04 – 11 December 2016
Stopping CRISPR’s genome-editing scissors from snipping out of control
Researchers have found for the first time anti-CRISPR proteins that shut off the genome editor and shown they can use them to control the cutting of DNA in human cells. Find source
Studying embryos beyond 14 days?
It’s a looming question facing biologists, ethicists, and society as a whole: Should scientists be allowed to study embryos cultured in the lab beyond 14 days after fertilization? Find source
Plants can learn despite this absence of a brain
Plants may lack brains and neural tissues but they do possess a sophisticated calcium-based signaling network in their cells similar to animals’ memory processes. Find source
Why are scientists shooting stem cells into space?
The near-weightless conditions of flying in space can wreak havoc on your hairdo and your sense of direction. And as it turns out, they can also do some pretty weird things to cells in a dish. Find source
An antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning?
In the mouse study, scientists have engineered a mutated version of neuroglobin that binds CO 500 times more tightly than it binds hemoglobin thus enabling hemoglobin to carry oxygen normally. Find source
