Analytical Instruments
Genomic sequencing method offers “smarter” cell analysis
July 23, 2012 5:10 am | News | CommentsRecent research shows for the first time that a new genomic sequencing method called Smart-Seq can help scientists conduct in-depth analyses of clinically relevant single cells. The method builds on knowledge of splicing, in which it is common for one gene to give rise to several forms of the same protein through different cut-and-paste configurations of its raw copy.
What happens when we sunburn
July 9, 2012 6:53 am | News | CommentsAccording to a report from research on the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the biological mechanism of sunburn—the reddish, painful, protective immune response from UV radiation—is a consequence of RNA damage to skin cells. The findings open the way to perhaps eventually blocking the inflammatory process, the scientists said, and have implications for a range of medical conditions and treatments.
Launch of organs-on-a-chip
July 6, 2012 8:45 am | News | CommentsResearchers at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and their spin-off company Mimetas are set to soon launch their ’organs-on-a-chip’ product for drug development. These devices are composed of hundreds of micro-organs mimicked on a chip, with minuscule channels that serve as blood vessels.
Nanotherapeutic delivers clot-busters straight to blood vessels
July 6, 2012 8:42 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Harvard University have developed a novel biomimetic strategy that delivers life-saving nanotherapeutics directly to obstructed blood vessels, dissolving blood clots before they cause serious damage or even death. This new approach enables thrombus dissolution while using only a fraction of the drug dose normally required, minimizing bleeding side effects that currently limit the use of clot-busting drugs.
FDA panel sees little use for metal-on-metal hips
July 2, 2012 6:38 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsGovernment health experts said Thursday there are few reasons to continue using metal-on-metal hip implants, amid growing evidence that the devices can break down early and expose patients to dangerous metallic particles. The devices were originally marketed as a longer-lasting alternative to older ceramic and plastic models. But recent data from the U.K. and other foreign countries suggests they are more likely to deteriorate.
Microscopy method visualizes E. coli innards in 3D
June 29, 2012 12:31 pm | by Steve McGaughey | News | CommentsCombining an algorithm with a recently-developed add-on technique for commercial microscopes, University of Illinois researchers have created a fast, non-invasive 3D method for studying cells without the use of fluorescence or contrast agents. They recently used the advance to reveal helical sub-cellular structure inside E. coli .
The physics of going viral
June 27, 2012 11:08 am | by Kimm Fesenmaier | News | CommentsResearchers at the California Institute of Technology have recently been able, for the first time, to watch viruses infecting individual bacteria by transferring their DNA, and to measure the rate at which that transfer occurs. Previous studies have involved bulk measurements, but the new technique can see the actions of individual viruses.
Conscious perception is a matter of global neural networks
June 12, 2012 6:37 am | News | CommentsIdentification of the parts of the brain are responsible for the things that reach our awareness is one of the main puzzles in neurobiology today. New findings from researchers in Europe using electrophysiological methods now support the view that the content of consciousness is not localized in a unique cortical area.
New imaging technique explains why concussions affect people differently
June 8, 2012 6:03 am | News | CommentsUsing a recently developed MRI technique called diffusion tensor imaging, along with a new analytical software tool designed specifically for examining microstructures, researchers at Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center have found that concussion victims have unique spatial patterns of brain abnormalities that change over time.
How plants make cocaine
June 7, 2012 5:37 am | News | CommentsCocaine is one of the most commonly used (and abused) plant-derived drugs in the world, but we have almost no modern information on how plants produce this complex nitrogen-containing compound. The recent discovery of the first enzyme in the pathway sheds new light on the evolution of cocaine alkaloids.
Scientists hit major milestone in whole-brain circuit mapping project
June 1, 2012 8:12 am | News | CommentsNeuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory this week publicly releasing the first installment out of 500 TB of data so far collected in their groundbreaking project to construct the first whole-brain wiring diagram of a vertebrate brain, that of the mouse.
Forensics ferret out fire beetle secret
May 24, 2012 4:42 am | News | CommentsResearchers in Germany have for years been studying fire beetles of the genus Melanophila 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.
New microscope uses rainbow of light to image blood cell flow
May 21, 2012 7:51 am | News | CommentsBlood 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.
Microscope looks into cells of living fish
May 16, 2012 6:32 am | News | CommentsMicroscopes 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.
Gene activation follows a circuitous route
May 10, 2012 6:30 am | News | CommentsIn 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.
Researchers discover oldest known blood
May 8, 2012 11:42 am | News | CommentsHis 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.
Breathalyzer reveals signs of disease
May 7, 2012 4:29 am | by Miles O'Brien and Jon Baime, Science Nation | News | CommentsOne 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.
Key mechanism in DNA repair discovered
May 3, 2012 11:41 am | News | CommentsWhen 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.
Government to speed tracking of E. coli in meat
May 3, 2012 9:02 am | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | News | CommentsA 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.
Engineers put the squeeze on cells to diagnose disease
May 2, 2012 3:34 am | by Wileen Wong Kromhout and Matthew Chin | News | CommentsResearchers 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.
Test strip rapidly finds bacterial contamination in swimming water
May 1, 2012 11:33 am | News | CommentsResearchers at McMaster University have developed a rapid testing method using a simple paper strip that can detect E. coli in recreational water within minutes. The new tool can close the gap between outbreak and detection, improving public safety.
New form of spectroscopy tracks differentiating cells in real time
May 1, 2012 6:40 am | by Paul Preuss | News | CommentsWith 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.
Bioluminescent technology enables easy tracking of GMO
April 30, 2012 9:16 am | News | CommentsCareful 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.
Laser slices mitotic spindle, unraveling theory of its structure
April 27, 2012 3:31 am | by Mureji Fatunde | News | CommentsThe mitotic spindle is an apparatus that segregates chromosomes during cell division. But following some nanosurgery conducted by Harvard University, its structure may be more complex than the standard textbook picture suggests. Using a femtosecond laser, researchers have shown the true structure of its protein strands.
Research breakthrough could allow drugs via the skin
April 26, 2012 6:47 am | News | CommentsA research team at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has solved the puzzle of the skin barrier: They have succeeded in describing the structure and function of the outermost layer of the skin—the stratum corneum—at a molecular level. This could enable large-scale delivery of drugs through the skin, or offer a deeper understanding of skin diseases.
