Life Sciences and Chemistry

New England’s favorite summertime delicacy, the chowder clam, has just been elevated to a whole new status. An international team of scientists-who credit studying surf clam (Spisula solidissima) cells with important research breakthroughs in the study of diseases such as cancer, premature aging, and muscular dystrophy-has convened at the Marine Biological Laboratory to begin sequencing some of the clam’s active genes.

The effort, called the Clam Project, is the first step toward

Experiment proves that ’fly-fishing mechanism’ theory of protein-to-protein communication holds water

Proteins pass messages to other proteins much like fly-fishermen flicker their lines against water, or so a current leading theory holds. The repeated weak slapping of protein surfaces against one-another is the critical first step in a chain of events that rule all subsequent cellular behavior.

But this vital exchange between single molecules has defied direct o

Streptococcal bacteria may infect humans by using a bacterial enzyme to “hijack” the blood-clotting system, according to new research by Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists.

In studies published in the August 27, 2004, issue of the journal Science, the researchers establish that the enzyme streptokinase is responsible for the pathogen’s ability to infect humans while exhibiting little activity against other mammals.

The scientists genetically altered strains of

As the debate continues on the ethics and therapeutic potential of embryonic versus mature stem cells, Medical College of Georgia researchers are exploring a third group of cells that appears critical to development and capable of making all major types of human tissue.

“VENT cells are a unique category of multi-potent cells,” Dr. Douglas P. Dickinson, molecular biologist, says of this cell type that escapes from the bottom of the neural tube early in development, after the tube clo

Columbia University Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers have identified a possible cause of an inherited form of Parkinson’s disease, which may be related to more common forms of the disease. The findings are reported in the August 27, 2004 issue of Science.

While the cause of most cases of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, a few cases are inherited and can be traced to mutations in four different genes, including the alpha-synuclein gene. This is the

Initiative targets highly innovative research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced its first three Chemical Bonding Centers–multi-faceted research groups that will each tackle a “big problem” in chemistry, in an atmosphere that’s intended to be flexible, tolerant of risk, and open to thinking far outside the box.

The new Chemical Bonding Centers (CBCs) will be based at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the