September 2008 |
NIGMS Grantees Honored With Top U.S. Science Prize for Discovering Tiny, Regulatory RNAs |
September 15, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesTwo long-time NIGMS grantees, Victor R. Ambros, Ph.D., and Gary B. Ruvkun, Ph.D., have received the 2008 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. |
DNA "Tattoos" Mark Stem Cells in Planarians |
September 11, 2008 • University of UtahNIGMS-funded researchers have used synthetic molecules to mark the DNA of planarians, a kind of regenerating worm that could serve as a model for stem cell biology. |
Computational Research Uncovers Clue to Molecular Evolution |
September 10, 2008 • Florida State UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered intriguing details about how an enzyme may have evolved. |
NIGMS Grant Supports Creation of Chicago Center for Systems Biology |
September 9, 2008 • University of ChicagoNIGMS funds the Chicago Center for Systems Biology as part of its national program to study complex biological systems. |
The Robustness of Metabolic Networks |
September 4, 2008 • Northwestern UniversityAn NIGMS-funded team has found that metabolic networks are evolved to handle potentially harmful changes like gene deletions and mutations. |
New Protein Structure Could Spur Research on Metabolism, Cell Death |
September 4, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesScientists have determined the structure of a human membrane protein involved in metabolism and the self-destruction of cells. |
A Light Bulb and New Reactions |
September 4, 2008 • Princeton UniversityNIGMS-funded chemists are using light bulbs to propel organic chemical reactions that are efficient, versatile, and environmentally benign. |
NIH Awards First EUREKA Grants for Exceptionally Innovative Research |
September 3, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesNIGMS and three other NIH components have awarded $42.2 million to fund 38 exceptionally innovative research projects as part of a new program called EUREKA (for Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration). |
How Cells Copy Epigenetic Markers |
September 3, 2008 • Emory University School of MedicineNIGMS-funded researchers have caught in action one of the tools mammalian cells use to maintain the pattern of methylation in DNA. |
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August 2008 |
The Motions of Proteins--Random or Controlled? |
August 27, 2008 • Iowa State UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have found that protein motions appear to be more restricted and controlled than many expected. |
Why Animals Sleep |
August 25, 2008 • University of WisconsinNIGMS-funded researchers are asking why all animals sleep and speculate that sleep gives synapses a chance to slow down. |
Protein Structure Initiative Discovery Points to Drugs for Flu |
August 25, 2008 • Rutgers UniversityAn NIGMS-funded collaboration has revealed a key binding pocket for flu infection. Disrupting the interaction could treat flu. |
Dense Tissue Promotes Aggressive Cancers |
August 22, 2008 • Vanderbilt UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have found that cancer cells in rigid surroundings are more invasive, perhaps explaining why breast cancer is more aggressive in some women. |
Molecule Keeps Pathogens Like Salmonella in Check |
August 21, 2008 • University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterResearchers funded in part by NIGMS have found a potential new way to stop bacteria that cause digestive problems. |
Elderly Patients Less Likely to be Transported to Trauma Centers |
August 18, 2008 • Johns Hopkins UniversityAn NIGMS-supported study found an apparent age bias in the treatment of elderly trauma patients. |
Chemists Get Closer to Designing Catalysts |
August 18, 2008 • University of Southern CaliforniaAn NIGMS-funded study challenges entrenched ideas about the working of catalysts and suggests a way to design new ones. |
Refined NMR Techniques Show Structures of Membrane Proteins |
August 17, 2008 • University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignNIGMS-funded chemists are developing techniques to reveal the structures of membrane proteins using NMR. |
Scientists Make Precancerous Cells Self-Destruct |
August 15, 2008 • Rockefeller UniversityWorking in mice, a team supported by NIGMS has found a way to amplify the signals that tell precancerous cells to die. |
Engineers Build Mini Drug-Producing Factories in Yeast |
