Science News 4/8/09

Bee yourself
University of Otago researchers have a found a clue to explain how honey bee queen's control her workers. Two years ago the researchers discovered that queen bees release a pheromone that blocks young bees’ ability to remember unpleasant experiences in the brain and predict punishment. Now - Professor Alison Mercer and Dr Kyle Beggs, have identified the molecular target of this pheromone. The pheromone activates one of three honey bee dopamine receptors. This changes how dopamine signals in the brain and the behaviour of young bees. Why make the chemical? It stops worker bees becoming revolutionary! The queens’ pheromones have unpleasant effects; like impairing motor activity. By not remember how mean the queen can be stops young bees from become aversive so they keep protecting the queen and the colony.

Targeting pancreatic cancer
A Western Australian Institute for Medical Research team has created a molecule that can target a type of pancreatic tumour, and attract the body’s immune system to the cancer. An inflammatory agent is shoved into the molecule using nanotechnology, which targets tumours and attracts millions of immune cells to attack and kill the tumour. Excitingly the coating of the capsule heads to pancreatic tumours specifically – so it will only attract immune cells to the cancer site! Clinical trials may begin in 5-10 years, depending on pharmaceutical company interest.

Bridging the gap
A researcher from Queensland University of Technology can monitor changes in vibrations that will identify weak spots in bridges. It can detect if the bridge is damaged and even locate where the damage is in the structure. The method detects vibrations, this data is collected and fed into a computer model which could identify any damage in the bridge.