What is new in Biotech
Bacterias natural self-destruct mechanism used to fight infections
12.2.2024 | Press monitoring
A new study has demonstrated that a natural bacterial defense mechanism against invading viruses can be used as a weapon to combat bacterial infection. The finding opens the door to new anti-bacterial therapeutics, particularly important in the face of rising antibiotic resistance. When certain bacteria are infected by a virus, they initiate a...
Medical lab-on-a-chip runs 32 pathology tests at once
9.2.2024 | Press monitoring
Diagnosing diseases early benefits patients and doctors. It enables treatment to slow disease progression and reduces the risk of complications, thereby improving long-term health outcomes. With early diagnosis in front of mind, a team from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) research laboratory in Germany has used off-the-shelf...
Inexpensive, carbon-neutral biofuels are finally possible
7.2.2024 | Press monitoring
When it comes to making fuel from plants, the first step has always been the hardest – breaking down the plant matter. A new study finds that introducing a simple, renewable chemical to the pretreatment step can finally make next-generation biofuel production both cost-effective and carbon-neutral. For biofuels to compete with petroleum,...
Credit: nobeastsofierce - Fotolia.com
New molecule triggers burst of white blood cells to fight infections
5.2.2024 | Press monitoring
White blood cells are important foot soldiers in the immune system, but their numbers can be cut by health conditions or treatments like chemotherapy. Yale scientists have now discovered a molecule that can be given to quickly boost their numbers back up, to help fight off infections without antibiotics. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell...
Credit: Jezper - Fotolia.com
DNA particles that mimic viruses hold promise as vaccines
2.2.2024 | Press monitoring
Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have created a vaccine that can induce a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine, which has been tested in mice, consists of a DNA scaffold that carries many copies of a viral antigen. This type of vaccine,...
Nanoscale spikes 96% effective at impaling and destroying common virus
31.1.2024 | Press monitoring
Researchers have developed a silicon surface covered in nanosized spikes that is 96% effective in impaling and destroying a common virus responsible for causing respiratory illnesses, particularly in infants and young children. The technology could be used to safeguard researchers, health workers and patients from viral spread. Of the four...
Molecular jackhammers kill cancer by busting through cell walls
29.1.2024 | Press monitoring
Scientists have demonstrated an intriguing new technique to treat cancer – “molecular jackhammers” that latch onto cancer cells, then vibrate vigorously to kill them when activated by infrared light. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are currently our most effective treatments for cancer, but they have a shotgun effect, damaging healthy cells...
Reprogrammed T cells make mice (and maybe us) age slower
26.1.2024 | Press monitoring
Researchers have used reprogrammed CAR T cells, usually used as a cancer treatment, to target the senescent cells that contribute to aging and later-life diseases. After one treatment, old mice showed improved metabolism and exercise tolerance, while young ones aged slower and were protected from age-related diseases like obesity and diabetes for...
Credit: Dr Graham Beards_WikimediaCommons
Bar-coding bacteriophages: New method could unleash powerful biotechnology applications
24.1.2024 | Press monitoring
Barcodes at the supermarket allow fast and easy product identification, often including such valuable information as location, quantity, and tracking. Now, a rapid gene labeling or characterization scheme for bacteria-infecting viruses known as bacteriophages, or phages, has been developed for similar purposes by researchers at the Department of...
Allergy-specific nanoparticles target immune cells, prevent anaphylaxis
22.1.2024 | Press monitoring
Allergies can range in severity from itchy eyes and a runny nose to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Peanuts, dust, mold, dog hair, perfume, pollen, drugs, insect stings, and latex – besides avoiding these things entirely, for some people there’s no way to prevent allergic reactions. That may soon change, thanks to researchers at Northwestern...
