A monthly digest of research news from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/ en-us Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:30:00 EST http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/rss/biobeat.gif http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/ A monthly digest of research news from NIGMS Just as paleontologists have fossils, biomedical researchers have DNA to help them study the past. Studying changes as well as similarities in DNA sequences reveals how organisms evolve over time. This issue highlights how the concept of evolution undergirds biomedical research. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#1 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#1 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST Evolutionary changes in our DNA may make people more susceptible to certain diseases chimps do not get. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#2 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#2 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST A finding in yeast may help explain iron deficiency and diabetes in humans. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#3 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#3 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST A naturally occurring genetic “smart bomb” might help slow the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#4 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#4 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST Small RNAs were present early in animal evolution and may have contributed to the development of more complex organisms. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#5 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/09-01-21/index.html#5 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST Like bright berries on a holly bush, proteins (red) attach to chromosomes being pulled apart by microtubules (green). Hover over the image to the next slide, though, and our perfect holiday image blurs because of mutations in an enzyme that helps control proper chromosome segregation. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#1 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#1 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST Bicarbonate, the active ingredient in baking soda, doesn’t just make muffins rise--it also activates anthrax toxin. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#2 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#2 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST Scientists have found new clues about aging in mammals that could lead to a useful therapeutic strategy for aging-associated disorders. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#3 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#3 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST To better understand deadly bloodstream infections, scientists have modeled how bacteria shuttle between vessels and organs. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#4 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#4 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST We usually think of biological traits as stemming from DNA, but a new study shows that fertility in flies depends on another, maternally inherited factor. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#4 http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/08-12-17/index.html#4 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST