Even within cells, the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. Molecular motors, the little engines that power cell mobility and the ability of cells to transport internal cargo, work together and in close coordination, according to a new finding by researchers at the University of Virginia. The work could have implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

"We found that molecular motors operate in an amazingly coordinated manner when moving an algal cell one way or the other," said Jeneva Laib, the lead author and an undergraduate biomedical engineering student at the University of Virginia. "This provides a new understanding of the ways cells move."

The finding appears online in the current issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

After being recognized and initially processed by the cellular machinery, the broken chromosome is extensively scanned for homology and the break itself is later tethered to the nuclear envelope. Thus the researchers uncovered a surprising feature of how DNA strand breaks can be handled. Their unexpected findings have important implications for the understanding of DNA repair mechanisms. (Molecular Cell 33, February 13th, 2009)

The central molecule for life is DNA, which constitutes the genetic blueprint of our organism. However, this precious molecule is constantly threatened by miscellaneous damage sources. DNA damage is a cause of cancer development, degenerative diseases and aging. The most dangerous and lethal type of DNA-damage is the DNA double strand break (DSB). A single DSB is enough to kill a cell or cause chromosomal aberrations leading to cancer. Therefore, cells have evolved elaborate DNA repair systems that are fundamental for human health.

DSBs can be repaired by error-prone non-homologous end joining, a pathway in which the DSB ends are simply fused together again. The alternative repair pathway, called homologous recombination, is mostly error-free and needs homologous DNA sequences to guide repair. A vast amount of research, by many scientists around the world, has provided us with a detailed picture of how the DNA damage is recognized and finally repaired. However, so far little was known, how homologous sequences are found and how cells react when DNA breaks persist.

Now, scientists around Stefan Jentsch, head of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology, were able to shed light on these questions, as they report in the upcoming issue of Molecular Cell.

An extremely rare object, which is thought to be just one of about 20 items in the world, has been discovered at Maidstone Museum.

The rare find, which is thought to be 4,000 years old, has caused a stir of excitement among the museum keepers.

The Early Cycladic III Kernos, a vessel that incorporates 6 cups around a globular basin on a fluted base, is an unusual item especially in the complete condition it is in.

There are known Kernoi at the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, Sevres in Paris, The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and The New York Metropolitan Gallery of Art and other museums.

Maidstone Museum's Kernos was brought into the limelight thanks to museum keeper, Giles Guthrie and third year Liverpool University student Kayleigh McMahon, who is currently studying archaeology and ancient history and working with Giles at the museum.

Studying and restoring a part of Egypt's ancient history at Karnak Temples was the task of the Franco-Egyptian Research Centre of Karnak in 2008.

The work undertaken by the Franco- Egyptian Research Centre of Karnak Temples (CFEETK) in 2008 was slightly different from in previous years. Last year's study focused on restoration more than excavation. The site that took up much of the centre's attention was the Osirian cults and featured the chapel of Osiris Wennefer Neb-Djefau, the path of Ptah and the neighbouring chapels of Osiris Neb-Neheh and Nebankh-Pa-Usheb-Iad, as well as the temples of Osiris from Coptos, Opet and Khonsu.

To achieve an efficient progress in restoration at the chapel of Osiris Wennefer Neb-Djefau, the CFEETK had to continue excavation in the area in an attempt to complete the plan of the mud- brick walls that surround the chapel.

Today is Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and this month also marks the 150th anniversary of his book, On the Origin of Species. As might be expected there are shindigs and events all over the world. There's even a Darwin Look-Alike contest at ASU and a Darwin Google logo for the occasion. Other organizations and website are focusing on how other fields of science were changed by Darwin's theory of evolution. But not us, no siree. We're going to remind you how much evolution has impacted robotics. While the direct application of evolutionary algorithms is obvious, there are other less obvious connections. For example, scientists are about to release a rough draft of the Neanderthal genome, pieced together from 38,000 year old bones found in Croatia. By comparing the Neanderthal genes to those of chimpanzees and humans, we'll learn a great deal about how our brains evolved. This in turn will suggest new approaches for creating intelligent robots.

It was hardly the most interesting or earth-shaking part of Jeff Bezos's introduction of the Kindle 2 on Monday, but one small, experimental feature in the device is already causing a minor uproar. Specifically: The Kindle 2's text-to-speech function, which will use a computerized voice to read aloud anything displayed on the device's screen. The problem? The Authors Guild says that that's against the law.

The challenge revolves around audiobooks, which are treated separately from printed material from a copyright standpoint. A retailer can't record a copy of a book on a CD and sell it or bundle it along with a novel without paying a separate fee, just as buying a copy of an audiobook doesn't entitle you to a free copy of the printed version.

Scientists studying the DNA of Neanderthals say they can find no evidence that this ancient species ever interbred with modern humans.

But our closest ancestors may well have been able to speak as well as us, said Prof Svante Paabo from Germany's Max Planck Institute.

He was speaking in Chicago, US, where he announced the "first draft" of a complete Neanderthal genome.

The genetics information has been gleaned from fossils found in Croatia.

Prof Svante Paabo confirmed that Neanderthals shared the FOXP2 gene associated with speech and language in modern humans.

A total of three billion "letters", covering 60% of the Neanderthal genome, have been sequenced by scientists from Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and 454 Life Sciences Corporation, in Branford, Connecticut.

Washington - Federal regulators tweaked recommendations for how websites should collect, save and share information about users, extending them to Internet service providers and mobile users.

The Federal Trade Commission issued new guidance on Thursday for the self-regulated industry that urges websites to tell consumers that data is being collected during their searches and to allow them to opt out.

Russian and U.S. experts say the first-ever collision between two satellites has created clouds of debris that could threaten other unmanned spacecraft.

Russia's Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin says there is little risk to the international space station with three crew members aboard.

Lyndin said Thursday that officials would monitor the debris from Tuesday's collision to make sure no fragments get near the station. He said the station's orbit was adjusted in the past to avoid debris.

Neanderthals are a step closer to walking on Earth again.

Scientists have unravelled the genetic code of man's closest cousin using fragments of bone found across Europe.

The blueprint could provide information on the Neanderthal's looks, intelligence, health and habits, as well as what makes us human.

It also raises the intriguing possibility of bringing our ancient relatives, who died out around 30,000 years ago, back from the dead.

Researcher Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin said: 'Studying the Neanderthals and studying the Neanderthal genome will tell us what makes modern humans really human, why we are alone, why we have these amazing capabilities that allowed our ancestors to draw paintings, to create complex symbols.'