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Released: 18-Dec-2018 12:20 PM EST
Broading the biodiversity catalogue of spider populations in the Iberian Peninsula
Universidad De Barcelona

The new study, covering the largest study area on this animal group in peninsular territory, is now published in the journal Biodiversity Data Journal. Other participants in the study are the experts from the Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA-CSIC) and the University of Helsinki (Finland).

13-Dec-2018 11:00 AM EST
Defining Quality Virus Data(sets)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In Nature Biotechnology, as more and more researchers continue to assemble new genome sequences of uncultivated viruses, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) led a community effort to develop guidelines and best practices for defining virus data quality.

Released: 13-Dec-2018 11:55 AM EST
Tale of two trees: New web tool estimates gene trees with ease
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University - OIST

Gene trees, much like family trees, trace the lineage of a particular gene from its deep ancestral roots to its still-growing stems. By comparing gene trees to species trees, which map the evolutionary history of species, scientists can learn which species have which genes, what new functions those genes gained over time, and which functions they may have lost. Now, scientists at the Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have unveiled a new tool to perform these analyses quickly and without computational headaches.

Released: 12-Dec-2018 9:00 AM EST
Revolutionary testing for food-supply safety and illicit drug use
Oregon State University, College of Engineering

Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers are developing novel lab-on-a-chip biosensors for testing food quality and safety as well as illicit drug use.

   
Released: 7-Dec-2018 2:05 PM EST
Using inkjet printers to build a new biosensor for less invasive breast cancer detection
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

NIBIB-funded researchers have created a novel, low-cost biosensor to detect HER-2, a breast cancer biomarker in the blood, allowing for a far less invasive diagnostic test than the current practice, a needle biopsy. Scientists at the Universities of Hartford and Connecticut and funded in part by NIBIB, combined microfluidic technology with diagnostics, including electrochemical sensors and biomarkers, into a powerful package that can give results in about 15 minutes.

Released: 6-Dec-2018 9:00 AM EST
Emily Day Named Mangone Young Scholar
University of Delaware

Emily Day recognized as promising young scholar and researcher

Released: 6-Dec-2018 7:05 AM EST
Agricultural waste drives us closer to greener transport
University of Portsmouth

Composite materials made from agricultural waste could be used to produce sustainable, lightweight and low-cost applications in the automotive and marine industries.

Released: 5-Dec-2018 11:55 AM EST
University of Konstanz

On 3 December 2018, the laboratory of Professor Axel Meyer, University of Konstanz published new findings of an experimental evolutionary project that ran for 30 years on the genomic mechanisms of sex determination in swordtail fish in the journal "Nature Communications". Dr Paolo Franchini, evolutionary biologist and Junior Research Group Leader at the University of Konstanz is the lead author of this collaboration with the laboratory of Professor Manfred Schartl of the University of Würzburg

Released: 5-Dec-2018 11:45 AM EST
Adding new channels to the brain remote control
Frontiers

By enabling super-fast remote control of specific cells, light-activated proteins allow researchers to study the function of individual neurons within a large network - even an entire brain. Now one of the pioneers of 'optogenetics' and colleagues have created two new tools - protein pores which when illuminated allow Ca2+ into cells or K+ out - for switching neurons on or off using light. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, their study shows that these synthetic 'ion channels' can be used to control specific neurons, even in live animals.

   
Released: 19-Nov-2018 9:00 AM EST
Turning Seawater into Sweet Water
Oregon State University, College of Engineering

Can turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system.

Released: 15-Nov-2018 1:05 PM EST
Cotton-Based Hybrid Biofuel Cell Could Power Implantable Medical Devices
Georgia Institute of Technology

A glucose-powered biofuel cell that uses electrodes made from cotton fiber could someday help power implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and sensors. The new fuel cell, which provides twice as much power as conventional biofuel cells, could be paired with batteries or supercapacitors to provide a hybrid power source for the medical devices.

   
6-Nov-2018 4:05 PM EST
Broad genome analysis shows yeasts evolving by subtraction
University of Wisconsin–Madison

An unprecedented comparison of hundreds of species of yeasts has helped geneticists brew up an expansive picture of their evolution over the last hundreds of millions of years, including an analysis of the way they evolved individual appetites for particular food sources that may be a boon to biofuels research.

