Biotechnology News and Research

RSS

Immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely to protect against omicron

People who developed immunity to SARS-CoV-2, either by vaccination or contact, are expected to get some protection against the pathogen’s omicron version.

16 Mar 2022

Sustainable Food Packaging that Protects Food from Microbes

In this interview, AZoLifeSciences talks to Dr. Mary Chan about the development of a new ‘smart’ food packaging that is biodegradable and has antimicrobial properties, extending the shelf-life of fresh food.

From Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) 15 Mar 2022

Scientists develop a new computational biology method to better understand IBD

Around 500,000 people in the UK live with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a life-long, chronic condition characterized by sporadic bouts of gut inflammation causing debilitating symptoms.

15 Mar 2022

One-step ELISA experiments

AMSBIO announces the launch of the QuicKey Pro™ range of ELISA kits – new easy-to-use assays that require just one step of washing, and one step of sample addition, resulting in a whole experiment taking only 90 minutes.

15 Mar 2022

Low profile microplates optimise space utilisation

Porvair Sciences low profile microplates offer the highly efficient use of stacking space that is essential to achieving efficient automation workflows.

From Porvair Sciences Limited 10 Mar 2022

Biosynthesis of cannabinoid precursor and other polyketides from amoebae

A research team at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute in Jena, Germany has developed a new method to produce complex natural products in amoebae.

7 Mar 2022

INTEGRA’s VOYAGER offers effective pipetting for plant-based transient expression and bacteriocin testing applications

Researchers at NOMAD Bioscience GmbH are taking advantage of the remarkable liquid handling capabilities of INTEGRA’s VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipette for the preparation and dispensing of media and gels.

From INTEGRA Biosciences 1 Mar 2022

Bacteria can break down waste carbon dioxide to make valuable industrial chemicals

Bacteria are known for breaking down lactose to make yogurt and sugar to make beer. Now researchers led by Northwestern University and LanzaTech have harnessed bacteria to break down waste carbon dioxide (CO2) to make valuable industrial chemicals.

22 Feb 2022

Newly developed radio-labeled molecule may be able to pinpoint areas of inflammation

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new radio-labeled molecule capable of selectively reacting with certain high-energy radicals that are characteristic of innate immune activity, which may allow a non-invasive approach to monitor inflammation in real time by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

22 Feb 2022

New device to assess water quality uses powerful and programmable genetic networks

Northwestern University synthetic biologists have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use, hand-held device that can let users know -; within mere minutes -; if their water is safe to drink.

18 Feb 2022

3D structure of protein channel helps shed light on sensitive touch response of Venus fly traps

Scientists at Scripps Research have revealed the three-dimensional structure of Flycatcher1, an aptly named protein channel that may enable Venus fly trap plants to snap shut in response to prey.

18 Feb 2022

Novel plant-based platform to bolster KODA production

KODA, an agrochemical produced in extremely low amounts, which helps plants cope with environmental stressors, has been the subject of extensive research.

17 Feb 2022

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing is now feasible in ticks

Researchers have successfully used CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the genomes of the black-legged tick. To accomplish this feat, they developed an embryo injection protocol that overcame a major barrier in the field.

17 Feb 2022

Mucus-rich droplets extend aerosolized range of enveloped respiratory viruses

A modeling study raises questions about how far respiratory droplets, like those that transmit the virus that causes COVID-19, can travel before becoming harmless.

16 Feb 2022

New protein-based bioplastics exhibit biodegradable and biocompatible properties

Every year, almost eight million tons of plastic wind up in the oceans, posing a major threat to the ecosystem and human health.

15 Feb 2022

Programming DNA Robots to Prod Cell Membranes

In this interview, we speak to Dr. Matthew Baker about his latest research that led to the programming of DNA 'robots' that are able to prod cell membranes.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 14 Feb 2022

Healthy sleep pattern alleviates some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

According to research, the brain’s capacity to clear a protein closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease is tied to the circadian cycle.

14 Feb 2022

Social contact-seeking behavior in mice is driven by peptide amylin in the brain, study reveals

As we have experienced during the COVID pandemic, loneliness, or perceived social isolation, is a major stress for social animals and increases the risk of various mental and physical health issues such as depression, substance abuse, obesity, and premature death.

9 Feb 2022

Flavanols enhance browning of adipose tissue by activating the sympathetic nervous system

In cold conditions, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat generates heat to keep the body warm. Compared with white adipose tissue, BAT has more mitochondria-;subcellular organelles associated with energy production-;which allows it to burn calories and produce heat by activating the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp-1).

3 Feb 2022

Using AI solutions to predict cell fates

Data is not only the answer to numerous questions in the business world; the same applies to biomedical research. In order to develop new therapies or prevention strategies for diseases, scientists need more and better data, faster and faster.