Researchers at NYU Langone Health have discovered a highly efficient method for generating pluripotent stem cells, increasing yields by over 20-fold compared to standard protocols. The new technique uses vitamin C and two other compounds to modulate enzymes involved in cell reprogramming.
Research at Arizona State University and University of Washington found evidence of gender-based gaps in biology classroom achievement and participation. Female students scored 2.8% lower on exams than males with similar GPAs, and males were more likely to respond to questions.
The Microphysiological Systems Program is developing human-on-a-chip models to study cell-cell, drug-cell, and organ-drug interactions. These models have the potential to revolutionize experimental biology and medicine by increasing efficiency and human relevance in pharmaceutical development and testing.
Researchers identify two critical controls that tie DNA replication to cell division in bacteria, enabling them to enter a 'zombie-like' state when blocked. This discovery opens doors to developing new drugs that target the bacterial cell cycle to combat infections.
Researchers have created an online analytic platform called CellNet to aid stem cell engineering. The tool uses network biology methods to analyze and predict cell fate and corresponding engineering strategies, offering a reliable shortcut for drug development and individualized cancer therapies.
Researchers at Duke University have uncovered a 'roving detection system' on cell surfaces that may lead to new cancer therapies. The system involves receptors that search for signals to guide cell movement, potentially allowing for the prevention of metastasis and other diseases.
The University of Houston's Comprehensive Student Success Program has been recognized for its success in improving grades and retaining students in introductory biology courses. The program includes curricular enhancement, peer-led recitation sessions, and field trips, resulting in a 14% increase in successful completion rates.
Researchers found that pyruvate oxidation directly influences β-cell growth and maturity, highlighting the importance of glucose metabolism for β-cell mass maintenance. The study demonstrates a critical role for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in regulating β-cell development and plasticity.
The study reveals that two kinases, Plk1 and CDK, work together to ensure precise CENP-A replenishment at centromeres. Incorrect timing of this process can lead to chromosome segregation failure, resulting in cell death or disease.
Four doctoral students at Washington University in St. Louis will train in mechanobiology, integrating biology with engineering and other disciplines. They will conduct research on various length scales and develop teaching skills through outreach activities.
A new study found that women are greatly underrepresented in the labs of high-achieving male biology professors, despite being overrepresented overall. This discrepancy may be due to self-selection or unconscious bias, and institutions can take steps to address these issues by making their labs more welcoming to female scientists.
The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) and the eagle-i Network will make NYSCF iPS cell lines and related information available on a user-friendly, web-based, searchable database. This database will help scientists find valuable resources, enabling collaboration and accelerating research.
A new core concept template called BioCore Guide aims to provide an updated blueprint for educators to clarify the learning outcomes for undergraduate students majoring in general biology. The guide builds on previous reform efforts and provides overarching principles for each core concept, as well as 40 statements that illustrate the ...
A new report outlines key research areas to study synthetic biology's potential ecological impacts, including species comparative research and genome stability. The report highlights the need for long-term support and interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex questions about synthetic biology's effects on the environment.
A new UCSB study shows that the protein E-cadherin promotes collective cell migration by guiding cells to move and migrate. The researchers used innovative experimental tools to measure forces on E-cadherin molecules, revealing a non-perturbing approach to understanding tissue morphology.
Leading scientists from the U.S., Canada, and Belgium discussed cancer stem cells, highlighting their challenges in targeted cancer treatments. The symposium aimed to spark productive dialogues among researchers attending, according to Paul Frenette, director and chair of Einstein's Stem Cell Institute.
Researchers have discovered that cell division time is programmed by the 'parent' cell and varies between parent and offspring cells. The study's findings challenge a 40-year-old theory on cell division and provide a new model to predict how populations of cells divide.
EPFL scientists have discovered a new relationship between cell shape and migration efficiency, explaining how cells move using a simple model of liquid droplets. The study found that spherical cells are faster movers, and this phenomenon is influenced by surface characteristics.
A study reveals that SIRT1 is required for correct and safe cell reprogramming, ensuring healthy functioning of induced pluripotent stem cells. The protein helps maintain telomeres and prevents chromosome aberrations and DNA damage.
Researchers at UC Davis have discovered that cyclin B1/Cdk1, a key cell division protein, also powers mitochondria to increase cellular energy production. This finding could lead to new therapeutic targets for cancer treatment and regenerative medicine.
