Fundamental bioscience news
Scientific experiments with the herpes virus strain that causes Marek's disease in poultry have shown, for the first time, that some types of vaccines allow for the evolution and survival of increasingly virulent versions of a virus that could put unvaccinated individuals at greater risk of severe illness. While many vaccines – such as common childhood vaccines – work perfectly, others could be improved.
Using unique mechanical experiments and close-up video, researchers have shown how ants use microscopic ‘combs’ and ‘brushes’ to keep their antennae clean, which could have applications for developing cleaners for nanotechnology. For an insect, grooming is a serious business. If the incredibly sensitive hairs on their antennae get too dirty, they are unable to smell food…
Scientists at TGAC have developed a new library construction method for genome sequencing that can simultaneously construct long-range data with reduced DNA input, time and cost. Long range genetic data (long mate pair – LMP) is an invaluable source for plant, crop and animal genetic research.