Press monitoring
Harnessing AI to discover new drugs inspired by nature
9.7.2021 | Press monitoring
Artificial intelligence (AI) is able to recognize the biological activity of natural products in a targeted manner, as researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated. Moreover, AI helps to find molecules that have the same effect as a natural substance but are easier to manufacture. This opens up huge possibilities for drug discovery, which also...
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The mRNA flu vaccine race heats up with two human trials commencing
7.7.2021 | Press monitoring
Biotech firm Moderna has commenced human trials testing an mRNA influenza vaccine targeting four separate viral strains. Building on its profoundly successful mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, the company is ultimately planning to develop a single vaccine against multiple respiratory viruses. It is impossible to understate the incredible success of mRNA...
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Microbes in cow stomachs can break down plastic
5.7.2021 | Press monitoring
Plastic is notoriously hard to break down, but researchers in Austria have found that bacteria from a cow's rumen – one of the four compartments of its stomach – can digest certain types of the ubiquitous material, representing a sustainable way to reduce plastic litter. The scientists suspected such bacteria might be useful since cow diets...
CRISPR gene-editing tested in space for first time in DNA damage study
2.7.2021 | Press monitoring
The CRISPR gene-editing tool has been successfully used in space for the first time. Researchers onboard the International Space Station have edited colonies of yeast to study how they repair DNA damage, which could be the first steps towards finding ways to protect astronauts against the radiation of space. Having had astronauts visiting,...
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Scientists create mouse embryo with a beating heart from stem cells
30.6.2021 | Press monitoring
An extraordinary new study has detailed the development of a nearly complete mouse embryo – with muscles, blood vessels and a tiny beating heart – grown in a lab dish out of stem cells. The research presents the most sophisticated “embryo in a dish” created to date, offering essential new innovations on the road to growing replacement human...
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MIT and Harvard engineers develop face mask that detects COVID-19
28.6.2021 | Press monitoring
Researchers from MIT and Harvard have demonstrated a cutting-edge biosensor technology by developing a face mask that can detect SARS-CoV-2 in a wearer’s breath within just 90 minutes. The sensor technology can be programmed to detect any kind of virus or toxin and is small enough to be integrated into clothing fabrics. The biosensor has been in...
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First Cancer Patient Receives mRNA Melanoma Vaccine In New Clinical Trial
25.6.2021 | Press monitoring
When research into mRNA vaccines was ramped up and they were thrust into the spotlight in the relentless fight against COVID-19, speculation began as to how the innovations could impact other areas of medicine. Now, another large milestone has been reached to that end, with the first patient in the Phase II trial of the BioNTech mRNA cancer...
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Growing food with air and solar power: More efficient than planting crops
23.6.2021 | Press monitoring
A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, the University of Naples Federico II, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences has found that making food from air would be far more efficient than growing crops. For several years, researchers around the world...
Nanodecoy therapy binds and neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 virus
21.6.2021 | Press monitoring
Nanodecoys made from human lung spheroid cells (LSCs) can bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, promoting viral clearance and reducing lung injury in a macaque model of COVID-19. By mimicking the receptor that the virus binds to rather than targeting the virus itself, nanodecoy therapy could remain effective against emerging variants of the...
Urine test detects brain tumors with high degree of accuracy
18.6.2021 | Press monitoring
While a brain tumor might reveal itself through symptoms such as irregular headaches, nausea or impaired speech, often these symptoms don't appear until the disease is well advanced. This makes early diagnosis tricky, though doing so could lead to far better outcomes for patients. Scientists at Japan's Nagoya University have demonstrated how...
