Feature Channels: Biotech

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Released: 30-Jan-2017 1:05 PM EST
Kansas State University Is the 'Silicon Valley for Biodefense,' According to Blue Ribbon Study Panel
Kansas State University

When the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense visited Kansas State University for a series of agrodefense discussions, the university cemented its status as a national leader in animal health, biosciences and food safety research.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Researchers Watch in 3D as Neurons Talk to Each Other in a Living Mouse Brain
IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

No single neuron produces a thought or a behavior; anything the brain accomplishes is a vast collaborative effort between cells. When at work, neurons talk rapidly to one another, forming networks as they communicate. Scientists at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna and the Rockefeller University in New York are developing technology that would make it possible to record brain activity as it plays out across these networks.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
Cornell Chemists Use Their Own 'Toolset' to Probe Responses
Cornell University

Using a chemical "toolset" it developed, a Cornell group reports the ability to track a single protein's response to a chemical, which has implications in the emerging field of precision medicine.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 9:00 AM EST
FAU and Sancilio & Company, Inc. Collaborate to Further Develop Treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa
Florida Atlantic University

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University are collaborating with scientists from Sancilio and Company, Inc. to begin a new research project aimed at finding a treatment for patients afflicted by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is an inherited disease that causes severe progressive vision impairment and blindness.

   
Released: 26-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Professors Ateshian and Myers Win ASME Honors for Bioengineering Research
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Two Columbia Engineering professors were honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Gerard Ateshian won the H.R. Lissner Medal for his work on developing better modalities for the treatment of osteoarthritis, including stronger engineered cartilage for resurfacing knee, hip, and shoulder joints. Kristin Myers won the Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award for her work in maternal and fetal health, studying the mechanics of the uterus and cervix to understand how to prevent premature births.

   
Released: 25-Jan-2017 3:05 PM EST
The Strings That Bind Us: Cytofilaments Connect Cell Nucleus to Extracellular Microenvironment
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

New images by Berkeley Lab scientists are providing the first visual evidence of a long-postulated physical link by which genes can receive mechanical cues from its microenvironment. Created by integrating six different imaging techniques, the images show thread-like cytofilaments reaching into and traversing a human breast cell's chromatin-packed nucleus.

Released: 25-Jan-2017 1:05 PM EST
A Rising Peptide: Supercomputing Helps Scientists Come Closer to Tailoring Drug Molecules
Argonne National Laboratory

With the help of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility’s Mira supercomputer, scientists have successfully designed and verified stable versions of synthetic peptides, components that join together to form proteins.

Released: 25-Jan-2017 1:05 PM EST
New Class of Materials Could Revolutionize Biomedical, Alternative Energy Industries
University of Missouri Health

Polyhedral boranes have become the basis for the creation of cancer therapies, enhanced drug delivery and new contrast agents needed for radioimaging and diagnosis. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri has discovered an entirely new class of materials based on boranes that might have widespread potential applications, including improved diagnostic tools for cancer and other diseases as well as low-cost solar energy cells.

24-Jan-2017 4:35 PM EST
Artificial Intelligence Uncovers New Insight Into Biophysics of Cancer
Tufts University

For the first time, artificial intelligence has been used to discover the exact interventions needed to obtain a specific, previously unachievable result in vivo, providing new insight into the biophysics of cancer and raising broad implications for biomedicine.

Released: 24-Jan-2017 1:05 PM EST
Watching Gene Editing at Work to Develop Precision Therapies
University of Wisconsin–Madison

MADISON, Wis. — University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have developed methods to observe gene editing in action, and they’re putting those capabilities to work to improve genetic engineering techniques.

Released: 24-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
New Models for Validating Computational Simulations of Blood Flow and Damage in Medical Devices
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

A collaborative effort to improve the development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodologies for evaluating "blood contacting" medical devices—receiving the Willem Kollf Award for top abstract at the ASAIO 2016 conference—is now reported in full in the ASAIO Journal, published by Wolters Kluwer.

