It's pretty common for us "little peanuts" to feel some envy about the wealthy and better-known citizens among us. Who, after all, wouldn't want to be a millionaire?

But recently the news carried a piece about Ed Bazinet, 68, a wealthy New Yorker who went on a wild spending spree that ran through the millions of dollars. His problem, it turns out, is the brain malady known as manic depression, otherwise known as bipolar disorder.

According to ABC News, Bazinet spent five days buying millions of dollars worth of furniture, art and knickknacks before he realized his behavior was owing to mania and he checked himself in for treatment.

Medical science has long recognized that wild spending is a classic sign of the manic phase of mood and energy that people with bipolar disorder must sometimes contend with.

Such sprees can be disastrous to a person's finances, obviously, and they can also be deeply embarrassing. While an American in more typical circumstances than Bazinet may go through a modest spending spree, say racking up thousands of dollars of bills on a credit card, the scale of Bazinet's spending and his fame in New York meant that his personal problem became a public news item.

Still, it could be that some good can flow from Bazinet's difficult experience. As his publicist put it, "There is no shame with seeking help for this treatable illness, and we hope that this opens a dialogue to educate others."

Manic depression is not a disease of just modern times. Going back all the way to ancient Greece, there are medical descriptions of people with strongly alternating periods of energy and moods. Early doctors noted that a person could be "high" and then "low" in quick succession, with alternating periods of tears and euphoria.

Indeed, in what are now called mixed states, people can experience ups and downs that are strongly interlaced with each other. The bipolar brain, if you will, can run the "upside" as well as the "downside" chemistry at pretty much the same time.

Like schizophrenia, bipolar tends to show up in adolescents and young adults. It cuts down people including some very able ones just as they are really coming into their own. The good news is that doctors are now more likely to recognize bipolar symptoms earlier than they once did. And early treatment can lead to better outcomes for the individual.

But that's hardly to say everything is rosy in the bipolar world. Some manic-depressives experience more than just highs and lows. In extreme cases, patients can suffer psychotic symptoms such as visual or auditory hallucinations. That fact makes the disease deeply scary, both for the person experiencing it and for friends and family members.

Read more here:
ROCK DOC: Basic biology implicated in wild spending spree

By Bernadette Toner

Tobacco giant Philip Morris International is partnering with IBM in an effort to advance the industrial applications of systems biology and computational modeling.

The initiative, called Industrial Methodology for Process Verification in Research, or IMPROVER, kicked off this week with the Diagnostic Signature Challenge the first of several challenges planned over the next four years.

IMPROVER builds upon similar challenge initiatives in the academic world such as the IBM-led DREAM (Dialogue on Reverse Engineering Assessment and Methods) project and the CASP (Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction) initiative but is intended to focus on the verification of processes that would be of use in the industrial setting, according to the project organizers.

Hugh Browne, R&D scientific spokesperson for PMI, told BioInform that the effort grew out of the company's internal systems biology research, which is directed toward the aim of developing new tobacco products that are "less risky" than those it markets today.

PMI views systems biology and computational modeling as a promising method for predicting the health risks of these products as a complement to clinical studies, but the company's scientists have been frustrated that there is currently no "standard method of verifying their conclusions," Browne said.

As a result, he said the company began working with IBM in 2009 with the aim of organizing something along the lines of DREAM, but targeted specifically toward the needs of industry.

Browne noted that systems biology approaches have applications in a range of industrial fields, including biopharmaceuticals, nutrition, environmental safety, and consumer product development. As such, he believes that any effort to help companies assess their methods would be of great interest in the commercial world, since such tools have been lacking to date.

"Although industry shares many of the same needs for validation as academia, a methodology for verifying research is needed in the industrial setting that recognizes both speed and protection of proprietary data constraints, as well as the importance of market considerations and consumer protection," researchers from PMI, IBM, and elsewhere noted in a paper describing their vision for IMPROVER, which was published in Nature Biotechnology last September.

Browne explained that IMPROVER participants will not be required to disclose the fine details of their methods if they fear that it will compromise their intellectual property position. "We want to attract the broadest possible community," including commercial firms who may consider one another to be competitors, he said. "IP is important, so if participants feel they need to protect that, then they should do that."

Read the original here:
Philip Morris International, IBM Launch Industry-Focused Systems Biology Verification Challenge

Economics and Human Biology Journal Now Hosted by Department

02 March 2012 4:49AM

The Economics and Human Biology journal is devoted to the exploration of the effect of socio-economic processes on human beings as biological organisms. The Department of Economics will now be the official host of the interdisciplinary journal.

When Komlos, an economic historian, started the journal in 2003, he wanted to broaden the concept of living standards by giving health a more prominent place in thinking about welfare.

Health is listed as one of our basic and intrinsic rights in the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights, mentioned Komlos.

