Press monitoring
Herpes virus genetically engineered to kill cancer
26.9.2022 | Press monitoring
“Viruses are one of humanity’s oldest enemies, as we have all seen over the pandemic,” explained Kristian Helin from the Institute of Cancer Research. “But our new research suggests we can exploit some of the features that make them challenging adversaries to infect and kill cancer cells.” Called oncolytic viruses, researchers have long explored...
Hair finds new roots as urban farming growth medium
23.9.2022 | Press monitoring
The clumps of discarded hair on the salon floor could one day help to grow your lunchtime salad, thanks to scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), who have created the growth medium used in urban farming – known as hydroponics substrates – using keratin extracted from human hair. In hydroponics, crops are...
CRISPR-Based HIV Gene Therapy Administered To First Human Patient
21.9.2022 | Press monitoring
In a clinical trial, the first patient has received a single dose of a new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gene editing therapy, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and Excision BioTherapeutics, Inc have reported. In a collaborative effort, the researchers are currently running a phase 1/2 clinical trial to...
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Bacterial vesicles coated on gold nanoparticles to combat TB
19.9.2022 | Press monitoring
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a new method to deliver a vaccine candidate for tuberculosis (TB). It involves using spherical vesicles secreted by bacteria coated on gold nanoparticles which can then be delivered to immune cells. This can potentially trigger an immune response and offer protection against the...
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Artificial embryo heart system grows blood stem cells on demand
16.9.2022 | Press monitoring
Blood stem cell donation is an important medical procedure, but it’s subject to constant shortages. Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have now demonstrated how a microfluidic device that mimics the embryonic heart can produce blood stem cell precursors, which could let blood stem cells be manufactured on demand. As with...
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Genetically modified purple tomato approved by US regulators
14.9.2022 | Press monitoring
After more than a decade of development a nutritionally enhanced purple tomato has been deemed safe to grow by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The tomatoes have been gene edited to produce 10 times more antioxidants than pre-existing varieties. The 2008 study reported testing the health effects of this anthocyanin-boosted...
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Self-assembling molecules suffocate cancer cells within hours
12.9.2022 | Press monitoring
By deploying a newly-developed drug against a key energy source of cancer cells, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have developed a new way of eliminating them in mere hours. The technique relies on self-assembling molecules that take on a potent form in the cellular environment, and in doing so effectively starve the...
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Scientists sequence worlds oldest plant genome from 6,000-year-old watermelon seeds
9.9.2022 | Press monitoring
Scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and partners in the U.K., Germany and the U.S. have decoded the world's oldest plant genome, using Neolithic-era watermelon seeds collected at an archaeological site in the Sahara Desert in Libya. The study combined aspects of archaeological groundwork with cutting-edge genomics research to shed new...
First known RNA-targeting toxin launches total assault to kill bacteria
7.9.2022 | Press monitoring
Scientists at McMaster University have identified a toxin used by bacteria to kill other bacteria through a never-before-seen mechanism. The toxin is the first found to directly target RNA molecules in what the team describes as “a total assault on the cell,” which could lead to a new class of antibiotics. There’s a huge war raging on the...
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Engineered yeast produces complex cancer drug, saving tons of flowers
5.9.2022 | Press monitoring
A commonly used cancer drug called vinblastine is sourced from certain flowers, but unfortunately it takes literally tons of plant matter to make each gram of the drug. To find an alternative source, scientists have now engineered yeast to produce the precursors of vinblastine, which could help make this vital drug more available and...
