Yearly Archives: 2008
Plant virus spreads by making life easy for crop pests
An ancient virus uses subterfuge to trick its host plant into lowering its defenses against pests, according to new research from The Rockefeller University. The result is that the pests that carry the virus flourish, spreading the virus ever faster. Researchers show how one molecule is behind all the mischief. More »
Tags: Nam-Hai Chua
In mice, anxiety is linked to immune system
In groundbreaking research that advances the knowledge of how the two most complicated systems in the body are linked, researchers reveal that immune cells in the brain directly influence how mice normally behave in stressful situations. The work is the first ever to genetically link mast cells to anxiety and opens new doors for drugs that target immune cells in the brain to regulate emotions. More »
Tags: Donald W. Pfaff, Stress
Scientists discover how a well-known protein repairs broken DNA ends
In the first-ever study to film live footage of protected and unprotected telomeres, scientists have discovered how a protein called 53BP1 helps fuse dangly DNA ends in need of repair. The findings could change how scientists think about double-stranded DNA breaks — the most lethal type of DNA damage — and also leads to new insights about how the human immune system adapts to new threats. More »
Tags: DNA repair, Telomeres
A new role for a critical DNA molecule in the immune system
Researchers find that a molecule that helps repair broken DNA is required for the genetic reshuffling that enables the immune system to adapt to new threats. The finding furthers our understanding of a process that is fundamental to our immune response but can also lead to cancers and other diseases when it falters. More »
Rockefeller accepts mayor’s challenge to reduce emissions by 30 percent
The university is one of 14 in New York City that have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over a 10-year period in response to a challenge issued by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as part of his PlaNYC sustainability program. More »
By recognizing odors, a single neuron controls reactions
A neuron responsible for smelling can distinguish odors and also change the reaction to them based on an organism’s prior experiences. The findings buck a prevailing theory that each neuron is dedicated to one behavior and also suggests that the nervous system may be more adaptive, at a more basic level, than scientists thought before. More »
Tags: Cori Bargmann, olfactory
Molecule stops DNA replication in its tracks
When a dividing cell duplicates its genetic material, a molecular machine called a sliding clamp travels along the DNA double helix, tethering the proteins that perform the replication. Rockefeller University scientists have discovered a small molecule that stops the sliding clamp in its tracks, a finding that will enable researchers to better study the proteins that duplicate DNA, and may ultimately provide a platform for developing improved antibiotics. More »
Tags: DNA replication
Study specifies chemical pathways for ions through cell membrane
A new discovery reveals the details of a process that is an elemental part of life itself. By painstakingly replacing each amino acid throughout the interior of a protein pump that moves charged particles in and out of every animal cell, Rockefeller University scientists have uncovered the road map that those ions follow across the cell membrane. More »
Tags: David C. Gadsby, ion pump
Four Rockefeller researchers named finalists in Blavavtik Awards for Young Scientists
Head of laboratory Tom W. Muir, postdocs Valerie Horsley and Andreas Keller and former postdoc Matthew Evans have been named finalists for the second annual Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. Established by the New York Academy of Sciences and the Blavatnik Charitable Foundation, the awards recognize the contributions of young scientists and engineers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. More »
Newly identified cells make fat
By using a mouse that lacks fat cells and observing the growth of fat after injections of different kinds of immature cells, Rockefeller University scientists have discovered an important fat precursor cell that may in time explain how changes in the numbers of fat cells might increase and lead to obesity. The scientists’ finding could also have implications for understanding how fat cells affect conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. More »
Tags: adipocyte, Jeffrey M. Friedman, Obesity
Scientists identify a molecule that coordinates the movements of cells
An elaborate track of exceptionally strong proteins known as the extracellular matrix allows cells to migrate toward wounds and heal them. It also gives cancer cells a way to spread. Now, new research from Rockefeller University shows that a recently discovered molecule called ACF7 orchestrates and powers this directed movement. The finding offers a new potential target for setting up a roadblock for the spread of cancer. More »
Tags: ACF7, cell migration, Elaine Fuchs
A DNA-based vaccine shows promise against the avian flu
By combining a newly discovered application technique with a broad genetic target, researchers may have created a potent vaccine against the virus. If successful, the new vaccine could be rapidly produced and effective against a broad spectrum of viral strains. More »
Tags: avian flu, David D. Ho
New formula predicts how people will migrate in coming decades
Countries use population projections to estimate local needs for things like jobs, schools, housing and health care, but coming up with those projections has been an inexact science. A newly developed, more precise formula to describe how people move between countries could lead to better use of resources and improved economic conditions. More »
Tags: Joel E. Cohen, migration, population
Neuron in zebrafish may reveal clues to the wiring of the human ear
Neurobiology, like networking, is about making the right connections. Now, new research shows that developing neurons in zebrafish know exactly where to go to find the right match. Because analogous cells exist in the human ear, the work may ultimately lead to new therapies for people who are hard of hearing. More »
Tags: A. James Hudspeth, zebrafish
Paris Piano Trio opens 51st Peggy Rockefeller Concert Series
Through the Peggy Rockefeller Concerts program, a subscription series, the university has played host to some of the world’s most renowned soloists, duets, chamber ensembles and musical groups from across the globe. More »
Variations in key genes increases Caucasians’ risk of heroin addiction
By scanning a large swath of the human genome, Rockefeller University researchers identify tiny variations in a few genes that can influence some people’s likelihood of developing heroin dependency. The work, which raises questions about race and personalized medicine, sheds new light on the role of genetics in addictive diseases. More »
Tags: addiction, Mary Jeanne Kreek
A blood marker may indicate Alzheimer’s risk
In research that could lead to a simple test for certain forms of dementia, scientists have found that when blood levels of a specific protein decrease over time, the change could herald the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or other types of cognitive impairment. More »
New Rockefeller faculty member studies cancer metastasis
Sohail Tavazoie, a physician-scientist whose research focuses on the molecular basis of cancer metastasis, has been named assistant professor and will join The Rockefeller University as head of the Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology in January 2009. More »
Tags: Sohail Tavazoie
Abuse of painkillers can predispose adolescents to lifelong addiction
No child aspires to a lifetime of addiction. But their brains might. Now, Rockefeller University researchers reveal that adolescent brains exposed to the painkiller Oxycontin can sustain lifelong changes in their reward system that increase the drug’s euphoric properties, and make them more vulnerable to the drug’s effects later in adulthood. More »
Tags: addiction
C. Erec Stebbins awarded prestigious EUREKA grant
C. Erec Stebbins, associate professor at The Rockefeller University, has been awarded an inaugural EUREKA grant from the National Institutes of Health for a project aimed at exploiting a bacteria-based “nanosyringe” as a means of delivering proteins into specific cells for therapeutic purposes. The award, which provides $200,000 a year for three years, was announced by the NIH September 3. More »
Tags: C. Erec Stebbins, Eureka
