Biotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Scientists create new approach to destroy disease-associated RNAs in cells

As proof of principle, team creates molecule that corrects myotonic dystrophy in living cells.

December 21, 2012 Read more

A giant puzzle with billions of pieces

Bielefeld's Center for Biotechnology and the Joint Genome Institute, USA, decipher genetic information of microbes in biogas plants.

December 21, 2012 Read more

Hagfish slime as a model for tomorrow's natural fabrics

Nylon, Kevlar and other synthetic fabrics: Step aside. If new scientific research pans out, people may be sporting shirts, blouses and other garments made from fibers modeled after those in the icky, super-strong slime from a creature called the hagfish.

December 19, 2012 Read more

Ordinary heart cells become "biological pacemakers" with injection of a single gene

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have reprogrammed ordinary heart cells to become exact replicas of highly specialized pacemaker cells by injecting a single gene (Tbx18) - a major step forward in the decade-long search for a biological therapy to correct erratic and failing heartbeats.

December 19, 2012 Read more

Cooperation to create the first 3D design software for bioprinting

The software, which will be used to control Organovo's NovoGen MMX bioprinter, will represent a major step forward in usability and functionality for designing three-dimensional human tissues, and has the potential to open up bioprinting to a broader group of users.

December 19, 2012 Read more

Cell biology: Flushing out fats

A protein that contributes to cancer vulnerability also plays a surprising role in cardiovascular health and illuminates a promising target pathway for drug treatments for cardiovascular diseases.

December 19, 2012 Read more

Synthetic biology to get fossil fuels from ice cream and soap

Scientists at The University of Manchester have identified a biocatalyst which could produce chemicals found in ice-cream and household items such as soap and shampoo - possibly leading to the long-term replacement of chemicals derived from fossil fuels.

December 18, 2012 Read more

Hybrid tunnel may help guide severed nerves back to health

Building a tunnel made up of both hard and soft materials to guide the reconnection of severed nerve endings may be the first step toward helping patients who have suffered extensive nerve trauma regain feeling and movement, according to a team of biomedical engineers.

December 17, 2012 Read more

Do-it-yourself viruses: How viruses self assemble

A new model of the how the protein coat of viruses assembles shows that the construction of intermediate structures prior to final capsid production (hierarchical assembly) can be more efficient than constructing the capsid protein by protein (direct assembly).

December 17, 2012 Read more

Scientists develop first public-access source with 3D information for protein interactions

Researchers have developed a platform that compiles all the atomic data, previously stored in diverse databases, on protein structures and protein interactions for eight organisms of relevance. They apply a singular homology-based modelling procedure.

December 17, 2012 Read more

Tissue engineering: Growing new organs, and more

Research could lead to better ways to heal injuries and develop new drugs.

December 17, 2012 Read more

Toward a new model of the cell

Everything you always wanted to know about genes.

December 16, 2012 Read more

Research may offer big benefits for biofuels and battling infections

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have deciphered the secrets of the production of cellulose, the most common natural polymer on Earth, in a discovery that could have major ramifications for both biofuel production and the battle against bacterial infections.

December 15, 2012 Read more

Synthetic biology: Building a better world from the bottom-up

What if you could fashion a molecular system that could fight iron deficiency in developing nations? A system that could be grown and distributed in something as simple as yogurt.

December 14, 2012 Read more

Team solves mystery associated with DNA repair

Scientists have long sought to understand how a DNA repair protein, known as RecA in bacterial cells, helps broken DNA find a way to bridge the gap. In a new study, researchers report they have identified how the RecA protein does its job.

December 13, 2012 Read more

Study sheds light on how cells transport materials along crowded intercellular 'highways'

This study sheds new light on how cells manage to keep traffic flowing smoothly along this busy transportation network that is vital to the survival of cells and whose failure can lead to a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's and cancer.

December 13, 2012 Read more

International collaboration reveals how cell membranes reassemble after cell division

An international collaboration between researchers at the Babraham Institute, Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute, Imperial College London and Amherst College in the US, has revealed an instrumental molecule in ensuring that the nuclear membrane reforms correctly after cell division, and therefore plays a key role maintaining the delicate balance between cell growth and cell death.

December 13, 2012 Read more

Biopolymer - designer interfaces between biological and artificial systems

A review describes how developments in synthesis techniques have liberated the polymer MPC's potential for a huge range of medical and biological applications.

December 13, 2012 Read more