My high school biology teacher once told me that nothing was binary in biology except for alive and dead, and pregnant and not pregnant. Any other variation, he said, existed along a continuum. Whether or not the claim is technically accurate, it serves to illustrate an important feature of biological life. That is, very little in the biological world falls neatly into categories. A new finding, published today in PLoS ONE by Gustavo Arriaga, Eric P. Zhou, and Erich D. Jarvis from Duke University adds to the list of phenomena that scientists once thought were categorical but may, in fact, not be.

The consensus among researchers was that, in general, animals divide neatly into two categories: singers and non-singers. The singers include songbirds, parrots, hummingbirds, humans, dolphins, whales, bats, elephants, sea lions and seals. What these species all have in common and what distinguishes them from the non-singers of the animal world is that they are vocal learners. That is, these species can change the composition of their sounds that emanate from the larynx (for mammals) or syrinx (for birds), both in terms of the acoustic qualities such as pitch, and in terms of syntax (the particular ordering of the parts of the song). It is perhaps not surprising that songbirds and parrots have been extremely useful as models for understanding human speech and language acquisition. When other animals, such as monkeys or non-human apes, produce vocalizations, they are always innate, usually reflexive, and never learned.

But is the vocal learner/non-learner dichotomy truly reflective of biological reality? Maybe not. It turns out that mice make things more complicated.

Only in the last hundred years or so have researchers known that mice vocalize as part of their mating process. The reason it eluded scientists for so long is that their vocalizations cant be heard by human ears. But then, in 2005, Holy and Guo argued in a paper in PLoS Biology that the ultrasonic vocalizations produced by mice ought to be thought of as songs rather than calls.

Lots of species produce calls, and those calls serve different purposes. Some are primarily used for mating, others for indicating the presence of food, and still others to notify group members of predators. While some calls may indeed be thought of as musical, scientists tend to distinguish between calls and songs. Unlike calls, which are built of single syllables (sometimes repeated), songs include multiple syllables that are constructed in a specific (non-random) order, often with repeated phrases. Calls tend to be identical across multiple individuals of a given species, while songs tend to differ from singer to singer.

The binary distinction between singers and non-singers might not be as convincing if it were based solely on observable behavior, but it turns out that the dichtomy is reflected in neurobiology. There are special neural circuits in both humans and singing birds that are uniquely associated with vocal learning.

Mice had always been situated firmly in the vocal non-learning group, but if Holy and Guo are right in referring to mouse vocalizations as songs, Arriaga and his colleagues reasoned, then they might show the same neurobiological signature as birds and humans. One of the hallmark neurobiological features of song learners is a circuit that starts in the motor cortex on the top of the brain which projects directly to the part of the brainstem that controls the vocal organ. These circuits have never been seen in any other non-singing species, according to Arriaga, despite over fifty years of effort searching for them, particularly in vocal non-learning birds and non-human primates.

The researchers discovered that mice do have a brain circuit that starts in the primary motor cortex, projects directly to the part of the brainstem responsible for controlling the larynx, and importantly, is active when male mice sing. The difference, when compared with birds and humans, is that the circuit is weaker, more sparse. Its there, its just not as strong.

When this pathway is disrupted in singing birds or humans, they become unable to produce vocalizations that had been learned (songs), but are still able to produce their innate vocalizations (calls). So Arriaga wanted to see what would happen if he chemically disabled those circuits in some mice. While the impaired mice were still able to sing their songs, they didnt sound quite right. Both the pitch and the frequency of their vocalizations had been affected.

Read this article:
Singing Mice May Join Humans and Songbirds As Vocal Learners

Ten Knox College students recently snorkeled in the ocean off Belize to examine aquatic life, and they traveled throughout the Caribbean country, interacting with its residents and visiting ancient Mayan sites.

The two-week trip was an extension of a spring term 2012 course about Belize's marine biology. Knox faculty member Linda Dybas taught "Marine Biology: Field Research on the Belizean Barrier Reef" on the Knox campus, and she co-led the Belize trip with Miava Reem, technical assistant in the Department of Biology.

"This course is interdisciplinary," said Dybas, who is Watson Bartlett Professor and chair of the Department of Biology. "I teach mostly about marine biology in Belize, and also a little bit about the politics, the history, the cultural mixes, and economic development in Belize."

Students said that traveling to Belize helped them to expand on their classroom knowledge.

"What I gained from the trip was insight into what work goes into being a marine biologist and (insight into) the other kinds of ecosystems that exist around the world," said Arnold Salgado, a Knox senior from Chicago, Illinois.

"It was really cool seeing the dinner-plate sized jellyfish and the red fire sponges on the swamps, as well as the fire coral around (Tobacco) Caye," added Salgado, a biology major who is minoring in chemistry. "I was particularly interested in studying the organisms and their interactions with each other on a day-to-day basis."

"The coolest thing on Tobacco Caye was snorkeling and being able to see the coral reef and the animals in person," said Zoe Kudla, a senior history major from Ypsilanti, Michigan, with a minor in biology. "I knew it was going to be a great experience, and it exceeded my expectations." (Photo at top of page: Knox students on Tobacco Caye in Belize. Photo at left: Knox students snorkeling just off Tobacco Caye.)

