Category Biology/Biotechnology

Protein molecules travel around the circuit, forced in certain directions in directed ways, a bit like cars and trucks travelling through a city to arrive at desired results. Credit: Till Korten

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy to all the cells in our bodies may also be able to power the next generation of supercomputers. The discovery opens doors to the creation of biological supercomputers that are about the size of a book. That is what an international team of researchers led by Prof. Nicolau, the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering at McGill, believe...

Professor Birch-Machin said: “As our bodies age we see that the batteries in our cells run down, known as decreased bio-energy, and harmful free radicals increase.

A breakthrough in understanding human skin cells offers a pathway for new anti-aging treatments. A study has found the activity of mitochondrial complex II significantly decreases in older skin. This discovery brings experts a step closer to developing powerful anti-ageing treatments and cosmetic products which may be tailored to counteract the decline in the enzyme’s activity levels. Findings may also lead to a greater understanding of how other organs in the body age, which could pave the way for drug developments in a number of age-related diseases, including cancer.

Professor Birch-Machin said: “As our bodies age we see th...

Scientists found evidence of the metabolism-regulating protein amylin, shown in red, present in multiple regions throughout a brain area called the hypothalamus. Experiments suggest amylin produced by hypothalamic neurons helps reduce food consumption together with leptin. Credit: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at The Rockefeller University/Cell Metabolism

Feeling hungry or full leads us to change how much we eat, but the molecular wiring of this process is not well understood. Scientists have identified a new player in this circuit called amylin, which contributes to reducing food consumption in mice. Prof. Jeffrey Friedman said; “Amylin caught our attention when we were profiling a set of neurons in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain known to be involved in feeding behavior...

Kim Plevniak, master’s student in biological and agricultural engineering at the Kansas State University Olathe campus, is using 3-D printers to make low cost, point-of-care devices that quickly detect anemia from a drop of blood. Credit: Kansas State University Olathe

Anemia affects 2 billion people worldwide, including >half of preschool children and pregnant women in developing countries and at least 30% of children and women in industrialized nations. Identifying a blood disorder may be as easy as running a blood sample from a finger prick under a smartphone. Point-of-care devices give the user fast, easy-to-understand results from a test performed outside of a lab, such as a blood glucose test or pregnancy test...