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2 weeks ago | 
synbiobeta.com | Kevin Mayer
Fortunately, there is more than one kind of “down.” In science and engineering, the usual down involves a search for a system’s smallest and most fundamental components. But the dive for fundamental components, such as atoms and molecules, can descend past things that are fundamental in their own right, namely, the emergent properties of complex systems. Emergent properties cannot be understood—in practice or even in principle—by identifying and characterizing individual parts.
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1 month ago | 
synbiobeta.com | Kevin Mayer
Just because a technology has a long history doesn’t mean it can’t be at the cutting edge. Consider cell-free protein synthesis.
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Dec 6, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home Topics Cancer Killer T Cells Programmed for Tissue- and Tumor-Specific Targeting Cancer cell attacked by lymphocytes Credit: luismmolina / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Cancer-killing T cells have been programmed to have two levels of specificity. First, the T cells have been equipped with a receptor sensitive to a protein that is found only in central nervous system (CNS) tissue.
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Dec 4, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home Topics Translational Medicine Super-Resolution Microscopy More Than Pretty Pictures The ONI Nanoimager is a desktop, super-resolution, single-molecule imaging platform that can visualize and track individual molecules in complex systems such as nanoparticles, living cells, and tissues, and do so with 20 nm resolution. Also, the instrument can enable investigations with different technologies, including dSTORM, PALM, PAINT, and smFRET.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home Topics Cancer Cancer Immunotherapy Could Turn Up the Heat on Cold Tumors by Suppressing... Credit: Them Leach / Science Photo Library / Getty Images Credit: Them Leach / Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Not all cancers respond strongly—or at all—to immunotherapies.
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Nov 26, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Tumor cell deaths can benefit tumors. A paradox? Not at all. If, for example, a dying tumor cell undergoes necroptosis, it can release inflammatory factors that can enhance or diminish antitumor immunity. Consequently, the idea of relying on necroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death, as an alternative or adjunct to apoptosis, a non-inflammatory form of cell death, needs to be pursued with all due caution.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home Topics Drug Discovery Bitter Taste Receptor Engages Compounds Not Just Outside the Cell, but Inside Cell membrane with blue background, 3d rendering. Computer digital drawing. Credit: Jian Fan/iStock/Getty Images Plus
A bitter taste receptor, TAS2R14, has been shown to respond to both extracellular and intracellular signals. Indeed, it can respond to both signals simultaneously.
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Nov 22, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home News Nanoparticles for mRNA Delivery Get an Edge via Chemically Evolved Lipids Lipid nanoparticle mRNA vaccine, 3D illustration. [Dr_Microbe/Getty Images] Lipid nanoparticle mRNA vaccine, 3D illustration. [Dr_Microbe/Getty Images]
To create A1 lipid nanoparticles for delivering mRNA to target cells, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania used A3 coupling.
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Nov 12, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home Topics Infectious Diseases Immune Cell Whisperer, a Biosensor Assay, Discerns Which Pathogens Are Sniffed Out Credit: Artur Plawgo/Getty Images Credit: Artur Plawgo/Getty Images
On immune cells, Toll-like receptors are capable of detecting infections just like a sniffer dog, using special sensors known as Toll-like receptors, or TLRs for short.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
genengnews.com | Kevin Mayer
Home News Synthetic Gene Cascades Timed to Control DNA Nanotube Assembly Abstract image of clock and genetic chain Credit: cooperr007 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Molecular instructions in living cells can be timed rather like the notes or chords in a piece of music. For example, a finite number of genes can be activated and expressed in different orders, for different durations, to permit the assembly (or disassembly) of different polymers.
