UNC-Chapel Hill scientists sequenced the genes expressed in individual single cells from human GI tracts to discover new cell-type characteristics and gain insights into important cell functions such as nutrient absorption and immune defense. If you get nervous, you might feel it in your gut. If you eat chili, your gut might revolt, but your friend can eat anything and feel great. You can pop ibuprofen like candy with no ill effects, but your friend’s belly might bleed and might…

A recent study by ITQB NOVA scientists unravelled the role of a small marker protein in increasing metabolic activity for sulfate respiration. The metabolism of sulfur compounds is among the most important microbial processes sustaining life in many anoxic environments where oxygen is not present. This metabolic activity cycles sulfur between sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Sulfate, in particular, is an extremely important molecule in the geological, biological and chemical processes of the sulfur cycle. Some anaerobic bacteria and archaea play…

Genetic networks mimic electronic circuits to perform a range of logic functions. Northwestern University synthetic biologists have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use, hand-held device that can let users know — within mere minutes — if their water is safe to drink. The new device works by using powerful and programmable genetic networks, which mimic electronic circuits, to perform a range of logic functions. Among the DNA-based circuits, for example, the researchers engineered cell-free molecules into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a ubiquitous…

Compact, inexpensive tunable lenses could be useful for portable medical diagnostics, miniature cameras and more. For the first time, researchers have created a metasurface lens that uses a piezoelectric thin film to change focal length when a small voltage is applied. Because it is extremely compact and lightweight, the new lens could be useful for portable medical diagnostic instruments, drone-based 3D mapping and other applications where miniaturization can open new possibilities. “This type of low-power, ultra-compact varifocal lens could be…

As a physician with the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, Dr. Laura E. Crotty Alexander has heard from more and more patients over recent years that they’re thinking of switching to vaping e-cigarettes as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes. Not so fast, says the pulmonologist, who is also an associate professor at University of California San Diego. She calls it a “dangerous situation,” with so many people apparently unaware that e-cigarettes come with wide-ranging dangers of their own….

Scientists obtain first high-resolution 3D image of muscle protein. Max Planck Institute’s researchers visualise the structure of the muscle protein nebulin using electron cryo-tomography. Scientists have obtained the first high-resolution 3D image of nebulin, a giant actin-binding protein that is an essential component of skeletal muscle. This discovery has brought to light the chance to better understand the role of nebulin, as its functions have remained largely nebulous due to its large size and the difficulty in extracting nebulin in…

The carnivorous Venus flytrap can be anaesthetised with ether. Some surprising parallels to anaesthesia in humans emerge. Medicine has a broad repertoire of anaesthetics at its medication allows patients to better endure painful treatments or even sleep through them. As early as 1842, ether was first used for a dental treatment in New York. Since then, this anaesthetic has served as one of the main anaesthetics worldwide for over 100 years. Remarkably, anaesthetisation is also possible in plants. Claude Bernard…

Joint study by MHH and HZI: vaccine proves safe and effective against liver fibrosis and liver cancer. Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. So far, the treatment options for two types of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), have been inadequate, while the number of new cases has been rising. A study by researchers at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) now offers hope. A…

Green hydrogen is an important component in a climate-neutral energy system. It is produced by electrolytically splitting water with wind or solar power and stores this energy in chemical form. But currently, the production of green hydrogen is not yet economical or efficient enough. The key to solving this problem is through the development of innovative electrocatalysts, which should not only work with high efficiencies but should also be available and inexpensive. In addition to transition metals, which are already…

A pH-sensitive drug delivery system in T cells using C-terminal dendrimers with Phenylalanine. T cells, also known as lymphocytes, have important roles in various immune reactions. However, there are only a few reports on delivery systems into T cells. Realizing this, it is essential to work and actively contribute in controlling immune systems. Associate Professor Chie Kojima and her co-workers from Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), collaborating with Professor Ikuo Fujii and Ikuhiko…

… compatible with patient biopsies to fight metastasis. METPlatform allows researchers to investigate patients’ own tumour tissue. It is simple, fast, cheap, and “infinitely superior to other screening methods”. They have discovered that HSP90 inhibitors may be useful in treating brain metastases. It is estimated that about a quarter of cancer patients are at risk of brain metastases, a rate that is increasing especially among those who suffer relapses after having undergone different cancer treatments. This, in addition to the…

Scientists at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) have teamed up with a company called Cellbricks to develop a 3D printer that can produce a biological wound closure: Using a mix of gelatin and skin cells, the device prints a perfectly fitting bandage that can be used to close large wounds. This could be a good alternative to autologous skin grafting, and not just for burn victims on Earth: Astronauts could also be treated individually far away from…

Researchers were able to greatly reduce tumors in a preclinical model of a rare genetic lung disease. Researchers at the Tufts University School of Engineering are building a reputation for precision targeting in drug delivery. Their tools: tiny lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) that can be fine tuned to latch on to specific tissues, organs, even cell types within the body. Their latest creation: LNPs that carry genetic instructions directly into the lungs. Even before LNP delivery had its first blockbuster debut…

It happens in the first hours after fertilization: The cells of the early embryo begin to independently produce proteins, the building blocks for cells and organs. Their own, uniquely composed genetic material serves as the blueprint. In vertebrates, the starting signal for this process comes from three maternal proteins that bind to the DNA of the offspring. New findings from Dr. Meijiang Gao from a research team led by Dr. Daria Onichtchouk in the University of Freiburg’s Institute of Biology…

Single-cell RNA sequencing, or “scRNA-seq” for short, is a technique that allows scientists to study the expression of genes in an individual cell within a mixed population – which is virtually how all cells exist in the body’s tissues. Part of a larger family of “single-cell sequencing” techniques, scRNA-seq involves capturing the RNA of a single cell and, after multiple molecular conversion reactions, sequencing it. Since RNA is the intermediate step from gene (DNA) to protein, it provides an overview…

The brain has neurons that fire specifically during certain mathematical operations. This is shown by a recent study conducted by the Universities of Tübingen and Bonn. The findings indicate that some of the neurons detected are active exclusively during additions, while others are active during subtractions. They do not care whether the calculation instruction is written down as a word or a symbol. The results have now been published in the journal Current Biology. Most elementary school children probably already…