Coming straight from the pond - a multicellular green alga may have unlocked the secrets behind the evolution of different sexes.

There is a striking similarity between how the human brain determines what is going on in the outside world and the job of scientists. Both process predictable sensory input in an efficient manner but require more effort when predictions are not fulfilled.

Metal catalysts based on gold or platinum could facilitate the development of lithium-air batteries with up to three times the energy density of any battery that currently exists.

Label-free, cell-based assay platforms are innovative tools for assessing the integrated functional responses of cells to drug-like compounds.

The importance of recombinant protein expression and production for structural and functional protein studies is constantly growing.

DNA transfer into human embryonic stem cells (hESC), derived from the inner cell mass of a four day old embryo and able to differentiate into derivatives of all 3 germ layers, is limited by their general resistance to common methods used to introduce exogenous DNA.

Primary cells or cell lines derived from solid tissue, eg endothelial, epithelial or neuronal tissue, typically grow in adherence when transferred into cell culture.

Dissociation and production of rat primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells for culture is labour intensive and offers low yield.

Cultured human keratinocytes provide a model to study a number of medically relevant topics such as metabolism, nutrition, toxicity, differentiation, various epidermal diseases, and the treatment of serious burns.

Assessment of RNA quality/integrity is key to consistent performance in a variety of uses, including microarrays, RT-PCR, and RTqPCR.

The Nordlund Centre for Biomedical Structural Biology at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has purchased Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Maybridge Ro3 500 fragment library to support the establishment of a fragment screening-based drug discovery platform.

According to uncyclopedia, the periodic table was invented in 1974 by Mendeleev, a science teacher in Wellington, New Zealand. (On a related note, Mendeleev also insists he invented the Occasional Table, but this claim occasionally goes into great dispute.)

Enhanced of the OmniExpress BeadChip with more flexibility, to launch in Q2 2010. [ + ]

Skin bacteria left behind on keyboards and computer mice can be used to identify who was using the object. Human microbiome researchers are testing if such leftovers can be used forensically or by law enforcement agencies.

Tecan Australia to provide Tecan laboratory instruments and support in Oceania through AimLab. [ + ]