When liquid meets gas, a unique zone forms. Variable by nature, molecules can cross from one state to another, combining in unique ways to either desirable or unwanted ends. From heat escaping a mug of coffee to increasing molecular concentrations in chemical solutions, gas-liquid interfaces are ubiquitous across nature and engineering. But a lack [...]
A newly detected coronavirus variant is on the rise in England, with the virus believed to be an offshoot of Delta. According to a briefing from the UK Health Security Agency, released on Friday, “a Delta sublineage newly designated as AY.4.2 is noted to be expanding in England”, with the body adding that the [...]
A team of researchers has developed a new nanomechanical technique for fast, one-step, immune-affinity tests, which can quantify the immune response induced by different COVID-19 variants in serum. Their technique provides a new tool for tracking infection immunity over time and for analyzing new vaccine candidates. Led by Professor Martin Hegner, Principal Investigator in [...]
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have developed a new method for 3D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, detect uranium, and more. Through a novel technique that uses light and bacteria-infused resin to produce 3D-patterned microbes, the research team successfully [...]
Nanomedicines may offer clinicians a way to deliver precise, targeted therapy directly to tumors without damaging surrounding tissue. Yet, progress in the development of new drugs that treat cancer at the nanoparticle level has been frustratingly slow. Good results in animal models haven’t necessarily translated to clinical success in humans, in part because of [...]
Cambridge researchers have discovered how T cells—an important component of our immune system—are able keep on killing as they hunt down and kill cancer cells, repeatedly reloading their toxic weapons. Cytotoxic T cells are specialist white blood cells that are trained by our immune system to recognize and eliminate threats—including tumor cells and [...]
Sunday, October 3, set records for the most COVID-19 deaths in Russia on a single day. Only 29% of people in Russia are vaccinated, despite the country being the first to approve a vaccine. The vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Russia are unvaccinated. On Sunday, October 3, Russia reported its highest number [...]
New research from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has found that pathogens that form biofilms can evolve to survive nanosilver treatment. The study is the first to demonstrate that long-term nanosilver treatment can increase the risk of recurrent infections. The research is published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology. Nanosilver is a potent antimicrobial [...]
New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are more virulent and transmissible than the original variant of the virus. Health experts associate these variants of concern (VOCs) with increased risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death. Vaccination reduces the risks of severe disease and death even with the VOCs. However, even with increased vaccination, [...]
Freeze-dried genetic circuits could reveal the presence of SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, MRSA, and more. Masks and testing have been key to the COVID-19 pandemic response—and now devices that combine the two may be on the way. Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers used synthetic biology to create a face mask that accurately detects [...]
