A tiny bit of genetic material with no previously known function may hold the key to stopping the spread of cancer, researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Sichuan University in Chengdu, China report in two papers in the September 7-11 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Continue reading… “‘On-Off Switch’ Mechanism Stops Spread Of Cancer”
Unknown biological glob floating down coast of Alaska
A mysterious glob of unknown material up to 12 miles long has appeared off Alaska’s northern coast. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Terry Hasenauer says, “It’s certainly biological. It’s definitely not an oil product of any kind.”
Continue reading… “Mysterious Biological ‘Goo’ Floats Down Alaskan Coast”
With its pleasure boats dipping on the horizon and clustered tourist restaurants, the Indonesian island of Nusa Lembongan looks little like the edge of a great wilderness. (Pics)
Continue reading… “The Coral Triangle – Most Diverse Ecosystem On Earth”
Scientists at Cambridge University have discovered that freshwater algae can form stable groupings in which they dance around each other, miraculously held together only by the fluid flows they create.
Continue reading… “‘Dancing’ Algae Discovered By Scientists At Cambridge University”
A tiny microbe found in the Chesapeake Bay is the focus of intense study for a biotech startup in College Park, MD. Zymetis has genetically modified a rare, cellulose-eating bacterium to break down and convert cellulose into sugars necessary to make ethanol, and it recently completed its first commercial-scale trial. Earlier this year, the company ran the modified microbe through a series of tests in large fermenters and found that it was able to convert one ton of cellulosic plant fiber into sugar in 72 hours. The trial, researchers say, illustrates the organism’s potential in helping to produce ethanol cheaply and efficiently at industrial scales. Zymetis is now raising the first round of venture capital to bring the technology to commercial applications.
Continue reading… “Rare Microbe To Help Make A Better Biofuel”
When NASA began thinking about missions to look for life beyond Earth, it realized it had a problem: how to recognize life if it were found.
Continue reading… “Synthetic Life Form Grown In Lab Capable Of Darwinian Evolution”