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Genomatix gives a hand in the analysis of Wayne State's sequencing projects By News Releases (Genomatix Software GmbH) The C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development at the Wayne State University School of Medicine installed a Genomatix Mining Station and a Genomatix Genome Analyzer last year at their labs in order to support the analysis of NextGen Sequencing data. Professor Stephen Krawetz , Director of Translational Reproductive Systems is utilizing the Genomatix systems to help analyze the cis and epigenetic elements that control many reproductive events, including cell-fate.

Breast cancer drug fulvestrant appears more effective in the presence of CK8 and CK18 By News Releases (Indiana University) Women's responsiveness to the second-line breast cancer drug fulvestrant may depend on whether the cancer cells are expressing two key proteins, Indiana University Bloomington scientists report in this month's Cancer Biology & Therapy.

Cleveland researchers use natural and artificial sheaths to mend traumatic bone loss By News Releases (Case Western Reserve University) Melissa Knothe Tate, of Case Western Reserve University, and Ulf Knothe, of the Cleveland Clinic, have shown that the stem-cell rich periosteum sheath around bone can be used to mend serious bone loss faster and more simply than bone grafts. The pair has developed an artificial periosteum that can be implanted in patients who have too little of the natural covering left.

K-State professor finds link between low oxygen levels in body and cancer-aiding protein By News Releases (Kansas State University) Dolores Takemoto, a K-State professor of biochemistry who was researching protein kinase C gamma in the lens of the human eye, found her work taking a fascinating turn when she discovered a correlation between the protein Coonexin46 and hypoxia -- a deficiency of oxygen which kills normal tissue cells. Takemoto believes the findings will lead to serious advancements in treating retinoblastoma, a cancer that forms in the tissue of the retina.

Designer nano luggage to carry drugs to diseased cells By News Releases (Norwich BioScience Institutes) UK scientists have succeeded in growing empty particles derived from a plant virus and have made them carry useful chemicals. The external surface of these nano containers could be decorated with molecules that guide them to where they are needed in the body, before the chemical load is discharged to exert its effect on diseased cells. The containers are particles of the Cowpea mosaic virus, which is ideally suited for designing biomaterial at the nanoscale.

Like little golden assassins, 'smart' nanoparticles identify, target and kill cancer cells By News Releases (Cornell University) Another weapon in the arsenal against cancer: nanoparticles that identify, target and kill specific cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.

Which came first: Religion or the brain? By News Releases (Prometheus Books) In the fractious debate on the existence of God and the nature of religion, two distinguished scientists radically alter the discussion. With a perspective rooted in evolutionary biology and a focus on brain science, in "God's Brain" renowned anthropologist Lionel Tiger and neuroscientist Michael McGuire elucidate perennial questions about religion: What is its purpose? How did it arise? What is its source? Why does every known culture have some form of it?

New ways to disarm deadly South American hemorrhagic fever viruses By News Releases (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) Researchers have discovered how one New World hemorrhagic fever virus latches onto and infects human cells, offering a much-needed lead toward new treatments.

Study shows potential for using algae to produce human therapeutic proteins By News Releases (University of California - San Diego) Pharmaceutical companies could substantially reduce the expense of costly treatments for cancer and other diseases produced from mammalian or bacterial cells by growing these human therapeutic proteins in algae -- rapidly growing aquatic plant cells that have recently gained attention for their ability to produce biofuels.

New sensor array detects single molecules for the first time By News Releases (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) MIT chemical engineers have built a sensor array that, for the first time, can detect single molecules of hydrogen peroxide emanating from a single living cell.