Galaxy cluster Abell 2744, imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope. The cluster lies in the constellation of Sculptor and contains several hundred galaxies. Credit: NASA, ESA, and R. Dupke (Eureka Scientific, Inc.), et al.

Australian scientists have discovered why heavyweight galaxies living in a dense crowd of galaxies tend to spin more slowly than their lighter neighbours. “Contrary to earlier thinking, the spin rate of the galaxy is determined by its mass, rather than how crowded its neighbourhood is,” says study Associate Professor Sarah Brough of UNSW Sydney and the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics. The finding, based on a detailed study of more than 300 galaxies, is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

To measure how fast their galaxies rotated, the researchers use...

The Apollo 15 moon rock sample, which was analyzed by MIT and Rutgers University researchers, consists of basalt fragments welded together by a dark glassy matrix that was produced by melting from a meteorite impact. The black scale cube is 1 centimeter across. Credit: NASA

Findings suggest 2 mechanisms may have powered the moon’s ancient churning, molten core. New evidence from ancient lunar rocks suggests that an active dynamo once churned within the molten metallic core of the moon, generating a magnetic field that lasted at least 1 billion years longer than previously thought. Dynamos are natural generators of magnetic fields around terrestrial bodies, and are powered by the churning of conducting fluids within many stars and planets...

UK’s Vivek Rangnekar, left, and Ravshan Burikhanov.

A new study by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers shows that when therapy-sensitive cancer cells die, they release a “killer peptide” that can eliminate therapy-resistant cells. Tumor relapse is a common problem following cancer treatment, because primary tumor cells often contain therapy-resistance cancer cells that continue to proliferate after the therapy-sensitive cells have been eliminated.

In the new study, published in Cancer Research, Markey scientists identified a Par-4 amino-terminal fragment (PAF) that is released by diverse therapy-sensitive cancer cells following therapy-induced cleavage of the tumor suppressor Par-4 protein...

Associate Professor Bryan Fry with a Komodo dragon

Various types of lizard venom are being studied as possible treatments for blood clotting diseases that lead to millions of cases of stroke, heart attack, and DVT annually. University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences expert Associate Professor Bryan Fry said, while snake venom research has been extensive, lizard venom research was still in its infancy.

His latest research – partly titled Enter the Dragon – shines the light on lizards that can serve as potential sources of life-saving medication. “We now know that far more lizards are venomous than previously thought, including the iconic Komodo dragon – the world’s largest lizard,” Dr Fry said...