August 15, 2008 • California Institute of TechnologyNIGMS-supported researchers have developed a novel way to churn out large quantities of drugs, including antibiotics and morphine, in yeast. |
Molecular Switch Helps Decide Cell Type in Embryo Development |
August 11, 2008 • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterNIGMS-supported researchers have discovered a central molecular switch in fruit fly embryos that opens new avenues for studying the causes of birth defects and cancer in humans. |
Cell Migration Data Accessible Via New Database |
August 10, 2008 • Harvard Medical SchoolA team funded by the NIGMS has developed a user-friendly, interactive database, granting unprecedented access to information on genes involved in cell migration. |
Scientists Develop Novel Method for Understanding Gene Function |
August 6, 2008 • Texas A&M UniversityA team of NIGMS-supported researchers has devised a new method that enables the rapid and large-scale study of E. coli genes. |
Ricin's Deadly Action Revealed |
August 6, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoNIGMS-funded researchers have developed a chemical probe that can detect the poison ricin, highlighting its damage to the body's protein-making machinery. |
Checkpoint in Cell Cycle Discovered |
August 6, 2008 • Scripps Research InstituteNIGMS-funded researchers have detailed the role of a newly discovered protein important to controlling cell division. |
Worms Sense Light Without Eyes |
August 5, 2008 • Oklahoma Medical Research FoundationNIGMS-funded biologists have discovered a way that worms can sense light, pointing to a tool for understanding how nerves communicate. |
UGA Researchers Win $9.2 Million Stem Cell Grant from the National Institutes of Health |
August 4, 2008 • University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia researcher Stephen Dalton will lead a new research program focused on understanding the unique properties of embryonic stem cells. |
Tool Offers Zoomable View of Genome |
August 4, 2008 • Broad InstituteNIGMS-funded computational biologists have developed a publicly available tool that integrates diverse data about the genome. |
NIGMS Increases Stem Cell Research by $27 Million |
August 4, 2008 • National Institute of General Medical SciencesNIGMS has funded three new research programs aimed at uncovering the basic biology of human embryonic stem cells. |
New $8.9 Million Project Aims to Unlock Stem Cell Secrets |
August 4, 2008 • University of WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin researcher James Thomson has been awarded an NIGMS grant to pursue a research program that addresses some of the most fundamental questions about stem cells. |
Protein Predicts Survival in Pediatric Septic Shock |
August 1, 2008 • Cincinnati Children's HospitalAn NIGMS-funded study shows that levels of the protein interleukin-8 in the blood are linked to children's risk for death from septic shock. |
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July 2008 |
New Yeast Trick for Eating Favorite Food |
July 30, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered a new mechanism in much-studied yeast cells that allows them to focus on consuming their favorite sugar. |
How Animals Know It's Too Hot |
July 29, 2008 • Johns Hopkins MedicineAn NIGMS-funded study discovered how fruit flies sense small differences in temperature. |
Protein Disposal Components Linked to Cancer |
July 24, 2008 • New York University School of MedicineAn NIGMS-funded study has identified a new pathway that responds to DNA damage. |
Method Promises Routine Gene Modification |
July 24, 2008 • Massachusetts General HospitalNIGMS-funded researchers have created a robust way to induce specific genome modifications in many types of cells. |
Link Between Circadian Rhythm and Metabolism |
July 24, 2008 • University of California, IrvineNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that a protein that regulates circadian rhythms works with a protein linked to aging to modulate energy use. |
New Computational Languages to Describe Biology |
July 22, 2008 • Harvard Medical SchoolAn NIGMS-funded mathematician is helping integrate engineering concepts like artificial intelligence into computational descriptions of cells. |
Dark-Skinned Mice Shed Light on Bone Marrow Failure in Humans |
July 20, 2008 • Stanford University Medical CenterNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that p53, long known for its role in cancer, appears to be involved in skin color and anemia too. |
