Science Blog

Story tips from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, August 2010

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:11:06 +0000

To arrange for an interview with a researcher, please contact the Communications and External Relations staff member identified at the end of each tip. For more information on ORNL and its research...

Snake venom studies yield insights for development of therapies for heart disease and cancer

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:11:02 +0000

BETHESDA, Md., July 29, 2010 — Researchers seeking to learn more about stroke by studying how the body responds to toxins in snake venom are this week releasing new findings that they hope...

Brown dwarf found orbiting a young sun-like star

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:21:13 +0000

Astronomers have imaged a very young brown dwarf, or failed star, in a tight orbit around a young nearby sun-like star. An international team led by University of Hawaii astronomers Beth Biller and...

TNF blockers may increase the risk of malignancy in children

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:21:11 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received reports of malignancies in children using tumor necrosis factor a (TNF) blockers, raising concerns of an associated risk and prompting an...

Scientists post lower speed limit for cell-signaling protein assembly

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:21:10 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The apparently random self-assembly of molecular threads into the proteins that make the body work is far less frantic than previously thought, Michigan State University...

Resting brain activity associated with spontaneous fibromyalgia pain

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:21:07 +0000

A recent study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Michigan provides the first direct evidence of linkage between elevated intrinsic (resting-state) brain...

Mechanism uncovered behind Salmonella virulence and drug susceptibility

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:21:02 +0000

Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism in Salmonella that affects its virulence and its susceptibility to antibiotics by changing its production of proteins in a previously unheard of manner....

Behind the secrets of silk lie high-tech opportunities

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:31:08 +0000

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Tougher than a bullet-proof vest yet synonymous with beauty and luxury, silk fibers are a masterpiece of nature whose remarkable properties have yet to be fully...

Memory’s master switch

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:31:04 +0000

Neuroscientists have long wondered how individual connections between brain cells remain diverse and “fit” enough for storing new memories. Reported in the prestigious science journal...

Study finds black carbon implicated in global warming

bjs — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:31:03 +0000

Increasing the ratio of black carbon to sulfate in the atmosphere increases climate warming, suggests a study conducted by a University of Iowa professor and his colleagues and published in the July...