Scientific News

In the gonads of animals, genome parasites such as transposons pose a serious threat to evolutionary fitness. With their ability to bounce around in the genome, they often cause dangerous mutations. To protect genomic integrity, animals evolved a sophisticated mechanism – the so called piRNA pathway – to silence the deleterious transposons. Not much is known about the molecular processes and the involved factors that constitute the piRNA pathway. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) in Vienna have now identified ~50 genes, that play important roles in the piRNA pathway of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a severe disease that results in complete kidney failure (end-stage renal disease). If untreated or if a patient does not respond to therapy, dialysis becomes essential 2-3 times per week. While several genetic mutations are described and drug abuse or hypertension can cause FSGS, for the majority of FSGS cases the underlying cause remains elusive.

Researchers identify new mechanism in the onset of incurable nerve disease Stephen Hawking, a British astrophysicist, is likely to be the world's most famous person living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive disease affecting motor neurons, nerve cells that control muscle function, and nearly always leads to death. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA) in Vienna have now identified a completely new mechanism in the onset of motor neuron diseases. Their findings could be the basis for future treatments for these presently incurable diseases.

Genes involved in pain perception show remarkable similarities between flies and humans

Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna, Austria, have uncovered how malnutrition, affecting millions of people, leads to diarrhoea, inflamed intestines and immune system disorders. This surprising result explains food effects that have been known for centuries and provides a molecular link between malnutrition and the bacteria which live in our intestines. The results will be published on 26 July 2012 in the journal Nature.