Mutant Testis Cells Pass Themselves On |
July 14, 2008 • University of Southern CaliforniaNIGMS-funded biologists have shown that testis cells carrying a mutation for Apert's syndrome have a survival advantage. |
DNA Palindromes and Disease |
July 14, 2008 • Tufts UniversityNIGMS-funded biologists have found a link between DNA sequence palindromes and replication delays, which can trigger chromosome breaks. |
A Catalog of Mitochondrial Proteins |
July 10, 2008 • Broad InstituteAn NIGMS-funded team has compiled a "parts list" for mitochondria, the cell's powerhouses, enhancing understanding of mitochondrial biology and disease. |
Ion Channels Caught in Opening Act |
July 9, 2008 • University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAn NIGMS-funded study used unique methods to study how ion channels respond to voltage changes to open and close. |
How Molecular Motor Works |
July 9, 2008 • University of Pennsylvania School of MedicineNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that molecular motors in the cell work by detecting minor changes in force. |
Fly Cells Reveal Host Genes Required for Flu Infection |
July 9, 2008 • University of Wisconsin, MadisonNIGMS-funded biologists have demonstrated a rapid way to identify host factors needed for a virus to infect a cell. |
Key Molecule Lets Microbes Produce Greenhouse Gases |
July 7, 2008 • Ohio State UniversityA 12-year effort funded by NIGMS sheds light on how microbes produce carbon dioxide and methane, offering insights for improving industrial processes. |
RNA Interacts With Promoters to Regulate Genes |
July 6, 2008 • University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that RNA can interact with the non-coding part of a gene, apparently to regulate when it's turned on. |
Potential Drug Candidates For "Bird Flu" |
July 2, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoLooking to prepare for a possible outbreak of drug-resistant avian flu, NIGMS-funded researchers have identified more than two dozen new candidate drugs. |
Supercomputer Helps Track Oxygen in Myoglobin |
July 1, 2008 • Virginia TechA half century after the structure of myoglobin was solved, NIGMS-funded researchers discovered exactly how oxygen moves in the protein. |
New Checkpoint in Cell Division |
July 1, 2008 • Fox Chase Cancer CenterNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered a previously unknown checkpoint that helps cells divide only when they're ready. |
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June 2008 |
How Dividing Cells Find Their Middle |
June 30, 2008 • Rockefeller UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered a self-organizing system that ensures accurate cell division. |
Ronin Keeps ES Cells' Potential |
June 27, 2008 • Baylor College of MedicineResearchers funded in part by NIH have discovered a protein they named Ronin that keeps embryonic stem cells undifferentiated. |
Probe Can Reveal Protein Interactions |
June 27, 2008 • Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyA new type of probe can be used to see thousands of interactions between proteins in a living cell, report NIGMS-funded researchers. |
Starvation Hormone Makes Mice Small |
June 26, 2008 • University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that high levels of a starvation hormone stunt the growth of mice. |
New Role For Mitochondria Could Lead to Targeted Therapies |
June 25, 2008 • Ohio State UniversityNIGMS-funded researchers have found that human cells can shift tRNAs into their mitochondria. |
DNA Knot Keeps Viral Genes Corked |
June 17, 2008 • University of California, San DiegoNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered that DNA is coiled into a highly distorted structure under tremendous pressure in a virus shell. |
Computer Predicts Anticancer Molecules |
June 17, 2008 • Georgia TechA computer-based method of analyzing cell activity is able to predict antitumor activity of naturally occurring metabolites, report NIGMS-funded researchers. |
Protein in Mosquitoes Metabolizes DDT |
June 16, 2008 • University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignNIGMS-funded researchers have identified a protein that allows some malaria-carrying mosquitoes to resist the pesticide DDT. |
Compound May Treat Acute Diarrhea |
June 16, 2008 • University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonNIGMS-funded researchers have discovered a compound that decreases the fluid secretion caused by bacteria that trigger diarrhea.
