Feature Channels: Biotech

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Cells never forget to take out the trash. It has long been known that cells tag proteins for degradation by labelling them with ubiquitin, a signal described as “the molecular kiss of death”. Tim Clausen’s group at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna identified an analogous system in gram-positive bacteria, where the role of a degradation tag is fulfilled by a little known post-translational modification: arginine phosphorylation. The discovery, which is published online by the journal Nature, opens new avenues for designing antibacterial therapies.

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Bionic enzymes got a needed boost in speed thanks to new research at the Berkeley Lab. By pairing a noble metal with a natural enzyme, scientists created a hybrid capable of churning out molecules at a rate comparable to biological counterparts.

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Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered exactly how selenium is incorporated into selenoproteins. The finding is published in the journal Nature Communications

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Scientists discovered a new way in which microRNAs can determine the fate of cells in the course of their development. This could be a key to understanding how complex organisms are built, say researchers from the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna.

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Supervisors approve $3 million in funding to create an incubator to help bioscience startups bring therapies and cures to market.

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Using an unbiased screen in yeast, a team of Whitehead Institute and Stanford University scientists have identified dozens of prion-like proteins that could change the defining characteristics of these unusual proteins.

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Nikhil U. Nair, Ph.D., of Tufts University School of Engineering, has been honored with the 2016 National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award for his work on engineering naturally-occurring, safe, gut bacteria to treat inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), a relatively poorly-studied family of debilitating genetic disorders that affect patients from birth.

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In a paper published Sept. 22 in Scientific Reports, engineers at the University of Washington unveil peptides that could help bridge the gap where artificial meets biological — harnessing biological rules to exchange information between the biochemistry of our bodies and the chemistry of our devices.

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An international collaboration of government, university, and industry resources showed the promise of using RNA as a safe way to both make and modify induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) from patient cells for clinical applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and personalized medicine.

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An eccentric enzyme known so far only to exist in a single type of bacterium breaks down a toxin related to TNT and pesticides with counterintuitive moves.

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he National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the University of Pennsylvania a $24 Million, five-year grant to establish a Science and Technology Center (STC) focused on engineering mechanobiology, or the way cells exert and are influenced by the physical forces in their environment.

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From precious metals to maggots, physicians have tried just about everything to help reverse the negative spiral of chronic wounds. And for good reason – these types of non-healing wounds currently cost the healthcare system in excess of $20 billion a year, and millions of sufferers endure months of pain, disability and the constant concern of infection. Now, scientists are testing an experimental electrified mesh bandage that zaps bacteria and stimulates tissue healing.

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A new scientific study conducted by a team of leading geneticists has characterized how cells know when to stop translating DNA into proteins, a critical step in maintaining healthy protein levels and cell function.

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A Northwestern University research team has developed a 3-D printable ink that produces a synthetic bone implant that rapidly induces bone regeneration and growth. This hyperelastic “bone” material, whose shape can be easily customized, one day could be especially useful for the treatment of bone defects in children. Antibiotics also can be incorporated into the ink to reduce infection. The printed biomaterial’s many unique properties set it apart from current bone repair materials.

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MSU Prof. Anil Jain and his team of biometrics researchers demonstrated in a first-of-its-kind study that digital scans of a young child's fingerprints can be correctly identified one year later. A child could be identified by a simple fingerprint scan at each medical visit, allowing them to get proper medical care such as life-saving vaccinations or food supplements.

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In its first-of-its-kind university/industry partnership, FAU and scientists from Sancilio & Company, Inc. are working together to train highly skilled workers in biopharmaceuticals and drug development.

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Christopher H. Contag will join Michigan State University as the inaugural director of the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering and the chairperson of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering.

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Can having a few drinks help people with clinical depression feel better? Yes. At least in terms of biochemistry.

