Biological Sciences
Reginald Beer, PhD, medical diagnostics initiative leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, talks to contributing editor Tanuja Koppal, PhD, about the trends and innovations in digital PCR. While touting the advantages of digital PCR, he explains that not every lab needs to invest in this technology. Lab managers should look closely at their samples and assays to determine if digital PCR is needed for their application.
A team of neuroscientists has devised a fast, inexpensive imaging method for probing the molecular intricacies of large biological samples
Milk proteins may provide effective method for delivering AIDS treatment
Researchers at the University of Michigan have shown how a single neuron can perform multiple functions in a model organism, illuminating for the first time this fundamental biological mechanism and shedding light on the human brain.
Human-caused climate change, ocean acidification and species extinctions may eventually threaten the collapse of civilization, according to some scientists, while other people argue that for political or economic reasons we should allow industrial development to continue without restrictions.
Sometimes, words just complicate things. What if our brains could communicate directly with each other, bypassing the need for language?
In Human Clinical Trial, UAB to Test Drug Shown to Completely Reverse Diabetes in Human Islets, Mice
New research conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has shown that the common blood pressure drug verapamil completely reverses diabetes in animal models. Now, thanks to a three-year, $2.1 million grant from the JDRF, UAB researchers will begin conducting a potentially groundbreaking clinical trial in 2015 to see if it can do the same in humans.
Cyborg cockroaches may soon help with disaster recovery
This year’s data reveal notable variation in compensation for life scientists working in different fields, sectors, and regions of the world.
A novel jelly-like substance developed by Kansas State University researchers was recently issued a U.S. patent. The substance may be used for biomedical applications, ranging from cell culture and drug delivery to repairing and replacing tissue, organs and cartilage.
Many studies suggest that toxins in the environment may be a cause of autism, affecting a mother’s unborn child as it develops. However, proving this for certain is difficult, as it is something that cannot be tested directly.
