science wire

Professor Lyn Chitty (UCL Institute of Child Health) is leading a five-year research project to evaluate and, if appropriate, develop a plan to implement tests which could significantly reduce the number of women undergoing invasive tests during pregnancy such as amniocentesis. Invasive tests carry around a one per cent risk of miscarriage, so each thousand invasive tests avoided would potentially save ten healthy babies.

Scary ancient spiders revealed in 3D models, thanks to new imaging technique Early relatives of spiders that lived around 300 million years ago are revealed in new three-dimensional models Imperial C

UCL scientists are part of a team that has located a region of DNA which - when altered - can increase the risk of ovarian cancer, according to research published today . An international research group involving UCL, the Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Unit, and the University of Cambridge searched through the genomes of 1,810 women with ovarian cancer and 2,535 women without the disease from across the UK.

Cambridge, Mass. July 30, 2009 - Since evolving to eat other fish, freshwater fish at the top of the food chain have remained relatively unchanged compared with their insect- and snail-eating cousins, according to new research.

When these nanoscale protein machines encounter obstacles as they move along the DNA, they stall, often for minutes, and even backtrack as they transcribe DNA that is tightly wound to fit inside the cell's nucleus.

Under pressure: new research programme to examine how bacterial pathogens cope with stress BBSRC grant fuels interdisciplinary bacterial stress response research %0A " By Danielle Reeves Thursday 30

The new Spatiotemporal Modeling Center is funded by a $14.5 million, five-year grant from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences. "The new center will apply large-scale, multidisciplinary approaches to understanding how the innate and adaptive immune systems interact." Lab contributes computer modeling, antibody engineering capabilities Los Alamos, New Mexico, July 28, 2009— Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists will codirect a new National Center for Systems Biology located at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Cambridge, Mass. July 28, 2009 - An analysis of rare genetic disorders in which children lack some genes from one parent suggests that maternal and paternal genes engage in a subtle tug-of-war well into childhood, and possibly as late as the onset of puberty.

Natural born killers ? how the body's frontline immune cells decide which cells to destroy New insight into how the body's Natural Killer cells work %0A " Imperial College London news release Strictl

DNA barcode chosen for identifying the world's plants New identification technique could aid plant conservation %0A " Adapted from a press release issued by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Tuesday

UCL researchers have undertaken a study, published in The Lancet of 11 July, to ascertain whether the treatment of severe acute malnutrition could be improved through the use of new types of therapeutic foods.

BERKELEY — Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are proving that a camera phone can capture far more than photos of people or pets at play.

BERKELEY — Researchers have identified a gene variant that carries nearly twice the risk of developing an increasingly common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of cancers that develops in the immune system's white blood cells.

Sparkling with success ? Diamond fellowship awarded to Imperial life scientist New professorial fellowship from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council %0A " By Danielle Reeves Mon

Scientists at Harvard University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor brain activity as participants played a game involving cues that predicted monetary rewards and penalties.

PA 192/09 Drifting across the world's oceans are a group of unicellular marine microorganisms that are not only a crucial source of food for other marine life — but their fossils, which are foun

BERKELEY — Drugs that block a growth factor receptor on brain cells may prevent epilepsy after brain damage, according to a new study appearing in the July 15 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

Quartet of ministers put Imperial healthcare innovation in the spotlight - %0A " Tuesday 14 July 2009 By Abigail Smith The latest developments in personalised medicine were on show at Imperial today,

Blood vessel bends and branches put the brakes on statins First evidence that biomechanical forces may affect drug?s action - %0A > Under embargo until 00.01hrs British Summer Time Friday 1

Attractive males release fewer sperm per mating to maximise their chances of producing offspring across a range of females, according to a new paper on the evolution of ejaculation strategies.

Glutamic acid linked to lower blood pressure Glutamic acid may be a key blood pressure-lowering component of vegetables Imperial College London News Release Under strict embargo for 21.

A neuroscience laboratory based within UCL's Institute of Ophthalmology has developed the first audio-based game for the iPhone.

PA 187/09 Plant roots provide the crops we eat with water, nutrients and anchorage. Understanding how roots grow and how hormones control that growth is crucial to improving crop yields, which will be necessary to address food security and produce better biofuels. Now an international group of scientists, led by the Centre for Plant Integrative Biology at The University of Nottingham, has shed light on how a plant hormone is crucial in controlling the growth of plant roots.

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University are well on the way to creating the first artificial nerve cell that can communicate specifically with nerve cells in the body using neurotransmitters.

Moles hold the key to melanoma genes New study reveals genes for melanoma risk %0A " Press release issued by Kings College London Strictly embargoed for 18.00 hours British Summer Time Sunday

Climate change and the mystery of the shrinking sheep How milder winters are causing Scotland's Soay sheep to decrease in size Imperial College London news release Strictly embargoed for 1900 hours B

Plant scientists reach for the skies with London rooftop experiments New GroDome facility on roof of campus building %0A " Imperial College London news release For immediate use Thursday 2 July 2009

Current search for heart disease treatment may not be fruitful New research suggests C-reactive protein does not cause coronary heart disease - %0A " Imperial College London News Release Under strict embargo for 21.

Stress in the womb can last a lifetime, say researchers behind new exhibit Imperial scientists at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition show people why pregnant women should relax - %0A " Imperial Coll

Researchers at the University of Sheffield are using tropical fish to help understand human diseases such as heart disease, asthma and Parkinson´s disease.

A team of scientists have developed an innovative robot rat which can seek out and identify objects using its whiskers.

UCL is delighted to announce three new appointments, which will shape the development of life and biomedical sciences at UCL in the coming years.

PA179/09 It could mean the end of animal testing and eventually even clinical patient drug trials. The Virtual Physiological Human is a 21st century pan-European project that's gaining momentum and takes a major step forward this week at The University of Nottingham.

Engineers, scientists and clinicians will improve the lives of those living with osteoarthritis, thanks to £11 million grant Imperial receives £11 million grant to establish a Centre of Excellence in Medical Engineering Solutions for Osteoarthritis ?

PA 175/09 Pupils from a Nottingham secondary school will use advanced GPS technology to help protect our unique habitats — and the plants and animals that make their home there — from the effects of climate change.

Ashwani Jha (UCL Institute of Neurology) has been awarded £170,000 from the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) for research into parts of the brain that are associated with specific symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

PA 169/09 Where we are born not only determines how we speak but also how we taste our food and drink. The taste preferences of the UK's major regions have been analysed by Professor Andy Taylor, an expert in flavour technology at The University of Nottingham and Greg Tucker a leading food psychologist.

June 18, 2009 — Virginia Key — The National Resource for Aplysia at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has had its resources grant with the National Institute for Health (NIH) extended for an additional five years.

Dangerous liaisons: bacterial ?sex? causes antibiotic resistance Pneumococci with DNA from other species are more resistant to antibiotics, says study - %0A " Imperial College London News Release Und

Deforestation causes 'boom-and-bust' development in the Amazon No long term benefits for local people when rainforests are cleared University of Cambridge and Imperial College London joint news relea

Seven key appointments for UCL Partners (UCLP), Europe's largest academic health science centre, were announced today, including a managing director of the partnership and six programme directors who