AI tool reads biopsy images… To determine the type and severity of a cancer, pathologists typically analyze thin slices of a tumor biopsy under a microscope. But to figure out what genomic changes are driving the tumor’s growth — information that can guide how it is treated — scientists must perform genetic sequencing of the RNA isolated from the tumor, a process that can take weeks and costs thousands of dollars. Now, Stanford Medicine researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-powered…

…and remains healthy during aging. Blood vessels and stromal cells in the bone marrow create an ideal environment for hematopoietic stem cells to continuously produce all blood cells. During aging, these critical niche components deteriorate and the bone marrow produces fewer healthy blood cells, leading to age-related inflammation and disease. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, Germany, discovered that the skull bone marrow is a surprising exception to bone marrow aging and actually increases blood…

Rice researchers develop novel electrochemical reactor. A team of Rice University researchers led by Lisa Biswal and Haotian Wang has developed an innovative electrochemical reactor to extract lithium from natural brine solutions, offering a promising approach to address the growing demand for lithium used in rechargeable batteries. This breakthrough, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , holds significant potential for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles. Lithium is a critical component in batteries for renewable energy…

… may soon be on your plate. The protein in sea lettuce, a type of seaweed, is a promising complement to both meat and other current alternative protein sources. Seaweed also contains many other important nutrients, and is grown without needing to be watered, fertilised or sprayed with insecticides. However, the proteins are often tightly bound, and their full potential has not yet been realised on our plates.  But now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have found…

…gives crop breeders a wider lens. Understanding how both environmental conditions and genetic makeup affect crops is essential to developing varieties that are more resilient and productive. But the intricate interplay between weather and genes is difficult to untangle, in part because plants with the same genotype can respond in different ways to varying conditions. That dynamic is called phenotypic plasticity, and it’s the main research interest of Jianming Yu, an agronomy professor at Iowa State University. Crop breeders have…

Clinical trial targeted recurrence of hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer. A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors. Conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a therapy designed by WashU Medicine researchers, the trial is the first to report results for this type of vaccine — known as a neoantigen DNA vaccine — for breast cancer patients. The study, which found…

… used in condensate modifying drugs. Researchers at the universities in Mainz and Leiden have developed a simple model system that can be used to break down fibrils – the cause of numerous disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease – into their constituent single units or liquid droplets. The origin of many diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s can be found at the molecular level in our body, in other words, in proteins. In a healthy system, these proteins are…

UKB robotically suspends cervix with a body’s own tendon. If a woman’s pelvic floor is severely weakened, the uterus and vagina may descend. As a result, affected women suffer from prolapse symptoms and possibly bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction. If conservative treatment options do not help, the uterus does not necessarily have to be removed, but can be surgically suspended using a synthetic mesh. Since 2022, single hospitals in Germany have also been performing this procedure using a body’s own…

When active filaments are exposed to localized illumination, they accumulate into stable structures along the boundaries of the illuminated area. Based on this fact, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) developed a model that can be used to simulate the self-organization of thread-like living matter. This model provides important insights for potential technical applications in the formation of structures. Filamentous cyanobacteria aggregate in areas with favorable light conditions and use the light energy for photosynthesis….

Immune cells are capable of detecting infections just like a sniffer dog, using special sensors known as Toll-like receptors, or TLRs for short. But what signals activate TLRs, and what is the relationship between the scale and nature of this activation and the substance being detected? In a recent study, researchers from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) used an innovative method to answer these questions. The approach that they took might help to speed up…

Scientists Uncover Vital Role of Maternal Small RNAs in Plant Breeding. Plant breeders, aiming to develop resilient and high-quality crops, often cross plants from different species to transfer desirable traits. However, they frequently encounter a major obstacle: hybrid seed failure. This reproductive barrier often prevents closely related species from producing viable seeds. A new study from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology offers insights into this challenge by identifying small RNA molecules as crucial players in this process….

How cells digest their internal canal system. Newly discovered mechanism helps detach and recycle parts of cellular canal membranes as needed – models developed using supercomputer simulations. Inside cells, there exists an extensive system of canals known as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which consists of membrane-encased tubes that are partially broken down as needed – for instance in case of a nutrient deficiency. As part of this process, bulges or protrusions form in the membrane, which then pinch off and…

… enable non-invasive, multi-functional biological imaging. Bioluminescence is the natural chemical process of light creation in some living creatures that makes fireflies flicker and some jellyfish glow. Scientists have long been interested in borrowing the secrets of these animals’ light-producing genes to create similar effects in vertebrates, for a variety of biomedical applications. UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Andy Yeh is designing completely artificial proteins that produce bioluminescence to serve as a non-invasive method for bioimaging, diagnostics,…

When you place metal nanoparticles on carbon, they become much more active. What was previously only assumed based on experience could now be explained in detail for the first time at TU Wien (Vienna). Precious metals play an important role in the chemical industry as catalysts: With the help of silver, platinum, palladium or other elements, chemical reactions can take place that would otherwise not progress or would only progress at a much lower reaction rate. These metals are often…

Producing viable eggs from undeveloped oocytes through In vitro technology. Researchers successfully produce viable, embryo-forming egg cells from underdeveloped oocytes extracted from ovarian follicles. Mature egg cells, or oocytes, are essential for fertilization in assisted reproductive technologies. However, some ‘denuded’ oocytes, or those lacking the protective granulosa cell layer, fail to mature. Now, in a new study by researchers at Shinshu University, the team has developed a method to culture mature oocytes from these denuded oocytes in the lab. This…

Non-hallucinogenic marijuana constituent increases sleep in rats. Research by scientists at the University of Sydney has identified a constituent in the cannabis plant that improves sleep. Their report is the first to use objective measures to show the component, known as cannabinol (CBN), increases sleep in rats. The study has been published in the leading journal Neuropsychopharmacology. “For decades, cannabis folklore has suggested that aged cannabis makes consumers sleepy via the build-up of CBN, however there was no convincing evidence…