Tag: Basic-Science-Research
-
Artificial retina using synthetic and biological materials
A synthetic, soft tissue retina made of hydrogels and biological cell membrane proteins was developed by an Oxford University student Vanessa Restrepo-Schild. Research involved combining biological and synthetic tissues in a laboratory. Designed like a camera, the aqueous droplets containing bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a light-driven proton pump act as pixels, detecting and reacting to light to…
-
Researchers create heat stable vaccines using silica
Researchers at the University of Bath, working with colleagues at the University of Newcastle, have created a technique which can keep vaccines intact at high temperatures by encasing them in silica cages. When a protein in solution is mixed with silica, silicon dioxide binds closely around the protein to match its shape and encases the protein.…
-
Microgravity and cellular adaptation
Based on real-time readings on the ISS conducted by ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, University of Zurich scientists Oliver Ullrich and Cora Thiel can now reveal that cells are able to respond to changes in gravitational conditions very quickly and continue functioning. The research team used the alleged oxidative burst an old evolutionary mechanism to exterminate bacteria…
-
I-Wire, a new Heart-on-a-Chip device to study biomechanical properties of heart
Scientists at Vanderbilt University have created a 3D organ-on-a-chip that can mimic the biomechanical properties of the heart. The device and the results of initial experiments are reported in the journal Acta Biomaterialia (for links see below). View of the cardiac fiber in the I-Wire device at two levels of magnification.Credit: VIIBRE Vanderbilt University The unique…
-
Analysis of interactome of Zika virus infected neural cells shows altered expression of more than 500 proteins
Zika virus (ZIKV) interferes with the cellular machinery controlling cell division and alters the expression of hundreds of genes responsible for guiding the formation and development of brain cells, according to findings of research published in Scientific Reports. Zika virus structure. Credit: Wikipedia / David Goodwill The association between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and microcephaly has…
-
Research in mice shows molecular mechanism underlying Oxycodone addiction
RGS9-2, a key signaling protein in the brain known to play a critical role in the development of addiction-related behaviors, acts as a positive modulator of oxycodone reward in both pain-free and chronic pain states, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.…
-
Researchers develop in vitro model of brain for research
Harvard University researchers have developed a multiregional brain-on-a-chip that models the connectivity between three distinct regions of the brain. The in vitro model was used to extensively characterize the differences between neurons from different regions of the brain and to mimic the system’s connectivity. The research was published in the Journal of Neurophysiology. Image of…
-
Using ribosomal protein expression patterns as cancer biomarker
A research team at the University of Basel’s Biozentrum has investigated the expression of ribosomal proteins in a wide range of human tissues including tumors and discovered a cancer type specific signature. The study is reported in journal Genome Biology. Researchers think that these signature could be used for predicting progression and survival. Gene expression level of individual…
-
Research unveils structure of crucial bacterial cell wall protein
Duke University researchers have provided the first close-up glimpse of a protein, called MurJ, which is crucial for building the bacterial cell wall and protecting it from outside attack. The research is published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. Researchers at Duke University solved the structure of an enzyme that is crucial for helping bacteria…
Medical News Observer 