Nucleic Acid News and Research

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Simple way to effectively transport medication into the brain identified

For the first time, scientists have identified a simple way that can effectively transport medication into the brain - which could lead to improved treatments for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

11 Oct 2019

CRISPR RNA-cutting enzyme programmed to destroy viruses in human cells

Many of the world's most common or deadly human pathogens are RNA-based viruses -- Ebola, Zika and flu, for example -- and most have no FDA-approved treatments.

10 Oct 2019

Cholera pathogen can acquire large stretches of genetic material from neighboring bacteria

In 2015, EPFL researchers led by Melanie Blokesch published a seminal paper in Science showing that the bacterium responsible for cholera, Vibrio cholerae, uses a spring-loaded spear to literally stab neighboring bacteria and steal their DNA.

8 Oct 2019

Carnegie Mellon and Yale win NIH grant to advance gene editing technique

A research team from Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University will advance their innovative, synthetic nucleic acid-based gene editing technique under a new grant from the National Institutes of Health's Somatic Cell Genome Editing Program.

7 Oct 2019

Entos Pharmaceuticals signs new collaboration agreement with biopharmaceutical company

Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Entos" or the "Company"), a healthcare biotechnology company focused on the development of next-generation nucleic acid-based therapies using their Fusogenix drug delivery platform, today announced it has entered into a research, development and collaboration agreement ("Agreement") with a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company ("Partner") focused on the development of novel therapeutic compounds targeting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

3 Oct 2019

New technique can rapidly image synaptic proteins at high resolution

Our brains contain millions of synapses -- the connections that transmit messages from neuron to neuron. Within these synapses are hundreds of different proteins, and dysfunction of these proteins can lead to conditions such as schizophrenia and autism.

26 Sep 2019

Faster, cheaper, better: improved gene therapy tool production

The heart of modern therapy is increasingly personalized and targeted at specific cellular or genetic deficits. This requires gene therapy, in many cases. A new study, published on 19 September 2019 in the journal Nature, describes an improved way to produce purified gene carrier viruses called AAVs cheaply and quickly, from the culture medium.

22 Sep 2019

Anti-cancer protein promotes tumor resistance, shows study

Areas of solid tumors that have limited access to oxygen, a condition called hypoxia, are highly resilient against chemo and radiation therapy.

20 Sep 2019

AMP announces recipients of 2019's Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostics professional society, today announced the recipients of this year's Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics, Jeffrey A. Kant Leadership Award and Meritorious Service Award.

19 Sep 2019

Microrna-based therapy may prove to be effective against chemotherapy-resistant cancers

A technology that manipulates microRNAs developed by Jingfang Ju, PhD, a biochemist and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and colleagues has shown promise when used as anti-cancer therapeutic.

19 Sep 2019

Hamilton's new ID NIMBUS Presto offers fast, hands-free high volume nucleic acid extractions

The new ID NIMBUS Presto assay ready workstation from Hamilton Company offers fast, hands-free nucleic acid extraction of high-volume evidentiary samples such as calcified tissues and other challenging samples.

From Hamilton Process Analytics 18 Sep 2019

New tool to decipher the gut microbiome

The millions of bacteria residing in the gut play a very important role in health and in disease. However, a constant issue has been the lack of understanding of the actual composition of the healthy human gut microbiome.

12 Sep 2019

Breast cancer gene could be key to developing targeted therapy for hepatoblastoma

Hepatoblastoma is a rare form of liver cancer affecting just a few individuals per million. However, it is the leading cause of liver cancer in infants and young children, with most patients diagnosed before their third birthday.

4 Sep 2019

ATS publishes clinical guideline on laboratory diagnosis of fungal infections

The American Thoracic Society has published an official clinical guideline on laboratory diagnosis of fungal infections in pulmonary and critical care medicine in the Society's Aug. 30 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

30 Aug 2019

Scientists reveal the structure of a key protein in Epstein-Barr virus infection

Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona have published a study in the journal Nature Communications revealing the structure of a key protein, known as a portal, in Epstein-Barr virus infection.

29 Aug 2019

Tecan to launch Fluent Gx Automation Workstation for use in regulated laboratories

Tecan’s range of advanced liquid handling solutions will soon be enhanced with the introduction of the new Fluent® Gx Automation Workstation, designed specifically to meet the stringent needs of clinical and regulated laboratories.

From Tecan 29 Aug 2019

New method maps surface protein complements on large numbers of individual exosomes

There is a growing demand for diagnostic markers for early disease detection and prognosis. Exosomes are potential biomarkers for cancer progression and neurodegenerative disease but it can be difficult to identify what tissue a specific exosome comes from.

27 Aug 2019

Study reveals the complexities of viral evolution

Comparing a living cell to a virus is a bit like comparing the Sistine Chapel to a backyard dog house. Lacking the intricate machinery of living cells, viruses represent biology stripped down to an extreme level. They are the true minimalists of the biological world.

31 Jul 2019

Innovative single-chip platform speeds up drug development process

Scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have come up with a miniaturized and accelerated system of new drug development on just one chip, promising to make the process faster and cheaper than ever before. The report was published in the journal Nature Communications on June 28, 2019.

16 Jul 2019

New chemBIOS platform for drug development

In spite of increasing demand, the number of newly developed drugs decreased continuously in the past decades.

15 Jul 2019