Gizmorama
June 2, 2010
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Good Morning,
Scientists have made a major break-through in stem cell
research. Check out the middle segment for details on the
first ever 3 dimensional tissue structure to be made from
stem cells; retina.
Until Next Time,
Erin
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Email your comments=
P.S. You can discuss this issue or any other topic in the new
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Parasite to host plant gene transfer found
YOKOHAMA, Japan - Japanese scientists say they've discovered
the first evidence of nuclear genetic transfer from a host
to a parasite plant species. Researchers at the Riken Plant
Science Center in Yokohama said their discovery suggests a
greater role for horizontal gene transfer in plant evolution.
The scientists said the transfer of genetic material between
non-mating species, known as horizontal gene transfer, is
viewed as a powerful mechanism for genetic evolution. While
common in bacteria, such genetic transfer is less well under-
stood in plants, with evidence largely confined to its role
in the transfer of mitochondrial genes, the scientists said.
The research team wanted to determine whether such horizon-
tal gene transfer occurs between parasite and host plant
species, where implications for evolution would be particu-
larly profound. Using large-scale gene analysis, they said
they combed 17,000 genes of the parasite witchweed Striga
hermonthica -- a source of devastating damage to sorghum and
rice crops in Africa -- for traces of transfer from host
species. They said they discovered one gene, ShContig9483,
exhibited a high similarity to genes in sorghum and rice,
yet no relation to genes from Striga hermonthica's own
family of flowering plants (eudicots). The team then traced
ShContig9483's origins to sorghum genes, strongly suggesting
recent horizontal transfer from host to parasite. The re-
search is detailed in the journal Science.
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Spacecraft set for Earth and comet flybys
PASADENA, Calif. - NASA says its Deep Impact/Epoxi space-
craft successfully performed a trajectory maneuver to refine
its orbit prior to an upcoming Earth flyby. The maneuver
will place the spacecraft on a trajectory to fly past Earth
June 27 prior to its Nov. 4 flyby of comet Hartley. The
trajectory maneuver, on Friday, involved the spacecraft's
engines being fired for 11.3 seconds, NASA said. While the
burn changed the spacecraft's velocity by less than a
quarter-mile per hour, that was all the mission's navigators
requested to set the stage for an Earth gravity assist.
"While it was a small burn, it was a big step in getting us
to Hartley 2," said Tim Larson, project manager of NASA's
Epoxi mission. "Humanity's fifth close-up view of a comet is
less than five months away." The University of Maryland is
the principal investigator for the mission, while NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory manages the spacecraft for NASA's
Science Mission Directorate.
Early stage retina created from stem cells
IRVINE, Calif. - U.S. scientists say they have created an
eight-layer, early stage retina from human embryonic stem
cells. The University of California-Irvine researchers said
their accomplishment marks the first three-dimensional tis-
sue structure to be made from stem cells. They said it also
marks the first step toward the development of transplant-
ready retinas to treat eye disorders such as retinitis
pigmentosa and macular degeneration that affect millions.
"We made a complex structure consisting of many cell types,"
said Associate Professor Hans Keirstead, who led the study.
"This is a major advance in our quest to treat retinal
disease." The Keirstead team said it utilized the differenti-
ation technique to create the multiple cell types necessary
for the retina. The greatest challenge, Keirstead said, was
in the engineering. To mimic early stage retinal development,
the researchers needed to build microscopic gradients for
solutions in which to bathe the stem cells to initiate
specific differentiation paths. "Creating this complex
tissue is a first for the stem cell field," Keirstead said.
"Dr. Gabriel Nistor in our group addressed a really inter-
esting scientific problem with an engineering solution,
showing that gradients of solutions can create complex stem
cell-based tissues. "What's so exciting with our discovery,"
Keirstead added, "is that creating transplantable retinas
from stem cells could help millions of people, and we are
well on the way." The study appears in the Journal of Neuro-
science Methods.
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U.S.-German observatory sees 'first light'
WASHINGTON - NASA says its Stratospheric Observatory For
Infrared Astronomy made its first in-flight night observa-
tions. The German-built observatory, a joint project with
the German Aerospace Center, saw "first light" Wednesday,
beginning its 20-year mission, NASA said. The infrared
observatory is based in a Boeing 747 aircraft that was modi-
fied to carry the 100-inch reflecting telescope that's
designed for infrared observations at an approximate alti-
tude of 41,000 feet -- above most of the Earth's water vapor
that blocks some infrared wavelengths. "Wind tunnel tests
and supercomputer calculations made at the start of the
SOFIA program predicted we would have sharp enough images
for front-line astronomical research," said SOFIA project
scientist Pam Marcum of NASA's Ames Research Center. "A
preliminary look at the first light data indicates we indeed
accomplished that."
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