Scientists use lipid nanoparticles to precisely target gene editing to the liver
The genome editing technology CRISPR has emerged as a powerful new tool that can change the way we treat disease. The challenge when altering the genetics of our cells, however, is how to do it safely, effectively, and specifically targeted to the ge.....»»
MIT scientists translated spider webs into music. It could help us talk to them
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have turned spider webs into music -- creating an eerie soundtrack that could help them better understand how the arachnids spin their complex creations and even how they communicate......»»
RNA holds the reins in bacteria: Researchers observe RNA controlling protein synthesis
To better understand how RNA in bacteria gives rise to protein—and along the way, target these processes in the design of new antibiotics—researchers are turning their attention to the unique way this process happens in bacteria......»»
Reliably measuring whether rivers or lakes run out of air
Wastewater carries large quantities of organic substances into the rivers and lakes, leading to heavy growth of bacteria and oxygen deficiency. Measurement methods have so far been incapable of measuring this organic pollution precisely. A new method.....»»
Plant biologists help develop guide for science outreach
What are scientists passionate about? What do they actually do, and why does it matter? Answering questions like these is often part of public outreach efforts that, through demystifying the world of science for non-scientists, can increase appreciat.....»»
Are chemical pollutants altering the behavior of wildlife and humans?
International scientists from around the world are warning that chemical pollutants in the environment have the potential to alter animal and human behavior......»»
Interlayer exciton formation, relaxation, and transport in TMDs van der Waals heterostructures
Interlayer excitons in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures exhibit fascinating physics and hold great promise for developing excitonic devices. Scientists in China present a systematical and comprehensive over.....»»
Scientists program microalgae"s "oil factory" to produce various oils
By combining the 'chassis' of an oil-producing microalgae with genes from a Cuphea plant, scientists from the Single-Cell Center, Qingdao Institute of BioEnergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), can turn the.....»»
MIT startup Pickle raises $5.75M for its package-picking robot
There’s no doubt this past year has been a major watershed moment for the robotics industry. Warehouse and logistics have been a particular target for an automation push, as companies have worked to keep the lights on amidst stay at home orders and.....»»
Will Future Electric Vehicles Be Powered by Deep-Sea Metals?
Mining companies and marine scientists want to know whether harvesting blobs of useful materials from the seafloor harms ocean life......»»
The ocean urgently needs truly collaborative science between partners, scientists say
The ocean is at the heart of our planet. It provides many resources for those who live along its coasts and to the world as whole. To ensure a prosperous ocean now and in the future, marine research must offer clear recommendations based on represent.....»»
Telescopes unite in unprecedented observations of famous black hole
In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told......»»
"Polluter elite" needs to act first on climate change
A new report by the Cambridge Sustainability Commission on Scaling Behavior Change calls on policymakers to target the UK's 'polluter elite' to trigger a shift to more sustainable behavior, and provide affordable, available low-carbon alternatives to.....»»
San Francisco Bay protection from costly disasters is being thrown away, scientists say
For more than 100 years after California's Gold Rush, developers and city leaders filled in San Francisco Bay, shrinking it by one-third to build farms, freeways, airports and subdivisions......»»
Ancient pottery reveals the first evidence for honey hunting in prehistoric West Africa
A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, with colleagues from Goethe University, Frankfurt, has found the first evidence for ancient honey hunting, locked inside pottery fragments from prehistoric West Africa, dating back some 3,500 ye.....»»
Genetic Mistakes That Could Shape Our Species
Slashdot reader omfglearntoplay shares an excerpt from a BBC article that explores the new technologies that may have already introduced genetic errors to the human gene pool. The article starts by mentioning He Jiankui, a Shenzhen researcher who was.....»»
Reducing ocean acidification by removing carbon dioxide: Two targets for cutting-edge research
It is now widely recognized that in order to reach the target of limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels (as the objective of the Paris agreement), cutting the carbon emissions even at an unprecedented pace will not be.....»»
Novel guidelines help select optimal deconvolution method
Biomedical scientists are increasingly using deconvolution methods, those used to computationally analyze the composition of complex mixtures of cells. One of their challenges is to select one method that is appropriate for their experimental conditi.....»»
Silk moth"s diapause reverts back to ancestors" through gene editing
Diapause is a phenomenon in which animals and insects foresee changes in the environment and actively reduce metabolism, or halt regular differentiation and development. It is an adaptation strategy for adverse environments such as surviving winters,.....»»
Researchers streamline molecular assembly line to design, test drug compounds
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a way to fine-tune the molecular assembly line that creates antibiotics via engineered biosynthesis. The work could allow scientists to improve existing antibiotics as well as design new dru.....»»
Scaling up genome editing in tiny worms
Understanding the effects of specific mutations in gene regulatory regions—the sections of DNA and RNA that turn genes on and off—is important to unraveling how the genome works, as well as normal development and disease. But studying a large var.....»»