Feature Channels: Biotech

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With the assistance of a novel motion simulator, researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel have discovered that rats rely on airflow to navigate their surroundings. When they move, the flow of air relative to their bodies provides crucial information, complementary to their sense of balance, to perceive their own motion in space. This might explain their agility in the dark as they scurry through pipes and tunnels, turn corners, and effortlessly travel from one location to another, all while knowing exactly where they’re headed.

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Scientists who have described in a new study the step-by-step details of a bacterial defense strategy see the mechanism as a promising platform for development of a new genome-editing method.

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Researchers studied gene expression in plant/mycorrhizae symbioses by analyzing the roots of a model plant colonized by fungi and using a combination of techniques to measure gene activity in individual cells and visualize gene expression within two-dimensional sections of roots.

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University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today the appointment of Elana J. Fertig, PhD, FAIMBE, as the new Director of the School’s Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS).

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A pivotal study has pinpointed a gene module crucial for enhancing walnut trees' resistance to anthracnose, a widespread fungal disease threatening the walnut industry.

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In a machine learning paper recently published in the journal npj Computational Materials, a team of researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and Brown University have introduced a universal way to accelerate virtually any kind of simulation.

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A cutting-edge study has unveiled the sophisticated methods pathogens use to weaken plant defenses. It shows how a pathogen's effector protein targets the chloroplast protein StFC-II, increasing its levels in chloroplasts and reducing the plant's ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). This manipulation significantly compromises the plant's immune response, offering new insights into potential strategies for enhancing plant resistance to infections.

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Every cell in your body holds a unique genetic code within your DNA, inherited from your parents. The segments of your DNA called genes determine nearly all your body’s characteristics and functions.

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In the agricultural and food industry, determining the chemical composition of raw materials is important for production efficiency, application, and price. Traditional laboratory testing is time-consuming, complicated, and expensive. New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrates that near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and machine learning can provide quick, accurate, and cost-effective product analysis.

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UCLA has received a $120 million commitment from Dr. Gary Michelson and his wife, Alya, to kick-start the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, an innovative public-private partnership aimed at spurring breakthrough discoveries that prevent and cure diseases and catalyze economic growth and innovation in Los Angeles.

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Nirdesh K. Gupta, PhD, has been named the new managing partner of the Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company (CSIP Co.). The new role recognizes Gupta’s expanded scope of management responsibilities over Cedars-Sinai’s technology transfer, venture building, investments and other intellectual property-related initiatives at CSIP Co.

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Korean researchers have successfully developed an integrated ultra-high-speed compander system, which combines a compressor and an expander, utilizing advanced design technology.

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Scientists have developed a new method for crafting intricate microfluidic channels in glass using intense laser pulses. These tiny channels offer exceptional clarity for ultraviolet (UV) light, making them ideal for continuous-flow photochemical reactions like synthesising vitamin D3. The technique paves the way for miniaturized, efficient chemical production methods with promising applications in medicine, materials science, and beyond.

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A pioneering study has uncovered the genetic basis of dormancy in lychee trees, a tropical evergreen perennial. The research identifies LcSVP2 as a critical gene in the regulation of terminal bud dormancy.