A compact CasMINI CRISPR system has been engineered for efficient gene regulation and editing in mammalian cells. The system, derived from the naturally occurring archaeal protein Cas12f, is highly specific and efficient, making it suitable for various therapeutic applications.
Moving experienced engineers between units reduces costs by 4.2% and $12.2 million, making it an effective way to promote learning and diffuse best practices
Researchers at IMB and JGU developed a method to engineer new cell functionalities by creating film-like organelles that can subdivide cell processes into smaller spaces. This allows for the creation of multiple proteins with unique functions in different areas of the cell.
Isaac Hilton is using non-integrating episomal DNA viruses to create a new platform technology for cell and gene therapies. He aims to hijack these viruses to safely program medicinal functions in human cells.
Hailin Li, a WVU engineer, will lead a project to develop a software platform that simulates heavy-duty diesel engines with advanced after-treatment systems. The goal is to improve engine efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions, which will help cut greenhouse gases and pollutants from the transportation sector.
Researchers have discovered an enzyme that enables the accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in plant cell walls, a potential game-changer for sustainable industrial chemical production. By controlling the expression of this enzyme, plants can be engineered to produce more of this valuable chemical building block.
Molecules react by following computation steps: input, transformation, output. Juan-Pérez Mercader's native chemical computation harnesses this power to build and assemble structures. It can tackle problems better suited for chemical reactions than supercomputers.
Researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign discover that applying mechanical force can deliberately alter chemical reactions, allowing for increased chemical selectivity. By manipulating atomic motions, chemists can overcome energy barriers and achieve desired outcomes, opening up new possibilities for chemical production.
The article highlights the significant impact of nitrous oxide on the ozone layer and climate change. Chemical companies are now developing efficient technologies to reduce N2O emissions, including catalyst-based processes that can decrease emissions by up to 90%. The industry is also exploring alternative uses for captured N2O emissions.
MIT researchers develop a methodology for designing protein interactions that occur at a fast timescale, allowing circuits to respond within seconds. This approach has potential applications in creating environmental sensors and diagnostics.
Researchers mapped protein domain evolution over 3.8 billion years, revealing a 'big bang' of domain combinations 1.5 billion years ago. This discovery could help understand and engineer proteins for disease management, vaccine design, and preventing pandemics.
Researchers aim to understand neural pathways in Hydra vulgaris, a tiny animal with simple circuits, to create designer neural circuits. The goal is to program behaviors from scratch and develop self-healing 'biorobots' for various applications.
Zach Lerner, a mechanical engineer at Northern Arizona University, has received an NSF CAREER award to develop wearable robotic exoskeletons for long-term gait rehabilitation. The project aims to understand the interplay between disease severity and wearable assistance, with potential to transform treatment of walking disabilities.
Researcher Dr. Igor Ivanishin is investigating the impact of varying calcium contents on dolomite and calcite mineral stability, which can lead to improved well stimulation operations. His findings suggest that injected acids may unevenly dissolve rock in carbonate reservoirs, leaving some areas untouched.
Researchers from the University of Warwick have developed a cheap way to switch bacteria into chemical production mode using a natural nutrient, drastically reducing costs. This breakthrough brings closer the realization of sustainable industrial-scale production of high-value chemicals from cheap feedstocks.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a simple chemical process to create light and highly absorbent aerogels that can take a beating. The aerogels, which are customizable in shape and size, showed superior remediation properties compared to traditional COF powders.
Researchers are exploring how environmental molecules can be used to engineer 'designer' microbiomes for combating disease, pollution, and more. Contrary to expectations, their experiments revealed that competition between microbial species hampers diversity within the community.
Scientists have discovered that water molecules respond differently to an electrode surface, affecting how substances dissolve in water and chemical reactions occur. This breakthrough could lead to more accurate simulations for water desalination and potentially provide clean water faster, cheaper, and cleaner.
Researchers developed a new method to label histidine residues in proteins, enabling rapid and selective chemical modification. This breakthrough offers new possibilities for protein analysis and drug delivery systems.
Scientists have developed a way to engineer materials at the atomic level using a dry transfer technique. The method uses anthracene as a sacrificial material to precisely position carbon nanotubes, resulting in bright photoluminescence up to 5,000 times brighter than the original molecule.
Dr. Nick Fang is developing a statewide guidance manual for early warning systems and a flood information system for Houston, using $250,000 grants from the TWDB and city of Houston. The tools aim to enhance flood resilience in Texas communities, providing real-time warnings and predictive analytics.
