Biotech
News
03 Sep 2024
Feeder-free induced pluripotent stem cells hold hope in therapies for cats’ chronic kidney disease
01 Sep 2024
- DGIST Professor Seo Byeong-Chan’s research team is the first in the world to discover how PAC channels work.
- Their research has revealed a method to prevent cell edema and tissue damage, which may help treat cancer and brain diseases.
27 Aug 2024
14-3-3η: A protein that helps fight RNA viruses but can also be manipulated by them. New research reveals its complex role in the immune response
26 Aug 2024
A nonirritant, antibacterial solution to prevent oral inflammation may lie in citrus and coconut chemical compounds

20 Aug 2024
Pathogens hijack host cell functions by expressing or secreting effector proteins, creating environments conducive to their survival and reproduction. These pathogenic microorganisms—including eukaryotic parasites, prokaryotic bacteria, and viruses—express effector proteins that function as their "ammunition depot". These proteins are crucial for pathogen survival and dissemination, enhancing the efficiency of invasion, suppressing the host's immune system, or initiating pathogen replication. For instance, viruses may interfere with host signaling pathways, pushing cells into states that favor viral replication. Similarly, certain bacteria secrete toxins that disrupt the host cell cytoskeleton, facilitating pathogen invasion and spread. Additionally, pathogens can evade immune surveillance by suppressing the host's immune response, thereby increasing the likelihood of a successful infection.
12 Aug 2024
A newly discovered mechanism of fear memory formation in mouse brains may help reduce the negative impact of fear and provide new treatment methods for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the future , according to a study published on August 5th in the open-access journal Cell Reports by Wen-Hsien Hou (侯文賢) from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, and colleagues.
12 Aug 2024
Hidden hand that carves life, Plant-inspired water purification, 3D-printed meals, Fast-glowing molecule, See less to move better. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
03 Aug 2024
Wild boars and red junglefowl gave rise to common pigs and chickens. These animals’ genes evolved to express themselves differently, leading to signatures of domestication — such as weaker bones and better viral resistance — in pigs and chickens, according to a research team based in Japan.
02 Aug 2024
- DGIST-Sungkyunkwan University research team successfully develops a next-generation bioelectronic suture that can monitor inflammation around wounds in real time
- Maintains the functionality of traditional surgical sutures while monitoring inflammation... Expected to contribute to advances in wound care and related medical fields
30 Jul 2024
Applied Microbiology International has announced that it has recruited 11 new Global Ambassadors from around the world.
29 Jul 2024
A research group led by Associate Professor Katsuya Sakai, Researcher Nichole Marcela Rojas-Chaverra, and Professor Kunio Matsumoto of the Cancer Research Institute and Nano-Life Science (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University has developed a long-acting, subcutaneously injectable artificial hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mimetic molecule using a fusion technology of cyclic peptides and protein engineering. They demonstrated in a mouse model that it improves liver fibrosis, lipid accumulation, and inflammation caused by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This research result provides an option for the development of NASH therapeutics as well as a technology for creating growth factor and cytokine mimetic molecules with improved pharmacokinetics.
25 Jul 2024
- DGIST Professor Seo Dae-ha’s team has developed a methodology that combines nanoparticles, high-resolution microscopy, and analytical algorithms to observe intracellular cargo transport strategies.
- They observed the three-dimensional movement of endosomes during intracellular transport and discovered the real-time strategy of cells for efficient transport.
- The research findings were published in Advanced Science.
18 Jul 2024
During embryonic development, cells proliferate rapidly and differentiate to form tissues and organs of multicellular organisms. Paradoxically, since the 19th century, scientists have discovered that these processes that foster the creation of life is often accompanied by large-scale cell death. Why? This is a century-old mystery. Dr. Sheng-hong Chen and his team from the Institute of Molecular Biology's Lab for Cell Dynamics discovered that large-scale cell death occurs through Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-mediated ferroptosis trigger waves, published online in Nature in July 2024.
