Interactions between bacteria and parasites

A team has completed the first study of the effects of a simultaneous infection with blood flukes (schistosomes) and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori — a fairly common occurrence in some parts of the world. They identified a complex interaction which resulted — among other effects — in a weakening of the adverse impact of the pathogens acting individually.

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Using unconventional materials, like ice and eggshells, as scaffolds to grow tissues

Researchers explore recent efforts to use everyday materials like ice, paper, and spinach as tissue scaffolds. These unconventional materials, they argue, are more functional, more sustainable, and less expensive, as well as being available around the globe and applicable to many areas of biomedical research.

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Scientists develop DNA microcapsules with built-in ion channels

A Research group reports a way of constructing DNA-based microcapsules that hold great promise for the development of new functional materials and devices. They showed that tiny pores on the surface of these capsules can act as ion channels. Their study will accelerate advances in artificial cell engineering and molecular robotics, as well as nanotechnology itself.

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Drug delivery: Thermo-responsive protein hydrogel

Bio-engineering researchers have created a biocompatible, protein-based hydrogel that could serve as a drug delivery system durable enough to survive in the body for more than two weeks while providing sustained medication release. The research advances an area of biochemistry that is also critical to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Protein hydrogels are more biocompatible than synthetic ones and do not require potentially toxic chemical crosslinkers.

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Scientists construct energy production unit for a synthetic cell

Scientists have constructed synthetic vesicles in which ATP, the main energy carrier in living cells, is produced. The vesicles use the ATP to maintain their volume and their ionic strength homeostasis. This metabolic network will eventually be used in the creation of synthetic cells – but it can already be used to study ATP-dependent processes.

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Microbiome may be involved in mechanisms related to muscle strength in older adults

New study suggests the gut microbiome has a role in mechanisms related to muscle strength in older adults. Researchers found differences in bacterial profiles of older adults with high and low physical function, bacterial and strength differences in mice colonized with fecal samples from the adults.

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Programmable swarmbots make flexible biological tools

Biomedical engineers have developed a new platform to create biological drugs using specially engineered bacteria that burst and release useful proteins when they sense that their capsule is becoming too crowded.

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