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Rapid, single-cell analysis of microbiotas now possible

A new method for single cells can rapidly determine the make-up of bacterial communities in the gut and environment.

Jun 3rd, 2022

Herpes virus to be weaponized to fight cancer

Viruses can make animals and humans sick - or healthy: Researchers have succeeded in genetically modifying the herpes simplex virus type 1, which triggers painful cold sores, in such a way that it can be used in the fight against cancer in the future.

Jun 1st, 2022

Electrochemical synthesis now possible without electric power source

Researchers have exploited the flow of electrolytes in an electrochemical reactor to generate the streaming potential for reactions without a power supply. They successfully polymerized two aromatic monomers, proving the feasibility of this setup.

May 31st, 2022

Biosynthesis of cyanobacterin opens up new class of natural compounds for applications in medicine and agriculture

Researchers have succeeded in understanding the biosynthetic mechanisms for the production of the natural product cyanobacterin, which in Nature is produced in small quantities by the cyanobacteria Scytonema hofmanni. In the process, they also discovered a new class of enzymes for building carbon-carbon bonds.

May 27th, 2022

A synthetic antibiotic may help turn the tide against drug-resistant pathogens

A new antibiotic, derived from computer models of bacterial gene products, appears to neutralize even drug-resistant bacteria.

May 26th, 2022

Discovery offers starting point for better gene-editing tools

New research has big implications for genomic medicine. Scientists have defined with atomic precision a new genome editing tool that is less than half the size of CRISPR-Cas9 - currently the most reliable genome editing system. This new tool would allow scientists to fit genetic editors into smaller viral delivery systems to fix a variety of diseases.

May 26th, 2022

World-first: A biomarker that can diagnose Parkinson's disease

Researchers have successfully developed a biomarker that will enable Parkinson's disease to be rapidly and inexpensively diagnosed from blood serum samples.

May 26th, 2022

Toward customizable timber, grown in a lab

Researchers show they can control the properties of lab-grown plant material, which could enable the production of wood products with little waste.

May 26th, 2022

Bacterial enzyme produces biodegradable polymer

Researchers discovered a bacterial enzyme that synthesizes a biopolymer whose repeating units are linked together in a way that had not been previously observed.

May 21st, 2022

Scientists develop 'off the shelf' engineered stem cells to treat aggressive brain cancer

Investigators uncovered a diagnostic method to identify receptors on cancer cells in the blood, then engineered a cell-based therapy to target and kill tumor cells in the brain, paving the way to clinical testing.

May 19th, 2022

An automated platform for plasma production

Researchers have developed a versatile and automated platform for plasmid design and construction called PlasmidMaker.

May 18th, 2022

How cells correct errors under time pressure

Scientists have developed and experimentally tested the first mathematical theory that describes the cell's best strategy for dividing safely and efficiently.

May 14th, 2022

Mechanism revealed for spread of antibiotic resistance among bacteria

Scientists show that antibiotic resistance can be transferred between Staphylococcus bacteria by a process known as natural transformation.

May 14th, 2022

Bacteria with recording function capture gut health status

Researchers have equipped gut bacteria with data logger functionality as a way of monitoring which genes are active in the bacteria. These microorganisms could one day offer a noninvasive means of diagnosing disease or assessing the impact of a diet on health.