/ en-us Âé¶čÒùÔș internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Âé¶čÒùÔșics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Investigators led by Francesca Elizabeth Duncan, Ph.D., the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor of Reproductive Science, have discovered new molecular mechanisms that lead specialized immune cells to cause ovarian aging and functional decline, according to a recent study published in PLOS Biology. /news/2025-07-molecular-mechanisms-ovarian-aging.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:40:05 EDT news672316620 Inside our cells, ribosomes—the tireless "protein factories" of life—have just shown off a new skill they haven't used in billions of years. A research team has become the first in the world to successfully expand the range of ring-shaped backbones in proteins using ribosomes, which have traditionally only produced linear backbones. /news/2025-07-ribosomal-synthesis-cyclic-peptides-avenues.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:15:04 EDT news671210101 In a world overrun with plastic garbage, causing untold environmental woes, University of Houston assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Maksud Rahman, has developed a way to turn bacterial cellulose—a biodegradable material—into a multifunctional material with the potential to replace plastic. /news/2025-07-plastic-bacteria-cellulose.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:10:01 EDT news671198855 Cell sheet preparation for use in tissue engineering and regenerative therapies could be significantly improved with the use of thermo-responsive polymer brushes, adjusted in length and density according to specific cell types. /news/2025-07-cell-sheet-production-efficiency-greatly.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 03 Jul 2025 13:23:04 EDT news670767782 If humans are ever going to live beyond Earth, they'll need to construct habitats. But transporting enough industrial material to create livable spaces would be incredibly challenging and expensive. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) think there's a better way, through biology. /news/2025-07-bioplastic-algae-growth-mars-conditions.html Space Exploration Planetary Sciences Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:00:16 EDT news670655882 Tiny sensors, similar to breathalyzers, could "sniff out" bacterial infections and detect antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in bodily fluids, says a team of engineers, microbiologists, and machine learning experts in an opinion paper published in Cell Biomaterials. Developing this technology could provide affordable and rapid diagnostic tests, which would improve treatment plans and help combat antibiotic resistance. /news/2025-07-chemical-sensors-breathalyzers-antibiotic-resistance.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:18 EDT news670605074 A team of researchers at Rowan University has developed an injectable biomaterial that could significantly improve recovery outcomes following spinal cord injuries. The study, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, introduces a multifunctional hydrogel system designed to address the complex biological environment that hinders regeneration in the central nervous system. /news/2025-06-biomaterial-dual-therapies-nerve-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:19:04 EDT news670504741 Inhabiting Mars has long been a futuristic fantasy fueled by science fiction. However, successful landings over the past half-century have made this seemingly far-fetched idea increasingly plausible. /news/2025-06-mars.html Space Exploration Planetary Sciences Tue, 24 Jun 2025 09:01:04 EDT news669974462 A team of molecular and cellular chemists and biologists from Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego, has found that at least one type of octopus has taste sensors on its sucker cups that allow it to detect harmful chemicals. In their study, published in the journal Cell, the group tested the sensing ability of California two-spot octopuses. /news/2025-06-octopus-species-sensors-sucker-cups.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 20 Jun 2025 06:50:01 EDT news669568279 Researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), UC Irvine, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), have used biology to convert human urine into a valuable product. The team genetically modified yeast to take the elements present in urine and create hydroxyapatite—a calcium and phosphorus-based mineral naturally produced by humans and other animals to build bones and teeth. /news/2025-06-genetically-yeast-valuable-materials-urine.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:11:26 EDT news669384682 Researchers have identified a form of molecular motion that has not previously been observed. When what are known as "guest molecules"—molecules that are accommodated within a host molecule—penetrate droplets of DNA polymers, they do not simply diffuse in them in a haphazard fashion, but propagate through them in the form of a clearly-defined frontal wave. The team includes researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and the University of Texas at Austin. /news/2025-06-molecular-motion-guest-molecules-dna.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:00:03 EDT news668962430 About 66 million years ago—perhaps on a downright unlucky day in May—an asteroid smashed into our planet. /news/2025-06-ancient-fossils-mass-extinction-scrambled.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:00:01 EDT news668778767 During embryonic development, thousands of cells divide and move collectively to sculpt the main body axes. Understanding the mechanisms that coordinate this collective behavior remains a significant challenge in biology and the physics of living systems, but a better understanding could have implications in health and science, from medicine to biomaterials. /news/2025-06-mechanisms-embryonic-cell-behavior.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:50:18 EDT news668692210 A team of biomedical researchers led by Michael Mak, Ph.D., in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, has developed a new method of bioprinting physiological materials. Called TRACE (Tunable Rapid Assembly of Collagenous Elements), the method solves previous problems of bioprinting natural materials of the body. /news/2025-06-collagen-based-method-previous-problems.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:04:04 EDT news668689442 Inspired by the way viruses attach to cells, EPFL scientists have developed a method for engineering ultra-selective aptamers. /news/2025-06-ultra-aptamers-viruses-medicine.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:03:03 EDT news668419381 Boise State University researchers have developed a new technique and platform to communicate with cells and help drive them toward cartilage formation. Their work leverages a 3D biocompatible form of carbon known as graphene foam and is featured on the cover of Applied Materials and Interfaces. /news/2025-06-graphene-foam-lab-grown-cartilage.