Despite being relatively new, the journal already has the 24th highest impact factor in economics partly because of the recent popularity of obesity literature and also due to its interdisciplinary nature.Contributions are welcome from auxology, anthropometry, biocultural anthropology, demography, development economics, economic history, epidemiology, health economics, human biology, human nutrition, health sciences, medicine, physical anthropology, public health and sociology.

Follow this link:
Economics and Human Biology Journal Now Hosted by Duke Department

Public release date: 7-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Lu-Lu Chen cheria_chen@126.com Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

Although many current studies focused on catch up growth (CUG) have described its high susceptibility to insulin resistance-related diseases very few have focused on the effect of CUG on bone metabolism, especially in adulthood. As diet is a controllable factor, the inuence of re-feeding with different dietary patterns on bone parameters is important to study. Resveratrol has been attributed a number of beneficial effects in mammals including osteotrophic properties. In the March 2012 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine Wang and colleagues describe the first study to describe the effects of CUG, with different diets, on bone status and the role of resveratrol in CUG models.

CUG can lead to insulin resistance and low-grade systemic inflammation occurs in insulin resistance syndrome. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- is an important inammatory cytokine, and Lange and Seriolo et al. indicated that anti-TNF alpha therapy may exert beneficial effects on bone metabolism, prevent structural bone damage and increase bone mineral density.

Dr. Wang said "Our results showed that food restriction induced a significant decrease in bone parameters. Eight-week CUG by normal chow demonstrated a greater degree of improvement in mineral density than a high-fat diet, and even returned to normal level." Dr. Wang also said, "In contrast, Mika C found that re-feeding for two years normalized bone formation activity in adolescent anorexia nervosa patients, but bone mineral density was still significantly lower than that of controls. Compared with neural anorexia, we found in this study the degree of impairment by four-week diet restriction on bone metabolism was relatively weaker, so that bone mineral density returned to normal level after re-feeding."

To better distinguish the effects of CUG by high-fat diet on bone status, these investigators set up a high-fat diet group. Their results showed that bone parameters in the high-fat diet group were markedly higher than either the normal control or the re-feeding with high-fat diet group. The higher serum TNF- level in the CUG by high-fat diet group along with a lower body weight may partially explain the decline in bone parameters compared with the high-fat diet group.

In the resveratrol intervention groups, bone parameters significantly increased. Furthermore, bone parameters were inversely related with serum TNF- concentrations, but showed positive correlation with body weight. In conclusion, the study shows that CUG can partially reverse the deleterious effects of caloric restriction on bone health, especially in re-feeding with normal chow group. Moreover, resveratrol has protective effect on bone status during the period of CUG, but the exertion of this protective role depends on sufficient nutrition supply. Serum TNF- levels and body weight also seem to play an important role in regulating bone parameters. Resveratrol has anti-inammatory effects, increases bone formation but inhibits excessive weight gain. This can be used as a template for synthesizing new drugs, providing a large potential for treatment of overweight and osteoporosis groups.

Steven R. Goodman PhD, Editor in Chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine said "Wang and colleagues have demonstrated that re-feeding with a normal diet showed a larger improvement in bone mineral density than a high-fat diet. Resveratrol has also been demonstrated to have a protective effect on bone status during the period of catch up growth. As serum TNF- levels and body weight also appear to play a role in regulating bone parameters this study may have important implications for the treatment of obesity and osteoporosis".

###

Experimental Biology and Medicine is a journal dedicated to the publication of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the biomedical sciences. The journal was first established in 1903.

Follow this link:
The effect of catch-up growth by various diets and resveratrol intervention on bone status

(PR NewsChannel) / March 8, 2012 / BEIJING

"The Third Synthesis for Biology: Deep Structure Studies I" by Winpen Hann

In The Third Synthesis of Biology: Deep Structure Studies I (ISBN 1466442255), scientist Winpen Hann summarizes the latest developments in evolutionary biology. More than 150 years after Charles Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, research into evolutionary biology has stagnated as molecular and cell biology, with its focus on recombinant DNA, has captured widespread attention. This new book, however, summarizes a new approach to evolutionary biology that may reinvigorate the field.

Much of evolutionary biology is built on the back of Darwin who described natural selection as survival of the fittest, a competition between animal species over who would be best suited for a particular environment and eventually survive. This new method of research outlined in The Third Synthesis of Biology moves away from the gene-centered view of evolution to focus on the adaptive features of an organisms phenotype. It looks at adaptations within species, from seed size to offspring variation to reproductive timing to symbiotic gut micro-organisms.

This book will appeal to professors, researchers and graduate students who are interested in the latest developments in the life sciences. Hann is the director of the Brain and Ecology Deep Structure Lab and The Third Synthesis of Biology is the fruit of more than 20 years of interdisciplinary research into the burgeoning field of adaptation biology.

