Directivity to improve optical devices

A team of researchers from the Dutch institute AMOLF, Western University (Canada), and the University of Texas (United States of America) recently demonstrated the use of algorithmic design to create a new type of nanophotonic ...

How cells learn to 'count'

One of the wonders of cell biology is its symmetry. Mammalian cells have one nucleus and one cell membrane, and most humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Trillions of mammalian cells achieve this uniformity—but some consistently ...

How to find marker genes in cell clusters

Which genes are specific for a certain cell type, i.e., "mark" their identity? With the increasing size of datasets nowadays, answering this question is often challenging. Often, marker genes are simply genes that have been ...

Building human muscle genes in the DNA of baker's yeast

Biotechnologist Pascale Daran-Lapujade and her group at Delft University of Technology managed to build human muscle genes in the DNA of baker's yeast. This is the first time researchers have successfully placed such a vital ...

CRISPR: a tool to rewrite the code of life

CRISPR-Cas9, the gene-editing technique whose twin founders were honoured with the Chemistry Nobel on Wednesday, is a tool that can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extreme precision.

Cellular microRNA detection with miRacles

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding regulatory RNAs that can repress gene expression post-transcriptionally and are therefore increasingly used as biomarkers of disease. Detecting miRNAs can be arduous and expensive as ...

Why haven't cancer cells undergone genetic meltdowns?

Cancer first develops as a single cell going rogue, with mutations that trigger aggressive growth at all costs to the health of the organism. But if cancer cells were accumulating harmful mutations faster than they could ...

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