CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A tiny, four-fingered “hand” folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report. Dubbed the NanoGripper, the nanorobotic hand also could be programmed to interact with other viruses or to recognize cell surface markers for targeted drug delivery, such as for cancer treatment.  Led by Xing Wang, a professor of bioengineering and of chemistry at the ...

In 1992, Judith Frydman, PhD, discovered a molecular complex with an essential purpose in all of our cells: folding proteins correctly. The complex, a type of “protein chaperone” known as TRiC, helps fold thousands of human proteins: It was later found that about 10% of all our proteins pass through its barrel structure. All animals have several different kinds of protein chaperones, each with its own job of helping fold proteins in the cell. TRiC binds to newborn proteins and shapes these strings of amino acids into the correct 3D structures, ...

HOUSTON – (Nov. 27, 2024) – Newly developed halide perovskite nanocrystals (HPNCs) show potential as antimicrobial agents that are stable, effective and easy to produce. After almost three years, Rice University scientist Yifan Zhu and colleagues have developed a new HPNC that is effective at killing bacteria in a biofluid under visible light without experiencing light- and moisture-driven degradation common in HPNCs. A new method using two layers of silicon dioxide that Zhu and colleagues developed over years of work was used in experiments with lead-based and bismuth-based HPNCs to test their antimicrobial efficacy and stability in water. ...

Our bodies divest themselves of 60 billion cells every day through a natural process of cell culling and turnover called apoptosis. These cells — mainly blood and gut cells — are all replaced with new ones, but the way our bodies rid themselves of material could have profound implications for cancer therapies in a new approach developed by Stanford Medicine researchers. They aim to use this natural method of cell death to trick cancer cells into disposing of themselves. Their method accomplishes this by artificially bringing together two proteins in such a way that the new compound switches on a set of cell death genes, ultimately driving tumor cells to turn on themselves. ...

Culturally appropriate women-centred interventions can help healthcare systems respond to domestic violence, research has found. HERA (Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse) has been co-developing and evaluating a domestic violence and abuse healthcare intervention in low- and middle-income countries for the past five years. This National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Research Group will report their findings, and publish a PolicyBristol report, at a conference in London today ...

The mission of IQST is to further our understanding of nature and develop innovative technologies based on quantum science by leveraging synergies between the natural sciences, engineering, and life sciences. "Many KIT scientists already successfully support IQST with their expertise as Fellows. All the more I am pleased that the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is now joining our interdisciplinary centre as an institution," says IQST Director Prof. Stefanie Barz. "This will strengthen networking within the academic quantum community in Baden-Württemberg," emphasizes ...

***Embargoed until November 27 at 11 AM EST*** Chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and inflammatory disorders have a huge impact on humanity. They are a leading cause of disease burden and deaths around the globe, are physically and economically taxing, and the number of people with such diseases is growing. Treating chronic disease has proven difficult because there is not one simple cause, like a single gene mutation, that a treatment could target. At least, that’s how it has appeared to scientists. However, research from Whitehead Institute Member Richard Young and colleagues, published in the journal ...

About The Study: This study found a steep decline in cervical cancer mortality among U.S. women younger than 25 years between 2016 and 2021. This cohort of women is the first to be widely protected against cervical cancer by human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. The findings from this study in the context of other published research suggest that HPV vaccination affected the sequential decline in HPV infection prevalence, cervical cancer incidence, and cervical cancer mortality.  Corresponding ...

In an international collaboration, researchers at Uppsala University have been able to identify undigested food remains, plants and prey in the fossilised faeces of dinosaurs. These analyses of hundreds of samples provide clues about the role dinosaurs played in the ecosystem around 200 million years ago. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. “Piecing together ‘who ate whom’ in the past is true detective work,” says Martin Qvarnström, researcher at the Department of Organismal Biology and lead author of the study. “Being able to examine what animals ate and how they interacted with their environment helps us understand what enabled ...

Brain-wide association studies, which use magnetic resonance imaging to identify relationships between brain structure or function and human behavior or health, have faced criticism for producing results that often cannot be replicated by other researchers.  A new study published in Nature demonstrates that careful attention to study design can substantially improve the reliability of this type of research. For the study, Kaidi Kang, a biostatistics PhD student, Simon Vandekar, PhD, associate professor of Biostatistics, and colleagues analyzed data from more than 77,000 brain scans across 63 studies.  The ...

A decade ago, researchers introduced a new model for studying Alzheimer’s disease. Known as “Alzheimer’s in a dish,” the model uses cultures of mature brain cells suspended in a gel to recapitulate what takes place in the human brain over 10 to 13 years in just six weeks. But does the model truly produce the same changes that take place in patients? In a new study, researchers from Mass General Brigham, in collaboration with colleagues at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), created an algorithm to assess, in an unbiased manner, how well models of Alzheimer’s disease ...

About The Study: The results of this study showed an association between high ultraprocessed food intake and active psoriasis status. After adjustments for age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake, and comorbidities, the results remained significant, suggesting that ultraprocessed food intake has a proinflammatory action separate from high BMI. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Emilie Sbidian, MD, PhD, email emilie.sbidian@aphp.fr. To access the embargoed study: ...

