28-Jul-2023 Unlocking a key to kidney cancer: New research advances understanding of tumor growth Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Researchers from A*STAR’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) and National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) have discovered how the loss of a gene, PBRM1, can lead to the development of kidney cancer. When the gene PBRM1 is inactive, it results in the formation of abnormal protein complexes that activate a cancer-causing pathway called NF-κB. These complexes redistribute proteins throughout the genome, leading to heightened NF-κB activity and the expression of genes that promote cancer cell growth. Journal Nature Cell Biology
24-Jul-2023 Taming undomesticated bacteria with a high-efficiency genome engineering tool DOE/US Department of Energy Genetic engineers use synthetic biology to provide novel functions in microbes by introducing new genes. A new method called Serine recombinase-Assisted Genome Engineering (SAGE) borrows components from bacterial viruses to aid the stable insertion of genes into bacterial chromosomes. This new tool has the potential to work well in many species of bacteria, including newly discovered bacteria that must grow outside controlled laboratory conditions. These features will help accelerate synthetic biology research for bioenergy. Journal Science Advances
24-Jul-2023 100-year-old treatment inhibits COVID-19 infection Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A team of researchers led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Jonathan S. Dordick, Ph.D., Institute Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has illuminated a new possibility for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in research published in Communications Biology. Journal Communications Biology
24-Jul-2023 Or did Einstein describe all the forces? World Scientific A recent research paper concludes that A. Einstein may have been right all along, and General Relativity describes much more than just gravity. Journal International Journal of Modern Physics D
13-Jul-2023 Let’s see some ID: simulated molecular bouncer helps track protein movement across the nuclear membrane Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology If the human cell is a nightclub, then the nucleus is a VIP lounge fiercely maintained by the nuclear pore complex. By modeling a dynamic simulation of the NPC, physicists have theorized as to why some proteins enter the nucleus more readily than others. Journal Nature Communications
12-Jul-2023 Establishing ethical nanobiotechnology DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory PNNL’s wide-ranging report maps the current nanobiotechnology landscape, flags potential concerns, and details the need for an organizing body to coordinate currently disparate disciplines. Journal Health Security
3-Jul-2023 Can we predict how topsoil is affected by field traffic? Aarhus University According to researchers from Aarhus University, a new model can predict how traffic in the field deforms the soil in the plough layer – topsoil. The model takes into account both soil properties and the vehicle's weight and tyre pressure. Journal Soil and Tillage Research Funder European Commission
26-Jun-2023 Due to climate change, more animals will become extinct outside of nature reserves than within them Tel-Aviv University A new international study, in which a Tel Aviv University researcher took part, has found that amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the world’s nature reserves, or Protected Areas (PAs), will be better protected against climate change than species found outside of these areas, but are still likely to be harmed.
22-Jun-2023 Attainment of happiness in psychologically mature individuals linked to pursuit of meaning National Research University Higher School of Economics Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl believed that the quest for meaning constitutes a fundamental and intrinsic motivation for all human beings. Some other authors suggest that the need for meaning or purpose only emerges at higher levels of personality development. According to a team of psychologists from HSE and the University of Paris Nanterre, individuals who have achieved higher levels of ego development are inclined to relinquish hedonistic motives in favour of cultivating mindfulness and embarking on a quest for meaning. These findings have been published in Frontiers in Psychology. Journal Frontiers in Psychology
