BISA (BioInformatics Support and Analysis) shares the latest breakthroughs in the field of Science.
Control of Neural Stem Cell Survival by Electroactive Polymer Substrates
Stem cell function is regulated by intrinsic as well as microenvironmental factors, including chemical and mechanical signals. Conducting polymer-based cell culture substrates provide a powerful tool to control both chemical and physical stimuli sensed by stem cells.They have defined conditions for the biocompatibility of PPy substrates with NSC culture, critical for the development of devices based on conducting polymers interfacing with NSCs. (Contact : Dr. Ana I. Teixeira)
The C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II is modified by site-specific methylation.
The carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in mammals undergoes extensive posttranslational modification, which is essential for transcriptional initiation and elongation.They demonstrated that CTD methylation facilitates the expression of select RNAs, perhaps serving to discriminate the RNAPII-associated machinery recruited to distinct gene types. (Contact : Dr. Danny Reinberg)
Loss-of-function mutations in sodium channel Nav1.7 cause anosmia
Loss of function of the gene SCN9A, encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7, causes a congenital inability to experience pain in humans. They created a mouse model of congenital general anosmia and provides new strategies to explore the genetic basis of the human sense of smell. (Contact : Dr. Frank Zufall )
