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- Astronomers spot huge black hole in small galaxy
A team of astronomers discovered one of the biggest black holes ever spotted, in NGC 1277, a smaller galaxy than the Milky Way. The discovery is surprising as it deviates from the general knowledge that the size of a black hole correlates with the size of a galaxy -- large galaxies have huge black holes and small galaxies harbor little ones. "This is totally not what I was looking for. I was expecting to find really big black holes in really big galaxies," said Remco van den Bosch of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. ScienceMag.org/ScienceNow blog
(11/28)
    
| Science in the News
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- Beetle infestation raises temperatures in some Canadian forests
An infestation of mountain pine beetles in some forests in British Columbia, Canada, made summer temperatures increase 1 degree Celsius, according to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The findings support previous studies showing that ecological disruptions have substantial ecological effects, said University of British Columbia's Allan Carroll. The Scientist online
(11/27)
- Parasitic fungi of caterpillars could have healing properties
Researchers have found that a parasitic fungus that ends up controlling the brains of caterpillars has anti-inflammatory effects on humans. The cordyceps parasite bestow anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting polyadenylation at the mRNA stage. More research is needed, but the findings could lead to medications for humans with inflammatory conditions including cancer, arthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. National Geographic News
(11/28)
- NIH facility explores animal biology with goal of helping people
At the expansive but little-known NIH Animal Center, veterinarians and other researchers work to breed and prepare animals for research and pursue behavioral and genetic studies of primates, findings that ultimately inform scientists' understanding of humans. "Our mission is to put out research that can really help the country," says Shared Animal Facility veterinarian Ruth Woodward. The latest research projects at the facility, which places heavy emphasis on animal enrichment, include an effort to understand and possibly alter the developmental course of autistic behaviors in rhesus monkeys. Bethesda Magazine online (Md.)
(11/2012)
- Scientists identify 96,000 wheat genes
A group of scientists from the U.S., Germany and the U.K. has determined about 96,000 wheat genes that could help crop breeders and researchers sustain global food supplies. "As we struggle to confront the increasing challenges of population increase, land degradation and climate change that are contributing to food insecurity, it will be vital to understand the underlying genetics of staple crops like wheat," said Denis Murphy, a biotechnology professor at the University of Glamorgan in the U.K. Reuters
(11/28)
- A piece of computer history rebooted in the U.K.
The National Museum of Computing in the U.K. has restored and rebooted the Wolverhampton Instrument for Teaching Computation from Harwell, or WITCH, the oldest original working digital computer in the world. The computer, which is now on display and operational at the museum, was developed as part of an initiative on atomic research in the 1950s. "All together, the machine can store 90 numbers," said restoration leader Delwyn Holroyd. "The closest analogy is a man with a pocket calculator. However, unlike the man with a pocket calculator, this machine can carry on day and night, and it doesn't make mistakes." CNN
(11/21)
| Funding Watch
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- Researchers get $2M federal grant to develop nonfood feedstocks
Colorado State University researchers secured a $2 million federal grant to develop a system for genetically modifying nonfood plants, such as sorghum, for biofuel production. "Right now, most of the fuel we produce in biofuels is from materials that can serve as food for humans and animals. What we'd like to do is move to a set of feedstocks that don't compete with animals and humans," said Eric Toone, deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, Colo.)
(11/28)
- Group will support research on pelvic, bladder pain receptors
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases will allot $1.5 million in 2013 to support research focused on examining the molecular make-up of nociceptors that play a role in the chronic pain that patients with painful bladder syndrome and chronic pelvic pain syndrome experience. The larger objective is to use the findings to develop approaches that could lessen the activity of the pain receptors or obstruct their input into the central nervous system. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration)
(11/28)
| Research Policy Regulations
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- Enforcing IP laws could drive drug innovations in mid-income nations
 Improved enforcement of laws related to intellectual property and increased research capacity could boost drug innovation in middle-income countries, including India and Brazil, according to a report by Charles River Associates. The report also urges researchers to collaborate with hospitals and medical schools to stimulate clinical trials. "Having a consistent system for securing intellectual property rights is also critical to establishing legal certainty and an appropriate environment for innovation in developing countries," said Alexandre Guimarães of the National Institute of Industrial Property in Brazil. SciDev.net
(11/28)
- NIH stands behind move to discard 3rd grant submission policy
The National Institutes of Health confirmed it will not bring back its "three strikes" regulation that offers researchers two chances to resubmit a research grant proposal that has been rejected. The rule is working as intended; the average wait time to be offered a grant has decreased to 56 weeks from 93 weeks, Sally Rockey, extramural research chief for the NIH, wrote on her blog. ScienceMag.org/Science Insider blog
(11/28)
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