KAUST researchers have developed a robust catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide gas with 100% selectivity, overcoming the limitations of precious metals. The innovative method uses MOFs to create mixed metal catalytic nanoparticles in a homogenous mixture.
Biomedical engineer Chase Cornelison is exploring ways to harness cancer cells to treat spinal cord injuries and restore function following brain damage. His research aims to retrain neural cells to suppress inflammation and promote repair, potentially reversing the damage caused by paralysis and diseases.
A team from the University of Bristol's QETLabs developed an algorithm that uses machine learning to reverse engineer Hamiltonian models and formulate approximate models for quantum systems. This breakthrough enables the automated characterization of new devices, such as quantum sensors.
Researchers have successfully demonstrated the coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity in graphene, opening a pathway towards graphene-based topological qubits. This breakthrough finding enables the creation of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states, which are crucial for achieving topological superconductivity.
A new study predicting human exodus in Bangladesh due to sea-level rise and climate change has significant global implications. The research model considers economic and human behavior factors, predicting that districts along the Bay of Bengal will be the first impacted, triggering a ripple effect across the country.
Researchers successfully engineered a probiotic yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii to produce beta-carotene in the mouse gut. The production of beta-carotene was achieved using widely used genetic engineering tools, and its feasibility for human application is being explored.
Researchers discovered how Janus particles relate to nearby barriers, showing velocities are influenced by physical properties of charged boundaries. This study could help engineer micromotors for complex biological environments, including drug delivery and nano-surgery.
Akane Sano, a Rice University electrical and computer engineer, has developed software to detect and predict emotional stress in people through data from wearable and mobile technologies. Her $550,000 NSF CAREER Award will support the development of algorithms to interpret data on personal health.
UNIST professors Yoon-Kyoung Cho and Young Rok Choi have been elected as members of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, recognizing their distinguished achievements in biomedical engineering and technology management. The election is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.
Researchers have successfully probed electronic angular momentum to a chemical reaction at the quantum state-resolved level, offering a detailed understanding of molecular crossed beam experiments and theoretical simulations. This breakthrough reveals subtle influences of electronic angular momentum on chemical product distributions.
The American Chemical Society highlights the achievements of Black scientists in chemistry and chemical engineering, including drug discovery, biomedical engineering, and sustainable energy. The special issue showcases their work and calls for greater recognition and inclusion in the science enterprise.
A UC San Diego engineer is developing a research platform to study new materials that melt at temperatures higher than 4000 degrees Celsius. The team aims to increase the melting point of materials by mixing large numbers of different atoms together, reducing the driving force for the solid to melt.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a real-time sensor system that can detect the airborne COVID-19 virus, with funding from DARPA. The system uses molecular imprinting and organic electrochemical transistors to rapidly transduce SARS-CoV-2 binding events into electronic signals.
Researchers have defined how antibodies recognize phosphohistidine, a central role in some cancers like liver and breast cancer. The study provides insights into antibody structures and enables scientists to engineer more efficient antibodies.
Haotian Wang, a chemical and biomolecular engineer at Rice University, has been selected as a 2021 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow for his outstanding contributions to the field of electrochemistry. He will receive a two-year grant of $75,000 to advance his research on electrocatalysis and sustainable chemicals production.
A new study by Oregon State University suggests that marching band members in leadership roles experience more neck and upper back discomfort, while less experienced bandmates are more prone to left-hand pain and cognitive strain. The findings also show that gender has no impact on discomfort levels or perception of workload.
Manu Platt, a biomedical engineer at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, has received the AAAS Mentor Award for his commitment to mentoring underrepresented students. He provides opportunities for growth, encourages students to step out of their comfort zones, and advocates for diversity in STEM fields.
Researchers found that a previously overlooked phenomenon in chemical reactions can boost efficiency and reduce waste. The discovery, led by University of Illinois researcher David Flaherty, involves the formation of an organic residue that acts as a surface redox mediator, increasing reaction rates and hydrogen peroxide production.
Herbert Waldmann has been awarded the Richard Willstätter Prize for his groundbreaking work in chemical biology. He is recognized for developing novel approaches to create new active substances that can target specific biological processes, such as stopping cancer cell glucose uptake.
