CRISPR method – easier and more precise genome engineering

By Maja Bosanac
19 January 2013

crispr-dnaA group of researchers from MIT, the Broad Institute, and Rockefeller University, have developed a new technique for precise genetic alteration of living cells by inserting or deleting genes. In order to create new genome-editing technique, the researchers modified a set of bacterial proteins that normally protect bacteria from viruses. According to researchers, the technology… »

HGTV Dream Home 2013

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments18 January 2013

hgtv-dream-home-2013-1Located in a beautiful setting Kiawah Island, South Carolina, the luxury HGTV Dream Home 2013 radiates with a positive vibe. The distinctive look of this luxury home was inspired by the region’s centuries-old humble farmhouse building traditions of tidewater South Carolina with a modern twist from Asian-inspired motifs common in the Pacific Northwest. Aside its… »

Sugar beet pulp could be used for biodegradable food packaging

By Damir Beciri
18 January 2013

sugarbeet-credit-istockphoto-com-jason-lugoWhile some researchers suggest that sugar beet pulp should be used as biofuel and others use it in animal feed, researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and their associates found a way to transform this leftover residue from sugar extraction into a material that could be used for biodegradable… »

Egg-yolk inspired sulfure cathodes set record battery capacity

By Damir Beciri
17 January 2013

battery-sulfer-cathode-yolk-1Researchers from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, which is operated by the Stanford University, managed to set a world record for energy storage in the sulfur cathode of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. They came up with a novel “yolk-shell” design which enables these batteries to store five times more energy compared to current commercially available… »

Modifying cyanobacteria for better biofuel production

By Damir Beciri
15 January 2013

anne-ruffing-algae-biofuelMicro-algal fuels might be one way to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and they could reduce carbon dioxide emissions since they use photosynthesis.  Sandia National Laboratories researcher has engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels, but she has also found that the process cuts the bacteria’s… »

Mussels inspire innovative new adhesive for surgery

By Damir Beciri
14 January 2013

musselsWhile some people find them disgusting and other consider that they are a mouthwatering meal, various research groups focus on study of muscles and employing their findings in new innovations. Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and University of Texas-Arlington (UT Arlington) researchers investigated the chemistry that allows mussels to stick to underwater surfaces in order… »

Modifying tobacco plants to prolong their life and biomass

By Damir Beciri
13 January 2013

ime-forever-young-tabacco-plantThe legend about the fountain of youth has been around for thousands of years, appearing in early records of various cultures around the world. Unlike Ponce de León, who searched for the fountain of youth when he traveled to what is now Florida back in 1513, a group of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for… »

Synthetic material rebuilds itself through chemical communication

By Damir Beciri
12 January 2013

bz-gel-self-assemblyUniversity of Pittsburgh (Pitt) researchers have found that self-moving gels can be used to enable the synthetic materials to “act alive” and mimic primitive biological communication. They managed to demonstrate that a synthetic system that can both emit and sense a chemical signal, and when the ability of chemical communication is combined with interaction with… »