— The cocktail of three drugs used in US lethal injection practices is being replaced by just one compound – the anesthetic thiopental sodium – in the execution of Kenneth Biros, planned for later today. It is hoped that a large dose of the anesthetic will present fewer complications than the previous mixture. Needless to say, lethal injection methods have been on trial for years, with many questioning the ethics of doctor involvement, if not the practice itself. (BBC)

— A protein-heavy regime, reminiscent of the Atkins diet, seems to help speed up brain healing in mice. A study found that among rodents with brain injuries, those fed branched amino acids performed better on a learning task than their control counterparts. (New Scientist)

— Plans were announced for the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation, a £520-million ($850-million) research facility in London. If construction costs go sky-high, however, there might be fewer scientists based there at the start. (Nature)

— Grain farmer and Republican Senator Charles Grassley has set his sights on a crop of 33 medical-related organizations, including the American Cancer Society and American Medical Association, asking them to divulge money received from drug and device makers. For more about Grassley and his crackdowns on research misconduct, read our interview with him from last fall. (NYTimes)

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