College students — and parents — get ready. You’re heading for an unusual midyear tuition increase of 5 percent at Florida public colleges.

Then a much bigger challenge comes next year. That’s when the two most popular tools in Florida for funding college costs probably won’t cover a large part of the bill at major state schools.

Bright Futures scholarships, funded by the Florida Lottery for students who have good grades, won’t pay for some big fees that three large Florida universities will be able to tack on to their tuition bills in the 2008-2009 school year.

More : sun-sentinel.com

Research focused on a group of genes that control how and where body parts develop in animals, including people, reveals the genetic potential to create fingers and toes apparently existed ages before animals even crawled onto land.

Scientists investigated the activity of these Hox genes in embryos of the spotted catshark and discovered the gene dates back to the distant common ancestors of sharks and humans.

Unexpectedly, they discovered that a spurt of genetic activity that helps digits such as fingers and toes develop in limbed animals was seen in shark embryos as well.

More : news.xinhuanet.com

A Brigham Young University junior molecular biology major has sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the Mormon cricket, the insect said to have scourged Utahs early settlers crops until the miraculous intervention of California gulls.

Mormon crickets still affect Utah today - a spray program is in place to treat nearly 100,000 acres in Box Elder County inundated with the pests. Daniel Fenn, a Salt Lake City native, is the lead author on The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex: Tettigoniidae: Orthoptera), published in the academic journal Insect Molecular Biology.

I decided to study the Mormon cricket not only because of its interesting molecular DNA, but because they also affect the economy, which has a large impact on people, Fenn said.

More : .sciencedaily.com

Public and private sector investments in research at major Florida universities totaled more than $1.6 billion last year, up $36.5 million from the year before.

Thats according to a survey by technology transfer directors at 13 Florida research universities coordinated through the Technology Transfer Office at Florida State University.

They said licensing income increased for Florida universities, and university researchers applied for and were issued more patents than in 2005.

More : southflorida.bizjournals.com

The University of Central Florida is becoming a destination university for Hispanic students.

According to the May edition of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine, UCF is one of the best 100 colleges in the United States for Hispanic students seeking bachelors degrees. Its also among the best for those aiming for masters and doctoral degrees.

UCF ranked 13th for undergraduate degrees awarded – an improvement of three spots over last year. The university also ranked 41st for masters degrees, an improvement of one spot, and 38th for doctorates, an improvement of 45 spots.

More : news.ucf.edu‘