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First artificial scaffolds for studying plant cell growth

Atificial scaffolds that can support the growth of individual plants cells will help make it possible to study how mechanical forces, such as gravity, affect the way that plant cells form and grow.

Oct 23rd, 2021

Tissue engineering - a possible cure for diabetes?

Scientists propose tissue engineering to treat type 2 diabetes. Experiments in mice show prolonged normal blood sugar levels after a single one-time treatment.

Oct 22nd, 2021

Lab-grown 'mini brains' hint at treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers have developed 'mini brains' that allow them to study a fatal and untreatable neurological disorder causing paralysis and dementia - and for the first time have been able to grow these for almost a year.

Oct 22nd, 2021

Scientists design antibodies that destroy old cells; claim to slow down ageing

Scientists have designed an antibody that acts as a 'smart bomb' able to recognize specific proteins on the surface of these aged or senescent cells. It then attaches itself to them and releases a drug that removes them without affecting the rest, thus minimizing any potential side effects.

Oct 20th, 2021

Scientists assemble a biological clock in a test tube to study how it works

A team of scientists has reconstituted the circadian clock of cyanobacteria in a test tube, enabling them to study rhythmic interactions of the clock proteins in real time and understand how these interactions enable the clock to exert control over gene expression.

Oct 11th, 2021

Scientists can switch on plants' response to light

Scientists have figured out how plants respond to light and can flip this genetic switch to encourage food growth. The discovery could help increase food supply for an expanding population with shrinking opportunities for farming.

Oct 6th, 2021

Protein distancing

Scientists have joined two proteins together by means of a free-standing, rigid link. The structural element holds the two protein molecules together at a defined distance and angle, much the way a barbell handle connects two weights.

Sep 28th, 2021

Power of stem cells harnessed to create cartilage tissue

Researchers have invented a new way to generate human cartilage tissue from stem cells. The technique could pave the way for the development of a much-needed new treatment for people with cartilage damage.

Sep 28th, 2021

Grow and eat your own vaccines?

Grant enables study of plants as mRNA factories.

Sep 16th, 2021

Comprehensive Sandia software aids scientists in synthetic biology analysis

Biologists developed comprehensive software that will help scientists in a variety of industries create engineered chemicals more quickly and easily.

Sep 15th, 2021

Engineers grow pancreatic 'organoids' that mimic the real thing

Studying these organoids could help researchers develop and test new treatments for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest types of cancer.

Sep 13th, 2021

These fridge-free COVID-19 vaccines are grown in plants and bacteria

Nanoengineers have developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates that can take the heat. Their key ingredients? Viruses from plants or bacteria.

Sep 7th, 2021

Hidden bacterial hairs power nature's 'electric grid'

A hair-like protein hidden inside bacteria serves as a sort of on-off switch for nature's 'electric grid', a global web of bacteria-generated nanowires that permeates all oxygen-less soil and deep ocean beds.

Sep 1st, 2021

AI helps to spot single diseased cells

Researchers developed a novel artificial intelligence algorithm for clinical applications called 'scArches'. It efficiently compares patients' cells with a reference atlas of cells of healthy individuals. This enables physicians to pinpoint cells in disease and prioritize them for personalized treatment in each patient.