Released: 24-Jan-2017 11:05 AM EST
Designing Diagnostic Labs That Are Safe, Specific and Sustainable
Sandia National Laboratories

To detect an outbreak early — whether Ebola, Zika or influenza — healthcare workers must have a local, trustworthy diagnostic lab. For the past five years Sandia’s International Biological and Chemical Threat Reduction group has served as a trusted adviser for design of diagnostic labs around the world that are safe, secure, sustainable, specific and flexible.

Released: 24-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
New Organ Culture System Reveals Effects of BPA Exposure on Fetal Mammary Glands
Tufts University

A new laboratory model enables tests of how developing fetal mammary tissue is affected by exposure to estrogen and estrogen-like chemicals such as BPA. Previous animal model research has suggested changes in fetal mammary tissue may be linked to higher risk of breast cancer in adulthood.

Released: 23-Jan-2017 4:05 PM EST
TSRI Scientists Create First Stable Semisynthetic Organism
Scripps Research Institute

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have announced the development of the first stable semisynthetic organism.

Released: 23-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
80-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Collagen Confirmed
North Carolina State University

Utilizing the most rigorous testing methods to date, researchers from North Carolina State University have isolated additional collagen peptides from an 80-million-year-old Brachylophosaurus.

Released: 23-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Choreographing the MicroRNA-Target Dance
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Molecular biologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered a new mechanism that choreographs a complex molecular dance by applying the latest in gene editing technology combined with a traditional method of making a microRNA target produce a fluorescent green protein.

Released: 23-Jan-2017 8:00 AM EST
Noninvasive Ultrasound Pulses Used to Precisely Tweak Rat Brain Activity
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins report they have worked out a noninvasive way to release and deliver concentrated amounts of a drug to the brain of rats in a temporary, localized manner using ultrasound.

23-Jan-2017 12:05 AM EST
Space-Age Challenge: Healing Broken Bones, Wounds and Internal Organs
Rutgers University

Ronke Olabisi once dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Now she’s conducting research that could help space travelers and Earth-dwellers heal faster and stay healthy. “If healing people faster on Earth is going to be helpful, then it’s really going to be helpful in space,” said Olabisi, an assistant professor in Rutgers’ Department of Biomedical Engineering.

   
18-Jan-2017 3:05 PM EST
New Genetic Engineering Technique Could Help Design, Study Biological Systems
Washington University in St. Louis

A new technique helps biologists tinker with genes, whether the goal is to turn cells into tiny factories churning out medicines or to study their effects on human health. The technique allows scientists to precisely regulate how much protein is produced from a particular gene.

Released: 19-Jan-2017 4:05 PM EST
Chemists Cook Up New Nanomaterial and Imaging Method
Northwestern University

A team of chemists led by Northwestern University’s William Dichtel has cooked up something big: The scientists created an entirely new type of nanomaterial and watched it form in real time — a chemistry first.“Our work sets the stage for researchers interested in studying the fundamental properties of interesting materials and applied systems, such as solar cells, batteries, sensors, paints and drug delivery systems,” said Dichtel, the Robert L.

Released: 19-Jan-2017 3:00 PM EST
Press Registration Now Open for 2017 Experimental Biology Meeting
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

Press registration is now open for the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting (EB 2017) to be held April 22-26 in Chicago. With more than 14,000 attendees and thousands of scientific sessions, EB 2017 is a research bonanza you won’t want to miss.

Released: 19-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
Seeking Structure with Metagenome Sequences
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In the January 20, 2017 issue of Science, University of Washington-led team, in collaboration with researchers at the DOE Joint Genome Institute, reports that structural models have been generated for 12 percent of the protein families that had previously had no structural information available.

18-Jan-2017 3:05 AM EST
Scientists Initiate First Ethical Guidelines for Organs Cultivated in Vitro
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

In the latest edition of the journal “Science”, Jürgen Knoblich, a leading authority on stem cells and deputy director of the IMBA (Institute for Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences), together with international experts, presents a first ethical guideline for research into human organ models. In the article, he also argues for critical and responsible engagement with the new technology.

