Press monitoring
Cell membrane on a chip could speed up screening of drug candidates for COVID-19
6.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Researchers have developed a human cell 'membrane on a chip' that allows continuous monitoring of how drugs and infectious agents interact with our cells, and may soon be used to test potential drug candidates for COVID-19. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, Cornell University and Stanford University, say their device could...
A Deadly Rabbit Virus Nicknamed Bunny Ebola Is Spreading Rapidly in Southwestern US
3.7.2020 | Press monitoring
As the US struggles to bring its coronavirus outbreak under control, another virus is wreaking havoc among the country's rabbit population. Across seven states in the southwest, thousands of wild and domestic rabbits are dying from a rare outbreak of a highly contagious disease known as rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2). "We refer to it...
Studying the Neandertal DNA found in modern humans using stem cells and organoids
1.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Protocols that allow the transformation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines into organoids have changed the way scientists can study developmental processes and enable them to decipher the interplay between genes and tissue formation. Now, investigators are taking this technology and applying it to study the developmental effects...
Anammox bacteria generate energy from wastewater while taking a breath
29.6.2020 | Press monitoring
A type of anaerobic bacteria responsible for more than 50 percent of nitrogen loss from marine environments has been shown to use solid-state matter present outside their cells for respiration. The finding by KAUST researchers adds to knowledge of the global nitrogen cycle and has important energy-saving potential for wastewater ...
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Synthetic immune protein rallies the troops to fight cancer
26.6.2020 | Press monitoring
Immunotherapy is a promising potential treatment for cancer, but it still has kinks to iron out. In a new study from Yale, researchers have identified a “jamming signal” that cancer uses to hide from the immune system – and importantly, engineered a synthetic immune cell that can fight back. The natural version of this immune cell is called...
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Nanosponges could intercept SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection
24.6.2020 | Press monitoring
Nanoparticles cloaked in human lung cell membranes and human immune cell membranes can attract and neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell culture, causing the virus to lose its ability to hijack host cells and reproduce. The "nanosponges" were developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego and tested by researchers at Boston...
Scientists discover new Death Star weakness in bacterial biofilms
22.6.2020 | Press monitoring
On their own, bacteria aren’t too hard to kill, but get enough of them together and they build protective communities called biofilms. These make it tough to get antibiotics in, leading to further health problems. But now, researchers have found a new weakness in biofilms that could be exploited. Biofilms are slimy coatings that grow on surfaces...
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Synthetic fungal compound activates cancers self-destruct switch
19.6.2020 | Press monitoring
All cells in the human body have a shelf-life, but those of the cancerous variety use some cunning trickery to outlive their expiry dates and continue spreading throughout the body. Scientists at the University of Tokyo have developed a synthetic version of a fungal compound that could help swing things back in our favor, by reactivating a...
Stem cell-loaded microneedles speed up wound healing
17.6.2020 | Press monitoring
Stem cells are powerful tools that could one day unlock new frontiers in regenerative medicine. Now, a new study has shown that a certain type of stem cell can be delivered into injured tissues with dissolvable microneedles, to heal wounds. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are responsible for replenishing bone, cartilage, muscle and fat cells in the...
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Crop pathogens remarkably adaptable
15.6.2020 | Press monitoring
Pathogens that attack agricultural crops show remarkable adaptability to new climates and new plant hosts, new research shows. Researchers at the Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter studied the temperature preferences and host plant diversity of hundreds of fungi and oomycetes that attack our crops. The researchers found that plant...
