Biotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Biotech breakthrough turns waste biomass into high value chemicals

A move towards a more sustainable bio-based economy has been given a new boost by researchers who have been able to simplify a process to transform waste materials into high value chemicals.

November 26, 2019 Read more

Using gene scissors to detect diseases

Researchers present sensor prototype that can rapidly, precisely, and cost-effectively measure molecular signals for cancer.

November 25, 2019 Read more

Gene therapy: Development of new DNA transporters

Scientists have developed new delivery vehicles for future gene therapies. They are using artificial fats to transport DNA into cells.

November 18, 2019 Read more

Scientists discover how the molecule-sorting station in our cells is formed and maintained

New mechanism to explain how the cell organelle that sorts and distributes substances entering a cell is formed and maintained.

November 15, 2019 Read more

Getting glued in the sea

New bio-inspired hydrogels can act like superglue in highly ionic environments such as seawater, overcoming issues in currently available marine adhesives.

November 12, 2019 Read more

DNA is only one among millions of possible genetic molecules

Scientists computed a zoo of millions of alternate genetic polymer molecular structures, giving context for why biology encodes information how it does, and providing potential leads for new drugs and a guide to searches for extraterrestrial biology.

November 11, 2019 Read more

Synthetic DNA technology applied as a novel strategy for delivery of anti-HIV antibodies

Synthetic DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies (DMAbs) allow for in vivo production of broadly neutralizing antibodies in preclinical studies.

November 10, 2019 Read more

Researchers develop Micro-Electro-Fluidic Probe (MeFP) to isolate and pattern cells

A team of researchers have developed a dielectrophoresis enabled MicroelectroFluidic Probe (MeFP) that has the ability to sequentially separate and pattern mammalian cells in an open microfluidic system.

November 4, 2019 Read more

New approach uses light to stabilize proteins for study

Researchers report they have developed a new technique that uses light to control the lifetime of a protein inside the cell. This method will allow scientists to better observe how specific proteins contribute to health, development and disease.

November 4, 2019 Read more

3D-printed device finds 'needle in a haystack' cancer cells by removing the hay

Finding a handful of cancer cells hiding among billions of blood cells in a patient sample can be like finding a needle in a haystack. In a new approach enabled by 3D-printed cell traps, researchers are removing the hay to expose the cancer cells.

October 29, 2019 Read more

Turning a dangerous toxin into a biosensor

Some bacteria release a toxin that forms pores on other cells. Scientists have studied the pore-forming toxin aerolysin and genetically engineered it to be used as a high-resolution sensor for biological molecules like DNA and proteins.

October 29, 2019 Read more

New generation of intelligent bio-interfaces could overcome aspects of spinal cord injury

Envisioned technologies would integrate injury stabilization, regenerative therapy, and functional restoration to support new standard of care for spinal cord injury.

October 21, 2019 Read more

Real texture for lab-grown meat

Researchers grow muscle cells on edible fibers.

October 21, 2019 Read more

Brain tissue kept alive for weeks on an artificial membrane

This novel new system uses a microfluidic device that can keep tissue from both drying out and from drowning in fluid. A proof-of-concept experiment showed that tissue explanted from the mouse brain remained viable after almost one month in culture, much longer than is possible with other microfluidic culturing methods, and also much simpler.

October 18, 2019 Read more

Bioelectronic implant could prevent opioid deaths

Researchers are developing a novel, implantable device that can sense the effects of a potentially fatal level of ingested opioids and then automatically and immediately deliver a life-saving dose of naloxone.

October 15, 2019 Read more

Scientists develop assembly of microbial swarmbot platform by cell-material feedback

Scientists developed a concise platform to achieve versatile production together with analysis and purification of diverse proteins and protein complexes by exploiting cell-material feedback.

October 14, 2019 Read more

Synthetic cells make long-distance calls

Synthetic biologists have designed a set of transcriptional circuits that, when added to (and expressed by) the genomes of single-cell microbes, allows them to quickly form a network of local interactions to spur collective action, even in large communities.

October 14, 2019 Read more

CRISPR: More than just for gene editing?

Researcher finds new use for revolutionary gene-splicing tool; Electrochemical CRISPR platform could lead to quick blood test for disease identification through detection of important nucleic acids, HPV or Parvo.

October 11, 2019 Read more