How mosquito larva guts could help create highly specific insecticides

Did you know that the world’s deadliest animal is the mosquito?

10-Apr-2024 - Aedes aegypti is one of the most dangerous mosquito. This bug spreads viruses that cause dengue fever, which was recently declared as an epidemic in Puerto Rico. Research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports new molecules that label proteins in the unique, alkaline ...

Lighting up Alzheimer’s-related proteins to allow for earlier disease detection

08-Feb-2024 - Many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are difficult to diagnose before symptoms begin to appear. However, disease-related biomarkers such as aggregated proteins called amyloids could provide important insight much earlier, if they can be readily detected. ...

How sleep deprivation can harm the brain

Sleep deprivation decreases the amount of a factor that protects neurons

11-Sep-2023 - Not only does a lack of sleep make you feel awful, research has shown it impairs the brain. What’s more, sleep loss over long periods can even increase risk for Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. Researchers want to understand how sleep deprivation causes this harm. In a new study in ...

Degrading modified proteins could treat Alzheimer’s, other ‘undruggable’ diseases

New technique specifically targets and breaks apart certain proteins — rather than just interfering with them

03-Mar-2023 - Certain diseases, including Alzheimer’s, are currently considered “undruggable” because traditional small molecule drugs can’t interfere with the proteins responsible for the illnesses. But a new technique that specifically targets and breaks apart certain proteins — rather than just interfering ...

Beer hops compounds could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease

09-Nov-2022 - Beer is one of the oldest and most popular beverages in the world, with some people loving and others hating the distinct, bitter taste of the hops used to flavor its many varieties. But an especially “hoppy” brew might have unique health benefits. Recent research published in ACS Chemical ...

Edible, fluorescent silk tags can suss out fake medications

The codes within the tags can be read by a smartphone app

20-Apr-2022 - Recent developments such as the explosion of online pharmacies and supply chain issues have made it easier for counterfeiters to profit from fake or adulterated medications. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have created edible tags with fluorescent silk proteins, which could be ...

Biofuels from the brewery?

Separating beer waste into proteins for foods, and fiber for biofuels

07-Apr-2021 - Home brewing enthusiasts and major manufacturers alike experience the same result of the beer-making process: mounds of leftover grain. Once all the flavor has been extracted from barley and other grains, what's left is a protein- and fiber-rich powder that is typically used in cattle feed or put ...

Detecting antibodies with glowing proteins, thread and a smartphone

Approach could provide a small, inexpensive alternative to expensive, sophisticated instruments in labs

22-Jun-2020 - To defend the body, the immune system makes proteins known as antibodies that latch onto the perceived threat, be it HIV, the new coronavirus or, as is the case in autoimmune disease, part of the body itself. In a new proof-of-concept study in ACS Sensors, researchers describe a new system for ...

'Semi-synthetic' bacteria churn out unnatural proteins

19-Jul-2019 - Synthetic biologists seek to create new life with forms and functions not seen in nature. Although scientists are a long way from making a completely artificial life form, they have made semi-synthetic organisms that have an expanded genetic code, allowing them to produce never-before-seen ...

Red cabbage microgreens lower 'bad' cholesterol in animal study

16-Dec-2016 - Microgreens are sprouting up everywhere from upscale restaurants to home gardens. They help spruce up old recipes with intense flavors and colors, and are packed with nutrients. Now testing has shown that for mice on a high-fat diet, red cabbage microgreens helped lower their risk factors for ...