Plasmid News and Research

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“Topologically tunable” DNA-based material has potential applications in drug delivery, tissue regeneration

DNA is usually idealized as the “molecule of life,” but it is also a highly advanced polymer that can be used for cutting-edge materials. Apart from storing information, other interesting aspects of DNA are its topological and geometrical properties, like super-coiling and knotting.

31 May 2021

New gene editing tool helps analyze the mysterious quirk of bacteria

While the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system has become the poster child for innovation in synthetic biology, it has some major limitations.

3 May 2021

Bioinformatics approach accurately tracks the origin of synthetic genetic code

Monitoring the origin of the synthetic genetic code has not been easy, but it can be performed via bioinformatics or deep-learning computational techniques.

1 Mar 2021

Toxin-antitoxin systems negatively control plasmid replication

According to Thomas Wood, Biotechnology Endowed Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Penn State College of Engineering., toxin-antitoxin (TA) structures are currently known to adversely regulate the replication of plasmids.

From Penn State University 2 Feb 2021

Antibiotic resistance may be spreading much faster than expected

Pathogenic bacteria in humans are developing resistance to antibiotics much faster than expected. Now, computational research at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that one reason could be significant genetic transfer between bacteria in our ecosystems and to humans. This work has also led to new tools for resistance researchers.

21 Jan 2021

Severe ulcerative colitis linked to newly-discovered strain of oral bacteria

Severe ulcerative colitis - a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - has been linked to a newly-discovered strain of oral bacteria, a study led by UNSW Sydney has found.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 30 Oct 2020

Study reveals molecular mechanism that regulates filament-like proteins in heart muscles

Heart muscle cells contain filament-like proteins that should have the same precise length, so that they can perfectly synchronize.

15 Oct 2020

Researchers discover how antibiotic resistance genes spread via plasmids

For the first time, researchers have discovered how antibiotic resistance genes are spreading, at a continental scale, via bacterial plasmids in the hospital superbug, Klebsiella pneumoniae.

25 Sep 2020

New discovery offers hope for people at risk of antibiotic-resistant infections

There is new hope for approximately 700,000 people who die each year from antibiotic resistant infections, with University of Queensland researchers discovering how bacteria share antibiotic-resistance genes.

18 Aug 2020

Researchers perform room-temperature X-ray measurements on SARS-CoV-2 main protease

A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Argonne national laboratories has performed the first room-temperature X-ray measurements on the SARS-CoV-2 main protease -- the enzyme that enables the virus to reproduce.

26 Jun 2020

A new rapid-prototyping system to accelerate the design of biological systems

Northwestern University synthetic biologists have developed a new rapid-prototyping system to accelerate the design of biological systems, reducing the time to produce sustainable biomanufacturing products from months to weeks.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers study the evolution of multidrug-resistant bacteria

Although antibiotics are known to save lives, their use also supports the evolution and spread of antibiotic-resistant strains.

29 Apr 2020

A Step Toward A Better Way To Make Gene Therapies To Attack Cancer, Genetic Disorders

A UCLA-led research team today reports that it has developed a new method for delivering DNA into stem cells and immune cells safely, rapidly and economically.

28 Apr 2020

Study offers insight into exchange of drug resistance genes among bacteria

Researchers have been able to identify and track the exchange of genes among bacteria that allow them to become resistant to drugs, according to a new study published today in eLife.

15 Apr 2020

Andrew Alliance online event - Wednesday, 1 April 2020 0900 to 1430 CET

Andrew Alliance is advancing life science research with a new class of high-performance, easy-to-use laboratory automation solutions that dramatically improve the repeatability, performance and speed of liquid handling.

24 Mar 2020