SCIENCE FOR SCIENTISTS
Renamed Science for Biophysics.
Selection from international English language science journals in support of molecular biophysics
Science news selection and reporting by Helen Gavaghan
2012. Malcolm Dando gives his view of the CWC and BTWC.
2010 GO TO ISSUE
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JULY TO DECEMBER, 2010.
PUBLISHER
Small RNAs, Small RNA location,
Epigenesis, Metazoa.
ITEM ONE. Diels-Alder, binding pocket, reaction rates.
ITEM TWO. Cortex, Human.
19-25.7.10. SUMMARY. Synthetic gene code provides binding pocket for diel-alder enzymatic reaction rate optimisation. From
"Computational Designs of an Enzyme Catalyst for a Stereoselective Biomolecular Diels-Alder Reaction.
DOI:10.1126/science.1190239,
from Science.
| Chemistry
SUMMARY. Differential regional pattern (some unexpected) of cortex surface suculi development observed as
humans become adults. From Similar Patterns of Cortical Expansion during Human Development and Evolution.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1001229107,
from PNAS.
| Biophysics.
Qualified approval for synthetic biology.
Reported from http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Reviews/1006-synthetic-biology-dialogue-methodology.pdf,
accessed prepublication.
ALS, Ataxin-2, TDP-43, RNA.
23 - 29.8.10.
Ataxin-2 protein interaction with TDP-43 hints at an RNA related role as
part of complex pathogenesis in ALS. From Ataxin-2 intermediate-lenghth polyglutamine expansions are associated with increased risk for ALS.
DOI:10:1038/nature09320, from Nature.
| Biology.
HapMap 3, population genetics, SNP, CNP.
Quantum communication, quantum repeaters, megahertz transmission.
1 - 6.9.10.
SUMMARY. Initial analysis of expanded HapMap (HapMap 3) database with attention to the quality of
imputation across populations. From Integrating common and rare genetic variations in diverse human populations by The International HapMap 3 Consortium.
DOI:10.1038/nature09298,
from a paper in Nature.
| Statistics in biology.
SUMMARY. A bilateral linear design for quantum communication by entanglement swapping that demonstrates
the potential feasibility for quantum communication networks with megahertz transmission rates. From ...quantum multiplexing to high-performance
quantum networking.
DOI:10.1038/NPHOTON.2010.213, from Nature Photonics.
| Physics.
PIKA3CA, ARID1A, PPP2R1A, KRAS.
6 - 12.9.10. SUMMARY.
Exomic
analysis of the genetics of ovarian clear cell carcinoma. From Frequent mutations of chromatin remodeling gene ARID1A in ovarian clear cell
carcinoma.
DOI:10.1126/science.1196333, from Science.
| From science to medicine.
Amyloid beta, glucose metabolism, brain cellular dynamics.
Normal brain, aerobic glycolysis.
14 - 19.9.10. SUMMARY. ITEM ONE.
Amyloid burden distribution
in dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) suggests the need for a deeper understanding of glucose metabolic end-to-end pathway and final product
outcome, location and fate. From Spatial correlation between brain aerobic glycolysis and amyloid (beta) (A beta) deposition.
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1010461107, from PNAS.
| Biochemistry.
rhodopsin, photophysics, potential energy transitions.
21 - 27.9.10. SUMMARY.
Demonstration of conical pathway for potential energy transition from cis to trans rhodopsin with sub 20 femto second optical microscopy from optical to
near infrared. From Conical intersection dynamics of the primary photoisomerization event in vision.
DOI:10.1038/nature09346, from
Nature.
| Biophysics.
HIV, gp140, heterogenous, bivalent immunoglobulin binding.
28.9 - 4.10.10. SUMMARY.
Polyreactivity, disfavoured when B-cells develop from haematopoietic stem cells (HSC), is observed in
three quarters of the 134 unique antibodies to gp140 isolated from 6 HIV infected patients. From Polyreactivity increases the apparent affinity
of anti-HIV antibodies by heteroligation.
DOI:10.1038/nature09385, from Nature.
| Immunology.
Nanostructures, single silicon crystal, heteroepitaxy.
5.10 - 11.10.10. SUMMARY.
Order of magnitude improvement in feature size within homo and heteroepitaxic silicon-silicon and silicon-NiSi single crystal
nanostructures, to achieve features of 30 to 35 nanometre distance. From Block copolymer, self assembly-directed single-crystal homo
and heteroepitaxial nanostructures.
DOI: 10:1126/science.1193369, from Science.
| Chemistry.
P.falciparum, preerythrocyte antigens, vaccine efficacy statistical model.
13.10 - 19.10.10. SUMMARY.
Mathematical model that predicts efficacy of 0.75 for a vaccine working in combination against two hepatic
merozoite antigens also gives tool for discussing biology of other P. falciparum's antigens during the parasite's life cycle using antibody titre
field data from 2001 and observations from the literature. From "Efficacy for antibody-mediated preerythrocyte malaria vaccines". DOI:10.1098/rspb.2010.1697,
from The Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
| Immunology.
piRNA, deadenylation and translation silencing, embryogenesis of Drosophilia Melanogaster.
hESC differentiation, hESC self renewal, induced pluripotency.
20.10 - 27.10.10. ITEM ONE. SUMMARY.
Biochemical actors in the deadenylation and decay of specific
mRNAs during embryogenesis of Drosophilia Melanogaster. From Maternal mRNA deanylation and decay by the piRNA pathway in the early Drosophilia embryo.
DOI:10:1038/nature09465, from Nature.
| Biology.
Characterisation via a GFP-marked hES cell line as primary screen of aspects (my emphasis - HG)
of: hESC self renewal; natural differentiation to pluripotency; and reversal of pluripotency to undifferentiated hESCs for reprogramming. From A genome-wide RNAi screen
reveals determinants of human embryonic stem cell identity.
DOI:10.1038/nature09531, from Nature.
| Biology.
Competing visual stimuli, neuronal response, medial temporal lobe, brain.
27.10 - 2.11.10. SUMMARY.
Medial temporal lobe shown to have physical capacity for neuronal direction of response to competing external
stimuli working via internal electronic representation of the competing external visual stimuli. From On-line, voluntary control of human temporal
lobe neurons.
DOI:10.1038/nature09510, from Nature.
| Neurology.
