Biotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Chemists discover an unlikely connection

Researchers have managed to bond positively charged phosphorus atoms with positively charged hydrogen ones. Their insight may prove pivotal to understanding how biologically important molecules such as DNA and proteins form properly.

March 13, 2015 Read more

A 'warhead' molecule to hunt down deadly bacteria

Modifying bacterial lipids can label and target deadly bacteria, spare healthy cells.

March 12, 2015 Read more

Scientists use X-ray vision to probe early stages of DNA 'photocopying'

Scientists have created a 3-D model of a complex protein machine, ORC, which helps prepare DNA to be duplicated. But the new information has uncovered another mystery: ORC's structure reveals that it is not always 'on' as was previously thought, and no one knows how it turns on and off.

March 11, 2015 Read more

Injectable polymer could keep trauma patients from bleeding to death

Researchers have developed a new injectable polymer that strengthens blood clots, called PolySTAT. Administered in a simple shot, the polymer finds any unseen or internal injuries and starts working immediately.

March 10, 2015 Read more

New imaging technique could reveal secrets of organ development (w/video)

A state-of-the-art imaging technique will allow researchers to study the growth and behaviour of individual organs in living animals.

March 10, 2015 Read more

A faster, more accurate and more flexible technique for creating artificial DNA

The new system - called BASIC - is a major advance for the field of synthetic biology, which designs and builds organisms able to make useful products such as medicines, energy, food, materials and chemicals.

March 10, 2015 Read more

Engineered cells could help tackle the third most common cancer in Chinese males

Researchers believe that a new method of genetically engineering immune cells could lead to improved treatment of Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

March 10, 2015 Read more

Getting to the origins of photosynthesis

Researchers examined the evolution origins of the D1 protein in cyanobacteria, which forms the heart of Photosystem II, the oxygen-evolving machine of photosynthesis. The research team selected all known D1 sequences from cyanobacteria and also representatives from algae and plants to compare the protein sequence variation.

March 10, 2015 Read more

Cellular scissors chop up HIV virus

Scientists re-engineered the bacterial defense system CRISPR to recognize HIV inside human cells and destroy the virus, offering a potential new therapy.

March 10, 2015 Read more

Scientists have determined the basic structural organization of a molecular motor

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has determined the basic structural organization of a molecular motor that hauls cargoes and performs other critical functions within cells.

March 9, 2015 Read more

Biofuel proteomics

Researchers used advanced proteomic techniques to identify 1,750 unique proteins in shoots of switchgrass, a native prairie grass viewed as one of the most promising of all the plants that could be used to produce advanced biofuels.

March 9, 2015 Read more

Researchers engineer custom blood cells

Researchers have successfully corrected a genetic error in stem cells from patients with sickle cell disease, and then used those cells to grow mature red blood cells. The study represents an important step toward more effectively treating certain patients with sickle cell disease who need frequent blood transfusions and currently have few options.

March 9, 2015 Read more

Bioengineers put human hearts on a chip to aid drug screening (w/video)

Researchers have created a 'heart-on-a-chip' that effectively uses human cardiac muscle cells derived from adult stem cells to model how a human heart reacts to cardiovascular medications. The system could one day replace animal models to screen for the safety and efficacy of new drugs.

March 9, 2015 Read more

Biomolecular force generation based on the principle of a gas spring

The mechanical basis of mitosis has only been understood in fragments so far.

March 5, 2015 Read more

Protecting crops from radiation-contaminated soil

Researchers have identified a chemical compound that prevents plants from taking up cesium, thus protecting them from its harmful effects.

March 5, 2015 Read more

Sugar for synthetic cells

After its success in the first joint call by ERASynBio, the collaborative project Synthetic Glycobiology - new strategies to build and functionalise proto-cells and proto-tissues is now set to receive roughly 1.9 million euros in total funding.

March 4, 2015 Read more

Activating genes on demand

New mechanism for engineering genetic traits governed by multiple genes paves the way for various advances in genomics and regenerative medicine.

March 4, 2015 Read more

Step change for screening could boost biofuels

Researchers have developed a new way of rapidly screening yeasts that could help produce more sustainable biofuels.

March 3, 2015 Read more