Researchers at Scripps Research Institute devised a method to separate beneficial anti-inflammatory properties from unwanted side effects in glucocorticoid drugs. Two new compounds show steroidal anti-inflammatory action with specific traits, including boosting muscle supply and reducing risk of muscle-wasting.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine discovered that the gene-cutting system CRISPR-Cas9 can be used as a genetic dimmer switch, allowing scientists to develop new ways to genetically engineer cells. The long form of tracrRNA was found to repress CRISPR-related genes and protect bacteria from excessive activity.
Scientists have created highly detailed 3D models of chromosomes for individual cells using a computational technique that uncovers spatial relationships between genes. These models provide valuable insights into how genes work together to drive biological processes, such as development and cell differentiation.
The American Chemical Society outlines key business and policy issues in chemistry for 2021, with a focus on climate goals and the impact of open access publishing. The organization also notes that chemical firms are looking to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and manufacturers will remain busy producing COVID-19 vaccines.
Researchers at UCSF have discovered a new method to control immune responses using CD47-expressing hypoimmune stem cells. These cells can silence natural killer cells via the SIRPα checkpoint, paving the way for novel cell therapies and tissue implants that can evade immune rejection.
Carnegie Mellon's Computer Science Academy will continue to provide a free online computer science curriculum for middle and high school students with the support of Amazon's $2 million donation. The program aims to bridge the equity divide in computer science education, serving over 1,200 schools and 22,000 students worldwide.
Dr. Eric Beckman, a renowned engineer at the University of Pittsburgh, has been recognized as an NAI Fellow for his groundbreaking research in molecular design, biomedical polymers, and sustainability. His work aims to create new knowledge that benefits human health and the environment.
Purdue University engineers have demonstrated a way to disguise which transistor is which by building them out of a sheet-like material called black phosphorus. This built-in security measure would prevent hackers from getting enough information about the circuit to reverse engineer it.
Princeton University researchers have developed a new method to design and control complex mixtures with multiple phases, mimicking the arrangement of Russian matryoshka dolls. This approach uses graph theory to predict final arrangements of phases in a mixture when surface energies are known.
A mechanical engineer uses pancake batter to teach students about viscosity, while a group at ETH Zurich studies the stability of foam in beers and breads. The research reveals diverse mechanisms behind fluid dynamics, potentially leading to new materials and applications.
Researchers at NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center use microgravity to study fire whirls, shedding light on ways fires burn without gravity and informing protective measures for astronauts. New computational fluid dynamics models improve predictions of wildfire behavior by accounting for varying fuel moisture content.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a machine learning model that can predict reaction outcomes and test new reactions in a blind prospective manner. The model uses statistical robust machine learning models trained on a small number of reactions to provide interpretable chemical reactivity flowcharts.
Researchers from Skoltech have created a universal approach for predicting material properties based on their chemical composition. By assigning a Mendeleev number (MN) to each element, they have shown that this system is more effective than empirical solutions in identifying promising compounds with unique properties.
The study analyzed over 591,000 chemical-gene interactions and found that almost every well-known molecular pathway is sensitive to chemicals to a certain degree. The researchers identified genes and pathways most sensitive to chemical exposures, including aging, lipid metabolism, and autoimmune disease.
Assistant professor of civil engineering Mohsen Shahandashti is leading a study to identify challenges in workforce decision-making processes for transportation construction industries during the pandemic. The goal is to learn how managers make decisions balancing public health and worker safety.
Researchers discovered that polyphosphate synthesis is deeply integrated with cellular metabolism, allowing organisms to adapt to nutrient deprivation. This knowledge could enable scientists to engineer the metabolism of organisms to be more resilient in a range of environments.
Industry is shifting towards chemical recycling as a solution to tackle the problem of plastics, breaking down them into their building blocks. The process has environmental benefits but also raises concerns about reducing plastic consumption and increasing disposable packaging production.
Researchers led by CCNY engineer Xi Chen create supramolecular crystals that change shape in response to evaporation, enabling direct observation of water-material interactions at the molecular level. The new crystals have potential applications in energy harvesting, actuators, and artificial muscles.
Researchers at Princeton University have created a system to control genetically engineered bacteria using light, allowing for precise production of chemicals and proteins. This method, called OptoLac, enables easy tuning and reversal of induction signals, reducing costs and carbon footprint.
Rice University engineer Haotian Wang has been awarded a four-year, $2 million collaborative grant by the National Science Foundation to explore converting waste carbon dioxide into pure liquid fuels. The project aims to develop a modular electrochemical system that can provide a sustainable and negative-carbon manufacturing path.