What is new in Biotech
Bacteria found to eat forever chemicals, and even some of their toxic byproducts
24.1.2025 | Press monitoring
In the quest to take the "forever" out of "forever chemicals," bacteria might be our ally. Most remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) involves adsorbing and trapping them, but certain microbes can actually break apart the strong chemical bonds that allow these chemicals to persist for so long in the environment. Now, a...
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Innovative process converts urine into slow-release crystal fertilizer
22.1.2025 | Press monitoring
A team of chemists and agriculture specialists has developed a way to transform urea in wastewater, into percarbamide, which can be used as a fertilizer. In their paper published in the journal Nature Catalysis, the group describes their process and how well the resulting product worked in growing edible crops. Urine is seen as a source of...
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Bacteria in polymers create cable-like structures that grow into living gels
20.1.2025 | Press monitoring
Scientists at Caltech and Princeton University have discovered that bacterial cells growing in a solution of polymers, such as mucus, form long cables that buckle and twist on each other, building a kind of "living Jell-O." The finding could be particularly important to the study and treatment of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, in which the...
Bacteria use surprising anti-missile defense-like system to fend off viruses
17.1.2025 | Press monitoring
Study from the University of Copenhagen reveals how bacteria use a defense mechanism called Zorya to protect themselves from viral attacks. The system detects and degrades viral DNA before the virus can replicate, much like a city's defense system intercepts incoming missiles. "A lot of anti-phage defense systems cause cell death, meaning that...
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Scientists engineer nanostructured surfaces hostile to bacteria but friendly to cells
15.1.2025 | Press monitoring
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created nanostructured alumina surfaces which are strongly antibacterial but can be used to culture cells. They found that anodic porous alumina (APA) surfaces prepared using electrochemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid had unprecedented resistance to bacterial growth, but did not hamper cell...
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Inhalable therapy uses mussel-inspired nanoparticles to target lung cancer cells
13.1.2025 | Press monitoring
Researchers from POSTECH and Kyungpook National University have developed a novel inhalable therapeutic delivery system for lung cancer, leveraging mucoadhesive protein nanoparticles inspired by the adhesive properties of marine mussels. Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers globally. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts...
RNA lanterns could offer new insights into viruses and human memory
10.1.2025 | Press monitoring
RNA is the molecule that reads the genetic information stored in DNA. It's critical for the proper functioning of cells. In a new study published in Nature Communications, University of California, Irvine scientists have discovered a way of tagging RNA with a glowing bioluminescent molecule that allows them to track RNA in real time as it moves...
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Repairing a domestication mutation in tomato leads to an earlier yield
8.1.2025 | Press monitoring
Genome editing with CRISPR-Cas is often associated with the induction of mutations. However, a team of researchers from the Swiss University of Lausanne now shows that it can also be used to repair natural mutations. Humans have been domesticating plants for thousands of years, by selecting mutations that lead to favorable characteristics such as...
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Bioreactor allows automated long-term culturing of stem cells
6.1.2025 | Press monitoring
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are considered a promising tool in medicine, with the potential to unlock treatments for many health conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and disorders. However, producing large amounts of hiPSCs remains a challenge. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Translational Center for Regenerative...
Unlocking Spirulina secrets to supercharge vaccines
3.1.2025 | Press monitoring
JCU researchers have found particles in the popular "superfood" Spirulina that could lead to significant advancements in vaccine production and effectiveness. They investigates Spirulina extracellular vesicles (SPEV) and their potential therapeutic benefits. While safely testing on mice, Dr. Sharifpour and his team found that said SPEV has huge...
