Latest Cell Stories

Scientists report that they have developed a method that cuts down the time it takes to make new 'parts' for microscopic biological factories from 2 days to only 6 hours The scientists, from Imperial College London, say their research brings them another step closer to a new kind of industrial revolution, where parts for these biological factories could be mass-produced. These factories have a wealth of applications including better drug delivery treatments for patients, enhancements in...

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online [ Watch the Video: Delivering Large Molecules to Cells In Membranes ] Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a safe way to squeeze large molecules through a narrow construction in cell membranes. The membrane around living cells helps to regulate what gets in and out of the cell. This barrier helps control the cell’s internal environment, but makes it difficult for scientists to deliver...

Award salutes commitment to turnkey cluster solutions Bothell, WA (PRWEB) January 11, 2013 Silicon Mechanics, Inc., a leading manufacturer of rackmount servers, storage, and high-performance computing hardware, announces that it has been awarded the 2012 Intel Cluster Ready Explorer Award. Presented at the annual Intel® Cluster Ready Partner Appreciation Awards held during Supercomputing 2012, this award recognizes Silicon Mechanics’ commitment to high-quality turnkey cluster...

One approach to understanding components in living organisms is to attempt to create them artificially, using principles of chemistry, engineering and genetics. A suite of powerful techniques—collectively referred to as synthetic biology—have been used to produce self-replicating molecules, artificial pathways in living systems and organisms bearing synthetic genomes. In a new twist, John Chaput, a researcher at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and colleagues at the...

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Researchers from the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) have been able to create a new technique that limits inherited disorders in children. The ability of scientists to transfer the nucleus of a cell from one human egg cell to another was considered an important achievement, and results of the study were recently published in the online edition of Nature. In particular, the...

[ Watch the Video: Biology Helping To Engineer Drugs ] Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Pond scum may be undervalued, but a team of scientists recently discovered it could have biological value. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) recently revealed that they have successfully genetically engineered algae that can make a complex, therapeutic drug that is anti-cancer. The researchers believe that the results of the experiment allow for...

Future wood production quality tied to cambial function and regulation As large organisms, trees face some remarkable challenges, particularly regarding long-distance transport and communication. In addition to moving water and nutrients from their roots to their leaves, they must also integrate cell-to-cell communication over large areas. Furthermore, in order to function as a single, cohesive organism they must be able to effectively and efficiently send vital substances—such as DNA...

Whitehead Institute scientists report that certain molecules present in high concentrations on the surfaces of many cancer cells could be exploited to funnel lethal toxic molecules into the malignant cells. In such an approach, the overexpression of specific transporters could be exploited to deliver toxic substances into cancer cells. Although this finding emerges from the study of a single toxic molecule and the protein that it transports, Whitehead Member David Sabatini says this...

The work has implications for cancer drug development Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have determined how two proteins help create organelles, or specialized subunits within a cell, that play a vital role in maintaining cell health. This discovery opens the door for research on substances that could interfere with the formation of these organelles and lead to new therapies for cancer. The study, published online ahead of print on December 2, 2012, by the journal...

Bacteria that cause the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis in humans create their own food supply by hijacking a process in host cells that normally should help kill the pathogenic bugs, scientists have found. This bacterium, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap), secretes a protein that can start this process. The protein binds with another protein produced by white blood cells, and that connection creates compartments that siphon host-cell nutrients to feed the bacteria, enabling their growth...