Learn how to 'speak' from songbird genesSeptember 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The ability to manipulate songbird genes may yield secrets of vocal learning and how nerve cells (neurons) are replaced. For the first time, researchers have devised a way to alter the genes of the zebra finch, one of a handful of social animals that learn to "speak" by imitating their fellows.
Drug-free cannabis plant comes closer to realitySeptember 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have come closer to engineering drug-free cannabis plant after identifying genes that produce psychoactive substance in marijuana. University of Minnesota researchers have identified genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in marijuana, which could lead to new and better drugs for pain, nausea and other conditions.
What makes us uniquely humanSeptember 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a remarkable piece of detective work, scientists working at Trinity College Dublin have discovered three genes that are unique to humans. In the study published online in Genome Research, boffins have made a crucial discovery of genes that have evolved in humans after branching off from other primates.
Scientists isolate genes that imbue us with uniquely human traitsSeptember 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Humans and chimpanzees are genetically very similar yet clearly distinct in many ways. Scientists have isolated genes that evolved in humans after branching off from other primates, making us uniquely human.
'Snorkel' genes, boon for rice output in flooded areas of IndiaAugust 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have identified a couple of genes that could script a new story of rice production in India and Bangladesh and Asia in general. The two genes allow deep-water rice varieties to elongate their stems to be above the rising water level, especially during floods, instead of drowning in it.
Variations in dogs coat types result from variations in just 3 genesAugust 27th, 2009 Three genes combine for 7 coat types in dogsWASHINGTON — From short to shaggy, nearly all the differences in dogs' coat types result from variations in just three genes, according to researchers studying how genes work together. "What's important for human health is the way we found the genes involved in dog coats and figured out how they work together, rather than the genes themselves," said Dr.
Interplay of maternal, paternal genes may last well into childhoodJuly 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The subtle tug-of-war between maternal and paternal genes is likely to track into childhood, and possibly as late as the onset of puberty, say researchers. Human development is set by ongoing interplay of parent and offspring genes.
Male sex chromosome facing extinction due to rapid evolutionJuly 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has revealed that the sex chromosome that only males carry is deteriorating and could disappear within a few million years. Scientists at Penn State University (PSU) found that the male Y chromosome evolved at a much more rapid pace than X chromosome, which both males and females carry.
Male sex chromosome on way to extinctionJuly 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The sex chromosome that only males carry is deteriorating and could disappear within a few million years. A pair of Penn State University (PSU) scientists discovered that the male Y chromosome evolved at a much more rapid pace than X chromosome, which both males and females carry.
Are genes behind musicians' pitch recognition skill?July 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Practice makes perfect in music, but fresh evidence thrown up by research shows that for aspiring musicians, genes may also influence the outcome. Perfect pitch, also known as absolute pitch, is the rare ability to recognise and name musical notes without any reference pitch for comparison, detecting, for instance, A before middle C.
Genes that affect aggression in fruit flies identifiedJune 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have identified a set of genes that affect aggression in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. By studying male flies from a large panel of lines, which each carry a mutation in a single gene but are otherwise genetically identical, researchers identified particularly angry and particularly placid insects, uncovering 59 mutations in 57 genes that affect aggressive behaviour.
Different genes cause loss of body parts in similar fishJune 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has shown that different genes can cause loss of body parts in similar fish, by comparing how 2 species of sticklebacks lost pelvises and body armor. The research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Divisions of Environmental Biology and Integrative Organismal Systems, shows that when two species of stickleback fish evolved and lost their pelvises and body armor, different genes in each species caused the changes.
Asbestos-Quake combo may have helped life evolve on early EarthMay 4th, 2009 LONDON - In a new research, scientists have suggested that the unlikely combination of asbestos and earthquakes may have helped life evolve on early Earth. Sea-floor fissures lined with an asbestos mineral called chrysotile are places where life could have gained a foothold 3.5 billion years ago.
Researchers identify genes that protect during ageingApril 21st, 2009 LONDON - A new method developed by scientists will help researchers isolate genes that can protect the body during the ageing process. They developed a method of analysing genes in multiple ageing tissue types in both animals and humans.
Nine new X chromosome genes linked to learning disabilities identifiedApril 20th, 2009 LONDON - An international team of researchers has identified nine new genes linked to learning disabilities. The team of 70 researchers has found nine new genes on the X chromosome, which when knocked-out, led to learning impairment.
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