Cells contain thousands of messenger RNA molecules, which carry copies of DNA’s genetic instructions to the rest of the cell. MIT engineers have now developed a way to visualize these molecules in higher resolution than previously possible in intact tissues, allowing researchers to precisely map the location of RNA throughout cells.
Key to the new technique is expanding the tissue before imaging it. By making the sample physically larger, it can be imaged with very high resolution using ordinary microscopes commonly found in research labs.
“Now we can image RNA with great spatial precision, thanks to the expansion process, and we also can do it more easily in large intact tissues,” says Ed Boyden, an associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, a member of MIT’s Media Lab and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the senior author of a paper describing the technique in the July 4, 2016 issue of Nature Methods
(Image: Yosuke Bando, Fei Chen, Dawen Cai, Ed Boyden, and Young Gyu)
Recent News
Signs of Multiple Sclerosis Show Up in Blood Years Before Symptoms Appear
UCSF scientists clear a potential path toward earlier treatment for a disease that affects nearly 1,000,000 people in the United States. By Levi Gadye In a discovery that could hasten [...]
Advanced RNA Sequencing Reveals the Drivers of New COVID Variants
A study reveals that a new sequencing technique, tARC-seq, can accurately track mutations in SARS-CoV-2, providing insights into the rapid evolution and variant development of the virus. The SARS-CoV-2 virus that [...]
No More Endless Boosters? Scientists Develop One-for-All Virus Vaccine
End of the line for endless boosters? Researchers at UC Riverside have developed a new vaccine approach using RNA that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by [...]
How Are Hydrogels Shaping the Future of Biomedicine?
Hydrogels have gained widespread recognition and utilization in biomedical engineering, with their applications dating back to the 1960s when they were first used in contact lens production. Hydrogels are [...]
Nanovials method for immune cell screening uncovers receptors that target prostate cancer
A recent UCLA study demonstrates a new process for screening T cells, part of the body's natural defenses, for characteristics vital to the success of cell-based treatments. The method [...]
New Research Reveals That Your Sense of Smell May Be Smarter Than You Think
A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience indicates that the sense of smell is significantly influenced by cues from other senses, whereas the senses of sight and hearing are [...]
Deadly bacteria show thirst for human blood: the phenomenon of bacterial vampirism
Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling "bacterial vampirism." A team led by Washington State University researchers [...]
Organ Architects: The Remarkable Cells Shaping Our Development
Finding your way through the winding streets of certain cities can be a real challenge without a map. To orient ourselves, we rely on a variety of information, including [...]
Novel hydrogel removes microplastics from water
Microplastics pose a great threat to human health. These tiny plastic debris can enter our bodies through the water we drink and increase the risk of illnesses. They are [...]
Researchers Discover New Origin of Deep Brain Waves
Understanding hippocampal activity could improve sleep and cognition therapies. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine’s biomedical engineering department have discovered a new origin for two essential brain waves—slow waves and [...]
The Lifelong Cost of Surviving COVID: Scientists Uncover Long-Term Effects
Many of the individuals released to long-term acute care facilities suffered from conditions that lasted for over a year. Researchers at UC San Francisco studied COVID-19 patients in the United States who survived [...]
Previously Unknown Rogue Immune Key to Chronic Viral Infections Discovered
Scientists discovered a previously unidentified rogue immune cell linked to poor antibody responses in chronic viral infections. Australian researchers have discovered a previously unknown rogue immune cell that can [...]
Nature’s Betrayal: Unmasking Lead Lurking in Herbal Medicine
A case of lead poisoning due to Ayurvedic medicine use demonstrates the importance of patient history in diagnosis and the need for public health collaboration to prevent similar risks. [...]
Frozen in Time: How a DNA Anomaly Misled Scientists for Centuries
An enormous meteor spelled doom for most dinosaurs 65 million years ago. But not all. In the aftermath of the extinction event, birds — technically dinosaurs themselves — flourished. [...]
‘Mini kidneys’ reveal new insights into metabolic defects in polycystic kidney disease
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have successfully grown 'mini kidneys' in the lab and grafted them into live mice, revealing new insights into the metabolic defects [...]
Decoding the Origin of Life: Scientists Solve Early Earth RNA Puzzle
Recent research illustrates how RNA molecules’ chemical characteristics might have played a crucial role in the development of complex life forms. How did complex life manage to evolve on [...]
Improving infectious disease testing with gold nanoparticles
By harnessing the power of composite polymer particles adorned with gold nanoparticles, a group of researchers have delivered a more accurate means of testing for infectious diseases. Details of their [...]
New micromaterial releases nanoparticles that selectively destroy cancer cells
Researchers have developed micromaterials made up only of proteins, capable of delivering over an extended period of time nanoparticles that attack specific cancer cells and destroy them. The micromaterials [...]
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough: Scientists Make Revolutionary Leap
Dementia is a major health issue worldwide in the 21st century, impacting over 50 million people globally. This figure is expected to soar to 152 million by 2050, as [...]