Now that the entire human genome has been sequenced, scientists have latched on to the fact that the same genes express themselves differently in different environments. This evolutionary biology textbook expands on this new insight to survey the diversity of physical adaptations within a species as an expression of that genetic diversity. This timely book captures the latest trends in the field at a time when evolutionary biology is coming to an important turning point.

The Third Synthesis of Biology: Deep Structure Studies I is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.

About the Author: Winpen Hann is director of the Brain and Ecology Deep Structure Lab and Deep Structure Bio-science Research Co., Ltd. He is also the director of the original Brain and Ecology Comparative Group. His interests are ecology, evolutionary biology and economics. Hanns other books include New Experimental Biology and The Deep Structure of Life, which he authored in his native language, Chinese.

MEDIA CONTACT Winpen Hann E-mail: Winpen@brainecology.net Phone: 0086 + 13 + 02003-9389 Website:www.brainecology.net

REVIEW COPIES AND INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE

Visit link:
Scientist surveys cutting-edge of biology in new textbook

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Wormser deborah.wormser@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 UT Southwestern Medical Center

DALLAS March 6, 2012 Dr. Eric Olson, founding chairman of the molecular biology department at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has won the 2012 Passano Award for identifying major genetic pathways that control the development of the heart and other muscles.

In announcing the award, Passano Foundation officials noted that Dr. Olson's discoveries at the interface of developmental biology and medicine "have profoundly influenced our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for development and dysfunction of the heart."

His laboratory has used a sophisticated combination of biochemistry and genetics to expose networks of genes that control the formation of the heart and cardiovascular system. In so doing, Dr. Olson "unveiled the molecular underpinnings of congenital and acquired diseases of the heart and established a foundation for the advancement of new cardiovascular therapeutics," said Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein, chairman of molecular genetics and co-winner of the 1985 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

The $50,000 award, established in 1943, will be presented at an April 30 dinner in Baltimore. The recognition honors U.S.-based research that leads to real-world applications in clinical medicine.

Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern, said: "Dr. Olson's discoveries have provided profound insights into cardiac development and have advanced understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying altered cardiovascular function in disease."

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Olson directs the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Basic Research in Cancer, the Nearburg Family Center for Basic and Clinical Research in Pediatric Oncology, and is associate director of the Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center. Several drugs based on Dr. Olson's research are currently in development.

"This honor recognizes the work from my laboratory, which has been carried out by a dedicated team of colleagues here at UT Southwestern," Dr. Olson said. "I am grateful to the Passano Foundation and I am also humbled to join the list of distinguished prior recipients of this award."

Twenty-three Passano Award recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, including three who have regental professorships at UT Southwestern: Dr. Goldstein; his co-winner, Dr. Michael S. Brown, director of the Erik Jonsson Center for Research in Molecular Genetics and Human Disease; and Dr. Alfred G. Gilman, regental professor emeritus of pharmacology who is chief scientific officer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

Read this article:
Olson, noted UT Southwestern molecular biologist, wins 2012 Passano Award

FARMERS are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of healthy soils, and practices such as no-till farming are improving soil structure and health across the country.

But there is still much to be discovered about how the subsoil eco-system operates, and researchers are confident big gains could be made in cropping productivity from a better understanding of soil biology.

In particular, some soil-dwelling bacteria can have positive impacts in terms of freeing up nitrogen to become available to plants.

With this in mind, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is investing in its second soil biology initiative, which will aim to provide information on a region- by-region basis.

Project leader Pauline Mele said she thought there would be real productivity gains to come out of the initiative, especially in high rainfall zones.

"We hope to improve understanding of the role of soil biological communities in crop nutrient availability, suppressive soils, and general soil health," Prof Mele said.

"For example, we have a range of projects that will give us greater insight into the role of free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria in crop nutrition.

"We already know that the amount produced will vary from between 10 and 30 kilograms per hectare of nitrogen per year.

However, she said research needed to be done on what caused the effect and why it varied.

We don't have in-crop measures and have yet to link how stubble from previous years influences this rate."

