New on the market

New system for production-scale cell culture New microscope digital camera Omega series of microplate readers Screening Dicer-substrate siRNA duplexes     

New on the market

Automated large amount solid dispensing module Olympus launches the new and improved modular cell family of imaging systems for life science Accelerating biomarker discovery and disease research with Tecan's automated hybridization stations MARS data analysis software available for all BMG LABTECH microplate readers. Pesticide and Herbicide Testing with LISSY New Amaxa® Nucleofector® Kits Thermo Fisher Scientific broadens stem cell offering     

New tech on the way

Two futuristic developments caught the eye in the last month, one of which is a new biometric, while the other is a technology which could prove to be interesting for image capture in the biometric industry.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

New observations on the skull of Archaeopteryx

Although skeletal remains of the iconic oldest known avialian Archaeopteryx have been known for almost 150 years, several aspects of the cranial anatomy of this taxon have remained enigmatic, mainly because of the strongly flattened and often fractured and incomplete nature of available skull materials. New investigation of the skulls of the recently described, excellently preserved tenth (Thermopolis) and the seventh (Munich) specimens revealed several previously unrecognized characters and helps to resolve some problematic issues. Thus, the nasal of Archaeopteryx shows a lateral notch for the lacrimal, as is found in many other saurischian dinosaurs, the maxilla clearly participates in the margin of the external nares, and there seems to be a pneumatic foramen in the lacrimal, comparable to the lacrimal fenestra found in many non-avian theropods. In the braincase, Archaeopteryx shows pneumatic features reminiscent of non-avian theropods, including a ventral basisphenoid recess and an anterior tympanic recess that is laterally incised into the basisphenoid/prootic. Most importantly, however, the postorbital process of the jugal shows a facet for the suture with the postorbital, thus resolving the question of whether Archaeopteryx had a closed postorbital bar. A new reconstruction of the skull of Archaeopteryx is presented, making the skull of this taxon even more theropod-like than previously recognized. Furthermore, the closed postorbital bar and the configuration of the bones of the skull roof cast serious doubt on claims that an avian-style cranial kinesis was present in this taxon.     

New observations on the bioluminescence of echinoderms

Bioluminescence has been observed in two species of Ophiuroidea, six species of Asteroidea, nine species of Holothuroidea and two species of Crinoidea. The luminescent responses are described and the intensities and time courses of the responses of some species are given.
Histological investigations have indicated possible luminous cells in the Holothuroidea, but the results in other classes remain equivocal. Preliminary analyses of the chemistry of bioluminescence indicate that a similar system may be responsible for bioluminescence in all four classes, although the visible manifestations of the system vary considerably.     

New oilseed crops on the horizon

Fats and oils for food uses are now plentiful on a worldwide basis. Tallow, lard and fish oils, as well as vegetable oils, such as those derived from soybean, sunflower, palm, rapeseed, peanut and cottonseed, are often overproduced. Although many of these products are also used for industrial chemicals, they often are not of the most favorable composition for nonfood applications. A search for new oil-seed crops with more advantageous oil composition has led to the development of excellent candidates that are now close to commercial acceptance. Among them areCrambe, Limnanthes, Vernonia, Sapium andSimmondsia. Other crops are at a much lower stage of development but also have excellent potential. They includeCuphea, Foeniculum, Stokesia, Lesquerella andLunaria. In this age of searching for renewable resources to replace petrochemicals and imported strategic materials, a well-organized research and development program on new oilseed crops could soon result in American self-sufficiency for industrial oils and fatty acids.     

New tuberculosis drugs on the horizon

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health concern whose control has been exacerbated by HIV and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The demand for new and faster acting TB drugs is thus greater than ever. In the past decade intensive efforts have been made to discover new leads for TB drug development using both target-based and cell-based approaches. Here, we describe the most promising anti-tubercular drug candidates that are in clinical development and introduce some nitro-aromatic compounds that inhibit a new target, DprE1, an essential enzyme involved in a crucial step in mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis.