Category Biology/Biotechnology

Leaf-Mimicking Device Harnesses Light to Purify Water

Bioinspired Bifunctional Membrane for Efficient Clean Water Generation: a new approach that uses solar light for both water purification and clean water generation. A bifunctional membrane consisting of a top layer of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), a middle layer of Au NPs, and a bottom layer of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) was designed and fabricated through multiple filtration processes. Such a design enables both TiO2 NP-based photocatalytic function and Au NP-based solar-driven plasmonic evaporation. With the integration of these two functions into a single membrane, both the purification of contaminated water through photocatalytic degradation and the generation of clean water through evaporation were demonstrated using simulated solar illumination.

Bioinspired Bifunctional Membrane for Efficient Clean Water Generation: a new approach that uses solar light for both water purification and clean water generation. A bifunctional membrane consisting of a top layer of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), a middle layer of Au NPs, and a bottom layer of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) was designed and fabricated through multiple filtration processes. Such a design enables both TiO2 NP-based photocatalytic function and Au NP-based solar-driven plasmonic evaporation. With the integration of these two functions into a single membrane, both the purification of contaminated water through photocatalytic degradation and the generation of clean water through evaporation were demonstrated using simulated solar illumination.

For years, scientists have been pursuin...

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Insulin-Producing Pancreatic Cells created from Human Skin Cells

Functioning human pancreatic cells after they've been transplanted into a mouse are shown. Credit: Saiyong Zhu

Functioning human pancreatic cells after they’ve been transplanted into a mouse are shown. Credit: Saiyong Zhu

When transplanted into mice, the cells protected them from developing diabetes in a mouse model of the disease by producing insulin in response to changes in glucose levels. The new study also presents significant advancements in cellular reprogramming technology, which will allow scientists to efficiently scale up pancreatic cell production and manufacture trillions of the target cells in a step-wise, controlled manner. This accomplishment opens the door for disease modeling and drug screening and brings personalized cell therapy a step closer.

“Our results demonstrate for the first time that human adult skin cells can be used to efficiently and rapidly generate functional pancr...

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Using Nanoparticles to Combat Arteriosclerosis

On the left are fluorescence-labeled cells with nanoparticles: The cellular nuclei are shown in blue, the fluorescence labeling is shown in green and the nanoparticles in the cells are identified by arrows. The middle photo shows a blood vessel populated with these cells (green). On the right is a detailed image of a vascular wall with the eNOS protein identified (red). Credit: Dr. Sarah Rieck/Dr. Sarah Vosen/University of Bonn

On the left are fluorescence-labeled cells with nanoparticles: The cellular nuclei are shown in blue, the fluorescence labeling is shown in green and the nanoparticles in the cells are identified by arrows. The middle photo shows a blood vessel populated with these cells (green). On the right is a detailed image of a vascular wall with the eNOS protein identified (red). Credit: Dr. Sarah Rieck/Dr. Sarah Vosen/University of Bonn

A method for guiding replacement cells to diseased vascular segments using nanoparticles has been developed. Arteriosclerosis is common with fatal consequences. Deposits in the arteries lead to strokes and heart attacks. They demonstrated in mice that fresh cells actually exert their curative effect in these segments...

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Novel RNA Delivery System may Treat Incurable Blood Cancers

Mantle Cell Lymphoma - 4.

Mantle cell lymphoma in the bone marrow may appear similar to other lymphoproliferative disorders. Immunohistochemical staining for cyclin D1 is helpful in diagnosing this entity.

With a median survival rate of 5-7 yrs, Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) is considered the most aggressive known blood cancer – and available therapies are scarce. 3000 Americans are diagnosed with MCL every year. Tel Aviv University researchers offer tangible hope of curing the currently incurable blood cancer – and others like it. The revolutionary system was found to successfully halt the proliferation of a cancer-related protein in WBCs in both animal models and samples taken from MCL patients.

“MCL has a genetic hallmark,” said Dr. Peer...

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