7-Nov-2018 11:00 AM EST
We now know how RNA molecules are organized in cells
Universite de Montreal

With their new finding, Canadian scientists urge revision of decades-old dogma on protein synthesis

Released: 8-Nov-2018 9:00 AM EST
Cleaning Contaminated Groundwater at the Umatilla Chemical Depot (Podcast)
Oregon State University, College of Engineering

How can we remove toxic contaminants like TNT from groundwater? Jack Istok and Mandy Michalsen are using pioneering bioremediation and bioaugmentation methods developed here at Oregon State to restore the groundwater at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

Released: 7-Nov-2018 3:05 PM EST
Scientists Extend Mechanism for Cracking Biochemical Code
University of California San Diego

After eight years of study, a team of researchers from the University of California San Diego and Johns Hopkins University published new findings about how to read the body’s histone code in the Nov. 7 issue of Science Advances. The findings answer a key question in the dynamic research area of epigenetics—adding chemical tags to DNA and histone proteins to alter cell functions without changing DNA sequence. Understanding the fundamental principles of how epigenetic information is transduced in the cell eventually could lead to developing new drugs for fighting diseases like cancer.

Released: 7-Nov-2018 2:05 PM EST
Major Meeting on Fluid Dynamics This Month in Atlanta, Georgia
American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics

The American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics 71st Annual Meeting will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be one of the largest conferences in fluid dynamics this year, with more than 3,000 attendees expected from around the world. Journalists are invited to attend the meeting for free. Press registration may be obtained by emailing the American Institute of Physics' Media Line at [email protected].

Released: 7-Nov-2018 2:00 PM EST
Goldilocks and the optimal mating distance: Neither too small nor too large but just right
University of Michigan

Evolutionary theory predicts that the fitness of an individual is maximized when the genetic differences between its parents are neither too small nor too large but some ideal amount known as the optimal mating distance.

Released: 6-Nov-2018 9:00 AM EST
From Lotion to Ocean Liner
University of Delaware

An eco-friendly technology for greener cosmetics and cleaner engine lubricants, made from approximately 50 percent biomass (grasses, corn husks, wood chips, etc.) and 50 percent common cooking oil.

Released: 30-Oct-2018 3:50 PM EDT
Laser Technology May Be a Key to Rehabilitating Greening-Diseased Citrus Trees
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

With the updated technology, a laser shoots infra-red energy pulses at citrus tree leaves. That energy cracks the cuticles on the leaves and increases the penetration of agrochemicals – including bactericides -- into the leaves by more than 4,000 percent.

24-Oct-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Synthetic Microorganisms Allow Scientists to Study Ancient Evolutionary Mysteries in the Laboratory
Scripps Research Institute

Scientists at Scripps Research and their collaborators have created microorganisms that may recapitulate key features of organisms thought to have lived billions of years ago, allowing them to explore questions about how life evolved.

Released: 22-Oct-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Spotlighting Differences in Closely-Related Species
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Aspergillus fungi play roles in fields including bioenergy, health, and biotechnology. In Nature Genetics, a team led by scientists at the Technical University of Denmark, the DOE Joint Genome Institute, and the Joint Bioenergy Institute, present the first large analysis of an Aspergillus fungal subgroup, section Nigri.

   
Released: 18-Oct-2018 11:05 AM EDT
3-D Printed Prototype Sets the Stage for Bionic Eye Replacements
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Researchers at the University of Minnesota, with support from NIBIB, used a 3-D bioprinting technique to print photordetectors onto a curved surface. Through the combination of design innovation and the use of materials—including synthetic conducting polymers, functional electronics, and biological tissue—the team is creating prototypes of multiple replacement body parts, including skin, ears, spinal cord, and now a bionic eye.

Released: 18-Oct-2018 7:00 AM EDT
Compound Derived From Chinese Tree Bark Shows Promise as Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

A new derivative of a compound found in the bark of a rare Chinese tree has powerful anticancer properties and a low toxicity profile, according to new research from a Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center published in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research.

Released: 17-Oct-2018 3:30 PM EDT
Revolutionary Noninvasive Therapy Shows Promise for Immunotherapy and Opening Blood-Brain Barrier to Enable Treatment of Neurological Disease and Cancer
Focused Ultrasound Foundation

A briefing featuring key data presented at the 6th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound. Researchers and clinicians will highlight breakthrough advances in the use of focused ultrasound in cancer immunotherapy and for opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Released: 16-Oct-2018 4:55 PM EDT
Researchers Develop, Test New System for Making Biorenewable Chemicals
Iowa State University

The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting development of a system for producing biobased chemicals that's based on the idea of "bioprivileged molecules." Researchers at the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State University say such molecules have new and valuable properties.

