Who wants to live for ever? A scientific breakthrough could mean humans live for hundreds of years

A genetically engineered organism that lives 10 times longer than normal has been created by scientists in California. It is the greatest extension of longevity yet achieved by researchers investigating the scientific nature of ageing.

Unraveling the physics of DNA's double helix

 The stability of DNA is so fundamental to life that it's important to understand all factors , said Piotr Marszalek, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials sciences at Duke.  If you want to create accurate models of DNA to study its interaction with proteins or drugs, for example,  you need to understand the basic physics of the molecule . For that, you need solid measurements of the forces that stabilize DNA .

DNA construction kit for nanoengines

For a rotaxane molecule consists essentially of an axle and a ring, or hoop, threaded over it. To prevent the hoop from slipping off the axle, bulky  stoppers  are placed at each end. These, in turn, consist of intertwined rings. The whole construction looks rather like a dumbbell with a hoop around its handle ( see diagram ).

Brain Stimulation with Infrared Light

Researchers have recently found that infrared light has the capability of stimulating brain cells. Infrared light causes the excitation of neurons thus altering their activity. This new type of brain stimulation method is referred to as infrared nerve stimulation (INS). INS has a variety of applications for altering the functioning of central nervous system disorders. For many brain disorders, brain activity is altered in comparison to more normal states. Infrared light has a very high selectivity and can target very small sub-populations of brain cells. This type of stimulation could potentially reduce many of the side effects of current brain stimulation.

DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show

Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence, undermining the credibility of what has been considered the gold standard of proof in criminal cases. The scientists fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. They also showed that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they could construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without obtaining any tissue from that person. “You can just engineer a crime scene,” said Dan Frumkin, lead author of the paper, which has been published online by the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics. “Any biology undergraduate could perform this.”

Organic food is no healthier, study finds

Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007.

William F. Loomis: Life as It Is ( book )

This concise, accessible book considers from a biological perspective the controversial issues of our day: Abortion, euthanasia, engineered evolution, cooperativity, and the future of sustainable life on this planet. Exploring in fascinating detail the processes by which cells come into being and multiply, Loomis clearly and simply explains the latest in complex biological research. He reviews recent insights into molecular and human evolution, the role of DNA sequences in determining traits, and the biological basis for consciousness, all of which, he argues, need to be considered when making life-and-death decisions and wrestling with questions about the limits to intervention.

Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCSD

La premio Nobel italiana nació en Turín el 22 de abril de 1909

A principios de los 50, junto con el joven bioquímico norteamericano Stanley Cohen, Levi-Montalcini da un vuelco a su carrera: descubre e identifica el NGF, el Factor de crecimiento nervioso. Años después, en 1986, estas investigaciones valdrán a los dos el Premio Nobel de Medicina. Es una etapa particularmente feliz de su vida, llena de satisfacción profesional: la misma que, de haber seguido la

Girl born a record 22 years after father's sperm is frozen

A former leukaemia patient who had his sperm frozen as a teenager has fathered a baby after doctors successfully thawed his sample a record 22 years later. Chris Biblis was 16 when doctors told him that he needed radiotherapy that would leave him sterile and recommended before going ahead with the life-saving treatment that they put a sample of his sperm into cryogenic storage for future use. Now aged 38, he is celebrating the birth of a healthy baby daughter, Stella, who was conceived after scientists injected a defrosted sperm into an egg from his wife, Melodie, and implanted it in her uterus.

15 foods that kill fat

Jeanne Calment: A French woman with the longest confirmed lifespan in history at age 122 years 164 days

When asked on one occasion for her prescription for a long life, she mentioned garlic, vegetables, cigarettes, red wine, and avoiding brawls. On another occasion, she ascribed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance for her age to olive oil, which she said she poured on all her food and rubbed onto her skin, as well as a diet of port wine, and nearly 2 pounds of chocolate eaten every week.

Why Doctors Hate Science ?

Thank God doctors in the United States are free to treat patients as they deem best, free from interference by faceless bureaucrats.

If bureaucrats were in charge, physicians might have to prescribe the newest hypertension drugs as a first-line therapy,

do MRIs to diagnose back pain and give regular Pap tests to women who have had total hysterectomies. Oh, wait—they do. All these medical practices are common, despite rigorous studies showing how useless or wrongheaded they are. Definitive studies over many years have shown that old-line diuretics are safer and equally effective for high blood pressure compared with newer drugs, for instance, and that MRIs for back pain lead to unnecessary surgery. And those Pap tests? Total hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix. A Pap test screens for cervical cancer. No cervix, no cancer. Yet a 2004 study found that some 10 million women lacking a cervix were still getting Pap tests.

Darwin 2009 commemorations

The year 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (24 November 1859) and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth (12 February 1809). This page aims to list the associated worldwide events and publications.

Do Nanoparticles in Food Pose a Health Risk?

Yet, the Washington, D.C.–based environmental group Friends of the Earth (FoE) reports that none of the more than 100 food or food-related products it identified that contain nanoparticles—puny particles between 100 and one nanometers—bears a warning label or has undergone safety testing by government agencies.

Napping: the expert's guide

For years, napping ("siesta") has been derided as a sign of laziness. We are "caught" napping or "found asleep at the switch". But lately it has garnered new respect, thanks to scientific evidence that midday dozing benefits both mental acuity and overall health. A slew of recent studies have shown that naps boost alertness, creativity, mood, and productivity in the later hours of the day.Read more...

Octuplets Born In California (And Baby #8 Was A Surprise!)

A woman gave birth to eight babies in Southern California on Monday, the world's second live-born set of octuplets. Read more...