Chemistry Nobel Goes to 3 Who Found Glowing Protein

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»

New study suggests disease-related memory loss may be reversible

(NEWSER) - Alzheimer's patients may be able to recover some memory by using a combo of drugs and mental stimulation, a new study in the journal Nature concludes. Mice with an Alzheimer's-like condition were more likely to remember an electric shock if they had taken a drug stimulating brain-cell growth or lived in playground-like cages. More»

But there's still no cure

(NEWSER) - Researchers say they've found another possible way to detect Alzheimer's, this time through a blood test that looks for antibodies. Though still under development, a diagnostic kit could be available within the year, reports Reuters . The catch: While scientists are getting better at detecting Alzheimer's with such discoveries, they still can't cure the disease. More»

Could predict risk decades before symptoms show

(NEWSER) - A new test could predict a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s decades before symptoms appear—and it only takes half a minute, the Daily Telegraph reports. A London scientist identified a group of otherwise healthy people in their 40s whose brain scans revealed tiny lesions in the memory hub, similar to those found in post-mortem exams of Alzheimer's patients. He then had these patients take a quick computer test designed to evaluate reaction times; they showed a range of reaction times, while their lesion-free peers’ reactions were either consistently fast or slow. More»

Bra gas masks and the benefits of naming cows among the discoveries honored

(NEWSER) - The scientific world’s best and brightest gathered last night to honor the silliest. Eight Nobel laureates showed up to hand out the “Ig Nobels,” which honor funny, weird, and downright silly discoveries. The winners included:

• Public health: Dr. Elena Bodnar, who invented a bra that can turn into two gas masks.
• Veterinary medicine: A team that proved cows with names produce more milk than nameless ones.