https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. For months, Sabrina Staples stared at a silicone chip no bigger than a postage stamp, trying to coax cells into doing something remarkable. But every time she loaded her delicate microfluidic device with cells, a single rogue bubble would sneak in, destroying the cells and the experiment. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-microfluidic-device-captures-blood-vessel.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:29:04 EDT news674213342 It's considered a scientific landmark: A 1975 meeting at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California, shaped a new safety regime for recombinant DNA, ensuring that researchers would apply caution to gene splicing. Those ideas have been so useful that in the decades since, when new topics in scientific safety arise, there are still calls for Asilomar-type conferences to craft good ground rules. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-local-certainty-safety-principles-enabled.html Biotechnology Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:04:05 EDT news664016641 At Texas A&M University, one research lab is changing the game of droplet microfluidics, a technique that involves conducting experiments in nanoscale droplets of liquid in a controlled environment. The team has developed a system that makes droplet microfluidics faster, lower cost, and more accurate. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-droplet-microfluidics-advance-key-generation.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:43:06 EST news657391382 Microbes and fungi have long been nature's helpers in producing fine food, drinks and medicine, but new digital technologies could unlock far greater potential for the European biotech sector. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-biotech-potential-soar-digital-technology.html Biotechnology Wed, 07 Aug 2024 10:40:01 EDT news642245503 A new comprehensive review published in Industrial Biotechnology examines how industrial biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing utilize the same framework for efficient biochemical production, which can be leveraged in current and future collaborations to enable rapid innovation. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-advancing-technologies-cells-biofactories.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:18:02 EDT news615053881 A new discovery by researchers at the University of Warwick could help stop bacteria being contaminated with viruses, reducing disruption and decreasing costs in industry and research. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-discovery-bacterial-virus-contamination.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 17 Apr 2023 12:28:50 EDT news600953327 Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore and their collaborators from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) have developed the first ever nanosensor that can detect and distinguish gibberellins (GAs), a class of hormones in plants that are important for growth. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-nanotube-sensors-capable-distinguishing-gibberellin.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 20 Feb 2023 10:58:44 EST news596113120 Cells of all life forms are surrounded by a membrane that is made of phospholipids. One of these are the cardiolipins, which form a separate class due to their unique structure. When studying the enzyme that is responsible for producing cardiolipins in archaea (single-cell organisms that constitute a separate domain of life), biochemists at the University of Groningen made a surprising discovery. A single archaeal enzyme can produce a spectacular range of natural and non-natural cardiolipins, as well as other phospholipids. The results, which show potential for biotechnological applications, were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-archaeal-enzyme-membrane-lipids-spectacularly.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 May 2021 12:41:20 EDT news539523676 In a new study published in PNAS, scientists from The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) explored how different cell membrane transporters impact the production of dicarboxylic acids. https://phys.org/news/2019-09-cell-factories.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Sep 2019 12:20:36 EDT news486818428 Microalgae hold tremendous potential for industrial biotechnology. They are an important resource in the production of food and medications, and in many other applications. In comparison to bacteria and fungi, however, they still play only a minor role. The economic use of these organisms has been difficult in the past primarily because existing production procedures are too costly. The algae specialist Professor Michael Melkonian and his team from the University of Cologne have now developed a new method that could make the production of algae easier - and hence reduce the costs of the products based on this material. Their findings are published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2016-07-microalgaea-future-resource.html Biotechnology Wed, 13 Jul 2016 09:59:09 EDT news387622740 The natural biodiversity in Latin America has made it a hotspot for research and applications of biosurfactants, with Brazil leading the way in intellectual property and patents for novel processes and sustainable production methods to manufacture biosurfactants at low cost from agro-industrial waste. A review of bioprospecting studies to identify biosurfactant-producing microorganisms, the renewable substrates used in fermentation processes, and the range of biosurfactant applications being developed across Latin America is presented in an article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2016-03-bioprospecting-biosurfactant-producing-microbes-biodiversity-latin.html Biotechnology Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:46:30 EST news376749982 Mathematical models are used to predict just about everything from traffic and weather to plant metabolism and industrial biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2016-02-document-approach-uncertainties-mathematical.html Mathematics Mon, 22 Feb 2016 14:15:25 EST news375372918 Duplicate copies of genes safeguard survival of the biotech yeast Pichia pastoris in environments where only methanol is present as feed. A recently elucidated metabolism is similar to that used by plants for the utilization of carbon dioxide. https://phys.org/news/2015-09-newly-metabolism-certifies-evolutionary-advantage.html Biotechnology Thu, 24 Sep 2015 01:36:20 EDT news362277369 Chemicals are all around us. They are crucial in all manner of industries, from agriculture to food to cosmetics. Most people give little thought to how these chemicals are made – and certainly very few would consider the chemical industry as a contributor to our society's dependence on oil. But it is. https://phys.org/news/2015-07-bacteria-future-oil.html Biotechnology Thu, 30 Jul 2015 05:50:02 EDT news357453606 Based on a comprehensive life cycle analysis comparing the environmental impacts and economic outcomes for managing manure and food waste produced on a dairy farm, researchers found that anaerobic co-digestion of the waste products had substantial cost, energy, and environmental benefits compared to digestion of manure but disposal of food waste in a landfill. A detailed discussion of the potential for bioenergy production, increased profitability, and reductions in global warming and smog is presented in an original research article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2015-05-anaerobic-co-digestion-farm-based-manure-food.html Biotechnology Tue, 05 May 2015 12:02:34 EDT news350046148 Imagine a loved relative suffering from cancer - and you could not afford a treatment because the drugs are too expensive. The Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib) developed a method with the power to reduce production costs of highly valued drugs significantly. https://phys.org/news/2015-03-world-method-purification-valuable-antibodies.html Biotechnology Wed, 18 Mar 2015 12:11:35 EDT news345899481 Novel nanomaterials derived from cellulose have many promising industrial applications, are biobased and biodegradable, and can be produced at relatively low cost. Their potential toxicity—whether ingested, inhaled, on contact with the skin, or on exposure to cells within the body—is a topic of intense discussion, and the latest evidence and insights on cellulose nanocrystal toxicity are presented in a Review article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2015-02-potential-toxicity-cellulose-nanocrystals.