Biomedical engineers from Tuft's University have developed a novel silk-based optics that may be used in devices such as sensors which would combine sophisticated nanoscale optics with biological readout functions. In addition, silk optics offer further advantages in that they are biocompatible and biodegradable, and can be manufactured and stored at room temperatures without use of toxic chemicals.

To form the devices, Tufts scientists boiled cocoons of the Bombyx mori silkworm in a water solution and extracted the glue-like sericin proteins. The purified silk protein solution was ultimately poured onto negative molds of ruled and holographic diffraction gratings with spacing as fine as 3600 grooves/mm. The cast silk solution was air dried to create solid fibroin silk films that were cured in water, dried and optically evaluated. A similar process was followed to create lenses, microlens arrays and holograms. Film thicknesses from 10 to 100 µm were characterized for transparency and optical quality.

The Tufts team embedded three very different biological agents in the silk solution: a protein (hemoglobin), an enzyme (horseradish peroxidase) and an organic pH indicator (phenol red). In the hardened silk optical element, all three agents maintained their activity for long periods when simply stored on a shelf. "We have optical devices embedded with enzymes that are still active after almost a year of storage at room temperature. This is amazing given that the same enzyme becomes inactive if forgotten and left unrefrigerated for a few days," said Omenetto."

This research was published in the journal Biomacromolecules (you may download a copy here).

New Zealand-based fruit science company HortResearch and Genesis Research and Development Corporation Limited have released over 130,000 kiwifruit gene sequences referred to as expressed sequence tags (ESTs). These are the active genes in the plant that govern such characteristics as flavour, colour, shape, vitamin content and aspects of fruit development such as ripening and storage life.

The researchers say these data will be utilized in the development of new kiwifruit varieties through marker assisted selection (MAS).

In a MAS breeding programme, breeders use traditional crossing techniques to breed new varieties - which are then assessed for their commercial potential by searching their DNA for markers that indicate the presence of genes linked to desirable fruit traits. ESTs are essential in helping scientists identify the genes they're looking for.

"Our breeding programme with ZESPRI generates many thousands of seedlings every year. Without MAS, we would have to plant out each of those seedlings, wait years until they bear fruit and then assess which plants we wanted to commercialise or use for further breeding. With MAS, we can quickly "scan" the seedlings and find out right-away which ones are likely to have the type of fruit we want."

The genetic data have been published in BMC Genomics.

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In a study published in Arthritis Research and Therapy, researchers demonstrated the efficacy of 5-loxin, an extract of the 'Indian Frankincense' herb Boswellia serrata enriched with 30% 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) in reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

"The high incidence of adverse affects associated with currently available medications has created great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment". The extract the authors used was enriched with 30% AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid), which is thought to be the most active ingredient in the plant. Raychaudhuri said, "AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that B. serrata enriched with AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee". This is a proprietary product developed by Laila Nutraceuticals.

Researchers also add that the results indicate that the compound had no major adverse effects in osteoarthritis patients and is safe for human consumption and even for long-term use.

Stem cells within the spinal cord that could differentiate into more healing cells and fewer scarring cells following an injury, have been identified.

The researchers at MIT and the Karolinska Institute found that neural stem cells in the adult spinal cord are limited to a layer of cube- or column-shaped, cilia-covered cells called ependymal cells. These cells make up the thin membrane lining the inner-brain ventricles and the connecting central column of the spinal cord.

"We have been able to genetically mark this neural stem cell population and then follow their behavior," Meletis said. "We find that these cells proliferate upon spinal cord injury, migrate toward the injury site and differentiate over several months."

According to the scientists, if these cells can be regulated and genetically manipulated to to produce more myelin and less scar tissue after a spinal cord injury, this may lead to a new, non-surgical treatment for debilitating spinal-cord injuries.

Image: Coronal sections of injured adult spinal cord, anterior to posterior. The labelling shows recombined ependymal cells and their progeny (white) migrating out to the injury area in the dorsal funiculus, as a reponse to the injury (injury is in the image on the right hand corner). The mouse is a FoxJ1-CreER x R26R-LacZ reporter. Credit: Konstantinos Meletis

Phase 1 trials of the the first human tests of a vaccine grown in tobacco plants proved that the vaccine against against follicular B-cell lymphoma were safe for patients. If further trials demonstrate its efficacy, this presents a novel method of producing vaccines quickly and cheaply.

The researchers chose tobacco plants that were genetically modified to reproduce quantities of the vaccine. To make a tobacco plant churn out a human antibody, scientists isolate the antibody from the patient's tumor and put the antibody gene into a modified version of the tobacco mosaic virus. They infect a tobacco plant with the gene-carrying virus by scratching the virus on its leaves. The virus takes the gene into the plant's cells, which then churn out lots of antibody. After a few days, technicians snip off the plant's leaves, grind them up and purify the antibody. Only a few plants are needed to make enough vaccine for each patient.

"The new manufacturing system allows very rapid production of a vaccine," said Charles Arntzen, PhD, a professor of plant biology at the Arizona Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, who was not involved in the research. "I think without the speed, it would be hard to convince a cancer patient to wait for a vaccine to be developed, rather than going on some other therapy."

The study is published in the advance online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Scientists have identified a protein transporter for the compounds lutein and zeaxanthin, which are believed to protect against the development of age-related macular degeneration.

These two nutrients are not made by the body and must be obtained through the diet. They are commonly found in green, leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, broccoli, zucchini and peas, and in yellow or orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, papaya, squash and peaches.

According to the study, the protein SR-B1, or scavenger receptor class B, type 1, plays a central role in transporting these nutrients from the bloodstream to cells in the eye.

The research, published in the August issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, provides supporting evidence that lutein and zaxanthin may indeed be useful in preventing and/or treating age-related macular degeneration.