Life Sciences and Chemistry

Soda, Halloween candy and other food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners could one day get a fresh makeover using honey, one of the most ancient sweeteners, researchers say.

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say that honey may be a healthier alternative than corn syrup due to its higher level of antioxidants, compounds which are believed to fight cancer, heart disease and other diseases.

Honey, which contains a

Forensic genetics is the branch of genetics that, through DNA analysis and comparison, deals with the resolution of legal problems such as paternity tests. Recently, it has been proposed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could be used as a new genetic marker in the field eventually even replacing the methods/markers now employed. But in an article just published online in Forensic Science International, a team of scientists challenges the effectiveness of SNPs in kinship studies predic

Its two-step handiwork described in The EMBO Journal as most efficient of any enzyme

A newly discovered enzyme described by University of Pittsburgh researchers in a study published online today, is believed to play a key role in maintaining the integrity of a cell’s genetic information – the basis by which the life of a cell or species is preserved – by allowing its DNA to be replicated despite discovery of a mishap on the sequence that it corrects with a new mistake. Its sop

A common antibacterial and antifungal ingredient used in mouthwashes and tooth paste may have another positive medicinal use: protection against skin cancer.

According to new studies, sanguinarine was shown to enhance production of proteins that induce cell death, or apoptosis, in cells damaged by ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation. The alkaloid also restricts skin cell production of other pro-proliferation proteins. “This natural compound may protect skin from cells that acquire the

Researchers have uncovered a specific signaling mechanism that contributes to the development of colorectal cancer, one of the most common deadly human cancers. The discovery furthers the understanding of mechanisms that contribute to disease progression and provides new avenues for development of therapies for colorectal cancer.

According to study author, Dr. Marcus F. Neurath from the University of Mainz in Germany, “Several lines of evidence support an important role of TGF-b

By knocking out a single gene in mice, immunologists at Duke University Medical Center have mimicked a little-understood autoimmune disorder in humans. In the puzzling disorder, called Sjögren’s syndrome, the person’s tear and salivary glands are affected, causing dry eyes and mouth, as they are damaged by an attack of the person’s own immune cells.

According to researchers, the achievement not only offers insight into Sjögren’s syndrome, but into the genera