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Biomass recalcitrance - the problem of how to break down complex plant-based cellulosic feedstock into sugars that can be fermented to produce sustainable biofuels and other renewable biobased products - can be overcome through improved methods of biomass characterization.
Aug 29th, 2012
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Have you ever wondered where our agricultural crops come from? And what were they like thousands of years ago, or hundreds of years ago? Our food crops today are in fact very different from the original wild plants from which they were derived.
Aug 23rd, 2012
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Past efforts to predict protein structure have met with limited success, but now a scientific team led by Glenn Butterfoss, and Barney Yoo, research scientists at New York University, in collaboration with investigators from the U.S. Department of Energy?s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Stony Brook University and Temple University have demonstrated that a computer modeling approach similar to one used to predict protein structures can accurately predict peptoid conformation as well.
Aug 21st, 2012
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Harvard Medical School professor leads effort to streamline biological engineering.
Aug 20th, 2012
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Molecular transporter could advance development of algae-based biofuels, pharmaceuticals
Aug 20th, 2012
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Scientists at MIT have taught a microbe a new trick: They've tinkered with its genes to persuade it to make fuel - specifically, a kind of alcohol called isobutanol that can be directly substituted for, or blended with, gasoline.
Aug 20th, 2012
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Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have developed 'RNA switches' which allow them to specifically turn on and off genes in viruses. This will help to enhance regulation of gene therapy and viral therapy of cancer.
Aug 20th, 2012
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A new method could significantly increase the number of genetic components in synthetic biologists? toolkit and, as a result, the size and complexity of the genetic circuits they can build.
Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreUsing next-generation sequencing technology and a novel strategy to encode 1,000 times the largest data size previously achieved in DNA, a Harvard geneticist encodes his book in life's language.
Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreThis collection aims to highlight PLOS ONE's role in the emerging interdisciplinary field of synthetic biology.
Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreWhile your DNA is unique, it also tells the tale of your family line. It carries the genetic history of your ancestors down through the generations. Now, says a Tel Aviv University researcher, it's also possible to use it as a map to your family's past.
Aug 16th, 2012
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Biology could inspire systems in engineering with minimized abrasion.
Aug 15th, 2012
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Cells grown on different types of scaffolds vary in their ability to help repair damaged blood vessels.
Aug 15th, 2012
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Gene regulatory proteins may be more flexible in their DNA binding preferences than previously expected.
Aug 15th, 2012
Read moreFor the first time, researchers decipher the retina's neural code for brain communication to create novel, more effective prosthetic retinal device for blindness.
Aug 14th, 2012
Read moreExperts agree that, more than ever before, modern wars will be fought in the cyber zone, targeting an enemy's communications technology to cause untold damage. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher is suggesting that the same tactics should be employed in the battle against one of the body's deadliest enemies - cancer.
Aug 14th, 2012
Read moreEven after being frozen for 18 years, human embryos can be thawed, grown in the laboratory, and successfully induced to produce human embryonic stem cells, which represent a valuable resource for drug screening and medical research.
Aug 13th, 2012
Read moreAn international team of researchers led by computer scientist Pavel Pevzner, from the University of California, San Diego, have developed a new algorithm to sequence organisms' genomes from a single cell faster and more accurately.
Aug 10th, 2012
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