08 Jul 2024
Decoding dead stars’ “heartbeats”, Why do females live longer? DNA controller for molecular robots, Earliest twin quasars found. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus July's SciCom Coffee with A*STAR's Lisa Chong and get the early bird price to be in Asia Research News 2025.
06 Jul 2024
- DGIST Professor Ko Jaewon and team identify a single family of synaptic membrane proteins that inhibit excitatory and synaptic properties
- The findings may provide key clues to the development of therapeutics for related brain disorders targeting different synaptic protein complexes inhibited by MDGA proteins
* MDGA: a synaptic adhesion protein that plays an essential role in how nerve cells connect with each other to transmit neural signals.
05 Jul 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are small robots with human brain organoids, new findings about the ancient Denisovan culture, and how to create the perfect environment for bad bacteria.
28 Jun 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how to reach your 100th birthday, a (slightly unnerving) robot covered in human skin, and a feline urine test.
14 Jun 2024
Researchers from Tohoku University and Kyoto University have succeeded in developing a DNA–based molecular controller. Crucially, this controller enables the autonomous assembly and disassembly of molecular robots, as opposed to manually directing it.
24 May 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how catching up on sleep in big chunks does not completely pay our sleep debt, a biodegradable paper placed on the brain to help with neurological diseases, and a dinosaur that shows the transition between scales and feathers.
19 May 2024
An oblong-shaped receiver significantly increases the amount of charge harvested from ultrasound-based wireless power transfer
14 May 2024
Genome editing is making inroads into biomedical research and medicine. By employing biomolecule modeling tools, a Japanese research team is accelerating the pace and cutting the cost of zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology, a primary gene editing tool.
03 May 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are the origin of a nearby asteroid, laser-activated droplets that detect biomarkers, and another example of how apes are not too far from us humans!
25 Apr 2024
Academic, clinical and industry partners signed several MoUs with City University of Hong Kong at a special ceremony on 24 April to mark the establishment of the CityUHK Institute of Digital Medicine (IDM).
12 Apr 2024
Zika virus vaccine targets brain cancer, 120-year quest to farm lobsters, Arctic nightlife bursts with sound, Eating a robot, Molecular orientation is key & New treatment for ALS and dementia. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
11 Apr 2024
Researchers have identified 14 genes that thale cress express more when responding to five specific stressors, as well as eight genes that the plant suppresses.
05 Apr 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are where music affects our bodies, a battery powered by the oxygen inside our bodies, and the largest bird family tree to date.
25 Mar 2024
A marine biologist is inching closer to conquering science’s over 120-year pursuit to farm lobsters by letting these “dragons of the sea” get real weird.
24 Mar 2024
- DGIST Prof. Hyuk-Jun Kwon's team has developed neuromorphic devices using ferroelectrics and two-dimensional channels.
- Similar to the human brain, they perform both computational and memory functions –– but 10,000 times faster than synapses with minimal energy consumption.
- Their application to next-generation AI semiconductor technology is anticipated.
19 Mar 2024
The 12th Starch Value Chain ASIA conference was held in Vientiane, at Crowne Plaza Hotel, from February 27 to 29, 2024. The conference encompassed four key themes: Asia’s starch markets, industrial and food-grade tapioca starch in Laos with expansion plans, sustainable climate-smart agri-technology for rice and cassava cultivation, and challenges for future growth in Asia's biogas-to-energy sector.
Events
Sorry, no events coming up for this topic.
Researchers
Tokyo University of Science
Kyohei Okubo is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Industrial Science and Technology, Department of Materials Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science.
Nanyang Technological University
Dr. Sravya Tekumalla is currently a Principal Investigator in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where she works as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow. In addition, she also leads a small team of staff and students working in the domain of metal additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing).
Tohoku University
I am a leading expert in the reconstruction of an artificial cell membrane as a novel system for screening side effects of drugs on the heart. This system can assess the potential risks of drugs that unintentionally interfere with the function of membrane proteins in the heart muscle.
Dr.Ms.Aruna Dhathathreyan is a professor and emeritus scientist at the Advanced Materials Lab, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, India.
