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Picking the right virus candidate for gene therapy
Picking the right virus candidate for gene therapy
Viruses often get bad press. Likened to Trojan horses they are often associated with disease. But, i t is precisely because of their infectious nature that they can potentially be used as gene vectors - which are vehicles loaded with good copies of malfunctioning genes - and delivered to cells.
Peering down protein-DNA interactions to better understand how genes work
Peering down protein-DNA interactions to better understand how genes work
Almost every one of our cells has an entire copy of our genome. But only differing subsets of genes are active and expressed in any given cell. Epigenetics is the study of how the activity of our genes is controlled and regulated .
New therapy against rare gene defects
New therapy against rare gene defects
European scientists set up new therapeutic approaches to tackle specific Lysosomal Storage Disorders: a new drug combination and enzyme replacement therapy against Pompe disease and gene therapy against MPS V I (Mucopolysaccharidosis VI).
Advances in Treating Huntington’s Disease
Advances in Treating Huntington’s Disease
Juliet Ross is suffering from Huntington’s Disease, a rare neurological disorder that affects one in 10.000 people. Due to a genetic defect, her body produces a toxic protein that damages neurons in her brain .
The case for low methane-emitting cattle
The case for low methane-emitting cattle
You may think that climate change is being caused by burning oil, coal and gas. But not so fast! The emission of methane from cattle is a surprisingly important factor .
Is desertification on the increase?
Is desertification on the increase?
News of increased desertification has made headlines. Yet this process is not well understood.
Juggling with multiple risks
Juggling with multiple risks
Multiple disasters can have a cumulative impact leading to great human and financial loss. The awareness of all possible risks is of fundamental importance.
Acoustic waves warn of tsunami
Acoustic waves warn of tsunami
When a coastal area is about to be hit by the waves of a tsunami, time is everything. The earlier we know where and when it is going to hit the coast, the more chances there are to evacuate the area.
Greener milk: how to make cow’s nitrogen intake efficient
Greener milk: how to make cow’s nitrogen intake efficient
The amount of nitrogen that is excreted by livestock is directly proportional to the amount it is fed . This is according to Chris Reynolds a researcher in nutritional physiology of ruminants  at  the University of Reading , UK.
Funky food from fruit by-products
Funky food from fruit by-products
Food processing of cereal and fruits creates a rather voluminous amount of by-products . The London, UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers recently estimated that anywhere between 35% and 50%--or 1.
Purifying sludge through oxygen-based digestion
Purifying sludge through oxygen-based digestion
Dealing with sludge is one of the biggest issues of waste water treatment.
Food price surges: still a mystery
Food price surges: still a mystery
Riots, political instability and a spike in malnourishment cases blighted the years 2007 and 2008, particularly in developing countries.
Draw me a picture of uncertainty
Draw me a picture of uncertainty
Our data on the natural world is uncertain. And so are the models we use to make sense of it. The Uncertweb project, funded by the EU, aims to clarify both of these sources of doubt.
Anti-allergy GM apples
Anti-allergy GM apples
Peanut, egg and soy are more common food known to trigger an allergic reaction, a problem affecting around 8% of children in the EU. Intuitively, you might not list apples as causing allergic reactions.
Eruption risk perception disconnected from detected threat
Eruption risk perception disconnected from detected threat
Just like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions are extremely difficult to accurately predict. Yet, the eruption of the Santa Ana Volcano in El Salvador was predicted a few days before it happened on 1 st October 2005.
Plastic waste set in concrete
Plastic waste set in concrete
In Europe more than 12 million tonnes of mixed plastic waste are dumped on landfills every year, according to a report from NUMIX scientists. The recycling of plastic into usable products has proven difficult .
Art gets its digital passport
Art gets its digital passport
Imagine that a hundred years ago it was possible to take the ‘digital fingerprint’ of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and store it in an international database.
The Artificial Finger
The Artificial Finger
Now European researchers of the projects NanoBioTact and NanoBioTouch delve deep into the mysteries of touch and have developed the first sensitive artificial finger .
A touchy feely artificial finger
A touchy feely artificial finger
An artificial finger could benefit patients with a missing finger in many ways. The most obvious, would be to add sensory feedback to their prosthesis . In addition, remote surgery could also benefit from a well-functioning artificial finger.
Breaking the vicious cycle of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Breaking the vicious cycle of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Bacteria and other microorganisms that cause infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive drugs meant to kill or weaken them.
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