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Chemists develop switchable antibiotic

Scientists at the University of Groningen have developed an antibiotic whose activity can be controlled using light. It is possible to 'switch on' the substance immediately before use, after which it will slowly lose its activity.

Sep 16th, 2013

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Molecular structure reveals how HIV infects cells

A team of Chinese and US scientists has determined the high-resolution atomic structure of a cell-surface receptor that most strains of HIV use to get into human immune cells. The researchers also showed where maraviroc, an HIV drug, attaches to cells and blocks HIV's entry.

Sep 12th, 2013

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Marine biotechnology opens new channels to innovative bioproducts for human health

On September 12th in her inaugural address upon taking up the post of Special Professor of Marine Biotechnology at Wageningen University Prof. Dr Shirley Pomponi will present how marine animals use a broad range of fine chemicals to defend themselves against infection, overgrowing and other threats. Her effort is to identify these chemicals, to let them be produced in a sustainable way and to develop innovative bioproducts for human health.

Sep 12th, 2013

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Synthetic mRNA can induce self-repair and regeneration of the infarcted heart

A team of scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Harvard University has taken a major step towards treatment for heart attack, by instructing the injured heart in mice to heal by expressing a factor that triggers cardiovascular regeneration driven by native heart stem cells. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, also shows that there was an effect on driving the formation of a small number of new cardiac muscle cells.

Sep 8th, 2013

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Brown algae reveal antioxidant production secrets

Brown algae contain phlorotannins, aromatic (phenolic) compounds that are unique in the plant kingdom. As natural antioxidants, phlorotannins are of great interest for the treament and prevention of cancer and inflammatory, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers have recently elucidated the key step in the production of these compounds in Ectocarpus siliculosus, a small brown alga model species.

Sep 5th, 2013

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Researchers looking inside vessels to understand blood's ebb and flow

Researchers have known for some time that the blood vessels that transport blood to and from tissues and organs in the body are more than just bodily pipelines. Arterioles and capillaries, the small vessels, actually play a key role in regulating the flow of the blood they're carrying. Biomedical engineers at Drexel University, who study cardiovascular function, are creating a mathematical model that explains just how they do it.

Sep 4th, 2013

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Wiring microbes to conduct and produce electricity faster

A team of researchers have found evidence that altering the chemistry of an electrode surface can help microbial communities to connect to the electrode to produce more electricity more rapidly compared to unmodified electrodes. Practical applications of these systems include current generation, wastewater treatment, and biochemical and biofuel production.

Sep 4th, 2013

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Next generation cures born from the sea

The SeaBioTech project, started in 2012, is intended to close some of these knowledge gaps by looking in the seas and oceans around the globe for life forms with novel properties. The aim is to find raw material for the world's biotechnology industry, with a particular emphasis on antibiotics and other medical compounds.

Sep 2nd, 2013

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