Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have uncovered a series of biological events that implicate the stem cells’ surroundings, known as their ‘niche’, as the culprit in loss of stem cells due to ageing. Their findings have implications for treatment of age-related diseases and for the effectiveness of regenerative medicine. [ + ]

Researchers have found genetic evidence that turtles are more closely related to birds than lizards and snakes. [ + ]

A new technique allows precise mapping of all 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-methylcytosine sites in a mammalian genome using well-established, next-generation DNA sequencing methods. These modified cytosines have been found to play major roles in fundamental life processes. [ + ]

GenoLogics, a provider of laboratory information management system (LIMS) software specifically designed for next-generation omics labs, has announced that the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF) has implemented the GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina NGS and is now in full production, using the system. [ + ]

A recently developed molecular rotational spectrometer has been used to investigate the three-dimensional geometry that a water molecule takes on as a likely precursor structure for forming liquid water and ice. [ + ]

At Duke University, Professor Tuan Vo-Dinh and his research group have been characterising metal nanoparticle construct materials for use in biosensing, imaging and cancer therapy. This has been made possible through particle charcterisation technology manufacturer NanoSight and the company’s Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). [ + ]

The speed of hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions has been found to increase in the presence of water. Researchers found that the presence of even the most minute amounts of water - on the order of those in an outer-space vacuum - can accelerate the diffusion of hydrogen atoms on iron oxide by 16 orders of magnitude at room temperature. [ + ]

Photovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells, according to MIT researcher Andreas Mershin. [ + ]

The world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), generates hundreds of millions of particle collisions each second. Recording, storing and analysing these vast numbers of collisions presents a massive data challenge: the LHC produces roughly 20 million GB of data each year. [ + ]

Recently, Compugen, an Israel-based biopharmaceutical company with over 17 years of research experience, released animal model data from the company’s proprietary Protein Family Members Discovery Platform. This in-house, in silico bioinformatics system provides a predictive view of protein characteristics leading to gene and protein discovery. [ + ]

Genomics organisation BGI has announced that a Roche GS FLX+ System has been successfully installed at its facility in Shenzhen, China. The goal is to complement the existing array of short read sequencing technologies and enhance BGI’s long read sequencing capability. [ + ]

BlueGnome is pleased to announce the results of the first randomised prospective IVF study of pre-implantation chromosome analysis using its 24sure array platform. The study, published in The Journal of Molecular Cytogenetics by Yang et al (Pacific Reproductive Center, Torrance, USA), has demonstrated that selectively implanting euploid embryos, with a normal number of chromosomes, significantly increases pregnancy rates. [ + ]

Skin cells are constantly generating and differentiating throughout our lives. Professor Fiona Watt is uncovering how stem cells in the skin perform these remarkable feats, and how they can sometimes go awry. [ + ]

For 40 years, the Southern Surveyor - the research vessel of the Marine National Facility - has conducted scientific voyages covering everything from underwater volcanoes to a carbon chemistry map of the Great Barrier Reef. But soon, it will be replaced with a new vessel, one in which the Australian Government has invested $120 million - the RV Investigator. [ + ]

Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) Diamantina Institute have played a leading role in a recent study into osteoporosis, more than doubling the number of currently known genes in the disease. [ + ]