Category Health/Medical

Multiplexed image analysis with HySP is faster and less expensive than other methods. Image courtesy of Francesco Cutrale.

A new image analysis technique makes it easier for scientists to quickly find and track important biological molecules including tell-tale signs of disease. Called “Hyper-Spectral Phasor” analysis, or HySP, it could even be useful for diagnosing and monitoring diseases by using cell phone images. It is much faster and far less expensive than current techniques. Through the new imaging technology, researchers use fluorescent imaging to locate proteins and other molecules in cells and tissues. It works by tagging the molecules with dyes that glow under certain kinds of light – the same principle behind so-called “black light” images.

Fluorescent imaging can help scientis...

Macronutrient content and characteristics of the dietary interventions

The 5-minute test measures biological markers in urine created by the breakdown of foods such as red meat, chicken, fish and fruit and vegetables. The analysis, developed by researchers from Imperial College London, Newcastle University and Aberystwyth University, also gives an indication of how much fat, sugar, fibre and protein a person has eaten. Although the work is at an early stage, the team hope that with future development the test will be able to track patients’ diets. It could even be used in weight loss programs to monitor food intake.

Evidence suggests people inaccurately record their own diets, and under-report unhealthy food while over-reporting fruit and vegetable intake – and that the likelihood of inacc...

A four-millimeter-long larvae of zebrafish with visible nerve cells under the microscope. Credit: Research group Driever

The type and intensity of stimuli control the activity of nerve cells that release the neurotransmitter dopamine, report scientists. In their study of fish larvae, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Driever and his team of neurobiologists at the University of Freiburg have discovered that a group of nerve cells in the forebrain release the dopamine when activated by tactile or certain visual stimuli. These dopaminergic nerve cells send connections to almost all parts of the brain and spinal cord, thereby affecting the functions of many circuits...

2D hexagonal sheet-like and 3D capsid structures based on atomically precise gold nanoclusters as guided by hydrogen bonding between the ligands. The inset in the top left corner shows the atomic structure of one gold nanocluster. Credit: Image courtesy of Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland)

Self-assembly of matter is one of the fundamental principles of nature, directing the growth of larger ordered and functional systems from smaller building blocks. Self-assembly can be observed in all length scales from molecules to galaxies...