Dybas has taken Knox students to Belize every other year since 2006. She said that Belize is an outstanding place to study marine biology because of its natural features, including mangrove forests, underwater caves, atolls, and the Belize Barrier Reef -- the largest in the Northern Hemisphere.

In addition, she said, "It has almost every eco-system: a high mountain ridge, lower mountains, plains, and the wonderful coastline. Because English is the primary language, Knox students can interact easily with residents of Belize and "have really interesting conversations with people their own age."

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Knox Students Explore Belize's Marine Biology, Culture

Photo by Michael Neugebauer Jane Goodall sits with Freud, a chimpanzee who lives in the Gombe National Park on the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. British born Goodall, who became world famous for her work with chimps, has also been a United Nations Messenger for Peace for 10 years. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which has an office in Vienna, Va., and works to protect all living things.

Biology major Spencer Brodsky from Potomac will be among the more than 1,000 students and academic staff expected to hear Jane Goodall speak Saturday at the University of Maryland in College Park.

A junior, Brodsky hopes to personally ask Goodall what research scientists can do through their work to help the world solve its problems, considering recent cuts to research budgets.

First of all, dont lose hope, says Goodall, who will speak at 1:30 p.m. at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on campus.

Afterwards, Goodall will be available to sign some of the many books she has written that will be available for sale.

The talk, called Making a Difference, is already fully reserved, but a standby line will begin forming at 1 p.m. to fill any empty seats that become available.

Goodalls talk will also be streamed live online with links posted on the University of Maryland website (www.umd.edu or http://www.bsos.umd.edu) just prior to the talk.

Additionally, Discovery Communications, headquartered in Silver Spring, will premiere a two-hour documentary about Goodall called Janes Journey on Animal Planet at 9 p.m. tonight.

Goodall, 78, who lives in England but travels about 300 days a year, is currently visiting universities and other venues around the United States to update people about her work with chimpanzees in Tanzania in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s as part of work on human evolution.

Through persistent observation, she documented their complex social relationships and use of sticks to extract termites for food, challenging previous beliefs that humans were the worlds only toolmakers.

See original here:
Gazette.Net: Goodall talk to be streamed live online Saturday from College Park

