Turning skin cells into heart muscle cells to repair damaged hearts
Skin cells from heart failure patients have been reprogrammed to transform into healthy, new heart muscle cells that can integrate with existing heart tissue.
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology: 23 May 2012
Artificial leaf’ hits development hurdle
The company founded to commercialize the solar hydrogen device goes back to drawing board.
Nature News: 23 May 2012
A glass already half-full for nano-based water treatments
Clean drinking water is in short supply for most of the world’s population, but nanotechnology can go a long way to ensuring no one goes thirsty.
The Guardian: 22 May 2012
Quantum dots appear safe in primates
A study to gauge the toxicity of quantum dots in primates has found cadmium-selenide quantum dots to be safe over intervals of time ranging from three months to a year.
Newswise, University of Buffalo: 21 May 2012
Nature Nanotechnology, Ling et al published online 20 May 2012
Gene patents challenged again
A Labor backbencher has brought the gene patent controversy to the fore once again with a private member’s bill to ban patents on genetic material.
Australian Life Scientist: 16 May 2012
Two patients get eye stem cells transplanted to restore sight
Two people have had stem cells transplanted into their eyes as part of a clinical trial to treat corneal blindness
BBC: 21 May 2012
Next-generation disease resistance breeding
(TAL) effectors are molecules that can cut DNA at precise and known locations and might prove to be game-changing in everything from plant breeding to treating human disease.
This guest post on Biofortified explores the potential of (TAL) effector nuclease technology, but raises questions about its acceptability in crop breeding, comparing it (or trying to differentiate it) from genetically modified crops
TAL
The possibilities are immense for using TAL technology to induce targeted variations in the genomes of mammals, flies, worms and plants.
An application of TAL technology to crop breeding is described in a recent paper in Nature Biotechnology – link in Biofortified post. In this study, the authors used TAL-nucleases to remove a small stretch of DNA from the genome of rice that rendered it susceptible to bacterial blight, an important disease that affects millions of hectares throughout Asia.
TechNyou
This post on Biofortified asks for this breeding technology to be distinguished from transgenics – the technology that produces GMOs (or GM crops). Somehow I think this is wishful thinking because the genome has been modified and as the issue of GMO is more about values than the science, I suspect the same values that cause people to reject GMOs will be applied to the (TAL) effector technology. It will still be considered unnatural, and if it is as effective as predicted big companies will use it to their advantage. They will still questions its safety and potential effect on the environment….and so on
One comment I do align with is their reference to the random mutagenesis method, which requires highly toxic radiation or chemical treatment of seeds and why this is perfectly acceptable in the production of crop varieties that can be sold as “organic”, or simply accepted by those opposed to GM crops in general. I have yet to receive an acceptable answer from anyone about this.
Jason
TechNyou
Brain-controlled robotic arm toasts success with a drink
A study on people with tetraplegia has shown participants were able to control a robotic arm and hand over a broad space without any explicit training.
The Conversation: 17 May 2012
International standards for trade in nanotechnology foods?
Nanotechnology-derived food products will become increasingly available to consumers, but the Codex Alimentarius Commission has yet to agree on any agri-nanotechnology standards.
Nanowerk Spotlight: 16 May 2012
In Australia
Food Standards Australia New Zealand is the government regulator resposible for ensuring food is safe. They have recognised or acknowledged there may be risks with the use of some nanotechnologies in food or packaging, though their information on this issue is limited
Growing bone from embryonic stem cells
Human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts for use in research and potential therapeutic application.