Researchers provide clues to how mcr-1 gene protects bacteria from ‘last resort’ antibiotic An international research team, led by the University of Bristol, has provided the first clues to understand how the mcr-1 gene protects bacteria from colistin – a ‘last resort’ antibiotic used to treat life-threatening bacterial infections that do not respond to other treatment options. Last year, members of the team, led by Dr Jim Spencer from the…
Read MoreStudy shines light on how to build better bacteriophage therapies
Study shines light on how to build better bacteriophage therapies Researchers have discovered that a subset of bacteriophages, dubbed “superspreaders,” potentially play a major role in transmitting antimicrobial resistance. The research, described in a study published this week in the journal mBio, provides an answer to a long-standing biological question and may help scientists better select specific bacteriophages for therapeutic use. “Our work suggests that phage superspreaders may help drive…
Read MoreHarvard scientists discuss promise and peril of emerging IVG technique
Harvard scientists discuss promise and peril of emerging IVG technique In vitro fertilization has transformed reproductive medicine and sparked a number of therapeutic and diagnostic breakthroughs. Now a new, still experimental, technique known as in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) is poised to usher in the next era in reproductive and regenerative medicine. The approach—thus far successful only in mice—allows scientists to create embryos in a lab by reprogramming any type of…
Read MoreEosera introduces new solution for earwax impaction
Eosera introduces new solution for earwax impaction EOSERA™, Inc., a Dallas-based biotechnology innovator founded by two veterans of the pharmaceutical industry, today announced the introduction of Earwax MD™—the ideal solution for those who dread the time, worry, and expense of a doctor’s visit to clear their ears of burdensome earwax impaction. The new product finally offers relief for a condition that has lacked an adequate solution for decades- through a…
Read MoreCancer reproducibility project releases first results
Erkki Ruoslahti was on track to launch a drug trial in people with cancer this year, but his plan may now be in jeopardy. A high-profile project designed to gauge the reproducibility of findings from dozens of influential papers on cancer biology publishes results for its first five papers this week, including one by Ruoslahti. And scientists who tried to replicate his findings say that they can’t get his drug…
Read MoreStudy-finds-new-target-for-controlling-cell-division
Study finds new target for controlling cell division Modern genome sequencing methods used to measure the efficiency of synthesis of individual protein during cell division has found that the enzymes that make lipids and membranes were synthesized at much greater efficiency when a cell is ready to split. That is a conclusion of collaborative research published this month in the European Molecular Biology Organization Journal, according to Dr. Michael Polymenis,…
Read MoreNew-genetic-engineering-technique
New genetic engineering technique could help design, study biological systems. A new technique will help biologists tinker with genes, whether the goal is to turn cells into tiny factories churning out medicines, modify crops to grow with limited water or study the effects of a gene on human health. The technique, published Jan. 20 in Nature Communications, allows scientists to precisely regulate how much protein is produced from a particular…
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