Category Biology/Biotechnology

The legions of nanorobotic agents are actually composed of more than 100 million flagellated bacteria — and therefore self-propelled — and loaded with drugs that moved by taking the most direct path between the drug’s injection point and the area of the body to cure. Credit: Montréal Nanorobotics Laboratory

Researchers have just achieved a spectacular breakthrough in cancer research. They have developed new nanorobotic agents capable of navigating through the bloodstream to administer a drug with precision by specifically targeting the active cancerous cells of tumours. This way of injecting medication ensures the optimal targeting of a tumour and avoids jeopardizing the integrity of organs and surrounding healthy tissues...

The tip of an atomic force microscope on a cantilevered arm is used to pull a graphene nanoribbon the same way it would be used to pull apart a protein or a strand of DNA in a Rice University lab. The microscope can be used to measure properties like rigidity in a material as it’s manipulated by the tip. Courtesy of the Kiang Research Group

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) bend and twist easily in solution, making them adaptable for biological uses like DNA analysis, drug delivery and biomimetic applications, according to scientists at Rice University. GNR’s can be thousands of times longer than they are wide. They can be produced in bulk by chemically “unzipping” carbon nanotubes, a process invented by Rice chemist and co-author James Tour and his lab.

Their size means they can operate on th...

Learning how spaceflight affects living organisms will help us understand potential health risks related to humans on long duration missions, including our journey to Mars. Cells, microbes, animals and plants are affected by microgravity, and studying the processes involved in adaptation to spaceflight increases our fundamental understanding of biological processes on Earth. Results on Earth from biological research in space include the development of new medications, improved agriculture, advancements in tissue engineering and regeneration etc.
Some biological research experiments on the ISS:

Biomolecule Sequencing

Biomolecule Sequencer: hopes to demonstrate (for the first time) that DNA sequencing is feasible in an orbiting spacecraft...

A schematic diagram of the SWCNT electrical immunosensor with two pairs of concentration and detection electrodes.

An electrical immunosensor has been developed to detect acute myocardial infarction within a minute. The system works by measuring the level of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a protein that is excreted by the heart muscle into the blood following a heart attack. Prof. Jang states, “This new immunosensor is constructed in a different way than any other sensor.” He adds, “Owing to the new design of this immunosensor, this device is able to rapidly diagnose the level of heart attacks at the point of care.”

It is a a rapid, label-free, and highly sensitive single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) electrical immunosensor, featuring two pairs of electrodes...