ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Genetic risk for autism stems mostly from common genes
• Size and age of plants impact their productivity more than climate
• New technique maps life's effects on our DNA: Powerful single-cell technique to study environmental effects on DNA
• A noble gas cage: New material traps gases from nuclear fuel better and uses less energy than currently available options
• Marmoset sequence sheds new light on primate biology and evolution
• Scientists map one of most important proteins in life -- and cancer
• Oceans vital for possibility for alien life
• Speedy computation enables scientists to reconstruct an animal's development cell by cell
• New gene discovered that stops spread of deadly cancer: Scientists identify gene that fights metastasis of a common lung cancer
• Transplanting gene into injured hearts creates biological pacemakers
• Climate-cooling Arctic lakes soak up greenhouse gases, study shows

Genetic risk for autism stems mostly from common genes Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:46 PM PDT Using new statistical tools, scientists have discovered that most of the genetic risk for autism comes from versions of genes that are common in the population rather than from rare variants or spontaneous glitches.

Size and age of plants impact their productivity more than climate Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:43 PM PDT The size and age of plants has more of an impact on their productivity than temperature and precipitation, according to a landmark study. They show that variation in terrestrial ecosystems is characterized by a common mathematical relationship but that climate plays a relatively minor direct role. The results have important implications for models used to predict climate change effects on ecosystem function and worldwide food production.

New technique maps life's effects on our DNA: Powerful single-cell technique to study environmental effects on DNA Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:43 PM PDT Researchers have developed a powerful new single-cell technique to help investigate how the environment affects our development and the traits we inherit from our parents.

A noble gas cage: New material traps gases from nuclear fuel better and uses less energy than currently available options Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:42 PM PDT A new material called CC3 effectively traps xenon, krypton, and radon. These gases are used in industries such as lighting or medicine and, in the case of radon, one that can be hazardous when it accumulates in buildings. New research shows how: by breathing enough to let the gases in but not out. The results might lead to cheaper, less energy intensive ways to extract these gases.

Marmoset sequence sheds new light on primate biology and evolution Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:42 PM PDT Scientists have completed the genome sequence of the common marmoset -- the first sequence of a New World Monkey -- providing new information about the marmoset's unique rapid reproductive system, physiology and growth, shedding new light on primate biology and evolution.

Scientists map one of most important proteins in life -- and cancer Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:42 PM PDT Scientists reveal the structure of one of the most important and complicated proteins in cell division -- a fundamental process in life and the development of cancer -- in a new research article. Images of the gigantic protein in unprecedented detail will transform scientists' understanding of exactly how cells copy their chromosomes and divide, and could reveal binding sites for future cancer drugs.

Oceans vital for possibility for alien life Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:34 PM PDT Researchers have made an important step in the race to discover whether other planets could develop and sustain life. New research shows the vital role of oceans in moderating climate on Earth-like planets Until now, computer simulations of habitable climates on Earth-like planets have focused on their atmospheres. But the presence of oceans is vital for optimal climate stability and habitability.

Speedy computation enables scientists to reconstruct an animal's development cell by cell Posted: 20 Jul 2014 05:34 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new computational method that can rapidly track the three-dimensional movements of cells in such data-rich images. Using the method, scientists can essentially automate much of the time-consuming process of reconstructing an animal's developmental building plan cell by cell.

New gene discovered that stops spread of deadly cancer: Scientists identify gene that fights metastasis of a common lung cancer Posted: 17 Jul 2014 09:45 AM PDT A gene responsible for stopping the movement of cancer from the lungs to other parts of the body has been discovered by researchers, indicating a new way to fight one of the world's deadliest cancers. By identifying the cause of this metastasis, which often happens quickly in lung cancer and results in a bleak survival rate, scientists are able to explain why some tumors are more prone to spreading than others. The newly discovered pathway may also help researchers understand and treat the spread of melanoma and cervical cancers.

Transplanting gene into injured hearts creates biological pacemakers Posted: 16 Jul 2014 11:10 AM PDT Cardiologists have developed a minimally invasive gene transplant procedure that changes unspecialized heart cells into "biological pacemaker" cells that keep the heart steadily beating. The laboratory animal research is the result of a dozen years of research with the goal of developing biological treatments for patients with heart rhythm disorders who currently are treated with surgically implanted pacemakers.

Climate-cooling Arctic lakes soak up greenhouse gases, study shows Posted: 16 Jul 2014 10:16 AM PDT Arctic thermokarst lakes stabilize climate change by storing more greenhouse gases than they emit into the atmosphere, a new study shows. Found in the Arctic and cold mountain regions, thermokarst lakes occur as permafrost thaws and creates surface depressions that fill with melted fresh water, converting what was previously frozen land into lakes. Researchers observed that roughly 5,000 years ago, thermokarst lakes in ice-rich regions of North Siberia and Alaska began cooling, instead of warming the atmosphere.

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