‘Local Environment’ Plays Key Role in Breast Cancer Progression

Many of the drugs and therapies available today for treating breast cancer target the cancer cells but tend to neglect the surrounding “local environment,” which includes surrounding tissues. But cancer cells and their local environment are...
16-Feb-2018 1:05 PM EST Add to Favorites

Fancy A Jellyfish Chip?

Mathias P. Clausen, a Danish researcher, became intrigued by jellyfish when he bit into the marine delicacy and experienced an unexpected crunch; he decided he wanted to “understand the transformation from soft gel to this crunchy thing.”...
13-Feb-2018 9:30 AM EST Add to Favorites

‘Lipid Asymmetry’ Plays Key Role in Activating Immune Cells

A cell’s membrane is composed of a bilayer of lipids, and the inside-facing layer is made of different lipids than the outside-facing layer. Because different lipids create membranes with different physical properties, researchers wondered whether...
14-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST Add to Favorites

Gut Reactions to Improve Probiotics

Researchers at Stanford University are studying how bacteria living in the gut respond to common changes within their habitat, working with mice. They change the gut environment within the mice, and then measure which bacterial species survive the...
20-Feb-2018 7:05 AM EST Add to Favorites

An Enzyme’s Evolution from Changing Electric Fields and Resisting Antibiotics

Bacteria can produce enzymes that make them resistant to antibiotics; one example is the TEM beta-lactamase enzyme, which enables bacteria to develop a resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin and cephalosporins. Researchers at...
16-Feb-2018 1:05 PM EST Add to Favorites

Electric Eel-Inspired Device Reaches 110 Volts

In an effort to create a power source for future implantable technologies, a team of researchers developed an electric eel-inspired device that produced 110 volts from gels filled with water, called hydrogels. Their results show potential for a soft...
12-Feb-2018 2:05 PM EST Add to Favorites

Studying Mitosis’ Structure to Understand the Inside of Cancer Cells

Cell division is an intricately choreographed ballet of proteins and molecules that divide the cell. During mitosis, microtubule-organizing centers assemble the spindle fibers that separate the copying chromosomes of DNA. While scientists are...
14-Feb-2018 11:05 AM EST Add to Favorites

What Makes Circadian Clocks Tick?

Circadian clocks arose as an adaptation to dramatic swings in daylight hours and temperature caused by the Earth’s rotation, but we still don’t fully understand how they work. During the 62nd Biophysical Society Meeting, held Feb. 17-21, Andy...
14-Feb-2018 3:25 PM EST Add to Favorites

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