Released: 19-Jan-2017 11:05 AM EST
Of Mutualism and Lipid Metabolism in Fungi
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Novel mechanism in bacterial-fungal symbiosis could have biodiesel production applications

Released: 19-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology Publishes First Five Replication Studies Conducted by Science Exchange
Science Exchange

/PRNewswire/ -- Science Exchange, the leading marketplace for scientific research, is excited to announce that the first five replication studies from the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology (RP:CB) have been published in eLife today. Despite intense scrutiny around reproducibility in science, this project represents the first practical evaluation of reproducibility rates that may identify specific methods that result in reproducible studies. Unlike other assessments of reproducibility, the results of this project are openly accessible.

   
Released: 18-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Support for Chicago Biomedical Consortium Renewed
Northwestern University

The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust has renewed its funding commitment to the Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC), an innovative research and education collaboration of Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago that has helped establish the Chicago area as a leader in biomedical sciences.

Released: 18-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Study Finds New Target for Controlling Cell Division
Texas A&M AgriLife

Modern genome sequencing methods used to measure the efficiency of synthesis of individual protein during cell division has found that the enzymes that make lipids and membranes were synthesized at much greater efficiency when a cell is ready to split.

Released: 18-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
New Avenue for Anti-Depressant Therapy Discovered
Academy of Finland

Researchers have made a ground-breaking discovery revealing new molecular information on how the brain regulates depression and anxiety. In so doing, they identified a new molecule that alleviates anxiety and depressive behaviour in rodents.

Released: 18-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
Super-Resolution Imaging Offers Fast Way to Discern Fate of Stem Cells
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new way to identify the state and fate of individual stem cells earlier than previously possible.

Released: 17-Jan-2017 3:05 PM EST
'5-D Protein Fingerprinting' Could Give Insights Into Alzheimer's, Parkinson's
University of Michigan

In research that could one day lead to advances against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, University of Michigan engineering researchers have demonstrated a technique for precisely measuring the properties of individual protein molecules floating in a liquid.

   
Released: 17-Jan-2017 3:05 PM EST
Researchers Zero-in on Cholesterol's Role in Cells
University of Illinois Chicago

For the first time, by using a path-breaking optical imaging technique to pinpoint cholesterol's location and movement within the cell membrane, chemists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have made the surprising finding that cholesterol is a signaling molecule that transmits messages across the cell membrane.

Released: 17-Jan-2017 12:30 PM EST
Largest Populus SNP Dataset Holds Promise for Biofuels, Materials, Metabolites
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have released the largest-ever single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset of genetic variations in poplar trees, information useful to plant scientists as well as researchers in the fields of biofuels, materials science, and secondary plant metabolism.

16-Jan-2017 10:00 AM EST
Biophysics Plays Key Role in Immune System Signaling and Response
Georgia Institute of Technology

How big you are may be as important as what you look like, at least to immune system cells watching for dangerous bacteria and viruses.

   
Released: 17-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
New Tool Can Help Policymakers Prioritize Information Needs for Synthetic Biology Tech
North Carolina State University

New technologies are developed at a rapid pace, often reaching the market before policymakers can determine how they should be governed. Now researchers have developed a model that can be used to assess emerging synthetic biology products to determine what needs to be done to inform future policies.

Released: 17-Jan-2017 2:05 AM EST
Cellular Podiatry
National University of Singapore (NUS)

A study by researchers from the labs of Prof Alexander Bershadsky at the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore and Prof Gareth E Jones at King’s College London has revealed that a protein known as Arf1 plays a role in podosome formation by regulating the assembly of myosin-II within the cytoskeleton.

Released: 16-Jan-2017 3:00 PM EST
New Study Reveals the Structure of DNA Helicase at the Replication Fork
Van Andel Institute

Scientists at Van Andel Research Institute and Rockefeller University have successfully described a crucial structure involved in DNA replication, placing another piece in the puzzle of how life propagates.

