molecular mechanisms

Ubiquitous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus poses an increasing threat to patients with compromised immune systems. The European Science Foundation has launched a new Research Networking Programme, FUMINOMICS, to study the basic genetic and molecular mechanisms employed by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus when infecting host cells.

(Harvard Medical School) A new computer language for modeling biological phenomenon can "think" like cells and molecular mechanisms think, thereby simulating the dynamics of biological phenomenon.

Through incorporating basic principles of engineering, the new language, called Little b, surpasses current biological modeling software in that it goes beyond simply representing biological information.

It allows biologists to create programs that can reason about biological knowledge and thereby help overcome the barrier of complexity.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of pollen recognition is important for designing novel plant breeding systems as well as ensuring safeguards against unwanted pollination by genetically modified crops.

Scientists are studying these varieties to identify the genes and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in order to engineer new drought-resistant crops of potato, as well as other Solanaceous vegetables.

In a study of the molecular mechanisms by which plants protect themselves from oxidation damage should they absorb too much sunlight during photosynthesis, researchers have discovered a molecular "dimmer switch" that helps control the flow of solar energy moving through the system of light harvesting proteins.

This discovery holds important implications for the future design of artificial photosynthesis systems that could provide the world with a sustainable and secure source of energy.

Researchers report that people with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy are missing a protein called c-FLIP, which the body uses to prevent the loss of muscle tissue.

By targeting the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for creating this protein, scientists could develop new drugs to stop muscle wasting from limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and other conditions.

(Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology) A team of French and German researchers report in the May 2008 print issue of the FASEB Journal that people with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy are missing a protein called c-FLIP, which the body uses to prevent the loss of muscle tissue.

By targeting the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for creating this protein, scientists could develop new drugs to stop muscle wasting from limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and other conditions.

By blocking certain mechanisms that control the way that nerve cells in the brain communicate, scientists have been able to prevent visual recognition memory in rats.

This demonstrates they have identified cellular and molecular mechanisms in the brain that may provide a key to understanding processes of recognition memory.

Multiple lethal pathogens such as H5N1 avian flu trigger acute lung injury with a high death rate. Scares of an epidemic have led to an increasing interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to this condition.

Scientists have now identified oxidative stress and innate immunity as a common pathway that controls the severity of ARDS.

A new method may help the medical community to determine the genetic basis of many common diseases. Thousands of human diseases originate from mutations in one or more genes.

Identification of mutated genes is a crucial first step towards understanding the molecular mechanisms at the origin of diseases and devising a treatment.

In many cases, we do not know the identity of the affected gene, only a chromosomal region (typically containing hundred of genes) in which the mutation is located.