Plant engineered for more efficient photosynthesis
A genetically engineered tobacco plant, developed with two genes from blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), holds promise for improving the yields of many food crops.
Sep 17th, 2014
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Scientists create therapy-grade stem cells using new cocktail to reprogram adult cells
Researchers have developed a new cocktail that coaxes adult cells to become pluripotent stem cells of a high enough quality to be used in therapeutic applications. Their research showed that using a different combination of reprogramming factors can produce a much higher quality result, delivering fewer colonies of iPSCs of which 80 percent passed the toughest pluripotency test.
Sep 16th, 2014
Read moreResearchers develop improved means of detecting mismatched DNA
Scientists have identified a highly sensitive means of analyzing very tiny amounts of DNA. The discovery, they say, could increase the ability of forensic scientists to match genetic material in some criminal investigations. It could also prevent the need for a painful, invasive test given to transplant patients at risk of rejecting their donor organs and replace it with a blood test that reveals traces of donor DNA.
Sep 15th, 2014
Read moreMeasuring modified protein structures
Researchers have developed a new approach to measure proteins with structures that change. This could enable new diagnostic tools for the early recognition of neurodegenerative diseases to be developed.
Sep 14th, 2014
Read moreScientists revert human stem cells to pristine state
Researchers have resolved a long-standing challenge in stem cell biology by successfully 'resetting' human pluripotent stem cells to a fully pristine state, at point of their greatest developmental potential.
Sep 11th, 2014
Read moreCentral RNA database launched
RNAcentral 1.0 provides a single access point to non-coding RNA data, vastly improving research into gene products.
Sep 10th, 2014
Read morePlant insights could help develop crops for changing climates
A new computer model that shows how plants grow under varying conditions could help scientists develop varieties likely to grow well in future.
Sep 10th, 2014
Read moreNew infrared marker for bio-imaging
The recently developed fluorescent protein Amrose is now being used for advanced near-IR imaging procedures. With the aid of a novel evolutionary platform technology, scientists have developed this infrared marker as part of a combined effort to improve the quality of tissue imaging.
Sep 9th, 2014
Read moreUnderstanding a molecular motor responsible for human development
Another mystery of the human body has been solved by scientists who have identified how a molecular motor essential for human development works. They have also pinpointed why mutations in genes linked to this motor can lead to a range of human diseases.
Sep 9th, 2014
Read moreScientists reveal cell secret potentially useful for vaccines
Researchers open a new page in the immune system's playbook, discovering more chatter goes on among the body's infection fighters than was suspected.
Sep 8th, 2014
Read more'Pick 'n' mix' chemistry to grow cultures of bioactive molecules
Chave developed a new method to build large libraries of bioactive molecules - which can be used directly for biological assays - by simply mixing a small number of building blocks in water.
Sep 8th, 2014
Read moreMicroalgae - the factories of the future
Researchers are making microalgae fit for industry. The microorganisms could produce a variety of products from carbon dioxide and light.
Sep 8th, 2014
Read moreSynthetic, platelet-like particles augment natural blood clotting for treating trauma
A new class of synthetic platelet-like particles could augment natural blood clotting for the emergency treatment of traumatic injuries - and potentially offer doctors a new option for curbing surgical bleeding and addressing certain blood clotting disorders without the need for transfusions of natural platelets.
Sep 7th, 2014
Read moreKnowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics
A team of scientists has reconstructed how bacteria tightly control their growth and division, the cell cycle, by destroying specific proteins through regulated protein degradation. All organisms use controlled protein degradation to alter cell behavior in response to changing environment. A process as reliable and stable as cell division also has to be flexible, to allow the organism to grow and respond. But little has been known about the molecular mechanics of how this works.
Sep 5th, 2014
Read moreArtificial cells take their first steps
Using only a few ingredients, researchers have successfully implemented a minimalistic model of the cell that can change its shape and move on its own.
Sep 4th, 2014
Read moreSalamander skin peptide promotes quick and effective wound healing in mice
New research suggests that a short peptide called tylotoin exerts the promotion of wound healing with epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a murine model of a full thickness dermal wound.
Sep 4th, 2014
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