Category Health/Medical

Graphene Smart Textiles developed for Heat Adaptive Clothing

Graphene Smart Textiles The University of Manchester
Using electro-optical tunability of graphene, adaptive optical textiles were made with electrically controlled reflectivity and emissivity covering the infrared and near-infrared wavelengths.

New research on the two-dimensional (2D) material graphene has allowed researchers to create smart adaptive clothing which can lower the body temperature of the wearer in hot climates.

A team of scientists from The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute have created a prototype garment to demonstrate dynamic thermal radiation control within a piece of clothing by utilising the remarkable thermal properties and flexibility of graphene. The development also opens the door to new applications such as, interactive infrared displays and covert infrared communication on textile.

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Light-activated ‘CRISPR’ Triggers Precision Gene Editing and Super-fast DNA Repair

In a time-lapse video over eight hours, a high-powered microscope captures the moment when the CRISPR-Cas9 complex cuts two copies of a gene (red glow in blue circle and purple square) in a living cell. Scale Bar: 5 µm. Credit: Yang Liu, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a series of experiments using human cancer cell lines, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used light as a trigger to make precise cuts in genomic material rapidly, using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR, and observe how specialized cell proteins repair the exact spot where the gene was cut.

Results of the experiments, published June 11 in Science, not only reveal new details about the DNA repair process, but also are likely, the researchers say, to speed up and aid understanding of the DNA a...

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‘Relaxed’ T Cells Critical to Immune Response

Rice University scientists’ simple model of T cell activation of the immune response shows the T cell binding, via a receptor (TCR) to an antigen-presenting cell (APC). If an invader is identified as such, the response is activated, but only if the “relaxation” time of the binding is long enough. Illustration by Hamid Teimouri

Like finding that needle in the haystack every time, your T cells manage what seems like an improbable task: Quickly finding a few invaders among the many imposters in your body to trigger its immune response.

T cells have to react fast and do so nearly perfectly to protect people from diseases. But first, they need a little “me” time.

Rice University researchers suggest that has to do with how T cells “relax” in the process of binding to ligands—shor...

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Diluting Blood Plasma Rejuvenates Tissue, Reverses Aging in Mice

Older mice grew significantly more new muscle fibers, shown as pink “donut” shapes, after undergoing a procedure that effectively diluted the proteins in their blood plasma (bottom) than they did before they underwent the procedure (top). Credit: Irina Conboy

In 2005, University of California, Berkeley, researchers made the surprising discovery that making conjoined twins out of young and old mice—such that they share blood and organs—can rejuvenate tissues and reverse the signs of aging in the old mice. The finding sparked a flurry of research into whether a youngster’s blood might contain special proteins or molecules that could serve as a “fountain of youth” for mice and humans alike.

But a new study by the same team shows that similar age-reversing effects can be achieve...

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