An international research group has for the first time reconstructed ancestors dating back 2.6 billion years of the well-known CRISPR-Cas system, and studied their evolution over time. The results suggest that the revitalized systems not only work, but are more versatile than current versions and could have revolutionary applications. Nature Microbiology has published the results of [...]
A treatment first used more than a century ago, that uses bacteria-killing viruses, is making a comeback in Australia and doctors hope it will help counter a growing crisis of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The Alfred hospital in Melbourne has become the first health service in Victoria to begin using the pioneering phage therapy, which involves [...]
From the Forbes article by Chuck Brooks: 2022 was a transformative year for technological innovation and digital transformation. The trend will continue as the pace of innovation and development of potentially disruptive emerging technologies exponentially increases every year. The question arises, what lies ahead for tech for us to learn and experience in 2023? [...]
The mechanical code of DNA refers to the physical properties of DNA that are important for its function as genetic material. These properties include the structure of the double helix, the stability of the base pairing, and the elasticity and flexibility of the molecule. These properties allow DNA to store and transmit genetic information, [...]
Researchers at Oxford University and the University of Birmingham have made a major breakthrough in cancer treatment by creating the first human bone marrow “organoids” that accurately replicate the key features of human bone marrow. The technology, which is the subject of a patent application filed by the University of Birmingham Enterprise, enables the simultaneous screening of multiple anti-cancer drugs [...]
Dual-action cell therapy engineered to eliminate established tumors and train the immune system to eradicate primary tumor and prevent cancer’s recurrence. Scientists are harnessing a new way to turn cancer cells into potent, anti-cancer agents. In the latest work from the lab of Khalid Shah, MS, PhD, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member [...]
Autopsy results from 44 people who died with COVID-19 show how the virus spreads through not just the respiratory system, but the entire body, including the brain, persisting for months in some patients. A description of the results, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature in December, highlights how far-reaching the burden of infection can be, [...]
A key property needed for the effectiveness of CELMoD drugs, a type of protein degrader, has been discovered. Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered a crucial feature that is necessary for CELMoDs, a promising new class of cancer drugs, to work effectively. CELMoDs are a new class of cancer drugs that function by binding to [...]
Unprecedented views of the interior of cells and other nanoscale structures are now possible thanks to innovations in expansion microscopy. The advancements could help provide future insight into neuroscience, pathology, and many other biological and medical fields. In the paper “Magnify is a universal molecular anchoring strategy for expansion microscopy,” published today (January 2, [...]
A wild theory suggests that consciousness may explain quantum mechanics, by forcing the subatomic particles to choose one concrete outcome. One of the most perplexing aspects of quantum mechanics is that tiny subatomic particles don't seem to "choose" a state until an outside observer measures it. The act of measurement converts all the vague [...]
