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Bacteria-killing drills get an upgrade
The latest iteration of these nanoscale drills are activated by visible light rather than ultraviolet, as in earlier versions. These have also proven effective at killing bacteria through tests on real infections.
June 1, 2022 Read more
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.
June 1, 2022 Read more
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 31, 2022 Read more
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 27, 2022 Read more
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 26, 2022 Read more
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 26, 2022 Read more
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 26, 2022 Read more
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 26, 2022 Read more
Artificial cilia could someday power diagnostic devices
Researchers have now designed a micro-sized artificial cilial system using platinum-based components that can control the movement of fluids at such a scale. The technology could someday enable low-cost, portable diagnostic devices for testing blood samples, manipulating cells or assisting in microfabrication processes.
May 25, 2022 Read more
Researchers develop new biobattery for hydrogen storage
A team of microbiologists has succeeded in using bacteria for the controlled storage and release of hydrogen. This is an important step in the search for carbon-neutral energy sources in the interest of climate protection.
May 25, 2022 Read more
Scientists build subcellular map of entire brain networks
Researchers have developed an imaging technique to capture information about the structure and function of brain tissue at subcellular level - a few billionth of a metre, while also capturing information about the surrounding environment.
May 25, 2022 Read more
Tech firms are making computer chips with human cells - is it ethical?
We are in the early stages of neural computing and have time to think through the ethical issues involved. Among other things, if neural computers become common, we will grapple with tissue donation issues. Scientists have found that human neurons were faster at learning than neurons from mice. Might there also be differences in performance depending on whose neurons are used? Might Apple and Google be able to make lightning-fast computers using neurons from our best and brightest today? Would someone be able to secure tissues from deceased genius's like Albert Einstein to make specialized limited-edition neural computers?
May 24, 2022 Read more
Microparticles with feeling
Researchers develop a new method to simultaneously measure flow and oxygen.
May 23, 2022 Read more
Novel DNA robots designed for swarming into nonlinear amplification
Researchers propose two conceptual models of intelligent DNA robots that can swarm into leakless nonlinear amplification when triggered.
May 23, 2022 Read more
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 21, 2022 Read more
Biocompatible binary hologram with drug-elution capabilities
Scientists have developed a new manufacturing routine and application of binary amplitude-only holograms. The proposed direct drug printing (DDP) technique works with water-soluble substances, but can be adapted to other types of drugs.
May 20, 2022 Read more
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 19, 2022 Read more
An automated platform for plasma production
Researchers have developed a versatile and automated platform for plasmid design and construction called PlasmidMaker.
May 18, 2022 Read more