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. A new genetic screening method allows researchers to efficiently modulate individual genes across entire tissues and provides new insights into human development. The research, published in eLife, is described as a landmark study by the journal's editors. They go on to say in their assessment of the work that "this technical tour de force is exceptional and one of the first studies to reveal new knowledge on human development through embryo models." https://phys.org/news/2026-07-unveils-genetic-screen-human.html Biotechnology Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:20:11 EDT news702646951 Humans develop sharp vision during early fetal development thanks to an interplay between a vitamin A derivative and thyroid hormones in the retina, Johns Hopkins University scientists have found. The findings could upend decades of conventional understanding of how the eye grows light-sensing cells and could inform new research into treatments for macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other age-related vision disorders. Details of the study, which used lab-grown retinal tissue, are published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-humans-sharp-vision-lab-grown.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:30:02 EST news690214638 The human kidney filters about a cup of blood every minute, removing waste, excess fluid, and toxins from it, while also regulating blood pressure, balancing important electrolytes, activating Vitamin D, and helping the body produce red blood cells. This broad range of functions is achieved in part via the kidney's complex organization. In its outer region, more than a million microscopic units, known as nephrons, filter blood, reabsorb necessary nutrients, and secrete waste in the form of urine. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bioengineers-perfusable-kidney-ducts-3d.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:21:51 EST news689876461 This week, researchers reported the discovery of four Late Bronze Age stone megastructures likely used for trapping herds of wild animals. Physicists have proven that a central law of thermodynamics does not apply to atomic-scale objects that are linked via quantum correlation. And two Australian Ph.D. students coded a software solution for the James Webb Space Telescope's Aperture Masking Interferometer, which has been producing blurry images. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-saturday-citations-solution-universal-expansion.html Other Sat, 18 Oct 2025 09:00:02 EDT news679921929 Inside cells there are tiny particles, known as extracellular vesicles, that store and move molecules. Our cells naturally package beneficial proteins and healing compounds into these tiny bubbles, dispatching them to where they are needed to deliver molecular cargo or to communicate with other cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-bioreactors-yield-extracellular-vesicles-medicine.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:30:18 EDT news677247964 Just a few weeks after conception, stem cells are already orchestrating the future structure of the human brain. A new Yale-led study shows that, early in development, molecular "traffic cops" known as morphogens regulate the activation of gene programs that initiate stem cells' differentiation into more specialized brain cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-morphogens-early-brain-stem-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 01 May 2025 14:11:04 EDT news665327461 The journal Advanced Materials recently published a study introducing a new method for monitoring molecular processes deep within tissue. Developed at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, the innovation is expected to accelerate key advancements in personalized medicine, cancer diagnosis, and early disease detection. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-insect-vision-noninvasive-method-deep.html Biotechnology Fri, 07 Mar 2025 04:29:36 EST news660544173 Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-noninvasive-imaging-method-penetrate-deeper.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:00:01 EST news653131806 When a vertebrate embryo develops, a group of cells self-organizes into the neural tube, eventually becoming the brain and the spinal cord. This involves specific signals, but how these signals are interpreted by developing cells remains unclear. A team of researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) now has more insights—thanks to miniature 2D organs and rubbery silicone molds. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tissue-temporally.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:30:04 EST news651933001 Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently developed a neotype lysosomal trap for clearing viruses and variants. This lysosomal "TRAP" (lysoTRAP) shows efficient viruses and variants infection inhibition potential in cell, mouse, hamster, and human lung organoid models. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-lysosomal-clearance-viruses-variants.html Biotechnology Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:02:16 EST news651841329 A team of neurologists, bioengineers and radiologists has found that two neurons in the human brain that code for dopamine production have to work harder than similar cells in primate relatives. The group has posted a paper describing their work on the bioRxiv preprint server. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-human-brain-organelles-dopamine-neurons.html Evolution Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:30:01 EST news651148682 Recent advances that have enabled the growth of tissue cultures into organoids and embryoids have heightened interest as to how tissue growth is controlled during the natural processes of embryo development. It is known that the diffusion of signaling molecules called morphogens directs patterned tissue growth, but what has been harder to understand is how the gradient of morphogens from this diffusion can lead to sharply defined domains in the resulting tissue. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-collaboration-tissues-sharply.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 08 Oct 2024 10:55:04 EDT news647603702 An extensive family of proteins that gives human skin mechanical strength also appears to organize molecular signals that control skin cell activity, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. The team's findings, published in Developmental Cell, could lead to new ways to fight a host of skin diseases, including ulcers and skin cancer. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-proteins-skin-strength-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 21 Aug 2024 10:22:03 EDT news643454521 How do pathogens invade the lungs? Using human lung microtissues, a team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has uncovered the strategy used by a dangerous pathogen. The bacterium targets specific lung cells and has developed a sophisticated strategy to break through the lungs' line of defense. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-lung-organoids-reveal-pathogens-infect.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:50:24 EDT news637231821 A study led by Professor Shimpei Gotoh (Department of Clinical Application), introduces a new culturing method to generate alveolar organoids suitable for medium- and high-throughput screening and identified several chemicals with synergistic effects on AT1 cell differentiation. The work is published in the journal Stem Cell Reports. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-gel-alveolar-organoids-screening-platform.