Researchers found that internal stress on microtubules guides cell-wall component deposition and influences cell shape. The unusual shape of pavement cells represents a balance between maintaining structural integrity and responding to mechanical stress.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute have discovered a combination therapy that overcomes tumor cell resistance to cisplatin, a widely used cancer drug. The therapy, which involves combining a cell replication blocker with cisplatin, induces rapid and synergistic cell death in resistant tumor cells.
Scientists have discovered a molecule that can induce cell death (apoptosis) in dendritic cells, a key type of immune cell. This understanding may lead to new therapies that shut down dendritic cell activity and reduce an immune reaction.
A recent study published in Stem Cell Reports identified the earliest arising hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) precursors based on their ability to generate all major blood cell types. This discovery may be beneficial for creating purer, cleaner populations of these precursor cells for clinical treatments.
A recent study reveals that a key protein called IRSp53 plays a crucial role in regulating cell movement, which is necessary for wound healing and immune response. However, when cancer cells break away from tumors and migrate to other tissues, this regulation can be disrupted, leading to metastasis.
Researchers tested anti-HIV drugs for their ability to suppress cell-to-cell transmission of the virus. The results show that NNRTIs, ENT-Is, and PIs remained highly effective against HIV cell-to-cell transmission.
Researchers at the University of Bristol and EMBL have identified the 'holo-translocon' as the machinery responsible for inserting proteins into cell membranes. This breakthrough could lead to the design of new anti-bacterial drugs and applications in synthetic biology.
Cancer researchers have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may initiate disease and trigger relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This finding offers a potential tool for earlier diagnosis and targeted therapy, as the pre-leukemic stem cell can survive chemotherapy and be found in the bone marrow at remission.
Researchers at Dartmouth have developed a protocol to harvest and culture mouse melanoma cells, which are rare in human form but prevalent in mice. This breakthrough allows for more accurate modeling of human melanoma, potentially leading to new treatments.
The UK has established three new synthetic biology research centres, with £40M+ investment, to drive advancement in modern synthetic biology research and develop new technologies. The centres will focus on diverse expertise to stimulate innovation in this area.
Yale researchers discovered that accelerating cell cycle speed reduces barriers to changing a cell's fate, allowing for pluripotent cells to be created more efficiently. The study found that cells with faster cycles can become multiple cell types, whereas slower cycles remain in their original state.
The University of Oklahoma and Albert Einstein College of Medicine will establish an Institute of Structural Biology to advance research on the impact of proteins. Researchers will target deadly diseases and search for new cures, gaining expertise in X-ray analysis and large-scale structural genomics.
A new UK synthetic biology centre, OpenPlant, has been awarded £12 million funding to create a climate of openness in the field. The centre aims to develop and share new tools and libraries of plant DNA, fostering innovation in sustainable agriculture and medicine.
Scientists have created a new statistical method to analyze individual cells, allowing for more accurate detection of cell properties. By combining data from multiple cells, researchers can reduce errors and overcome statistical noise, leading to better understanding of cellular behavior and development.
Researchers used laboratory experiments to test a model of microtubule steering, finding that kinesin motors can redirect microtubule ends into branches using crowd-sourced guidance from protein EB1. The study suggests this mechanism is a general strategy for organizing and maintaining proper microtubule polarity in cells.
Researchers at CNIO discovered a connection between microtubules and cell-cell junctions that holds skin stem cells together to support skin architecture. This finding sheds light on the importance of cellular components in maintaining skin function and may lead to new regenerative or anti-cancer therapies.
Researchers at UCLA discovered a mechanism by which certain adult stem cells suppress their ability to initiate skin cancer during dormancy. The study found that PTEN gene plays a crucial role in tumor suppression via quiescence in hair follicle stem cells.
Senescent cells, a key mechanism of aging, have been identified by researchers. They found that satellite DNA unravels as cells enter senescence, leading to cell division inhibition. This discovery could lead to new treatments for cancer and age-related diseases like Progeria.
Research reveals that fusion between cancer cells and macrophages empowers cancer cells to spread, forming tumors more rapidly. The study's findings suggest a new mechanism by which cancer progression is driven.
The American Society for Cell Biology's Celldance 2013 video contest recognized top videos showcasing cellular processes. The first-place winner received a $500 cash prize for his time-lapse video of muscle cell differentiation, while two second-place winners shared a $250 cash prize each.
