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Researchers looking to create new bone tissue generation technique

Scientists are investigating whether bone grown from the body's own stem cells can replace traditional types of bone grafting.

April 10, 2014 Read more

Researchers show fruit flies have latent bioluminescence

New findings hold promise for expanded use of bioluminescence imaging tools.

April 10, 2014 Read more

Tracking the HI virus with high-resolution microscopy

Experts from science and industry are working on new methods of microscopy and advancing microscopy technology to improve our ability to study and understand the molecular processes of HIV infection.

April 9, 2014 Read more

Researchers show how cancer cells may respond to mechanical force

Two new studies identify the processes and cellular pathways that allow cells to move, stiffen, and react to physical stresses. This knowledge, researchers hope, could reveal the causes of cancer and help develop treatments, including therapies for a variety of diseases.

April 9, 2014 Read more

Synthetic gene circuits pump up cell signals

Synthetic genetic circuitry created by researchers at Rice University is helping them see, for the first time, how to regulate cell mechanisms that degrade the misfolded proteins implicated in Parkinson's, Huntington?s and other diseases.

April 8, 2014 Read more

Berkeley Lab proposal for an open biofoundry passes crucial first test

Picture an industrial-sized manufacturing plant in which workers are turning out a valuable chemical product, say a pharmaceutical drug, or an exotic material such as a truly biodegradable plastic, or a clean-burning carbon-neutral transportation fuel. Now picture that plant as being void of smokestacks venting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, or receptacles for the collecting of toxic, non-recyclable waste. This is the promise of biomanufacturing.

April 7, 2014 Read more

Novel plant biotechnology approach for sustainable production of pharmaceutical compounds

Biotechnological production offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to the chemical synthesis of rare and complex pharmaceutical compounds currently isolated from plants.

April 7, 2014 Read more

Additional factors improve stem cell generation

Proteins found in unfertilized egg cells enhance the efficiency and speed of induced pluripotent stem cell production.

April 4, 2014 Read more

Math modeling integral to synthetic biology research

A long-standing challenge in synthetic biology has been to create gene circuits that behave in predictable and robust ways. Mathematical modeling experts collaborated with experimental biologists to create a synthetic genetic clock that keeps accurate time across a range of temperatures.

April 4, 2014 Read more

DARPA launches Biological Technologies Office

New DARPA technology office will merge biology, engineering, and computer science to harness the power of natural systems for national security.

April 3, 2014 Read more

New functions for 'junk' DNA?

DNA encodes the information necessary to make all the proteins in a cell, but the vast majority of the DNA in a cell is non-coding DNA, in the past sometimes referred to as 'junk' DNA. Recent research has identified non-coding DNA sequences that are found in nearly all plants and appear to have roles in basic processes such as tissue and organ development, response to hormones, and regulation of gene expression.

April 1, 2014 Read more

Team finds a better way to grow motor neurons from stem cells

Researchers report they can generate human motor neurons from stem cells much more quickly and efficiently than previous methods allowed. The finding will aid efforts to model human motor neuron development, and to understand and treat spinal cord injuries and motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.