In Depth 4 Apr 2022 Portable Sequencing Is Reshaping Genetics Research Portable sequencing is making it possible for biologists to perform DNA analysis anywhere in the world. How is this technology reshaping the way they work? Thanks to nanopore technology, scientists can now collect samples and sequence them anywhere. It is the concept of backpacking applied to scientific research. French molecular biologist Anne-Lise Ducluzeau has experienced […] April 4, 2022 - 11 minutesmins - By Carlos de Rojas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 7 Mar 2022 Multiplexing Speeds up Writing and Editing DNA While scientists can read DNA fast, editing and writing it is not that easy. Increasing the speed of editing and writing DNA sequences will be critical to ushering in new applications of genome engineering. Much of biotech is about reverse-engineering the designs that billions of years of evolution have put together. To be able to […] March 7, 2022 - 6 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 28 Feb 2022 Biorobotics Teaches Machines to Sense and Respond to the World Integrating biology and robotics would allow robots to feel, smell, or hear in order to react to changing environments, opening a wide range of applications. Our senses allow us to interact with our surroundings. They are also the basis for learning. In the quest to make machines more efficient, researchers are looking at one of […] February 28, 2022 - 7 minutesmins - By Carlos de Rojas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 31 Jan 2022 Nature’s Painters: Making Sustainable Colors with Microbes The production of textile dyes and food colorants can have a big environmental footprint. Biotech startups are rising to the challenge by engineering bacteria, fungi, and algae to sustainably produce natural colors. Eight years ago, University of Cambridge researcher Jim Ajioka was in Nepal helping to produce a biosensor to detect arsenic in drinking water […] January 31, 2022 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 19 Jan 2022 Glycans Hit the Sweet Spot in Diagnostics The surface of our cells are covered in sugar molecules called glycans. The field of glycomics leverages their enormous diversity to develop better and more precise diagnostics. More commonly known as sugars or carbohydrates, glycans are involved in a range of crucial biological roles, including maintaining tissue elasticity, tackling pathogens, and modulating the immune system. […] January 19, 2022 - 5 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 18 Jan 2022 Biomining: Turning Waste into Gold with Microbes High-value metals make the modern world go round, but the way we extract and dispose of them is far from sustainable. Biomining could be an elegant and lucrative alternative. From the gold and silver in consumer electronics to the rare earth elements needed to power renewable energy technologies, metals underpin the transition to a high-tech, […] January 18, 2022 - 7 minutesmins - By Farhan Mitha Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 7 Dec 2021 Is Cloud Computing the Answer to Genomics’ Big Data Problem? The success of the genomics industry has led to the generation of huge amounts of DNA sequencing data. Cloud computing could offer a solution for scientists who currently lack the tools to make full use of this data. Over the last decade, genomics has become the backbone of drug discovery. It has allowed scientists to […] December 7, 2021 - 8 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 8 Nov 2021 Blockchain Makes Biotech Supply Chains Traceable Blockchain technology can be used to reliably trace entire supply chains, preventing counterfeit drugs and foods from making their way to consumers. Supply chains are long, often spanning multiple continents, complex, and dotted with blind spots. These opaque gaps leave room for unethical agents to interfere with the supply chain. If you were running a […] November 8, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 25 Oct 2021 Biotech Startups Face a Growing Wave of Cyberattacks The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year triggered a wave of cyberattacks in the life sciences industry, and the problem is likely to get worse. Biotech startups need to improve their cybersecurity, but where should they start? In January 2020, it was time to open the champagne for Andrew Sewell, Professor of Infection and […] October 25, 2021 - 11 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 20 Oct 2021 Arming Biological Nanobots to Deliver Drugs Inside Our Bodies Nanobots are tiny biological machines that can deliver drugs to the target destination to make them more efficacious and reduce side effects, which are the biggest challenges of drug delivery. Traditional drug treatments, for example cancer chemotherapy, can come with toxic compounds that indiscriminately damage healthy tissues. Nanobots could circumvent this issue by protecting the […] October 20, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Carlos de Rojas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 11 Oct 2021 A Cure for Cancer? How CAR-T Cell Therapy is Revolutionizing Oncology CAR-T therapy has been hailed as a cure for cancer, but what really is this ‘miraculous technology’ and what can we actually expect from it? The field of immuno-oncology is booming with billions of euros in investment. The ability to rewire our own immune system to fight cancer has certainly created huge expectations. After the […] October 11, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 15 Sep 2021 Blood Cells: The Future of Drug Delivery From red blood cells to platelets, the cells in our own blood could prove an effective way of delivering drugs to their target and improving their safety. Many pharmaceutical drugs in the market come with side effects that generally arise from their effects on parts of the body other than their intended target. Even when […] September 15, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email