https://phys.org/biology-news/biotechnology en-us The latest science news on biotechnology New strains of yeast for brewing lager beers, created by hybridizing wild strains of yeast from Patagonia with brewer's yeast, can yield novel flavors and aromas, reports a new study by Jennifer Molinet and Francisco Cubillos of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, published June 20 in the journal PLOS Genetics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-wild-yeasts-patagonia-yield-flavors.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news638091421 Advanced technology tested nearly two years ago in the water treatment system that serves Toledo could prove valuable in efforts to protect the water that pours out of taps well beyond northwest Ohio, according to research published by The University of Toledo. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-advanced-algae-sensor-toledo-valuable.html Biotechnology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:02:04 EDT news638103721 Advances in organoids and embryonic models of human development have the potential to prompt social and existential questions—e.g., what defines human individuality? However, bioethicist Insoo Hyun of Harvard Medical School and the Museum of Science in Boston says that these models have the potential to strengthen rather than weaken the concept of human individuality when considered within the philosophical frameworks of "personhood" and sentience. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-embryo-organoid-threaten-definition-personhood.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news638094739 Purdue University researchers are introducing a new biosensor technology to the agricultural industry inspired by advancements achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-paper-based-biosensor-fast-easy.html Biotechnology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:48:58 EDT news638099332 Scientists have prototyped a new method for "rationally engineering" enzymes to deliver improved performance. They have devised an algorithm, which takes into account an enzyme's evolutionary history, to flag where mutations could be introduced with a high likelihood of delivering functional improvements. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-algorithm-enzymes.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 05:00:01 EDT news638014321 A demonstration of how new technologies can be used in 21st century crop breeding comes from just published research that combines laser scanning and 3D printing to create a detailed 3D model of a sugar beet plant. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-crops-laser-3d.html Biotechnology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:00:01 EDT news638018983 The rise of advanced artificial intelligence (edge AI) could well mark the beginning of a new era for sustainable agriculture. A recent study proposes a roadmap for integrating this technology into farming practices. The aim? To improve the efficiency, quality and safety of agricultural production, while addressing a range of environmental, social and economic challenges. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-roadmap-edge-ai-farming.html Biotechnology Agriculture Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:14:03 EDT news637928041 Details of an ancient cousin of modern-day mammals are being revealed for the first time. Hi-tech scanning of an ancient fossil, which was captured in sandstone around 252–254 million years ago, is giving experts valuable insight into the animal's anatomy and evolution. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-million-year-fossil-anew-modern.html Biotechnology Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:27:03 EDT news637925221 Researchers are using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to study how enzymes found in all forms of life (called ribonucleases) can be modified to work to our advantage. This technology could have wide-ranging applications, from better cancer treatments and more effective pharmaceuticals to more efficient and environmentally friendly industrial catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-function-common-enzymes-hacking.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:19:14 EDT news637845550 A collaborative research team has developed a plant gene drive system called CRISPR-Assisted Inheritance utilizing NPG1 (CAIN), which, according to the researchers, uses a toxin-antidote mechanism in the male germline to override Mendelian inheritance in plants. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-overriding-mendel-laws-gene-trait.html Plants & Animals Biotechnology Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:19:03 EDT news637841941 CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has made possible a multitude of biomedical experiments, including studies that systematically turn off genes in cancer cells to look for ones that the cancer cells heavily depend on to survive and grow. These genes, or "cancer dependencies," are often promising drug targets. But new research shows that many of these CRISPR screening experiments rely on components, called CRISPR/Cas9 guides, that do not perform equally well in cells from people of all ancestries, which can cause CRISPR screens to miss cancer dependencies. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-crispr-screens-cancer-drug.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 15 Jun 2024 03:11:44 EDT news637639897 Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have reported a way to improve molecular scale distance measurements using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET). smFRET quantifies the excitation and emission properties of chemicals called fluorophores. The findings were published in Nature Methods. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-insights-fluorescent-dark-states-illuminate.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:44:10 EDT news637584244 Worldwide, a majority of babies—approximately 75%—drink infant formula in their first six months of life, either as a sole source of nutrition or as a supplement to breastfeeding. But while formula provides essential food for growing babies, it currently does not replicate the full nutritional profile of breast milk. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-human-sugars-healthier-baby-formula.html Plants & Animals Biotechnology Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:04:04 EDT news637509842 Michigan State University researchers have discovered that honeybees can detect biomarkers or chemical concentrations associated with lung cancer in human breath. The researchers have also shown that the honeybees can distinguish between different lung cancer cell types using only the 'smell' of the cell cultures. These findings could be used as a model for developing new tests to diagnose lung cancer early. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-honeybees-lung-cancer.html Plants & Animals Biotechnology Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:56:05 EDT news637491362 Proteins are workhorses that carry out most of the biological functions in our cells. While the genes we inherit from our parents, our so-called genome, are fixed and usually remain unchanged throughout our lives, proteins in our bodies are constantly changing, as we age, under different health conditions and upon stimulation, such as with medical treatment. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-easier-expensive-technology-proteome.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 11:08:39 EDT news637409313 Efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from transportation fuels are increasing demand for oil produced by nonfood crops. These plants use sunlight to power the conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into oil, which accumulates in seeds. Crop breeders, interested in selecting plants that produce a lot of oil, look for yellow seeds. In oilseed crops like canola, yellow-seeded varieties generally produce more oil than their brown-seeded counterparts. The reason: The protein responsible for brown seed color—which yellow-seeded plants lack—also plays a key role in oil production. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-yellow-seeded-camelina-high.html Biotechnology Agriculture Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:02:03 EDT news637336921 Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have changed the sensitivity of bacterial systems for controlling gene activity to red light and reprogrammed their molecular response to the light stimulus. The results, published in Nature Communications, open up exciting possibilities in the biotechnological application of bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reprogram-bacterial-gene-red.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:52:49 EDT news637318367 A new way of helping a critically endangered species of eel swim upstream during their migration has been tested by Cardiff University researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-textured-tiles-endangered-eels-human.html Ecology Biotechnology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 16:47:03 EDT news637256821 Sugarcane is the world's largest crop by biomass yield, providing 80% of the sugar and 40% of the biofuel produced worldwide. The plant's size and efficient use of water and light make it a prime candidate to produce advanced renewable, value-added bioproducts and biofuels. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-fine-tuning-leaf-angle-crispr.html Biotechnology Agriculture Mon, 10 Jun 2024 16:39:03 EDT news637256341 Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä have developed an imaging device for schools and research centers to study microbes. The 3D-printed device "NIRis" enables schools to observe and study natural phenomena. Researchers will gain useful and new knowledge about the light-activated bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-imaging-device-combines-microbial.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:59:44 EDT news637243179 A new study identifies microbes that potentially play important roles in breaking down harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals—also known as forever chemicals—and points to functional genes that may be involved in biologically transforming these compounds. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-potential-microbes-genes-impact-chemicals.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:41:04 EDT news637242061 A bacterial enzyme called histidine kinase is a promising target for new classes of antibiotics. However, it has been difficult to develop drugs that target this enzyme, because it is a "hydrophobic" protein that loses its structure once removed from its normal location in the cell membrane. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-protein-antibiotics.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:20:07 EDT news637233603 Scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have improved a gene-editing technology that is now capable of inserting or substituting entire genes in the genome in human cells efficiently enough to be potentially useful for therapeutic applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-prime-gene-sized-human-cells.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 05:00:01 EDT news636973758 A team from the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) has produced an increase in gene expression in a food crop by changing its upstream regulatory DNA. While other studies have used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing to knock out or decrease the expression of genes, new research published in Science Advances is the first unbiased gene-editing approach to increase gene expression and downstream photosynthetic activity. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-team-crisprcas9-photosynthesis.html Biotechnology Agriculture Fri, 07 Jun 2024 14:00:01 EDT news636968341 Cells are the basic units of life—but many of their fundamental processes happen so fast and at such small length scales that current scientific tools and methods can't keep up, preventing us from developing a deeper understanding. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-spray-device-capture-fast-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 06 Jun 2024 14:41:38 EDT news636903690 Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a silk-based, ultrathin membrane that can be used in organ-on-a-chip models to better mimic the natural environment of cells and tissues within the body. When used in a kidney organ-on-a-chip platform, the membrane helped tissues grow to recreate the functionality of both healthy and diseased kidneys. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-silkworms-tissues-labs.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 06 Jun 2024 08:47:04 EDT news636882421 Novel high-resolution microscopy technology is allowing researchers to see for the first time the dynamic processes of respiration in a native membrane environment at the atomic level. The new technique could help researchers better understand what's happening inside mitochondria and other organelles of diseased cells and identify new, more precise drug targets. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-situ-microscopy-atomic-view-mitochondria.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 06 Jun 2024 08:22:05 EDT news636880922 In a study published in Cell, a research team led by Zhang Yong'e and Wang Haoyi from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has characterized the diversity of DNA transposons and expanded the genome engineering toolbox. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-large-scale-reveals-functional-diversity.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:24:17 EDT news636805455 Transfection is the process of deliberately introducing nucleic acids into cells. Cell transfection is crucial in the fields of T cell and stem cell therapy. However, the existing transfection technology still faces challenges in achieving high efficiency and maintaining optimal cell viability. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-safe-efficient-cell-transfection.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:15:02 EDT news636722101 In recent years, technologies that allow scientists to study a person's DNA at single-molecule resolution have vastly expanded our knowledge of the human genome, the microbiome, and the genetic basis of disease. With such a detailed view of DNA, it's possible to see genetic variants and structural details that were simply undetectable with earlier sequencing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-molecule-dna-sequencing.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:55:04 EDT news636720901