How small RNA molecules regulate viral infections of bacteria
Viruses need hosts. Whether it's measles, the flu or coronavirus, viral pathogens cannot multiply or infect other organisms without the assistance of their hosts' cellular infrastructure. However, humans are [...]
Computer scientists discover gap in the latest security mechanisms used by some chips
Over the past few years, hardware manufacturers have developed technologies that ought to make it possible for companies and governmental organizations to process sensitive data securely using shared cloud [...]
Microplastics Are a Big Problem, a New Film Warns
It’s been more than five decades since Dustin Hoffman’s character in “The Graduate” was offered a kernel of wisdom about the path to prosperity. “Plastics,” he’s told by Mr. McGuire, [...]
The Precarious Asymmetries of Human-AI Relationships
KEY POINTS Human-AI interactions are currently asymmetrical, lacking continuity and depth. AI evolution may lead to more sustained, contextually rich user relationships. Balancing asymmetry and connection requires design advocacy [...]
Vaping’s Hidden Dangers: New Study Links E-Cigarettes to DNA Changes
A new study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Innsbruck reveals that individuals who use e-cigarettes, despite having a limited history of smoking, undergo similar changes in DNA within [...]
The Iron Twist: The Unexpected Driver of Long COVID
Iron levels and inflammation after COVID-19 infection are linked to long COVID, with research indicating that early intervention in iron regulation could mitigate long-term symptoms. Problems with iron levels in the [...]
Chemists develop method to confirm mRNA vaccine stability
University at Albany researchers at the RNA Institute have developed a new method to test COVID-19 vaccine integrity that could allow anyone with basic skills in vaccine handling to [...]
A New Cognitive Compartmentalization with Neural Implants
KEY POINTS Neuralink's demo introduces "cognitive compartmentalization," enabling simultaneous cognitive tasks. This signifies a potential expansion in human cognitive abilities, enhancing multitasking and creativity. Raises concerns about cognitive overload [...]
Global Warming and Plastic Pollution Are Inextricably Trapped in a “Vicious Circle”
Typically viewed as unrelated problems, global warming and plastic pollution are instead inextricably trapped in a “vicious circle” where one feeds the other, researchers in Sweden report in Nature Communications. [...]
Primordial Fuel: Uncovering Hydrogen’s Role at the Origin of Life
Hydrogen gas, dubbed the energy of the future, has been providing energy since 4 billion years ago. A recent study reveals how hydrogen gas, often touted as the energy [...]
COVID-19 Had a Much Greater Impact on Life Expectancy Than Previously Thought
A recent study published in The Lancet never-before-seen unprecedented details on the exceptionally high death rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic both within nations and internationally. Regions including Mexico City, Peru, and Bolivia [...]
Molecular Majesty: This Is How the Body’s Building Blocks Are Made
Human cells contain ribosomes, a complex machine that produces proteins for the rest of the body. Now the researchers have come closer to understanding how the ribosome works. “It [...]
U.S. issue warning about return of potentially deadly virus
The American South has been under constant duress from extreme weather events spurred by rising global temperatures, but the region could face a different kind of threat that it hasn't experienced [...]
Climate Change Ignites Global Infectious Disease Alarm
Experts highlight the connection between climate change and infectious diseases, urging medical professionals to prepare for new disease patterns and advocate for climate action. A team of infectious diseases [...]
How Lignin Nanoparticles Enhance UV Protection in Sunscreen Formulas
The innovative realm of cosmetic science has recently spotlighted lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) for their exceptional potential in fortifying sun protection measures within skincare products. These nanoparticles are celebrated for [...]
mRNA lipid nanoparticles for next-generation oral cancer tumor suppressor therapy
A study aiming to develop a lipid nanoparticles (LNP) platform for treating oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) utilizing p53 mRNA was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, [...]
Scientists have literally cut HIV out of cells
HIV has been completely eliminated from cells in a laboratory, raising hopes of a future cure. Researchers completed the revolutionary task by using a gene-editing tool known as Crispr-Cas, which won [...]
Common Medication Could Save Half a Million Lives Each Year – So Why Isn’t It?
A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Southern California sheds light on the reasons why children are not receiving an affordable and effective diarrhea treatment. Medical [...]
X Marks the Spot: AI’s Treasure Maps Lead to Early Disease Detection
Medical diagnostics expert, doctor’s assistant, and cartographer are all fair titles for an artificial intelligence model developed by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Their [...]
Scientists Discover Method To Identify Alzheimer’s Disease Before It Progresses to Dementia
Researchers at Aarhus University have discovered a method to identify Alzheimer’s disease before it progresses to dementia, potentially opening up new avenues for treatment. A groundbreaking study could pave [...]
Startling Discovery: COVID-19 Virus Can Stay in the Body More Than a Year After Infection
The COVID-19 virus can persist in the blood and tissue of patients for more than a year after the acute phase of the illness has ended, according to new research from UC [...]
Leave A Comment