ScienceDaily: Top Science News

Neuroscientists lead global consortium to crack brain's genetic code Posted: 21 Jan 2015 11:48 AM PST About 300 scientists used more than 30,000 brain scans and DNA samples to find eight gene mutations that affect the size of specific parts of the brain. The study could help identify people who would most benefit from new drugs designed to save brain cells, but more research is necessary to determine if the genetic mutations are implicated in disease, the researchers say.

Biological safety lock for genetically modified organisms Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:56 AM PST Scientists have genetically recoded a strain of E. coli to depend on a synthetic amino acid so the bacteria can't survive outside the lab. The E. coli were also made resistant to two viruses.

Synthetic amino acid enables safe, new biotechnology solutions to global problems Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:56 AM PST Scientists have devised a way to ensure genetically modified organisms can be safely confined in the environment, overcoming a major obstacle to widespread use of GMOs in agriculture, energy production, waste management, and medicine.

Two lakes beneath the ice in Greenland, gone within weeks Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:51 AM PST Researchers discovered craters left behind when two sub-glacial lakes in Greenland drained away -- an indication that the natural plumbing system beneath the ice sheet is overflowing with meltwater. One lake once held billions of gallons of water and emptied to form a mile-wide crater in just a few weeks. The other lake has filled and emptied twice in the last two years.

Death of a dynamo: A hard drive from space Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:07 AM PST Hidden magnetic messages contained within ancient meteorites are providing a unique window into the processes that shaped our solar system, and may give a sneak preview of the fate of the Earth's core as it continues to freeze.

Closer than ever to a personalized treatment solution for intellectual disability Posted: 21 Jan 2015 10:06 AM PST Scientists have developed an approach that completely protects animal models against a type of genetic disruption that causes intellectual disability, including serious memory impairments and altered anxiety levels.

Seeing is not remembering, it turns out Posted: 21 Jan 2015 07:32 AM PST People may have to 'turn on' their memories in order to remember even the simplest details of an experience, according to psychologists. This finding, which has been named 'attribute amnesia,' indicates that memory is far more selective than previously thought.

In theory, the Milky Way could be a 'galactic transport system' Posted: 21 Jan 2015 05:36 AM PST Based on the latest evidence and theories our galaxy could be a huge wormhole and, if that were true, it could be "stable and navigable." Astrophysicists combined the equations of general relativity with an extremely detailed map of the distribution of dark matter in the Milky Way when proposing this possibility.

New bacterial 'language' discovered: Previously unknown communication pathway Posted: 21 Jan 2015 05:36 AM PST Bacteria communicate by means of chemical signals and can develop common characteristics through this "agreement" and also develop their potential pathogenic effects in this way. Scientists have now described a hitherto unknown communication pathway that appears to be widely distributed.

Endangered chimpanzees may experience drastic habitat loss within 5 years Posted: 21 Jan 2015 05:06 AM PST Dramatic habitat loss by 2020 threatens the population of the planet's most endangered chimp subspecies, according to new research. The work suggests that climate change could do more harm to chimpanzee populations than previously realized.

Largest study of babies born after infertility treatment shows significant improvements in health over past 20 years Posted: 21 Jan 2015 05:06 AM PST The last two decades has seen a steady improvement in the health outcomes of children born after assisted reproduction (ART), with fewer babies being born preterm, with low birth weight, stillborn or dying within the first year of life.

Men and women process emotions differently Posted: 20 Jan 2015 03:58 PM PST Women rate emotional images as more emotionally stimulating than men do and are more likely to remember them. However, there are no gender-related differences in emotional appraisal as far as neutral images are concerned. These were the findings of a large-scale study that focused on determining the gender-dependent relationship between emotions, memory performance and brain activity.