The days leading up to the announcements of the Nobel Prizes as well as the aftermath are gossip heaven for us scientists. We love to speculate who will win and after the announcements, we exchange wild conspiracy theories, talk about the painful snubs and pontificate on whether or not the recipients deserve the honors. Our dark side also tends to chime in and we exhibit some Schadenfreude when the more pompous leaders in a field are snubbed and some of us also salaciously look forward to another Nobel scandal. The announcement that John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka are the recipients of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was a special treat for me. Usually, when I hear about the Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prizes, the discoveries for which the recipients are honored either occurred decades ago or were in areas of biomedical research that are not directly my area of interest. This year's Nobel Prize was awarded to Gurdon and Yamanaka for their ground-breaking work, which showed that adult, mature cells can be reprogrammed to an immature, stem cell state. This discovery is the basis of much of the work in my own laboratory and as I write this, I know that stem cells are being cultured in my laboratory using the methods that Yamanaka developed only six years ago. When I read the paper by Takahashi and Yamanaka published in the journal Cell in 2006, I knew that I was witnessing a land-mark discovery by brilliant scientists, and many of us in the stem cell field have been expecting that Yamanaka would receive the Nobel Prize for his work, we just seemed to disagree about the year in which he would receive it. John Gurdon's work dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, when he showed that nuclei from adult cells of the Xenopus frog could be transplanted into an enucleated egg and give rise to healthy frogs - the first example of animal cloning. Gurdon challenged the older paradigm that once a cell becomes mature, it cannot go back. His work was a conceptual revolution and many of his colleagues were initially resistant to embracing this paradigm shift. Gurdon's seminal findings gradually convinced many other scientists to embrace his ideas and he inspired numerous other scientists to attempt cloning of other animals. The mechanisms of how the reprogramming occurred remained a mystery. How could a nucleus of an adult cell suddenly activate the transcriptional program of its embryonic past simply by being transplanted into an egg cell without a nucleus? This type of nuclear reprogramming was also rather cumbersome, especially in adult mammals. Extracting the nucleus of an adult cell and then injecting it into a single egg cell required a lot of expertise and was not ready for a widespread use in stem cell laboratories. When Yamanaka published a method nearly 50 years later in which the reprogramming to the embryonic-like state could be initiated by merely implanting four genetic regulators into an adult mouse cell, the idea of reprogramming adult cells suddenly caught on. Within a matter of months, other laboratories confirmed the findings and his paper became one of the most highly cited papers in recent history. In a period of just six years, Yamanaka's paper has been cited more than 4,000 times! Yamanaka then published a second paper in 2007, showing that adult human skin cells could be reprogrammed to the embryonic-like induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) state and this has lead to the generation of stem cell lines from numerous patients. I think most stem cell biologist will agree that both Gurdon and Yamanaka deserve the Nobel Prize for their discoveries. Some may ask why the first author Kazutoshi Takahashi on the landmark 2006 paper was not a co-recipient. Others may wonder about whether the scientists who developed techniques to culture human embryonic stem cells should also have been honored, because without their hard work, Takahashi and Yamanaka may not have been able to culture the human iPSCs. Such questions common after all Nobel Prize announcements, and are in part due to the stringent requirement that the Nobel Prize can be shared by no more than three researchers, a requirement that should perhaps be reconsidered in our age of collaborative and networked discovery. The question that bothers me, however, is why John Gurdon had to wait so long for his Nobel Prize. He had published many of the papers that convincingly documented successful reprogramming of adult Xenopus cells nearly 50 years ago. This was a pioneering discovery that challenged the paradigm of irreversible differentiation during development and had a major impact on the thinking of not just developmental biologists, but biologists from numerous disciplines. The Lasker Foundation also recognized the importance of John Gurdon's work, when it awarded the prestigious Lasker Basic Medical Research Award to both, Gurdon and Yamanaka in 2009. I think the obvious reason for Gurdon's recognition in recent years is that Yamanaka's method of reprogramming allowed for a much broader application of Gurdon's idea to mammalian and human cells, in a manner that can will likely be used for regenerative therapies, disease modeling and screening of patient specific pharmaceutical agents. If Yamanaka had not published his work on reprogramming mouse and human cells, would Gurdon have still received the Nobel Prize? This is a speculative question, but I think the answer is "No", because the awarded Nobel Prize is in "Medicine or Physiology". The title of the prize implies that the discovery has to have a link to medicine or normal physiology, but this makes it difficult to justify awarding the prize for ground-breaking discoveries in biology without a direct relevance for medicine or physiology. When the Nobel prizes were established more than a century ago, biology as an independent science was still in its infancy. The past century has brought us remarkable discoveries in biology, such as those in the areas of evolution or photosynthesis, which do not have a direct medical application. Just like the Nobel Prize in Physics honors great intellectual feats in the field of physics without documenting that these discoveries will lead to new technologies, biological discoveries should be similarly recognized without having to await imminent medical relevance. Even though Nobel did not establish a Nobel Prize in Economics, the Sveriges Riksbank responded to the recognition for the need of such a Nobel Prize by donating the required money to the Nobel Foundation to establish "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel". It has this convoluted name, because it is technically not a "Nobel Prize" and was not part of Nobel's will, but it is still administered by the Nobel Foundation like all the other Nobel prizes and this is why in common parlance, we all refer to it as the Nobel Prize in Economics. I think that we have to realize there is a similar need for a Nobel Prize in Biology, to honor outstanding biological discoveries that stand on their own, without having to prove their medical relevance. Establishing the "The Prize in Biology in Memory of Alfred Nobel", would be one way to recognize discoveries in biology and also foster even greater interest in this field, that will likely become one of the most important sciences of the 21st century.

Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news. 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

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The Prize in Biology in Memory of Alfred Nobel

By Nonie Arora

Meet Cameron Kim a Pratt Engineering student working on synthetic biology who also officiates for the Duke Quidditch team. Originally from Brandon, Florida, Cameron became interested in molecular biology and engineering in high school.

Kim Observing His DNA Gel Credit: Cameron Kim

I see most people identify biomedical engineering as biomechanics, neural engineering, and electrophysiology, he says, but theres really this other side growing quicker and quicker, which is using the tools of molecular biology to control how we as humans function and interact with the environment.

InDr. Charles Gersbachs lab, he has been working to create artificial transcription factors. Being able to control gene expression through transcriptional factors is vital to modulate cell behavior and human functions, Kim says.

Kim drew an analogy between a transcription factor and a light switch dimmer, saying that transcription factors allow for a range when turning on and off specific genes. He says that artificial transcription factors would allow him to influence a cells own genome without having to add extra copies of a gene. The goal is to develop a tool to reprogram cells that his lab can use to study muscle development and to hopefully repair muscles. His lab is looking at different ways to develop therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Kim thinks that engineering design principles that he has learned through his Pratt coursework are really important to his project. When I explain my research to a lot of people, they think Im just doing molecular biology, he says, but by knowing the parts and understanding my materials, I can design biological molecules and tools do what I want them to do. While we may traditionally associate engineers observing factors like the terrain or landscape to build a bridge, he looks at factors like energy barriers and cell functions to apply design principles to molecular biology.

Kim Presenting at the Howard Hughes Research Symposium Credit: Cameron Kim

Research is full of challenges, and Kims projects have been no exception. He says it has been challenging to develop his tool. While it looks great in one test, it does not work with another one. He is still investigating whether he should be looking for other factors to control or whether the challenges are due to biological limits.

When asked what advice he would give to other undergrads excited about delving into research, Kim said to recognize that youre not going to know everything and even brightest minds in the field dont know everything, and to also find out more about whatever youre interested and take advantage of wide base of knowledge around you.

