Scientists develop new way to study inner workings of algae cells
Molecular transporter could advance development of algae-based biofuels, pharmaceuticals
Aug 20th, 2012
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Biotechnology News – Latest Headlines
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Teaching a microbe to make fuel
Scientists at MIT have taught a microbe a new trick: They've tinkered with its genes to persuade it to make fuel - specifically, a kind of alcohol called isobutanol that can be directly substituted for, or blended with, gasoline.
Aug 20th, 2012
Read moreViruses with integrated gene switch
Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have developed 'RNA switches' which allow them to specifically turn on and off genes in viruses. This will help to enhance regulation of gene therapy and viral therapy of cancer.
Aug 20th, 2012
Read moreUpgrading synthetic biology's toolkit
A new method could significantly increase the number of genetic components in synthetic biologists? toolkit and, as a result, the size and complexity of the genetic circuits they can build.
Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreWriting the book in DNA
Using next-generation sequencing technology and a novel strategy to encode 1,000 times the largest data size previously achieved in DNA, a Harvard geneticist encodes his book in life's language.
Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreSynthetic biology article collections published by the Public Library of Science
This collection aims to highlight PLOS ONE's role in the emerging interdisciplinary field of synthetic biology.
Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreA GPS in your DNA
While your DNA is unique, it also tells the tale of your family line. It carries the genetic history of your ancestors down through the generations. Now, says a Tel Aviv University researcher, it's also possible to use it as a map to your family's past.
Aug 16th, 2012
Read moreFlexible snake armour
Biology could inspire systems in engineering with minimized abrasion.
Aug 15th, 2012
Read moreSuccess of engineered tissue depends on where it's grown (w/video)
Cells grown on different types of scaffolds vary in their ability to help repair damaged blood vessels.
Aug 15th, 2012
Read moreMolecular biology: The rules of interaction
Gene regulatory proteins may be more flexible in their DNA binding preferences than previously expected.
Aug 15th, 2012
Read moreAn artificial retina with the capacity to restore normal vision
For the first time, researchers decipher the retina's neural code for brain communication to create novel, more effective prosthetic retinal device for blindness.
Aug 14th, 2012
Read moreLaunching a 'social networking war' against cancer
Experts agree that, more than ever before, modern wars will be fought in the cyber zone, targeting an enemy's communications technology to cause untold damage. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher is suggesting that the same tactics should be employed in the battle against one of the body's deadliest enemies - cancer.
Aug 14th, 2012
Read moreHuman embryos frozen for 18 years yield viable stem cells suitable for biomedical research
Even after being frozen for 18 years, human embryos can be thawed, grown in the laboratory, and successfully induced to produce human embryonic stem cells, which represent a valuable resource for drug screening and medical research.
Aug 13th, 2012
Read moreTeam develops new method for sequencing dark matter of life from a single cell
An international team of researchers led by computer scientist Pavel Pevzner, from the University of California, San Diego, have developed a new algorithm to sequence organisms' genomes from a single cell faster and more accurately.
Aug 10th, 2012
Read moreComputer models calculate systems-wide costs of gene expression
Bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego have developed a method of modeling, simultaneously, an organism's metabolism and its underlying gene expression. In the emerging field of systems biology, scientists model cellular behavior in order to understand how processes such as metabolism and gene expression relate to one another and bring about certain characteristics in the larger organism.
Aug 8th, 2012
Read moreUsing millions of years of cell evolution in the fight against cancer
Georgia Tech researchers are focusing on ways to fight cancer by attacking defective genes before they are able to make proteins. John McDonald is studying micro RNAs (miRNAs), a class of small RNAs that interact with messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that have been linked to a number of diseases, including cancer. McDonald's lab placed two different miRNAs (MiR-7 and MiR-128) into ovarian cancer cells and watched how they affected the gene system.
Aug 7th, 2012
Read moreFirst DNA design guides available for GenoCon2 contest
Manuals for designing a synthetic promoter using the DNA CAD environment for Challenge A, as well as pointers for designing DNA sequences to introduce plant functions for Challenge B are now available from the GenoCon website.
Aug 7th, 2012
Read moreNew technology eliminates plant toxins
A team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a method to hinder unwanted toxins from entering the edible parts of plants such as the oilseed rape, which will make it suitable for animal feed.
Aug 5th, 2012
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