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Researchers have long wondered what allows blood stem cells to persist for decades, when their progeny last for days, weeks or months before they need to be replaced. Now, a study from the University of Pennsylvania has uncovered one of the mechanisms that allow these stem cells to keep dividing in perpetuity.
Nov 26th, 2013
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Biotechnologists have constructed a genetic regulatory circuit from human components that monitors blood-fat levels. In response to excessive levels, it produces a messenger substance that signalizes satiety to the body. Tests on obese mice reveal that this helps them to lose weight.
Nov 26th, 2013
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Viruses are as simple as they are 'smart': too elementary to be able to reproduce by themselves, they exploit the reproductive machinery of cells, by inserting pieces of their own DNA so that it is transcribed by the host cell. To do this, they first have to inject their own genetic material into the cells they infect. Researchers have studied how this occurs and how long it takes for this process to be completed.
Nov 25th, 2013
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A study shows for the first time that X-ray lasers can be used to generate a complete 3-D model of a protein without any prior knowledge of its structure.
Nov 25th, 2013
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Scientists have glimpsed key chemical events, known as redox reactions, inside living cells of fast-growing Synechococcus. The work marks the first time that redox activity, a very fast regulatory network involved in all major aspects of a cell's operation, has been observed in specific proteins within living cells. The findings hone scientists' control over a common tool in the biofuels toolbox - a microbe that supplies some of the oxygen you breathe.
Nov 25th, 2013
Read moreAs the Do-It-Yourself Biology (DIYbio) community has grown, so have concerns among media and policymakers about these science enthusiasts' ability to wield DNA and manipulate life.
Nov 19th, 2013
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Like automobiles, ribosomes must pass through 'quality control' after their many components are assembled. Scientists investigated an important component in this control process. The researchers demonstrated that a specific protein, which occurs in all cells from yeast to humans, works like a molecular control switch and prevents incomplete ribosomes from leaving the 'assembly hall'.
Nov 19th, 2013
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A method for bioengineering living human ears garnered a first-place award at the World Technology Summit in New York City, Nov. 15.
Nov 18th, 2013
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Diseases affecting the kidneys represent a major and unsolved health issue worldwide. The kidneys rarely recover function once they are damaged by disease, highlighting the urgent need for better knowledge of kidney development and physiology.
Nov 18th, 2013
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Spider silk fibers are very light, extremely tough and highly stretchable. This makes them interest-ing for industrial applications. Researchers at the Biocenter of the University of W�rzburg have now discovered new details about the proteins of which spider silk consists.
Nov 15th, 2013
Read moreA fusion protein engineered by researchers at KU Leuven combining proteins active in HIV and Moloney murine leukaemia virus (MLV) replication may lead to safer, more effective retroviral gene therapy.
Nov 13th, 2013
Read moreA polymer originally designed to help mend broken bones could be successful in delivering chemotherapy drugs directly to the brains of patients suffering from brain tumours, researchers at The University of Nottingham have discovered.
Nov 12th, 2013
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Most complete genome sequences from single E. coli cells and individual neurons from the human brain generated by new sequencing approach from UC San Diego bioengineers and colleagues.
Nov 11th, 2013
Read moreThere have recently been several advancements in the world of biomaterial design and tissue validation thanks to the BIODESIGN consortium. Currently, a partnership of 19 research and clinical teams from academic centres, small biotech and large pharmaceutical companies is designing and developing state-of-the-art therapeutic approaches, with the aim to help treat traumatic damage and degenerative diseases in humans and alleviate patient suffering.
Nov 8th, 2013
Read moreTricking algae's biological clock to remain in its daytime setting can dramatically boost the amount of valuable compounds that these simple marine plants can produce when they are grown in constant light.
Nov 7th, 2013
Read moreA major step toward improving the quality of rapid, inexpensive genome assembly.
Nov 7th, 2013
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A colorful wheel developed by Rice University bioengineers to visualize protein interactions has won an international competition for novel strategies to study the roots of breast cancer.
Nov 7th, 2013
Read moreDesigning new drugs based on the body's own molecules will be the focus of a new Center for Biopharmaceuticals that was launched at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences on 1 November. The Center will help solve the pharmaceutical challenges of the future in the field of biological drugs.
Nov 6th, 2013
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