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Student Cameron Kim, Working to Reprogram Cells

ScienceDaily (Oct. 7, 2012) Researchers headed by Erwin Wagner, the Director of the BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Programme at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), have deciphered how a stress-inducible gene regulator, AP-1, controls the survival of liver tumor-initiating cells. These results, published in the online edition of Nature Cell Biology, could provide new preventive strategies and identify potentially targetable molecules to prevent liver cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) causes more than 500,000 deaths per year worldwide. While patients with chronic hepatitis virus B and C infections or liver cirrhosis are high-risk populations for HCC, measures aiming at preventing HCC development in these patients are limited. In addition, the long-term prognosis after surgical resection of HCC remains poor, due to the high rate of de novo recurrence and the lack of effective preventive therapy.

The critical step for developing effective preventive therapies, but also diagnostic markers and preventive strategies is to identify targetable molecules and pathways responsible for cancer initiation.

Using genetic mouse models specific for liver cancer initiation, researchers have discovered how the stress-inducible AP-1 gene regulator modulates liver tumor cell death in early stages of liver cancer. Mechanistically, AP-1 controls the expression of the epigenetic modulator SIRT6. Subsequently, SIRT6 represses Survivin, which is involved in programmed cell death.

Importantly, altering these proteins in mice even transiently during the initiation stage markedly impaired liver cancer development in mice.

The relevance of these findings was tested in more than 150 human tissue samples collected in patients from Asia and Europe. A clear correlation between these proteins and liver cancer initiation, but not in advanced HCCs, was observed.

These results connect liver cancer initiation with epigenetics and cell death, and give new insights into why patients with metabolic diseases where SIRT6 is important, are at risk of developing of liver cancer.

"Our study provides not only novel implications for the development of preventive therapies for high risk cirrhotic or post-resection patients, but also a new paradigm how one can molecularly dissect cancer initiation using mouse models in combination with the appropriate human samples," states Latifa Bakiri, author of the study.

The study was initiated in Erwin Wagners group at the IMP in Vienna and subsequently carried out at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and at the State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, in Shanghai China led by Lijian Hui.

The study also involves the participation of clinical researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai and the Medical University of Graz, Austria.

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A novel oncogenic network specific to liver cancer initiation

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced that it has secured exclusive option rights to intellectual property for three key small molecule targets retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (Aldh1a1), thioesterase superfamily member 1 (Them1), and TRPV4.

Previously, Ember announced the licensing of technology to several biologics including irisin and BMP7, and has secured licensing to several functional/pathway screens that are key to its brown fat pipeline, including PRDM16 and Foxc2. Ember now has expanded its brown fat portfolio to include the licensing of options to three exciting direct biochemical drug targets in brown fat biology. Last week, Ember announced that it has secured an exclusive option to license a TRPV4 program that was recently the subject of a Cell publication that highlights the importance of this specific channel in brown fat biology. Today, Ember has added exclusive options for innovative programs targeting Aldh1a1 and Them1. This further illustrates Embers aggressive strategy to secure a broad intellectual property portfolio, spanning all aspects of brown fat biology, particularly those components related to pharmaceuticals.

In a recent study published in Nature Medicine, Jorge Plutzky, M.D., director of The Vascular Disease Prevention Program at Brigham and Womens Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, and fellow researchers, including C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., one of Embers scientific co-founders, found that inhibition of Aldh1a1 induced classic brown fat characteristics, including increased energy expenditure, protection against cold exposure, lowered glucose levels and reduced weight gain. Aldh1a1 is an enzyme involved in the retinoid metabolism process that is abundant in white fat cells, including in depots of visceral fat, which is often referred to as abdominal fat. The effects of Aldh1a1 inhibition were evident in both a genetic knockout model as well as through anti-sense targeting of Aldh1a1 in obese mice, with the induction of brown fat-like attributes in white adipose tissue, including visceral fat.

In a separate study, recent work published by David Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., and his laboratory at Brigham and Womens Hospital, demonstrated that Them1, a long chain fatty acyl-CoA thioesterase that is highly enriched in brown fat, plays an important role in regulating energy homeostasis. The research, reported in the journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences earlier this year, found that preclinical models deficient in Them1 have increased rates of fatty acid oxidation in brown fat and are highly resistant to diet-induced obesity, diabetes, inflammation and hepatic steatosis.

These recent findings on Aldh1a1, Them1 and TRPV4 provide a deeper understanding of the pathways and mechanisms that relate to brown fat, said Louis Tartaglia, Ph.D., president and interim chief executive officer of Ember Therapeutics. Aldh1a1, Them1 and TRPV4 all present significant, potential therapeutic opportunities for obesity and diabetes. By securing these exclusive license options, Ember is strategically expanding our portfolio of small molecule drug discovery programs for brown fat approaches to the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Ember is also pleased to announce that Dr. Plutzky, lead researcher in the Aldh1a1 discovery, has joined Embers Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Plutzky is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise across both basic science and clinical issues relevant to cardiovascular disease and metabolic abnormalities related to diabetes, dyslipidemia and obesity. He is a former member of the Food and Drug Administrations Endocrine and Metabolism Physicians Advisory Panel. He has received numerous awards for his work and has published extensively in the highest level of peer-reviewed journals.