Released: 16-Oct-2018 4:40 PM EDT
Physiologist Publishes Findings on the Role of the Protein Titin in Muscle Contraction
Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University professor Kiisa Nishikawa and her team studied how titin, actin and calcium interact and how those interactions can affect the treatment of diseases like muscular dystrophy.

Released: 16-Oct-2018 4:35 PM EDT
Protein Derived From Cottonseed for Human Nutrition One Step Closer to Reality
Texas A&M AgriLife

Dr. Keerti Rathore, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant biotechnologist, received word that Texas A&M’s “Petition for Determination of Non-regulated Status for Ultra-Low Gossypol Cottonseed TAM66274” has been approved by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Released: 13-Oct-2018 2:00 PM EDT
Dompé at the medical conference “The Impact of Environment and Healthy Lifestyles in Human Health” - October 13th, Washington, D.C
Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)

Sbarro Health Research Organization, on the occasion of the medical conference “The impact of environment and healthy lifestyles in human health,” honoured Nathalie Dompé, CEO Dompé Holdings, with a special Award for Societal Impact in Business & Biotechnology, for her work and effort in promoting social responsibility.

Released: 12-Oct-2018 4:05 PM EDT
Microfluidic Molecular Exchanger Helps Control Therapeutic Cell Manufacturing
Georgia Institute of Technology

Researchers have demonstrated an integrated technique for monitoring specific biomolecules – such as growth factors – that could indicate the health of living cell cultures produced for the burgeoning field of cell-based therapeutics.

Released: 11-Oct-2018 4:45 PM EDT
XLerateHealth Partners with UK, UofL, WVU on Regional Biomedical Technology Accelerator Hub
University of Kentucky

XLerateHealth, LLC, a Louisville-based healthcare technology accelerator that focuses on startups and commercialization, will join forces with a consortium of 24 academic institutions led by the University of Kentucky (UK), in partnership with the University of Louisville (UofL) and West Virginia University (WVU).

   
Released: 10-Oct-2018 11:15 AM EDT
Rutgers Students Invent Medical Devices for Disabled Children and Adults
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Two summers ago, biomedical engineering students at Rutgers University–New Brunswick immersed themselves at Matheny in Peapack, New Jersey, a nonprofit organization that is home to scores of children and adults with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other developmental disabilities. The students’ goal: find ways to improve their independence and quality of life. After talking with staffers and students at Matheny, the Rutgers students designed prototypes that were demonstrated there last spring. The reaction was very positive.

Released: 8-Oct-2018 11:00 AM EDT
Researchers Demonstrate First Example of a Bioresorbable Electronic Medicine
Northwestern University

Northwestern University and Washington University School of Medicine researchers have developed the first example of a bioelectronic medicine: an implantable, biodegradable wireless device that speeds nerve regeneration and improves healing of a damaged nerve. Their device delivered pulses of electricity to damaged nerves in rats after a surgical repair process, accelerating the regrowth of nerves and enhancing the recovery of muscle strength and control. The device is the size of a dime and the thickness of a sheet of paper.

5-Oct-2018 2:05 PM EDT
There’s a Better Way to Decipher DNA’s Epigenetic Code to Identify Disease
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A new method for sequencing the chemical groups attached to the surface of DNA is paving the way for better detection of cancer and other diseases in the blood.

Released: 3-Oct-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Medical Conference: The Impact of Environment and Healthy Lifestyles in Human Health
Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)

The medical conference is organized by the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), in collaboration with Temple University’s College of Science and Technology, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), and the Giovan Giacomo Giordano Foundation

Released: 2-Oct-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Healthier Planet, Healthier People, and More Innovative Medical Science with Italian-American Researchers at Annual NIAF Convention
Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)

Foundation Awards Presented for Ethics and Creativity in Medical Research, and Societal Impact in Business & Biotechnology

Released: 1-Oct-2018 10:05 AM EDT
Could Bacteria Fuel the Future?
University of Delaware

UD engineers will be looking at using how a group of bacteria, usually associated with causing stomach troubles, could be used to create sources of sustainable energy.

