New york: : Researchers at the University of California claim to have discovered a new system to encode digital information within DNA. According to the researchers, this method relies on length of the fragments obtained by the partial restriction digest rather than the actual content of nucleotide sequence, the Langmuir medical journal has reported. "What we developed is a method to encode a message in DNA in a way that does not require an expensive sequencing machine. The decoding still requires a wet lab procedure, but the experimental procedure is significantly easier,' said lead researcher Prof Stefano Lonardi. But, why is this discovery important? Well, the human genome consists of the equivalent of approximately 750 MB of data

KOLKATA, Feb. 17: The state government plans to recover the huge costs of conducting feasibility studies in Nayachar Island from its potential investors. But the funds have to come from its own coffers for the time being. The proposed chemical hub would require extensive studies such as geographic mapping, geological and geophysical as well as oceanographic studies and environment impact assessment to get clearance.

you see a lot of butterflies hovering around coffee plantations. The reason is the plantations have scattered stands of trees for shade. And a change in ecology can affect their numbers. Over

Stockholm: Scientists plan to launch 60 tiny fish on a zero gravity rocket ride from above the Arctic Circle on Monday to try to plumb the secrets of motion sickness. Tomas Hedqvist, project manager for Sweden's Esrange Space Centre, said the baby cichlid fish will head 260 km into the air on an 11-metre two-stage rocket, where they will experience six minutes of weightlessness.

baby food is contaminated with a chemical that could possibly lead to cancer or neurobehavioural disorders. Invest-igations by Environ-mental Working Group (ewg), a us -based public interest

human population groups come in different heights. In India and China, people are usually short. In Canada, they are relatively taller. One school of biologists says this is due to varying food

conventional leather production consumes high levels of energy and a number of chemicals. The process releases toxic substances. Scientists from Tamil Nadu have developed an enzyme-based

immune system: Scientists in the UK are building a mathematical model of immune responses in people. The work will improve the understanding of the human immune system by allowing all the

smart delivery: UV light radiation can now be used to control drug delivery in the body. A new method applies low UV light on the affected area after the drug intake. This helps trigger the