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The rhythm of biology ()
An art exhibit in New York City explores the science behind our reaction to sounds

XMRV doesn't cause chronic fatigue ()
Two studies point to contamination of patient samples as the cause of a controversial 2009 finding that linked the mouse virus XMRV with chronic fatigue syndrome

Speaking of science ()
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Genetics News From Medical News Today

Controlling Gene Expression With New RNA-Based Therapeutic Strategies (Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST)
Small RNA-based nucleic acid drugs represent a promising new class of therapeutic agents for silencing abnormal or overactive disease-causing genes, and researchers have discovered new mechanisms by which RNA drugs can control gene activity. A comprehensive review article in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., details these advances...

Cause Of Metabolic Disease Identified By Whole Exome Sequencing (Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST)
Sequencing a patient's entire genome to discover the source of his or her disease is not routine - yet. But geneticists are getting close. A case report, published this week in the American Journal of Human Genetics, shows how researchers can combine a simple blood test with an "executive summary" scan of the genome to diagnose a type of severe metabolic disease...

Rare Mutations May Help Explain Aneurysm In High-Risk Families (Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST)
An innovative approach to genome screening has provided clues about rare mutations that may make people susceptible to brain aneurysms, predisposing them to brain bleeds, according to preliminary late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012...

Biology / Biochemistry News From Medical News Today

Device Provides A Platform For Viewing Cancer Cells And Other Macromolecules In Dynamic, Life-Sustaining Liquid Environments (Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST)
A photograph of a polar bear in captivity, no matter how sharp the resolution, can never reveal as much about behavior as footage of that polar bear in its natural habitat. The behavior of cells and molecules can prove even more elusive...

Chaos In The Cell's Command Center (Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST)
A defective operating system is never a good thing. Like computers, our cells depend on operating systems to drive normal functions. Gene expression programs comprise the software code our cells rely on, with each cell type controlled by its own program. Corrupted programs can trigger disease...

Scientists Transform Skin Cells Direct To Brain Cells, Bypassing Stem Cell Stage (Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST)
Bypassing the stem cell stage, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California converted mouse skin cells directly into neural precursor cells, the cells that go on to form the three main types of cell in the brain and nervous system. They write about their findings in the 30 January early online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences...