Industries
'Klosneuviruses': next-gen group of giant viruses discovered
After discovering a novel group of giant viruses with a more complete set of translation machinery genes than any other virus known to date, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, believe that this group (dubbed 'Klosneuviruses') significantly increases our understanding of viral evolution.
How sleep deprivation affects memory-making in the brain
Scientists have known that a lack of sleep can interfere with the ability to learn and make memories. Now, a group of University of Michigan researchers have found how sleep deprivation affects memory-making in the brain. Previously, researchers knew that depriving mice of sleep after the mice performed a task resulted in the mice forgetting aspects of that task.
Study explains varying outcomes for Down Syndrome
Aneuploidy is a condition in which cells contain an abnormal number of chromosomes, and is known to be the cause of many types of cancer and genetic disorders, including Down Syndrome. The condition is also the leading cause of miscarriage. Disorders caused by aneuploidy are unusual in that the severity of their effects often varies widely from one individual to another.
Brain circuit necessary for memory formation identified
When we visit a friend or go to the beach, our brain stores a short-term memory of the experience in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Those memories are later “consolidated” — that is, transferred to another part of the brain for longer-term storage. A MIT study of the neural circuits that underlie this process reveals, for the first time, that memories are actually formed simultaneously in the hippocampus and th...
The return of UK Robotics Week
As UK Robotics Week returns, the role the UK plays at the heart of robotics innovation will be shared again with the public as the event will incorporate an expanded nationwide programme of events for this week-long celebration taking place 24-30th June 2017.
Spinal cord stimulation helps man move paralysed legs
Mayo Clinic researchers used electrical stimulation on the spinal cord and intense physical therapy to help a man intentionally move his paralysed legs, stand and make steplike motions for the first time in three years. The case, the result of collaboration with UCLA researchers, appears in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Bioresorbable coronary scaffold has been cleared in Europe
REVA Medical, a San Diego, California firm, has landed the European CE Mark for its first product, the drug-eluting bioresorbable Fantom coronary scaffold. The device contains sirolimus, aka rapamycin, an immunosuppressant to help prevent restenosis, which is delivered to the implantation area slowly over time. The device itself eventually breaks up and is resorbed by the body.
'Epigenetic clock' improves research on how to extend lifespan
Lots of factors can contribute to how fast an organism ages: diet, genetics and environmental interventions can all influence lifespan. But in order to understand how each factor influences aging—and which ones may help slow its progression—researchers need an accurate biomarker, a clock that distinguishes between chronological and biological age. A traditional clock can measure the passage of chronological time and chronological...
X-ray study reveals insights into potential drug target
Researchers hope to design a new generation of drugs against an array of deadly diseases. The task, however, is costly, arduous and often ineffective. One of the key challenges is understanding a particular class of proteins adorning cell surfaces, which are the targets of the majority of pharmaceutical drugs.
Developing dual vaccine against yellow fever and rabies
Rabies and yellow fever claim ten thousands of lives each year. Vaccines already exist but various drawbacks that hinder their efficient distribution. One of them is the need to transport and store these vaccines at cool temperatures. The RABYD-VAX consortium, led by KU Leuven, has now set out to develop a cheap, temperature-stable, and easy-to-produce vaccine against both diseases at once.