Alphabet lets AI take the lead role in new drug discovery startup

Last year, DeepMind produced a stunning advance in scientific research, demonstrating how its artificial intelligence could be used to predict 3D structures of unique proteins in a solution to a 50-year science problem. This has moved parent company Al… Continue reading Alphabet lets AI take the lead role in new drug discovery startup

Dozens of new natural antibiotics found in the human body

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are poised to become a major health threat in the coming decades, but now it turns out that new antibiotics might have been inside us all along. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used a “search” algorithm to fi… Continue reading Dozens of new natural antibiotics found in the human body

Beyond CRISPR: New class of gene-editing enzymes discovered

One of the most revolutionary discoveries of the century, the CRISPR gene-editing system is built on a bacterial defense mechanism that allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA. Now scientists at MIT have discovered a new class of enzymes called … Continue reading Beyond CRISPR: New class of gene-editing enzymes discovered

“Mini” CRISPR tool reworks inactive protein for better gene editing

The CRISPR gene-editing system is usually associated with the Cas9 protein, but that’s not the only option out there. Scientists at Stanford have now developed a CRISPR tool called CasMINI, using a much smaller protein that should be able to enter huma… Continue reading “Mini” CRISPR tool reworks inactive protein for better gene editing

Synthetic muscle fibers could make for clothing tougher than Kevlar

“Muscle shirt” may soon take on a whole new meaning if new research out of Washington University in St. Louis pans out. A team has found a way to use bacteria to produce synthetic muscle proteins, which can then be spun into fibers to make clothing, pr… Continue reading Synthetic muscle fibers could make for clothing tougher than Kevlar

Novavax positions its COVID-19 vaccine as “universal booster of choice”

Biotech company Novavax has announced it will be initially prioritizing regulatory submissions for its promising COVID-19 vaccine in countries with urgent needs such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines. The long-anticipated vaccine is also being tr… Continue reading Novavax positions its COVID-19 vaccine as “universal booster of choice”

New insight into how light therapy can speed up burn wound healing

A compelling new study is offering an insight into the mechanism by which a novel form of light therapy can speed the healing of burn injuries. The research indicates the experimental therapy can activate a key protein that stimulates cell growth.Conti… Continue reading New insight into how light therapy can speed up burn wound healing

Microbes anyone? Study outlines huge potential of solar-powered protein

Sadly agriculture isn’t the most efficient process, requiring huge amounts of land and resources, and as the human population grows, our food supply will be put under increasing stress. But a new study has shown that farming protein from microbes could… Continue reading Microbes anyone? Study outlines huge potential of solar-powered protein

“Reverse optogenetic” protein might pull back the curtain on epilepsy

We’re seeing some significant advances in efforts to leverage light-sensitive proteins to improve human health, a field known as optogenetics, but new research out of Germany flips the script on this emerging technology. Scientists have identified a pr… Continue reading “Reverse optogenetic” protein might pull back the curtain on epilepsy

AlphaFold predicts structures for nearly every protein in the human body

Last year DeepMind put forward a compelling a solution to a 50-year-old science problem, demonstrating how its AlphaFold AI could predict the 3D structures of unique proteins, laying the groundwork for a new era of biological discovery. The company has… Continue reading AlphaFold predicts structures for nearly every protein in the human body