About The Study: The findings of this study indicate that preferential promotion of white men within academic medicine continues to persist in the new millennium, with racially and ethnically diverse women experiencing greater underpromotion. To achieve a workforce that reflects the diversity of the U.S. population, this study suggests that academic medicine needs to transform its culture and practices surrounding faculty appointments and promotions. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Lauren Clark, MS, email lclark5@kumc.edu. To access the embargoed study: ...

About The Study: In this study, stopping universal masking and SARS-CoV-2 testing was associated with a significant increase in hospital-onset respiratory viral infections relative to community infections. Restarting the masking of health care workers was associated with a significant decrease.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Theodore R. Pak, MD, PhD, email tpak@mgh.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.48063) Editor’s ...

Cellular death is a fundamental concept in the biological sciences. Given its significance though, its definition depends on the context in which it takes place, and lacks a general mathematical definition. Researchers from the University of Tokyo propose a new mathematical definition of death based on whether a potentially dead cell can return to a predefined “representative state of living,” which are the states of being that we can confidently call “alive.” The researchers’ work could be useful for biological researchers and future medical research. While it’s ...

On November 27, the prestigious journal Nature will publish the results of an innovative breast cancer research project from the Netherlands. This study, the SONIA trial, showed that delaying and shortening the duration of a specific anti-cancer therapy (CDK4/6 inhibitors) in patients with hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer leads to similar survival outcomes, while reducing toxicity and achieving substantial cost reductions: over 45 million euros per year in the Netherlands and over 5 billion dollars in the United States. This is the first time an efficiency study like this has been conducted in collaboration with Dutch health ...

A fungus discovered in the mouse stomach may hold a key to fungal evolution within the gastrointestinal tract, according to new research led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The finding suggests that preclinical studies until now have overlooked a major influencer of mouse physiology. Scientists recently have come to appreciate the importance, for human health and disease, of microbes—often called “commensals”—that naturally dwell in the gut. Bacterial commensals, for example, are known to have ...

Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, is proud to be recognized for the impact on the future of drug discovery and development, as a distinguished honoree of the Showcase AI and Biotech Innovation Award on November 13, 2024, at the Fifth Endeavor Venture Group & Mount Sinai Health System Healthcare AI and Technology Investor Summit. Michelle Chen, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer of Insilico Medicine, received the award on behalf of the company.  Delivered ...

Lugano, Switzerland, 27 November 2024 – The ESMO Asia Congress 2024 is the annual event dedicated to multidisciplinary oncology in the Asian region. It will feature a broad spectrum of topics in cancer research, including novel treatment modalities, in-depth discussions on the management of specific cancer types, pan-Asian trials and subgroup analyses of cutting-edge studies relevant for the patients in the area. Data will be presented and discussed by leading experts from across Asia and beyond. The congress will be held onsite in Singapore from 6-8 December, with no virtual option available. Programme highlights Subgroup ...

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of mortality globally, particularly among individuals with both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). These two conditions exacerbate each other, creating a vicious cycle that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the pathophysiological relationship between OSA and MetS is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies. This review explores current knowledge on the connection between OSA and MetS and discusses the progress in treatment ...

Chimpanzees are known for their remarkable intelligence and use of tools, but could their cultures also evolve over time like human cultures? A new, multidisciplinary study led by the University of Zurich suggests that some of their most advanced behaviors may have been passed down and refined through generations.   In recent decades, scientists have clearly demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, pass on complex cultures such as tool use from generation to generation. But human culture has become vastly more sophisticated, ...

By providing flexibility services to renewable energy systems, consumers can both help in balancing power grids and receive financial benefits. Hosna Khajeh’s doctoral dissertation from the University of Vaasa, Finland, introduces new methods that enable the efficient utilisation of energy users’ flexibility resources in distribution and transmission networks. As the use of weather-dependent renewable energy sources increases, power systems need to become more flexible to guarantee energy supply at all times. One of the necessary steps for the future is making it possible for consumers to support both national and local power grids with ...

Factors beyond carbohydrates have a substantial influence on blood glucose levels meaning current automated insulin delivery systems miss vital information required for glucose regulation, a new study has found. A team of researchers from the University of Bristol analysing automated insulin delivery data from people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) discovered that unexpected patterns in insulin needs are just as common as well-established ones. The study, published today in JMIRx Med aimed to identify patterns in changes of insulin needs and to analyse how frequently these occur in people with T1D who use the OpenAPS, a state-of-the-art, ...

Solid oxide cells (SOCs), including solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), are among the most promising energy conversion technologies due to their high efficiency and fuel flexibility. However, the high-temperature sintering required for their manufacture often leads to undesirable reactions at the electrolyte and electrode interface, degrading cell performance. A thin, dense ceria-based barrier layer, typically composed of gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC), is widely used to prevent these reactions. Achieving sufficient densification ...

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), headed by Minister Yoo Sang-im, held the launch ceremony for the "AI Safety Institute" (AISI) on Wednesday, November 27, at the Pangyo Global R&D Center. At the "AI Seoul Summit"last May, leaders from 10 countries recognized safety as a key component of responsible AI innovation and emphasized the importance of establishing AI safety institutes and fostering global collaboration for safe AI. President Yoon Suk Yeol also expressed his commitment, stating, "We will work towards establishing an AI safety institute in Korea and actively participate ...