High-resolution mass spectrometry promotes new methods for analysis

16-Dec-2020

Humans are exposed to various environmental or dietary molecules that can attenuate or even increase the effect of therapeutic drugs. Studies on the industrial chemical bisphenol A and the phytoestrogen genistein, for example, have shown drug-exposome interactions. However, interactions between ...

more

Biofabrication includes upcycling of low-cost agricultural and forestry by-products

09-Sep-2020

Leather is used as a durable and flexible material in many aspects of everyday life including furniture and clothing. Leather substitutes derived from fungi are considered to be an ethical and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional bovine leather. An international team led by ...

more

Scientists reveal key steps in the formation of the recycling centers of the cell

08-Sep-2020

Autophagy, from the Greek for 'self-eating', is an essential process that isolates and recycles cellular components under conditions of stress or when resources are limited. Cargoes such as misfolded proteins or damaged organelles are captured in a double membrane-bound com-partment called the ...

more

Some bacteria become increasingly infectious when they have to move from cell to cell in order to survive

20-Aug-2020

Bacteria that invade animal cells in order to multiply are widespread in nature. Some of these are pathogens of humans and animals. In the environment, they are often found inside unicellular organisms. A research team led by Matthias Horn at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems ...

more

Postgenomic technologies reveal new mechanism of stress-induced chemoresistance

12-Jun-2020

Resistance of cancer cells against therapeutic agents is a major cause of treatment failure, especially in recurrent diseases. An international team around the biochemists Robert Ahrends from the University of Vienna and Jan Medenbach from the University of Regensburg identified a novel mechanism ...

more

Cutting-edge technology allows for real-time monitoring of biomineralisation

22-May-2020

21st century societal challenges such as demographic developments and an ageing population demand for new functional materials, such as for bone prostheses. Nature often serves as inspiration when designing these materials. In a recent study published in Analytical Chemistry, a team led by ERC ...

more

Substances contained in the root bark of the mulberry tree show a dual effect

28-Apr-2020

Many organisms have to defend themselves against predators, diseases or pests. Their metabolic products constitute a chemical arsenal that has been used for medical purposes since time immemorial. Using state-of-the-art methods, a team led by Judith Rollinger is screening traditional knowledge in ...

more

24-Feb-2020

A team of researchers from Vienna has developed methods of deciphering precisely how plants and medicinal substances affect the body’s own hormone balance. Initial analyses show that in high doses some natural substances promote the growth of breast cancer cells. The number of cancer cases has ...

more

15-Oct-2019

Some of the body’s proteins are not just made up of amino acids, they are also ‘decorated’ with lipid chains, which significantly influence the biological functions of the protein. An example is the Ras protein, which plays a role in the development of many types of cancers and is only active and ...

more

14-Oct-2019

Early childhood life in the womb is particularly sensitive to the effects of environmental pollutants. A team from Empa and the University of Vienna has now for the first time been able to show how a pollutant from contaminated food - the environmental estrogen zearalenone - spreads in the womb ...

more