Nitrogenase MoFe-Protein at 1.16 Å Resolution: A Central Ligand in the FeMo-Cofactor
Oliver Einsle, F. Akif Tezcan, Susana L. A. Andrade, Benedikt Schmid, Mika Yoshida, James B. Howard, and Douglas C. Rees
Science Sep 6 2002: 1696-1700. [Abstract] [Full Text][Supporting Online Material]   [Science]

Structure, Mechanism, and Regulation of the Neurospora Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase
Werner Kühlbrandt, Johan Zeelen, and Jens Dietrich
Science Sep 6 2002: 1692-1696. Published online August 8, 2002; 10.1126/science.1072574 (Science Express Reports) [Abstract] [Full Text] [Supporting Online Material]   [Science]

Mast Cells: A Cellular Link Between Autoantibodies and Inflammatory Arthritis
David M. Lee, Daniel S. Friend, Michael F. Gurish, Christophe Benoist, Diane Mathis, and Michael B. Brenner
Science Sep 6 2002: 1689-1692. [Abstract] [Full Text] [Supporting Online Material]  [Science]

Identification of a DNA Nonhomologous End-Joining Complex in Bacteria
Geoffrey R. Weller, Boris Kysela, Rajat Roy, Louise M. Tonkin, Elizabeth Scanlan, Marina Della, Susanne Krogh Devine, Jonathan P. Day, Adam Wilkinson, Fabrizio d'Adda di Fagagna, Kevin M. Devine, Richard P. Bowater, Penny A. Jeggo, Stephen P. Jackson, and Aidan J. Doherty
Science Sep 6 2002: 1686-1689.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Supporting Online Material]   [Science]

Questions Regarding Nuclear Emissions in Cavitation Experiments
M. J. Saltmarsh, Dan Shapira, R. P. Taleyarkhan, R. C. Block, C. D. West, and R. T. Lahey Jr.
Science Sep 6 2002: 1603. [Full Text]   [Science]

I've got my feed for Science going. Here are some things I will be reading.  3:19:18 PM    

Engineering Food for Africans. Behind the protests, Africa has been developing genetically modified foods of its own, with the help of countries like the United States. By Marc Lacey. [New York Times: Science]

A balanced article. The worries generally come from plants that have had an herbicide gene added to them (especially when the company selling the resistant seed also makes the herbicide). This is the vision of Frankenfoods that makes the environmentalist press releases. They have a wedge here, because these genes have not been fully vetted by natural selection and could possibly end up somewhere novel. The chances of this are extremely small but can never be made zero. However, alterations that provide disease resistance or simply increase the copy number of normal genes do not present these sorts of problems. These are more difficult to make than herbicide resistant strains because they require a more intimate understanding of the biology of the plant. But we are getting there and the 2nd generation modified plants will provide some very important traits to the poor farmers of the world.  3:05:56 PM    

Satellite data could track vulnerable areas, terrorist threats [EurekAlert!]

Just remember 1/2 a meter resolution. So, all of you who put in a deck without getting the right permits, watch out.  2:55:39 PM    

Scientists explore large gas hydrate field off Oregon coast [EurekAlert!]

The article does not mention the effect that these methane hydrates could have on global warming. Methane is a greenhouse gas. If these hydrates were released from the ocean floor and entered the atmosphere, global warming would rapidly increase. In fact, some scientists have hypothesized that this has happened before in the past. And, looking at these hydrates as an energy source would only continue the use of hydrocarbon fuels. Unless they find some cycle that allows the removed methane to be replenshed. Then it might be workable.  2:50:01 PM    

Corn Disrupts Caterpillars' Digestion to Protect Itself [Scientific American]

By simply overexpressing a gene already present in corn, the researchers were able to disrupt the grow cycle of the caterpillars. This could be a very important advance. It also means that I will have to get a subscription to PNAS, since it is where this article was published. PNAS is one of my fvorties but you have to pay a full years subscription even for a partial year. At least if I read their subscription page correctly. Does not seem quite fair.   2:45:17 PM    

They really optimized homologous recombination (i.e. adding in genes that already exist) so that 1% of the plants have the altered genome. This should be a huge boast since it really is a much morespecific way of affecting genes that typically used. These 'old fashioned' methods tried to alter gene copy number by soaking the seeds in a mutagen and then selcting for the ones you wanted. All sorts of unintended changes could be wrought in this approach.  2:22:47 PM