Showing posts with label scientist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scientist. Show all posts

GLP-1 from Platypus Venom Gives Hope for New Diabetes Treatment


Researchers have discovered that the same hormone produced in the platypus gut and stinging spurs has potential for type a 2 diabetes treatment to regulate blood glucose levels. Hormone helps diabetics.

He thinks it might worth a lot of money. seems used largely by males fight during breeding. Australia’s oddest creature platypus. Researchers have discovered that the same hormone produced in the platypus gut and stinging spurs has potential for type a 2 diabetes treatment to regulate blood glucose levels. millions years evolution shaped thing fine-tuned he says don’t need milk any platypuses professor grützner fascinated weird animals studying primates pufferfish germany he drawn shores mystery liam mannix photo university adelaide sometimes beauty strangest places tucked heel horny platypus frank grützner found beautiful word first reached european scientists discovery platypus thought had fake hoax made different parts animals stuck together sort franken-duck advertisement can understand why scientists study weirder gets sweats milk feed babies hunts sensing electrical signals hearts prey changes metabolism control body temperature heel spur secretes venom powerful enough kill dog venom professor grützner excited male platypus does use hunting why bother beak can sense heartbeats females humans causes intense pain obviously did prime candidate treating diabetes professor grützner relocated university adelaide 2005 he part team completed first sequence platypus genome time he interested creature’s crazy sex chromosomes mammals sequence completed he got phone call would change career fellow researcher mark myers myers now assistant professor federation university australia calling results sequence genes made up platypus’ insulin system team interested insulin platypuses amazingly seem lack stomach millions genes scattered one he recognised humans had gene coded protein known glp-1 human gut makes meal whereupon stimulates release insulin hormone responsible lowering blood sugar platypus glp-1 differs human versions ways important tinyest single letter dna crucial spot looked saw immediately change single amino acid exactly site peptide degraded enzyme professor grützner says glp-1 designed break quickly human bloodstream otherwise blood sugar would far would end up comatose platypus version degrades slowly makes powerful potential treatment type diabetes body loses ability insulin becomes resistant drug hold insulin levels steady long periods worth billions professor grützner's team had creature kept store glp-1 spotted happens last place would think venom dripping heel spur platypuses heat why would platypus want jab insulin booster mating rival one knows it’s fun question ponder maybe other male would go looking food females professor grützner says can weave beautiful stories scientists go looking evidence remember venom causes excruciating pain team now developed synthetic form platypus hormone avoiding thankless task milking venom randy platypuses seems stimulate insulin production least test tube step giving diabetic mouse 200 000 commercial partner medvet science go towards context promising daunting one current drugs diabetics use form glp-1 comes salivary glands gila monster venomous mexican lizard suggests venom compounds might well suited task type diabetes it’s big market says professor patrick sexton diabetes expert monash university who collaborating professor grützner's team venom research that’s spin part it’s hugely busy space people looking whole range different ways tackle never what’s going thing works drug development long tortuous path stuff even tested mice professor grützner 48 knows even goes right viable drug may developed lifetime might lead anything it’s stable can release insulin least test tube tracker integral ad science
Ancient seafarers
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There Is Soil on Mars

NASA scientists are now saying that "soil" on Mars could support vegetable life. Without an atmosphere, though, it seems no life is possible. Scientists are specific enough to say that asparagus and turnips will grow in Mars' soil but strawberries will not. Are they joking? Or are they for real?

The Phoenix Mars Lander found soil that is very much like that in many Earth backyards. Scientists are shocked that they have found soil. It is alkaline - thus, the claim that it is not good for strawberries. Apparently, the soil is rich in trace minerals.

My, how scientists can be wrong. It was thought that Mars "soil" would be salty - with no atmosphere and the sun would bleach it. But they were wrong. At least we know that there is soil and water in the form of ice just beneath the surface. There is evidence that in the past water flowed on the surface because erosion is evident. Rivers, lakes and oceans existed there once. Water reservoirs such as these indicate that the planet did once have an atmosphere.

If life did survive for a time on Mars future exploration will surely find it.
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Australian Researcher Discovers a New Chlorophyll

A new form of chlorophyll has been identified in Shark Bay stromatolites by Min Chen of the University of Sydney. She has been awarded the Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

Chlorophyll had previously been found in four forms. It is a plant pigment that makes sugar giving energy to plants. The new type called chlorophyll f operates in the upper red end of the visible spectrum. Future uses include solar cells and new kinds of food crops.

The new type of chlorophyll was found by studying cyanobacteria within stromatolites. It was an accidental discovery. The intention was to understand more about chlorophyll d. Both types of chlorophyll are similar, but have different bonding structures.
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