News

New research suggests that the 15,000-year-old ‘Natufian Culture’ could live comfortably in the steppe zone of present-day eastern Jordan - this was previously thought to be either uninhabitable or only sparsely populated. Scientists used a specially designed mass spectrometer, able to reveal the amount of carbon-14 in a sample down to the single atom. Based on the half-life of the radioactive carbon-14 atoms, the dating is accurate to around 50 years, plus or minus.

A group of researchers, led by Dr. Laura Bohn at The Scripps Research Institute, may have found a way to make opioids safer by separating the drugs' pain relieving effects from their most dangerous side effect, respiratory suppression, which, in very severe cases, causes patients to stop breathing and to die.

Tuberculosis, and other life-threatening microbial diseases, could be more effectively tackled with future drugs, thanks to new research into an old antibiotic by the University of Warwick and The Francis Crick Institute.

Researchers have developed a biocompatible ink for 3D printing using living bacteria. This makes it possible to produce biological materials capable of breaking down toxic substances or producing high-purity cellulose for biomedical applications.

A Japanese research team from Kumamoto University has succeeded in developing a refrigeration preservation technology that maintains the fertilization functionality of mouse sperm for 10 days.

Chemists have synthesized new isoquinoline derivatives. Due to their biological activity, these compounds may be applicable in new drugs, from antispasmodics to bactericidal agents. In addition, in the future they may show effectiveness in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists have evaluated the organophosphate pesticide concentration in dust from farms and also from pesticide manufacturing plants in the megacity of Lahore. Results showed dust in and around Lahore contains pesticide pollution that is a high health risk to all groups tested.

Funding for 3-year-long project to lead biopharmaceutical consortium on aggregation analytics.

Researchers have taken the Connectivity Map — a widely used resource of tools and data — to new heights with a massively scaled-up version including more cell types, more perturbations, and more types of data, including proteomic and cellular imaging data. For this new platform, the researchers have also improved its accessibility for the scientific community, enabling studies of small molecule and gene function and informing clinical trials.

A new study explains what happens when the immune system ages, and has identified two potential new drug targets which could help postpone the development of age-related diseases.