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Researchers design electronic nose to sniff out colon diseases

In much the same way as dogs can be trained to detect some diseases through their keen sense of smell, technology can help create electronic devices capable of performing this same task.

27 Dec 2017

Epigenetics: A New Tool for Forensic Detectives

Developing analytical methods can help the triers of fact, judges and juries, better understand the events surrounding the circumstances of a crime. In forensic analysis, we are talking about determining the identity of unknown individuals through DNA and using DNA and other chemical signatures to determine and clarify the circumstances of the crime.

From Pittcon 20 Dec 2017

Researchers create first semi-synthetic organism that can store and use unnatural genetic information

Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have designed a bacterium that incorporates two unnatural bases, called X and Y, into genes, in addition to the four natural DNA bases − G, C, A and T − that usually code for proteins.

30 Nov 2017

New Fertility Test Analyzer helps couples conceive faster

Fertility Test Analyzer is a new app designed to help couples conceive faster. It combines a scientific method of data acquisition with low-cost urine test strips to stand out in a topic where period calendars are the predominant format. The only requirement to use it is to have an Android device with a camera.

27 Nov 2017

Analysis of aged brains reveals new details about Alzheimer's disease and dementia

In a comprehensive analysis of samples from 107 aged human brains, researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, UW Medicine and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute have discovered details that will help researchers better understand the biological bases for Alzheimer's disease and dementia in older populations.

21 Nov 2017

Specific way of spelling out genetic code likely allows viruses to evade our cellular defenses

For millions of years, humans and viruses have engaged in a constant tug of war: as our cells evolve new ways to defend us from our viral enemies, these pathogens in turn acquire new traits to sidestep those defenses.

13 Nov 2017

Scientists solve decade-old mystery that could lead to development of new treatments for TB

Scientists have solved a decade-old mystery that could eventually lead to the development of earlier treatments for one of the world's deadliest diseases, which affects up to 2 billion people.

1 Nov 2017

Genome-wide molecular tests can guide treatment in recurrent glioblastoma, study shows

Several patients with recurring glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer, survived for more than a year in a clinical trial believed to be the first to use comprehensive DNA and RNA sequencing of a patient's tumor to inform treatment for these patients in real-time.

27 Oct 2017

‘Precision Medicine’ may not always be so precise when applied to diverse populations, study says

Precision Medicine in oncology, where genetic testing is used to determine the best drugs to treat cancer patients, is not always so precise when applied to some of the world's more diverse populations, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

27 Oct 2017

New enzyme may one day enable genome surgery that erases harmful mutations

DNA editing just got a sharp, new pencil. Researchers have built an enzyme that can perform a previously impossible DNA swap, directly changing the DNA base pair from an A•T to a G•C.

26 Oct 2017

CRISPR - a genetic editor - used to edit DNA and RNA in two parallel studies

Two different studies have shown that CRISPR - a gene editing tool, could be the next big thing in manipulating and modifying the DNA to suit the needs.

26 Oct 2017

Four genes associated with OCD identified

There are found genes that have been identified to be associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). These genes have been found to alter the circuitry of the brain in a manner that could lead to OCD. These genetic links also point to the fact why OCD sometimes runs in families. The study is published in the latest issue of Nature Communications.

18 Oct 2017

“Chemical surgery” on embryos to free them of a gene causing thalassemia

A team of Chinese researchers have for the first time “mended” defective embryos using chemical surgery to free them of a faulty gene that leads to beta thalassemia. Until now this defect was found to be incorrigible caused due to a single misspelling in the DNA code. Beta thalassemia is a dreaded blood disorder wherein the child is unable to make healthy blood needing blood transfusions on a regular basis. The study was published this week in the journal Protein and Cell.

2 Oct 2017

Space radiation causes long-term health consequences for astronauts

While people protect their eyes from the sun's radiation during a solar eclipse, NASA's Human Research Program is working to protect the whole human body from radiation in space. Space radiation is dangerous and one of the primary health risks for astronauts.

21 Sep 2017

Research at KU to receive $2.3 million grant for studying motor deficits in ASD

While much research has been devoted to the social and communication issues that define autism spectrum disorders (ASD), much less is known about motor deficits that affect the majority of, if not all, individuals with ASD.

19 Sep 2017

Yoganatomy helps medical students to connect, recharge and remember

Take a deep breath in. As you breathe out, answer: what did your internal intercostal muscles do when you took that breath? This isn't a common question in most yoga classes, but it is part of Yoganatomy at the Perelman School of Medicine, a yoga class that combines traditional yoga practice with reinforcement of lessons in gross anatomy.

6 Sep 2017

Increased enzyme production by the liver causes fatty liver, obesity and insulin resistance

In mice that are given a high-fat diet, an increased production of the enzyme DPP4 by the liver promotes an increase in body fat, the development of fatty liver disease and insulin resistance.

24 Aug 2017

Self-powered, paper-based electrochemical devices detect biomarkers and identify diseases

A new medical-diagnostic device made out of paper detects biomarkers and identifies diseases by performing electrochemical analyses - powered only by the user's touch - and reads out the color-coded test results, making it easy for non-experts to understand.

22 Aug 2017

Operating procedures collated in OMNIS platform for laboratory efficiency and convenience

What if your instrument software didn’t focus on the method but rather on the sample and what you want to know about it?

From Metrohm USA Inc. 10 Aug 2017

Under Trump, hospitals face same penalties embraced by Obama

Amid all the turbulence over the future of the Affordable Care Act, one facet continues unchanged: President Donald Trump's administration is penalizing more than half the nation's hospitals for having too many patients return within a month.

3 Aug 2017