About Ember Therapeutics, Inc.

Ember Therapeutics is a product-focused company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease. Todays rising epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes coupled with the lack of innovation in the industrys metabolic disorder treatment pipeline underscores the need for novel, peripherally-acting treatments with improved safety profiles. Embers unique approach leverages recent research breakthroughs in brown fat biology to develop a pipeline of proprietary large and small molecules designed to amplify the bodys innate ability to efficiently burn fuels like glucose. Embers expertise is also driving the development of the next generation of highly selective insulin sensitizers that have robust anti-diabetic effects, but lack the serious side effects of currently approved insulin sensitizers. Ember is a private company launched in 2011 by renowned scientific founders, an experienced leadership team and Third Rock Ventures. For more information, please visit http://www.embertx.com.

Read the rest here:
Ember Therapeutics Broadens Brown Fat Small Molecule Drug Discovery Portfolio, Secures Exclusive License Options to ...

Biology professor April Hill has been recognized as one of 40 Vision and Change Leadership Fellows to help improve undergraduate science education.

A lot of people, when they think about biology, think that you just march through facts and that its not interesting, Hill said. But thats not what it is. We need to make education for biology more like real biology, so you get excited early on.

After recognizing the need for biology education reform, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Institutes of Health have worked together to form the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education, or PULSE, Hill said. This organization chooses one to two people from each state to serve as fellows for one year.

In order to revise the current curriculum, these fellows need to focus on biology departments throughout the country and the ways in which they respond to student needs, Hill said.

One main problem in the curriculum right now is the old fashioned notion of teaching, she said, which is learning everything from the textbook before students are able to participate in more hands-on activities, applying what they have learned to real world situations.

Instead, these strategies must be used simultaneously, she said. Hills students agree that her unique way of teaching has been effective.

Contact reporter Jamie Edelen at jamie.edelen@richmond.edu

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Biology professor named Vision & Change Leadership Fellow

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/h2lxs2/molecular_biology) has announced the addition of Elsevier Science and Technology's new book "Molecular Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Vol 107" to their offering.

Neurodegenerative diseases result in progressive degeneration and / or death of nerve cells which leads to problems with movement and mental functioning. Examples include Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Much research is taking place to try to identify ways to prevent or lessen the impact of these diseases.

This volume reviews the latest research and developments in the molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases.

* Discusses new discoveries, approaches, and ideas * Contributions from leading scholars and industry experts * Reference guide for researchers involved in molecular biology and related fields

Key Topics Covered:

Neuropathology and imaging Harry Vinters

Neuropathology and imaging Thompson, Paul

Age-dependence of neurodegenerative diseases (organismal genetics) Tanzi, Rudolph

AD Dominic Walsh

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Research and Markets: The Book 'Molecular Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Vol 107' Reviews the Latest Research ...

Billings Central High biology students presented their research projects Wednesday to the Billings Catholic Schools board as they prepare for an April flight on a zero-gravity plane at Houston's Johnson Space Center.

A group of 10 advanced-biology students will take two research projects to Ellington Field in Houston, where they will be tested on the same zero-gravity airplane the astronauts use. From there, NASA will determine which experiments are worthy of testing on the International Space Station.

This is a phenomenal opportunity for our school, Central High principal Shel Hanser said. This started just as an extracurricular after-school program last spring, but we realized in a hurry that it had to be in the curriculum.

Led by advanced-placement biology teacher Dr. Debora Wines and NASA HUNCH reduced-gravity experiments project manager Dr. Florence Gold, the students have been researching how basic biological systems, specifically enzyme activity and photosynthesis, operate without gravity.

HUNCH High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware is a school-based program through NASA that promotes student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Its really incredible that we can offer a STEM course here at Central, Wines told board members. This is a cutting-edge program that we can integrate all of these areas together.

The results of the experiments are aimed to demonstrate the dependence of biological processes under microgravity environments and on the ability of biological cells to adapt to zero-gravity.

One team of four students will observe whether chlorella algae can grow in microgravity, and in turn be used to transform wasted carbon dioxide into oxygen while in space. Chlorella algae is also considered a superfood.

The second team of six will examine fruit fly embryos and the impact of microgravity on the flies' enzyme activity to determine if changes could alter the ability of astronauts to metabolize common pharmaceuticals. The flies are used as a model, students said, because of the biology traits similar to those of humans.

The team is also observing whether alcohol is more or less toxic to cell development when in a microgravity environment using the fruit flies.

Read more:
Biology students present NASA HUNCH projects to school board

Lisa Poole / AP file

Harvard geneticist George Church shows off the DNA sequence of a colleague.

By Alan Boyle

In the future, genetically modified organisms could be making our medicines, our fuel, our housewares, our houses and they could even help us remake ourselves. All that may sound like science-fiction, but the future is already arriving, in the form of the bioplastic bottle you may be holding in your hand. Harvard geneticist George Church lays it all out in a new book, "Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves," written with Ed Regis.

