Researchers have discovered a dramatically improved method for genetically manipulating human embryonic stem cells, making it easier for scientists to study and potentially treat thousands of disorders ranging from Huntington's disease to muscular dystrophy and diabetes.

  Immunization with a stabilized version of a protein found on Streptococcus bacteria can provide protection against Strep infections, which afflict more than 600 million people each year and kill 400,000.

  Biologists examining ecosystems similar to those that existed on Earth more than 3 billion years ago have made a surprising discovery: Viruses that infect bacteria are sometimes parochial and unrelated to relatives in other parts of the globe. It's surprising because bacteria are ubiquitous on Earth, and both they and the viruses that affect them were long believed to be cosmopolitan, having similar genetic histories across the globe.

  If you're allergic to soy, help is on the way. Two new studies show that fermenting soy dramatically reduces its potential allergenicity and also increases the number of essential amino acids in soy products, making them a healthy and a safe choice for consumers.

  Microbiologists have discovered a new species of bacteria that can live in hairspray. Scientists now need to determine the clinical importance of the new species, as similar bacteria have been found to infect humans.

  Workplace bullying, such as belittling comments, persistent criticism of work and withholding resources, appears to inflict more harm on employees than sexual harassment, according to researchers.

  By studying what were once pockets of hot, melted rock 13 kilometers deep in the Earth's crust 55 million years ago, scientists are able to explain how granulite, a major component of continental crust, is formed.

  Existing therapies for rejection of donor lungs can cause kidney damage. Just as some lung transplant patients celebrate the ability to breathe again, their immune systems begin to attack their new organ. This inflammatory autoimmune activity, called rejection, can lead to failure of the transplanted lungs. Of the people who receive new lungs each year, 30 percent to 40 percent will suffer an episode of rejection within a year of transplant.

  On 12th June, a space-bound advertisement will be broadcast from a 500MHz Ultra High Frequency Radar from the EISCAT Space Centre in Svalbard, which lies in the Arctic Ocean about midway between northern Norway and the North Pole. The transmission is being directed at a solar system just 42 light years away from Earth with planets that orbit its star '47 Ursae Majoris' (UMa). 47 UMa is located in the Great Bear Constellation (also known as "The Plough") - easily identifiable to even the most amateur stargazer. It is very similar to our Sun and is believed to host a habitable zone that could potentially harbour small terrestrial planets and support life as we know it.

  Scientists have shown that microRNAs play an important role in stem cell differentiation. Understanding these key regulatory factors is critical for potential therapeutic use of stem cells.

  A rare wolverine has been documented in the Tahoe National Forest -- the first confirmed sighting of the animal in nearly three-quarters of a century. A graduate student had been conducting research in the forest on the effects of landscape change on American martens, a bird species. The project uses a large array of cameras that remotely capture images of martens and other animals through the use of motion sensors or heat detectors. However, one of the cameras captured an image from behind of a larger animal with telltale black and brown markings that experts say is a wolverine.

  Only forty-five percent of baseball players were able to return to the game at the same or higher level after shoulder or elbow surgery. Researchers found that overall, only 20 of the 44 players returned to the same or higher level of professional baseball. For ballplayers at the major league, AAA, or AA level, the study found only 4 of 22 (18 percent) were able to return to the same or higher level.

  Astronomers have measured the distribution of mass inside a dark filament in a molecular cloud with an amazing level of detail and to great depth. The measurement is based on a new method that looks at the scattered near-infrared light or 'cloudshine' and was made with ESO's New Technology Telescope. Associated with the forthcoming VISTA telescope, this new technique will allow astronomers to better understand the cradles of newborn stars.

  A new study has uncovered a possible biological link between severe psychological stress and an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The study found that the stress hormone hydrocortisone may repress the activity of a tumour-suppressing gene known as BRCA1 that is related to breast cancer.