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Simple salt solution can help transport COVID-19 samples to testing laboratories

In a new peer-reviewed study appearing in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, published by Elsevier, investigators report that a simple salt solution commonly found in hospitals and clinical laboratories, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), can be used as a medium to reliably transport coronavirus-contaminated specimens to the testing laboratory for periods of up to 18 hours, which is often needed in busy clinical settings.

27 May 2020

Chimpanzee communication provides clues to human speech-rhythm evolution

One of the most promising theories for the evolution of human speech has finally received support from chimpanzee communication, in a study conducted by a group of researchers led by the University of Warwick.

27 May 2020

Study offers new insight into how cells fuse

Scientists have known for a decade that cells that fuse with others to perform their essential functions - such as muscle cells that join together to make fibers - form long projections that invade the territory of their fusion partners.

26 May 2020

Research could help identify disturbances in the body's copper metabolism

In biology it is well-known that every living organism is triggered by the hereditary material or DNA that encodes various protein molecules, which in turn perform all the necessary biological functions and it might seem that nothing else is needed to sustain the life of an organism.

26 May 2020

Study uncovers how protein inhibits the development of tumors in mice

Proteins are found throughout our cells and regulate a lot of biological processes that are important forour survival.

26 May 2020

A key player in hepatitis A virus infection discovered

How hepatitis A virus manages to enter liver cells called hepatocytes and initiate infection had remained a mystery for fifty years until now.

26 May 2020

Collagen maturation regulates PEDF availability, study shows

Cells are like tiny self-contained machines that are constantly fine-tuned in response to both internal and external signals. Some of these signals are induced by extracellular ligands, specialized proteins that bind to specific receptors on the cell surface, stimulating signaling pathways and altering gene expression.

26 May 2020

UZH researchers develop new X-ray contrast agent for high-resolution vascular imaging

Various diseases in humans and animals - such as tumors, strokes or chronic kidney disease - damage the blood vessels. Capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body, are particularly affected.

26 May 2020

Minuscule tracking devices give unprecedented peek into how cells change with time

For the first time, scientists have introduced minuscule tracking devices directly into the interior of mammalian cells, giving an unprecedented peek into the processes that govern the beginning of development.

26 May 2020

The eye initiates an immune response in the lens after injury

The lens of the eye is an unusual organ. Unlike most of the body's organs, blood vessels don't reach the lens. If they did, they'd obscure our vision and we wouldn't be able to see.

26 May 2020

Biophysicists determine the optimal age of reprogrammed stem cells

Biophysicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and Vladimirsky Moscow Regional Clinical Research Institute have determined the optimal age of reprogrammed stem cells suitable for restoring heart tissue.

26 May 2020

'Good' bacteria have a niche in our noses, study suggests

Beneficial strains of bacteria residing in our guts, genital tracts, and skin have been shown to play a role in human health, and now, researchers publishing May 26 in the journal Cell Reports suggest that some of these "good" bacteria also have a niche in our noses.

26 May 2020

3D model displays arrangement of intrinsic neurons in the rat heart

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a virtual 3D heart, digitally showcasing the heart's unique network of neurons for the first time.

26 May 2020

Warwick researchers discover how cells activate autophagy genes during fasting

As modern life-styles and high calorie diets drive the UK's obesity levels up, researchers from the University of Warwick have found how cells respond to fasting and activate the process called autophagy, which means a healthier lifestyle can be promoted to help people maintain a healthy body weight.

26 May 2020

Women with Neandertal gene have increased fertility

One in three women in Europe inherited the receptor for progesterone from Neandertals - a gene variant associated with increased fertility, fewer bleedings during early pregnancy and fewer miscarriages.

26 May 2020

New technique for fast, easy optimization of antibodies using chicken cells

Antibodies for potential use as medicines can be made rapidly in chicken cells grown in laboratories. Researchers refer to their technique as the human ADLib system, short for autonomously diversifying libraries.

26 May 2020

Rejuvenated fibroblasts could be used in regenerative medicine, stem cell engineering

Fibroblasts are the most common connective tissue cells. They produce the structural framework for animal tissues, synthesize the extracellular matrix and collagen, and play a critical role in wound healing.

26 May 2020

Researchers identify genetic mechanisms that produce radioresistance in cancer cells

Cancer stem cells are a cell type that was previously little known. They are resistant to irradiation and prevent the effective treatment of many types of cancer. A research group from Innsbruck has now identified two genetic mechanisms that produce this radioresistance.

26 May 2020

Alexandra Knauer awarded as a female entrepreneur role model

Alexandra Knauer, managing director and owner of the Berlin-based laboratory instrumentation manufacturer KNAUER, has been recognized by the jury of the "Frauen unternehmen" initiative ("Women entrepreneuring") to be a role model female entrepreneur.

From KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Geräte GmbH 26 May 2020

New solutions for automated PCR and qPCR – Analytik Jena presents Biometra TRobot II and qTOWER³ auto

Leading PCR and qPCR technology now available for high-throughput applications: With the Biometra TRobot II and qTOWER³ auto, Analytik Jena presents two new thermal cyclers for fully automated PCR and qPCR applications. Both systems follow a modular approach and are designed as open systems.

From Analytik Jena US 26 May 2020