Go here to see the original:
Improving soil biology

Newswise BETHESDA, Md., March 6, 2012 Six scientific societies will hold their joint scientific sessions and annual meetings, known as Experimental Biology (EB), from April 21-25, 2012, in San Diego. This meeting, EB 2012, brings together the leading researchers from dozens of life-science disciplines. The societies represented at the meeting will be: the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), the American Physiological Society (APS), the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Below are some programming highlights:

Role of Pharmacogenetics in Oncology (ASPET) This symposium addresses the roles of personalized medicine and genetic polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes and other pathways that affect a patients response to drugs, in particular with respect to chemotherapeutic drugs. Having a better understanding of these pathways will lead to selection of the most effective and least toxic therapies. (Sun., 4/22)

Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease (ASIP) Illness and disease start at the most basic biological levels when molecular genetic changes affect the development of cells and the way they interact. The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease sessions are designed to provide a community-within-a-community environment for researchers working on similar problems to explore their science using a variety of presentation modalities throughout the day. In the Liver Pathobiology sessions, molecular and cellular changes in liver disease (including cancer) and dysfunction will be highlighted. In a second set of sessions, the role of host-microbe interactions in inflammatory/autoimmune disease and vascular biology will be examined. (Sun., 4/22, and Tues., 4/24)

Communicating Science: The Roles of Researchers and Media (ASBMB) For researchers who wish to share their scientific stories with the public, this symposium features Nobel laureate Paul Berg, National Public Radio science correspondent Joe Palca, science communicator Megan J. Palmer and Huffington Post science correspondent Cara Santa Maria. Moderated by ASBMB President-elect Jeremy Berg, former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the panel will discuss what scientists should be doing to get through to challenging audiences and make the best case for long-term federal investments. (Mon. 4/23)

Sustainable Food Systems: An Integrated Approach for a Healthy Population and a Healthy Planet (ASN) Americans today are increasingly thinking about the environmental impact of their food choices. An integrated approach for a sustainable food system for future generations is needed. This session brings together leading experts to discuss environmental, agricultural, economic and dietary considerations. A life cycle approach that measures environmental and social impacts of foods from farm to table and helps identify innovative opportunities for improvement will be examined. A model that takes a whole diet approach to estimate regional land requirements to feed populations will be presented, and an approach for optimized food plans that meet dietary guidelines while considering human behavior in food selection will round out the session. (Sun., 4/22)

The Exquisite Little Brains of Big Insects (AAA) A long tradition of comparative research on the nervous systems of invertebrates has contributed greatly to our understanding of the functional organization, development and evolution of nervous systems and neural mechanisms underlying behavior. Insects in particular offer powerful experimental model systems. Today, the most prominent example is the fruit fly, whose genetic and genomic advantages attract many researchers, but whose small size is limiting for some kinds of studies. This session focuses on much larger insects with beautiful and experimentally tractable nervous systems that permit investigations that complement and extend those accomplished with diminutive species. (Mon., 4/23)

Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine (APS) With a constantly aging population, regenerative medicine approaches to treating human disease are becoming increasingly more important. Currently, a number of interdisciplinary strategies involving a combination of biomaterial science, bioengineering, stem cell biology, and clinical sciences are being pursued with the common aim to apply living cells or functional tissues to repair, replace, or restore tissue or organ function loss caused by congenital defects, trauma, disease, or aging. This symposium will showcase several state-of-the-art bioengineering approaches that involve the manipulation of biochemical, biophysical and geometrical environmental signals to include cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation, and enable the creation of 3-dimensional tissue organoids for unique experimental studies and potential therapeutic applications. (Wed., 4/25)

Media Registration Free registration is available to credentialed representatives of the press, and an onsite newsroom will be available for media. Detailed instructions for individuals who wish to request press passes are available on the website.

See the rest here:
Experimental Biology 2012 Programming at a Glance

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e8a0ce/evolutionary_biolo) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Evolutionary Biology: Cell-Cell Communication and Complex Disease" to their offering.

An Integrative View of the Evolution of Genetics and the Natural World:

Even in this advanced age of genomics, the evolutionary process of unicellular and multicellular organisms is continually in debate. Evolutionary Biology, Cell-Cell Communication, and Complex Disease challenges current wisdom by using physiology to present an integrative view of the nature, origins, and evolution of fundamental biological systems.

Providing a deeper understanding of the way genes relate to the traits of living organisms, this book offers useful information applying evolutionary biology, functional genomics, and cell communication studies to complex disease. Examining the 4.5 billion-year evolution process from environment adaptations to cell-cell communication to communication of genetic information for reproduction, Evolutionary Biology hones in on the "why and how" of evolution by uniquely focusing on the cell as the smallest unit of biologic structure and function.

Based on Empirically Derived Data Rather Than Association Studies, Evolutionary Biology Covers:

Ambitious and game-changing Evolutionary Biology suggests that biology began as a mechanism for reducing energy within the cell, defying the Second Law of Thermodynamics. An ideal text for those interested in forward thinking scientific study, the insights presented in Evolutionary Biology help practitioners effectively comprehend the evolutionary process.

About the Authors:

John Torday, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Ob/Gyn at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he is also Director of The Henry L. Guenther Laboratory for Cell/Molecular Research and Director of Laboratory for Evolutionary Preventive Medicine. He is the author of over 130 peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Torday specializes in pre and neo-natal lung development, particularly regarding cell-cell communication within this pathway.

