Press monitoring
Single-cell genome sequencing gets better
14.11.2013 | Press monitoring
Researchers led by bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego have generated the most complete genome sequences from single E. coli cells and individual neurons from the human brain. The breakthrough comes from a new single-cell genome sequencing technique that confines genome amplification to fluid-filled wells with a volume of just...
All Aboard the Nanotrain Network: Tiny Self-Assembling Transport Networks, Powered by Nano-Scale Motors and Controlled by DNA
13.11.2013 | Press monitoring
Tiny self-assembling transport networks, powered by nano-scale motors and controlled by DNA, have been developed by scientists at Oxford University and Warwick University. The system can construct its own network of tracks spanning tens of micrometres in length, transport cargo across the network and even dismantle the tracks. Researchers were...
Novel Genetic Patterns May Make Us Rethink Biology and Individuality
12.11.2013 | Press monitoring
Professor of Genetics Scott Williams, PhD, of the Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (iQBS) at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, has made two novel discoveries: First, a person can have several DNA mutations in parts of their body, with their original DNA in the rest -- resulting in several different genotypes in one individual...
Researchers Regrow Hair, Cartilage, Bone, Soft Tissues: Enhancing Cell Metabolism Key to Tissue Repair
11.11.2013 | Press monitoring
Young animals are known to repair their tissues effortlessly, but can this capacity be recaptured in adults? A new study from researchers at the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's Hospital suggests that it can. By reactivating a dormant gene called Lin28a, which is active in embryonic stem cells, researchers were able to regrow hair and...
Tricking algae\'s biological clock boosts production of drugs, biofuels
8.11.2013 | Press monitoring
Tricking algae's biological clock to remain in its daytime setting can dramatically boost the amount of valuable compounds that these simple marine plants can produce when they are grown in constant light. That is the conclusion of a "proof of concept" experiment described in the Dec. 2 issue of the journal Current Biology.
DNA barcoding reveals herbal pill contamination
7.11.2013 | Press monitoring
Got a cold? Take some Echinacea. Tired? Pop a ginseng. Americans spend billions of dollars on herbal supplements every year, but beware – they are not all what they seem. A study has revealed that almost 60 per cent of common herbal supplements sold in the US and Canada contained products not listed on the label, some of which could pose serious...
Most Americans pay little attention to genetically modified foods, survey says
6.11.2013 | Press monitoring
A national survey shows that most Americans pay little attention to the debate over genetically modified foods, despite extensive media coverage of the issue. The survey, released by researchers at Rutgers University, found that more than half (53 percent) say they know very little or nothing at all about genetically modified (GM) foods, and one...
Scientists isolate new human pluripotent stem cells
5.11.2013 | Press monitoring
One of the obstacles to employing human embryonic stem cells for medical use lies in their very promise: They are born to rapidly differentiate into other cell types. Until now, scientists have not been able to efficiently keep embryonic stem cells in their pristine stem state. The alternative that has been proposed to embryonic stem cells –...
Life, but Not as We Know It: Rudimentary Form of Life Sidesteps Normal Replication Process
4.11.2013 | Press monitoring
A rudimentary form of life that is found in some of the harshest environments on earth is able to sidestep normal replication processes and reproduce by the back door, researchers at The University of Nottingham have found. The study, published in the journal Nature, centres on Haloferax volcanii — part of a family of single-celled organisms...
Super-thin membranes clear the way for chip-sized pumps
1.11.2013 | Press monitoring
The ability to shrink laboratory-scale processes to automated chip-sized systems would revolutionize biotechnology and medicine. For example, inexpensive and highly portable devices that process blood samples to detect biological agents such as anthrax are needed by the U.S. military and for homeland security efforts. One of the challenges of...
