Transposable elements, also known as “jumping genes” are DNA fragments that can move or copy themselves from one location to another on the chromosomes. They have invaded the genomes of most living organisms, from bacteria to humans, via the plants. When they jump, they bring about complex modifications in genes near which or in which they insert themselves, and can thereby alter or abolish their function. This phenomenon contributes...
Next Saturday, 2 April, is World Autism Awareness Day. This event is aimed at reminding the general public, professionals and politicians of the need to improve the quality of life of people suffering from this disorder.
Next Generation Scientific Innovation with the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and Strategic Collaboration to Advance Programs in Aging, Cancer, Genomics and Microbiota
This Thursday, 24 March, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed an isolated case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, at a farm in Ardennes. The case was detected in a 5-year-old cow sent for rendering, “a method for processing animals that die on farms, and are therefore not intended for human consumption,” states AFP. In France, the last case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy dates back to 2011.
A study financed by the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris[1] has been conducted under the direction of Monica Zilbovicius[2] in the Inserm Unit 1000 on a particular region of the brain, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), influencing perception and behaviour of the gaze. This work has shown that transcranial magnetic stimulation (non-invasive and painless) of the STS can selectively and transiently inhibit the subject's gaze into the eyes of the...
Since 2012, to promote dialogue between science and society, Inserm and Universcience has offered « Santé en questions », an annual cycle of citizen conferences. The aim is to provide information about advances in life sciences and healthcare research, but also to allow the public to tell their story and talk to the speakers. These conferences are chaired by a journalist and held by link up between the Cité...
Scientists at the CEA’s Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiation Biology, in collaboration with INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, and international partners, have demonstrated a connection between the expression of the TRAIL gene, which plays a role in cell death, and the radiosensitivity of certain human T lymphocytes. This research also showed a relationship between three genetic forms of TRAIL and the radiosensitivity of these T lymphocytes. Finally, two of these...
The ranking compiled by Thomson Reuters covers the “25 public institutions that contribute most to scientific and technological advancement worldwide” according to Reuters. The CEA is topping the list of worldwide organisations, with CNRS in 5th place and Inserm in 10th place.
The 17th edition of Brain Awareness Week will take place from 14 to 20 March 2016, in 62 countries as well as France. During this week, the general public is invited to come and meet researchers in order to better understand the workings of the brain and to find out about advances in research.
Two studies, one theoretical and the other biological and clinical, conducted by Nicolas Foray, radiobiologist at the Combined Research Unit 1052 'Cancer Research Centre of Lyon' (Inserm/CNRS/Centre Léon-Bérard/Lyon I University), have just been published in the International Journal of Radiation Biology and the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. These two studies allow a better understanding of the adverse side effects of radiotherapy. They propose a new theory about the...