Biotechnology
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May 24 | News
The
highly pathogenic hantavirus causes a condition known as hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which has a case fatality rate of 35-40%. To
help the fight against a disease that has no vaccine, U.S. Army
scientists and industry collaborators have successfully protected
laboratory animals from lethal hantavirus disease using a novel approach
that combines DNA vaccines and duck eggs.
May 18 | News
Scientists
had originally thought they could create a “magic bullet” to patrol for
cancer cells in the body, but only 5% of injected nanoparticles reach
the targeted tumor using current delivery techniques. A Johns Hopkins
University scientist is now working on techniques to specify
nanoparticle size and shape and improve the chances that the drug will
find its target.
May 17 | News
Not
long after a partially paralyzed man in Switzerland used his mind to
remotely control a small robot, a Massachusetts woman paralyzed for 15
years used only her thoughts to direct a robotic arm to pick up a bottle
of coffee and bring it to her lips But will the experimental
brain-controlled technology ever help paralyzed people in everyday life?
May 14 | News
A
research team at Rutgers University has been able to take a new
pharmacological approach to activate the immune cells to prevent cancer
growth through stimulation of the opiate receptors found on immune
cells.
May 10 | News
A new essay in the journal PLoS Biology,
examines what really constitutes “life” and the probability of
discovering new life forms. Gerald Joyce, from The Scripps Research
Institute, discusses in the essay the basic requirements for a life form
to exist, and how it might fit into the forms alien life could take.
May 10 | News
In
order to reactivate silenced genes, a cell needs to remove certain
“off” markers called methyl groups from the DNA. Scientists have
recently shown that this process involves an intermediate step and an
enzyme that also plays a role in the development of blood cancer. The
finding could lead to new ideas for cancer-fighting therapies.
May 1 | News
Using
game theory and market dynamices, Harvard University economist Alvin
Roth has helped develop a suite of computer programs that match living
kidney donors with recipients. The software comprehensively addresses
the common limitations of this complicated process, matching
participants with compatible blood types and antibodies.
May 1 | News
With
the development of synchrotron infrared spectroscopy, scientists at
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have observed, in real time the
process of protein phosphorylation—a chemical interaction that controls
everything from cell proliferation to differentiation to metabolism—in
living cells stimulated by nerve growth factor.
Apr 30 | News
Careful
handling and sampling techniques are required to assess the genetically
modified content of a crop. The most common technique is polymerase
chain reaction (PCR), but it involves complex extraction procedures and
rapid thermocycling. Researchers have found that bioluminescent
reporters, coupled with isolated amplification, provide sufficient
accuracy with far less hassle.
Apr 30 | News
New
research suggests that the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme plays an important
role in the microgravity-induced cell death that affects astronauts’
immune systems. Forced inhibition of this enzyme’s activity could help
astronauts and also lead to therapeutics for the elderly.