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:54:03 EDT news668271241 Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), in collaboration with national and international research centers, have identified a key immune cell subtype involved in the development of atherosclerosis. In a study published in Circulation Research, the team tested an experimental therapy in animal models based on immunosuppressive nanoparticles and demonstrated that it can slow disease progression. /news/2025-06-immunosuppressive-nanoparticles-atherosclerosis-animal.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 02 Jun 2025 16:59:04 EDT news668102342 Cardiovascular disease and kidney disease are two of the most urgent issues in global public health. In the United States alone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than one in seven adults is affected by chronic kidney disease, while cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death. /news/2025-05-naturally-derived-nanoparticles-cardiovascular-kidney.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 29 May 2025 11:17:04 EDT news667736221 Since the discovery of penicillin nearly a century ago, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a stealthy, pervasive enemy in the fight against bacterial infections. AMR claims an estimated 1.27 million lives a year and contributed to nearly five million deaths in 2019, placing drug-resistant bacterial infections ahead of HIV and malaria as a global health threat. /news/2025-05-mirror-image-molecules-superbugs-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 May 2025 11:52:00 EDT news667651914 Since the COVID-19 pandemic, global interest in antiviral therapies has increased significantly. Recently, with the growing attention to peptide-based drugs such as Wegovy, demand for effective peptide therapeutics derived from natural substances is rapidly rising. In particular, peptide metabolites—which are generated when natural proteins break down in the body—are emerging as promising candidates for multifunctional drug development. /news/2025-05-dual-action-peptide-viruses-tissue.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 26 May 2025 12:59:52 EDT news667483189 Throughout its nearly 100-year manufacturing history, the crack resistance of natural rubber—one of the world's most widely used biomaterials—hasn't improved much. Until now. Materials researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have devised a way to produce natural rubber that retains its key properties of stretchiness and durability while greatly improving its ability to resist cracking, even after repeated cycles of use. /news/2025-05-rubber-material-ten-stronger-resistant.html Polymers Thu, 22 May 2025 13:11:41 EDT news667138295 A team led by scientists at the University of Nottingham's School of Pharmacy demonstrated a new cryogenic mass spectrometry approach for depth profiling frozen tiny lipid nanoparticles to reveal the layers and orientation of the constituent molecules. /news/2025-05-mass-spectrometry-method-surface-lipid.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 22 May 2025 11:42:04 EDT news667132921 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a scalable, non-viral technology that efficiently delivers genetic material into human immune cells. The platform, called Nanostraw Electro-actuated Transfection (NExT), uses tiny hollow nanostructures and electrical pulses to insert a wide variety of biomolecules—proteins, mRNA and gene-editing tools—into immune cells with high efficiency and minimal disruption. /news/2025-05-gene-delivery-nanostraws-electrical-pulses.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 22 May 2025 11:35:05 EDT news667132501 Natural enzymes are remarkable molecular machines that enable all sorts of essential biochemical reactions. For decades, scientists have sought to create artificial versions of these catalysts for industrial and biomedical applications. However, they have struggled to match nature's efficiency and simplicity. This, in turn, has hindered the development of environmentally friendly catalysts for sustainable chemistry. /news/2025-05-efficient-artificial-enzymes-protein-cages.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 May 2025 12:43:04 EDT news666877382 Collagen, a prevalent and predominant part of the structure of bodies, still has some mystique surrounding the finer aspects of its existence. In a new study, researchers look into the mechanism of orientation within collagen to elucidate some of the lesser-known aspects of this protein and how it can be used in future applications. /news/2025-05-3d-method-enables-fabrication-collagen.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 14 May 2025 15:13:15 EDT news666454391 Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) have developed a technique that could help advance treatments in tissue engineering. The study, published in the journal Small, introduces a technique for producing tissues with precise cellular organization designed to mimic the natural structure of human tissue. /news/2025-05-3d-hydrogels-cell-growth-functional.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 13 May 2025 12:27:02 EDT news666358021 A team of researchers from Brown University has developed a new nanotechnology-based approach that could improve treatment of fungal infections, particularly those caused by the increasingly drug-resistant Candida species. /news/2025-05-nanoparticles-effective-antifungal-treatments.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 May 2025 14:16:21 EDT news666278172 The University of Bayreuth's Biomaterials research group has, for the first time, successfully applied the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to spiders. Following the genetic modification, the spiders produced red fluorescent silk. /news/2025-05-genetic-spiders-crisprcas-yields-silk.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 08 May 2025 09:55:03 EDT news665916901 A team from the Universitat PolitĂšcnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech (UPC) and the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia has developed polymeric resins derived from plant-based materials aimed at reducing 3D printing's reliance on fossil fuel-based resins. The research findings have been published in RSC Applied Polymers. /news/2025-05-sustainable-3d-resins-based-materials.html Polymers Mon, 05 May 2025 16:30:02 EDT news665681401 What if doctors could guide life-saving treatments through the body using only a magnet? An interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering is bringing that concept closer to reality with the development of silk iron microparticles (SIMPs)—tiny, magnetic, and biodegradable carriers designed to precisely deliver drugs and treatments to sites in the body, like aneurysms or tumors. /news/2025-04-tiny-magnetic-silk-iron-particles.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:54:04 EDT news665164442