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Lei Ding, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma’s Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, was recently honored with IEEE’s Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2016 Early Career Achievement Award. Ding received this award for his seminal original contributions to research in functional neuroimaging technologies, multimodal neuroimaging technologies, brain network mapping technologies, neuroenhancement and neuromodulation technologies. He works with these technologies to find potential better methods of early diagnosis and treatments of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including autism, cerebral palsy and balance disorder.

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Leading experts from the international biomedical research community announced today that they have the fundamentals of what will become the first detailed standardized guidelines for validating research antibodies. The outcomes of this week’s Antibody Validation: Standards, Policies, and Practices workshop promise to increase reproducibility in preclinical research and improve the chances for breakthroughs in treatments and cures.

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Randy Olson, PhD, a senior data scientist with Penn’s Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBI), started publishing optimized road trip maps, and now uses his analytical skills to tackle some of biomedicine's biggest questions.

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In the weeks following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, five people died from exposure to anthrax-laced letters, and several more were infected. Fifteen years on, the U.S. has spent billions of dollars to fortify the nation’s biodefenses against future attacks, but is it enough? The cover story of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, examines whether the U.S. is really ready for another Amerithrax

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In a groundbreaking new study led by University of Minnesota biomedical engineers, artificial blood vessels bioengineered in the lab and implanted in young lambs are capable of growth within the recipient. If confirmed in humans, these new vessel grafts would prevent the need for repeated surgeries in some children with congenital heart defects.

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New research, led by the University of Southampton, has demonstrated that a nanoscale device, called a memristor, could be the ‘missing link’ in the development of implants that use electrical signals from the brain to help treat medical conditions.

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Iowa State engineers are working with Chevron U.S.A. to develop a pilot plant and study a biorenewables technology called solvent liquefaction. The technology produces a bio-oil that can be processed into fuels or chemicals and a biochar that can enrich soils.

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To fill in the blanks on mitochondria, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison deleted 174 genes, one by one, in yeast. They then subjected the yeast to high-intensity mass spectrometry to measure unprecedented detail on thousands of metabolic products, including proteins, intermediate chemicals called metabolites, and lipids.

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Researchers have built a three-dimensional map of the anthrax toxin that may explain how it efficiently transfers its lethal components into the cytoplasm of infected cells. The study, “Structure of anthrax lethal toxin prepore complex suggests a pathway for efficient cell entry,” which will be published online September 26 ahead of print in The Journal of General Physiology, suggests that the bacterial protein acts as a “conveyer belt” that allows toxic enzymes to continuously stream across cell membranes.

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In order to discover the true colors of ancient animals, scientists are using X-rays to closely examine the chemical details of modern bird feathers. The researchers were able to map elements that make up pigments responsible for red and black colors in feathers. They hope to use this information to find traces of the same pigments in fossil specimens of extinct animals, such as dinosaurs. This latest discovery means that scientists may be able to go beyond monochrome in their depictions of fossilized creatures, and make steps towards portraying their colors more accurately.

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Researchers with the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery have identified a compound that blocks the growth of a fungus that causes deadly lung infections and allergic reactions in people with compromised immune systems.

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The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, non-profit organization serving molecular diagnostics professionals, recently participated in two events designed to help educate lawmakers and congressional staff about laboratory developed procedures (LDPs) and the vital role they play in precision medicine and patient care. Both the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Hearing and the Co-hosted Congressional Briefing provided bipartisan forums for AMP leaders to discuss how LDPs are currently designed, validated, regulated, and used in a variety of clinical settings.

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Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago was selected to participate in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Prematurity-Related Ventilatory Control (Pre-Vent) study consortium. Physicians and researchers at Lurie Children’s will partner with investigators from other leading national hospitals to expand knowledge of neurorespiratory maturation in premature infants. Lurie Children’s site-specific study will investigate how autonomic, neurologic control of breathing matures in infants born at less than 29 weeks of gestation.

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To prevent heart failure and restore heart function, researchers will work to create a bioengineered, human heart-tissue patch that is large, standardized and highly functional. This preclinical work will be supported by a seven-year grant just awarded by the NHLBI.