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Scientists Unravel Bacterial Communication Pathways |
June 12, 2008 • Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyA team of NIGMS-supported researchers has figured out how bacteria ensure that they respond correctly to hundreds of incoming signals from their environment. |
Chemists Use 'Green Chemistry' to Produce Widely Used Compound |
June 12, 2008 • University of California, RiversideNIGMS-supported chemists have discovered an inexpensive, clean and quick way to prepare amines, compounds that are used widely in industry. |
Researchers Reveal Insights Into How Proteins Fold |
June 11, 2008 • Stanford UniversityNIGMS-supported researchers have begun to pry open the lid on the inner workings of a molecule called TRiC that helps proteins fold. |
Scientists Show Why Cells Starved of Iron Burn More Sugar |
June 6, 2008 • Duke UniversityNIGMS-supported scientists have shown that cells starved of iron shut down the iron-dependent, energy-making pathway and switch to a less efficient pathway that burns more sugar. |
Scientists Reveal How Cell's Transcribing Machine Achieves Near Perfection |
June 5, 2008 • Stanford UniversityNIGMS-supported researchers have discovered new details of how the cell's major transcriptional enzyme, RNA polymerase II, functions with such exquisite precision. |
Researchers Observe 'Ratcheting' of Ribosome Molecules |
June 5, 2008 • University of IllinoisNIGMS-supported researchers are the first to observe the dynamic, ratchet-like movements of single ribosomal molecules in the act of building proteins from genetic blueprints. |
Personal Genomes May Lead to Personalized Vitamin Supplements |
June 2, 2008 • University of California, BerkeleyA team of NIGMS-supported scientists has found a reason to examine a person’s genome: to find the slight genetic flaws that can be fixed with remedies as simple as vitamin or mineral supplements. |
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May 2008 |
Scientists Zero In On Protein Critical to Fruit Fly Eggshell Formation |
May 29, 2008 • Medical College of GeorgiaThe NIGMS-supported advance gives scientists a better understanding of how the innermost protective eggshell layer forms and suggests a target for pesticide development. |
No Sex, But Plenty of Gene Transfer |
May 29, 2008 • Marine Biological LaboratoryNIGMS-supported scientists have uncovered evidence for massive horizontal gene transfer in the bdelloid rotifer, a microscopic, asexual, freshwater animal. |
Skin Defects Can Set Off Alarm With Potentially Harmful Effects |
May 27, 2008 • Washington UniversityA team of NIGMS-supported researchers has found that irritated skin can trigger a natural inflammatory substance that launches a massive overproduction of white blood cells in mice. |
Courtship Pattern Linked to Gene in Fruit Flies |
May 26, 2008 • University of Chicago Medical CenterWhen a gene known as sphinx is inactivated in the common fruit fly, it leads to increased male-male courtship, according to a new NIGMS-supported study. |
Scientists Image a Single HIV Particle Being Born |
May 25, 2008 • Rockefeller UniversityBy using a special microscope, a team of NIGMS-supported scientists has become the first to see molecules coming together in a living cell to form a single HIV particle. |
New Technique Inactivates Targeted Genes in Zebrafish |
May 25, 2008 • University of MassachusettsNIGMS-supported researchers have devised a method to target individual genes for inactivation—a technique with broad potential implications for both basic science research and human disease. |
Enzyme Involved in Protein Degradation Linked to Cellular Senescence |
May 22, 2008 • Mount Sinai School of MedicineA new NIGMS-supported study identifies a pivotal role for the CUL7 E3 ubiquitin ligase in growth control. |
Redesign of Snake Proteins Linked to Adaptations |
May 19, 2008 • University of Colorado School of MedicineA new NIGMS-supported study suggests that major redesigns of snake metabolic proteins have brought about important biological adaptations. |
Physicists Manipulate DNA-Drug Interactions |
May 19, 2008 • Northeastern UniversityNIGMS-supported researchers have developed a method using optical tweezers to better understand how DNA-drug interactions occur. |