V.K. Rehan, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. The recipient of numerous teaching honors, Dr. Rehan is involved both in treating patients and continuing research on neo and peri-natal respiratory issues and lung development.

Link:
Research and Markets: Evolutionary Biology: Cell-Cell Communication and Complex Disease

One of the more exciting discoveries in biology in the last few years is the role that quantum effects seem to play in many living systems.

The two most famous examples are in bird navigation, where the quantum zeno effect seems to help determine the direction of the Earth's magnetic field, and inphotosynthesis, where the way energy passes across giant protein matrices seems to depend on long-lasting quantum coherence.

Despite the growing evidence in these cases, many physicists are uneasy, however. The problem is the issue of decoherence, how quickly quantum states can survive before they are overwhelmed by the hot, wet environment inside living things.

According to conventional quantum calculations, these states should decay in the blink of an eye, so fast that they should not be able to play any role in biology.

That's led many physicists to assume something is wrong: either the measurements are faulty in some way or there is some undiscovered mechanism that prevents decoherence.

Today, Gabor Vattay and Stuart Kauman at the University of Vermont in the US and Samuli Niiranen at the Tampere Institute of Technology in Finland say its the latter.

These guys have worked out that in certain special circumstances, quantum systems can remain coherent over much greater timescales and distances than conventional quantum thinking gives credit for. And they argue that biology exploits this process in a way that explains the recent observations from quantum biologists.

Their discussion focuses on the weird phenomenon, even by quantum standards, of quantum chaos, in which small changes to a quantum system can have a huge influence on its evolution, just as in classical chaotic systems.

When a systems changes from being merely quantum to being quantum chaotic, it passes through a kind of phase transition. The new thinking focuses on this transition.

Physicists have known for many years that when a system is finely balanced between two phases, all kinds of strange behaviour can occur. For example, water changes from a gas to a liquid to a solid at certain temperatures and pressures. These states all have well defined properties.

See original here:
Quantum Biology and the Puzzle of Coherence

Roger Federer's game can be described in many ways, but one word comes to my mind: classy.

I've been a Federita since I started tennis and have been so fortunate to see pretty much every single one of his matches.

Every part of his game is so technically sound that it is unreal.

First, and foremost, let us uncover the Federer forehand to see what secrets it holds.

We will see the old and new class of tennis within just a single one of his strokes.

The grip

Roger plays with a modified version of the Eastern grip.

Everyone these days is taught to play with a semi-Western grip: I was taught it by my third year of playing.

It was a shock at first, but now I absolutely love it because I can easily flatten it out or put even more spin on the ball whenever I like.

More:
Biology Lab Project: Dissecting Maestro Roger Federer's Forehand

"I was surprised to see how skilled sawfish are with their saw," said Barbara Wueringer of the University of Queensland. "They use their saw to impale prey on the rostral teeth by producing several lateral swipes per second."

Unlike sawfishes in the wild, the animals she and her team caught on hidden cameras were fed on dead fish, "but their strikes were sometimes strong enough to split those fish in half." The animals then proceeded to swipe their meals onto the floor and dig in.

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

Sawfishes wouldnt be sawfishes if they didnt come equipped with long toothy snouts -- their saws. Now, researchers reporting in the March 6 issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, have figured out what they use those saws for, and it turns out the answer is quite impressive. It might even help save the critically endangered and incredibly elusive sawfishes. Credit: Current Biology, Dr. Barbara Wueringer

Wueringer's team earlier found that the saws of freshwater sawfishes are covered in thousands of electroreceptors. Those tiny sensors enable sawfishes to detect the electric fields of other animals in their midst. Tiny canals in the skin covering the saw also allow them to detect water movements. The two senses together give them an edge as hunters in the dark and murky waters in which they live.

In the new study, the researchers observed recently captured sawfishes in action. They watched as those sawfishes tore into already dead fish and responded to weak electrical fields that mimicked live, hidden prey.

"Now we know that sawfish are not sluggish bottom dwellers as previously believed, but agile hunters that hunt in the three-dimensional space of the water," Wueringer said.

What the researchers observed is contrary to what you might read in any textbook, she added. The sawfishes' saw had been considered more like a rake, used by the fish to sift through sand in search of something to eat.

Wueringer said this new view might even lead to changes in the fishing practices that are allowed in prime sawfish territory, noting that the saw is partly to blame for sawfishes' global decline: their saws are easily entangled in fishing gear.

Provided by Cell Press (news : web)

Read the original:
Sawfishes sure can wield a saw (w/ video)

To view our videos, you need to enable JavaScript. Learn how. install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now. Then come back here and refresh the page.

The shades are on during this biology class at Broadalbin-Perth High School. The reason...3D technology.

Biology teach Brian Henry said, "It's been nothing short of spectacular in regards to teaching certain elements of biology and allowing students to view it in a completely different world."

