Scientists highlight responsible advancement, safe use of synthetic biology
Reading Time: 2 minutesA TEAM of scientists published a policy forum article on the technological challenges of milestones when writing about genomes. The article focuses on identifying what technological advances are needed to secure the continuously changing field of synthetic biology. The authors also highlighted the need to keep its implementation safe and responsible. The 21 scientists from […]
Genetically engineered species occur naturally
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHORIZONTAL gene transfer caused by Agrobacterium was found to occur in 39 dicot species. These findings prove that transgenic plants occur in nature on unexpectedly large scale. The results are published in Plant Molecular Biology. Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer cause formation of crown galls or hairy roots, due to the expression of transfer DNA (T-DNA) genes. […]
First Argentine GM potato to be released in 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAFTER being de-regulated during August 2018, the National Council of Technical and Scientific Research (CONICET) started last week the formal process to register the first transgenic potato cultivar in Argentina in the National Seed Institute’s register. In partnership with biotechnological company Sidus, the CONICET developed a potato with resistance to the virus Y, called SPT […]
Arthropods formed orderly lines 480 million years ago
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS studied fossilised Moroccan Ampyx trilobites , which lived 480 million years ago and showed that the trilobites had probably been buried in their positions — all oriented in the same direction. Scientists deduced that these Ampyx processions may illustrate a kind of collective behavior adopted in response to cyclic environmental disturbances. Though our understanding […]
Science diplomacy to address the haze issue
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY TAN SRI OMAR ABDUL RAHMAN, Senior Fellow, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Chair, Dialog Rakyat Organising Committee THE HAZE conundrum has now joined national unity and social harmony on the list of current issues causing major concern to Malaysians. The former however is demanding more urgent attention than the latter because of itshigh visibility (or […]
How plant-based JUST turns mung beans into scrambled eggs
Reading Time: 3 minutesTHERE’S a reason most plant-based companies start their product lines with a burger. Sure, figuring out the aroma, sizzle and taste of beef is a challenge, but mushing plant protein into a patty is far easier than trying to replicate the light and fluffy texture of scrambled eggs. Still, that’s exactly what JUST, Inc. is […]
Breath-in medication for TB is viable
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY THAIGAR P. A RESEARCH group from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM, in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy and Centenary Institute from The University of Sydney have developed needle-like antibiotic micro-crystals for tuberculosis (TB) treatment. This novel and cost-effective treatment is to be delivered into the lungs via inhalation. When tested on animals, […]
Most complete exploration of fly landing maneuvers to advance future robots
Reading Time: 2 minutesTO INSPIRE advanced robotic technology, researchers in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering have published the most complete description of how flying insects land upside-down. The paper was published in Science Advances. “ Through this work, we sought to understand how a fly executes the maneuvers of landing upside down in the blink of […]
Biotech experts gather at White House Summit
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY ALAN BOYLE MORE than 100 biotech researchers, industry executives and government officials met at the White House recently for a summit focusing on America’s bioeconomy — the range of products, services and data derived from biological processes and bioscience research. “The bioeconomy is already an integral part of the general economy,” White House chief […]
Study: India-Pakistan nuke war will kill millions
Reading Time: 3 minutesA NUCLEAR WAR between India and Pakistan could, over the span of less than a week, kill 50-125 million people — more than the death toll during all six years of World War II, according to new research. A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and Rutgers University examines how […]