Press monitoring
Heart attack on a chip: Scientists model conditions of ischemia on a microfluidic device
3.4.2020 | Press monitoring
Researchers led by biomedical engineers at Tufts University invented a microfluidic chip containing cardiac cells that is capable of mimicking hypoxic conditions following a heart attack – specifically when an artery is blocked in the heart and then unblocked after treatment. The chip contains multiplexed arrays of electronic sensors placed...
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Tens of thousands of scientists are redeploying to fight coronavirus
1.4.2020 | Press monitoring
As labs shut down around the world, researchers are finding creative ways to donate their time, supplies and expertise. Working around the clock, scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts can run about 2,000 COVID-19 tests per day. In places where testing is still scarce – which is to say much of the world –...
Scientists identify microbe that could help degrade polyurethane-based plastics
30.3.2020 | Press monitoring
German researchers report that they have identified and characterized a strain of bacteria capable of degrading some of the chemical building blocks of polyurethane. In 2015, polyurethane products alone accounted for 3.5 million tons of the plastics produced in Europe. Polyurethane is used in everything from refrigerators and buildings to...
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3-D printed sensors could make breath tests for diabetes possible
27.3.2020 | Press monitoring
The production of highly sensitive sensors is a complex process: It requires many steps and the almost dust-free environment of special cleanrooms. A research team from Materials Science at Kiel University (CAU) and from Biomedical Engineering at the Technical University of Moldova has now developed a procedure to produce extremely sensitive and...
Images reveal how bacteria form communities on the human tongue
25.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Using a recently developed fluorescent imaging technique, researchers in the United States have developed high-resolution maps of microbial communities on the human tongue. The images, presented March 24 in the journal Cell Reports, reveal that microbial biofilms on the surface of the tongue have a complex, highly structured spatial...
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Opening a new chapter in antibody mimetics
23.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Antibodies are proteins that act as recognition molecules for pathogens, like viruses and bacteria, and are the workhorses of the body's immune system. They recognize specific molecules and bind to them very strongly, which makes them ideal for biomedical applications like diagnostics or therapeutic treatments. Unfortunately, production of...
First supercentenarian-derived stem cells created
20.3.2020 | Press monitoring
People who live more than 110 years, called supercentenarians, are remarkable not only because of their age, but also because of their incredible health. This elite group appears resistant to diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer that still affect even centenarians. However, we don't know why some people become supercentenarians...
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Charged particles kill cancer by clogging up its waste disposal unit
18.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Lysosomes are tiny sacs packed with enzymes and acids that degrade unwanted parts of the cell, before either recycling them or dumping them outside the cell walls, much like you'd take your trash out to the curb. Recent research has suggested lysosomes could play a role in Alzheimer's, where a dysfunctional disposal system can enable the buildup...
New kind of CRISPR technology to target RNA, including RNA viruses like coronavirus
16.3.2020 | Press monitoring
CRISPR-based genetic screens have helped scientists identify genes that are key players in sickle-cell anemia, cancer immunotherapy, lung cancer metastasis, and many other diseases. However, these genetic screens are limited in scope: They can only edit or target DNA. For many regions of the human genome, targeting DNA may not be effective, and...
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Copying a cancer trick prevents organ transplant rejection in rats
13.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Cancer is a crafty foe, employing an array of tricky techniques to hide from the immune system while it grows. But now, scientists have managed to copy one of those strategies and use it for good, making new microparticles that permanently prevent transplanted tissue or even whole limbs from being rejected by the immune system. Transplanted...