"We are already remaking ourselves and our world, retracing the steps of the original synthesis redesigning, recoding and reinventing nature itself in the process," they write.

Even the book has been reinvented through DNA: "Regenesis" is one of those rare books that's been the focus of a research paper in the journal Science. All of its 53,426 words, along with 11 images and one Javascript app, were encoded into chunks of DNA, and then read back, just to prove it could be done. But DNA as a next-generation information storage medium is just one of the applications addressed in "Regenesis" and that's not really all that far out.

If you want to talk about far-out, how about regenerating extinct species, ranging from woolly mammoths to Neanderthals? How about synthetic methods for photosynthesis, the process that turns carbon dioxide, water and sunlight into oxygen and fuel? How about tweaking the human genome to make ourselves immune to multiple viruses? Heck, why not make ourselves virtually immortal?

Basic Books

"Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves" is written by Harvard geneticist George Church and science writer Ed Regis.

"Regenesis" explores all these issues the possibilities and the realities, the pros and the cons. Not even the sky is the limit: "We need to get at least some of our genomes and cultures off of this planet or trillions of person-years will be lost," Church and Regis write. They believe that biotechnology is the key to immortality, for the human species and perhaps for individual humans as well. But is all this a biotech pipe dream? I did a reality check during a telephone interview with Church this week. Here's an edited transcript of the Q&A:

Read the original:
How synthetic biology will change us

ANDERSON High school students in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties know their biology but need to brush up on the Bill of Rights.

Scores released to the public by the state Department of Education Tuesday indicate As in biology and Fs in the U.S. History and Constitution portions of the End-of-Course-Examination Program.

The test measures how well high school and some middle school students grasp core subjects including English, biology, algebra and history. The scores reflect testing from the 2011-12 school year.

Generally, students in certain grades take certain subject tests, said Jay Ragley, spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Education.

Ninth-graders and some gifted and talented eighth-graders take the English and algebra sections. Ninth- and tenth-graders take biology, and 11th-graders take the U.S. History and Constitution section. End-of-course subject exams account for 20 percent of each students final grade, and all students enrolled in a given subject must take the test.

School districts received letter grades based on percentages of those who passed and failed.

Students in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties made the most As in Biology 1 and 2 and made the most Fs in U.S. History and Constitution. None of the districts overall history scores were failing. Their mean scores ranged from 67 to 75. Anderson School District 3 had the most students receive Fs in the history test with 62 percent scoring poorly. Anderson School District 5 had the lowest number of students receiving Fs at 36 percent.

Biology proved a strong point with at least 25 percent of all test takers in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens school districts making an A. That subject showed the most improvement statewide in pass rate and average score, which grew by 8 percent and 3 percent.

State Superintendent Mick Zais said the testing benefits teachers and students.

Measuring student achievement is an important tool to improving instructional practices, he said. End-of-course assessments demonstrate how well high school students have mastered key concepts and skills they will use after graduation.

Originally posted here:
Upstate students ace biology but earn F in history section of state test

VANCOUVER , Oct. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Polo Biology Global Group Corporation (the "Company") (PGG.V) announced today that it has completed the sale of its active business (see the Company's August 17 , July 24 , and June 6, 2012 news releases for further details), for gross proceeds of CDN$760,000.00. As the Company now has no active business, its listing is being moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). In continuing with its reorganization, management is proceeding with a 1:10 consolidation of capital and name change. The consolidation of capital and move to the NEX are subject to approval of the Exchange. Management members are also actively pursuing business opportunities with a view to making an acquisition that will qualify the Company, at a minimum, for listing on Tier 2 of the Exchange.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the plans for completion of the disposition of all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking, future plans and objectives of the Company, estimation of profitability, the timing and content of upcoming business plans, capital expenditures, success of business operations, risks, and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; delays in obtaining shareholder approval; risks related to international operations; actual results of planned expansion activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of supplies and market prices for products; exchange rates for Canadian, Chinese and any other currencies material to the Company's businesses; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the industries that the Company is currently operating in; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financings or in the completion of development activities; Chinese government policies impacting the Company's businesses; general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or information made in this news release, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its "Regulation Services Provider", as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.

SOURCE: Polo Biology Global Group Corporation

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Polo Biology Completes Sale of its Operating Subsidiary; Listing to be moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture ...

This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits hypothesis-driven research proposals for 1) Ground-Based Research Designed to Lead to Space Flight, 2) Rapid Turn-Around Space Flight Experiments 3) ISS Flight Experiments and 4) New Space Biology Investigations. NASA Space Biology experiments have one or more of the following primary goals: 1) to effectively use microgravity and the other characteristics of the space environment to enhance our understanding of basic biological processes; 2) to develop the scientific and technological foundations for a safe, productive human presence in space for extended periods and in preparation for exploration; and 3) to apply this knowledge and technology to improve our nation's competitiveness, education, and the quality of life on Earth. NASA Space Biology experiments will be designed to discover how space flight affects a diverse group of microorganisms, plants, and animals; study the effects of gravity (g) across the g-spectrum, i.e., from micro- to hyper-gravity; and characterize the biological effects of radiation, magnetic fields, and the interaction amongst species in the unusual environments of space and spacecraft.

