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Researchers have genetically engineered a probiotic yeast to produce beta-carotene in the guts of laboratory mice. The advance demonstrates the utility of work the researchers have done to detail how a suite of genetic engineering tools can be used to modify the yeast. There are clear advantages to being able to engineer probiotics so that they produce the desired molecules right where they are needed, says Nathan Crook, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University. You re not just delivering drugs or nutrients; you are effectively manufacturing the drugs or nutrients on site.
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BOSTON - (April 12, 2021) - A new source of energy expending brown fat cells has been uncovered by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center, which they say points towards potential new therapeutic options for obesity. According to the new report, published today by
Nature Metabolism, the key lies in the expression of a receptor called Trpv1 (temperature-sensitive ion channel transient receptor potential cation subfamily V member 1) a protein known to sense noxious stimuli, including pain and temperature.
Specifically, the authors point to smooth muscle cells expressing the Trpv1 receptor and identify them as a novel source of energy-burning brown fat cells (adipocytes). This should translate into increased overall energy expenditure - and ultimately, researchers hope, reduced weight.
Leeuwenhoek, who discovered bacteria, is one of the most important figures in the history of medicine, laying the groundwork for today's understanding of infectious disease.
James Mcallister was a much-loved family man. Did the Christmas mixing confusion cause his death?
James Mcallister … ‘I thought that if James got Covid, he would be really poorly or it would kill him.’ Illustration: PAUL RYDING/The Guardian
James Mcallister … ‘I thought that if James got Covid, he would be really poorly or it would kill him.’ Illustration: PAUL RYDING/The Guardian
In the run-up to Christmas, the government dithered and made last-minute rule changes that left many people baffled. A surge in coronavirus cases soon followed
Tue 6 Apr 2021 01.00 EDT
All through the spring of 2020, and into the summer, Michelle Mcallister carefully shielded her husband, James Mcallister. Michelle, 39, who lives in the Wednesfield area of Wolverhampton, was a full-time carer to James, 52. A former used car dealer, James had heart failure and had used a colostomy bag since a stomach ulcer burst in 2016. He was unable to work and was often in pain, reliant on a walking stick