ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News

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• Surprises from the ocean: Marine plankton and ocean pH
• Yeast genomes: Genetic codes for species of yeasts identified and compared
• Highly invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner found living in the Balkans by 1879
• How dense is a cell? Combining ancient principle with new technology, researchers devise new way to answer question
• Mystery ingredient in coffee boosts protection against Alzheimer's disease

Surprises from the ocean: Marine plankton and ocean pH Posted: 21 Jun 2011 02:35 PM PDT Oceans support vast populations of single-celled phytoplankton which, through photosynthesis, remove about half the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels. One group of phytoplankton, the coccolithophores, are known for their ability to build chalk scales inside their cells and secrete them, forming a protective armor. A new study has revealed the mechanism which achieves this, and that this process may be directly affected by the increasing levels of dissolved carbon dioxide in the oceans.

Yeast genomes: Genetic codes for species of yeasts identified and compared Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:47 PM PDT A team of US researchers has identified and compared the genetic codes for all known species of yeasts closely related to bakers' and brewers' yeast (the former used in pizza dough, the latter in beer), which lays the foundation for future understanding of mutation and disease, as studies of yeasts often identify key genes and mechanisms of disease.

Highly invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner found living in the Balkans by 1879 Posted: 21 Jun 2011 09:11 AM PDT The horse-chestnut leaf miner was living on native stands of the horse-chestnut in Greece by 1879 and was already present in the Balkans more than a century before its scientific description, new research shows.

How dense is a cell? Combining ancient principle with new technology, researchers devise new way to answer question Posted: 21 Jun 2011 08:43 AM PDT Scientists have developed a way to measure the density of a single cell. The new method involves measuring the buoyant mass of each cell in two fluids of different densities. Measuring cell density could allow researchers to gain biophysical insight into fundamental cellular processes such as adaptations for survival, and might also be useful for identifying diseased cells.

Mystery ingredient in coffee boosts protection against Alzheimer's disease Posted: 21 Jun 2011 06:33 AM PDT An unidentified coffee component combined with caffeine increases a growth factor that counters Alzheimer's pathology in mice, according to new research.

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