Analytical Science & Instruments
Featured Topics in Life Sciences: Diseases | Gene Therapy | Alternative Medicine | Biotechnology | Laboratory Equipment | all topics
Filter by: News | Articles | New to Market | Tools & Technology | Videos | Podcasts | Journal Articles | White Papers
May 24 | News
Researchers in Germany have for years been studying fire beetles of the genus <i>Melanophila</i>
and their sophisticated infrared sensors, which these pyrophilous
insects use to detect forest fires. They have unraveled the functional
principle of this photomechanical sensor and have started to work on a
technical reconstruction.
May 21 | News
Blood
tests convey vital medical information, but the sight of a needle often
causes anxiety and results take time. A new device developed by a team
of researchers in Israel, however, can reveal much the same information
as traditional blood test in real-time, simply by shining a light
through the skin.
May 16 | News
Microscopes
provide valuable insights in the structure and dynamics of cells, in
particular when the latter remain in their natural environment. This is
difficult to do, but a team of researchers in Germany and the U.S. have
now developed a new method to visualize cell structures of an eighth of a
micrometer in size in living fish larvae.
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 8 | News
His
DNA had been decoded; samples from his stomach and intestines have
allowed us to reconstruct his very last meal. The circumstances of his
violent death appear to have been explained. However, what had, until
now, eluded scientists was identifying any traces of blood in Ötzi, the
5,000 year old glacier mummy.
May 7 | News
One
exhale and a new device from researchers at Stony Brook University in
New York could screen for anything from diabetes to lung cancer. Based
on a sensor chip built from electrospun nanowires that can detect minute
amounts of chemical compounds, the device has yet to reach clinical
trials. But its inventors anticipate the device to someday cost only
$20.
May 3 | News
When
the DNA double helix breaks, the broken end goes searching for the
similar sequence and uses that as a template for repair. Using a new
dual-molecule technique, a research group in the Netherlands has
found out how the DNA molecule is able to perform this search and
recognition process in such an efficient way.
May 3 | News
A
new Agriculture Department program will begin tracing the source of
potentially contaminated ground beef as soon as there is an initial
positive test. Current procedures require USDA officials to wait until
additional testing confirms E. coli before starting
their investigation. Under the new process, the source could be traced
24 to 48 hours sooner.
May 2 | News
Researchers
have taken advantage of cells' physical properties to develop a new
instrument that slams cells against a wall of fluid and quickly analyzes
the physical response, allowing for the identification of cancer and
other cell states without expensive chemical tags.
May 1 | News
Researchers at McMaster University have developed a rapid testing method
using a simple paper strip that can detect <i>E. coli</i>
in recreational water within minutes. The new tool can close the gap
between outbreak and detection, improving public safety.
