news 2014

Press release issued: 4 December 2014 A genetic variant which causes smokers to smoke more heavily has been shown to be associated with increased body mass index (BMI) - but only in those who have never smoked, according to new research led by the University of Bristol, UK and published today in PLOS Genetics.

A team of scientists that included researchers from UCLA has discovered a novel mechanism of RNA regulation in embryonic stem cells. The findings are strong evidence that a specific chemical modification, or "tag," on RNA plays a key role in determining the ability of embryonic stem cells to adopt different cellular identities.

Rampant deer have long been munching away on forest plants and altering ecosystems, but new evidence suggests some plants are evolving tolerance to being eaten. An experiment with 26 populations of orange jewelweed ( Impatiens capensis ), a common wetland native plant, found that historically browsed populations tolerated being eaten by deer far better than historically protected plant populations.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 04 Dec 2014 An international study involving Manchester researchers has found that for previously untreated lung cancer patients with a particular genetic change, a new targeted therapy is better than standard chemotherapy. Some patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changes in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, which can drive the development of their cancer.

Birds learn new foraging techniques by observing others in their social network, 'copycat' behaviour that can sustain foraging 'traditions' that last years, according to a study of how innovations spread and persist in wild great tits ( Parus major ). The study involved experiments with eight local populations of great tits in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire (UK).

The bacterium that causes typhoid fever sickens about 21 million people annually but not other mammals. Researchers at Yale and the University of California-San Diego have discovered an explanation: differences in a single oxygen atom in the human receptor for typhoid toxin. The bacterium Salmonella typhi causes little harm in other mammals, although in chimpanzees, our closest genetic relative, it can replicate just like it does in humans.

Members of the Ju/'hoansi tribe foraging in north-western Namibia. Their lives and ways have remained unaltered for hundreds of generations, with only recent events endangering their hunter-gatherer lifestyles. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. New genetic research reveals that a small group of hunter-gatherers now living in southern Africa once was so large that it comprised the majority of living humans during most of the past 150,000 years.

UCLA scientists say the genes Scalloped and Yorkie weren't previously thought to be involved with the body's immune system Peter Bracke Dr. Julian Martinez-Agosto Lab/UCLA UCLA researchers have discovered that the Scalloped (above) and Yorkie genes play a key role in how progenitor stem cells are activated to fight infection.

When it comes to getting out of a tricky situation, we humans have an evolutionary edge over other primates. Take, as a dramatic example, the Apollo 13 voyage in which engineers, against all odds, improvised a chemical filter on a lunar module to prevent carbon dioxide buildup from killing the crew.

Researchers from the African Genome Variation Project (AGVP) have published the first attempt to comprehensively characterise genetic diversity across Sub-Saharan Africa. The study of the world's most genetically diverse region will provide an invaluable resource for medical researchers and provides insights into population movements over thousands of years of African history.

Learning from others and innovation have undoubtedly helped advance civilization. But these behaviours can carry costs as well as benefits. And a new study by an international team of evolutionary biologists sheds light on how one particular cost - increased exposure to parasites - may affect cultural evolution in non-human primates.

Two UCL professors led a key part of the new analysis of 'Skeleton 1'; which was discovered in a Leicester car park in 2012 on the site of the Grey Friars friary, the last known resting place of King Richard III. They used probability calculations to combine several different lines of evidence, producing an overall weight-of-evidence for the skeleton being that of King Richard III.

DNA and genealogical study confirms identity of remains found in Leicester and uncovers new truths about his appearance and Plantagenet lineage. Although the false paternity means we cannot look forward in time, we can trace King Richard's Y lineage back into prehistory Peter Forster An international research team has provides overwhelming evidence that the skeleton discovered under a car park in Leicester indeed represents the remains of King Richard III - closing what is probably the oldest forensic case solved to date.

In a quest to find new drugs for epilepsy, Dr Michael Johnson is at the forefront of research investigating the heritability of this serious disorder. Dr Michael Johnson is Deputy Head of the Centre for Clinical Translation at the Division of Brain Sciences , Imperial College London and a consultant neurologist at I mperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

The University of Chicago is collaborating with the National Cancer Institute to establish the nation's most comprehensive computational facility, which stores and harmonizes cancer genomic data generated through NCI-funded research programs. The establishment of the NCI Genomic Data Commons will expand access for scientists around the country, speeding up research and, in turn, leading to faster discoveries for patients.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 02 Dec 2014 Doctors and scientists from The University of Manchester have identified changes in a gene, which can increase the risk of developing brain tumours in children with a rare inherited condition called Gorlin syndrome. Gorlin syndrome causes an increased risk of developing cancers of the skin and, rarely, in the brain.

A new study from researchers at Queen Mary University of London looking at how goats express subtle positive emotions could lead to greater understanding of animal welfare. While there has been a great deal of research into negative emotions and stress in animals it is often hard for those who work with animals to know when they are in more subtle positive states.

ANN ARBOR-Charles Darwin noted more than 150 years ago that animals on the Galapagos Islands, including finches and marine iguanas, were more docile than mainland creatures. He attributed this tameness to the fact that there are fewer predators on remote islands. While "island tameness" is an old idea, there have been few rigorous studies of the phenomenon.

Enzymes made from artificial molecules which do not occur anywhere in nature have been shown to trigger chemical reactions in the lab, challenging existing views about the conditions that are needed to enable life to happen. Our assumptions about what is required for biological processes - the 'secret of life' - may need some further revision Alex Taylor A team of researchers have created the world's first enzymes made from artificial genetic material.

Give therapists and psychiatrists information about the biology of a mental disorder, and they have less - not more - empathy for the patient, a new Yale study shows. The findings released Dec. 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, challenge the notion that biological explanations for mental illness boost compassion for the tens of millions of Americans who suffer from mental-health problems.