Entries Tagged 'From ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News' ↓

Commercial organic farms have better fruit and soil, lower environmental impact, study finds

Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier and more genetically diverse. The study is among the most comprehensive of its kind, analyzing 31 chemical and biological soil properties, soil DNA, and the taste, nutrition and quality of three strawberry varieties on more than two dozen commercial fields -- 13 conventional and 13 organic.

Live imaging puts new light on stem cell division

A long-held assumption about asymmetrical division of stem cells has cracked. Researchers report that the mitotic spindle does not act alone -- that cortical proteins help to position a cleavage furrow in the right location.

Imaging reveals key metabolic factors of cannibalistic bacteria

Researchers have revealed new details about how cannibalistic bacteria identify peers suitable for consumption. The work, which employed imaging mass spectrometry, is a first step toward a broader effort to map all signaling molecules between organisms.

Nanobiotechnology advances point to medical applications

Scientists have demonstrated the synthesis of nanosize biological particles with the potential to fight cancer and other illnesses. The research introduces new approaches that are considered "green" nanobiotechnology because they use no artificial compounds.

Lima beans domesticated twice

Lima beans were domesticated at least twice, according to a new genetic diversity study. Big seeded varieties known as "Big Lima" were domesticated in the Andean Mountains, while small seeded "Sieva" and "Potato" varieties originated in central-western Mexico.

Research produces tools to study stallions’ subfertility

Subfertility of breeding stallions -- meaning the horses are less able to sire foals -- is a well-recognized problem that has caused multi-million-dollar losses in the equine industry, experts say. Researchers believe they are making progress in solving the problem by using an approach that might provide tools and resources necessary to study subfertility without causing stallions the angst of providing testicular samples for testing.

Exposure to low doses of BPA alters gene expression in the fetal mouse ovary

A new study finds that exposure of pregnant female mice to the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A may produce adverse reproductive consequences on gene expression in fetal ovaries as early as 12 hours after the mother has first been exposed to the chemical.

Genetic test finds healthiest fish for breeding

A Norwegian company has developed a new genetic test that quickly determines which salmon have the highest resistance to the IPN virus. The recently launched commercial product could mean a breakthrough in the battle against this costly disease.

Scientists unveil structure of adenovirus, the largest high-resolution complex ever found

After more than a decade of research, scientists have pieced together the structure of a human adenovirus -- the largest complex ever determined at atomic resolution.

Artificial enzyme removes natural poison

For the first time ever, a completely artificial chemical enzyme has been successfully used to neutralize a toxin found naturally in fruits and vegetables. This is the first evidence that it's possible to design artificial enzymes for this class of task, and might result in a completely new way of designing drug-targets.