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 19 Feb 2015 12:41:29 EST news343572080 Pretreatment of cellulosic biomass using cell wall degrading enzymes is a critical step in the release of sugars needed to produce biofuels and renewable, biobased chemicals and materials. A new study that demonstrates and quantifies the impact of enzymatic hydrolysis and drying on the nanostructure and available reaction volume of pretreated hardwoods and switchgrass is published in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2014-12-enzymatic-pretreatment-affect-nanostructure-reaction.html Biotechnology Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:05:05 EST news338123099 Screening large cell culture collections containing plant samples obtained from diverse geographic regions, climates, and soil and growing conditions for biological activity can reveal a wealth of natural compounds with potential applications for crop improvement and protection. The capability to do reproducible screening and genomic analysis of the more than 2,000 plant cell lines maintained in culture at the Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, in Kiev, Ukraine is describe in an article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2014-11-biodiversity-cell-culture-valuable-source.html Biotechnology Thu, 06 Nov 2014 03:58:51 EST news334468724 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are the first team to sequence the entire genome of the Clostridium autoethanogenum bacterium, which is used to sustainably produce fuel and chemicals from a range of raw materials, including gases derived from biomass and industrial wastes. https://phys.org/news/2014-09-team-fully-sequence-bacterial-genome.html Biotechnology Fri, 26 Sep 2014 08:00:02 EDT news330934434 Cassava, also known as tapioca, has large starch-filled roots and can grow at high yields in areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America where corn and sugarcane are not commonly grown. With the availability of novel enzymes and processes designed to break down tapioca starch into sugars that can then be used to produce sweeteners such as glucose, fructose, or maltose syrup, tapioca may be an ideal alternative to corn, as described in a Review article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2014-09-tapioca-corn-main-source-starch.html Biotechnology Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:06:59 EDT news330620813 Biofuels derived from the oils produced by algae may offer a low-cost sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. To achieve this goal, optimization of cost effective strategies for large-scale algae cultivation, such as in open pond systems, is needed. Sapphire Energy has developed an innovative solution to the challenge of contamination of open pond algae cultivation systems, described in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2014-07-contamination-algae-ponds-biofuels.html Biotechnology Wed, 09 Jul 2014 14:05:28 EDT news324133525 D-ribose is a commercially important sugar used as a sweetener, a nutritional supplement, and as a starting compound for synthesizing riboflavin and several antiviral drugs. Genetic engineering of Escherichia coli to increase the bacteria's ability to produce D-ribose is a critical step toward achieving more efficient industrial-scale production of this valuable chemical, as described in an article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2014-04-coli-high-d-ribose.html Biotechnology Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:10:31 EDT news317563817 Food spoiling and poisoning caused by microbial contamination can cause major health, social, and economic problems. The broad scope of antimicrobial approaches to kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms in foods and beverages, including a variety of natural and artificial preservative strategies, are described in a comprehensive Review article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2014-02-antimicrobial-strategies-food-contamination.html Biotechnology Fri, 14 Feb 2014 12:16:16 EST news311602568 The natural ability of certain fungi to break down complex substances makes them very valuable microorganisms to use as cell factories in industrial processes. Advances in metabolic engineering and systems biology are helping to customize and optimize these fungi to produce specific bioproducts, as described in a Review article in Industrial Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2013-12-approaches-customize-fungal-cell-factories.html Biotechnology Thu, 19 Dec 2013 12:46:54 EST news306679601 Introducing four genes from bacteria and spinach has enabled researchers at the Delft University of Technology to improve the production of bioethanol with yeast by using carbon dioxide. Their findings were published last week in the Biotechnology for Biofuels journal. https://phys.org/news/2013-09-yeast-co2-boost-bioethanol-production.html Biotechnology Tue, 10 Sep 2013 08:09:18 EDT news298019323 Tackling the risks of infection and other illnesses remains a challenge. Might the solution come from the sea? https://phys.org/news/2013-09-born-sea.html Ecology Mon, 02 Sep 2013 11:00:01 EDT news297336908 Genome researchers from Bielefeld University's Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec) headed by Professor Dr. Alfred Pühler have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the Chinese hamster. The Chinese hamster supplies the cell cultures used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce biopharmaceutical products such as antibodies used in medicine. This costly project was only possible thanks to a cooperation between Bielefeld University and its international project partners. The researchers have now published their results in the internationally renowned scientific journal Nature Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2013-08-decode-hamster-genome.html Biotechnology Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:47:17 EDT news296315225 The agriculture industry is researching new technologies to help feed the growing population. But feeding the world without harming air quality is a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2013-07-cattle-flatulence-doesnt-biotechnology.html Other Mon, 01 Jul 2013 15:23:57 EDT news291911026 (Phys.org) —The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled today that genes cannot be patented. A recent CSU-led study sheds light on the impacts of the case. https://phys.org/news/2013-06-impact-supreme-court-decision-gene.html Biotechnology Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:38:00 EDT news290410666