Concept: De-extinction Source: A Policy Forum piece in Science (April 5, 2013), titled: “What If Extinction Is Not Forever?“ Technology: Three approaches. Back-breeding is possible where genetic variants homologous to extinct species exist in surviving species. Cloning, as by using somatic cell nuclear transfer from an extinct subspecies (i.e. with other extant subspecies). Genetic...
Background: GPCRs known to signal from surface and to be internalized. Fact: Prove that GPCRs signal from endosomes. Interest: Adds complexity to particulars (ie. location) of GPCR signalling. Source: Research Highlights in Nat Rev MCB (May 2013) on Nature article (2013). Fact: RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription kinetics are modulated by signalling pathways that affect the rate of...
There is a Research Highlights piece (in Nat Rev Gen [Nature Review Genetics]) on a paper entitled Parallel evolutionary dynamics of adaptive diversification in Escherichia coli (in PLoS Biol), which studies the principle of sympatric diversification, which is the “organismal diversification or speciation that occurs without […] geographical separation of [the] diverging...
Source: Original research Letter in Nature (April 11, 2013). Background: Although it has been known that Northern latitudes have had extreme temperature highs, it is difficult to prove that those are higher than any in the past. Methods: Use hierarchical Bayesian approach…(?) Results: Recent years have the highest extremes, and approx. 0 lowest extremes. The past 20yrs are 1.16C higher than...
Concept: Animal self-medication. Source: Perspective in Science (April 12, 2013). Background: Self-medication (incl. prophylactic) can be administered to self, inter-generational (e.g. fruit flies lay preferentially in high ethanol foods following detection of parasitoid* wasps), social (e.g. anti-microbial resin incorporated by wood ants into nest). Criteria include that it must be costly (thus...
A News Focus covering a trend identified at a conference: opsins (light-responsive GPCRs) are found in myriad tissues, including primitive phylogenies (incl. sea-urchins and jellyfish). These researches have led to an increased appreciation of the variety of roles opsins may serve: Light-responsive roles (cf. vision) (e.g. modulating likelihood of stinging cells firing in hydra). Part of multi...
Concept: Giant Impact Theory A Perspective piece in Science on the Giant Impact Theory, as an introduction to two new papers with different simulation solutions. Paper gives background, explains two papers, competing theories, and future challenge to this question. Any simulation needs to explain: [1] the Moon’s angular momentum, and [2] slightly lower density; [3] it’s apparent age...
2012_11: Genomic Epidemiology uses full genome sequencing of pathogens collected from (suspected) patients to trace the transmission vector. [] 2012_11: Biochar is charred (heated without air) biomass, that has the potential to mitigate climate change and – important for its economic viability – benefit agriculture. For the former it removes carbon from the biomass-cycle into a stable...
Concept: Imperfect sensory information. Source: A Nature News & Views, referencing recent original research from Science (April 5, 2013). Background: Previous work proved that there is noise in decision making, leaving open the question as to the noise’s source (e.g. sensory organ, ability to accumulate information, biases, strategy for estimating information importance). Methods: New...
Concepts: PCSK9, and LDL cholesterol. Source: A News Feature in Nature (April 9, 2013). Background: PCSK9 circulates in the blood, binding to the LDL receptor on the surface of liver cells, taking them into the cell to be degraded. On the surface, LDL receptors capture LDL cholesterol to remove it from the bloodstream. Mutating/inhibiting PCSK9 leaves more LDL receptors on the surface, thus...
