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IMAGE: The confocal microscopy image of cell induced mitophagy. Autophagic membranes engulf the damaged mitochondria. TOMM20 (blue) is mitochondrial outer membrane protein and WIPI2 (red) is well-known autophagy protein. BCAS3-C16orf70 (green). view more
Credit: TMIMS
Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process of cytosolic materials and damaged organelles. Researchers at Ubiquitin Project of TMIMS have been studying the molecular mechanism of mitophagy, the selective autophagy process to eliminate damaged mitochondria. PINK1 (a serine/threonine kinase) and Parkin (a ubiquitin ligating enzyme: E3) work together to ubiquitylate the outer membrane proteins of damaged mitochondria, then ubiquitin chains are recognized as signals for autophagy degradation. Dysfunction of mitophagy causes a decrease in mitochondrial quality with overproduction of ROS, and is linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson s disease.
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New cutting-edge research undertaken at the University of Leicester could revolutionise the way new drugs are developed and the way patients are cared for, through a pioneering new approach using virtual clinical trials.
Following a £500,000 Royal Academy of Engineering research funding award, Dr Himanshu Kaul, will expand research with his virtual asthma patient to participate in virtual clinical trials, which could help make more accurate and timely predictions around which new drugs are successful and can offer benefits to patients.
Virtual clinical trials could also help doctors gain a better understanding of individual patients disease progression, allowing them to tailor therapies to patients individual needs and improve outcomes in a wider range of cases.
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Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) found large quantities of previously undetectable compounds from the family of chemicals known as PFAS in six watersheds on Cape Cod using a new method to quantify and identify PFAS compounds. Exposures to some PFAS, widely used for their ability to repel heat, water, and oil, are linked to a range of health risks including cancer, immune suppression, diabetes, and low infant birth weight.
The new testing method revealed large quantities of previously undetected PFAS from fire-retardant foams and other unknown sources. Total concentrations of PFAS present in these watersheds were above state maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking water safety.
Credit: Dr Fan Wang
Much like the Jedis in Star Wars use the force to control objects from a distance, scientists can use light or optical force to move very small particles.
The inventors of this ground-breaking laser technology, known as optical tweezers , were awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in physics.
Optical tweezers are used in biology, medicine and materials science to assemble and manipulate nanoparticles such as gold atoms. However, the technology relies on a difference in the refractive properties of the trapped particle and the surrounding environment.
Now scientists have discovered a new technique that allows them to manipulate particles that have the same refractive properties as the background environment, overcoming a fundamental technical challenge.
Credit: Yokohama National University
Researchers in Japan have developed the first wearable devices to precisely monitor jaundice, a yellowing of the skin caused by elevated bilirubin levels in the blood that can cause severe medical conditions in newborns. Jaundice can be treated easily by irradiating the infant with blue light that breaks bilirubin down to be excreted through urine. The treatment itself, however, can disrupt bonding time, cause dehydration and increase the risks of allergic diseases. Neonatal jaundice is one of the leading causes of death and brain damage in infants in low- and middle-income countries.
To address the tricky balance of administering the precise amount of blue light needed to counteract the exact levels of bilirubin, researchers have developed the first wearable sensor for newborns that is capable of continuously measuring bilirubin. In addition to bilirubin detection, the device can simultaneously detect pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation in