Everyday Plastics Blog

Regenerating damaged tissues: Bioscaffolds promote growth of joints in rabbits
A team of researchers has successfully regenerated rabbit joints using a cutting-edge process to form the joint inside the body, or in vivo. Regenerative in vivo procedures are performed by stimulating previously irreparable organs or tissues to heal themselves. In this study, bioscaffolds, or three-dimensional structures made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials in the shape of the tissue, were infused with a protein to promote growth of the rabbit joint.
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Emerging E. coli strain causes many antimicrobial-resistant infections in US
A new, drug-resistant strain of E. coli is causing serious disease, according to a new study. The new strain, ST131, was a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States in 2007, researchers found. This strain has been reported in multiple countries and encountered all over the United States.
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‘Sea urchin’-shaped nanostructures grown in the lab
Researchers have succeeded in growing sea-urchin shaped nanostructures from minute balls of polystyrene beads using a simple electrochemical process. The spines of the sea urchin consist of zinc oxide nanowires. The structured surface should help increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.
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Tuberculosis advance: Existing drugs can potentially target the disease’s ability to spread
Often causing no symptoms in carriers of the disease, worldwide tuberculosis infects eight to ten million people every year, kills two million, and it is highly contagious as it is spread through coughing and sneezing. Now, researchers in Canada have found that existing drugs can potentially target the disease’s ability to spread.
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New theory of why midcontinent faults produce earthquakes
A new theory may solve the mystery of why the New Madrid fault, which lies in the middle of the continent and not along a tectonic plate boundary, produces large earthquakes such as the ones that shook the eastern United States in 1811 and 1812.
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Reading terrorists minds about imminent attack: Brain waves correlate to guilty knowledge in mock terrorism scenarios
Imagine technology that allows you to get inside the mind of a terrorist to know how, when and where the next attack will occur. That may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Northwestern brain wave research suggests that if the lab test had been employed in the real world with the same type of outcome, law enforcement officials ultimately may be able to confirm details about an attack that emerges from terrorist chatter.
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Mechanism uncovered behind Salmonella virulence and drug susceptibility
Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism in Salmonella that affects is virulence and its susceptibility to antibiotics. The mechanism changes the bacteria’s production of proteins in a previously unheard of manner. It allows Salmonella to selectively change its levels of certain proteins to respond to inhospitable conditions. Although the mechanism had not been recognized before, scientists found evidence of a similar mechanism in all five kingdoms of life. The mechanism appears to have been conserved throughout the course of evolution.
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Memory’s master switch: Molecular power behind memory discovered
A new study describes GABA, a natural molecule that occurs in the brain, which could be the main factor in regulating how many new memories we can generate. The understanding of these mechanisms might lead to the development of new memory enhancers and new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
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Ultra-strong interaction between light and matter realized: One more step on the path to quantum computers
Researchers around the world are working on the development of quantum computers that will be vastly superior to present-day computers. The strong coupling of quantum bits with light quanta plays a pivotal role. Researchers have now realized an extremely strong interaction between light and matter that may represent a first step in this direction.
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Next generation sequencing establishes genetic link between two rare diseases
Scientists have successfully used “next generation sequencing” to identify mutations that may cause a rare and mysterious genetic disorder. The research demonstrates that sequencing an affected individual’s entire “exome”; that is, all of the genes that carry instructions for producing proteins, can reveal critical genes that when mutant, cause inherited disorders.
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