Waste coffee grounds offer new source of biodiesel fuel

Researchers in Nevada are reporting that waste coffee grounds can provide a cheap, abundant, and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel fuel for powering cars and trucks. Their study appears in the current online issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication. more  

Redesigned protein accelerates blood clotting

Researchers have made several, subtle changes in the structure of a key protein, dramatically increasing its ability to drive blood clotting, according to a study published in a December edition of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. The findings have profound implications for the treatment of hemophilia, the inherited blood disorder that causes easy or excessive bleeding in 30,000 Americans. more

Leptin's long-distance call to the pancreas

Rube Goldberg—the cartoonist who devised complex machines for simple tasks—would have smiled at one of leptin's mechanisms for curbing insulin release. As Hinoi et al. show, the fat-derived hormone enlists the sympathetic nervous system to prevent bone-making cells from releasing a molecule that prods the pancreas to discharge insulin. more  

SNPs of ABC transporter genes linked to lung cancer risk

Individuals with particular variants of certain genes involved in metabolizing the most potent carcinogen found in cigarette smoke have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the February 1, 2009 issue of Cancer. The study's results may help shed light on how lung cancer develops and could have important implications for preventing smoking-related cancers. more

Two cardiovascular proteins pose a double whammy in Alzheimer's  

Researchers have found that two proteins which work in tandem in the brain's blood vessels present a double whammy in Alzheimer's disease. Not only do the proteins lessen blood flow in the brain, but they also reduce the rate at which the brain is able to remove amyloid beta, the protein that builds up in toxic quantities in the brains of patients with the disease. more

New 'smart' materials for the brain  

Research done by scientists in Italy and Switzerland has shown that carbon nanotubes may be the ideal "smart" brain material. Their results, published December 21 in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Nanotechnology, are a promising step forward in the search to find ways to "bypass" faulty brain wiring. more

Worried about plastic bottles? Experts weigh possible health risks of BPA

A chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) is found in many types of hard plastics. You’re probably exposed to it every day. It’s used to make water cooler bottles, baby bottles, plastic coatings inside food cans, dental sealants, plastic utensils, CDs and medical devices. BPA is just about everywhere you turn. But can it harm your health? That’s a question experts have been debating for nearly 2 decades. more

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