Category Biology/Biotechnology

A comprehensive review of studies testing the safety and carcinogenicity of sucralose has confirmed that the artificial sweetener does not cause cancer, and is safe to ingest. “This latest review of sucralose studies should reassure those who choose sucralose, and can be particularly useful to scientists and healthcare professionals, who may be asked for information on low calorie sweetener safety,” says lead author of the study, Professor Dr. Sir Colin Berry, Emeritus Professor of Pathology at the University of London.

Sir Berry and his fellow researchers conducted a review of studies assessing sucralose carcinogenicity potential, and placed them in the context of the types of studies relied upon by national and international regulatory agencies to make recommendations on the safety of n...

Bradley Nelson’s medical microrobots are inspired by natural microorganisms. Credit: Multi-Scale Robotics Lab

ETH researchers are developing tiny, sophisticated technological and biological machines enabling non-invasive, selective therapies. Their creations include genetically modified cells that can be activated via brain waves, and swarms of microrobots that facilitate highly precise application of drugs. Richard Fleischner, who directed the 1966 cult film Fantastic Voyage, would have been delighted with Bradley Nelson’s research: similar to the story in Fleischner’s film, Prof. Nelson wants to load tiny robots with drugs and manoeuvre them to the precise location in the human body where treatment is needed, for instance to the site of a cancer tumour...

Unlocking the mysteries of our senses: An NIH Study shows that two young patients with a mutation in the PIEZO2 have problems with touch and proprioception, or body awareness. Credit: Bönnemann Lab, NIH/NINDS, Bethesda, MD

Study of rare genetic disorder reveals importance of touch and body awareness. With the help of 2 young patients with a unique neurological disorder, an initial study by scientists at the NIH suggests that a gene called PIEZO2 controls specific aspects of human touch and proprioception, a “sixth sense” describing awareness of one’s body in space. Mutations in the gene caused the 2 to have movement and balance problems and the loss of some forms of touch...

Picture of A. fumigatus growth in solid blood media. White spots in wells show fungal growth while clear wells shows no growth because of SidA inhibition. Credit: Julia S. Martin del Campo

Researchers with the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery have identified a compound that blocks the growth of a fungus that causes deadly lung infections and allergic reactions in people with compromised immune systems. The research team targeted the switch that allows the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus to survive in iron-deficient conditions like the human body. Specifically, they targeted an enzyme known as SidA, which is essential for the synthesis of siderophores that are made during infection to steal iron from human proteins.

Furthermore, by performing high-throughput screening in the center’s Dr...