Students viewed three dimensional models and instructional videos featuring, for example, the pumping of a human heart or photosynthesis.

Henry said, "The images pop out at them. They can almost reach out and touch them, and they are completely engaged from the minute they put their glasses on to the time the bell rings, and from an education standpoint you can't ask for anything more than that."

And that seems to be the case here. Upon first look, it's obviously different than a traditional learning tool we all know - the textbook.

Student Cody Husek said, "Being handed a diagram on a piece of paper and you're expected to look at it hard and look at the ventricles, I think it's a lot easier to get something out of it when you can see it on three dimension with something like this."

Henry said, "When you throw a 3D projection out there and the animations come to life, all of a sudden those kids that weren't engaged at one point are the first ones raising their hands, what's this all about, can we do this, etc."

Along with the visuals, this program also speaks for itself.

Each unit is on "loan" for participating schools across the state , and then they are returned to the district's regional information center. For a school to own one, they run about $16,000 each. But as advanced as this is, it's also the world we live in.

View original post here:
Biology students using 3D technology in the classroom

Baker to head biology dept. Discusses department goals and passion for science

NEWS EDITOR

March 2, 2012

E.C. Whitehead Professor, Biology Graduate Program Co-Director, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator Tania A. Baker has been named as the next head of the department of biology. She will assume the position on April 1, succeeding Chris A. Kaiser PhD 88, who was selected to run the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in October. Baker was the associate department head for biology from 1999 to 2004.

Professor Baker, like her predecessor Chris Kaiser, is a former MacVicar Faculty Fellow who will, I am sure, maintain the departments standing as a premier educator of biologists, and as a world-leading department in biological research, said School of Science Dean Marc A. Kastner in a statement through the News Office. I am thrilled that she has agreed to take on the leadership of the department at a time when biology plays a bigger role than ever at the Institute.

The Tech caught up with Baker in her office to talk about her goals for the biology department and her career.

The Tech: How do you feel about becoming the new biology department head?

Tania Baker: I am honored to have the confidence of my colleagues and the dean, and I feel very fortunate that my career has been supported by some great department heads in the past. Ive been here almost 20 years, and over that time, Ive really been helped by the great environment created by previous department heads; I hope I can give back some effort to the department that will help the careers of others.

TT: What are some of your goals as department head?

TB: The department is strong and vibrant, so I think we want to continue to be a cutting edge institution for biological research, as well as a great place for teaching and learning at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Read the original:
Baker to head biology dept. Discusses department goals and passion for science

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

Contact: Deborah Wormser deborah.wormser@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 UT Southwestern Medical Center

DALLAS March 1, 2012 Working in the emerging field of systems biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers mathematically predicted how bacteria that cause food poisoning hijack a cell's sense of direction and then confirmed those predictions in living cells.

The study proposed a new model to explain how mammalian cells establish the sense of direction necessary to move, as well as the mechanism that a disease-causing form of E. coli bacteria employ to hijack that ability. Cells need to orient themselves for several basic processes, such as keeping biochemical reactions separated in space and, in the case of immune cells, pursuing pathogens. Importantly, disruption of the cell's sense of direction often leads to human disease.

"This is a great example of scientists from different fields of research coming together to solve a complex and important biological problem," said Dr. Neal Alto, assistant professor of microbiology and senior author of the study, published Feb. 17 in Cell.

Systems biology aims to discover and understand a "circuit theory" for biology a set of powerful and predictive principles that will reveal how networks of biological components are wired to display the complex properties of living things. The rapidly emerging field requires experts in several scientific disciplines including biology, physics, mathematics and computer science to come together to create models of biological systems that consider both the individual parts and how these parts react to each other and to changes in their environment.

Scientists from UT Southwestern's microbiology department and the newly expanded Cecil H. and Ida Green Comprehensive Center for Molecular, Computational and Systems Biology teamed up to examine the problem collaboratively. They initially conceived a mathematical model for their hypothesis of how the cell would respond during an E. coli-induced infection and then tested their computational predictions in living cells.

"Bacteria inject protein molecules into human cells with a needle-and-syringe action," Dr. Alto said. "The human cell responds by producing a local actin-rich membrane protrusion at the spot where the bacteria attaches to the cell."

For healthy cells to move normally, these actin polymers push against a cell's membrane, protruding and propelling the cell in one direction or another. When E. coli molecules are injected, however, actin polymers rush to the site infection and help bacterial molecules both move within the cell and establish an internal site of infection.

Robert Orchard, graduate student of microbiology and the study's lead author, said: "By asking 'How does a bacterial pathogen from outside the cell regulate the host cells' actin dynamics within the cell?' we have uncovered a fundamentally new molecular circuit involved in mammalian cell polarity and bacterial infection. These findings provide new insight into the regulatory mechanisms that control both disease-causing agents and normal mammalian cell behavior."

