news

Health - Life Sciences - 11.09.2023

AI to predict recovery after serious brain injury
Two graduate students from Western University have developed a ground-breaking method for predicting which intensive care unit (ICU) patients will survive a severe brain injury. Matthew Kolisnyk and Karnig Kazazian combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with state-of-the art machine learning techniques to tackle one of the most complex issues in critical care.

Life Sciences - Innovation - 11.09.2023

Bacteria generate electricity from wastewater
In a breakthrough for the field of bioelectronics, researchers at EPFL have enhanced the ability of E. coli bacteria to generate electricity. The innovative approach only offers a sustainable solution for organic waste processing while outperforming previous state-of-the-art technologies, opening new horizons for versatile microbial electricity production.

Life Sciences - Health - 11.09.2023

’Invisible’ Cell Types and Gene Expression Revealed with Sequencing Data Analysis Improvement
In 2018, researchers in the Caltech laboratory of Yuki Oka , professor of biology and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, made a major discovery: they identified a type of neuron, or brain cell, that mediates thirst satiation. But they were running into a problem: a state-of-the-art technique called single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) could not find those thirst-related neurons in samples of brain tissue (specifically, from a region called the media preoptic nucleus) that were known to contain them.

Health - Life Sciences - 08.09.2023

Using MRI scans to improve the lives of dementia patients
The Conservatives have seized on cars as a political wedge - it's a bet on the public turning against climate action 07 Researchers at the University of Manchester are using MRI scans to better predict the progression of dementia In the UK, 5-20% of over 60s population experience mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a decline in one cognitive area, such as memory, language, spatial orientation, or forward planning, over time.

Life Sciences - Mathematics - 08.09.2023

What do neurons, fireflies and dancing the Nutbush have in common?
Synchronicity is all around us, but it is poorly understood. Computer scientists have now developed new tools to understand how human and natural networks fall in and out of sync. Computer scientists and mathematicians working in complex systems at the University of Sydney and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Germany have developed new methods to describe what many of us take for granted - how easy, or hard, it can be to fall in and out of sync.

Health - Life Sciences - 08.09.2023

Breakthrough on preeclampsia cure
Researchers have made groundbreaking progress towards identifying the root cause and potential therapy for preeclampsia. The pregnancy complication affects up to eight per cent of pregnancies globally and is the leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality due to premature delivery, complications with the placenta and lack of oxygen.

Health - Life Sciences - 08.09.2023

Smart pill can track key biological markers in real-time
Coupling engineered bacteria with low-power electronics could be highly effective in diagnosis, treatment of bowel diseases. Close Researchers from MIT, Boston University, and elsewhere report a smart pill the size of a blueberry that could be a game changer in the diagnosis and treatment of bowel diseases.

Life Sciences - Health - 07.09.2023

How ribosome production and cell division rate are coupled
Scientists at Heidelberg University investigate functional details of a ribonucleoprotein complex for this circuitry. In order for cancer cells to divide continuously and unchecked, they have to outsmart the cellular mechanisms that normally ensure tight control of cell division. One of the elementary cellular processes is the production of ribosomes, which is manipulated by cancer cells in such a way that the ribosome production rate is ramped up, thus enabling the necessary high cell division rate.

Life Sciences - Health - 07.09.2023

The discovery of a new kind of cell revolutionizes neuroscience
A research team from the University of Lausanne and the Wyss Center has discovered a new type of cell essential to brain function. Hybrid in composition and function between the two hitherto known types of brain cells - neurons and glial cells - these cells of a new order are found in several brain regions from mice to humans.

Life Sciences - Health - 07.09.2023

Pioneering research by the University of Valencia and the CSIC uses bacteria viruses against Xylella fastidiosa in the Balearic Islands
Pioneering research by the University of Valencia and the CSIC uses bacteria viruses against Xylella fastidiosa in the Balearic Islands Pilar Domingo-Calap, researcher at the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), a joint centre of the University of Valencia (UV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), directs research with phages (bacterial viruses) that has started treating crop plants affected by the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa in the Balearic Islands.