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Researchers from the University of Chicago have described the three-dimensional, atomic structure of an important cell receptor molecule linked to the development of several diseases.

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A study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has helped to de-mystify the molecular workings of the multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera®. The drug is the most widely prescribed pill-based therapy for MS, but its biological mechanism remains mysterious.

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Thomas R. Cech, Ph.D., a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will present a Plenary Lecture entitled "Precision Medicine - From Iodine-131 to CRISPR Genome Editing" at the 86th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA), on September 23rd, in Denver, CO.

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A special stretch of ribonucleic acid (RNA) called COOLAIR is revealing its inner structure and function to scientists, displaying a striking resemblance to an RNA molecular machine, territory previously understood to be limited to the cells’ protein factory (the ‘ribosome’) and not a skill set given to mere strings of RNA.

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A new analytical test has been launched in the UK that provides sensitive, specific and efficient predictive analysis of a rare form of cancer from a simple urine sample. The ACC steroid analysis service will be marketed by Birmingham-based AltaBioscience, which has an exclusive licence on this patented technology from the University of Birmingham.

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A new, inexpensive method for detecting salt concentrations in sweat or other bodily fluids has been developed by Penn State biomaterials scientists. The fluorescent sensor, derived from citric acid molecules, is highly sensitive and highly selective for chloride, the key diagnostic marker in cystic fibrosis

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To mark 25 years of research into chemicals that disrupt the body’s hormones, the Endocrine Society will sponsor a Congressional briefing Sept. 21 exploring the latest breakthroughs in the field.

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Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI) gathers 100+ biomedical research experts from around the world next week at the scientifically historic Asilomar Conference Grounds in California for a workshop to discuss, define and vote on the first detailed standardized guidelines for validating research antibodies. Antibody Validation: Standards, Policies, and Practices will build upon the conceptual framework published September 5, in Nature Methods, in order to establish practical, applicable and implementable antibody validation guidelines. A webcast press briefing will present broad consensus-based outcomes September 28. Follow along on Twitter with #AbValidate.

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Cell-Free RNA BCT® CE, Streck's direct-draw tube for the collection, stabilization and transport of cell-free plasma RNA, is now available.

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Abundant, chock full of energy and bound so tightly that the only way to release its energy is through combustion — lignin has frustrated scientists for years. With the help of an unusual soil bacteria, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories believe they now know how to crack open lignin, a breakthrough that could transform the economics of biofuel production.

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Materials scientists have developed a new strategy for crafting one-dimensional nanorods from a wide range of precursor materials. Based on a cellulose backbone, the system relies on the growth of block copolymer “arms” that help create a compartment to serve as a nanometer-scale chemical reactor.

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In 2014, scientists made a huge news splash when they reported the ability to grow bacteria with an expanded genetic code. Critics feared the rise of unnatural creatures; others appreciated the therapeutic potential of the development. Now researchers have found that the expanded code might have an unforeseen limitation. A study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports that these novel components can damage cells when they are exposed to light.

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In a World View opinion column published in Nature, a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher calls for animal-human embryo research to proceed – but only with strong animal protections in place.

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Eight artists from around the world will travel to the University at Buffalo to explore life’s greatest questions through biological art residencies in the Coalesce: Center for Biological Arts.

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From seed to closet, transforming the fashion industry through plant science.

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Tufts University researchers have discovered a new technique for generating rapidly-differentiating human neural stem cells for use in a variety of tissue engineering applications, including a three-dimensional model of the human brain, according to a paper published today in Stem Cell Reports.

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William G. Kaelin, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, has been named a winner of the 2016 Lasker Award for medical science by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation.

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The many faces of bats — and their extraordinary diversity in flight, form and function — are the focus of the 10th Annual Indiana Bat Festival at Indiana State University and Dobbs Park Nature Center on Saturday, Sept. 24.