Macromolecules News and Research

RSS

Study finds previously unrecognized way that degradation can occur in silicone-urethane plastics

Scientists have discovered a previously unrecognized way that degradation can occur in silicone-urethane plastics that are often considered for use in medical devices. Their study, published in ACS' journal Macromolecules, could have implications for device manufacturers considering use of these plastics in the design of some implantable devices, including cardiac defibrillation leads.

7 Dec 2012

New instrument for OINDP characterization from Malvern Instruments to be showcased at DDL23

Malvern Panalytical will showcase the new Morphologi G3-ID particle characterization system at Drug Delivery to the Lungs 23, which takes place from 5 – 7 Dec 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

From Malvern Panalytical 6 Nov 2012

Researchers learn how E2-79 molecule destroys complexes that induce allergic responses

Researchers have learned how a man-made molecule destroys complexes that induce allergic responses - a discovery that could lead to the development of highly potent, rapidly acting interventions for a host of acute allergic reactions.

29 Oct 2012

Stability of the novel recombinant human albumins Albucult® and Recombumin® demonstrated by light scattering techniques

In a recently published article, researchers from Novozymes Biopharma (Nottingham, UK) and Malvern Panalytical (Malvern Panalytical, UK) describe collaborative work using light scattering techniques to demonstrate the short- and long-term stability of the novel recombinant human albumins Albucult® and Recombumin®.

From Malvern Panalytical 25 Oct 2012

Researchers discover smallest and fastest-known RNA switches

A University of Michigan biophysical chemist and his colleagues have discovered the smallest and fastest-known molecular switches made of RNA, the chemical cousin of DNA. The researchers say these rare, fleeting structures are prime targets for the development of new antiviral and antibiotic drugs.

8 Oct 2012

New NMR spectrometer to benefit researchers from across Texas A&M

Top-notch molecular research swung into gear at Texas A&M University this week - literally. A crane lowered a high-field 800 megahertz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer through an opening in the roof of a biochemistry and biophysics building Wednesday, putting the university on par with leading U.S. research institutions, according to Dr. Gregory Reinhart, department head.

16 Jul 2012

Five recent Science and Nature papers shed light on elusive 'GPCRs'

Readers of the top-ranked scientific journals Science and Nature might have noticed a recent wave of articles, most recently in the July 13, 2012 issue of Science, with deep importance for biology and medicine.

14 Jul 2012

Researchers use metal complexes to modify peptide hormones

Researchers at the RUB and from Berkeley have used metal complexes to modify peptide hormones. In the Journal of the American Chemical Society, they report for the first time on the three-dimensional structure of the resulting metal-peptide compounds.

9 Jul 2012

First patient included in the phase II study of Amphinex® in head and neck cancer patients

PCI Biotech (PCIB) the Norwegian biopharmaceutical company, reported today that the first patient has been included in the phase II study of Amphinex in combination with the cytotoxic agent bleomycin in head and neck cancer patients, called the ENHANCE study. The first patient was included at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. NCT is a joint project of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital, Thoraxklinik Heidelberg and Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid).

16 May 2012

Researchers extract structural information from triple helix DNA in gas phase

A team of researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) have managed for the first time to extract trustworthy structural information from a triple helix DNA in gas phase, that is to say in conditions in which DNA is practically in a vacuum.

19 Apr 2012

Ensysce announces latest data on delivery platform for therapeutic siRNA

Ensysce Biosciences Inc. announced today the publication of their latest data on their delivery platform for short interfering RNA (siRNA) for therapeutic purposes in the journal Materials.

14 Feb 2012

Wyatt Technology Instruments employed to develop alternative materials to silicone breast implants

Wyatt Technology Corporation today announced that Professor Judit E. Puskas at the University of Akron has developed a system using its instrumentation that will also help to solve a prevalent and particularly controversial material science challenge. The researchers are employing the multi detector system to develop alternative materials to silicone breast implants. This development will be welcomed by many as faulty Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) implants are causing global concern about implant safety, and as a result, alternative materials are sought.

1 Feb 2012

Prion protein uptake associated with development of Scrapie disease

Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease which can function as a model for other diseases caused by an accumulation of proteins resulting in tissue malformations (proteinpathies), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

30 Dec 2011

New substance can replace nucleoside thymidine in DNA biosynthesis

Interactions of biological macromolecules are the central bases of living systems. Biological macromolecules are synthesized in living cells by linking many small molecules together. Naturally occurring macromolecules include genetic materials (DNA) and proteins. A detailed understanding of the synthesis of these macromolecules in whole animals is a basic requirement for understanding biological systems, and for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

14 Dec 2011

World's fastest program to examine interactions between molecules

Creating new, improved pharmaceuticals is sometimes very similar to cracking the code of a combination lock. If you have the wrong numbers, the lock won't open. Even worse, you don't know if your numbers are close to the actual code or way off the mark. The only solution is to simply guess a new combination and try again.

18 Nov 2011

New smart polymer that responds to low-power NIR light could treat cancers

...

17 Nov 2011

Berkeley Lab, Bruker partner to develop and distribute new structural biology methods

Bruker Corporation and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) today announced a collaboration to develop and distribute new structural biology methods and tools to integrate Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

11 Nov 2011

Polystyrene surface triples number of human ES and iPS cells in culture

By irradiating typical polystyrene lab plates with ultraviolet (UV) waves, Whitehead Institute and MIT scientists have created a surface capable of tripling the number of human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that can be grown in culture by current methods. Use of this novel surface also eliminates the need for layers of mouse "feeder cells" to support ES- and iPS-cell growth.

8 Nov 2011

Scientists develop first polymeric material that is sensitive to very low levels of NIR irradiation

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed what they believe to be the first polymeric material that is sensitive to biologically benign levels of near infrared (NIR) irradiation, enabling the material to disassemble in a highly controlled fashion.

4 Oct 2011

X-chromosome related microRNA may impact immunity and cancer

As anyone familiar with the phrase 'man-flu' will know women consider themselves to be the more robust side of the species when it comes to health and illness. Now new research, published in BioEssays, seems to support the idea. The research focuses on the role of MicroRNAs encoded on the X chromosome to explain why women have stronger immune systems to men and are less likely to develop cancer.

28 Sep 2011