The full text of the solicitation is available on the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com under menu listing "Open Solicitations." Potential applicants are urged to access this site well in advance of the proposal due date to familiarize themselves with its structure and to register in the NSPIRES system. Proposals must be submitted electronically.

Step-1 proposals are due on October 31, 2012 at 5 PM Eastern Time, and invited Step-2 proposals are due on December 19, 2012 at 5 PM Eastern Time. Proposals must be submitted electronically by an authorized official of the proposing organization. Proposers can use either NSPIRES (see URL above) or Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) for proposal submission. NASA's selection of research projects will be guided by recommendations of the National Research Council's 2011 Decadal Survey Report, "Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era" (http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13048.html).

All categories of U.S. institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this NRA. Principal Investigators (PIs) may collaborate with investigators from universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, state and local government laboratories and other countries.

Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this NRA must be registered with NSPIRES, and such registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal. Instructions on how to register in NSPIRES will be described in the NRA. Each electronic proposal system places requirements on the registration of principal investigators and other participants (e.g. co-investigators). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) of interest to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Questions in regards to responding to this NRA may be addressed to the contacts referenced in the full solicitation document.

This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 6.102 (d)(2). Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, nspires.nasaprs.com, or Grants.gov, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.

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Release of NASA Research Announcement NNH12ZTT001N "Research Opportunities in Space Biology"

Public release date: 1-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Bethesda, MDA research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology helps explain how specific immune cells, called macrophages, accumulate triglycerides to support their function. Because a characteristic finding in atherosclerosis is the accumulation of fat in macrophages in the arterial wall, understanding how macrophages accumulate triglycerides may lead to new approaches toward slowing or stopping the development of atherosclerosis.

"Activation of macrophages leads to the accumulation of triglycerides in macrophages by multiple pathways that may have beneficial effects in host defense but could contribute to the accelerated atherosclerosis that occurs in chronic infections and inflammatory disease," said Kenneth R. Feingold, M.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Metabolism Section at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, California. "By understanding the pathways that lead to this lipid accumulation in activated macrophages one might be able to manipulate these pathways to stimulate lipid accumulation to improve host defense or inhibit these pathways to reduce atherosclerosis depending on the clinical circumstances."

To make this discovery, scientists conducted laboratory experiments using a macrophage cell line, or mouse peritoneal macrophages. These cells were stimulated with various substances and the effect on macrophage glucose and fat metabolism was determined. They found that activated macrophages are more efficient at taking up glucose and use this glucose to synthesize fat. They also found that activated macrophages are more efficient at taking up fatty acids and use the fatty acids to synthesize triglycerides. Finally, the breakdown of fat (triglycerides) is decreased in activated macrophages. Together these changes in macrophage metabolism lead to the accumulation of fat inside the macrophage itself. The fact that multiple pathways are altered suggests that the accumulation of fat in activated macrophages is important to the function of activated macrophages.

"Drilling down to understand exactly how triglycerides are used by our body should ultimately help us better treatments for diseases such as atherosclerosis," said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. "This report gives us important insights into how triglycerides accumulate in key immune cells involved in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease."

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The Journal of Leukocyte Biology publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on original investigations focusing on the cellular and molecular biology of leukocytes and on the origins, the developmental biology, biochemistry and functions of granulocytes, lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes and other cells involved in host defense and inflammation. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology is published by the Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Heather Parker, Mike Dragunow, Mark B. Hampton, Anthony J. Kettle, and Christine C. Winterbourn. Requirements for NADPH oxidase and myeloperoxidase in neutrophil extracellular trap formation differ depending on the stimulus. J Leukoc Biol October 2012, 92:841-849; doi:10.1189/jlb.1211601 ; http://www.jleukbio.org/content/92/4/829.abstract

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Macrophage accumulation of triglycerides yields insights into atherosclerosis

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xwcbjb/applied) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Applied Statistics for Network Biology. Quantitative and Network Biology (VCH)" to their offering.

This book introduces a number of cutting edge statistical methods which can be used for the analysis of genomic, proteomic and metabolomic data sets. In particular in the field of systems biology, researchers are trying to analyze asmuch data as possible in a given biological system (such as a cell or an organ). The appropriate statistical evaluation of these large scale data is critical for the correct interpretation and different experimental approaches require different approaches for the statistical analysis of these data. This book is written by biostatisticians and mathematicians but aimed at experimental researcher as well as computational biologists who often lack an appropriate background in statistical analysis.

Key Topics Covered:

MODELING, SIMULATION AND MEANING OF GENE NETWORKS.

Network Analysis to Interpret Complex Phenotypes

Stochastic Modelling of Regulatory Networks

Modeling eQTL in Multiple Populations

INFERENCE OF GENE NETWORKS.

