Scientists develop rice that requires no cookingOctober 5th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Indian scientists claim to have developed a rice variety that requires no cooking, only soaking in water. The rice variety developed at the government-run Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) at Cuttack in Orissa is characterized by low amylase content and becomes soft on soaking in water, institute director Tapan Kumar Adhya told IANS in an interview.
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.
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.
New 'snorkel' rice plant could feed millionsAugust 20th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists have come up with a new rice plant that grows "snorkels" when exposed to floods. According to a paper published in the journal Nature, the super plant could help boost the production of the staple food in Asia and Africa, where up to 40 per cent of crops are subject to flash floods or deep water.
Nature: Scientists develop high-yield rice that can grow in deep waterAugust 20th, 2009 Scientists develop high-yield deep water riceTOKYO — A team of Japanese scientists has discovered genes that enable rice to survive high water, providing hope for better rice production in lowland areas that are affected by flooding. The team, primarily from the University of Nagoya, reported their findings in Thursday's issue of Nature, the science magazine.
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.
Rock-solid self-confidence is in the genesJuly 2nd, 2009 LONDON - If you always attributed a rock-solid self-confidence to upbringing and other environmental factors then better think again, for an unshakeable self belief is in the genes, according to a new study. The psychiatrists behind the study say that the ability to perform under pressure is more than a state of mind, and that some people are just born with it.
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.
Genes that protect against aging identifiedApril 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - University of Liverpool researchers have developed a novel method to help scientists identify genes that can help protect the body during the ageing process. The team developed a method of analysing genes in multiple ageing tissue types in both animals and humans.
Scientists identify genes that determine right warfarin doseMarch 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Uppsala University, together with colleagues at Karolinska Institute and Sanger Institute, have identified three genes that would help determine the optimal dose of blood-thinning drug warfarin. The team led by Mia Wadelius have come across three genes VKORC1, CYP2C9, and CYP4F2 that would help determine adequate warfarin dosage.
Genes linked to spinal disc degeneration identifiedMarch 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers from University of Alberta have identified certain genes responsible for spinal disc degeneration. Michele Crites-Battie and Tapio Videman, in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, have discovered eight genes linked to lumbar disc degeneration.