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    Category Health/Medical

    Bridge over coupled waters: Scientists 3D-print all-liquid ‘Lab on a Chip’

    April 27, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Biology/Biotechnology

    To make the 3D-printable fluidic device, Berkeley Lab researchers designed a specially patterned glass substrate. When two liquids – one containing nanoscale clay particles, another containing polymer particles – are printed onto the substrate, they come together at the interface of the two liquids and within milliseconds form a very thin channel or tube about 1 millimeter in diameter.
    Credit: Berkeley Lab

    Researchers at DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have 3D-printed an all-liquid device that, with the click of a button, can be repeatedly reconfigured on demand to serve a wide range of applications – from making battery materials to screening drug candidates.

    “What we demonstrated is remarkable...

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    Scientists reproduce Complete Copy of ‘Anti-Tumor Antibiotic’

    April 26, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Chromoprotein on Kedarcidin, a complex ‘anti-tumour’ antibiotic which scientists have reproduced it synthetically in the lab for the first time.
    Credit: Professor Martin Lear, University of Lincoln

    Breakthrough reveals new ways to combat drug-resistant bacteria and fight cancer. After 20 years of dedicated research, scientists have cracked the chemical code of an incredibly complex ‘anti-tumour antibiotic’ known to be highly effective against cancer cells as well as drug-resistant bacteria, and have reproduced it synthetically in the lab for the first time.

    This major breakthrough and world-first could hail a new era in the design and production of new antibiotics and anticancer agents.

    The ‘super substance’ – kedarcidin – was discovered in its natural form by a pharmaceutical c...

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    Artificial Mother-of-Pearl created using Bacteria

    April 26, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Biology/Biotechnology, Environment/Geology

    This abalone shell is a natural form of nacre — also known as mother-of-pearl — an exceptionally tough material found in shells and pearls. Rochester biologists have developed an innovative method for creating nacre in the lab — and maybe on the moon.
    Credit: University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

    A biologist invented an inexpensive and environmentally friendly method for making artificial nacre using an innovative component: bacteria. The artificial nacre is made of biologically produced materials and has the toughness of natural nacre, while also being stiff and, surprisingly, bendable. The method used to create the novel material could lead to new applications in medicine, engineering – and even constructing buildings on the moon.

    The impressive mechanical properties of...

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    How ‘Superbug’ E. coli clones take over human Gut

    April 25, 2019, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    The researchers investigated how and why a clone of E. coli called ST131 – dubbed a ‘superbug’ because it is resistant to multiple drugs – has become the major cause of drug resistant E. coli infections

    A ‘superbug’ clone of E. coli has evolved to prevent itself from becoming so dominant that it could potentially wipe out the bacteria from existence, scientists led by the University of Birmingham have discovered.

    The researchers investigated how and why a clone of E. coli called ST131 – dubbed a ‘superbug’ because it is resistant to multiple drugs – has become the major cause of drug resistant E. coli infections, but not so dominant that it has wiped out other clones that do not have multi-drug resistance.

    Escherichia coli (E...

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