Health - Life Sciences - 07.09.2023

Decoding Blood Platelet Production: The Intricate Role of Lipids
Disruptions in lipid metabolism might affect platelet production. Scientists unveiled a deeper understanding of megakaryocyte differentiation and blood platelet production, a process crucial for maintaining healthy blood clotting and preventing excessive bleeding. The study featured in "Nature Cardiovascular Research," led by chemist Robert Ahrends from the University of Vienna and cardiologist Oliver Borst from the University of Tübingen, sheds light on the intricate role of lipids - the building blocks of cell membranes - in the formation of these vital blood components.

Environment - Life Sciences - 07.09.2023

When lush deciduous forests covered the Arctic
Around 50 million years ago there were extensive, lush deciduous forests in the polar regions of the Arctic, where today there is sparse vegetation. The forests existed due to the conditions in the Eocene - a combination of a greenhouse climate and almost twice the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as there is today.

Environment - Life Sciences - 07.09.2023

Bees struggle to find flowers because of air pollution
A new study has found that air pollution is preventing pollinators finding flowers because it degrades the scent. A research team comprising the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Universities of Birmingham, Reading, Surrey and Southern Queensland, found that ozone substantially changes the size and scent of floral odour plumes given off by flowers, and that it reduced honeybees' ability to recognise odours by up to 90% from just a few metres away.

Life Sciences - 06.09.2023

Human Embryo Models Grown from Stem Cells
The complete, day 14 synthetic models may open new avenues of research into infertility, drug testing and growth of tissues for transplant - as well as help scientists peer into the dramatic first weeks of embryonic development A research team headed by Prof. Jacob Hanna at the Weizmann Institute of Science has created complete models of human embryos from stem cells cultured in the lab - and managed to grow them outside the womb up to day 14.

Life Sciences - Health - 06.09.2023

HIV drug may be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and CSIC have studied the effect of lamivudine, a drug used in the treatment of HIV, in a transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease. The results, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences , suggest that retranscriptase inhibitors may be a promising strategy to be developed in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.

Health - Life Sciences - 06.09.2023

Research sheds light on how breast cancer might develop after pregnancy
Study observing changes in healthy breast cells may explain why breast cancer might develop after pregnancy. A cell-based study has helped begin to disentangle the complex relationship between genetic mutations, pregnancy and breast cancer risk. Researchers from Imperial College London examined healthy breast cells from 29 women who had given birth at different ages and women who did not have any children, to look at genetic mutations and how cells divide.

Life Sciences - Innovation - 06.09.2023

Analog & digital: best of both worlds in one energy-efficient system
The fusion of 2D semiconductors and ferroelectric materials could lead to joint digital and analog information processing, with significant improvement in energy consumption, electronic device performance, and lead to novel functionalities. We live in an analog world of continuous information flow that is both processed and stored by our brains at the same time, but our devices process information digitally in the form of discrete binary code, breaking the information into bits.

Health - Life Sciences - 06.09.2023

Potatos with the right antennae
All over the world, huge quantities of crop protection agents are sprayed to control potato blight ( Phytophthora infestans ). The mechanisms of resistance of potatoes need to be better understood to make growing this crop more sustainable. Researchers of Wageningen University & Research together with their colleagues in Tübingen and Norwich have now taken an important step.

Life Sciences - 06.09.2023

Models of complete, day 14 human embryos grown from stem cells
A research team headed by Prof. Jacob Hanna at the Weizmann Institute of Science has created complete models of human embryos from stem cells cultured in the lab - and managed to grow them outside the womb up to day 14. As reported in Nature , these stem-cell embryo models had all the structures and compartments characteristic of this stage, including the placenta, yolk sac, chorionic sac and other external tissues that ensure the models' dynamic and adequate growth.

Health - Life Sciences - 05.09.2023

Reversing aging in the blood and immune systems
As we age, our bodies face many challenges, including declining immune system function and increased vulnerability to various health problems. A study conducted within the UNIL-CHUV Department of Oncology has recently shed light on these challenges. It unveils a potential solution that could have far-reaching implications for aging individuals.