Novel quantum dots enhance cell imaging

31-Oct-2018 - A team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Mayo Clinic have engineered a new type of molecular probe that can measure and count RNA in cells and tissue without organic dyes. The probe is based on the conventional fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) ...

A first look at interstitial fluid flow in the brain

05-Jul-2018 - Interstitial fluid transports nutrients and removes waste between the organs and tissues in our body. In the brain, interstitial fluid is thought to be composed of circulating cerebrospinal fluid, cellular waste and blood plasma, and past research has shown a link between interstitial fluid flow ...

Microscope using UV instead of visible light emerging as diagnostic tool

06-Dec-2017 - MUSE image of sebaceous glandA microscope using ultraviolet light to illuminate samples enables pathologists to assess high-resolution images of biopsies and other fresh tissue samples for disease within minutes, without requiring the time-consuming preparation of conventional slides or ...

Revolutionary imaging technique uses CRISPR to map DNA mutations

22-Nov-2017 - A team of scientists led by Virginia Commonwealth University physicist Jason Reed, Ph.D., have developed new nanomapping technology that could transform the way disease-causing genetic mutations are diagnosed and discovered. Described in a study this novel approach uses high-speed atomic force ...

Manganese-based MRI contrast agent may be safer alternative to gadolinium-based agents

17-Nov-2017 - A team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has developed a potential alternative to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In their report the team describes experiments showing in a primate model that the manganese-based agent Mn-PyC3A ...

Imaging tracer allows early assessment of abdominal aortic aneurysm risk

04-Aug-2017 - Yale University researchers have developed a way in which medical imaging could potentially be used to assess a patient's rupture risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Delaying surgical treatment can be life-threatening, and this new type of imaging could allow physicians to diagnose disease and ...

Lifelike 3-D cinematic imaging promises numerous medical uses

03-Aug-2017 - Newly developed "cinematic rendering" technology can produce photorealistic 3D images from traditional CT and MRI data, with potential applications in medical education, communication with patients and physicians, and early disease detection. Recently introduced and not currently approved for ...

New 3-D imaging reveals how human cell nucleus organizes DNA and chromatin of its genome

31-Jul-2017 - Sixty-four years ago, James Watson and Francis Crick described the now-iconic double helix structure of DNA. A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies describe development and application of new electron ...

Tilted microscopy technique better reveals protein structures

New cryo-EM method to facilitate a better understanding of proteins involved in disease

05-Jul-2017 - The conventional way of placing protein samples under an electron microscope during cryo-EM experiments may fall flat when it comes to getting the best picture of a protein's structure. In some cases, tilting a sheet of frozen proteins -- by anywhere from 10 to 50 degrees -- as it lies under the ...

Tiny fibers open new windows into the brain

Three-in-one design allows genetic, chemical, optical, and electrical inputs and outputs.

24-Feb-2017 - For the first time ever, a single flexible fiber no bigger than a human hair has successfully delivered a combination of optical, electrical, and chemical signals back and forth into the brain, putting into practice an idea first proposed two years ago. With some tweaking to further improve its ...