Scientists on the Brink of Artificial Life

As breakthrough nears, questions multiply like cells

(NEWSER) - Scientists are on the verge of creating new life forms from synthetic DNA and already sparking ethical questions, the Washington Post reports. Researchers can make entire chromosomes from sugars, phosphates, and nitrogen-based compounds, then insert the DNA into a host cell. The new codes can transform bacteria or yeast into biofuel-making machines, but that makes some people queasy. More»

Trio of laureates includes first woman to win prize in 45 years

(NEWSER) - The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded today to three scientists who mapped the structure of the ribosome, the part of the cell that reads DNA and uses its information to create proteins. All three chemists constructed three-dimensional models of the ribosome, using X-ray crystallography to chart hundreds of thousands of atoms. Modern antibiotics work by binding to the ribosomes of bacteria, making them unable to survive. More»

Neanderthals, early humans could be next

(NEWSER) - Scientists have pieced together the nearly complete genome of the woolly mammoth from a hair strand found in Siberia, National Geographic reports. It's the first time scientists have decoded the nuclear DNA of an extinct species. The development makes it theoretically possible for the mammoths to roam the earth again after a 10,000-year rest, though current technical hurdles make that a nearly impossible goal. More»

From the unfathomably small to the mind-blowingly huge, the most significant breakthroughs

(NEWSER) - The invention of the wheel was pretty good. Fire, even better. But what has science done for us lately? USA Today lists the top 25 scientific discoveries; here are the top 10:

1. Accelerating universe
2. Human genome
3. Climate accord

Microorganisms from Antarctica look like Martian data

(NEWSER) - Scientists have nixed the notion that glaciers are lifeless blocks of ice by thawing chunks containing Antarctic organisms and watching them successfully divide on their own, the Los Angeles Times reports. The study suggests that these microorganisms, ranging from 100,000 to 8 million years old, could yield DNA and spark an entirely new phase of bacterial evolution if warming continues to melt the glaciers. More»