What is new in Biotech
New understanding of ancient genetic parasite may spur medical breakthroughs
18.12.2023 | Press monitoring
An international team of scientists from Rutgers and more than a dozen other institutions, including both academia and industry, have published the first high-resolution images and structural details of a virus-like element known as LINE-1. They describe it as "an ancient genetic parasite" that is one of the most common parts of human DNA. The...
Microbubble bots guided through complex brain vessels using ultrasound
15.12.2023 | Press monitoring
Researchers have developed a bubble microrobot capable of being guided around the tiny complex blood vessels of the brain using ultrasound. Successfully tested in mice, the ‘microvehicle’ holds potential as a means of precisely delivering drugs to treat diseases like brain cancer and stroke. Researchers at ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and...
Credit: goa novi - Fotolia
Researchers develop a novel dry-powder inhaled vaccine platform
13.12.2023 | Press monitoring
Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a new "nano-micro composite" delivery concept for vaccines. Based on this idea, they have developed a single-dose, dry-powder, inhalable vaccine platform using nano-micro composite multilevel structures, which has been successfully...
Credit: CONTIPRO
Nanoparticle-delivered RNA reduces neuroinflammation in lab tests
11.12.2023 | Press monitoring
Some COVID-19 vaccines safely and effectively used lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver messenger RNA to cells. A new MIT study shows that different nanoparticles could be used for a potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy. In tests in multiple mouse models and with cultured human cells, a newly tailored LNP formulation effectively delivered...
Credit: DeVIce - Fotolia.com
Mussel-inspired adhesive builds a bond between implants and bones
8.12.2023 | Press monitoring
One of the problems with implants such as artificial hips is the fact that over time, the titanium implant will detach from the bone to which it was bonded. A second surgery is then required to reattach or replace the implant. Over the years, various groups have pursued a number of avenues to keep this from happening. The mussel-inspired glue is...
The first eco-friendly fluorescent artificial seed for monitoring soil temperature by using drones
6.12.2023 | Press monitoring
Researchers have invented a new kind of artificial seed to sense environmental parameters without impacting the health of the environment. The soft robot, named Acer i-Seed, is inspired by natural Acer seeds and can monitor the temperature of the soil by becoming luminescent. It is made of a biocompatible and compostable material, and it has been...
More than 100 magic mushroom genomes point the way to new cultivars
4.12.2023 | Press monitoring
Scientists have amassed genome data for dozens of "magic mushroom" isolates and cultivars, with the goal to learn more about how their domestication and cultivation has changed them. The findings, published December 4 in the journal Current Biology, may point the way to the production of intriguing new cultivars, say the researchers. The study...
Newly identified algal strains rich in phosphorus could improve wastewater treatment
1.12.2023 | Press monitoring
The Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) system by Gross-Wen Technologies is an emerging technology that does just that. In the RAB system, phosphorus-laden algae are cultivated in wastewater attached to a revolving belt. The grown algal biomass can then be harvested from the belt and dried for use as agricultural fertilizer or as feedstock for the...
Nanodiamonds can block tumor metastasis in mice, study shows
29.11.2023 | Press monitoring
Nanodiamonds are 2–8 nm carbon nanoparticles, which can be easily functionalized with various chemical groups like carboxylic groups or drugs. Previous research has shown that actively dividing cells are more likely to absorb nanodiamonds and that epithelial cells treated with carboxylic nanodiamonds lose the ability to migrate across...
Credit: kstudija - Fotolia.com
Networking nano-biosensors for wireless communication in the blood
27.11.2023 | Press monitoring
Biological computing machines, such as micro and nano-implants that can collect important information inside the human body, are transforming medicine. Yet, networking them for communication has proven challenging. Now, a global team, including EPFL researchers, has developed a protocol that enables a molecular network with multiple...