See the original post:
Investigators predict, confirm how E. coli bacteria hijack cells' directional mechanism

Public release date: 29-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

While some scientists report engineering a super virulent strain of the H5N1 influenza virus, which could potentially wipe out a significant percentage of the human population, another group of researchers from the United Kingdom now reports a discovery that may one day help mitigate the deadly effects of all flu strains. This report, appearing in the March 2012 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, describes findings that may help prevent deaths from severe flu outbreaks, especially from seemingly healthy young people. Specifically, the researchers found that immune cells called, "natural killer T cells," may reduce the overwhelming numbers of another type of immune cell, called "inflammatory monocytes," which when present in large numbers, lead to lung injury at the end stage of severe flu infection.

"We hope this study will ultimately benefit individualsespecially the youngwho succumb to a severe form of flu infection," said Ling-Pei Ho, M.D., Ph.D., the researcher who led the work from the MRC Human Immunology Unit, Oxford University in Oxford, United Kingdom. "The study highlights a key immune process that occurs in severe flu infection, and provides a platform for a new approach and further research in this area."

To make their discovery, scientists infected three groups of mice with H1N1 flu virus. (Note: this is NOT the H5N1 flu virus that has been at the center of recent controversy.) The first group included normal mice; the second group was devoid of natural killer T cells, and the third was given a treatment that specifically activated natural killer T cells. Researchers observed the outcome of flu infection and found that the mice without natural killer T cells did worst, and those with activated killer T cells did best. Mice that lacked natural killer T cells had increased amounts of monocytes in the lungs, and severe lung injury similar to those seen in Spanish flu and lethal swine flu. Using highly-sensitive fluorescent antibody technology, this study was one of the first to document the sequential changes in innate immune response in the lungs during severe flu infection. These findings essentially provide a "road map" of the chronological changes in the lungs during severe flu infection.

"Despite affecting practically everyone, the flu may be one of the most underestimated viruses in terms of its devastating potential," said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. "As the H5N1 research shows, it is quite possible for the virus to mutate or be bioengineered into a form that could wipe most of us out. What most people don't realize is that the severe illness from these flu strains is caused by both the virus and an overaggressive or inappropriate immune response. Research like this, however, offers hope that we'll be able to find more universal ways improve the effectiveness of immunity and combat the severe strains of the flu."

###

The Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org) publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on original investigatins 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.

Details: Wai Ling Kok, Laura Denney, Kambez Benam, Suzanne Cole, Colin Clelland, Andrew J. McMichael, and Ling-Pei Ho. Invariant NKT cells reduce accumulation of inflammatory monocytes in the lungs and decrease immune-pathology during severe influenza A virus infection. J. Leuk. Biol. March 2012; 91:357-368; doi:10.1189/jlb.0411184; http://www.jleukbio.org/content/91/3/357.abstract

Continued here:
New light shed on cause of lung injury in severe flu

Public release date: 29-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Richard Levine rlevine@entsoc.org 301-731-4535 Entomological Society of America

The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a major pest of pecans throughout the southeastern United States, as well as portions of Texas and Oklahoma.

In "Biology and Management of the Pecan Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)," (http://bit.ly/xrqS3d) a new article appearing in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, scientists from Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University describe the biology, life stages, crop injury, monitoring approaches, and primary control strategies currently used for pecan weevil in pecan.

Aimed at pecan growers extension personnel using integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, the authors describe monitoring techniques using limb Jarring, tree bands, knockdown sprays, pyramid traps, circle traps, and infestation records.

Other management considerations, such as biological control and livsestock grazing are also discussed.

Finally, suggested economic thresholds are extrapolated from several sources and the utility of current monitoring information is presented to aid in management and quarantine decisions.

###

The full article is available for free at http://bit.ly/xrqS3d.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management (http://www.entsoc.org/Pubs/Periodicals/jipm) is a peer-reviewed, open-access, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. It is published by the Entomological Society of America (http://www.entsoc.org), the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

The rest is here:
Pecan weevil biology, management and control strategies

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/30dc32/the_ah_receptor_in) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "The AH Receptor in Biology and Toxicology" to their offering.

This book provides a thorough and up-to-date overview of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and its unique dual role in toxicology and biology. The coverage includes epigenetic mechanisms, gene expression, reproductive and developmental toxicity, signal transduction, and transgenic animal models. Featuring an internationally recognized team of authors at the forefront of AHR research, this resource provides a comprehensive reference for readers interested in understanding the full spectrum of AHR, from basic concepts, toxicology analysis, and models to polymorphism and related diseases.

Key Topics Covered:

AHR as a ligand-activated transcription factor.

AHR as a mediator of xenobiotic toxicities: dioxins as a key example.

