Biotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Cell membranes self-assemble

A self-driven reaction can assemble phospholipid membranes like those that enclose cells.

October 27, 2014 Read more

How cells know which way to go

Two new studies shed light on how cells sense and respond to chemical trails.

October 27, 2014 Read more

Polymeric scaffold recreates bladder tissue

The scaffolds have desirable mechanical and biological properties at the same time, and due to the existence of the bladder tissue at tiny scale instead of cell, they do not require cell extraction or culture.

October 27, 2014 Read more

Team discovers how microbes build a powerful antibiotic

Researchers report that they have made a breakthrough in understanding how a powerful antibiotic agent is made in nature. Their discovery solves a decades-old mystery, and opens up new avenues of research into thousands of similar molecules, many of which are likely to be medically useful.

October 26, 2014 Read more

Biochemists create designer 'barrel' proteins

The scientists have made proteins with central cavities, or channels, running through them. The team believes that these will be useful in designing new protein functions, such as catalysts for breaking down fats, or molecules that span cell membranes to allow new communications between cells.

October 24, 2014 Read more

Synthetic biology on ordinary paper, results off the page (w/video)

By combining efforts and innovations, Wyss Institute scientists develop synthetic gene controls for programmable diagnostics and biosensors, delivered out of the lab on pocket-sized slips of paper.

October 23, 2014 Read more

Precise and programmable biological circuits

Researchers developed several new components for biological circuits. These components are key building blocks for constructing precisely functioning and programmable bio-computers.

October 23, 2014 Read more

Tackling blindness, deafness through neuroengineering

New grants for five research projects awarded by the Bertarelli Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering.

October 23, 2014 Read more

Seaweed menace may yield new medicines

An invasive seaweed clogging up British coasts could be a blessing in disguise. Scientists have won a cash award to turn it into valuable compounds which can lead to new, life-saving drugs.

October 22, 2014 Read more

Researchers discover new functionality of molecular light switches

Researchers have discovered that blue and red light sensing photoreceptors control the carbon flow in diatoms.

October 20, 2014 Read more

Scientists create possible precursor to life

How did life originate? And can scientists create life? These questions not only occupy the minds of scientists interested in the origin of life, but also researchers working with technology of the future. If we can create artificial living systems, we may not only understand the origin of life - we can also revolutionize the future of technology.

October 20, 2014 Read more

Major breakthrough could help detoxify pollutants

Scientists hope a major breakthrough could lead to more effective methods for detoxifying dangerous pollutants like PCBs and dioxins. The result is a culmination of 15 years of research and has been published in Nature. It details how certain organisms manage to lower the toxicity of pollutants.

October 19, 2014 Read more

High-speed evolution in the lab - Geneticists evaluate cost-effective genome analysis

Organisms require flexible genomes in order to adapt to changes in the environment. Scientists have studied genomes of entire populations. They want to know why individuals differ from each other and how these differences are encoded in the DNA. In two review papers they discuss why DNA sequencing of entire groups can be an efficient and cost-effective way to answer these questions.

October 17, 2014 Read more

Scientific breakthrough will help design the antibiotics of the future

Scientists have used computer simulations to show how bacteria are able to destroy antibiotics - a breakthrough which will help develop drugs which can effectively tackle infections in the future.

October 17, 2014 Read more

A new self-assembly process allows the recognition of specific DNA sequences

Researchers have introduced a new approach for achieving a highly selective, recognition of designed nine DNA base pairs. The strategy involves the nickel-promoted assembly of a peptide derived from a transcription factor, and a small molecule equipped with a metal-binding unit that acts as heterodimerizing staple.

October 16, 2014 Read more

Scientists create new protein-based material with some nerve

Scientists have taken proteins from nerve cells and used them to create a 'smart' material that is extremely sensitive to its environment. The work could lead to new types of biological sensors, flow valves and controlled drug release systems.

October 14, 2014 Read more

Light-activated drug could reduce side effects of diabetes medication

Scientists have created a drug for type 2 diabetes that is switched on by blue light, which they hope will improve treatment of the disease.

October 14, 2014 Read more

The devil's in the details: More research needed to address synthetic biology security concerns

A new paper examines security risks and policy questions related to the growing field of synthetic biology. While the author doesn't think the field is ripe for exploitation by terrorists, it does highlight significant gaps in our understanding of the nuts and bolts of lab work in synthetic biology that can contribute to security risks.

October 14, 2014 Read more