Long-time Slashdot reader sixoh1 shares “an interesting spin on biotechnology tools that we’ve been seeing explode lately like Crisper-CAS and mRNA.” Ars Technica writes: This is in no way a route to a practical therapy, but it does provide a fantastic window into what we can accomplish by manipulating biology. The whole effort described in the new paper is focused on…
Tag: enzymes
A protocol to minimize the thermodynamic cost of erasing a single bit over a given amount of time
Stochastic thermodynamics theory is a framework that delineates the amount of heat, dynamics and entropy in small (i.e., mesoscopic) systems that are far from a state of thermodynamic equilibrium. In recent years, scientists have tried to use this theory to better understand the dynamics underlying a variety of systems, including colloidal particles, DNA, RNA, enzymes, molecular motors and electronic devices. …
Coating our gut walls with glue could treat lactose intolerance
A glue that coats the interior of the gut when swallowed can be enhanced with enzymes to treat lactose intolerance, tests in pigs show – and it could also help treat obesity Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2252936-coating-our-gut-walls-with-glue-could-treat-lactose-intolerance/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Scientists Create Glowing Plants Using Mushroom Genes
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Emitting an eerie green glow, they look like foliage from a retro computer game, but in fact they are light-emitting plants produced in a laboratory. Researchers say the glowing greenery could not only add an unusual dimension to home decor but also open up a fresh way for scientists to explore the…
Mutant Enzyme Could Vastly Improve Recycling of Plastic Bottles
sciencehabit writes: Recycling isn’t as guilt-free as it seems. Only about 30% of the plastic that goes into soda bottles gets turned into new plastic, and it often ends up as a lower strength version. Now, researchers report they’ve engineered an enzyme that can convert 90% of that same plastic back to its pristine starting materials. Work is underway to scale…
Scientists Find Toolkit To Aid Repair of Damaged DNA
An anonymous reader quotes UPI: Scientists have developed a technique for repairing damaged DNA. The breakthrough, published this week in the journal Nature Communications, could pave the way for new therapies for cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. The accumulation of DNA damage is responsible for aging, cancer and neurological diseases like motor neuron disease, also known as ALS. Until now, scientists have…
Why Are HIV Drugs Being Used To Treat the New Coronavirus?
Gizmodo’s Ed Cara explains why HIV drugs are being used to treat the new coronavirus. An anonymous reader shares the report: On Tuesday, the Japanese government announced it will begin clinical trials to test treatments for the deadly new coronavirus that’s engulfed China and spread to over two dozen countries. Rather than new drugs, they’ll be studying existing medications already used…
What Happens When a Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist Retracts A Paper?
An American scientist who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry just retracted their latest paper on Monday. Professor Arnold had shared the prize with George P Smith and Gregory Winter for their 2018 research on enzymes, reports the BBC (in an article shared by omfglearntoplay): It has been retracted because the results were not reproducible, and the authors found data missing…