See-through brains

Technique to make tissue transparent offers three-dimensional view of neural networks.

Scientists have come up with a way to make whole brains transparent, so they can be labelled with molecular markers and imaged using a light microscope. The technique, called CLARITY, enabled its creators to produce the detailed 3D visualisations you see in this video. It works in mouse brains and human brains; here the team use it to look into the brain of a 7-year-old boy who had autism.

Link: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12107.html#affil-auth

How to Succeed in Science?

Jonathan Yewdell M.D., Ph.D. (NIH) - leading immunologist and head of NIAID Cell Biology and Viral Immunology -- delivers a grantsmanship lecture on "How to Succeed in Science".

Nasa's new trip to Mars

This animated clip shows the journey that the Curiosity mission spacecraft will take on its way to Mars.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/8698252/An-explanation-of-Nasas-new-trip-to-Mars.html 

Virus can produce energy?

Authors have developed a phage-based piezoelectric generator that produces up to 6 nA of current and 400 mV of potential and use it to operate a liquid-crystal display. Because biotechnology techniques enable large-scale production of genetically modified phages, phage-based piezoelectric materials potentially offer a simple and environmentally friendly approach to piezoelectric energy generation.
For more information :  http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nnano.2012.69.html

 

Cyanobacteria are really the movers and shakers of the Earth

Scientists have discovered skeletons in the cyanobacterial closet. A never-before-seen species of cyanobacterium loads its cells with little bonelike lumps that may act as ballast, helping to anchor the beastie in its home waters of a Mexican lake. The discovery, described in the April 27 Science, is the first report of such a microbe creating calcified structures inside its cells, rather than externally.

For more information: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/340281/description/Bony_bacteria

Scale of Universe

This is fantastic and mind boggling

Check out the link below on the scale of objects in the universe. Very fascinating!!! 

Some key points:

1. You can use the scroll bar on the bottom of the screen to zoom in and out. 

2. Click on the objects to learn more.

Click here : http://static.flabber.net/files/scale-of-the-universe-2.swf

Literal and Intelligent Plagiarism

Students beware! When you indulge either in literal plagiarism or intelligent plagiarism either knowingly or unknowingly, you are putting all the authors in the manuscript at risk. Detection of plagiarism after publishing the paper can result in serious consequences to the organization where you work, and can severely damage your reputation and that of the co-authors.

For more information: http://mamidala.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/275/