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Biotechnology news
Nature's photocopiers caught 'doodling'—scientists say it could revolutionize how DNA is written
New research has discovered that the molecular machines responsible for copying our DNA have a surprising hidden talent—an ability to create entirely new and highly sophisticated DNA sequences from scratch. The study, led ...
Biotechnology
15 hours ago
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Introducing a new citizen science nature app that's geared towards the scientific community
Identifying weeds, checking out the pollen map, or discovering new plant life-forms are among the promising wealth of data available to users of PlantNet—a "Shazam!" for plants. Pierre Bonnet and computer scientist Alexis ...
Biotechnology
Mar 31, 2026
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Teaching robots to harvest asparagus
Asparagus is one of the most labor-intensive crops on the market. Harvesting demands extreme precision—the terrain is uneven, and the stalks are thin and of varying length. These challenges inhibit automation, leading to ...
Biotechnology
Mar 31, 2026
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SimCells successfully target and kill drug-resistant bacteria
We are continually in an evolutionary arms race with bacteria. As we develop new antibiotics, they develop resistance, and so it goes on until some of our treatments no longer work. Superbugs and antimicrobial resistance ...
A new way to eavesdrop on ocean temperature in the Arctic
New research led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography finds that the travel time of underwater sounds moving across the Arctic Ocean can be used to precisely measure ocean temperature under ...
Ecology
Mar 31, 2026
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Unlocking designer roots for future cereal crops
A plant signaling gene has been identified as a promising target for breeding cereal crops to produce a steeper, narrower root system architecture, but with associated yield penalties in barley. University of Queensland Ph.D. ...
Biotechnology
Mar 31, 2026
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Light switch for life: Controlling molecular droplets with UV
Biomolecular condensates are tiny, droplet-like structures made up of molecules that help organize key processes in living organisms. Because they are so small and constantly changing, it has been difficult for scientists ...
Biotechnology
Mar 30, 2026
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Soil bacteria break down toxic chemicals in the environment
Many aromatic compounds, such as phenols, cresols and styrenes, are toxic to organisms and harmful to the environment. They can accumulate as a result of industrial processes and harm ecosystems. Soil bacteria can help to ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 30, 2026
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Who do you think you are? What DNA tests reveal—and what they don't
For more than 40 years, the Golden State Killer haunted California. A serial rapist and murderer active in the 1970s and '80s, he eluded detectives for decades. By 2018, hope of identifying him was fading, until a woman—curious ...
Biotechnology
Mar 29, 2026
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Seals use whisker movement to follow underwater trails—an approach that could improve robotic sensing
Seals are carnivorous marine mammals that are well adapted to hunting for fish underwater, where visibility is poor. In such conditions, seals rely on their highly sensitive whiskers to detect tiny water movements left behind ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 29, 2026
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Why use living cells? Researchers are making chemicals with enzymes alone
Today's nearly $70 billion U.S. biofuels economy is powered by two technology toolboxes. Biochemical technologies—used to produce around 17 billion gallons of ethanol annually—leverage microorganisms to convert plant biomass ...
Biotechnology
Mar 27, 2026
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Understanding protein motion could greatly aid new drug design
For many people, "protein" is the key element of a food order. However, beyond the preferred choice of meats or plant-based alternatives, proteins encompass a large class of complex biomolecules whose chemical structure is ...
Biotechnology
Mar 27, 2026
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Designing proteins by their motion, not just their shape
Proteins are far more than nutrients we track on a food label. Present in every cell of our bodies, they work like nature's molecular machines. They walk, stretch, bend, and flex to do their jobs, pumping blood, fighting ...
Biotechnology
Mar 27, 2026
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Implantable 'living pharmacy' produces multiple drugs inside the body
A multi-institutional team of scientists, co-led by Northwestern University, has taken a crucial step toward implantable "living pharmacies"—tiny devices containing engineered cells that continuously produce medicines inside ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 27, 2026
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Researchers use quantum biosensors to peer into cells' inner workings
In a major advance applying insights from quantum physics to the inner workings of biology, a team of WashU researchers has successfully implanted quantum sensors in living cells to measure shifts in magnetism and temperature. ...
Biotechnology
Mar 26, 2026
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New synthetic origin of replication lets multiple plasmids coexist in one bacterial cell
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," goes the old adage, which Rice University professor James Chappell completely ignored in a recent Nature Communications publication. In the study, Chappell describes an innovation in plasmids, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 26, 2026
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DNA shape explains crucial gene-therapy challenges
CRISPR is a powerful DNA-editing tool that has underpinned huge advancements in human health care in the last decade. It is a precision tool, but is not perfect, and misplaced DNA edits can compromise safety and efficacy, ...
Biotechnology
Mar 26, 2026
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AI tool can screen unknown bacteria for disease-linked genes, moving closer to preventing pandemics
PathogenFinder2 is a new AI tool developed by researchers at DTU in Denmark, in collaboration with international partners, to determine whether an unfamiliar bacterium possesses genetic characteristics associated with the ...
Biotechnology
Mar 26, 2026
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Tiny bubbles, sound waves clean produce safely and effectively
A Jacuzzi for washing your tomatoes might seem odd, but new research finds that a bubble bath with a constant acoustic sound in the water may be the best chemical-free, gentle method for cleaning agricultural produce and ...
Biotechnology
Mar 26, 2026
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One-pot process could convert sugarcane waste to jet fuel
Converting sugarcane waste to biofuel could become more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, thanks to a joint project at The University of Queensland and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Ph.D. candidate ...
Biotechnology
Mar 26, 2026
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More news
New antibiotic alternative fights foodborne Salmonella
RNA-guided CRISPR system activates gene expression
New imaging technique maps membrane lipids in 3D at nanoscale
Engineered E. coli can monitor arsenic, offering a cheap biosensor
Other news
Stretching metals can tune catalysis: A new method predicts energy shifts
Why subduction zones act as the Earth's 'gold kitchens'
Superconductivity switched on in material once thought only magnetic
Precision work prior to cell division: How enzymes optimize DNA structure
Global insect rescue plan requires new technology to ensure success
Plastic bottles transformed into Parkinson's drug using bacteria
Accuracy test for protein language models shines light into AI 'black box'
