Month: April 2023

NUS scientists develop plant-based cell culture scaffold for cheaper, more sustainable cultured meat

sarah JonasResearch Results

A research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully used common plant proteins to 3D-print an edible cell culture scaffold, allowing more affordable and sustainable lab-grown meat to be served on the table.

Cell culture scaffolds are typically made from synthetic or animal-based materials, which are either too expensive or inedible. In search of an alternative, the team led by Professor Huang Dejian, Deputy Head of the NUS Department of Food Science and Technology, turned to plant proteins, which are known to be biodegradable and biocompatible with animal cells. Crucially, plant proteins also satisfy common requirements for food consumption, making the resulting scaffold fit for culturing meat.

Improved Gene Editing Method Could Power the Next Generation of Cell and Gene Therapies

sarah JonasResearch Results

A new approach to the genetic engineering of cells promises significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and reduction in cellular toxicity compared to current methods. The approach could also power the development of advanced cell therapies for cancers and other diseases, according to a study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Texas Neurologist and Professor Elected New American Academy of Neurology President

sarah JonasAnnouncement

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the world’s largest professional association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, has elected as its 38th president Carlayne E. Jackson, MD, FAAN, a neurologist, researcher and professor of neurology and otolaryngology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Jackson succeeds Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, FAAN, who completed her two-year term as president during the recent AAN Annual Meeting.

American Society of Nephrology Celebrates the Re-Introduction of the Living Donor Protection Act

sarah JonasPolicy

• The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) will remove barriers facing living donors.
• Approximately 90,000 adults and 1,100 children are on the kidney transplant waitlist.
• 12 American die every day while waiting for a kidney transplant.
• More than 37 million Americans are living with kidney diseases, including more than 800,000 with kidney failure.

Is Colombia’s deadly Nevado del Ruiz on the verge of a major eruption?

sarah JonasFeature Expert

Hundreds of villagers who live in the shadow of the Western Hemisphere’s deadliest volcano, Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz, have been on edge for nearly a month ever since the 17,000-foot-tall mountain started spewing plumes of ash and steam high into the atmosphere, indicating that an eruption could be imminent.

College Students Win Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation’s Annual Real Estate Challenge

sarah JonasAnnouncement

A group of University of Arkansas at Little Rock students won a national Real Estate Challenge in Chicago, winning a $5,000 scholarship that will be used to support finance/real estate students at UA Little Rock. UA Little Rock was the Undergraduate Division Winner of the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation’s Annual Real Estate Challenge, which matches teams from selected universities in a competition focusing on a high-profile development/redevelopment project in the Chicago Metropolitan area.

King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital Doctors Suggest Ways to Prevent Glaucoma through Early Detection

sarah JonasFeature

The Excellence Center for Glaucoma, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, and Thai Glaucoma Society encourage all of us to realize the significance of glaucoma as it is the world’s number 1 cause of irreversible blindness. In Thailand, over 2 million people are affected by glaucoma.

Chula Researchers Develop a Rapid MTB Strip Test for Tuberculosis Hoping to Spread to Community Hospitals and Reduce the Number of Patients

sarah JonasFeature

Lecturers of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University have developed MTB Strip Test Kit for Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis that’s accurate and easy to use, guaranteed by the 2023 Invention Award from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) — Another hope to reduce the spread of tuberculosis in Thailand.

A New Era of Ocean Observing Opportunities

sarah JonasFeature

he Spring Members’ Meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) included discussions of data collection and dissemination from renewable energy platforms and new and up-and-coming uncrewed systems, as well as the latest information from the large-scale effort to better understand the Gulf’s Loop Current System.

U-M Health surgical team guides Zambia’s first total aortic arch replacement

sarah Jonasblog

Surgeons in Zambia completed the country’s first total aortic arch replacement – guided by a team from University of Michigan Health. Zambia, a country of around 20 million people, has fewer than 10 cardiac specialists in both the government and private sector. Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s second leading cause of death.

Collaborative and creative policies needed to maximize psychedelics’ therapeutic potential

sarah JonasResearch Results

Research supports the promise of psychedelics in treating conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, but the future regulatory landscape for these drugs remains unclear. Experts from Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, American University and Harvard Law School call for creativity and collaboration at the federal and state levels in developing policies for the use and oversight of psychedelics and a commitment to developing a strong evidence base for efficacy and safety.

Empowering people with epilepsy to lead the way in reducing stigma

sarah JonasFeature

Stigma affects all aspects of epilepsy care. It affects the lives of people with epilepsy when they are not given equal access to education, employment, and social opportunities. In a US study, one-third of respondents identified stigma—not seizures—as the most difficult part of living with epilepsy.

UCI researchers uncover new potential for botulinum neurotoxin E in therapeutic and cosmetic applications

sarah JonasResearch Results

A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, have revealed the first crystal structures of the receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin E (BoNT/E) in complex with its human neuronal receptors, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A). This structure and other findings in the new study could be harnessed to engineer new BoNT/E variants with modified specificities toward different SV2 isoforms for new clinical developments.

Acoustical Society of America Press Conferences Livestreamed from Chicago, May 9 #ASA184

sarah JonasResearch Tip Sheet

The 184th ASA Meeting will include three press conferences on Tuesday, May 9. The in-person presentations will also be livestreamed and recorded. Topics will focus on a wide range of newsworthy sessions, including 3D-printing head simulators, tracking immune cells with ultrasound, investigating the impact of skin color on breast cancer diagnosis, mimicking insects to create miniature microphones, and locating leaks in water networks. Reporters can register for in-person or virtual attendance.