May 2, 2017 Anatoly Kolomeisky, left, and Oleg Igoshin. Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University Biology must be in a hurry. In balancing speed and accuracy to duplicate DNA, produce proteins and carry out other processes, evolution has apparently determined that speed is of higher priority, according to Rice University researchers. Rice scientists are challenging assumptions that perfectly accurate transcription and translation are critical to the success of biological systems. It turns out a few mistakes here and there aren't critical as long as the great majority of the biopolymers produced are correct. A new paper shows how nature has optimized two processes, DNA replication and protein translation, that are fundamental to life. By simultaneously analyzing the balance between speed and accuracy, the Rice team determined that naturally selected reaction rates optimize for speed "as long as the error level is tolerable." The paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is by Rice postdoctoral fellow Kinshuk Banerjee and his advisers, Oleg Igoshin, an associate professor of bioengineering and biosciences, and Anatoly Kolomeisky, a professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering. Their technique allowed them to see that while error correction through kinetic proofreading leans toward speed, the cost … Continue reading →

New research provides further evidence linking distaste for outsiders with a deep-seated fear of disease. By Tom Jacobs Its easy to blame the anti-immigrant impulses driving so much Trump administration policy on basic bigotry. But a recent line of research has asked whether this visceral disdain for outsiders is not just psychological, but biological. Evolution, after all, has programmed us to be wary of potential sources of disease or infection. For people who are particularly sensitive to such threats, that can translate into a desire to stay far away from suspect strangerssuch as immigrants from a far-away land. Strongly felt, but largely if not totally unconscious, this predisposition makes it virtually impossible to have a rational discussion about the pros and cons of immigration reform. It also hinders the best known antidote to prejudicegetting to personally know people of other ethnicities or religions. If you dont feel its safe to shake someones hand, youre probably not going to develop a meaningful relationship. That sad insight comes from University of Aarhus researchers Lene Aaroe and Michael Bang Petersen and Temple Universitys Kevin Arceneaux. They are the authors of a newly published paper that provides the best evidence yet linking pathogen avoidance … Continue reading →

Kate Draper is ready to try her hand in marine biology research this summer. The East Central University freshman biology major and Ada resident will do a marine and estuarine science internship at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, June 5-Aug. 11, through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. This is a great opportunity to make connections for graduate school and help get the ECU name out there, said Draper Im really excited for being able to work in both the field and lab and it will help me focus on what I want to do with my career. Draper applied online for the internship through the National Science Foundation. The internship is one of only 15-20 spots available through the Maryland institution as Dr. Alisha Howard, assistant professor of biology at ECU, helped guide Draper through the application process. This is great for Kate and East Central. Shell be introduced to the competitive, intense drive that most scientists have. It will be amazing, said Howard. Doors will be opened for her to do more research, if she would like, here and her research experience will be good for ECU. Each research student will have a mentor during the summer … Continue reading →

Possible cures routinely pop up only to fade from view, their benefits never quite surpassing the simple efficacy of an insulin injection. Lev Dolgachov/Thinkstock Type 1 diabetes is a discouraging disease. Despite the availability of synthetic insulin and increasingly sophisticated monitoring technology, its still a condition that requires incessant vigilance: Diabetics must constantly track their blood sugar levels and carefully use that information to calibrate drug doses. Even if you manage to do all of that well, bad days remain almost inevitable. Take too much insulin, and you can spiral into a hypoglycemic delirium. Take too little, and your glucose levels will rise, filling the body with dangerous levels of ketones. Less immediately frustratingbut no less familiar for diabeticsis the state of diabetes research. Possible cures routinely pop up only to fade from view, their benefits never quite surpassing the simple efficacy of an insulin injection. More recently, though, the field of synthetic biologya hybrid discipline that aims to construct or redesign biological components and systemshas shown the potential to produce a novel set of treatments. The solutions remain speculative, but they do offer cautious reasons for hope. Type 1 diabetes, in theory, should be relatively easy to solve. That … Continue reading →

Friend said Ed Schneck coached, acted in plays and was an overall Renaissance guy By Bethany Rodgers Published: 2017.05.01 09:33 Graduates of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School recently remembered former biology teacher Ed Schneck, who died in April. Via Harriet Haber Longtime biology teacher Ed Schneck enjoyed his retirement party so much, he decided to stick around for one more year. Steve Thompson, a friend and one-time colleague at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, said Schneck decided to teach one final year. And his farewell bonanza turned into an annual event, known as the Schneck Retirement Golf Classic, which was held long after he left his job. The story was just one example of the larger-than-life personality that endeared Schneck to those who knew him and helped explain the outpouring at the former teachers death last month at age 81. He was a mainstay there at the high school, said Harriet Haber, a B-CC graduate from the class of 1979 who estimated Schneck worked at the school for more than three decades. Though its been years since Schneck taught at B-CC, dozens expressed grief and shared memories on a Facebook memorial page for high school alumni. Schneck stood out for his dapper … Continue reading →

The Hindu CET: Several students give biology paper a miss The Hindu With the Common Entrance Test no longer being valid for admissions to medical and dental courses this year, many students who wrote the test on Tuesday decided to give biology paper a miss. Of the total 1.85 lakh candidates who registered for the test, ... and more » Excerpt from: CET: Several students give biology paper a miss - The Hindu … Continue reading →