Aparna B. Gunjal is a microbiologist at Dr. D.Y. Patil, Arts, Commerce & Science College, India.
Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University
Yuichi Taniguchi is a professor at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS)/Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, a team leader at RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research and an adjunct professor at Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University.
Nagoya University
Michitaka Notaguchi is an assistant professor at the Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Japan.
Hokkaido University
Manabu Tokeshi is a Professor at the Division of Applied Chemistry at Hokkaido University.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
Currently Associate Professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Holds a PhD from University College of Wales and BSc (Hons) Genetics from the University of Liverpool
Professor and Head of Microbiology and Immunology Department,
Faculty of Medicine, Lincoln University College (LUC) Malaysia.
Professor in Agriculture and Education in the Iloilo Science and Technology University Leon Campus (ISAT U). Leon, ILOILO, PHILIPPINES
Giants in history
Pakistani botanist Azra Quraishi (22 September 1945 – 22 November 2002) is recognised for developing virus-free seed potatoes that increased potato production in Pakistan by an estimated five per cent.
Indian botanist Shipra Guha-Mukherjee (13 July 1938 – 15 September 2007) made a breakthrough discovery that enabled the genetic study of plants and, by extension, the development of improved varieties of rice, wheat, potatoes, and other crops.
Japanese chemist Takamine Jokichi (3 November 1854 – 22 July 1922) founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he isolated a starch-digesting enzyme (named takadiastase) from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae.
Filipina chemist María Orosa (29 November 1892–13 February 1945) fought malnutrition and food insecurity in the Philippines by devising over 700 culinary creations including Soyalac, a nutrient rich drink made from soybeans, and Darak, rice cookies packed with Vitamin B1, which could prevent beriberi disease caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency. She was also a partisan of the guerrilla movement resisting Japanese occupation during World War II, and died after being struck by shrapnel while working in her laboratory during the Battle of Manila.
Chinese biochemist Cao Tianqin (5 December 1920 – 8 January 1995) discovered the myosin light chain, a subunit of myosin, a protein crucial for muscle contraction.
In 1939, biochemist Kamala Sohonie (18 June 1911 – 28 June 1998) became the first woman to be accepted into the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping (7 September 1930 – 22 May 2021) developed the first varieties of the high-yield, hybrid rice that brought food security to multiple countries including China, which had been ravaged by food shortages as recently as the mid-20th century.
David T. Wong (born 1936) is a Hong Kong-born American neuroscientist who is best known for discovering the antidepressant drug fluoxetine, better known as Prozac.
Cyril Andrew Ponnamperuma (16 October 1923 – 20 December 1994) was a Sri Lankan chemist who was interested in the origins of life on Earth. His research in chemical evolution showed how inanimate molecules may have given rise to the building blocks of life – a process known as abiogenesis.
Osamu Shimomura (27 August 1928 – 19 October 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist who dedicated his career to understanding how organisms emitted light.
Janaki Ammal Edavalath Kakkat (4 November 1897 – 7 February 1984) was an Indian botanist who studied plant chromosomes and genetics.
Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (8 October 1922 – 7 April 2001) is best known for developing the Ramachandran plot to understand the structure of short chains of amino acids, known as peptides.
Hsien Wu (24 November 1893 – 8 August 1959) is widely regarded as the founder of biochemistry and nutrition science in China. He was the first to propose that protein denaturation was caused by the unfolding of the protein, instead of chemical alteration.
Umetaro Suzuki (7 April 1874 – 20 September 1943) was a Japanese scientist best remembered for his research on beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, characterized by limb stiffness, paralysis and pain.
Maqsudul Alam (14 December 1954 – 20 December 2014) was a biologist from Bangladesh who is renowned for his research on genome sequencing
Barry Paw (29 August 1962 – 28 December 2017) was a biologist and oncologist who discovered several novel genes and their functions in red blood cells.
Gloria Lim (1930-2022) was a mycologist from Singapore who studied tropical fungi. One of the first students to attend University of Malaya when it was founded in 1949, she went on to become the first female Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Singapore.