Anti-diabetic action of all-trans retinoic acid and the orphan G protein coupled receptor GPRC5C in pancreatic β-cells

A new study suggests that vitamin A improves the insulin producing β-cell´s function. The researchers initially discovered that insulin-producing beta-cells contain a large quantity of a cell surface receptor for vitamin A. “There are no unnecessary surface receptors in human cells. They all serve a purpose but which, in many cases, is still unknown and because of that they are called “orphan” receptors...

In the periplasm — the space between the inner and outer membranes of a bacteria’s cell wall — defensive proteins that detect a poison assemble like barrel staves to form a tunnel between pumps in the cell’s inner and outer membranes to eject the intruders. Artist’s conception by Ace George Santiago. Credit: Ace George Santiago, Cornell University

By tagging a cell’s proteins with fluorescent beacons, Cornell researchers have found out how E. coli bacteria defend themselves against antibiotics and other poisons. When undesirable molecules show up, the bacterial cell opens a tunnel though its cell wall and “effluxes,” or pumps out, the intruders. “Dynamic assembly of these tunnels has long been hypothesized,” said Peng Chen, professor of chemistry and chemical biology. “Now we see them.”

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Photo: An artists’ rendition of microparticles flowing through a channel and passing through electric fields, where they are detected electronically and barcode-scanned. Ella Marushchenko and Alexander Tokarev/Ella Maru Studios

Rutgers researchers invent technology that could lead to wearable biosensors. Imagine wearing a device that continuously analyzes your sweat or blood for different types of biomarkers, such as proteins that show you may have breast cancer or lung cancer, exposure to dangerous bacteria, viruses and pollutants.

“This is really important in the context of personalized medicine or personalized health monitoring,” said Mehdi Javanmard, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick...

The new process converts sugar to plastic using carbon dioxide gas. Credit: Georgina Gregory

Some biodegradable plastics could in the future be made using sugar and carbon dioxide, replacing unsustainable plastics made from crude oil, following research by scientists from the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies (CSCT) at the University of Bath. Polycarbonate is used to make drinks bottles, lenses for glasses and in scratch-resistant coatings for phones, CDs and DVDs.

Current manufacture processes for polycarbonate use BPA (banned from use in baby bottles) and highly toxic phosgene, used as a chemical weapon in World War One...