Creating new drugs is tough and expensive. Right now, scientists use flat cells or animals to test drugs, but these methods don't always work well for humans. That's where new tech comes in: tiny, 3D versions of human organs, called organoids, and special chips that mimic how organs work. These tools could make drug testing better, safer, and faster. Organoids are l...
Scientists have developed a new gel that could change the game for growing sperm cells outside the body. This gel is made from a substance called chitosan, which turns into a gel at body temperature. The gel is then covered with a special mix of proteins and other stuff that sperm cells need to grow. This mix is taken from testicular cells. The result is a gel th...
The world of toxicology is changing. Researchers have been exploring new ways to test how harmful substances affect living things. One exciting development is the use of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures. These 3D models are better at mimicking real tissues than the old flat (2D) cell layers. However, using 3D fish cell models in toxicology studies is still ra...
The liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, is a sneaky invader. It causes fasciolosis in both humans and animals. The parasite's journey starts when it hitches a ride on contaminated plants. Once inside the body, it transforms into a newly excysted juvenile (NEJ) in the small intestine. Then, it sneaks through the intestinal wall and into the liver. This is where the troubl...
You might be familiar with the tiny, tricky organisms called mycoplasmas. These guys can sneak into cell cultures and cause big problems. Researchers often face up to 35% contamination in their cell lines. Cleaning up these cultures with antibiotics is usually a breeze, except when it comes to bacteria like Rickettsia and Ehrlichia. These guys live inside cells, maki...