Inventor patents anti-cholesterol formula
Senior Brandeis research scientist Daniel Perlman has discovered a way to make phytosterol molecules from plants dispersible in beverages and foods that are consumed by humans, potentially opening the way to dramatic reductions in human cholesterol levels.
Posted: Jun 18th, 2013
Read moreResearchers engineer synthetic pathways for new antibacterial treatments
The project BASYNTHEC ('Bacterial synthetic minimal genomes for biotechnology') launched in 2010 with almost EUR 3 million in EU funding. It sought to develop a model-based approach for engineering B. subtilis and create synthetic modules for producing metabolites and proteins of interest. Ultimately, the research could lead to new antimicrobial treatments for bacterial infections.
Posted: Jun 18th, 2013
Read moreResearchers demonstrate use of stem cells to analyze causes, treatment of diabetes
Using patient-specific stem cells to correct deficient insulin-producing cells.
Posted: Jun 17th, 2013
Read morePrinting artificial bone
Researchers develop method to design synthetic materials and quickly turn the design into reality using computer optimization and 3-D printing.
Posted: Jun 17th, 2013
Read moreMapping translation sites in the human genome
Researchers at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute have produced the first genome-wide investigation of cap-independent translation, identifying thousands of mRNA sequences that act as Translation Enhancing Elements (TEEs), which are RNA sequences upstream of the coding region that help recruit the ribosome to the translation start site.
Posted: Jun 17th, 2013
Read morePlasma in a bag
Plastic bags coated by plasma at atmospheric pressure serve as a GMP laboratory for the cultivation of adherent cells. The plasma is used to modify the internal surface of the bag specifically, so that different cell types can grow on it.
Posted: Jun 17th, 2013
Read moreNew findings regarding DNA damage checkpoint mechanism in oxidative stress
Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown surveillance mechanism, known as a DNA damage checkpoint, used by cells to monitor oxidatively damaged DNA. DNA repair takes place approximately 10,000 times per cell, per day, through processes that are still only partially understood because of their complexity, speed, and the difficulty of studying complex interactions within living cells.
Posted: Jun 14th, 2013
Read moreResearchers succeed in programming blood forming stem cells
By transferring four genes into mouse fibroblast cells, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have produced cells that resemble hematopoietic stem cells, which produce millions of new blood cells in the human body every day. These findings provide a platform for future development of patient-specific stem/progenitor cells, and more differentiated blood products, for cell-replacement therapy.
Posted: Jun 13th, 2013
Read moreResearchers develop easy and effective therapy to restore sight
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed an easier and more effective method for inserting genes into eye cells that could greatly expand gene therapy to help restore sight to patients with blinding diseases ranging from inherited defects like retinitis pigmentosa to degenerative illnesses of old age, such as macular degeneration.
Posted: Jun 13th, 2013
Read morePolymers protect enzymes
Scientists have devised a method that enables enzymes to remain active for a longer time on their journey through the gastro-intestinal tract. This might help to treat food intolerances in the future.
Posted: Jun 12th, 2013
Read moreWhen calculating the thermodynamics of cell growth, you might want to reconsider using the Gibbs free energy equation
A forthcoming article provides the basis for an argument against using the Gibbs free energy equation to accurately determine the thermodynamics of microbial growth.
Posted: Jun 10th, 2013
Read moreMath technique de-clutters cancer-cell data, revealing tumor evolution, treatment leads
Scientists published a mathematical method of simplifying and interpreting genome data bearing evidence of mutations, such as those that characterize specific cancers. Not only is the technique highly accurate; it has immediate utility in efforts to parse tumor cells, in order to determine a patient's prognosis and the best approach to treatment.
Posted: Jun 7th, 2013
Read moreBuilding an army of one
By boosting cloning efficiency, scientists unlock the potential to 'mass-produce' valuable animal strains for research and agricultural applications.
Posted: Jun 7th, 2013
Read moreSurgeons implant bioengineered vein
In a first-of-its-kind operation in the United States, a team of doctors at Duke University Hospital helped create a bioengineered blood vessel and implanted it into the arm of a patient with end-stage kidney disease.
Posted: Jun 6th, 2013
Read moreResearchers identify a new gene that is essential for nuclear reprogramming
Scientists report on the discovery of a new gene called TRF1 that is essential for nuclear reprogramming.
Posted: Jun 6th, 2013
Read moreNew screening technique paves the way for protein drugs from bacteria
A cheaper, more efficient technique for developing complex protein drugs from bacteria has been developed at the University of Sheffield.
Posted: Jun 5th, 2013
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