Press monitoring
Genome scalpel invented for industrial microalgae to efficiently turn carbon dioxide into biofuel
19.3.2021 | Press monitoring
A single-celled alga undergoes genome surgery to remove non-essential parts. This can lead to a most efficient cellular factory for producing sustainable biofuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Researchers from the Qingdao Institute of BioEnergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have stripped a...
Lab-grown structures mimic human embryo\'s earliest stage yet
17.3.2021 | Press monitoring
Scientists have used human stem cells to mimic the earliest stage yet of embryo growth. Multiple research groups independently report that they grew balls of cells that look like human blastocysts, which form about 4 days after an egg is fertilized by sperm. These experiments offer a window into a crucial time in human development, and an...
Practical nanozymes discovered to fight antimicrobial resistance
15.3.2021 | Press monitoring
Nanozymes, a group of inorganic catalysis-efficient particles, have been proposed as promising antimicrobials against bacteria. They are efficient in killing bacteria, thanks to their production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite this advantage, nanozymes are generally toxic to both bacteria and mammalian cells, that is, they are also...
With gene therapy, scientists develop opioid-free solution for chronic pain
12.3.2021 | Press monitoring
A gene therapy for chronic pain could offer a safer, non-addictive alternative to opioids. Researchers at the University of California San Diego developed the new therapy, which works by temporarily repressing a gene involved in sensing pain. It increased pain tolerance in mice, lowered their sensitivity to pain and provided months of pain relief...
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Researchers derive naturally occurring melanin at a massive scale from mushrooms
10.3.2021 | Press monitoring
The pigment melanin protects human skin from harmful UV light (and gives us a summer tan), and is a veritable treasure trove for new materials and technologies. Although melanin occurs naturally, the complex biopolymer can only be produced artificially at an industrial scale through expensive and complex processes, during which some of the...
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Invasive weed may help treat some human diseases, researchers find
8.3.2021 | Press monitoring
Native to the southeastern United States, a weedy grass has spread northward to Canada and also made its way to Australia and Japan. Andropogon virginicus grows densely packed and up to seven feet tall, disrupting growth patterns of other plants and competing for resources. When burned, it grows back stronger. There is no way to effectively remove...
Gene drives may help control invasive grey squirrel in the UK
5.3.2021 | Press monitoring
Existing gene drive technologies could be combined to help control the invasive grey squirrel population in the UK with little risk to other populations, according to a modelling study published in Scientific Reports. Gene drives introduce genes into a population that have been changed to induce infertility in females, allowing for the control of...
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Bladder vaccines treat UTIs and keep them from coming back
3.3.2021 | Press monitoring
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common and painful infection that can be surprisingly persistent. Now, researchers at Duke University have developed a vaccine that can be delivered via catheter to clear out the bacteria and prevent infections from recurring. UTIs are caused by bacteria getting into the urinary tract, sometimes making it up...
Cre-Controlled CRISPR: Conditional gene inactivation just got easier
1.3.2021 | Press monitoring
The ability to turn a gene off only in a specific cell type is essential to modern life science. Thanks to the Cre-Controlled CRISPR it has just became simpler. The new method developed by researchers from the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) at TU Dresden with support from the DRESDEN-concept Genome Center (DCGC) offers a fast and...
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Changing the silkworms diet to spin stronger silk
26.2.2021 | Press monitoring
Tohoku University researchers have produced cellulose nanofiber (CNF) synthesized silk naturally through a simple tweak to silkworms' diet. Mixing CNF with commercially available food and feeding the silkworms resulted in a stronger and more tensile silk. Silk is usually associated with clothes. But its usage is incredibly diverse thanks to its...
