Biotechnology

Chemists at Umeå University within the MicroBioRefine consortium show that Nordic microalgae that are allowed to grow in salt water both purify this water efficiently and produce valuable compounds, so-called carotenoids. The research results are published in the journal Bioresource Technology.... Read more

The genetic talents of a marine microalga are now unlocked, to produce medium-chain triacylglycerols, which is a kind of plant oil with a variety of health benefits, according to a study led by researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).... Read more

A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities biomedical engineers has developed a universally accessible application that can simulate complex molecular interactions, which will allow researchers to design better treatments for diseases like cancer and COVID-19.... Read more

A biosensor network that can detect airborne viral particles could be put in place on animal farms and livestock markets. With appropriate analysis of the data from these internet-of-things (IoT) devices it might be possible to detect the earliest presence of a putative infectious agent that has undergone zoonosis and... Read more

A cell's secrets can be divulged by its surface, decorated with tens to hundreds of thousands of molecules that help immune cells determine friend from foe. Some of those protruding molecules are antigens that trigger the immune system to attack, but it can be difficult for scientists to identify those... Read more

A collaborative team of researchers in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Horticultural Sciences and the Department of Biology has developed a unique system of identifying host plants of crapemyrtle bark scale, an insect that destroys plants by feeding on their sap.... Read more

Professor Vincent Pasque and his team at KU Leuven have managed to generate a new type of human cell in the lab using stem cells. The new cells closely resemble their natural counterparts in early human embryos. As a result, researchers can now better study what happens just after an... Read more

Climate change is causing major challenges especially for plant breeders. An intelligent field robot and X-ray technology are helping them selecting heat-tolerant plant varieties. The sensors in the high-tech machine were developed by the Fraunhofer Development Center for X-ray Technology, a division of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS.... Read more

Much like humans, plants, and bacteria, the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) uses calcium as a messenger to coordinate important cellular processes. But while the messenger is the same, the communication pathways that form around calcium differ significantly between organisms.... Read more

In the summer and fall of 2019, some cancer patients experienced interruptions in their treatment. The reason was a shortage of the drugs vinblastine and vincristine, essential chemotherapeutic medicines for several types of cancer.... Read more

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute in Haifa have developed an innovative technology that enables the growth of "enriched seaweed" infused with nutrients, proteins, dietary fiber, and minerals for human and animal needs.... Read more

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice. Usually obtained from the stigma of Crocus sativa flowers, it takes 150,000–200,000 flowers to produce one kilogram of saffron. Now, KAUST researchers have found a way to use a common garden plant to produce saffron's active ingredient, a compound with important therapeutic and... Read more

Structurally complex forests add to biodiversity, increase forest carbon stocks, and help the forest to adapt to climate change. Forest structure refers to the three-dimensional distribution of trees in a given space, and it is affected by genetic factors of individual trees, as well as by surrounding trees, the amount... Read more

Inspired by a trip to the dentist, Dr. Kate Quigley presents a new method for monitoring coral size and growth that reduces surveying time by 99%. The methodology and findings are published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution.... Read more

A University of British Columbia research team has developed a new, fast, efficient process for producing cancer-fighting immune cells in the lab. The discovery could help transform the field of immune cell therapy from an expensive, niche endeavor to something easily scalable and broadly applicable.... Read more