Recent News & Events

Immunization with beneficial bacteria can have long-lasting anti-inflammatory effects on the brain, making it more resilient to the physical and behavioral effects of stress, according to new research by University of Colorado Boulder (CU) scientists.

The findings, if replicated in clinical trials could ultimately lead to new probiotic-based immunizations to protect against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety or new treatments for depression, the authors say.

Researchers have developed a new platform to characterize and optimize sequences to make glycoproteins. The new technique, dubbed GlycoSCORES, uses mass spectrometry and cell-free protein synthesis. The result is much faster research into protein therapies that may defend against antibiotic-resistant supergerms. It would also accelerate research into other new drugs.

Apoptosis, the natural death of cells, and cancer drugs can induce double strand breaks (DSBs) that lead to DNA damage. Current methods of identifying apoptosis involve microscopy and have restricted quantitative capabilities because of inadequate ratios between signals and noise. However, scientists at the National Cancer Institute's branches in Bethesda and Frederick, Maryland, have developed a process that uses immunofluorescence microscopy to analyze fixed tumor biopsy tissues. It can distinguish between DSBs that are induced by apoptosis and therapeutic treatments.

Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a unique way to determine the crystal makeup of organic salts faster. Since salts make up about 40 percent of the active ingredients in medications, this new process can significantly accelerate the development of new pharmaceuticals. The new crystallographic method also decreases the effort that scientists put into that process which reduces development costs.

As tissues develop, they fold, coil and ripple into complex shapes. After discovering more parallels between biology and technology, bioengineers at the University of California, San Francisco, found a relatively simple way to control tissue shapes in vitro. They can develop predetermined three-dimensional tissues by programming active mouse and human cells to extracellular matrix fibers.

A new microflow measurement system that tracks the flow of very tiny amounts of liquids could have great implications for medical science, drug delivery and other biological fields. According to the provisional patent filed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the optical device is only as big as a nickel and can measure liquid movement in nanoliters per minute.

February 8th, 2018 (WILMINGTON, Delaware, USA) The DeNovix DS11 FX+ Spectrophotometer / Fluorometer Series has become the first life science instrument to receive the prestigious Platinum Seal of Quality by SelectScience.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has lifted a ban on federal funding for precarious research that might develop more contagious and deadly viruses. The move comes just more than three years after U.S. officials issued a pause on such research funding. Alongside the lifted ban, however, the NIH announced a more tedious review process that research proposals must undergo prior to receiving federal grants.

A biosafety cabinet can be an essential tool for effective laboratory work. However, it is also essential that a complete biosafety program be implemented in any laboratory that uses a biosafety cabinet. A biosafety cabinet program can help ensure that users of the cabinet and those around it stay safe and uncontaminated while work is being done.

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are very painful and have a high risk for causing paralysis. One of the most severe side effects is the inability to breathe without assistance. Using laboratory models, however, neuroscientists have discovered that two sets of neural signals control diaphragm movement. Through rodent testing, they may have found a drug that can restore diaphragm movement so that humans with SCIs can breathe without ventilation.

The lack of oxygen supply is associated with a number of life-threatening diseases such as stroke, myocardial infarction or renal failure whereby cells are temporarily deprived of O₂ and nutrient (ischemia). Significant cell damage can also occur during the reperfusion phase through oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Investigating these pathologies in vitro requires an experimental set-up capable of rapid deoxygenation, rapid reperfusion, and parallel monitoring of critical biological parameters including cellular oxygenation and ROS.

Cancer surgeons endeavor to remove all cancerous tissues from patients without removing the surrounding healthy tissue, but achieving that is more challenging than it sounds. To facilitate this goal, engineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a gentle, handheld mass spectrometry pen. In just seconds, it can accurately detect whether or not tissue is cancerous.

The Controlled-Rate freezing process preserves cells at negative 112 or negative 321 degrees Fahrenheit. These ultra-low temperatures slow or stop biological activity. Controlling the freezing rate allows scientists to remove water from the cells and preserve them in a way that improves sample viability.

Based on mice research, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital theorize that adults lose this ability because of a chemical in the brain. By restricting that chemical, they made auditory learning more efficient in adult mice. The research findings could lead to treatments that reverse age-related hearing loss in humans.

Scientists believe that cerebral organoids are the key to learning how the brain works and develops diseases. These clusters of tissue allow them to watch neurons grow and function in labs. This could change how they understand basic brain activity and the causes of brain impairments and disorders from autism to schizophrenia.

Vaccines for infectious diseases contain weak or dead proteins or pathogens from the disease-causing microorganisms. The vaccines that fight cancer rely on proteins as well. However, scientists have created a new type of vaccine that contains genes and is expected to offer several advantages over its standard predecessor. After decades of research, genomic vaccines are being used in clinical trials.

Princeton University and Washington University engineers have collaborated to create a new way to study the material structure of membraneless organelles and observe how they work. Their research could have a myriad of scientific applications and help scientists better understand incurable diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, Huntington's disease and cancers.

Researchers used Organoids to learn how the Zika virus affects developing brains. With that, and other successes they've had working with organoids, researchers believe that they can use organoids to determine whether or not a drug will work on a patient by patient basis. In the cases where this technology is being used in trials, several insurers have started covering expensive prescriptions that would have been denied otherwise.

Cell lines are important research tools, and contamination with microorganisms is one of the most common concerns. The cell lines need to be authentic to provide the most reliable results. This is why many grants require researchers to test cell lines for mycoplasma contamination.

In a study of fruit flies, neuroscientists found that the gut microbiome communicates with the brain and influences food choices. The microbiome is a community of bacteria that's present in all animals, including humans. Many studies have shown that microbes affect health and biological pathways such as appetite and immunity.