Released: 25-Sep-2018 11:05 AM EDT
New biofuel production system powered by a community of algae and fungi
Department of Energy, Office of Science

MSU scientists have a new proof of concept for a biofuel production platform that uses two species of marine algae and soil fungi. It lowers cultivation and harvesting costs and increases productivity, factors that currently hold back biofuels from being widely adopted.

Released: 20-Sep-2018 5:05 PM EDT
Neutrons Produce First Direct 3D Maps of Water During Cell Membrane Fusion
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

New 3D maps of water distribution during cellular membrane fusion could lead to new treatments for diseases associated with cell fusion. Using neutron diffraction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists made the first direct observations of water in lipid bilayers modeling cell membrane fusion.

17-Sep-2018 6:00 AM EDT
Scientists Grow Human Esophagus in Lab
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Scientists working to bioengineer the entire human gastrointestinal system in a laboratory now report using pluripotent stem cells to grow human esophageal organoids. The newly published research in the journal Cell Stem Cell is the first time scientists have been able to grow human esophageal tissue entirely from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), which can form any tissue type in the body.

Released: 20-Sep-2018 8:05 AM EDT
MyoKardia Launches Inaugural MyoSeeds™ Research Grants Program to Advance Independent Research in Heart Disease
MyoKardia

MyoKardia, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, today announced the launch of the MyoSeeds™ Research Grants Program, a new initiative to support original, independent research in the biology and underlying mechanisms of cardiomyopathies and precision heart disease treatment with the goal of improving the lives of patients.

Released: 13-Sep-2018 11:05 AM EDT
Point-of-Care Sensors to Detect Manganese From Single Drop of Blood
University of Illinois Chicago

A three-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago to develop portable, easy-to-use sensors that can detect toxic metals in a single drop of blood. The sensors would allow for faster and cheaper research, as well as rapid detection of metals including manganese and lead, both of which are powerful neurotoxins that can affect cognitive development and neuromotor function.

Released: 12-Sep-2018 3:30 PM EDT
Wearable Ultrasound Patch Monitors Blood Pressure Deep Inside Body
University of California San Diego

A new wearable ultrasound patch that non-invasively monitors blood pressure in arteries deep beneath the skin could help people detect cardiovascular problems earlier on and with greater precision. In tests, the patch performed as well as some clinical methods to measure blood pressure. Applications include real-time, continuous monitoring of blood pressure changes in patients with heart or lung disease, as well as patients who are critically ill or undergoing surgery.

Released: 10-Sep-2018 12:30 PM EDT
Researchers Decode Mood from Human Brain Signals
University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering

Findings may yield new closed-loop, tailored therapies for depression and anxiety

   
Released: 6-Sep-2018 2:05 PM EDT
NIH taps Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., to lead the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., has selected Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., as director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). A pioneering leader in the field of biophotonics, Dr. Tromberg is currently a professor at the University of California at Irvine.

Released: 29-Aug-2018 10:00 AM EDT
Putting ​‘Public’ Back Into Publication
Argonne National Laboratory

Six years in the making, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Knowledgebase (KBase) program offers the most updated system for recording experimental methods

Released: 24-Aug-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Assistive Surgical Devices Shine in DEBUT Biomedical Engineering Design Competition
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Projects focused on providing simple, low-cost modifications to surgical techniques that could reduce pain or damage from these procedures dominated this year’s Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) challenge.

   
Released: 22-Aug-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Theory, meet Empiry
Santa Fe Institute

It may seem that there isn't much cross-discussion between theoretical and empirical scientists, but a new cross-citation network analysis shows there is more overlap than many believe. 

Released: 21-Aug-2018 2:00 PM EDT
Will Heart Cells Help Solve Our Most Complex Problems?
University of Notre Dame

As part of a new study, researchers at the University of Notre Dame aim to create a more optimal computer network for solving complex problems — using heart cells.

Released: 21-Aug-2018 11:00 AM EDT
Clay to Fight Bacteria in Wounds: An Old Practice May Be a New Solution
Mayo Clinic

he use of mud or wet clay as a topical skin treatment or a poultice is a common practice in some cultures and the concept of using mud as medicine goes back to earliest times. Now Mayo Clinic researchers and their collaborators at Arizona State University have found that at least one type of clay may help fight disease-causing bacteria in wounds, including some treatment-resistant bacteria. The findings appear in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents.



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