People with certain health conditions that make them moderately or severely immunocompromised may get a fourth mRNA Covid-19 shot, according to updated guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC authorized a third dose for certain immunocompromised people 18 and older in August. It said a third dose, rather than a booster -- [...]
Ultrashort flashes of light lasting less than a quadrillionth of a second are fast growing in technological importance. In laser sources, pairs and groups of light flashes can be created instead of individual flashes. Similar to the chemically bonded atoms in a molecule, they are coupled with each other and their short temporal intervals [...]
Compared to their bulk materials, nanomaterials offer a wide range of distinct physicochemical properties that are ideal for many biomedical purposes. Some of the different applications of nanomaterials within medicine include drug delivery, tissue engineering, bio-micromechanical systems (bioMEMS), biosensors, microfluidics, and diagnostics. Of these, nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems have emerged as one of the [...]
Using specialized carbon nanotubes, MIT engineers have designed a novel sensor that can detect SARS-CoV-2 without any antibodies, giving a result within minutes. Their new sensor is based on technology that can quickly generate rapid and accurate diagnostics, not just for Covid-19 but for future pandemics, the researchers say. “A rapid test means that [...]
A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge has developed a chemical ‘camera’ using a molecular glue that allows chemical reactions to be observed in real-time. The device is made up of semiconductor nanocrystals, referred to as quantum dots, and gold nanoparticles held together with a molecular glue called cucurbituril, with potential applications [...]
There is no proof that spike proteins created in response to mRNA vaccines are harmful to the body, scientists have told Reuters. The claim was made by immunologist Byram Bridle (here) in an interview on May 28 (here) with Canadian broadcaster Alex Pierson (here and here). Bridle asked listeners to brace themselves for “scary” findings that [...]
Scientists have worked out how to best get DNA to communicate with membranes in our body, paving the way for the creation of ‘mini biological computers’ in droplets that have potential uses in biosensing and mRNA vaccines. UNSW’s Dr Matthew Baker and the University of Sydney’s Dr Shelley Wickham co-led the study, published recently [...]
Scientists from the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics at Osaka University developed a novel system for targeted cancer radiation therapy that uses gold nanoparticles labeled with astatine-211. Owing to the limited range and half-life of the radiation, along with the localization of the nanoparticles, healthy cells are considerably less likely to be [...]
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) exhibit the potential to act as signal carriers during the development of malignant tumors. At a suitable concentration, ROS tends to mediate cell growth and signal transduction. But ROS are known to be a double-edged sword. On becoming surplus, ROS could oxidize proteins, cause damage to the DNA structure and cause [...]
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to probing and manipulating the brain are the blunt tools we have at our disposal. But breakthroughs in nanotechnology could soon change that, say researchers. Neuroscience has experienced a technological revolution in the last couple decades thanks to rapid improvements in brain-machine interfaces and groundbreaking new methods like functional [...]
