European Biotechnology in 2019 and Beyond: What’s Hot and What’s Not?

We spend a lot of time focusing on specific developments in biotechnology, but sometimes it’s good to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. With this in mind, I asked three experts at our recent Refresh event in Vienna to share what is hot in European biotech right now and what trends they think we will...

UK Scientists Engineer Cell Membrane for Long-Lasting Cell Therapy

Scientists at the University of Bristol, UK, have made a cell therapy that produces a glue-like hydrogel, which could make stem cells last for longer in the body and help wound healing in conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Cell therapies have a lot of potential for healing wounds and regenerating tissue, but they also face technical limitations. One limitation...

Rapid, AI-Powered Genetic Disease Diagnosis for Critically Ill Infants

The researchers at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine (RCIGM) are known for working quickly. In February of last year, they broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest diagnosis through whole genome sequencing, with an average of 19 hours. Continuing that work, they have built an automated pipeline to analyze data from electronic health records and genome sequences from...

Horizon Europe Scheme Gets EU Parliament Approval

The proposed Horizon Europe research funding scheme, the new Horizon 2020, has had approval from the EU parliament to launch in 2021. Since 2014, the EU research initiative Horizon 2020 has been providing funding for European innovation in biotech as well as other areas of research in academia and industry. The successor program of Horizon 2020, named Horizon Europe, has been...

New book on restriction enzymes from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Credit: Courtesy of Bayer. Cold Spring Harbor, NY– Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (CSHLP) announced the release of Restriction Enzymes: A History, available on its website in hardcover format. Restriction enzymes cleave DNA at specific recognition sites and have many uses in molecular biology, genetics, and biotechnology. More than 4000 restriction enzymes...

Some Versions of the Longevity Gene Are Spryer Than Others

Different animal species drink from different fountains of youth, which flow with waters of different potency. That’s the gist of a new study of the SIRT6 protein, which is encoded by the so-called longevity gene. In some species, SIRT6 variants repair damaged DNA more efficiently, better preserving health and youthfulness. By identifying the stronger SIRT6 variants, scientists based at the...

Can Anti-Aging Research Keep Us Healthy in the Long Run?

Searching for the fountain of eternal youth has been the dream of humanity for millennia. While this is still in the realms of science fiction, anti-aging companies are hoping to tackle aging-related diseases by targeting the underlying biology.Many Silicon Valley leaders have big ambitions and investments in hunting immortality. However, many biotech companies in the anti-aging field have a...

Acupuncture can be a wonderful tool for preventing number of diseases

Well-recognized for its therapeutic effects, acupuncture is increasingly being appreciated for its ability to promote wellness and contribute to the prevention of a broad range of conditions. A new study, which demonstrates the promise of acupuncture as a complementary approach in improving psychological and pain symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a natural disaster, is published as...

An Earth Day demand for biotechnology – Alliance for Science

How can agricultural biotechnology help save the planet?That question was the focus of a Tweet “thunderclap” chat hosted by the Nigeria Alliance for Science to mark yesterday’s celebration of Earth Day. Conducted under the handle @ScienceAllyNG, the chat attracted more than 1,000 top Nigerian Twitter influencers, as well as participants in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and the United States. Employing bold...

When is sexting associated with psychological distress among young adults?

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers New Rochelle, NY, April 23, 2019–While sending or receiving nude electronic images may not always be associated with poorer mental health, being coerced to do so and receiving unwanted sexts was linked to a higher likelihood of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, according to a new...