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Biofuel tech straight from the farm

Goats, sheep, and other herbivores eat many types of plants, and in the animals' guts, fungi digest the plant material. Researchers characterized several fungi involved in this digestion process and identified a large number of enzymes that work synergistically to degrade the raw biomass.

Sep 2nd, 2016

Luminous heart cells

Researchers have succeeded in producing cells which offer new insights into properties of the heart. They installed a molecular sensor into the cells which emits light, and not only makes the cells' electrical activity visible, but also makes it possible for the first time to quickly identify cell types.

Sep 2nd, 2016

Predicting the future with evolution

Mutations are the raw material of evolution. The QUANTEVOL project was therefore established to determine whether evolutionary theory can be used to predict new mutations and their effects.

Sep 1st, 2016

A physical mechanism to make the transport of cellular cargo efficient and specific

In order for cells to function properly, cargo needs to be constantly transported from one point to another within the cell, like on a goods station. This cargo is located in or on intracellular membranes, called vesicles. These membranes have a signature, and only those with the correct signature may fuse with the membrane of another organelle into one compartment.

Aug 31st, 2016

CRISPR/Cas9 technology to inactivate cancer mutations

As for many other biomedical and biotechnology disciplines, the genome scissor CRISPR/Cas9 also opens up completely new possibilities for cancer research. Scientists have shown that mutations that act as cancer drivers can be targeted and repaired. The most relevant mutations could therefore be diagnosed faster, improving personalized therapies.

Aug 31st, 2016

Major step towards Alzheimer's blood test

A research team has made a significant step towards the development of a simple blood test to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Aug 31st, 2016

Algorithms offer insight into cellular development

Through RNA sequencing, researchers can measure which genes are expressed in each individual cell of a sample. A new statistical method allows researchers to infer different developmental processes from a cell mixture consisting of asynchronous stages.

Aug 31st, 2016

Research outlines cellular communication processes that make life possible

Researchers have discovered a mechanism of intercellular communication that helps explain how biological systems and actions - ranging from a beating heart to the ability to hit a home run - function properly most of the time, and in some scenarios quite remarkably.

Aug 30th, 2016

More tomatoes, faster: Accelerating tomato engineering

Tomatoes are already an ideal model species for plant research, but scientists just made them even more useful by cutting the time required to modify their genes by six weeks.

Aug 30th, 2016

New microscope images single, living cells at better resolution and lower light dose

Researchers have developed a new microscope that doubles the resolution of images without exposing the sample to an increased amount of light or prolonging the imaging process.

Aug 30th, 2016

Sabotaging bacteria propellers to stop infections

Scientists have explored some aspects of the formation of flagella in research that may have implications for contrasting bacterial infections.

Aug 30th, 2016

Bringing artificial enzymes closer to nature

Scientists have developed an artificial metalloenzyme that catalyses a reaction inside of cells without equivalent in nature. This could be a prime example for creating new non-natural metabolic pathways inside living cells.

Aug 29th, 2016

A look at the molecular quality assurance within cells

Proteins fulfill vital functions in our body. They transport substances, combat pathogens, and function as catalysts. In order for these processes to function reliably, proteins must adopt a defined three-dimensional structure. Molecular 'folding assistants', called chaperones, aid and scrutinize these structuring processes. Researchers have now revealed how chaperones identify particularly harmful errors in this structuring process.