https://phys.org/biology-news/biotechnology/ en-us The latest science news on biotechnology Bacterial sensors usually rely on emitting light to transfer information about what they're sensing, but that method isn't practical in many settings. That's why most information transmission is done via electricity. And while electricity-emitting bacteria exist, manipulating them into useful sensors has been quite challenging. Rice University professor Caroline Ajo-Franklin's group, working in collaboration with researchers from Tufts University and Baylor College of Medicine, recently developed a flexible bioelectrical sensor system called electroactive co-culture sensing system (e-COSENS). The study is published in Nature Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-chemical-electricity-options.html Biotechnology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695650681 For the first time, a research team at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has succeeded in reducing the size of, or even completely removing, chromosomes in plants with large genomes, such as wheat. They achieved this by using the CRISPR/Cas gene-editing tool to target highly repetitive sections of DNA. The results of the study, published today in the journal Plant Communications, could significantly accelerate breeding processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-team-successfully-trims-wheat-chromosomes.html Biotechnology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:00:01 EDT news695649961 An emerging type of artificial intelligence, known as "agentic" AI, seems to do everything that biomedical scientists do—and often, does it faster. This next-generation technology can interpret experimental data, report the results and make decisions on its own. But is agentic AI smart enough to replace actual scientists? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-qa-agentic-ai-human-scientists.html Biotechnology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:04 EDT news695644443 Bacterial blight (BB) is a serious plant disease that mainly affects rice plants, especially in warm, humid regions. Due to the severity of BB, discovering and applying BB-resistance genes is strategically important for ensuring stable rice production in Asia. However, genetic strategies to improve disease resistance face a trade-off between crop yield and immunity to disease—since better immunity may be associated with lower yield. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gene-discovery-path-disease-resistant.html Biotechnology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:10:01 EDT news695575081 A study conducted at the Institute of Science and Technology of São Paulo State University (ICT-UNESP) in São José dos Campos, Brazil, shows that Moringa oleifera, also known as moringa or white acacia, has the potential to remove microplastics from water. The study, titled "Removal of Microplastics from Drinking Water by Moringa oleifera Seed: Comparative Performance with Alum in Direct and in-Line Filtration Systems," is published in the journal ACS Omega. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-common-asian-brazil-potential-microplastics.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news695569201 Investigating a common gene in three very different species—salamanders, mice and zebrafish—scientists have discovered the potential for a novel gene therapy aimed at eventually regrowing limbs in humans, according to new research published this week. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-regrowing-human-limbs-salamander-gene.html Biotechnology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:40:07 EDT news695562421 As a part of a study testing out a new type of implanted brain-computer interface (BCI), three rhesus monkeys controlled movements in a virtual reality (VR) world using only brain signals. The study, published in Science Advances, demonstrates a major step toward practical BCIs that can work outside of lab conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-monkeys-virtual-forest-thought-brain.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:30:01 EDT news695563610 Researchers at University College Dublin have discovered a previously unknown "courier system" that cells use to deliver coherent biological messages between each other, opening new possibilities for medicine and biotechnology. These courier systems also possess "keys" to natural (endogenous) gateways, allowing them to reach biological locations that are currently inaccessible in conventional delivery medicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cells-secret-courier-hard-rna.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:11 EDT news695484001 Cancer cells excel at evading detection, but subtle chemical differences set them apart from healthy cells. Now, a team of scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Van Andel Institute has identified a way to exploit this distinction. Using a variant of CRISPR, a modern tool for editing DNA, they distinguished tumor DNA from healthy DNA and selectively cut only the former. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-crispr-variant-tumor-dna.html Biotechnology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695472722 Researchers have identified more than 600,000 microbial proteins capable of breaking down natural and synthetic plastics, revealing a far broader biodegradation potential across microbes than previously known. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earth-microbes-universal-plastic-arsenal.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:07 EDT news695470383 Nutrients recovered from animal and human waste could drastically reduce synthetic fertilizer use in the U.S., according to a new Cornell University study that takes into account real-world implementation challenges like processing and transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-america-sewage-manure-billion-key.html Biotechnology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:09 EDT news695379241 An international team led by researchers at QUT has used artificial intelligence to create tiny "smart" proteins that switch on only when they detect a chosen target. Published in Nature Biotechnology, the research opens the way to a new generation of low-cost biosensors for medicine, environmental monitoring and biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-ai-generated-proteins-smart.html Biotechnology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:02 EDT news695395801 A research team has discovered an enhanced CRISPR gene-editing system that could enable targeted delivery inside the human body—a key step toward broader clinical use. Researchers identified a naturally occurring enzyme, Al3Cas12f, that is small enough to fit into adeno-associated virus vectors, a leading targeted delivery method for gene therapies. They then engineered an enhanced version that dramatically improved gene-editing performance in human cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-compact-crispr-body-gene-efficiency.html Biotechnology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:20:02 EDT news695313181 Scientists at the VIB–VUB Center for Structural Biology have uncovered a counterintuitive principle that could reshape how membrane proteins are designed from scratch: Sometimes, making a protein less stable helps it fold correctly. In their study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers demonstrate that introducing carefully placed "imperfections," a strategy known as negative design, enables synthetic membrane proteins to fold and assemble efficiently in artificial membranes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-membrane-proteins-embracing-imperfection.html Biotechnology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news695312581 Engineered cells are a high-value genetic asset that is key to many fields, including biotechnology, medicine, aging, and stem cell research, with the global market projected to reach $8.0 trillion USD by 2035. Yet the only ways to keep the cells safe are strong locks and watchful guards. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hackers-dna-encryption-cells.html Biotechnology Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:00:05 EDT news694861783 Researchers at DTU have developed a new method that can reduce the time needed to find new bacteria for fermentation. They have now identified a bacterium that can be used both for acidification and to increase the vitamin B2 content of soya drinks. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-bumblebees-vitamin-soya.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news695038142 Professor Gyu Rie Lee of the Department of Biological Sciences successfully designed artificial proteins that selectively recognize specific compounds using AI through joint research with Professor David Baker. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, is characterized by using AI to design proteins that recognize specific compounds from scratch (de novo) and implementing them as functional biosensors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-proteins-built-specific-compounds.html Biotechnology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:40:01 EDT news694958188 Researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have solved a long-standing mystery of how a model green microalga reorganizes its central metabolism to supercharge growth when given access to both light and a carbon source—a finding with broad implications for developing algae as a sustainable source of renewable fuels, bioproducts, and biomass. Their study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-metabolism-algae-advance-renewable.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news694970702 University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have developed a bold new approach to drug development and discovery that could dramatically accelerate the creation of new medicines. UVA's Nikolay V. Dokholyan, Ph.D., and colleagues have developed a suite of artificial intelligence-powered tools, called YuelDesign, YuelPocket and YuelBond, that work together to transform how new drugs are created. The centerpiece, YuelDesign, uses a cutting-edge form of AI called diffusion models to design new drug molecules tailored to fit their protein targets exactly, even accounting for the way proteins flex and shift shape during binding. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-diffusion-tailor-drug-molecules.html Biotechnology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:00:06 EDT news694968241 In a study published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Nagoya University researchers demonstrated that native soil bacteria, when treated with decoy molecules, can degrade non-native compounds, including persistent pollutants such as dioxins, without genetic modification. "In other words, we can effectively give these bacteria capabilities they do not naturally have, while keeping them in their original state," said Professor Osami Shoji, the study's lead author. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-decoy-molecules-soil-bacteria-persistent.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:40:03 EDT news694957134 In science, ethical guidelines ensure that research takes place in a way that respects public trust and is conducted responsibly. Traditional ethics approval procedures work well for projects following established practices, but they offer little flexibility when unexpected challenges, novel approaches, unanticipated research directions, or unforeseen results arise. For research exploring uncharted ethical ground, such as studies with human stem-cell-based embryo models (hSCBEMs), conventional ethical approval approaches are therefore no longer suitable. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-embryo-ethics.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news694952761 A study published in Cell Research advances a central idea in stem cell biology by identifying a checkpoint that controls the identity of many different types of stem cells across developmental stages. For nearly two decades, scientists have understood that stem cell self-renewal depends on blocking differentiation signals—a concept described in earlier work, including Qi-Long Ying and Austin Smith's 2008 Nature paper titled "The ground state of embryonic stem cell self-renewal." https://phys.org/news/2026-04-stemness-checkpoint-stem-cell-identity.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:00:04 EDT news694884782 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have built a molecular "leash" to pull directly on a force-sensing protein called Piezo1, and discovered it switches on at about 15 piconewtons, proving that it can be activated by physical tethers, not only by membrane deformation. The study is published in the journal Nature Sensors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-leash-protein-piconewtons.html Biotechnology Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news694791302 Stem cells are the body's ultimate shape-shifters, sustaining tissues by balancing two competing demands: maintaining their own population and generating specialized descendants. In many tissues, some early descendants can revert to a stem cell state through a process known as dedifferentiation. This ability can help replenish the stem cell pool when stem cells are lost. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-stem-cell-descendants-flexibility-distinct.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news694787941 A new tool makes it possible to screen millions of tiny protein fragments and select those that can be recognized by the immune system. The CIC biomaGUNE Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials has developed epiGPTope, a system that uses machine learning to generate and classify epitopes, in collaboration with the company Multiverse Computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-epitope-library-vaccines-immunotherapy.html Biotechnology Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:00:08 EDT news694786861 Researchers at Umeå University show how tick-borne viruses remodel human cells into virus factories, using an advanced microscopy method. The findings provide new insight into how the virus replicates and matures, knowledge that may become important for future treatments against TBE. The study is published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-3d-microscopy-reveals-borne-virus.html Biotechnology Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:20:04 EDT news694782629 Giving lemurs the chance to use technology to share control of sensory experiences with zoo visitors can help create meaningful connections between humans and animals, new research suggests. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tech-enable-species.html Plants & Animals Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:00:03 EDT news694772162 Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures built using a process known as cell aggregation, are the next step in advancing this work, capable of more closely modeling real tissue. A new technology, invented by researchers from Penn State and detailed in a paper published in Advanced Science, could breathe fresh air into bottom-up tissue fabrication and potentially large-scale tissue engineering by addressing these issues. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cell-snowball-large-scale-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news694710961 Researchers at Cornell University have developed a powerful new genetic toolkit that allows scientists to study how genes function at the level of individual cells, an advance that could accelerate discoveries in development, neuroscience, and disease. The work is published in the journal eLife. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-magic-toolkit-genome-wide-cell.html Biotechnology Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:20:01 EDT news694692868 Algae blooms make a pond's surface shine in mesmerizing green hues. But if the microorganisms responsible are cyanobacteria, they can also release toxins that harm humans and wildlife alike. A team reporting in ACS ES&T Water has designed a "set it and forget it" system for distributing algaecide using specialized buoys tethered at the site of a bloom. In tests, the buoys removed nearly all cyanobacteria without the need for frequent reapplication. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-algae-blooms-bacteria-buoys.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:00:02 EDT news694105176