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Scientists have identified an enzyme that could turn woody poplar trees into a source of a major industrial chemical currently derived from fossil fuels, p-hydroxybenzoic acid.

Research demonstrates the mechanism by which microplastics, when in contact with cell membranes, stretch and greatly reduce their mechanical stability.

Researchers have identified a drug that could reduce infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus by up to 70 percent, according to a cell-based drug screen.

Beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome use different means to transmit from one person to another which impacts their abundance in the gut and the functions they provide, new research has found.

Today’s gold standard COVID-19 diagnostic test, which uses qRT-PCR, is extremely sensitive, it requires specialized equipment, a runtime of several hours and a centralized laboratory facility. As a result, testing typically takes at least one to two days. A research team has combined two different types of CRISPR enzymes to create an assay that can detect small amounts of viral RNA in less than an hour.

The 2021 Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation has been won by Professor Stanisa Raspopovic, whose innovations in neurotechnology have led to a promising new class of artificial legs that could lead to an improved quality of life for amputees.

Biological engineers at MIT have devised a new way to efficiently edit bacterial genomes and program memories into bacterial cells by rewriting their DNA. Using this approach, various forms of spatial and temporal information can be permanently stored for generations and retrieved by sequencing the cells’ DNA.

Researchers have found that the longer an ex-professional footballer’s playing career, the higher the increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. They also found that outfield players, particularly defenders, were more likely to have developed dementia than goalkeepers, whose risk was no different to non-players.

Researchers have developed a new strategy to overcome a limitation of electronics designed to be integrated into human bodies. Called “click-to-polymer” or CLIP, this approach uses a chemical reaction to attach new functional units onto polymer semiconductors.

Researchers have added to evidence that a protein called CaMKII improves strength, endurance, muscle health and fitness in young animals. Their experiments also found that the gene for CaMKII also contributes to increased susceptibility to age-associated diseases, frailty and mortality.