Released: 16-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Penn State Engineer Authors New, Comprehensive Book on 3D Bioprinting
Penn State College of Engineering

Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, has authored a new book titled “3D Bioprinting: Fundamentals, Principles and Applications,” published by Elsevier (Academic Press).

Released: 13-Jan-2017 11:05 AM EST
Biofuel Matchmaker: Finding the Perfect Algae for Renewable Energy
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A new streamlined process could quickly pare down heaps of algae species into just a few that hold the most promise for making biofuel.

12-Jan-2017 3:05 PM EST
Scientists Engineer Animals with Ancient Genes to Test Causes of Evolution
University of Chicago Medical Center

Scientists at the University of Chicago have created the first genetically modified animals containing reconstructed ancient genes, which they used to test the evolutionary effects of genetic changes that happened in the deep past on the animals’ biology and fitness.

Released: 13-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
U of A Chemist Develops New Theory for Explaining the Function of Proteins
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A University of Arkansas chemist and his collaborator at North Carolina State University have developed a new theory for explaining how proteins and other biomolecules function based on movement and change of shape and structure rather than content.

Released: 12-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
Vader Systems Creates Liquid Metal 3-D Printer for Manufacturing
University at Buffalo

A father and son team have created a liquid metal 3-D printing machine that could represent a significant transformation in manufacturing. The machine is so novel it represents a quantum leap in the ability to print three-dimensional objects in metal. Other metal printers exist, but most use a process of laying down powered metal and melting it with a laser or electron beam.

Released: 12-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
Iowa State Engineer Helps Journal Highlight How Pyrolysis Can Advance the Bioeconomy
Iowa State University

Iowa State's Robert C. Brown is a guest editor of the current issue of the journal Energy Technology. The special issue features 20 scientific papers about Brown's specialty: using pyrolysis technologies to convert biomass into fuels, chemicals and fertilizers.

Released: 12-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
Finding Diamonds in the Rough
Department of Energy, Office of Science

New crystallography finding benefits bioenergy industry.

Released: 11-Jan-2017 4:05 PM EST
Micro-Leads Inc. And Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Announce Two Exciting Milestones Amidst GSK Innovation Challenge
Case Western Reserve University

Micro-Leads Inc. is among three recipients around the world awarded $1 million to develop an advanced bioelectronics medicine device for GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Bioelectronics Innovation Challenge.

Released: 11-Jan-2017 2:00 PM EST
Should Biomedical Graduate Schools Ignore the GRE?
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A research team at the UNC School of Medicine found that the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), which is required for admission to graduate and doctorate programs across the country, is not the best indicator for predicting a student’s success while pursuing a doctorate in the experimental life sciences. And from that research, the team recommends devaluing – if not eliminating altogether – the GRE from the applications process for biomedical PhD candidates.

Released: 10-Jan-2017 4:00 PM EST
Direct Communication Between Cell’s Surveillance and Protein Synthesizing Machinery Eliminates Genetic Errors
Case Western Reserve University

New research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine describes a mechanism by which an essential quality control system in cells identifies and destroys faulty genetic material. The findings were published online December 23 in Nature Communications.

Released: 10-Jan-2017 1:00 PM EST
TSRI Signs Collaboration Agreement with Pfizer to Advance DNA-Encoded Library Technology
Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), a leading non-profit biomedical research institute, today announced a research collaboration and license agreement with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) to pioneer new DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology, including new synthetic chemistry for the creation of next-generation DELs, a potentially transformative technology for early stage drug discovery research.

   
Released: 10-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
Meet Canada's "Poop Lady"
Universite de Montreal

Since 2012, UdeM PhD student Catherine Girard has collected stool samples from the Inuit of Nunavut. In a new study, she documents for the first time their "gut microbiome" – with surprising results.

   
Released: 9-Jan-2017 9:00 AM EST
Species Diversity Reduces Chances of Crop Failure in Algal Biofuel Systems
University of Michigan

When growing algae in outdoor ponds as a next-generation biofuel, a naturally diverse mix of species will help reduce the chance of crop failure, according to a federally funded study by University of Michigan researchers.



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