Researchers used high-resolution 3D imaging to study the disassembly process of the Golgi apparatus during cell division. The results show that the Golgi apparatus is tightly linked to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and redistributes into the ER during mitosis, resolving a basic cellular question.
Current Plant Biology publishes articles on interdisciplinary plant science research, combining physics, mathematics, and chemistry disciplines. The journal aims to facilitate the growth of quantitative, interdisciplinary plant biology by publishing work openly and sharing research datasets.
The Synthetic Biology Project at Woodrow Wilson International Center has been awarded a €4 million EU grant to foster responsible governance of synthetic biology. The project aims to initiate mutual learning among stakeholders from science, industry, and civil society.
The World Stem Cell Report 2013 outlines critical challenges and key action items to overcome them, including regulatory compliance and education for physicians and patients. Key opinion leaders like Paul Knoepfler bring a fresh perspective to the stem cell universe, highlighting areas of progress and need for advancement.
Two pioneering online biology video sites have merged to create a new platform offering world-class biologist videos for free. The new site features an expanded 'iBioEducation' section with microscopy courses, lecture series, and assessments for educators, reaching over 1.4 million views across 180 countries.
Scientists discovered that cellular projections are initiated by a network of message-relaying proteins inside the cell, even in random movement. The findings have implications for understanding and manipulating biological processes, including cancer metastasis.
Vinculin plays a critical role in enabling cell movement by interacting with the actin cytoskeleton. Disrupting this interaction can lead to chaotic cell movement, impacting organ development and cancer progression.
A multi-disciplinary study by University of Pennsylvania researchers has illuminated a crucial step in the process of cell movement. The protein Exo70 induces a reshaping of the cell's plasma membrane, necessary for cell migration from one location to another.
A team of scientists has discovered a crucial mechanism controlling centriole separation during cell division, shedding light on the process and its potential links to cancer. The study's findings suggest that the dense mass surrounding centrioles, called PCM, plays a key role in regulating their separation.
Researchers Tomomi Kiyomitsu and Iain Cheeseman discovered that human cells use the dynein motor to align their mitotic spindle structure, which is then corrected by cell membrane elongation. This process allows for symmetric cell division in about 95% of cells, resulting in identical daughter cells.
A team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has identified a critical pathway in cell cycle control that, when disrupted, leads to cancer cell proliferation. Shortened telomeres, which occur with cellular aging, activate a DNA damage response that arrests cell growth.
Researchers have developed a new method for identifying cell of origin of proteins in multicellular environments, enabling comprehensive mapping of cell-cell communication. This technique, CTAP, exploits amino acid biosynthesis and stable isotope labeling to link proteins directly to specific cell types.
Researchers at GIS and MPIMG discovered a molecular network in human embryonic stem cells that activates the ERK pathway, causing cells to respond by activating genetic information. The network also silences genetic information through ELK1, maintaining the cell's undifferentiated state.
Researchers have identified unique patterns of chemical marks on histones that distinguish quiescent from active stem cells in muscles of young mice. These findings suggest that stem cells may be more versatile than previously thought, with the potential to become different types of tissue entirely.
Researchers at NREL developed a tandem cell with a gallium indium phosphide cell atop a gallium arsenide cell, achieving the new record efficiency of 31.1%. This improvement enhances photon recycling and luminescent coupling in the lower bandgap junction.
A new study suggests that performance in foundational biology courses is a strong predictor of performance in high-level animal science courses. Students who take genetics as sophomores and juniors tend to perform well, while those who wait too long may struggle with advanced courses.
The Institute for Genomic Biology will develop foundational synthetic biology technologies and computational platforms for genetic modification of plants and animals. The grant aims to address grand challenges in human health and environmental sustainability, with potential applications in crop yields and disease treatment.
Researchers developed a novel tool, nanofountain probe electroporation (NFP-E), to deliver molecules into targeted cells through temporary nanopores. The technique provides unprecedented control over cell transfection and has shown high efficiency and viability in HeLa cell experiments.
Researchers have discovered that processing bodies can contribute to immune defenses by responding to viral infections. Viruses alter the composition of processing bodies to enhance their replication, but PBs can limit this ability.
Stem cells use a process called nonrandom chromosome segregation to divide into different cell types, suggesting that distinct genetic information on the chromosome copies may underlie this diversification. The study used fruit fly stem cells to demonstrate this ability and sheds light on how cells develop into complex organisms.