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Category: biotech/medical – Page 686

Main Regulator for the Body’s ‘Oven’ discovered

Bonn researchers identify protein that increases the formation of good brown and beige fat. Brown fat cells convert energy into heat — a key to eliminating unwanted fat deposits. In addition, they also protect against cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Transdisciplinary Research Area “Life & Health” at the University of Bonn have now identified the protein EPAC1 as a new pharmacological target to increase brown fat mass and activity. The long-term aim is to find medicines that support weight loss. The results of the study have now been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

Obesity is defined as a pathological increase in white fat, and has become a major problem worldwide, with a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

“Exercise and dieting are not enough to effectively and permanently shed the pounds,” says corresponding author Prof.

TRNA ‘Wobble’ Helps Cells Boost Antibody Production

The various identities of cells, whether they are in the brain, heart, kidney, or any other tissue, are defined by the genes they expressed. In basic terms, the genes that are active in a cell are transcribed into RNA molecules that are then translated into proteins using tRNA molecules. In the genetic code, three base pair sequences of DNA, or codons, represent amino acids. These amino acids are moved into place by tRNA molecules, which have matching anticodons, to make proteins. There is redundancy in the genetic code as well, in which one amino acid can often be encoded by a few different codons.

Protein production varies considerably in different cells, and this is especially notable in cells that generate antibodies. These cells often have to spring into action and shift into high gear to generate many infection-fighting antibodies quickly. These antibody producers are B cells, and they often make significant metabolic adaptations when they’re needed.

Experts craft life-saving ‘robot medics’ for triage in high-risk places

Experts created robotic arms to conduct essential medical triage in perilous situations like humanitarian disasters and conflict zones.

Developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield, this revolutionary technology has the potential to be a life-saving intervention in high-risk places.

Examining victims within 20 minutes

Built upon the innovative “medical telexistence (MediTel) solution,” this state-of-the-art mobile robotic-controlled uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) incorporates virtual reality (VR) technology.

Rethinking Death: Exploring What Happens When We Die

The full recording of Parnia’s Lab’s premiere film, Rethinking Death: Exploring What Happens When We Die. In Rethinking Death, scientists, physicians, and survivors of cardiac arrest explore the liminal space between life and death, breaking down these stunning scientific breakthroughs to tell the remarkable, scientific story of what happens after we die.

Special thank you to Stellaris Productions, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and of course, the researchers and survivors without whom this story could not be told:

Dr. Robert Montgomery.
Dr. Sam Parnia.
Dr. Lance Becker.
Dr. Tom Aufderheide.
Dr. Stephan Mayer.
Dr. Samuel Tisherman.
Alysson Muotri.
Dr. Lindsay Gurin.
Dr. Bruce Greyson.
Dr. Mary Neal.
Jeffery Olsen.
Rachel Finch.
Dr. Anthony Bossis.
Dr. Megan Craig.
Dr. Donald Hoffman.
Dr. Joseph Lowy

DNA becomes our ‘hands’ to construct advanced polyhedral nanoparticles

In a paper published in Science Jan. 18, scientists Chad Mirkin and Sharon Glotzer and their teams at Northwestern University and University of Michigan, respectively, present findings in nanotechnology that could impact the way advanced materials are made.

The paper describes a significant leap forward in assembling polyhedral . The researchers introduce and demonstrate the power of a novel synthetic strategy that expands possibilities in metamaterial design. These are the unusual materials that underpin “invisibility cloaks” and ultrahigh-speed optical computing systems.

“We manipulate macroscale materials in using our hands,” said Mirkin, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.