Biochemistry

DNA Has Four Bases. Some Viruses Swap in a Fifth.

Quanta Magazine: All life on Earth rests on the same foundation: a four-letter genetic alphabet spelling out a repertoire of three-letter words that specify 20 amino acids. These basic building blocks — the components of DNA and their molecular interpreters —…

Biomaterial-Based Vaccine Against Bacterial Infection

Medgadget: Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed a biomaterial-based vaccine technology that could provide prophylactic protection against bacterial infection and septic shock. The technology is delivered as a biomaterial scaffold. Once inside the body, it captures bacterial pathogens…

Microbes in cow stomach can break down plastic

Frontiers: Bacteria found in cow stomachs can be used to digest polyesters used in textiles, packaging, and compostable bags, according to a new study by the open access publisher Frontiers. Plastic is notoriously hard to break down, but microbial communities…

35 Innovators Under 35: Shelley Ackerman co-invented a novel immunotherapy for difficult-to-treat cancers

Technology Review: Using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer has shown promise against several types of tumors, but it’s not always effective. “There’s a whole subset of patients…