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One of the first funding agencies to recognize the potential of protein analysis was the US National Science Foundation. In 1989 it agreed to support the start of a ten-year programme at the University of Washington in Seattle to create a centre in molecular biotechnology, specializing in the development of proteomics tools.
Astronomers have previously inferred the existence of giant extrasolar planets from the wobble they generate in their parent star. Now, the shadow caused by a planet passing in front of its star, and the probable detection of reflected light from a planet orbiting a very bright star, provide direct evidence for their existence. Such studies offer a way to probe the chemical composition and atmospheres of extrasolar planets.
It used to be thought that fish larvae, at the mercy of the currents, drifted vast distances through the open ocean. But two studies of reef fish show that a surprisingly high proportion of them never leave the waters in which they were spawned. This finding has implications for the management of marine ecosystems.
The neurodegeneration characteristic of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is caused by changes in the metabolism of the prion protein (PrPC). In most cases, PrPC is converted to an abnormal protease-resistant form, PrPSc. But in some genetically inherited forms of the disease another abnormal form — CtmPrP — accumulates. A new study shows that CtmPrP may be a neurotoxic molecule that is common to both the genetic and acquired forms of prion diseases.
The two key steps in classical proteomics are the separation of proteins in a sample derived from cells or tissues, and their subsequent identification. The best separation method is 2D gel electrophoresis, in which spots of a carefully prepared mixture of proteins extracted from cells or tissues are applied to a polyacrylamide gel.
A federal judge in San Francisco ruled last week that the patent for the natural occurring form of the widely used reagent taq DNA polymerase was fraudulently obtained and has ruled it invalid.