AHR as a physiological regulator.

Author: Raimo Pohjanvirta.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/30dc32/the_ah_receptor_in

Follow this link:
Research and Markets: The AH Receptor in Biology and Toxicology

Without key research into these risks and appropriate federal oversight, certain synthetic organisms might survive and flourish in natural environments, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems, according to a new Commentary piece in the journal Nature ("Four Steps to Stop a Synthetic-Biology Disaster," March 1).

The article -- written by Genya V. Dana, Todd Kuiken and David Rejeski of the Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Allison A. Snow of Ohio State University -- highlights the need to proactively address environmental risks so that the potential benefits of synthetic biology can be realized.

"No one yet understands the risks that synthetic organisms pose to the environment, what kinds of information are needed to support rigorous assessments, or who should collect such data," the authors write.

And while similar questions were raised about genetically modified crops, the products of synthetic biology "will be altered in more sophisticated and fundamental ways (such as elimination of metabolic pathways), making them potentially more difficult to regulate, manage and monitor."

The authors say it is imperative to start the research ahead of expected advancements in the field. "Synthetic biology has already moved out of the lab, propelled by significant public and private investments in organisms modified to produce chemicals, medicines and biofuels," they write. The global market for synthetic biology is expected to increase to $10.8 billion over the next four years.

The authors propose four areas that risk researchers, scientists, regulators and other key stakeholders should focus on in the near term: how the physiology of synthetic organisms is different from naturally occurring organisms; how "escaped" synthetic organisms might affect the environment; how synthetic organisms might evolve in the natural environment; and consequences of synthetic organisms exchanging genetic materials with naturally occurring organisms.

The authors caution that this research will take time, and emphasize that such work should be integrated into the larger synthetic biology research agenda. "Public agencies must link basic and environmental risk research by co-funding projects and requiring grant recipients to work with environmental scientists from the start," the article says.

The Wilson Center has already been encouraging dialogue between synthetic biologists and ecologists on the potential risks of synthetic biology. In July 2011, the Center held a workshop focused on bringing together engineers and ecologists to help identify key research areas needed to support future ecological risk assessments for synthetic biology applications. While this work continues, the authors stress the need for much more interdisciplinary research and discussion.

The call for research funding comes as federal agencies are determining how best to respond to a 2010 report on synthetic biology from the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. The Wilson Center in February launched a scorecard to track the federal and non-federal response to the commission's recommendations. The scorecard can be found here: http://www.synbioproject.org/scorecard/

More information: The Nature Commentary can be found online at http://www.nature. 483029a.html

More:
Nature Commentary investigates synthetic-biology disaster

Public release date: 29-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Aaron Lovell aaron.lovell@wilsoncenter.org 202-691-4320 Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars/Science and Technology Innovation Program

Experts say at least $20 million to $30 million in government research is needed over the next decade to adequately identify and address the possible ecological risks of synthetic biology, an emerging area of research focused on the design and construction of new biological parts and systems, or modification of existing ones, to create new applications in areas ranging from energy to chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Without key research into these risks and appropriate federal oversight, certain synthetic organisms might survive and flourish in natural environments, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems, according to a new Commentary piece in the journal Nature ("Four Steps to Stop a Synthetic-Biology Disaster," March 1).

The article -- written by Genya V. Dana, Todd Kuiken and David Rejeski of the Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Allison A. Snow of Ohio State University -- highlights the need to proactively address environmental risks so that the potential benefits of synthetic biology can be realized.

"No one yet understands the risks that synthetic organisms pose to the environment, what kinds of information are needed to support rigorous assessments, or who should collect such data," the authors write.

And while similar questions were raised about genetically modified crops, the products of synthetic biology "will be altered in more sophisticated and fundamental ways (such as elimination of metabolic pathways), making them potentially more difficult to regulate, manage and monitor."

The authors say it is imperative to start the research ahead of expected advancements in the field. "Synthetic biology has already moved out of the lab, propelled by significant public and private investments in organisms modified to produce chemicals, medicines and biofuels," they write. The global market for synthetic biology is expected to increase to $10.8 billion over the next four years.

The authors propose four areas that risk researchers, scientists, regulators and other key stakeholders should focus on in the near term: how the physiology of synthetic organisms is different from naturally occurring organisms; how "escaped" synthetic organisms might affect the environment; how synthetic organisms might evolve in the natural environment; and consequences of synthetic organisms exchanging genetic materials with naturally occurring organisms.

The authors caution that this research will take time, and emphasize that such work should be integrated into the larger synthetic biology research agenda. "Public agencies must link basic and environmental risk research by co-funding projects and requiring grant recipients to work with environmental scientists from the start," the article says.

Read the original here:
Commentary in Nature: How do you stop a synthetic-biology disaster?