Biochemistry

mRNA Will Do More than Conquer COVID

Discover Magazine: The development of the mRNA vaccine — a breakthrough in its field, instructing cells to produce their own protection without the risk of giving someone the virus — was fast and furious, made possible through rapid genome sequencing. But its origins go back to the late 1980s, when…

This Startup Is Making—and Programming—Human Cells

Wired UK: Our cells are packed with unrealized potential. Almost every human cell contains the genetic information it needs to become any other kind of cell. A skin cell, for example, has the same genes as a muscle cell or a…

Flu virus shells could improve delivery of mRNA into cells

NANO Magazine: Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new and potentially more effective way to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) into cells. Their approach involves packing mRNA inside nanoparticles that mimic the flu virus—a naturally efficient vehicle…

C&EN’s 2021 10 Start-Ups to Watch

C&EN: Just 10 days ago in Glasgow, Scotland, political leaders from around the world wrapped up a United Nations climate conference intended to chart a course toward a low-carbon future. The goal: saving Earth from carbon dioxide–driven destruction. Critics say…