Salk+Press+Release+(August+31,+2009):+LA+JOLLA,+CA—Cell+cycle+checkpoints+act+like+molecular+tripwires+for+damaged+cells,+forcing+them+to+pause+and+take+stock.+Leave+the+tripwire+in+place+for+too+long,+though,+and+cancer+cells+will+press+on+regardless,+making+them+resistant+to+the+lethal+effects+of+certain+types+of+chemotherapy,+according+to+researchers+at+the+Salk+Institute+for+Biological+Studies.

Their+findings,+published+in+the+Aug.+28+issue+of+Molecular+Cell,+help…

UCSD Press Release: In the latest proof that the oceans continue to offer remarkable findings and much of their vastness remains to be explored, scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and their colleagues have discovered a unique group of worms that live in the depths of the ocean.

A video image of a species of…

Scientists know a lot about stem cells; they have been studying them for decades and can do amazing things with them. But more research is needed to fully exploit their potential for medical purposes. While some researchers try to understand the nitty-gritty of a particular aspect of stem cells, others take a more global look at stem cell biology.…

                In the current global economic recession, people all over the world can agree that it is hard to turn down a free meal. This seems true for the sperm whales as well. In the Gulf of Alaska, a population of sperm whales has recently honed in on long line fishermen and started to strip lines of the catch with a behavior termed depredation. Dr. Sarah Mesnick and several of her colleagues at Southwest Fisheries Science Center…

Seems like everyone I know is pregnant this year. Maybe it’s because we’re in our 30s and the biological clocks are ticking, or maybe the down economy is making people look inward and think about friends, family, and what is important to them. There’s so much planning to be done when starting or adding to a family that it would take shelves…

Language is one of the most mysterious aspects of humanity. While communication is common in many species, humans have developed a complex system in which a limited number of lexical items can produce a nearly infinite array of meanings. Language is so intrinsic to human existence that children naturally acquire their mother language simply through exposure. What is known about this critical process? Like much of human…

At the heart of learning, and memory in general, lies the strengthening of connections that neurons form with one another, called synapses. The stronger the synapses, the more quickly an animal will recognize and respond to a stimulus. This is the bread and butter of learning. Researchers refer to this phenomenon as Long Term Facilitation (LTF) or Potentiation (LTP) and, not surprisingly, it represents one of the most active…

    To most people, graduate school is a nebulous collection of activities; thesis-writing, teaching, committee meetings and research where one works long hours for little to no pay. And with the increase in lay offs as the economy continues to lag, graduate applications have increased. Many enter graduate programs in order to dedicate their lives to something they love, but do they really know what they’re getting into?

    I had been an over-achiever in college and…