Category Biology/Biotechnology

A femtosecond X-ray pulse from an X-ray free electron laser intersecting a droplet that contains photosystem II crystals, the protein extracted and crystallized from cyanobacteria. Credit: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

The living machinery of photosynthesis is still not fully understood. One of its molecular mysteries involves how a protein complex, photosystem II, harvests energy from sunlight and uses it to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This process generates the oxygen in the air that we all breathe. New X-ray methods at the DOE SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have captured the highest resolution room-temperature images of this protein complex, which allows scientists to closely watch how water is split during photosynthesis at ambient temperature...

Adding protein-rich or probiotic-laden foods to your diet may help control your blood sugar levels, according to a pair of new studies.

Adding protein-rich or probiotic-laden foods to your diet may help control your blood sugar levels, according to a pair of new studies.
Both proteins and probiotics appear to slow down digestion of carbohydrates, preventing blood sugar spikes that can lead to type 2 diabetes or exacerbate damage done by the disease. Eating tuna fish with a slice of white bread produced a slower rise in blood sugar than eating carbs alone. Meanwhile, people who added foods rich in probiotics to their heart-healthy DASH diet achieved a significant reduction in their blood sugar levels.

The results of both studies were presented this week at the American Heart Association’s a...

Skin patch health monitor.

A new type of acoustic sensor that resembles a small Band-Aid on the skin can monitor your heartbeat and other health measures. The sensor may one day offer a way to painlessly and wirelessly track an individual’s health. The patch, which weighs <1/100 of an ounce, can help doctors monitor heart health, stomach condition, vocal cord activity, lung performance and potentially many other bodily functions. “We’ve developed a soft, skin-like device that can listen to internal sounds created by function of internal organs,” explained John Rogers.

“Think of the device as a wearable, skin-mounted stethoscope. But with capabilities for continuous listening and recording of not only sounds, but also low-frequency vibrations,” Rogers said.
The research team behind this lat...

Tau aggregation in disease

A relationship between inflammation, a toxic protein and the onset of the disease has been found. The study also identified a way that doctors can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s by looking at the back of patients’ eyes. “Early detection of Alzheimer’s warning signs would allow for early intervention and prevention of neurodegeneration before major brain cell loss and cognitive decline occurs,” said Ashley Nilson, a neuroscience graduate student. “Using the retina for detecting AD and other neurodegenerative diseases would be non-invasive, inexpensive and could become a part of a normal screening done at patient checkups.”

UTMB researchers have previously found evidence that a toxic form of tau protein may underlie the early stages of Alzheimer’s...