Biotech

Zebrafish arrestins take turns inactivating key protein depending on intensity of light

Ateneo researchers are looking to turn milkfish skin, a common waste byproduct of the Philippine fishing industry, into an invaluable medical resource.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a cockroach cyborg, microrobots that assemble and disassemble to perform tasks, and a sponge made of squid bones to clean up pollution.

Near-gap-free and near-error-free genomes of a susceptible bed bug strain and a superstrain with around 20,000-fold insecticide resistance offer the broadest look yet at the full scope of mutations driving their resilience.

Utilizing pericellular and intracellular controlled-release of carboplatin to precisely synergize with reduced-dose radiotherapy, aiming to eradicate malignant gliomas.

This bioengineering breakthrough has found a way to make neurons grown in a dish react just like the real thing.

- DGIST Professor Kim Kyuhyung's research team uncovers the role of Piezo channels that sense pressure in the digestive tract and regulate swallowing behavior - The research opens new opportunities for developing treatments for digestive and eating disorders

Cell wall proteins exhibit emulsifying action, offer possible alternative to emulsifiers derived from milk, other known allergens

In a pivotal move ahead of COP29, Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has partnered with leading global scientific organisations to issue a unified call to action, spotlighting microbial solutions as pivotal in combating climate change. In a strategic publication, released in multiple high-impact scientific journals at once, the joint paper advocates for the establishment of a global science-driven climate task force. This initiative aims to expedite the deployment of microbiome technologies, providing stakeholders worldwide with access to effective and immediate solutions

King of nanomaterials, Old but new, Probing stardust properties, Two-in-one, The good grain & Brain-inspired electronic skin. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are healthy honey from a stingless bee, hybrid animal-plant cells, and an ancient arthropod found in fool’s gold.

- DGIST Professor Youngu Lee and Jeonbuk National University Professor Jaehyuk Lim successfully developed an ultra-sensitive, transparent, and flexible electronic skin mimicking the neural network in the human brain. - Applicable across different areas, including healthcare wearable devices and transparent display touch panels.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how our brain makes us love or hate spicy food, using maths to predict stock market trends, and a battery that can make electricity from the atmosphere on Mars.

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, demonstrate how morphogens combined with cell adhesion can generate tissue domains with a sharp boundary in an in vitro model system.

Mirror, mirror, in my tank, who’s the biggest fish of all? Sigma bond spotted, Balancing cell membrane, Exploring quantum squeezing and Outbreak preparedness. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Successful selection of compounds inhibiting the function of a transcription factor

How multiple DNA binding proteins compete for the DNA substrate leads to different biochemical outcomes. Using single-molecule experiments, this work demonstrates that the regulatory protein Mei5-Sae3 complex stabilizes Dmc1 recombinases on RPA-coated DNA, leading to efficient RPA displacement and Dmc1 assembly, which in turn stimulates recombination progression.

2024 Taiwan Innotech Expo takes place from October 17 to 19 at the Taipei World Trade Center. Witness cutting-edge inventions and innovations from Taiwan and around the world.

Light-induced immunoassay coated with novel coronavirus spike proteins found highly sensitive even with weak light like a laser pointer

A better understanding of how cells regulate their membranes could lead to new treatments for diseases such as epilepsy and anemia.

Mutant microalgae produce wax esters for biofuel feedstock with improved cold flow

Researchers from Osaka University created ‘smart’ microparticles that self-assemble in response to the addition of a specific molecule. This work can help explain the behavior of biomolecular complexes, as well as pave the way for novel polymers that respond to their environment.

Studied oxidative stress and Parkinson’s disease as a case study

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how a live pig was operated on by a surgeon thousands of kilometers away, how an asteroid caused a massive ancient impact, and the day the sun grew dark 6,000 years ago.

Feeder-free induced pluripotent stem cells hold hope in therapies for cats’ chronic kidney disease

- 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.

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

A nonirritant, antibacterial solution to prevent oral inflammation may lie in citrus and coconut chemical compounds

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.

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.