Research Briefs New Genes: The Ears Have 'Em; The Worker, The Soldier, The Candlestick Maker; For Genomes Without Borders, Biobanks Unite New genes: The ears have 'em While scouring a new cDNA library, researchers in the Netherlands discovered 80 novel expressed-sequence tags, including 25 preferentially expressed in human fetal cochlea.1 The researchers from the University Medical Center in Nijmegen (UMCN) found that 155 ESTs map to loci for nonsyndromic deafness, which is not associated

Final 44 biomedical engineering research grants handed out

NSF awards $30 million for interdisciplinary work on evolution, development, and reproduction

Frontlines | The Herpetological 'Hand' Courtesy of Gene Ott Snakes cannot properly wear gloves, but cottonmouths do exhibit some form of "handedness," says Eric Roth, a zoologist at the University of Oklahoma. In a recent study Roth demonstrated that the adult female snakes show a tendency to coil clockwise, with the left side of their bodies on the inside of the coil.1 Roth questions whether brain lateralization or other physiological asymmetry, such as the alignment of internal organs,

Marine Biological Laboratory scientist's work on cell biology and video microscopy honored

5-Prime | Diming Out Dimerization What is dimerization? It is a process where two molecules of similar chemical composition come together to form a single polymer known as a dimer. Where does dimerization occur? It happens throughout the cell. For example, dimers form in the cell membrane, where tyrosine-kinase receptors reside, and in the cytosol that contains microtubules composed of tubulin. In the nucleus, hormone receptors, acting as transcription factors, form dimers to increase st

Departure from Arizona facility leaves future of research there uncertain

5-Prime | Whisper Down the Vine: Plant Communication What is chemical communication in plants? Plants rely on chemical signals to communicate with each other and themselves. Some of these chemicals are volatile (known as volatile organic compounds--VOCs) and can be released from leaves, fruits, and flowers. VOCs play various roles in plant development, survival, and gene expression. What sends and receives these signals? Three main types of plant-to-plant signaling are known: interspecifi

In 1996 geneticist Gilles Thomas and colleagues at the INSERM, the French Institute for Health and Medical Research in Paris, reported that IBD1, a region on the long arm of chromosome 16, was a Crohn's disease susceptibility locus.1 Five years later, in a second study, they announced that they had pinpointed the exact gene. The researchers contended that the connection between Crohn's and NOD2, the implicated gene located in IBD1, provided evidence to support the hypothesis that the disease is

Click here for additional photos of life scientists elected to the National Academy of Sciences This past May, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) elected its new members and with the election came another round of criticisms that the NAS is elitist and gender biased, that the election process is outmoded, and that truly great scientists go unrecognized.1 Allegations aside, however, this year's election was the biggest ever--the first in which 72 members were chosen--and it signals the recog

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS, the National Institutes of Health announced on June 4 the launch of a new Web site chronicling the history of AIDS research. "In Their Own Words: NIH Researchers Recall the Early Years of AIDS" (http:// aidshistory.nih.gov) highlights five main periods in AIDS research: initial encounters with the disease, the AIDS epidemic, early research efforts, the discovery of HIV, and the search for effective treatments. Each section includes a

President George W. Bush's hesitance in filling top positions in science and engineering has the scientific community concerned about how funding policies may change and whether decisions will be based on research or rhetoric. Top positions remain unfilled at the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy (DOE), and Department of Agriculture. Bush even boasts the record for tardiness in choosing a White House science adviser