Molecular-scale fluorescent markers are a staple of many branches of life sciences research. They get excited and emit a glow when illuminated with a laser, and so can be spotted and associated with cells and other biological things they’re attached to. A common problem with the fluorescent agents is that they lose their glow shortly […]
Tag: Genetics
LabBag Automates Preparation, Management of Stem Cells
Stem cells are a way to test new drugs and therapies that would otherwise require the use of animals or difficult to obtain patient samples. While they have great potential for medicine, stem cells are hard to manage, particularly growing and differentiating them into other cells, and then storing them for later use. Now a […]
trans-Tango, a Brain Network Mapping Technique to Help Understand Neuro Diseases
Researchers at Brown University have developed a practical new way of imaging the activity between individual neurons in the brain, providing scientists with a powerful tool to study neural diseases, their causes, and potential treatments. The technology has been trialed in fruit flies and has already resulted in previously unmapped neural circuits related to eating […]
Microfluidic Device for Onco Chemo Testing
Chemotherapy can be very difficult on patients, but finding out that the cancer didn’t respond to the chemo is even more disturbing. Soon there may be a way to try different chemo agents on a patient’s own tumor cells taken during a biopsy. Researchers at Purdue University have developed a microfluidic system inside which tumor […]
How Tracing Your Ancestors Could Improve Your Health: Interview with Dr. Ian Zinck, Head of Science and Research at Athletigen
Athletigen is a genetics company with offices in Halifax and Toronto, Canada, that offers advice to athletes and exercise enthusiasts to help maintain and improve their health, based on their genetic data. Customers can get their DNA sequenced, and then based on their unique genetic traits, Athletigen will identify genetic variants that can impact a […]
Researchers Stick Microscopes Inside Mouse Brains to Watch Live Neuro Activity
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have developed a way of implanting an optical lens directly into the amygdala of a living mouse’s brain to watch the neural activity taking place. The lens is a thin glass rod that is pushed deep into the brain, while an imaging microscope connected to it lets the scientists […]
Reprogrammed Patient-Specific Pig Organs for Human Transplants: Interview with Dr. Jeff Ross, CEO of Miromatrix
The waiting lists for organ transplants are long, and people die daily waiting for transplants that never become available. For those that get a transplant, there is a risk that their immune system could reject it. Using organs from pigs is an alternative to human organs since many are a similar size. However, there is […]
Bioresponsive Hydrogel Can Release Proteins on Cue
Researchers at Penn State have developed a DNA-laced hydrogel that mimics biological systems by releasing a proteins in response to a chemical signal, a technology which could be useful for drug delivery. The system has potential for on-demand release of therapeutic proteins, also known as biologics, to treat a variety of conditions. Hydrogels are composed […]
Sound Waves Sort Cells for Diagnostics, Cell-Based Therapies
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design have developed a microfluidic device that can isolate cells from complex biological samples using sound waves. The technique could help doctors to accurately isolate specific types of cells from blood and other bodily fluids, which is useful for diagnostics and cell-based therapies. Separating individual cells from […]
Trapping Cancer Helps to Study Dormant Cells and How to Kill Them
Cancers often come back following successful treatment, a process at least partially due to the fact that dormant cells, which are particularly resistant to common therapies like chemo, remain in the body. They’re elusive and therefore difficult to study, so progress on targeting such cells has been limited. Now scientists at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities […]
Improved Brain Organoids for Zika Virus Research
Researchers at UCLA have developed a method to produce improved brain organoids, or “mini brains,” that they claim mimic the structure of the human brain more closely than previous attempts. The investigators used the organoids to study how the Zika virus infects and destroys brain tissue, and identify potential treatments, but the mini brains could […]
Genetically Programmed Bacteria Grow Into Electronic Devices
For folks that fear the consequences of genetic engineering and related fields, it’s time to dial it up to eleven. That’s because researchers at Duke University have now demonstrated that they’re able to genetically modify bacteria to coax them to produce electronic devices, potentially leading to a new and surprising way for to interface with […]
Implantable, Biodegradable Optical Fiber to Stay in Body for Long Time Stretches
Light delivered via an optical fiber is used in medicine for tasks such as examination of tissues and destruction of tumors. Many other applications are on the way, including drug release and activation, optogenetics, and new diagnostic modalities. Some of these may require a source of light to be available for long periods of time. […]
Genetically Modified Skin Graft Works as Built-In Glucose Meter
Easy to use finger prick glucometers have helped diabetics to manage their disease and continuous glucose monitors that stay on the body for days at a time have made it even easier. Still, these will seem like technology from centuries past compared to the genetically engineered and grafted blood glucose sensor developed at the University […]
Organoids of Human Kidneys Help to Study Renal Diseases
Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic condition in which the tubules of the kidneys grow to become deformed, leading to cysts to grow on the organ. Studying this disease has been a challenge because of the difficulty of modeling it in the laboratory. Now researchers led by a team at the University of Washington have […]
Squeezing Cancer Cells Through Tiny Holes for Diagnostic Uses
The stiffness of a cell is often an indicator of whether it is healthy or cancerous, and the so-called mechanotype, a phenotype based on cell mechanics when squeezed, is indicative of other properties of cells. Being able to easily measure how a cell deforms when under pressure has great potential for diagnostic purposes. Now the […]
Glowing Molecular Sensor Helps Spot New Useful Antibiotics
Microorganisms are natural factories for all sorts of biomolecules, and some of them produce antibiotics that can be very useful in medical practice. This is not a newly discovered fact, but because each microorganism produces its own set of molecules and the rate of production is not very high, it’s been difficult to use this […]
Dante Labs Full Genome Sequencing: A Medgadget Review
Dante Labs, a company with offices in Europe and United States, have partnered with a number of laboratories worldwide and are now using next generation sequencing technology to map an individual’s complete genome—all three-billion base pairs—in around 8 weeks, and for under €1,000 ($1,175). This service is similar to the now fairly ubiquitous whole exome sequencing […]
Microfluidic Chip Takes Blood Cells Through a Labyrinth to Pick Out CTCs
Picking out circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood, known as liquid biopsy, should soon be a regular way to screen for cancer and to monitor patients that have undergone treatment. There is also evidence that there are so-called cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are particularly aggressive and that are able to morph into any kind […]
Acoustofluidics Pulls Exosomes from Whole Blood
Exosomes are tiny vesicles that are released by the body’s myriad of cells and that are found in blood, urine, and other bodily fluids. Their role within our bodies is still largely a mystery, but there’s already considerable evidence that they may be biomarkers of disease and indicators that certain processes are happening within the […]