Recently, a study highlighting the role that an important molecular chaperone plays in the prevention of a trademark contributor to Alzheimer’s disease was published in the journal Biochemistry.

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A novel strategy has recently been developed which allows the visualization of DNA synthesis in intact cells or organisms. This strategy, developed by the University of Zurich’s Institute of Organic Chemistry, utilizes a tailor-made nucleic acid which can be incorporated into a normal DNA strand to allow this biochemical process to be seen using fluorescent probes.

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A Spanish research team has recently published evidence which may provide the first direct functional link between differential expression of mRNA-specific translational regulators and tumor development.

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A German research team has recently uncovered evidence that orcein, a compound used for hundreds of years as a food dye, and the related compound O4 both act to accelerate the aggregation of β-amyloid monomers into mature amyloid plaques.

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In a food economy that is rich in refined starches, it can be hard to have a balanced starch intake. The Monell Center has just reported that the perceived texture of food varied between individuals based on the activity of an oral enzyme known as salivary amylase. While the studies sample size was of just 73 people the methodology was thorough in its approach and even analyzed DNA samples from 62 subjects to examine the genetic influences on salivary amylase.

"Differences in starch perception likely affect people’s nutritional status by influencing their liking for and intake of starchy and starch-thickened foods,” said study lead author Abigail Mandel, a nutritional scientist at Monell.

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Researchers from Loyola University have identified six (6) individual amino acids, located in a little-studied region of the TRIM5a protein, that appear to give the protein the ability to destroy HIV in rhesus monkeys.

The finding could lead to new TRIM5a-based treatments that would knock out HIV in humans, said senior researcher Edward M. Campbell, PhD, of Loyola University Health System.

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In a post we made in early March of this year, we reported on an interview with Dr. J. Craig Venter. In the video Dr. Venter mentioned their team was close to producing cells from an entirely synthetic DNA genome.

Today the research team announced 'success' ... they have designed a genome in the computer, chemically made it in the lab, transplanted it into a recipient cell and now have produced a new self-replicating cell, controlled only by the synthetic genome.

It has taken the team the better part of 15 years to arrive at this important stage. Dr. Daniel Gibson, lead author on the published article, stated, “To produce a synthetic cell, our group had to learn how to sequence, synthesize, and transplant genomes. Many hurdles had to be overcome, but we are now able to combine all of these steps to produce synthetic cells in the laboratory.” He added, “We can now begin working on our ultimate objective of synthesizing a minimal cell containing only the genes necessary to sustain life in its simplest form. This will help us better understand how cells work.”

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Researchers from George Washington University Medical Center have discovered a way to detect a specific autism spectrum disorder by using blood samples. Additionally the researchers discovered that drugs which affect the methylation state of genes may reverse some of autism's effects.

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The man who helped to first sequence the human genome ten years ago, is looking to use biology to tackle the energy problem.

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 Using just four hairs and a few small fragments of bone from an ancient man discovered in the permafrost of western Greenland, a research team from the University of Copenhagen have sequenced about 80% of the ancient man's genome. 

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