What is new in Biotech
Testing Chernobyl fungi as a radiation shield for astronauts
5.8.2020 | Press monitoring
A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Stanford University has tested the viability of using a type of fungus found growing in some of the destroyed nuclear reactors at the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant site to shield astronauts from radiation. Without the Earth's protective atmosphere and magnetic...
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XPrize launches $5-million competition for a cheap, rapid COVID-19 tests
3.8.2020 | Press monitoring
Further expanding the scope of its international competitions designed to solve global problems through technology, XPrize has launched a contest to develop new and improved testing methods for COVID-19. With millions of dollars of prize money up for grabs, the contest aims to usher in new technologies that allow for cheap, wide-spread testing...
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Black swan genome could be our secret weapon to combat next pandemic
31.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Scientists have mapped the genome of the black swan in an effort to understand immune responses to the deadly 'bird flu' virus and better protect public health. The University of Queensland team, led by Dr. Kirsty Short and Ph.D. candidate Mr Anjana Karawita, sequenced the genome of black swans, a species particularly susceptible to Highly...
Lego-inspired bioscaffolding could better heal broken bones
29.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Typically made of biocompatible polymers, so-called bioscaffolding is usually either 3D-printed in one solid piece, or injected in the form of a gel that sets into a solid. In either case, once it's in place within a bone injury site, the adjacent bone cells migrate into the scaffolding, essentially "roosting" within its three-dimensional...
Phage therapy shows potential for treating prosthetic joint infections
27.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Bacteriophages, or phages, may play a significant role in treating complex bacterial infections in prosthetic joints, according to new Mayo Clinic research. The findings suggest phage therapy could provide a potential treatment for managing such infections, including those involving antibiotic-resistant microbes. "The treatment for chronic...
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Meet Cosmo, a Bull Calf Designed to Produce 75% Male Offspring
24.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have successfully produced a bull calf, named Cosmo, who was genome-edited as an embryo so that he’ll produce more male offspring. Using the genome-editing technology CRISPR, researchers can make targeted cuts to the genome or insert useful genes, which is called a gene knock-in. In this case,...
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Worlds smallest imaging device can 3D-scan inside your blood vessels
22.7.2020 | Press monitoring
An Australian/German team has developed the world's smallest imaging device, at the thickness of a human hair. It's capable of traveling down the blood vessels of mice, offering unprecedented abilities to 3D-scan the body at microscopic resolutions. To build this miniature endoscope, the team took a fine optical fiber with a diameter of less...
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Duckweed is an incredible, radiation-fighting astronaut food – and by changing how it is grown, we made it better
20.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Duckweed is a small floating plant that grows on the surface of ponds. It is commonly eaten in Asia but is mostly considered a pest plant in the U.S. as it can quickly take over ponds. But duckweed is a remarkable plant. It is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, is the most protein–dense plant on the planet and also produces an abundance...
Test reveals radiation sickness in hours via a single drop of blood
17.7.2020 | Press monitoring
Radiation sickness or acute radiation syndrome (ARS), like that experienced by the workers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 or the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, can cause a rapid deterioration of a person’s health, and often death. his sickness occurs when most or all of the body is subjected to a large but short-lived...
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New bioink for cell bioprinting in 3-D
15.7.2020 | Press monitoring
A research group led by Daniel Aili, associate professor at Linköping University, has developed a bioink to print tissue-mimicking material in 3-D printers. The scientists have developed a method and a material that allow cells to survive and thrive. "Bioprinting is a new and exciting technology to manufacture three-dimensional tissue-mimicking...
