Glutamate exclusively activates a receptor on tongue

September 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology have discovered a key missing link in the so-called signaling pathway for plant steroid hormones. Many important signaling pathways are relays of molecules that start at the cell surface and cascade to the nucleus to regulate genes.

September 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have created an "electronic tongue" that can digitally measure the taste of sweetness. Under the leadership of Kenneth Suslick, a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the revolutionary device, which makes use of a postage stamp-size piece of paper dotted with colored pigments, has been developed.

July 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Acute stress resulting from short stressful incidents can actually enhance learning and memory, says researchers at the University at Buffalo. In trials on rodents, the researchers have shown that acute stress can produce a beneficial effect on learning and memory, through the effect of the stress hormone corticosterone (cortisol in humans) on the brain's prefrontal cortex- a key region that controls learning and emotion.

July 9th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists at the University of Hull have identified a new group of molecules on the surface of nerve cells that make people cough when they are irritated. According to the researchers, the findings could lead to new drugs to treat coughing.

July 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have developed a novel headset that makes it possible for a person suffering from spinal cord injury to precisely control a wheelchair or computer using the tongue. The "tongue drive", being trialled at Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, could also give astronauts a third hand in difficult situations like spacewalks.

June 9th, 2009 LONDON - Why is it that people, especially those bilinguals, often have tip-of-the-tongue experiences in which words suddenly and perplexingly go missing only to reappear seconds or minutes later? Well, new research has shed some light on why these momentary lapses in vocabulary occur. Jennie Pyers, a psychologist at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, says that one possible explanation is that similar-sounding words compete for the brain's attention.

May 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - What attracts silkworms to mulberry leaves, their primary food source, is no longer a secret because Japanese scientists have found that a jasmine-scented chemical emitted in small quantities by the leaves triggers an olfactory receptor in the insects' antennae. Kazushige Touhara, from The University of Tokyo, says that the new finding contrasts the notion that insects are generally attracted to their host plants through the recognition of a blend of volatile compounds by a combination of receptors.

April 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have found a potential target for developing new treatment for acute migraine attacks. The new research by Addex Pharmaceuticals showed that targeting glutamate receptor 'mGluR5', the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, could prevent migraines.

April 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists from the Monell Center in the US have reported that the red panda is the first non-primate mammal to display a liking for the artificial sweetener aspartame. The research related sweet preferences to genetic analyses of sweet receptor structure in six related species.

April 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Ridding yourself of constipation might be easier now when other methods fail. Researchers have identified nerve endings, which when stimulated cause bowel clearance and the chemicals that act on them.

April 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Suffering from constipation? Well, help is on the way - a team of researchers has identified a potential drug target to make it a lot easier to go to the bathroom, especially when all other methods fail. They have discovered a group of nerve ending receptors, which, when stimulated, causes the bowels to pass waste, and the specific receptor needed to activate bowel clearance.

April 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Nicotine may interfere with cellular communication in your body, according to a new study. Researchers have found 55 proteins that interact with the alpha-7 nicotinic receptor, so called because nicotine binds to them when it is introduced into the body.

March 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Are distressing memories of the past haunting you? Well, then researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found a biochemical pathway that can block your worst fears. The researchers have found that a receptor for glutamate- the most prominent neurotransmitter in the brain- plays a key role in the process of "unlearning." The findings could eventually help scientists develop new drug therapies to treat a variety of disorders, including phobias and anxiety disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

March 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Brit actress Gemma Arterton could not help herself from using her tongue when filming kissing scenes with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, even though it had been understood that she was not to. Arterton, 23, who co-star's with Gyllenhaal in the upcoming movie Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, plays the part of a sixth century princess, while he the prince.

February 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Capsaicin, the active agent in spicy hot chili peppers, often acts as an irritant, but it may also be used to reduce pain. Feng Qin, associate professor of physiology and biophysics at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine, and Jing Yao used capsaicin to unravel how pain-receptor systems can adapt to painful stimuli.