A large multinational group of researchers has shown how the Omicron variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has gained exceptional immune evasion properties but also a much lower propensity to enter cells such as those in lung alveoli, resulting in its reduced pathogenicity. Their paper is currently released as an [...]
Researchers at ICMAB present a study on new nanovesicles, known as quatsomes, which have been successfully engineered to encapsulate and deliver microRNAs for the treatment of tumors. These nanovesicles are produced by a simple GMP compliant process, an unavoidable requirement for the clinical use of new drug candidates. The study, published in Small, has been [...]
A group of researchers recently published a paper in the journal Materials that demonstrated the viability of using vancomycin-functionalized gold nanoparticles (V-GNPs) against pathogenic bacterial strains. Background Antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria is rising at a remarkable rate, which poses a significant risk to human health. For instance, vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, is typically used for [...]
Fabrication of materials using data-based techniques is being welcomed as a new strategy that will replace human scientists' hit and miss tests and labor demanding jobs. In an article published to the chemRxiv* preprint server, a Robotic Scientist framework that may provide unparalleled capabilities for logical design, retrosynthesis, and programmable fabrication of nanoparticles is discussed. The Robotic Scientist framework [...]
In a research study published recently in the journal Agriculture, an electrolytic sensor based on the concentration of floral nano-ZnO and the identification of immune reaction was created for the high-sensitivity monitoring of Tenuazonic acid (TeA) in fruit and vegetables. When comparing various morphologies, dimensions, and crystalline structures of nano-ZnO, the researchers discovered that floral [...]
The development of scaffold materials, such as nanoporous and nanofibrous hydrogel for biomedical applications, using green processes is a desirable approach. Natural biopolymers have been utilized for wound dressing, owing to their bioactive compounds content, mechanical properties, biodegradability, porosity, and proper surface chemistry. What is Silk Waste? Silk waste includes different types of raw [...]
Applications of Biosensors Biosensors can evaluate analytes in biological samples, allowing them to differentiate between diseased and healthy stages. On the other hand, several clinically useful biomarkers exist in biological samples in small amounts that need ultrasensitive biosensors to be measured. In recent years, biosensors with the ability to detect analytes at the single-molecule level have aroused [...]
Evidence is mounting that Omicron’s new sister variant, known as BA.2, is more transmissible than the original strain but at this stage does not appear to be more vaccine-evasive. The subvariant BA.2 is one of at least three sub-lineages of Omicron, the strain of COVID-19 first spotted in Africa in late November and now [...]
In a potential game changer for COVID-19 pandemic control efforts, a new cell phone app and lab kit have transformed a smartphone into a COVID-19 / flu detection system. The detection system is among the most rapid, sensitive, affordable and scalable tests known—and can be readily adapted for other pathogens with pandemic potential including [...]
To understand how the coronavirus keeps evolving into surprising new variants with new mutations, it helps to have some context: The virus’s genome is 30,000 letters long, which means that the number of possible mutation combinations is mind-bogglingly huge. As Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, told me, that number far, [...]
