversity of the functions they carry out: they act as an energy storage system and serve as fuel for a number of biological systems; they form part of DNA and of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and, moreover, play a key role in cell processes. Recently interest in sugars has also been increasingly attracting the attention of cosmochemistry, more concretely, in the search for the fundamental matter of the origin of life in interstellar space. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111528.htm By absorbing about a third of human-made carbon dioxide, the ocean decelerates global warming. However, when dissolved in seawater, carbon dioxide reacts to produce carbonic acid, causing seawater pH to decrease. It also diminishes the concentration of carbonate ions, thereby putting organisms forming their shells and skeletons from calcium carbonate at risk. Apart from plankton, algae, mussels and snails, stony corals are among those particularly endangered: Their skeletons consist of aragonite, the most soluble form of calcium carbonate. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216110403.htm Two meters below the surface of the Atacama Desert there is an 'oasis' of microorganisms. Researchers have found it in hypersaline substrates thanks to SOLID, a detector for signs of life which could be used in environments similar to subsoil on Mars. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216110403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216095032.htm The ability to change vocal sounds and develop an accent is potentially far more widespread in mammals than previously believed, according to new research on goats. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216095032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216094724.htm Climate change spells trouble for many tropical birds -- especially those living in mountains, coastal forests and relatively small areas -- and the damage will be compounded by other threats like habitat loss, disease and competition among species, according to a new review. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216094724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216094637.htm Genetic information provided by a large group of specially-designed mice could pave the way to faster human health discoveries and transform the ways people battle and prevent disease. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216094637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215143105.htm Computer engineers may have just provided the medical community a new way of figuring out exactly how one of the three building blocks of life forms and functions. They have used a complex computer program to analyze RNA motifs – the subunits that make up RNA. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215143105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215142817.htm Scientists have tested nearly 700 wild yeast strains isolated from diverse environments for the presence of known and unknown prion elements, finding them in one third of all strains. All the prions appear capable of creating diverse new traits, nearly half of which are beneficial. These unexpected findings stand as strong evidence against the common argument that prions are merely yeast "diseases" or rare artifacts of laboratory culture. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215142817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123949.htm Scientists have discovered that the elastic part of myomesin, a protein that links muscle filaments, can stretch to two and a half times its original length, unfolding in a way that was hitherto unknown. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123702.htm Scientists have found a fundamentally new mechanism how our defense system is ramped up when facing a viral intruder. Exploitation of this mechanism in vaccines sparks new hope for better prevention and therapy of infectious diseases and cancer. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123702.htm