Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
|Applying Social Network Analysis to Protein Conformations
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Here’s a paper detailing some advances in social network analysis and protein conformations:
Tags: bioinformatics, Network Science, software
Posted in Review Paper, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Ghost of ancestor’s genes lingers: Antiobesity DNA is absent, but its benefits to mice remain
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
From Hannah Lachance (just before she headed right back up to UVM: An article in the April issue of Science News discusses the study of a gene that prevents mice from gaining weight even when on a high intake rich diet. Mice with this gene can eat as much as they want and they remain skinny even though they eat more and exercise less than the control group of mice which don’t have this gene and don’t have any ancestors that have this gene. The mice that are prone to obesity can have the DNA containing this gene injected successfully; they can eat as much as they want and they will not become obese. Researchers discovered that mice who don’t pass this gene on to their off-spring still have decedents up to 3 generations later that exhibit the effects of the gene. This is currently being explained by saying the gene passed on a “ghostly imprint” which is causing the effects to persist. Researchers aren’t exactly sure how this is occurring but they think it might in part be due to a change in the way that small pieces of RNA regulate protein production.
Tags: Animal Model, Biology, Genetic Control
Posted in Current Data Papers, Uncategorized | No Comments »
NASA, the undisputed King of Press Releases
Thursday, August 11, 2011
A team from NASA is claiming to have found nucleobase-like molecules on a meteorite. They also claim that their signal (unusual nucleobase analogs to include 2,6-diaminopurine) is well above background and is not found in terrestrial controls. As much as I want to implicitly trust this data, my experience with NASA biochemistry is that they shoot first and think/ask questions later. But the one thing they do better than anyone else: crow about it.
Check these out:
PR: http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/11/dna-discovered-in-meteorites/
http://www.outlookseries.com/A0996/Science/3824_Michael_Callahan_NASA_Nucleobases_DNA_Building_Blocks_Can_Made_Space_Michael_Callahan.htm
Tags: Current Literature, DNA, Evolution, RNA, Scientific Method
Posted in Current Data Papers, Junk Science, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Good undergrad cloning site
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Tags: Bacteria, Biology, Cloning, DNA, Microbiology
Posted in Lab Business, Teaching, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Naturally Obsessed: The making of a scientist
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Too cool. I might be letting people know a little too much about me by admitting that I’ve watched it twice and it motivates me to knock out bench work.
http://www.thirteen.org/naturally-obsessed/
Tags: Cell Biology, Current Literature, graduate school, New York
Posted in Lab Business, Science & Belief, Teaching, Uncategorized | No Comments »