Scientists have adapted a sensing platform to detect and even measure chemicals at low enough concentrations to have use outside the lab. The system, which is 10 times more sensitive than previous sensors built by the team, opens the door for the system to be applied to disease detection and monitoring in the human body for nucleic acids and bacteria.
Read more …A 'volume dial' for missed signals produced by our bodies
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is known for causing microcephaly, a birth defect in which abnormal brain development results in a smaller-than-expected head. A new study shows that the Zika virus hijacks a host protein called ANKLE2, which happens to be important for brain development, to assist its own reproduction. Because Zika, unlike most related viruses, can cross the placenta, this can have disastrous consequences in pregnancy.
Read more …Wrong place, wrong time: Why Zika virus hijacks a protein needed for brain growth