Transcriptional Network Inference based on Information Theory

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Research and Markets: Applied Statistics for Network Biology: Quantitative and Network Biology (VCH)

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Up next, the biology of raptors, moving from giant animals to the birds, we're going to talk about here in Boise. Just outside of town is the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. And that park has one of the highest concentrations of nesting raptors in the world, more than 20 different birds of prey, including golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, screech owls.

They all nest in or migrate around the area, and all that raptor activity has caused another migration. Lots of biologists have flocked to the area to study the birds. Boise State University is one of the only places where you can earn a master's degree in raptor biology. If you're listening and you want to become a master's in raptor biology, this is the place.

But why is it that the raptors like this place so much? And maybe my next guest knows. Maybe they do. Mark Fuller is research wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. He's also director of the Raptor Research Center at Boise State University. And Julie Heath is associate professor of biological sciences at Boise State. Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY, both of you.

JULIE HEATH: Thank you.

FLATOW: Well, let me ask that question, whoever wants to answer: Why do the raptors love it here so much? Mark, you want to take that up?

MARK FULLER: Sure. Well, the area has two features that are very important to support the high densities. One, mostly due to the cliffs of the Snake River Canyon, there are many, many places for these birds to nest and be out of each other's way. And then on the adjacent plains of the Snake River Plain country, there's lots of vegetation and - prey and vegetation for them to eat and raise their young.

FLATOW: And what is the definition of a raptor?

FULLER: Well, in North America, when we talk about raptors, we- usually are referring to hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, vultures. In Europe, sometimes they separate owls out from raptors.

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The Biology Of Birds Of Prey

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7fzhr8/yeast_molecular) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Yeast. Molecular and Cell Biology" to their offering.

Finally, a stand-alone, all-inclusive textbook on yeast biology.

Based on the feedback resulting from his highly successful monograph, Horst Feldmann has totally rewritten the contents to produce a comprehensive textbook on the topic. The scope has been widened, with almost double the content so as to include all aspects of yeast biology, from genetics via cell biology right up to biotechnology applications.

The cell and molecular biology sections have been vastly expanded, while information on other yeast species has been added, with contributions from additional authors. Naturally, the illustrations are in full color throughout, and the book is backed by a complimentary website.

The resulting textbook caters to the needs of an increasing number of students in biomedical research, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and biotechnology who end up using yeast as an important tool or model organism.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7fzhr8/yeast_molecular

Source: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

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Research and Markets: Yeast. Molecular and Cell Biology

When the National Association of Biology Teachers scoured Texas for the best biology teacher they could find, they chose Wichita Falls High School teacher Dan Patrick.

Patrick was named the 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Texas, an honor that is bestowed by the National Association on one top biology teacher in every state.

"It's actually a committee of biology teachers that chooses the winner," Patrick said.

That made the honor a vote of confidence from his peers, he said.

Patrick said his increased involvement in teacher training throughout the state had caused him to become acquainted with a large following of biology teachers in the state and elsewhere.

This is Patrick's 30th year of teaching biology, all of them at WFHS.

"We teach a lot different now on DNA and those kinds of topics. We teach a lot more depth than at the beginning because we know so much more," he said. "I love biology. I've worked to keep abreast of what's going on in the field so I can teach the kids some new stuff."

When he trains teachers as he does increasingly these days he stresses that they must become experts in their subject.

"In education classes they learn so much about technique. They sometimes forget they have to be an expert. I stress that you've got to like your subject enough to really continue to learn it."

Such expertise will be required as the state ramps up the rigor in science and other core subjects.

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WFHS teacher named state's top in biology

Public release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Leslie Robinson lrobinson@asmusa.org 202-737-3600 American Society for Microbiology

The Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (JMBE), an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology and the premier journal for microbiology and biology education research, has been selected for indexing by PubMed Central.

"Sharing solid, peer-reviewed research extends the value of the research and produces cost-effective benefits to society," says JMBE Editor-in-Chief Christopher J. Woolverton, who is professor of environmental health sciences at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. "PubMed Central indexing of the scholarly research published in JMBE will certainly provide great benefit to the students of microbiology and biology, and to the educators who prepare the next generation of scientists. We are excited that the scholarship of our authors will now be accessible through PubMed Central."

Developed and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, PubMed Central is a full-text digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature. To be accepted in the archive, a journal must qualify on the merits of its scientific and editorial content and on the technical quality of its digital files.

Launched in 2000, JMBE is designed to foster scholarly teaching in the biological sciences. The scientific scope of the journal is rooted in microbiology while branching out to biology. The educational scope of the journal is primarily undergraduate education; however, the journal also publishes articles that feature good pedagogy and good design used in kindergarten through high school education or graduate and professional (e.g., medical school) education.

Each issue of JMBE features peer-reviewed, practical tips for teaching, education research and perspectives, innovative classroom and laboratory exercises, and reviews. To access current and past issues, view instructions for authors, or sign up for eTOC alerts, visit http://jmbe.asm.org.

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The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

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Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education selected for inclusion in PubMed Central