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:20:03 EDT news630926401 Hair has a significant impact on how society and we, as individuals, see ourselves. Consequently, hair loss or alopecia causes considerable emotional distress and anxiety and often results in a reduced quality of life for those suffering from its effects. Most alopecia patients choose drug therapy as their first treatment option. Currently, there are drugs that are effective in improving some symptoms of alopecia. However, these drugs often have side effects, and their efficacy may vary widely. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-cinnamic-acid-developmental-avenue-hair.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:17:32 EDT news630677849 Queensland researchers have become the first in Australia to use human stem cells to generate fully functioning skin tissue in a laboratory, a significant step toward better treatments for severe burns and wounds. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-lifelike-lab-grown-skin-human.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:28:03 EST news629026082 One of the important breakthroughs that made it possible to program or reprogram cell fate more efficiently and with higher fidelity in a dish was discovering how to make use of a small set of molecular cowboys called pioneer transcription factors (TFs). https://phys.org/news/2024-01-transcription-factors-blaze-trail-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:00:10 EST news624106807 They look like storm clouds that could fit on the head of a pin: Organoids are three-dimensional cell cultures that play a key role in medical and clinical research. This is thanks to their ability to replicate tissue structures and organ functions in the petri dish. Scientists can use organoids to understand how diseases occur, how organs develop, and how drugs work. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-organoids-combining-spatial-transcriptomics-optogenetics.html Biotechnology Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:59:35 EDT news617889572 The different cell types of the human gut develop from stem cells through a process of differentiation. Researchers from the Organoid group (Hubrecht Institute), together with researchers at the Princess Máxima Center and Maastricht University, used gut organoids to perform a systematic CRISPR screening of 1,800 human transcription factors and identified ZNF800 as a key regulator of the differentiation of a specific gut cell type, the enteroendocrine cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-human-organoid-crucial-traffic-gut.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 30 Oct 2023 09:42:43 EDT news617877759 One proven method for tracking down the genetic causes of diseases is to knock out a single gene in animals and study the consequences this has for the organism. The problem is that for many diseases, the pathology is determined by multiple genes. This makes it extremely difficult for scientists to determine the extent to which any one of the genes is involved in the disease. To do this, they would have to perform many animal experiments—one for each desired gene modification. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-genetically-individual-cells-animals.html Biotechnology Wed, 20 Sep 2023 11:00:01 EDT news614420926 Over the past few decades, material scientists and chemists have been working on designing increasingly sophisticated materials for a wide range of technological and scientific applications. These materials include synthetic polymers and hydrogels that could be introduced inside the human body as part of medical interventions. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-dynamic-matrix-dna-encoded-viscoelasticity-organoids.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Aug 2023 08:30:01 EDT news612437194 In-vitro culture of biological cells plays an important role in advancing biological research. However, currently available cell culture materials have significant drawbacks. Many of them are derived from animal sources, leading to poor reproducibility and making it difficult to fine-tune their mechanical properties. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new approaches to create soft and biocompatible materials with predictable properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-programmable-dna-hydrogels-advanced-cell.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:19:48 EDT news611309982 Biofilms are highly resistant communities of bacteria that pose a major challenge in the treatment of infections. While studying biofilm formation in laboratory conditions has been extensively conducted, understanding their development in the complex environment of the human respiratory tract has remained elusive. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-organoids-revolutionize-respiratory-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:00:01 EDT news610098560 Animal experimentation may not be a thing of the past just yet, but work on human iPS cell technology may someday grant emancipation for lab mice and other species. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-microchip-human-ips-cells-animal.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:55:46 EDT news607254943 Plastics are among the most ubiquitous manmade materials—we wear them, build with them, play with them, ship goods in them, and then we throw them into the waste stream. Ultimately, they can break down into tiny particles that get into our food supply, and we end up eating them. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-microplastics-intestines.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:56:04 EDT news605782561 Scientists from the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (a collaboration between GOSH and UCL), London, and University of Padova, Italy, have shown for the first time how 3D printing can be achieved inside "mini-organs" growing in hydrogels—controlling their shape, activity, and even forcing tissue to grow into "molds." https://phys.org/news/2023-06-scientists-3d-bio-printing-organoids-hydrogels.html Biotechnology Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:41:50 EDT news605533306 Researchers have used pluripotent stem cells to make thymus organoids that support the development of patient-specific T-cells, researchers report March 23 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The proof-of-concept work provides the basis for studying human thymus function, T-cell development and transplant immunity. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-generate-patient-specific-cells-thymus-organoids.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 23 Mar 2023 11:00:01 EDT news598787758 Research in animal models has demonstrated that stem-cell derived heart tissues have promising potential for therapeutic applications to treat cardiac disease. But before such therapies are viable and safe for use in humans, scientists must first precisely understand on the cellular and molecular levels which factors are necessary for implanted stem-cell derived heart cells to properly grow and integrate in three dimensions within surrounding tissue. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-cyborg-technology-functional-maturation-stem-cell.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:00:06 EST news597492669 RIKEN researchers have imitated the formation of organs in the lab by "hacking" certain signaling pathways that guide the development of connective tissues in the embryo, which support the formation of the liver, gut and other organs. In addition to shedding light on organ development, this could eventually enable doctors to provide treatments tailored to individual patients. https://phys.org/news/2022-12-experimental-strategy-recreating-formation-lab.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 Dec 2022 09:21:02 EST news590232061