207 results found for biology

Striga (witchweed) is a parasitic weed that seriously constrains the productivity of staples such as maize, sorghum, millet and upland rice on some farms in Uganda.  Kilimo Trust supported this initiative to try and control its spread.

Dr Liss investigates Parkinson's disease with genetics

When Monsanto first tried to introduce GMO seeds into Europe there was a backlash by the Green parties and their political allies, who feared that American agro-business was about to take over their food supply. Thus began a massive campaign not agai....

Our capacity for complex speech and language remains one of the most intriguing aspects of being human. It has long been suspected that some answers to this enigma will be found buried within the genome. With recent advances in genetic technologies, ....

In 1952, Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the description of the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Over the years, NMR has been used in a wide range of fundamental studies in physics, and in the....

Intracellular synthesis is immensely fast and complex.

Thirty years ago it was thought that the endothelium, a layer of thin, flat cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels was inert. However, major discoveries since then have demonstrated that it is a highly metabolic organ involved in maint....

Anti-oxidants and their importance in diet

There have been many arguments for and against GM Foods, but the question still stands - are they potential saviors of mankind or a disaster waiting to happen? This award winning video covers a range of important issues, discussed by scientists with ....

Despite their relatively small mass, 10-5% of the earth biosphere as a whole, generations of ambitious 'homo sapiens' have already played a major and increasing role in changing basic properties of the atmosphere and the earth's surface. Human activ....

The cell wall is a crucial structure found in almost all bacteria. It is the target for our best antibiotics and fragments of the wall trigger powerful innate immune responses against infection. Surprisingly, many bacteria can switch almost effortl....

Winner of the Nobel Prize 1991 in Physiology / Medicine 1991 together with Erwin Neher 'for their discoveries concerning the function of single ion channels in cells'

Dr Lander and his colleagues have developed many of the key tools and generated many of the key information resources for modern mammalian genomics. Their work includes mapping and sequencing of the human, mouse, and other genomes. He was elected a m....

A brief summary from the literature about cancer cells' metabolism; 1) the major pathways cancer cells use to generate energy and macromolecules efficiently and rapidly and 2) the enzymes cancer cells up-regulate to control those pathways.

After reconsidering the very long time periods in cosmic evolution, we will focus our attention to the evolutionary development of living organisms on our planet Earth. The genetic variants (mutations), which are occasionally produced, are alteratio....

In my geoset project I will be discussing the effects of nutrition in long distance endurance. Topics include saturating carbohydrate stores before a race, the Krebs (citric acid) cycle, the effects of dehydration and hyponatremia, and replenishing y....

The human brain is made up of close to a trillion nerve cells (or neurons), each of which makes connections with, on average, hundreds of other nerve cells, to form the complex neuronal circuits that control all brain activities, including perception....

BRAC2 is a tumor suppressor gene. Its protein product interacts with other proteins to assist regulation of DNA repair, transcription and cell cycle checkpoints. BRAC2 gene disruption may lead to protein truncation, mutations and loss of function. Ce....

Using microorganisms to clear pollution.

Chiho describes her important work in looking for varieties of wheat which could help increase food production in arid areas.

Study on Cape Gannets, a new prey for quickly adapting Great White Pelicans on Malgas Island, South Africa. First observed in 2008. Result of indirect human involvement; Cape Gannets should be reconsidered for conservation management.

Winner of he Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1995 together with Edward B. Lewis and Eric F. Wieschaus 'for their discoveries concerning the genetic control of early embryonic development'.

Anjali Nayar visited a pioneering project in Madagascar that's aiming to protect one of the country's few remaining forests. It's hoped that projects like this will help curb global warming. But first, these projects must overcome the poverty and pol....

Why is cloning such hot science? What are the potential benefits? And are there other ways of achieving them? What are stem cells, and why do many scientists say that embryonic cells are required for this work?

Extraordinary opportunities to study the molecular mechanisms that cause inherited diseases are being provided by new methods of producing stem cells. Hear about not only the potential value of these new methods, but also how their development was pr....

The sight of a little warbler feeding an enormous cuckoo chick has astonished observers since ancient times. It was once thought that cuckoos were unable to raise their own young because of defective anatomy and behaviour, and so other birds were onl....

Anti-cancer drug delivery with polymer bubbles.

A lecture given as part of the Origins 09 series at Florida State University to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species'. Now in his 80th year, Alabama-born Edward Osborne (E.O.) Wilson has long enjoyed a reputation as ....

British broadcaster Sir David Attenborough talks to Nature about his obsession with birds of paradise.

British broadcaster Sir David Attenborough presents his views on Charles Darwin, natural selection, and how the Bible has put the natural world in peril in an exclusive interview for Nature Video.

Scientist or Broadcaster?

The human body may seem to be no more than a bundle of tissues and organs, yet the cells these are made from are capable of interacting, communicating and performing complex tasks. Our cells' capacity to interact in this way enables humans to adapt t....

Everything we know about the world comes to us through our brain. Yet for each of us our own conscious mental world of thoughts and feelings is isolated and private. Despite centuries of research, language or gesture remains the only way we can disco....

Recent underwater images show that the deep sea realm of the British Isles is nothing like the monotonous expanse of mud that many people imagine. Spectacular coral reefs, once thought to be restricted to the tropics, are now known to occur in the ch....

We can now expect to live longer than ever before, and if we get ill, we expect to be made better! However new threats continue to emerge.This presentation discusses tuberculosis and flu, new dangerous versions of old diseases, smoking and other life....

Saino describes her success in developing electrochemical biosensors during her PhD course at Toyo University.

Introduction to systematics & DIY plant preservation techniques.  In this first webisode of Do Touch, Daniel Domínguez invites young scientist and collectors to Label, love, & learn about the world. The aim of this seri....

Winner of the Nobel Prize 1992 in Medicine / Physiology together with Edwin G. Krebs 'for their discoveries concerning reversible protein phosphorylation as a biological regulatory mechanism'

How a high fat diet can have a detrimental effect on our bones

It has long been the goal of molecular biologists to design DNA binding proteins for the specific control of gene expression. The zinc finger design, discovered by Sir Aaron Klug 20 years ago, is ideally suited for such purposes, discriminating betwe....

Rob Hutchinson is an entomologist and one of the top mosquito experts in Europe whose work assesses the risk of Malaria returning to UK. He has developed a great interest in mosquito biology and did a masters degree at the School of Tropical Medicine....

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine / Physiology 1991 together with Bert Sakmann 'for their discoveries concerning the function of single ion channels in cells'.

Is food safe to eat if dropped on the floor for less than 5 seconds?

Dr Adam Rutherford investigates the idea that the teaching of evolution is being threatened by a rise in creationism amongst religious students.nRutherford speaks to the former Director of Education at the Royal Society, Reverend Professor Michael Re....

Does the anatomical source of fibroblasts affect their behaviour within a 3D composite model of oesophageal adenocarcinoma invasion?