20 – 26 June 2016
First CRISPR clinical trial gets green light from US panel
CRISPR, the genome-editing technology that has taken biomedical science by storm, is finally nearing human trials. On 21 June, an advisory committee at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved a proposal to use CRISPR–Cas9 to help augment cancer therapies. Find source
First Approved Zika Virus Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday for the first time approved a clinical trial for an experimental vaccine for Zika virus, an early but significant step in the efforts to combat a disease that has quickly emerged as a global health threat. Find source
Netherlands to survey every researcher on misconduct
Every researcher in the Netherlands is to be questioned about whether they have committed research misconduct or engaged in “sloppy science” as part of a major national effort to bolster scientific standards. Find source
Nanocages open possibilities of shipping cargo into living cells
Researchers have designed a self-assembling protein shell shaped like an icosahedron — similar to those that encapsulate viruses. This may open new avenues for engineering cargo-containing nano-cages to deliver drugs and vaccines directly into cells. Find source
New crop varieties 'can't keep up with global warming'
A study says temperatures are rising faster than the development of crop varieties that can cope with a warmer world. In Africa, researchers found that it can take 10-30 years before farmers can grow a new breed of maize. Find source
