New Study Solves Longstanding Nanowire Mystery
Deep in the ocean or underground, where there is no oxygen, Geobacter bacteria “breathe” by projecting tiny protein filaments called “nanowires” into the soil, to…
Biotechnology
Breakthrough Could Lead to New Insights About Cancer Development
MicroRNAs, the tiny bits of genetic material that regulate gene expression, play a significant – but poorly understood – role in controlling the differences between…
MIT Engineers Create an Inhalable Form of Messenger RNA
Messenger RNA, which can induce cells to produce therapeutic proteins, holds great promise for treating a variety of diseases. The biggest obstacle to this approach…
Neuroscientists Devise New Technique To Preserve Biological Tissue
MIT chemical engineers and neuroscientists have devised a new way to preserve biological tissue, allowing them to visualize proteins, DNA, and other molecules within cells,…
New Organ on a Chip Lets Researchers Study Effects of Drugs and Disease
The human brain is the most complex and delicate of all the body’s organs, and the one most in need of protection from toxins and…
CRISPR’s Potential and Dangers: Is CRISPR Worth the Risk?
The gene editing technology CRISPR has prompted both breathless predictions of medical breakthroughs and warnings of apocalypse. Yale Insights asked Dr. Greg Licholai, a biotech…
Published Study Shows Algae Using Raw Plants as a Carbon Energy Source
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source….
“Therepi” Device Enables Direct Delivery of Medicine to the Heart
“Therepi” device attaches directly to damaged heart, enabling delivery of medicine from a port under a patient’s skin to augment cardiac function. After a patient…
Scientists Synthesize New Compound Effective Against Drug-Resistant Pathogens
Researchers from North Carolina State University have synthesized an analog of lipoxazolidinone A, a small molecule that is effective against drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA….
Research Shows Advanced Biofuels Can Be Produced Extremely Efficiently
A chance to switch to renewable sources for heating, electricity and fuel, while also providing new opportunities for several industries to produce large numbers of…
Cryptographic System Could Enable Crowdsourced Genomics
Genome-wide association studies, which look for links between particular genetic variants and incidence of disease, are the basis of much modern biomedical research. But databases…
New Implantable Device Furnishes Islet Cells With Their Own Supply of Oxygen
Since the 1960s, researchers have been interested in the possibility of treating type 1 diabetes by transplanting islet cells — the pancreatic cells that are…
Scientists Use Spider Silk for New Biodegradable Bone-Fixing Composite
UConn researchers have created a biodegradable composite made of silk fibers that can be used to repair broken load-bearing bones without the complications sometimes presented…
Homemade Microscope Shows How a Cancer-Causing Virus Clings to Our DNA
Using a homemade, high-tech microscope, scientists at the School of Medicine have revealed how a cancer-causing virus anchors itself to our DNA. That discovery could…
Stabilized Supralinear Network – Software with Smarts
A computer-aided network shows how ion channels in the membrane of neurons are able to control such wide-ranging abilities as short-term memory and brain waves….
Artificial Antimicrobial Peptides Overcome Drug-Resistant Bacteria
With aid of computer algorithm, researchers develop peptides more powerful than those found in nature. During the past several years, many strains of bacteria have…
Biologically Inspired Membrane Separates and Captures Greenhouse Gases
A biologically inspired membrane intended to cleanse carbon dioxide almost completely from the smoke of coal-fired power plants has been developed by scientists at Sandia…
Engineers Discover Greener and Cheaper Technique for Biofuel
Natural bacterium isolated from mushroom crop residue converts plant-based material to butanol directly. A team of engineers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently…