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Eco-friendly technique could enable hospitals to produce hydrogen peroxide

A team of researchers has developed a portable, more environmentally friendly method to produce hydrogen peroxide. It could enable hospitals to make their own supply of the disinfectant on demand and at lower cost.

4 May 2020

New findings on polymer structures could improve targeted medicine delivery

The new development, recently reported in the scientific journal Nature Communications, was led by Christopher Li, PhD, a professor in Drexel's College of Engineering whose research has centered around engineering polymer structures for special applications, in collaboration with Bin Zhao, PhD, a professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

3 May 2020

New database catalogs peptides that may halt SARS-CoV-2 cell infection

In the quest for a highly specific and tailored treatment strategy against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a recent publication available on the preprint server bioRxiv describes a repository of designed peptides that interfere with the early stages of viral invasion process.

30 Apr 2020

Optimal combinations of protective gears can minimize exposure to chemicals during COVID-19 pandemic

The spread of coronavirus has spurred massive efforts to consistently disinfect everything from office buildings to schools to city buses.

30 Apr 2020

Re-establishing pharmaceutical chemical production in Europe in the wake of COVID-19

Over 80% of chemicals used to make pharmaceuticals sold in Europe originate from China or India, according to the European Fine Chemicals Group.

30 Apr 2020

Trump says N95 masks can be sterilized for reuse. Only in a pinch, experts warn.

As COVID-19 cases continue to climb, front-line health care workers are decrying unsafe working conditions — in particular, describing inadequate access to personal protective equipment, or PPE.

29 Apr 2020

A new tool for developing gene therapies against cancer, genetic disorders, and blood diseases

A UCLA-led research team today reports that it has developed a new method for delivering DNA into stem cells and immune cells safely, rapidly and economically.

28 Apr 2020

Gut microbiota could predict severity of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading to every corner of the world. But not everyone is falling sick at the same rate. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in April 2020 suggests that the composition of the gut microbiome could partially explain the difference in susceptibility. This adds a new dimension to what is currently known about the disease.

27 Apr 2020

Excess weight may cause mental fatigue, research suggests

Obesity has been shown to place physical stress on the body, but new research suggests that excess weight may also cause mental fatigue.

27 Apr 2020

Lactating mothers' nicotine exposure may put babies at risk for skull defects

Lactating mothers who use e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapies may be putting their breastfed babies at risk for skull defects, a new study in animals suggests.

27 Apr 2020

Vaping, opioid addiction accelerate coronavirus risks, says NIDA director

In 2018, opioid overdoses claimed about 47,000 American lives. Last year, federal authorities reported that 5.4 million middle and high school students vaped. And just two months ago, about 2,800 cases of vaping-associated lung injuries resulted in hospitalizations; 68 people died.

24 Apr 2020

Abbott’s fast COVID test poses safety issues, lab workers say

Lab personnel say worries are mounting over the safety of a rapid coronavirus test by Abbott Laboratories that President Donald Trump has repeatedly lauded - particularly, the risk of infection to those handling it.

23 Apr 2020

Georgia Tech researchers create key components for COVID-19 tests

Gaps in the supply of coronavirus tests are propelling initiatives to fill them across the country. At the Georgia Institute of Technology, bioscience researchers are burning midnight oil to produce key components for tests in the state of Georgia.

23 Apr 2020

A new method to deliver therapeutic proteins inside the body

A new way to deliver therapeutic proteins inside the body uses an acoustically sensitive carrier to encapsulate the proteins and ultrasound to image and guide the package to the exact location required, according to Penn State researchers. Ultrasound then breaks the capsule, allowing the protein to enter the cell.

23 Apr 2020

Poison center calls spike amid coronavirus pandemic

While most of the United States is in lockdown due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread, reports of accidental poisoning linked to cleaning products have increased by 20 percent, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.

22 Apr 2020

Research offers clues to how SARS-CoV-2 gets into respiratory tissue and exploits our defenses

What makes SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, such a threat? A new study, led by Jose Ordovas-Montanes, Ph.D. at Boston Children's Hospital and Alex K. Shalek, Ph.D. at MIT, pinpoints the likely cell types the virus infects.

22 Apr 2020

New study may offer a breakthrough in treating telomere diseases

Capping decades of research, a new study may offer a breakthrough in treating dyskeratosis congenita and other so-called telomere diseases, in which cells age prematurely.

21 Apr 2020

Coumarin derivatives are synthesized using green chemistry methods

Coumarin derivatives (coumarins) are a class of compounds with a wide range of biological activities, which have found their application in medicine, pharmacology, cosmetics and food industry. Coumarin is found in a number of plants such as tonka beans and vanilla grass, among others.

21 Apr 2020

Analysis reveals cocktail of pharmaceuticals in the waters of Bangladesh

In spring of 2019, researchers set out to investigate what chemicals could be found in the waters of Bangladesh.

20 Apr 2020

New neuromorphic memristor mimics the human brain in efficient learning

Only 10 years ago, scientists working on what they hoped would open a new frontier of neuromorphic computing could only dream of a device using miniature tools called memristors that would function/operate like real brain synapses.

20 Apr 2020