Biotechnology News – Latest Headlines
Subscribe to our Biotechnology News feed
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.
Posted: Mar 10th, 2015
Read moreA 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.
Posted: Mar 10th, 2015
Read moreEngineered 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.
Posted: Mar 10th, 2015
Read moreGetting 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.
Posted: Mar 10th, 2015
Read moreCellular 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.
Posted: Mar 10th, 2015
Read moreScientists 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.
Posted: Mar 9th, 2015
Read moreBiofuel 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.
Posted: Mar 9th, 2015
Read moreResearchers 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.
Posted: Mar 9th, 2015
Read moreBioengineers 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.
Posted: Mar 9th, 2015
Read moreBiomolecular force generation based on the principle of a gas spring
The mechanical basis of mitosis has only been understood in fragments so far.
Posted: Mar 5th, 2015
Read moreProtecting 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.
Posted: Mar 5th, 2015
Read moreSugar 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.
Posted: Mar 4th, 2015
Read moreActivating genes on demand
New mechanism for engineering genetic traits governed by multiple genes paves the way for various advances in genomics and regenerative medicine.
Posted: Mar 4th, 2015
Read moreStep change for screening could boost biofuels
Researchers have developed a new way of rapidly screening yeasts that could help produce more sustainable biofuels.
Posted: Mar 3rd, 2015
Read moreSizing up cells: Study finds possible regulator of growth
Modern biology has attained deep knowledge of how cells work, but the mechanisms by which cellular structures assemble and grow to the right size largely remain a mystery. Now, Princeton University researchers may have found the key in a dynamic agglomeration of molecules inside cells.
Posted: Mar 3rd, 2015
Read moreScientists move closer to creating cartilage from stem cells
Scientists have succeeded in producing cartilage formed from embryonic stem cells that could in future be used to treat the painful joint condition osteoarthritis.
Posted: Mar 3rd, 2015
Read more